EeroQ, the US-based quantum computer (QC) chip design firm, has reportedly received its initial round of institutional funding after nearly five years of research and development in a $7.25 million seed round led by B Capital's Ascent Fund, a multi-stage investment firm.
Other participants included Calibrate Ventures, V Capital, Alumni Ventures, Red Cedar Ventures, and Unbound Ventures. Dr. Howard Morgan, Chair of B Capital, along with Senior Principal Morgan Polotan, who will soon be part of the board.
Quantum computers are the next generation of supercomputers, having the potential to enable breakthrough discoveries in critical sectors, including pharmaceutical research, finance, material science, and many others.
For the record, no business or academic organization has yet succeeded in meeting the challenge of building a QC.
Ascent Fund II, B Capital's first committed early-stage fund, led the investment round. With a $250 million closing in July, Ascent wants to support international business owners as they drive the subsequent wave of innovation.
EeroQ has become a key advocate for the early implementation of ethical standards in creating such potent future technology in the quantum computing sector.
Faye Wattleton, a co-founder of EeroQ and a renowned expert in board governance and public policy, has led this effort. To promote early ethical considerations, EeroQ has earlier researched on ethical guidelines for safe use, starting in 2018.
According to Wattleton, governance has frequently been neglected in previous technologies.
The funding proclamation is the most recent achievement for EeroQ, which has just finished its 9,600 square foot advanced facility in Chicago and appointed Steve Lyon, Princeton Electrical & Computer Engineering Professor Steve Lyon, as chief technology officer.
After the company announced that Chicago would be its headquarters, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot stated earlier this year that the city was ready to be transformed into a central hub for quantum technology owing to a number of noteworthy investments which will supposedly have long-term benefits for the entire city.
Source credit: https://www.hpcwire.com/off-the-wire/eeroq-raises-7-25m-to-build-scalable-quantum-computer-with-ethical-focus/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(271) "EeroQ, the US-based quantum computer (QC) chip design firm, has reportedly received its initial round of institutional funding after nearly five years of research and development in a $7.25 million seed round led by B Capital's Ascent Fund, a multi-stage investment firm." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-08-25 19:16:11" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "08/25/2022" ["author"]=> string(16) "Omkar Patwardhan" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(82) "img/computer/eeroq-secures-7-25m-in-a-seed-round-led-by-b-capitals-ascent-fund.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [1]=> object(stdClass)#27 (11) { ["id"]=> string(4) "8958" ["name"]=> string(72) "Microsoft’s Project Volterra to support arm-based AI chips for Windows" ["url"]=> string(69) "microsofts-project-volterra-to-support-arm-based-ai-chips-for-windows" ["full_desc"]=> string(2968) "Microsoft, the American multinational tech giant, has reportedly unveiled Project Volterra, at the Build 2022, the project, a device powered by, American semiconductor company, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform, which allows developers to discover ‘AI scenarios’ using the latest Neural Processing SDK by Qualcomm for Windows toolkit.
The hardware is equipped with Windows support for NPUs or neural processing units which are specialized chips designed for machine learning and AI workloads.
Dedicated AI processors, which accelerate AI processing while lowering battery usage, are becoming common in smartphones. However, as applications such as AI-powered image upscalers become more popular, manufacturers have started to include such chips in their laptop ranges.
For instance, Apple's Neural Engine is included in M1 Macs, and the SQ1 processor is featured in Microsoft's Surface Pro X (co-developed with Qualcomm).
Initially Intel had indicated that it would deliver an AI chip for Windows computers, however, as the AI-powered Arm application ecosystem is already well established owing to Android and iOS, Project Volterra looks to be an attempt to tap into it instead of reinventing the wheel.
According to Microsoft, Project Volterra will be arriving later this year, and will have a neural processor with the smartest AI computing efficiency and capacity. The main chip will be Arm-based, provided by Qualcomm, enabling developers to create and test Arm-native programs using VSCode, Visual Studio, Teams, and Microsoft Office.
Project Volterra, it appears, is the precursor to Microsoft's ‘end-to-end’ developer toolkit for Arm-native apps, which will include VSCode, NET 6, Visual C++, Windows Subsystem for Android (to run Android apps), Windows Terminal, Visual Studio 2022, Windows Subsystem for Linux, as well as Java.
Previews for every component are likely to come out in the coming weeks, with many more open-source projects such as node, Python, git, LLVM, and others to follow.
Panos Panay, Microsoft's chief product officer for Windows and devices, stated that the Neural Processing SDK toolkit for Windows would further encourage developers to implement, analyze, and debug the efficiency of deep neural networks on Windows devices with Snapdragon hardware, along with incorporate the networks into code and apps.
Source credit: https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/24/microsoft-brings-support-for-arm-based-ai-chips-to-windows/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(337) "Microsoft, the American multinational tech giant, has reportedly unveiled Project Volterra, at the Build 2022, the project, a device powered by, American semiconductor company, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform, which allows developers to discover ‘AI scenarios’ using the latest Neural Processing SDK by Qualcomm for Windows toolkit." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-05-26 13:07:37" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/26/2022" ["author"]=> string(16) "Omkar Patwardhan" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(86) "img/computer/microsofts-project-volterra-to-support-arm-based-ai-chips-for-windows.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [2]=> object(stdClass)#28 (11) { ["id"]=> string(4) "8950" ["name"]=> string(70) "Scientists power miniature computer with electrical current from algae" ["url"]=> string(70) "scientists-power-miniature-computer-with-electrical-current-from-algae" ["full_desc"]=> string(2969) "Scientists at the University of Cambridge have been reportedly powering a miniature computer just with the electrical current generated by algae for six months.
While the computer’s power is not equal to that of a traditional processing unit, researchers believe it can function as a reliable and renewable way to operate small devices.
Its size is equivalent to that of an AA battery, and it utilizes a blue-green algae species which generates a tiny electrical current during photosynthesis.
The researchers at the university were able to capture some of that energy with an aluminum electrode to operate the Arm Cortex M0+ microprocessor.
The researchers stated that the entire system is made with common, affordable, and recyclable materials. They suggested that by using hundreds of thousands of such chips, small computers in remote or off-grid situations can be powered.
For now, the device is only experimental, and researchers have not proposed it for industrial uses.
They have noted that it will be cheaper to make and more environmentally friendly than batteries relying on unsustainable materials, such as rare earth materials, or the hazardous materials utilized in solar-power photovoltaic material.
What is even more remarkable is how long the device could function.
Dr. Paolo Bombelli, University of Cambridge, said that the team was impressed by how the system worked consistently for a long period, as they thought it might stop working in a few weeks.
The review paper that details their creation has been published in the Energy & Environmental Science journal.
Prof. Christopher Howe, fellow senior author, stated that the photosynthetic device works differently than a battery as it continually uses light as the source of energy.
This is because algae makes its food with photosynthesis and does not require to be fed.
Scientists also discovered that the device continued working even at night without any light, which they believe is because the algae had managed to store some energy for processing its food.
The microprocessor Cortex M0+ is known as the most energy-efficient processor by Arm that can be utilized for constrained embedded applications.
Source credit: https://news.sky.com/story/scientists-power-miniature-computer-with-algae-for-six-months-12614409
" ["meta_description"]=> string(135) "Scientists at the University of Cambridge have been reportedly powering a miniature computer just with the electrical current generated" ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-05-17 19:58:12" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/17/2022" ["author"]=> string(16) "Omkar Patwardhan" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(87) "img/computer/scientists-power-miniature-computer-with-electrical-current-from-algae.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [3]=> object(stdClass)#29 (11) { ["id"]=> string(4) "8948" ["name"]=> string(59) "NetApp join hands with NVIDIA to boost AI and HPC use cases" ["url"]=> string(59) "netapp-join-hands-with-nvidia-to-boost-ai-and-hpc-use-cases" ["full_desc"]=> string(2854) "NetApp, Inc., an America-based hybrid cloud data service and data management company, has recently announced the news that its EF600 NVMe (NVM Express) all-flash NVMe storage integrated with the BeeGFS parallel file network is now authorized for NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD.
According to sources, the new certification will simplify AI (artificial intelligence) and (HPC) high-performance computing to facilitate the application of these use cases.
Over the years, NVIDIA and NetApp have served numerous customers with the wide range of products and solutions, from building and developing Artificial intelligence Centers of Excellence to resolving large-scale AI training challenges.
The compatibility of BeeGFS file system and NetApp EF600 for DGX SuperPOD is the most upgraded addition to the whole set of Artificial Intelligence solutions that have been built by the companies.
Ravi Chhabria, Managing Director of NetApp India, said that NetApp and NVIDIA collectively have provided best-in-class innovation solutions for years and this new innovation for NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD is also anticipated to provide the same.
He further said that data demands are accelerating, NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD along with ONTAP artificial intelligence platform and DGX Foundry artificial intelligence service, ensures the customers will get industry-leading model training system, backed up by AI industry leaders.
Charlie Boyle VP of DGX systems at NVIDIA, said that as organizations across the globe are increasingly modernizing their operations with AI and HPC, they need flexibility, fast performance, and choice to architect their infrastructure.
He further said that the partnership with NetApp allows customers to build their AI infrastructures, select NetApp storage for their NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD and utilize the same platform as hosted infrastructure via NVIDIA DGX Foundry.
NetApp, in partnership with NVIDIA, also provides several customized solutions for various industries, including financial services, retail, higher education, manufacturing, government, and medicine. The joint entity has facilitated and sponsored ideation workshops for clients embarking on their AI journeys.
Source Credit: https://www.crn.in/news/netapp-partners-with-nvidia-to-accelerate-hpc-and-ai-with-turnkey-supercomputing-infrastructure/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(270) "NetApp, Inc., an America-based hybrid cloud data service and data management company, has recently announced the news that its EF600 NVMe (NVM Express) all-flash NVMe storage integrated with the BeeGFS parallel file network is now authorized for NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-05-14 08:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/14/2022" ["author"]=> string(16) "Omkar Patwardhan" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(76) "img/computer/netapp-join-hands-with-nvidia-to-boost-ai-and-hpc-use-cases.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [4]=> object(stdClass)#30 (11) { ["id"]=> string(4) "8908" ["name"]=> string(66) "SK Square to invest $1.6bn in semiconductor chips, blockchain tech" ["url"]=> string(64) "sk-square-to-invest-1-6bn-in-semiconductor-chips-blockchain-tech" ["full_desc"]=> string(2767) "SK Square, the investment unit of SK Group, is reportedly planning on spending at least ₩2 trillion ($1.6 billion) over a period of three years on semiconductor chips and blockchain technology.
After having split off from the group’s telecommunication arm, SK Telecom, in November, it is the first time the firm has unveiled its investment roadmap, which was announced during SK Square’s shareholder meeting.
According to the plan, the company will be focusing on both U.S. and Japan-based chip companies across the worldwide semiconductor value chain.
SK Square owns a 20% stake in SK Hynix, the world’s third-largest semiconductor company, and had already been dedicated to investing in the field even before its spinoff. With its latest investment, the firm is seeking more vigorous investment in the ‘Next Platform’, such as digital assets and blockchain, in addition to chips.
Meanwhile, the firm also unveiled plans for launching a white paper by the first half of 2022 to detail the element and property of its new crypto token, due to be issued before the third quarter.
The cryptocurrency will serve as the foundation for a new blockchain-based economic system across the metaverse platform of SK Telecom as well as in the affiliated internet services of SK Square.
The firm also said that it is open to collaborating with local as well as international investors for co-investing in blockchain, chips, and alike.
Park Jung-ho, CEO and VC, SK Square, stated that the investment will be SK Square’s first year of creating new shareholder value through investments in chips and blockchain, adding that the firm sees high growth potential in the two.
SK Square has made investments worth ₩130.3 billion ($107 million) for strategic collaborations in the country, such as in Korbit, a digital asset exchange platform, Green Labs, an agriculture technology startup, and Onmind, a 3D digital human maker, after its carveout.
In addition to that, the firm’s portfolio firms include One Store, an Android app store operator, and SK Shieldus, a security service provider, which are aiming to go public by the first half of this year.
Source credit: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220328000681&np=1&mp=1
" ["meta_description"]=> string(192) "SK Square, the investment unit of SK Group, is reportedly planning on spending at least 2 trillion ($1.6 billion) over a period of three years on semiconductor chips and blockchain technology." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-03-29 18:52:36" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "03/29/2022" ["author"]=> string(16) "Omkar Patwardhan" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(81) "img/computer/sk-square-to-invest-1-6bn-in-semiconductor-chips-blockchain-tech.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [5]=> object(stdClass)#31 (11) { ["id"]=> string(4) "6037" ["name"]=> string(76) "SK Siltron to spend ₩1tr on new silicon wafer plant amid supply issues" ["url"]=> string(69) "sk-siltron-to-spend-1tr-on-new-silicon-wafer-plant-amid-supply-issues" ["full_desc"]=> string(2507) "SK Siltron, the only silicon wafer chip manufacturer based in South Korea, is reportedly planning to spend a total of ₩1.05 trillion ($845 million) towards constructing a new semiconductor fabrication plant that can produce 300mm wafers and tackle wafer supply constraints, as per a company filing.
After getting approval from the board, the firm will start building the facility in the first half of this year, on a 42,716 sqm-wide site in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, creating over 1,000 new jobs in the region.
SK Silicon, which supplies silicon wafers to South Korean powerhouses like SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, is aiming for the facility to begin mass-production by the first half of 2024.
A silicon wafer is a round slice made of pure semiconductor material and is used as a substrate for printing multiple microchips before dicing.
A 300mm wafer is the largest silicon wafer size that has been commercialized in the industry so far, as more chips can be produced with a single wafer of larger size.
SK Siltron produces wafers in diameter sizes of 200mm and 300mm, which are utilized as the base material for logic chips, memory chips, as well as CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) image sensors.
Jang Yong-ho, CEO of SK Siltron, stated that the decision for the audacious capital expenditure on facility scale-up was taken to predict market uncertainties and address them efficiently.
The firm added that the decision for expanding the production of 300mm wafers was due to the growing EV market and a rise in 5G network usage, which has caused a surge in chip demand, and forecasts that wafer shortage will continue until 2026.
As per SK Siltron, the total capital expenditure committed for expansion will take one-third of the firm’s assets as of 2021.
SK Siltron is one of the five major producers of silicon wafers in the world, with South Korea being the second largest in terms of wafer capacity after Taiwan.
Source credit: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220316000630
" ["meta_description"]=> string(146) "SK Siltron, the only silicon wafer chip manufacturer based in South Korea, is reportedly planning to spend a total of 1.05 trillion ($845 million)" ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-03-17 17:00:50" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "03/17/2022" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(86) "img/computer/sk-siltron-to-spend-1tr-on-new-silicon-wafer-plant-amid-supply-issues.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [6]=> object(stdClass)#32 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "324" ["name"]=> string(68) "Bosch invests additional $296m in chip production to combat shortage" ["url"]=> string(67) "bosch-invests-additional-296m-in-chip-production-to-combat-shortage" ["full_desc"]=> string(2931) "German tech major, Bosch GmbH, is reportedly increasing its investment in semiconductor production to tackle the ongoing chip shortage.
The firm will add $296 million to its previous investment of $473 million, which it had pledged to spend in 2022 last year for new production facilities.
Much of the capital from last year had been reserved for the company’s new Dresden-based 300mm wafer fabrication facility, while around $57 million were allocated to the Reutlingen facility where the company had begun production in December.
The new capital is meant exclusively for Reutlingen and would go towards the creation of new production space as well as a 44,000 square meters of cleanroom space between now and 2025, as a response to the rising demand for semiconductors as well as MEMS (micro electrical-mechanical systems) sensors needed in consumer and automotive electronics markets.
Dr. Stefan Hartung, Chairman of the Board of Management, Bosch, stated that the company is systematically expanding the semiconductor manufacturing capacity in Reutlingen. Adding that the new investment will strengthen Bosch's competitive position while benefitting the customers and combating the semiconductor supply chain crisis.
Reutlingen wafer fabs will be producing 6-inch and 8-inch wafers. There has been a shortage of 8-inch wafers, used mainly in sensors, MCUs, and wireless communications chips, since 2019.
Bosch said that it will be able to fulfill the growing demand of MEMS in consumer and automotive sectors as well as of silicon-carbide power chips, with the expansion of Reutlingen.
The Dresden facility will be producing more 12-inch chips, used in the making of high-performance computing products such as logic ICs, CPUs, and memories.
Dr. Markus Heyn, Chairman of Mobility Solutions, and member of Bosch’s Board of Management, stated that the future of the company’s Reutlingen plant as well as of the people working there is safeguarded with its high level of automation and state-of-the-art production environment, achieved by combining connectivity with AI methods.
While the new production area is expected to launch in 2025, the company also plans on extending an existing power supply facility as well as constructing another building for media supply systems.
Source credit: https://techcrunch.com/2022/02/22/bosch-invest-296m-semiconductor-production-chip-shortage/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(135) "German tech major, Bosch GmbH, is reportedly increasing its investment in semiconductor production to tackle the ongoing chip shortage." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-02-23 17:51:40" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "02/23/2022" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/computer/bosch-invests-additional-296m-in-chip-production-to-combat-shortage.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [7]=> object(stdClass)#33 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "318" ["name"]=> string(74) "LG unveils AI-based fashion designer ‘Tilda’ at New York Fashion Week " ["url"]=> string(67) "lg-unveils-ai-based-fashion-designer-tilda-at-new-york-fashion-week" ["full_desc"]=> string(2929) "LG Group, the South Korean multinational corporation, has reportedly announced the debut of its hyperscale artificial intelligence (AI) powered virtual fashion designer, ‘Tilda’, at New York Fashion Week, extending the engine's text-to-image production capability to greater heights.
At the event, Tilda, the virtual fashion designer, has teamed with Park Youn-hee, the South Korean fashion designer known for Greedilous brand.
The collection of clothes designed by Tilda were revealed at Spring Studios, a prominent New York Fashion Week location, over the Fall 2022 runway presentation on Monday.
The ‘Greedilous by Tilda – Flowers on Venus’ collection showcased 200 designs based on over 3,000 graphic patterns and images Tilda has created, which have been visual inspiration for Park's clothing designs.
Exaone, a hyperscale AI engine, interprets Tilda's language when Park gives it an order. Park may then start making outfits depending on the images that are generated from the analyzed texts.
The runway display for Tilda took around a month and a half of planning and preparations, as compared to the normal months of labor with dozens of human designers required to pull off a collection together, according to Park.
Park expressed her aim to design and create clothes with her heart and by throwing human emotion to Tilda's original uniqueness and creativity in the mix.
Exaone, the AI language model first shown in December, powers Tilda. It can process 250 million high-definition images as well as 600 billion text samples.
With its capabilities to see beyond the speech it perceives, Tilda's multi-modal AI allows her to build a new image on her own.
LG AI Research, an in-house research center committed to AI, declared its plans to build a creative hyperscale AI that can collaborate with an experienced fashion designer less than a year ago.
LG Corp, Korea's fourth-largest conglomerate holding organization by assets, stated that Tilda was the first to create visual compositions based on text processing powered by an AI engine in a real-world use case.
Tilda will debut its very own environmentally sustainable fashion line following the New York Fashion Week Fall 2022, according to LG, and will seek to connect people in the metaverse.
Source credit: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220215000613
" ["meta_description"]=> string(168) "LG Group, the South Korean multinational corporation, has reportedly announced the debut of its hyperscale artificial intelligence (AI) powered virtual fashion designer" ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-02-16 18:10:57" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "02/16/2022" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/computer/lg-unveils-ai-based-fashion-designer-tilda-at-new-york-fashion-week.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [8]=> object(stdClass)#34 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "284" ["name"]=> string(66) "SK plans new collaboration with Qualcomm for eco-friendly AI chips" ["url"]=> string(66) "sk-plans-new-collaboration-with-qualcomm-for-eco-friendly-ai-chips" ["full_desc"]=> string(2690) "In its efforts to lead the emerging low-power, eco-friendly artificial intelligence chip market, South Korean conglomerate, SK Group, is reportedly planning to collaborate with American tech corporation, Qualcomm Technologies, on the development of these AI chips.
In a recent interview, Park Jung-ho, CEO and Vice Chairman of SK Hynix, stated that the company is planning to make co-investments with SK Telecom and Qualcomm to make good AI chips and that he will speak with Qualcomm to join the effort.
Park added that with almost 500 companies are currently active in the field of AI chips, it is all about who makes the first move in the ecosystem to become a major player.
The interview took place at CES 2022, currently being held in Las Vegas, where SK Group has set up a booth to present its goal of curbing 200 million tons, or 1%, of the world’s carbon emissions by the end of 2030.
SK’s telecom subsidiary, SK Telecom, also unveiled its AI chip, called ‘Sapeon’, to the public for the first time at the joint booth.
Sapeon chips are specialized AI chips that are essential for enabling artificial intelligence and can conduct massive calculations with high speed and low power.
SK Telecom had developed the first independent AI chip in South Korea, which reportedly consumes 20% less power while computing 1.5 times faster than a conventional GPU, and is also around 50% cheaper.
The company, which is also South Korea’s number one mobile carrier, has commissioned Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest contract manufacturer, for the production of Sapeon chips for now.
Last month, SK Telecom had decided to spin off a separate AI chip division, tentatively named Sapeon Korea, which would later become its subsidiary after being established.
As per the documents submitted to the US Patent and Registration Office, the company has already completed the patent registration of Sapeon.
It is expected that Sapeon chips will provide numerous cloud computing and artificial intelligence-related services.
Source credit: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220106000061&np=1&mp=1
" ["meta_description"]=> string(133) "In its efforts to lead the emerging low-power, eco-friendly artificial intelligence chip market, South Korean conglomerate, SK Group," ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-01-07 12:55:15" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "01/07/2022" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/computer/sk-plans-new-collaboration-with-qualcomm-for-eco-friendly-ai-chips.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [9]=> object(stdClass)#35 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "269" ["name"]=> string(64) "SK Hynix unveils next-gen high density 24-gigabit DDR5 DRAM chip" ["url"]=> string(64) "sk-hynix-unveils-next-gen-high-density-24-gigabit-ddr5-dram-chip" ["full_desc"]=> string(2958) "SK Hynix, the leading South Korean memory semiconductor company, has supposedly intensified the race for next-gen DDR5 DRAM chips with the reported release of its next-gen DDR5 memory chip with enhanced density, which may help cloud data centers and possibly high-performance servers function better.
Earlier this week, SK Hynix announced that prototypes for its 24-gigabit DDR5 dynamic random-access memory chips have been shipped, highlighting the company's technological dominance in commercializing a single DRAM chip with the sector's highest density.
DDR5, or double data rate 5, is a newer version that provides greater data speeds while consuming less energy than the extensively used DDR4.
The latest chip, which was created using 1-alpha nanometer technology as well as an intense UV lithography method, will have a speed boost of up to 33% above 16-gigabit DDR5 DRAMs.
As per the firm, overall productivity will also be improved, with energy usage reduced by 25% compared to present products in order to achieve a more environmentally friendly manufacturing operation. Thus far, DDR5 DRAM has only been made available in 8-gigabit or 16-gigabit densities.
As per SK Hynix, the first 24-gigabit DDR5 DRAM products will be 48-gigabyte as well as 96-gigabyte DRAM chips, which, when combined with integrated circuit chips, can run to cloud data centers and high-performance servers for big data analysis, as well as recognizing metaverse applications.
According to Noh Jong-won, SK Hynix’s chief marketing officer and president, in conjunction with the release of 24-gigabit DDR5, SK Hynix is proactively working with numerous clients who offer cloud services.
Recently, Intel announced that it is planning to release the next-generation Sapphire Rapids CPUs in the second half of 2022, which will be perfectly compatible with DDR5 semiconductor chips. Ice Lake, Intel's most recent server processor, was released in April and supports DDR4 memory.
According to Carolyn Duran, Intel's Data Center and AI Group’s vice president of memory and IO technologies, the announcement is a testament to SK Hynix and Intel's partnership to offer a 24Gb solution that addresses the requirements of their mutual customers and help customers enhance the performance of memory capacity bound loads.
Supposedly, SK Hynix will start mass production for the 24GB DDR5 DRAM in the coming year.
Source credit: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20211215000719
" ["meta_description"]=> string(210) "SK Hynix, the leading South Korean memory semiconductor company, has supposedly intensified the race for next-gen DDR5 DRAM chips with the reported release of its next-gen DDR5 memory chip with enhanced density" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-12-17 18:46:37" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "12/17/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(81) "img/computer/sk-hynix-unveils-next-gen-high-density-24-gigabit-ddr5-dram-chip.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [10]=> object(stdClass)#36 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "242" ["name"]=> string(65) "IBM launches a new 127-qubit quantum processor dubbed ‘Eagle’" ["url"]=> string(59) "ibm-launches-a-new-127-qubit-quantum-processor-dubbed-eagle" ["full_desc"]=> string(2401) "American multinational technology corp., IBM, in what it considers a big step towards achieving practical quantum computation, has reportedly announced the launch of its new 127-quantum bit (qubit) quantum processor, called Eagle. The company claims Eagle to be the first-ever processor that cannot be simulated by a classical supercomputer.
The company reports that in order to simulate the new processor chip, more classical bits will be needed than the number of atoms in the human body.
Crediting this breakthrough in technology to a new design, IBM stated that the controlling components of the processor will be put on multiple physical levels with the qubits being positioned on a single layer. According to the tech giant, this allows for a significant boost in computing power.
The company, however, has not provided any detail about the processor’s quantum volume, a metric coined by IBM itself in order to measure the performance of the quantum computer. Quantum volume considers the various parts of the machine, including the qubits and how they interact with one another.
It is believed that a higher quantum volume equals a better quantum computer at solving complex problems.
Jerry Chow, Director of Quantum Hardware System Development at IBM, explained that the Eagle processor will be available as an exploratory system on the IBM Cloud for select IBM Quantum Network members. Chow added that exploratory systems are still early access to its latest technologies, which does not allow the firm to guarantee uptime or a specific repeatable performance level, which is measured with the help of the quantum volume.
Eagle will be available to select members of IBM’s Quantum Network from next month onwards.
The company has also added that while the processor is a step forward towards quantum supremacy, the processor, cannot currently solve problems that classical computers cannot as well.
Source credit: https://www.engadget.com/ibm-eagle-processor-050133991.html
" ["meta_description"]=> string(125) "American multinational technology corp., IBM, in what it considers a big step towards achieving practical quantum computation" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-11-16 17:28:21" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "11/16/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(76) "img/computer/ibm-launches-a-new-127-qubit-quantum-processor-dubbed-eagle.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [11]=> object(stdClass)#37 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "237" ["name"]=> string(59) "Samsung unveils the industry’s first LPDDRX5 mobile DRAM " ["url"]=> string(55) "samsung-unveils-the-industrys-first-lpddrx5-mobile-dram" ["full_desc"]=> string(2745) "Samsung Electronics, the South Korean technology giant, has reportedly announced that it has completed the development of a 16 gigabit 14 nanometer-based, Low Power Double Data Rate 5X (LPDDR5X) DRAM, a first in the industry.
According to reports, the new mobile RAM will supposedly advance growth for high-speed data service applications; which includes AI, 5G, and the metaverse.
Sang Joon Hwang, Senior Vice President and Head of DRAM Design Team, Samsung Electronics, stated that over recent times, hyperconnected tech industry segments, such as augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), and metaverse, which depend on rapid large-scale data processing, are expanding at a significant pace.
With LPDDR5X, the company will be able to broaden the adoption of low-power, higher performance memory beyond smartphones, while delivering newer capabilities to AI-driven edge applications such as servers and even connected vehicles.
The 16Gb LPDDR5X chip, dubbed the next-gen mobile DRAM, has been designed to not only boost the speed and capacity, but also enable power savings for 5G applications. It will offer high-speed data processing with a speed of up to 8.5 gigabits-per-second (Gbps), which is 1.3x faster than its predecessor LPDDR5’s speed of 6.4Gbps.
For the uninitiated, Samsung had released the industry’s first 8Gb LPDDR5 DRAM back in 2018.
Leveraging the 14nm advanced DRAM process tech, the most advanced in the market, the new offering will also use approximately 20 percent less power than the LPDDR5. Moreover, the 16Gb LPDDR5X chip would also have a capacity of up to 64 gigabytes per memory package, addressing the global demand for mobile DRAM with higher capacity.
It is expected that Samsung will be collaborating with leading chipset manufacturers to setup a framework that is more viable for expanding the digital reality world, with the LPDDR5X being a crucial part of the said foundation.
The company states that it will continue making improvements in its mobile DRAM technology in terms of power efficiency and performance, while also working upon expanding its leadership in the market with better production infrastructure.
Source credit: https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-develops-industrys-first-lpddr5x-dram
" ["meta_description"]=> string(225) "Samsung Electronics, the South Korean technology giant, has reportedly announced that it has completed the development of a 16 gigabit 14 nanometer-based, Low Power Double Data Rate 5X (LPDDR5X) DRAM, a first in the industry." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-11-10 19:18:31" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "11/10/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(72) "img/computer/samsung-unveils-the-industrys-first-lpddrx5-mobile-dram.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [12]=> object(stdClass)#38 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "236" ["name"]=> string(70) "Singapore invests S$180M towards AI research, launches two AI programs" ["url"]=> string(69) "singapore-invests-s-180m-towards-ai-research-launches-two-ai-programs" ["full_desc"]=> string(3096) "Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat has reportedly announced that an additional S$180 million will be set aside along with the S$500 million that had been already committed for artificial intelligence research. The announcement was made at the Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF) x Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH) 2021 on Monday.
In his opening speech, Heng stated that the additional S$180 million would be added in order to accelerate research in the field of fundamental and translational AI. While fundamental AI is responsible for advancing new applications for AI, translational AI is responsible for the implementation of AI to translate data into insights.
Heng also announced the launch of two new national AI initiatives, the National AI Program in Finance, targeting the finance industry, and the National AI Program in Government, targeting the government sector.
Ravi Menon, managing director of Monetary Authority of Singapore, expressed in a press release that the program will act as an ‘active collaboration’ between financial institutions and government agencies in order to serve the financial sector of the country.
NovA! is one such AI program that is supported by the National AI Program in Finance, which is a collaboration between Singapore-based banks and the financial technology companies.
For the uninitiated, NovA! Is a platform that generates insights on financial risks across the industry, with its initial phase focusing on assessing a company’s environmental impact as well as identifying emerging environmental risks for financial institutions.
Another AI program announced is Collaborative Sharing of Money Laundering/Terrorism Financing Information and Cases (COSMIC) a surveillance program to keep check on money laundering and identify illicit networks that may be financing terrorist activities.
The National AI Program in Government, on the other hand, will be focusing on improving service delivery in the public sector with the help of AI, by using text analytics to analyze and understand the feedback received, in bulks each year, by various government agencies.
Heng further added that through the use of AI, the government will be able to develop jobs and skills recommendations that are more personalized, citing that their new tool that is being used on the national job portal has shown improvements in job placements by 20%.
Source credit: https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/garage/singapore-sets-aside-an-additional-s180m-for-ai-research-launches-two-new-ai-programmes
" ["meta_description"]=> string(226) "Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat has reportedly announced that an additional S$180 million will be set aside along with the S$500 million that had been already committed for artificial intelligence research. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-11-09 18:22:29" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "11/09/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(86) "img/computer/singapore-invests-s-180m-towards-ai-research-launches-two-ai-programs.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [13]=> object(stdClass)#39 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "233" ["name"]=> string(70) "SpaceX’s Starlink enters India, focuses on serving rural communities" ["url"]=> string(66) "spacexs-starlink-enters-india-focuses-on-serving-rural-communities" ["full_desc"]=> string(2975) "Starlink, a unit of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has reportedly registered a new subsidiary in India under the name, Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited (SSCPL), and is readying to apply for operating licenses to bring its services to the nation, starting with its rural communities.
Sanjay Bhargava, director head at Starlink India, in a LinkedIn post, stated that SpaceX now has a 100% owned subsidiary based in India, and that Starlink will be preparing to apply for licenses from local government and also open bank accounts.
In order to extend its internet services in the country, a local unit is required for the company that will grant it the necessary license. Starlink plans to offer as many as 200,000 active terminals in India by December 2022, having a goal of reaching 160,000 districts by that deadline. Currently, the company has a presence in 14 countries with a total of 100,000 user terminals.
The company has recently hired several key executives for the Indian branch, including Bhargava whose LinkedIn profile shows him having joined the company in October 2021. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, had confirmed the same over the weekend in a tweet, stating that Starlink aims to serve rural communities in India and that Sanjay deserves credit for helping in making X/PayPal a success.
Bhargava shared in a different post that the company wants to serve the underserved, hoping to provide internet access in ‘aspirational districts’ and help save and improve lives. The firm stated that it will be working with Niti Aayog, a prominent Indian think tank, to identify at least 12 districts where Starlink can be initially deployed.
Talking about the company’s plans, Bhargava stated that Starlink is optimistic on getting approval for its pilot program or its Pan India approval as quickly as possible, preferably in the coming months. However, in case it is unable to get the government approval, then it might end up rolling out much lower number of terminals by next year, possibly even zero.
Starlink, part of the SpaceX company, is a leading satellite network that aims to provide high-speed internet services worldwide via a constellation of satellites orbiting around the planet. The company is doing so by launching small satellites as part of a low-Earth orbiting network that will provide low-latency broadband internet services.
Source credit: https://techcrunch.com/2021/11/01/spacexs-starlink-forms-india-subsidiary-aims-to-deploy-200000-active-terminals-by-2022/?guccounter=1
" ["meta_description"]=> string(290) "Starlink, a unit of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has reportedly registered a new subsidiary in India under the name, Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited (SSCPL), and is readying to apply for operating licenses to bring its services to the nation, starting with its rural communities." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-11-03 17:37:38" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "11/03/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/computer/spacexs-starlink-enters-india-focuses-on-serving-rural-communities.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [14]=> object(stdClass)#40 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "223" ["name"]=> string(71) "S Korea’s SK Hynix successfully develops industry’s first HBM3 DRAM" ["url"]=> string(65) "s-koreas-sk-hynix-successfully-develops-industrys-first-hbm3-dram" ["full_desc"]=> string(2621) "SK Hynix, the South Korean semiconductor firm, has reportedly announced the successful development of High Bandwidth Memory 3 (HBM3), the best-performance DRAM in the world. The Korean memory chipmaker is allegedly the first in the sector to effectively develop HBM3.
HBM3, HBM’s fourth generation technology, comes with a vertically integrated combination of numerous DRAM chips and is an extremely high-value innovation that effectively raises the data processing rate.
The HBM3 from SK Hynix is not simply the world's fastest DRAM, but it also possesses the largest capacity and a much higher standard of quality.
The current version can process up to 819 GB (Gigabyte) per second, enough for the transmission of 163 full-HD videos (5GB each) within a single second. When compared to the HBM2E, this implies a 78 percent boost in data processing speed
With the help of the built-in on-die error-correction code, it also fixes data (bit) errors, considerably boosting the product's reliability.
HBM, HBM2, and HBM2E are the preceding three generations, with HBM2E being an upgrade to the HBM2 specifications with higher bandwidth as well as capacity.
HBM3 by SK Hynix will be made available in two capacities, 24 GB (biggest in the industry) and 16 GB. The engineers at SK Hynix reduced the height of a DRAM chip to roughly 30 micrometer (m, 10-6m) for the 24GB product, which is equal to a third of the thickness of an A4 paper, before vertically stacking 12 chips utilizing through silicon through technology.
The latest advancement, which comes after the launch of mass production of HBM2E in July of last year, is likely to allow the company to solidify its leading market position. SK Hynix was also the first company to mass-produce HBM2E in the industry.
Seon-yong Cha, Executive Vice President of the DRAM development, SK Hynix, stated that the company will continue its efforts to consolidate its leadership within the premium memory industry and help elevate the values of its customers by offering products that fall in-line with ESG management standards.
Source credit: https://news.skhynix.com/sk-hynix-announces-development-of-hbm3-dram/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(174) "SK Hynix, the South Korean semiconductor firm, has reportedly announced the successful development of High Bandwidth Memory 3 (HBM3), the best-performance DRAM in the world. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-10-22 12:01:05" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "10/22/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(82) "img/computer/s-koreas-sk-hynix-successfully-develops-industrys-first-hbm3-dram.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [15]=> object(stdClass)#41 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "219" ["name"]=> string(74) "Facebook eyeing big chunk of India's fast-growing online gaming market" ["url"]=> string(70) "facebook-eyeing-big-chunk-of-india-s-fast-growing-online-gaming-market" ["full_desc"]=> string(2835) "Facebook, the Silicon Valley-based social media behemoth, is reportedly looking to carve out a large chunk of India's fast-growing and extremely competitive online gaming and streaming market for itself.
According to credible sources, Facebook’s offer to game streamers and producers is simple: one app for video game players to play and stream games along with building their own fanbase.
Manish Chopra, Facebook India's director and head of partnerships, stated that Facebook has been quite serious about expanding over the past two years, as very plainly visible from the company’s numbers. However, the company has been avoiding drawing much attention to this endeavor.
In recent months, the platform has seen dramatic growth, far greater than any of the gaming-specific platforms, Chopra added.
YouTube, Google's video-sharing platform, has historically dominated the game streaming sector in the nation, with up and coming companies like Rheo TV and Loco also carving out a piece for themselves.
Recently, Glance, a lock screen solution from mobile ad service provider InMobi, which is sponsored by Google, is also attracting video game players for live streaming content.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, downloads of casual gaming applications have surged, and esports contests have become the new craze as a result of fewer entertainment alternatives.
Chopra claimed that gaming is a key sector on its own, and not an extension of the entertainment plan. While it effectively meets all entertainment use cases, from a broader context, gaming has essentially been a distinct use case.
Facebook is not trying to compete with console manufacturers or PC gaming in general. Instead, it wants to encourage casual players to play games without installing them into mobiles or systems while also watching someone else play as well.
According to Chopra, gaming has become a broader concept and is no longer restricted to the AAA games played by a small group of gamers. Which is why Facebook Gaming is appealing to a broader range of users who perceive video games as an engaging form of entertainment.
Source credit: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/facebook-eyes-a-big-spot-in-indian-game-streaming-space/articleshow/87096245.cms
" ["meta_description"]=> string(110) "Facebook, the Silicon Valley-based social media behemoth, is reportedly looking to carve out a large chunk of " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-10-18 23:14:59" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "10/18/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(87) "img/computer/facebook-eyeing-big-chunk-of-india-s-fast-growing-online-gaming-market.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [16]=> object(stdClass)#42 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "212" ["name"]=> string(67) "Microsoft acquires Ally to improve employee experience through Viva" ["url"]=> string(67) "microsoft-acquires-ally-to-improve-employee-experience-through-viva" ["full_desc"]=> string(2777) "Microsoft Corporation has reportedly acquired Ally.io, a software that helps companies in measuring their progress against OKRs (objectives and key results) and plans to integrate It into its employee experience software Viva. The company intends to communicate company goals and objectives to employees in a more transparent manner.
For those unaware, Microsoft Viva is essentially an employee experience platform that helps companies during onboarding and engagement processes. It currently offers four modules- Insights, Connections, Topics, and Learning.
Ally.io OKR technology will form the core of a fifth Viva module which is likely to be launched by 2022.
This decision comes at a time when understanding personal work objectives and how they fit with company goals is more important as more people have shifted to remote working. The incorporation of these goals into work tools is expected to keep everyone on track and raise efficiency.
For the record, Ally Technologies Inc. was founded in the year 2017 by Vetri Vellore, a former employee of Microsoft Corporation. The startup is based in Seattle and currently has around 275 employees.
Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Experiences and Devices Group Kirk Koenigsbauer was quoted saying that aligning employee work to the company’s core priorities and strategic mission is essential for every organization.
To achieve this goal, leaders need to invest in tools that promote transparency and create ways to set aspirational goals and report results at all levels in the company with ease, he added.
The CEO and Founder of Ally Technologies Inc. Vetri Vellore reportedly said that this move will enable the company and the software to grow rapidly and benefit a broader user base. It will also enhance employee efficiency on Slack, Teams, as well as Outlook, he added.
Microsoft’s acquisition Of Ally.io will encourage other major companies to buy similar tools and offer them to their employees, sources confirmed. It will be interesting to see how the market responds to this move.
Source Credits—
https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/07/microsoft-acquires-ally-io-okr-startup-that-raised-76-million/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(227) "Microsoft Corporation has reportedly acquired Ally.io, a software that helps companies in measuring their progress against OKRs (objectives and key results) and plans to integrate It into its employee experience software Viva. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-10-09 13:00:06" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "10/09/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/computer/microsoft-acquires-ally-to-improve-employee-experience-through-viva.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [17]=> object(stdClass)#43 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "206" ["name"]=> string(65) "Facebook might face massive penalty in Russia over banned content" ["url"]=> string(65) "facebook-might-face-massive-penalty-in-russia-over-banned-content" ["full_desc"]=> string(2797) "
Russian authorities recently warned Facebook with a fine of around 10% of its annual turnover in the country if it fails to eliminate content considered illegal by Moscow from its site.
Increasing the pressure on U.S. tech giant, state communications regulator Roskomnadzor mentioned that they were planning to send an official notification to Facebook representatives in Russia stating that it had time and again failed to delete banned content.
The regulator stated that this could lead to a penalty of around 5-10% of Facebook's annual turnover in Russia unless the situation is addressed. The company’s violations include failing to remove posts containing drug abuse, child pornography, and extremist content.
It is to be noted that Moscow has tightened scrutiny on foreign tech companies over the past year as a part of an effort to maintain greater sovereignty over its internet segment, including attempts to make companies store personal data of Russians on its territory.
Russia this Wednesday intimidated to block Alphabet Inc-owned YouTube after it deleted state-backed broadcaster RT's German-language channels.
Earlier this year, Roskomnadzor had demanded Facebook and other social media firms to delete posts that contain calls for minors to take part in anti-government protests following the arrest of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
Experts estimate that the annual turnover of Facebook in Russia stands at over USD 165 million.
As per the court documents, Roskomnadzor has initiated 17 different administrative cases against the firm this year for not removing banned content, with around USD 87 million payable in fines or pending.
Sources cited that Facebook’s administration has not paid the penalties yet. A turnover penalty would tower above those imposed so far.
Source credit: https://www.reuters.com/technology/facebook-faces-threat-huge-fine-russia-over-banned-content-report-2021-09-30/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(185) "Russian authorities recently warned Facebook with a fine of around 10% of its annual turnover in the country if it fails to eliminate content considered illegal by Moscow from its site." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-10-02 13:00:02" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "10/02/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(82) "img/computer/facebook-might-face-massive-penalty-in-russia-over-banned-content.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [18]=> object(stdClass)#44 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "203" ["name"]=> string(68) "Verizon unveils redesigned BlueJeans for enhanced virtual experience" ["url"]=> string(68) "verizon-unveils-redesigned-bluejeans-for-enhanced-virtual-experience" ["full_desc"]=> string(2681) "Verizon Business, a division of American network operator Verizon Communications, has reportedly launched the revamped BlueJeans platform for the hybrid workplace, raising the bar for dynamic and unplanned virtual collaboration.
According to credible reports, this next-generation partnership platform has been created to provide a smooth virtual environment for teams to perform their best work from any location. It is centered around BlueJeans Spaces, a fully integrated virtual office for fostering engagement and alignment.
Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business, stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has irrevocably altered what it means to be "at work”. A significant portion of this change has been aided by Verizon's ability to develop new methods of functioning that are appropriate for the digital era.
Erwin added that the firm is one step closer to providing a completely unified digital workplace experience for companies of all sizes and their workers, within or outside the office walls, by increasing its investment in BlueJeans and developing new apps like Spaces.
According to a recent worldwide study of over 5,000 respondents conducted by Momentive, spontaneous discussions with coworkers are the most missed part of the workplace, with 43.5% admitting that their efforts to preserve team culture as a hybrid team have failed.
In this regard, BlueJeans is reinventing what it means to collaborate online in today's mixed work environment with the launch of Spaces. The realistic office experience enables a more natural, individualized, and inclusive workflow for teams to generate ideas, activate, or simply hang out in real-time.
While the last 18 months have demonstrated that employee productivity can be sustained in a remote or hybrid workplace, it has also become clear that fostering successful cooperation in a conventional virtual conference environment may be difficult. In fact, over 40% of hybrid employees prefer leaving their job owing to the feel of doing the same thing always.
" ["meta_description"]=> string(162) "Verizon Business, a division of American network operator Verizon Communications, has reportedly launched the revamped BlueJeans platform for the hybrid workplace" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-09-29 14:10:02" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "09/29/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(85) "img/computer/verizon-unveils-redesigned-bluejeans-for-enhanced-virtual-experience.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [19]=> object(stdClass)#45 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "200" ["name"]=> string(68) "Samsung likely to produce next-gen self-driving auto chips for Tesla" ["url"]=> string(68) "samsung-likely-to-produce-next-gen-self-driving-auto-chips-for-tesla" ["full_desc"]=> string(2797) "Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd is reportedly in talks with Tesla Inc. to produce the next-gen self-driving auto chips for the automaker’s upcoming Hardware 4, a fully autonomous driving technology. Samsung is likely to use its 7-nanometer process to ensure efficient functions and higher production yields of the chip when installed in full self-driving (FSD) vehicles.
Notably, the South Korean electronics major already produces chips for Tesla’s current hardware 3 computers.
If market speculations are to be believed, both companies have been discussing chip designs since the beginning of 2021. However, Tesla and Samsung are yet to announce an official confirmation of the partnership.
Chief Executive of Tesla, Elon Musk, had confirmed during the company’s AI day event in August, that the company plans to introduce new hardware for the self-driving computer in its Cybertruck electric pick-up truck within a year or so.
It is worth noting that Samsung is the second-largest contract chip manufacturer in the world after TSMC. It held nearly 17.3% of the overall market share in June 2021, whereas TSMC captured a massive 52.9% of the market.
According to industry experts, Samsung’s partnership with Tesla will further strengthen its position in the global market as the automaker looks to widen its fleet of fully autonomous EV models.
Meanwhile, Tesla is expected to launch the Cybertruck electric pickup at the end of 2022. Sources claim that the company has already received 1.2 million units in pre-orders.
Other than Tesla, several other automakers are expected to unveil new electric pickups in the coming years. This comes after President Joe Biden signed an order mandating half of the new vehicles sold in the U.S. by 2030 to be electric.
Source credits –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(156) "Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd is reportedly in talks with Tesla Inc. to produce the next-gen self-driving auto chips for the automaker’s upcoming Hardware 4" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-09-25 13:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "09/25/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(85) "img/computer/samsung-likely-to-produce-next-gen-self-driving-auto-chips-for-tesla.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [20]=> object(stdClass)#46 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "178" ["name"]=> string(74) "Alarmed by major flaw, Azure Cosmos users urged to regenerate digital keys" ["url"]=> string(73) "alarmed-by-major-flaw-azure-cosmos-users-urged-to-regenerate-digital-keys" ["full_desc"]=> string(2704) "
Cyberattacks and incidences of compromise on crucial user information is doing rounds lately, allowing companies to take up strong measures in this regard. Recently, researchers at a cloud security company, Wiz, discovered a major flaw in the main database in Microsoft’s Azure Cloud platform.
It has been reported that the researchers might have gained unauthorized access to the primary digital credentials for most of the Azure Cosmos DB users, enabling them to change, steal, or delete millions of critical and important records. However, the company has urged all the Cosmos DB users to change their digital access keys to avoid the compromise to essential data in the near future.
Microsoft has apparently noted that there was no evidence found of any malicious activity to get into the customer data. It was mentioned by the company that the investigation by the team showed no unauthorized access other than the researchers activity.
Speculations have it that notifications have been sent to all the users that could have been affected by the research activity, recommending them to regenerate the digital keys. Moreover, CISA, US Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, strongly prompts Azure Cosmos DB clients to roll their certificate key to keep away for potential data theft.
A spokesman related to Microsoft, Ross Richendrfer, addressed to the situation, citing that the team has expanded its search beyond the researcher’s activities to look out for all possible activity for current and similar events in the past.
Meanwhile, Mr Sagi Tzadik, one of the lead researchers on the project at Wiz, exclaimed that the team hopes that no one besides the researchers working on the project found the bug, leaving the platform highly vulnerable to identity thefts.
Unauthorized access or break-in into some of the secure digital networks in not a new thing. However, the recent incidence of Microsoft Azure Cosmos has laid immense focus on re-structuring the digital security keys for different platforms to reduce the occurrence of similar incidences.
Source Credit: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/researchers-cyber-security-agency-urge-action-by-microsoft-cloud-database-users
" ["meta_description"]=> string(155) "Cyberattacks and incidences of compromise on crucial user information is doing rounds lately, allowing companies to take up strong measures in this regard." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-08-30 13:04:47" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "08/30/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(90) "img/computer/alarmed-by-major-flaw-azure-cosmos-users-urged-to-regenerate-digital-keys.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [21]=> object(stdClass)#47 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "174" ["name"]=> string(70) "Global chip supply shortage to worsen as COVID-19 surge grips Malaysia" ["url"]=> string(70) "global-chip-supply-shortage-to-worsen-as-covid-19-surge-grips-malaysia" ["full_desc"]=> string(2747) "Rising cases of Covid-19 infections in Malaysia are reportedly exacerbating the ongoing global shortage of semiconductors as well as other components that has severely affected the production lines of automakers for months.
According to credible sources, Malaysia has never been as important to technology distribution networks as South Korea, Japan, or Taiwan. However, in recent years, the nation has emerged as a significant center for semiconductor testing and packaging, with important suppliers such as NXP Semiconductors NV, STMicroelectronics NV, and Infineon Technologies AG having operating facilities there.
Coronavirus cases are now on the rise in the country, putting efforts to remove lockdown restrictions and restore full production capacity in jeopardy. The seven-day average of daily reported Covid-19 cases has surpassed 20,000, a sharp jump from the 5,000 in late June.
This week, Ford Motors announced that the manufacturing of its iconic F-150 pickup would be temporarily halted at one of its US plants due to a shortage in semiconductor-related parts as a direct consequence of the Covid-19 situation in Malaysia.
Malaysian authorities have been scrambling to address the Covid-19 outbreak that is currently gripping the nation. However, at the same time, they have been giving exemptions to select firms in efforts to keep the economy on track.
Companies were permitted to continue functioning with 60% of their staff in the June lockdowns, and they will be able to return to 100% when more than 80% of their personnel have been completely vaccinated. The number of reported Covid cases fell to 17,672 on August 23.
However, the situation still remains tense. Under unofficial guidelines, factories have to entirely shut down for up to two weeks for sanitation purposes if more than three people contract Covid-19.
The highly-infectious Delta variant, particularly, is proving to be exceedingly difficult to stop. This can be highly problematic for large enterprises that have more than a thousand people working in its facilities. Recently, Infineon and STMicro, both crucial auto suppliers, were forced to close shop recently due to outbreaks.
Source credit: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2170359/chip-shortage-set-to-worsen-as-covid-rampages-through-malaysia
" ["meta_description"]=> string(223) "Rising cases of Covid-19 infections in Malaysia are reportedly exacerbating the ongoing global shortage of semiconductors as well as other components that has severely affected the production lines of automakers for months." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-08-25 19:21:17" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "08/25/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(87) "img/computer/global-chip-supply-shortage-to-worsen-as-covid-19-surge-grips-malaysia.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [22]=> object(stdClass)#48 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "168" ["name"]=> string(69) "Intel launches new Intel® Arc™ brand for high-performance graphics" ["url"]=> string(64) "intel-launches-new-intel-arc-brand-for-high-performance-graphics" ["full_desc"]=> string(2646) "Intel has recently introduced a new brand for its high-performance graphics products, called Intel® Arc™. Software, hardware, and services will be covered under the Arc brand, spanning multiple hardware generations. The first of these, code-named Alchemist (formerly DG2), is based on Xe HPG microarchitecture. Code names for future generations of products under the Arc brand have also been revealed by the firm; Battlemage, Celestial, and Druid.
According to Roger Chandler, the Vice President and General Manager of Intel’s Client Graphics Products and Solutions division, the launch of the brand marks a key milestone for the company in its graphics journey. The introduction of Intel Arc and its future hardware generations indicates the deep and persistent commitment of Intel to creators and gamers worldwide, he added. Chandler also expressed appreciation for Intel’s teams, which are working tirelessly to ensure the delivery of seamless and first-class experiences when the products are launched in 2022.
The upcoming graphics products under the Arc brand are based on the Xe HPG microarchitecture, which merges Intel’s HP, HPC, and Xe LP microarchitectures, to provide high compute efficiency and scalability alongside advanced graphics features. The first generation of Intel Arc products, dubbed Alchemist, will possess several notable features such as AI-powered super sampling, complete DirectX 12 Ultimate support, hardware-based ray tracing, and more.
It has long been Intel’s vision to offer creators and gamers seamless content creation and gaming experiences, wider choice and innovation in hardware, as well as more accessible and open software tools.
Intel Arc-based Alchemist graphics products are expected to appear in Q1 2022, in both notebooks and desktops, seemingly positioning Intel as direct competition to Nvidia and AMD.
Source Credit: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/newsroom/news/introducing-discrete-graphics-brand-intel-arc.html
" ["meta_description"]=> string(109) "Intel has recently introduced a new brand for its high-performance graphics products, called Intel® Arc™. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-08-18 19:42:09" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "08/18/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(81) "img/computer/intel-launches-new-intel-arc-brand-for-high-performance-graphics.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [23]=> object(stdClass)#49 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "162" ["name"]=> string(66) "Asus ROG Strix G15 Benefit Version gaming laptop for sale in India" ["url"]=> string(66) "asus-rog-strix-g15-benefit-version-gaming-laptop-for-sale-in-india" ["full_desc"]=> string(2576) "Amidst increasing demand for high-performance computers, ASUSTek Computer Inc. has introduced its new ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition laptops in India, priced at USD 2,083 which will be up for sale from 11th August 2021.
Coming to the specifications, the newest launch by the Taiwanese tech model includes the recent AMD Ryzen 9 5000 sequence processor in consort with the AMD Radeon RX 6800M GPU.
The ROG G15 dons a 15.6-inch WQHD IPS LCD panel, running at 2,560×1,440 pixels resolution along with a 3 ms response time and a 16:9 facet ratio. The system works with a refresh rate of 165Hz and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, while the brightness range can reach up to 300 nits.
Asus is offering a Ryzen 9 5900HX chipsets as well as a Radeon RX 6800M graphics card having 12 GB GDDR6 reminiscence to those specifically inclined towards using AMD's top-end graphic chips. The mixture of graphics card and processor permits this latest model to facilitate an immersive gaming experience.
In terms of storage, the laptop computer offers 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD and 16GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM. Moreover, there might be an additional slot for reminiscence and storage enlargement that can doubly amplify reminiscence and storage if needed.
The ROG Strix G15 Benefit Version offers 90Whr battery that claims to provide video playback for a maximum of 12 hours. It offers a 280W adapter while also supporting USB Type-C charging that claims to charge the battery to 50 percent in 30 minutes.
Connectivity options include Bluetooth 5.1., three USB three.2 Gen 1 Sort-A slots, Wi-Fi 6, one HDMI 2. zero, one LAN RJ-45 jack, one USB three.2 Gen 2 Sort-C slot, and one audio jack.
The laptop offers two Dolby Atmos-certified built-in audio systems and runs on Home windows 10 Dwelling along with the RGB LED lighting
This latest Asus laptop will be available for purchase in India via Asus Unique Shops, Flipkart, Croma Reliance Digital, and Vijay Gross sales.
Source Credits –
https://bestgamingpro.com/asus-launches-rog-strix-g15-advantage-edition-gaming-laptop-in-india/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(220) "Amidst increasing demand for high-performance computers, ASUSTek Computer Inc. has introduced its new ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition laptops in India, priced at USD 2,083 which will be up for sale from 11th August 2021." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-08-11 17:06:56" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "08/11/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/computer/asus-rog-strix-g15-benefit-version-gaming-laptop-for-sale-in-india.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [24]=> object(stdClass)#50 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "154" ["name"]=> string(68) "The first commercial-use quantum computer in Japan begins operations" ["url"]=> string(68) "the-first-commercial-use-quantum-computer-in-japan-begins-operations" ["full_desc"]=> string(2692) "International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) and The University of Tokyo have reportedly begun operations of the first commercial quantum computer in Japan, ushering the country into a highly competitive domain that is dominated by China and the US.
According to reports, the next-gen system, was developed by US technology giant, IBM, with the University of Tokyo possessing exclusive access rights to utilize it. The system was set-up in the Kawasaki Business Incubation Center, based southwest of Tokyo in the Kanagawa Prefecture.
The computer is available for co-operative study through an industry-academic consortium that was formed in 2020 and includes corporations like Sony Group Corp, Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp., and Toyota Motor Corp. as its members. It will perform researches on the practical uses of quantum computing and foster human resources.
Japan's Quantum Computer System is the second of its kind that IBM has developed outside the US, after it deployed the first one in Germany.
Last week, during a ceremony that marked the commencement of the computer's operations, the President of the University of Tokyo, Teruo Fujii, stated that areas where quantum computers are being used in practical applications are rapidly growing. Fujii added that he wants to share accomplishments with the rest of the world.
Quantum computers employ quanta, such as light particles, which have properties of both particles and waves. It is also capable to compute scores of combinations in a single go, rather than ordinary computers, which do it one at a time.
Its capacity to solve difficult problems quicker than supercomputers is projected to be utilized in the development of novel medications and materials, creation of financial models, optimization of logistics, as well as cryptography, which has become vital for the internet and digital currency.
According to Hideyuki Mase, senior researcher at the Japan Research Institute, the establishment of a quantum computer base in Japan is highly crucial because it will help create individuals who will be proficient at actually running it.
Mase emphasized that numerous technical difficulties remain for full-fledged quantum computer functioning and that the competition to build them is growing internationally, led by the United States and China.
Source credit:
" ["meta_description"]=> string(127) "International Business Machines Corp. IBM and The University of Tokyo have reportedly begun operations of the first commercial " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-08-02 18:44:13" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "08/02/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(85) "img/computer/the-first-commercial-use-quantum-computer-in-japan-begins-operations.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [25]=> object(stdClass)#51 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "152" ["name"]=> string(69) "Microsoft discontinues semi-annual release channel for Windows Server" ["url"]=> string(69) "microsoft-discontinues-semi-annual-release-channel-for-windows-server" ["full_desc"]=> string(2609) "Microsoft has reportedly announced that it plans to terminate semi-annual release for the upcoming Windows Server 2022. The users who require continuous updates are expected to be directed to Azure Stack HCI instead.
For the uninitiated, the traditional Windows Server world would let users choose between the Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) and the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) for installations. Of these, LTSC is essentially the conventional model used for large-scale release in every two or three years. SAC, on the other hand, is more of the as-a-service model with continuous feature updates to incorporate latest technology.
Reportedly, the enterprises installing Windows Server for general-purpose would normally opt for LTSC, which is known to have five years of mainstream and five years of extended support. Whereas, SAC’s purpose is for container workloads or scenarios where a VM is short-lived and can be replaced easily. Shortcomings of SAC are- only 18 months of support for every release, no desktop experience option and requirement for Software Assurance which is an expensive subscription license.
Which revealing the release information, Microsoft had stated that beginning with Windows Server 2022, only the Long-Term Servicing Channel is going to be available. The Semi-Annual Channel available in the earlier Windows Server versions focusing on microservices or containers will continue with Azure Stack HCI, the company added.
Azure Stack HCI (Hyperconverged Infrastructure) is apparently a hybrid virtualization platform in which the user purchases the validated hardware from a verified supplier and then connects it to Azure. Post this, the user pays $10 for each physical core every month for using it. The costs pertaining to licensing for guest operating systems and other applications are not included in this. It is supposedly a cluster that necessitates minimum two servers.
Speaking of the impact of removing SAC for Windows Server, the general-purpose customers will not be affected as they were less likely to use it. However, there are certain doubts regarding what will happen to the container images in Windows Server that utilize SAC typically.
Source credits: https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/28/windows_server_2022_sac/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(120) "Microsoft has reportedly announced that it plans to terminate semi-annual release for the upcoming Windows Server 2022. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-07-30 12:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "07/30/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(86) "img/computer/microsoft-discontinues-semi-annual-release-channel-for-windows-server.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [26]=> object(stdClass)#52 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "137" ["name"]=> string(66) "New copy-paste update to change the way people use Chrome and Edge" ["url"]=> string(66) "new-copy-paste-update-to-change-the-way-people-use-chrome-and-edge" ["full_desc"]=> string(2766) "Google and Microsoft are reportedly working on a novel set of Chromium APIs that will notable broaden out the functionality of the copy-and-paste function in their respective web browsers.
According to reports, currently, both Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome web browsers only allow their users to copy a limited number of common file types between web and desktop apps, such as HTML, jpg, png, and a few more.
However, the new Pickle Clipboard APIs are expected to include support for many specialized and proprietary file formats, such as TIFF and .docx. For the record, TIFF is an image format for high-resolution images which is popular for graphic design, and .docx is used in Microsoft Word.
If developers embrace the new APIs, users may be able to easily copy data between progressive web applications (PWAs) and software running on macOS, Windows, and mobile platforms.
Windows users, for example, could copy documents to the clipboard through File Explorer and paste them into the Google Docs online interface directly and without any difficulties.
WindowsLatest has reviewed design documents, which shows that the Pickle Clipboard APIs would also let developers build customized clipboard formats and enable fine-grained control upon the copy-and-paste operation,
The copy-and-paste function may appear trivial at first glance, yet it is crucial to many elements of the computer and online surfing experience. This isn't the first time Microsoft has tried to simplify the function in recent months, spanning both Windows 10 and Edge.
Microsoft revealed a redesigned Windows 10 clipboard in August that has a dedicated panel for multimedia material like emotion icons and GIFs. This update also included pictures and HTML material to the clipboard history feature, in addition to text.
Moreover, Microsoft had also improved the Cloud Clipboard application later in the year, allowing users to copy and paste information across numerous devices. Users of the Microsoft-owned SwiftKey Keyboard for Android can now use the program to synchronize clipboard material across all of their devices, rather than just Windows 10.
Source credit: https://www.techradar.com/sg/news/a-major-copy-and-paste-upgrade-is-coming-to-microsoft-edge-and-google-chrome
" ["meta_description"]=> string(188) "Google and Microsoft are reportedly working on a novel set of Chromium APIs that will notable broaden out the functionality of the copy-and-paste function in their respective web browsers." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-07-13 22:48:05" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "07/13/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/computer/new-copy-paste-update-to-change-the-way-people-use-chrome-and-edge.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [27]=> object(stdClass)#53 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "133" ["name"]=> string(72) "Nvidia’s supercomputer “Cambridge-1” to seek medical breakthroughs" ["url"]=> string(63) "nvidias-supercomputer-cambridge-1-to-seek-medical-breakthroughs" ["full_desc"]=> string(2894) "American tech leader, Nvidia, has reportedly unveiled the UK’s most powerful supercomputer, named “Cambridge-1”. The firm hopes that the supercomputer would make prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases faster, better, and cheaper.
Apparently, the computing company has invested more than $100 million towards building the supercomputer. According to reports, the system has been built to capitalize on artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, wherein AI combines computer science with big data to enable problem-solving.
Kimberly Powell, VP of healthcare, Nvidia, compared the shape and size of the computing system with several rows of refrigerators – with each row containing ten refrigerators. It is worth noting that the UK has already made headways with immense databases like the UK Biobank, which is a collection of anonymized medical and lifestyle records of half a million Britons.
According to reliable sources, Cambridge-1 has its first project lined up with GSK, AstraZeneca, King’s College London, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS foundation trust, and Oxford Nanopore. The project would work on gaining a deeper understanding of diseases like dementia, enhancing the accuracy of identification of disease-causing variants in human genomes, and designing novel drugs.
Dr. Kim Branson, global head of AI and machine learning, GSK, stated that the supercomputer could predominantly help in patient care. Dr. Branson further claimed that the computer could potentially be crucial in fusing different datasets and building massive models for determining the best course of treatment for patients.
However, Roel Bulthuis, head of healthcare at Inkef Capital, a Netherlands-based VC fund active in healthcare, reportedly said that the technology is still in its nascent stage and the hype has not been completely realized. Bulthuis lauded the inclusion of Cambridge-1 in the UK’s ecosystem as not many European healthcare systems are as advanced to utilize data and integrate it into the healthcare system.
AI for healthcare has been booming in the UK with a slew of startups and pharmaceutical giants leveraging the copious amounts of data available to discover potential drugs, determine why some people are more prone to certain diseases, and enhance and customize patient care.
Source credits: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jul/07/uk-supercomputer-cambridge-1-to-hunt-for-medical-breakthroughs
" ["meta_description"]=> string(118) "American tech leader, Nvidia, has reportedly unveiled the UK’s most powerful supercomputer, named “Cambridge-1”." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-07-08 12:27:26" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "07/08/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(80) "img/computer/nvidias-supercomputer-cambridge-1-to-seek-medical-breakthroughs.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [28]=> object(stdClass)#54 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "127" ["name"]=> string(69) "GitHub, OpenAI jointly release a new AI tool that builds its own code" ["url"]=> string(68) "github-openai-jointly-release-a-new-ai-tool-that-builds-its-own-code" ["full_desc"]=> string(2601) "GitHub and OpenAI have recently released the technical preview of an innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool called Copilot. This tool is reportedly integrated into the Visual Studio Code editor and autocompletes the code snippets.
According to GitHub, Copilot not just copies the code that is has seen before but also analyzes the code and generates new matching code comprising of specific functions that were called previously. The project’s website has examples including automatic writing of the code for importing tweets, grabbing a Goodreads rating or drawing a scatterplot.
This tool works best with JavaScript, Python, TypeScript, Go and Ruby, cited Nat Friedman, CEO at GitHub.
GitHub suggests that Copilot is a next level of pair programming in which two coders will work on a project to catch the mistakes of one another and expedite the development process. With this tool, one of the coders is virtual.
This project is apparently the first major outcome of Microsoft’s investment of $1 billion into OpenAI, the research company which is now led by Sam Altman, president at Y Combinator.
Copilot is reportedly built on an algorithm dubbed OpenAI Codex, which Greg Brockman, CTO of OpenAI describes as descendant of GPT-3.
For the records, GPT-3 is the flagship language-generating algorithm of OpenAI, which can produce text that is sometimes indistinguishable to human writing. It can write this convincingly due to its absolute size of 175 billion parameters, or the adjustable knobs that lets the algorithm establish relationships between letters, phrases, words and sentences. GPT-3 generates English while OpenAI Codex produces code.
A representative for OpenAI mentioned that the company is planning to launch a new version of Codex through its API this summer so that the developers can create their own apps with the technology.
Codex was reportedly trained on the terabytes of open code pulled from GitHub as well as the examples of English language.
Source credits: https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/29/22555777/github-openai-ai-tool-autocomplete-code
" ["meta_description"]=> string(129) "GitHub and OpenAI have recently released the technical preview of an innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool called Copilot." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-07-01 15:20:04" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "07/01/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(85) "img/computer/github-openai-jointly-release-a-new-ai-tool-that-builds-its-own-code.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [29]=> object(stdClass)#55 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "123" ["name"]=> string(72) "IBM to launch AI tools to mitigate biased online advertising algorithms " ["url"]=> string(71) "ibm-to-launch-ai-tools-to-mitigate-biased-online-advertising-algorithms" ["full_desc"]=> string(2888) "
IBM Corporation is reportedly working on artificial intelligence (AI) tools to ensure online advertising algorithms do not treat minorities and women unfairly, addressing discrimination concerns that have attracted industry-wide scrutiny.
The company claimed that a team of 14 employees will investigate fairness in internet marketing for the coming six months. They will explore methods to detect and mitigate inadvertent bias in digital advertising, whether in the targeted audiences or the ads themselves.
Civil rights groups and academic researchers have discovered that specific audiences, such as people of color and women, can be denied access to employment, housing, and other advertisements due to possibly unlawful choices made by marketers or automated systems they use, sources cited.
In this context, Alphabet Inc.'s Google and Facebook Inc., the topmost digital ad sellers, made some changes following complaints from anti-discrimination officials and activists in the United States.
Bob Lord, Senior Vice President at IBM, mentioned that advertising's foundation is crumbling and there is a need to rebuild it. Fairness should be a part of the plan as they rebuild it, he added.
It is worth noting that the Watson Advertising unit of IBM distributes ads on The Weather Company's properties and sells ad software to other companies, and clients may eventually be marketed anti-bias services.
Robert Redmond, Head of AI ad product design at IBM, reportedly said that IBM's initial advertising investigation reveals that online ads can be delivered to all groups equally without influencing factors like the percentage of people that click an ad.
Lisa Sherman, President and Chief Executive of the council, expressed systemic bias is unfortunately embedded into practically every part of the advertising industry.
The company also intends to assess data from the nonprofit Ad Council's public service ads on COVID-19 vaccines.
The goal of the IBM Watson Advertising research is to gain insights into elements that contribute to unintentional bias in advertising and how AI may help in audience segmentation, performance optimization, creative message, and campaign impact.
Source Credit- https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/ibm-explores-ai-tools-to-spot-cut-bias-in-online-ad-targeting-71624538653004.html
" ["meta_description"]=> string(238) "IBM Corporation is reportedly working on artificial intelligence (AI) tools to ensure online advertising algorithms do not treat minorities and women unfairly, addressing discrimination concerns that have attracted industry-wide scrutiny." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-06-26 13:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "06/26/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(88) "img/computer/ibm-to-launch-ai-tools-to-mitigate-biased-online-advertising-algorithms.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [30]=> object(stdClass)#56 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "113" ["name"]=> string(70) "Google redesigns its productivity suite amidst the remote working boom" ["url"]=> string(70) "google-redesigns-its-productivity-suite-amidst-the-remote-working-boom" ["full_desc"]=> string(2675) "Google recently released new updates to its Workspace productivity suite to better adapt to remote working. Sources confirmed that the move could also allow it to better compete with Microsoft’s products, which notably have been witnessing substantial growth.
The search engine giant has integrated some new features including fresh capabilities for its video conferencing platform Google Meet. Although these features are free for users, entrepreneurs can avail of these services through a subscription plan.
The collaboration tools which corporates usually receive can now be availed by non-paying consumers through Workspace for Everyone, Google claimed. The company will also provide a tier known as Workspace Individual which is designed for upcoming entrepreneurs.
Google Workspace, which also includes the renowned email service Gmail is used by around three billion users. However, most of its component applications are not that recognized.
Google has also upgraded Meet to adapt to the hybrid work future. In this context, the Vice President and General Manager of Google Workspace Javier Soltero mentioned that the new updates will help in making the working location less relevant while supporting the ‘working from anywhere’ idea.
The internet giant has been adding Google Meet with various features since the recent past in a bid to catch up to Zoom Video Communications. Google is also known to lag in chat as workspace collaboration tools, a space where Slack Technologies and Microsoft Teams have seemingly excelled.
Although Google Chats is currently sub-categorized into Rooms, it is likely to be replaced by Spaces soon, essentially a communications hub in which users can instantly email message or begin a Meet call. They can also collaborate through spreadsheets or documents.
For a while, Google has sought ways to diversify its revenue, of which around 80% was generated from advertising in 2020. This also includes its popular services such as YouTube, Google Maps, and Google Search.
Source Credits –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(107) "Google recently released new updates to its Workspace productivity suite to better adapt to remote working." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-06-15 16:05:56" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "06/15/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(87) "img/computer/google-redesigns-its-productivity-suite-amidst-the-remote-working-boom.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [31]=> object(stdClass)#57 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "112" ["name"]=> string(66) "Nvidia aiming to enhance AV technology through DeepMap acquisition" ["url"]=> string(66) "nvidia-aiming-to-enhance-av-technology-through-deepmap-acquisition" ["full_desc"]=> string(2813) "American multinational technology company Nvidia Corporation has reportedly agreed to acquire DeepMap, a startup devoted to building high-definition maps for autonomous vehicles (AV), for an unrevealed sum.
In a statement, Ali Kani, GM, and VP of Nvidia's Automotive division stated the acquisition is an endorsement of DeepMap's unique technology, vision, and people. The company expects to help build Nvidia’s comprehensive self-driving capabilities, scale global map operations, and extend their mapping products, he added.
One of the most challenging aspects of establishing full autonomy in a passenger vehicle is obtaining accurate localization and up-to-date mapping data representing current road conditions. Nvidia's autonomous stack can achieve more precision by integrating DeepMap's technology, providing the vehicle an improved ability to locate itself on the road, sources cited.
Attesting to Nvidia’s capabilities, James Wu, Co-Founder, and CEO of DeepMap, reportedly said that joining forces with Nvidia will enable them to expand their technology and benefit more people. They look forward to continuing their journey as part of the Nvidia team, he added.
For the record, Wu and Mark Wheeler, along with veterans of Apple, Google, and Baidu founded DeepMap five years ago. The U.S.-based firm has developed a high-definition mapping system that has already been accepted by the autonomous vehicle industry with a wide range of potential customers across the globe.
Nvidia Drive's software-defined platform allows the startup to extend its maps across AV fleets without consuming a large amount of data storage via over-the-air updates.
As per reliable sources, the acquisition is likely to close in the third quarter of 2021, depending on regulatory approval and customary closing conditions. Nvidia will continue to support DeepMap's ecosystem by investing in new capabilities and services for new and existing partners to satisfy their demands.
Meanwhile, DeepMap's technology will complement Nvidia Drive’s mapping and localization capabilities, ensuring autonomous vehicles always know where they are and where they are going.
Source Credit –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(206) "American multinational technology company Nvidia Corporation has reportedly agreed to acquire DeepMap, a startup devoted to building high-definition maps for autonomous vehicles (AV), for an unrevealed sum." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-06-12 13:34:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "06/12/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/computer/nvidia-aiming-to-enhance-av-technology-through-deepmap-acquisition.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [32]=> object(stdClass)#58 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "109" ["name"]=> string(63) "French watchdog fines Google USD 268 million over adtech abuse " ["url"]=> string(62) "french-watchdog-fines-google-usd-268-million-over-adtech-abuse" ["full_desc"]=> string(3022) "L'Autorite de la concurrence, Frances regulatory body for business competition, has reportedly fined Google approximately €220 million ($268M) in a case of self-preferencing in the adtech sector.
The watchdog found that this constituted as a gross abuse by the tech giant of its dominant position in ad servers for website publishers as well as mobile applications.
L'Autorite initiated an investigation upon Google's adtech business after receiving a number of complaints from French Publishers.
News Corp Inc., the Rossel La Voix group, and the Le Figaro group are the publishers who filed the original complaint against Google in France. However, Le Figaro withdrew their referral in November, and at the same time, it signed a content-licensing deal with Google related to Google's News Showcase.
In a statement, the president of L'Autorite, Isabelle de Silva stated that the decision to fine Google has a very particular value because it is the first judgment in the world to delve into complicated algorithmic processes. Online display advertising operates through auctions.
The watchdog’s investigation, which was conducted in quite quickly, has exposed the procedures by which Google was favoring itself over its competitors on both SSP platforms and ad servers.
de Silva also added that these inappropriate actions have harmed competition in the growing online advertising sector and allowed Google to not only maintain but even expand its dominating position. This punishment and these obligations will allow for the restoration of a fair playing field for all participants, as well as the capacity of publishers to make the most use of their advertising space.
Supposedly, recently Google has requested a settlement and proposed specific 'interoperability' promises, to which the regulatory agreed.
According to the watchdog, Google has promised that it will increase the compatibility of Google Ad Manager services for the third-party ad servers and advertising sales platform solutions, as well as to discontinue provisions that benefit itself.
L'Autorite has also confirmed that it has accepted Google's undertakings – and has made them legally enforceable in its ruling. According to the deal, the pledges made would be deemed mandatory for a period of three years.
Source credit: https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/07/france-fines-google-268m-for-adtech-abuses-and-gets-interoperability-commitments/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(196) "LAutorite de la concurrence, Frances regulatory body for business competition, has reportedly fined Google approximately €220 million ($268M) in a case of self-preferencing in the adtech sector." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-06-09 16:25:58" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "06/09/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(79) "img/computer/french-watchdog-fines-google-usd-268-million-over-adtech-abuse.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [33]=> object(stdClass)#59 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "107" ["name"]=> string(66) "US Secretary of Energy emphasizes the importance of cyber security" ["url"]=> string(66) "us-secretary-of-energy-emphasizes-the-importance-of-cyber-security" ["full_desc"]=> string(2505) "U.S. Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm on Sunday (June 6) stated that she objects to U.S. companies paying ransoms to cyber criminals. Instead, the firms targeted by the cyber criminals must alert the federal government, she emphasized.
Granholm stated that the adversaries of the U.S. are capable of closing down the country’s power grid, highlighting the fact that there are large number of attacks being conducted on all aspects of the energy sector.
The U.S. government as well as the private sector have been under a lot of pressure to efficiently guard against cyberattacks. This apparently comes after a cyberattack on one of the largest meatpacker of the world during last weekend.
In May, another attack was conducted on a major fuel pipeline in the U.S., which further amplified the pressure on the U.S. government. If sources are to be believed, the fuel pipeline had paid around $5 million in ransom to a cyber attacker’s group.
After the attack, the company had reportedly taken its service down for five days. This led to the tightening of supplies of petrol, jet fuel, and diesel across the country, following which fuel prices had increased significantly. An emergency waiver was also passed, and various states had declared an emergency.
Granholm stated that more profound measures should be taken with regards to the cyber-defenses. The bottom line is that whether the companies are form private sector, public sector, or others, they should avoid paying ransom to cyber criminals as it will only encourage the attackers, she added.
While Granholm opposes payments for ransomware, she stated that she is not sure if the U.S. President Joe Biden or the Congress is prepared to declare ransomware payments illegal.
Speaking on the similar lines, Democratic Senator Mark Warner from Virginia also mentioned that the companies should be mandated to report ransomware attacks.
Source credits: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/06/us-energy-secretary-opposes-ransomware-payments-pushes-for-better-cyber-defenses.html
" ["meta_description"]=> string(140) "U.S. Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm on Sunday (June 6) stated that she objects to U.S. companies paying ransoms to cyber criminals. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-06-07 15:38:44" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "06/07/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/computer/us-secretary-of-energy-emphasizes-the-importance-of-cyber-security.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [34]=> object(stdClass)#60 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "103" ["name"]=> string(71) "Global chip shortage crisis to impact laptop production till 2022: Acer" ["url"]=> string(70) "global-chip-shortage-crisis-to-impact-laptop-production-till-2022-acer" ["full_desc"]=> string(2514) "Acer Inc. has stated that its laptop production capabilities will remain under severe stress until 2022 amidst the global shortage of semiconductors.
For those unaware, the worldwide shortage of chips has led to supply disruptions for manufacturing electronics such as computers, gaming consoles, phones, and even new cars.
Acer’s Co-Chief operating officer Tiffany Huang mentioned that the company is facing an acute shortage, and it’s not simply just to ensure that every home has a device. As per the current scenario, Acer can cater to only 50% of the global demand, she added.
Apparently, this has compelled Acer to focus more on its education product suite as compared to its gaming portfolio. Huang added that the company has shipped millions of educational devices over the past and current year.
Supporting Acer’s assessment, experts claimed that the shortage would continue until at least the second quarter of 2022. While the cost of some devices is expected to increase, the smaller companies are likely to be squeezed by increased chip prices.
If reports are to be believed, Acer is looking forward to augmenting its green credentials as a part of its broader environmental commitments, which include attaining 100% renewable energy by 2035.
The Taiwan-based multinational electronics giant has also introduced a new eco-friendly laptop- the Vero, consisting of post-consumer recycled plastic in several parts. The laptop will not be available in Australia until later in 2021. However, Huang has indicated that it would cost more than the company’s other products.
Last week Acer had launched a new series of Chromebooks and gaming laptops despite its reported struggle to source enough chips for its products. These devices are likely to reach the international markets by the second half of this year.
Source credits –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(149) "Acer Inc. has stated that its laptop production capabilities will remain under severe stress until 2022 amidst the global shortage of semiconductors." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-06-02 14:54:44" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "06/02/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(87) "img/computer/global-chip-shortage-crisis-to-impact-laptop-production-till-2022-acer.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [35]=> object(stdClass)#61 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "101" ["name"]=> string(66) "AMD introduces Radeon RX 6000 mobile GPUs aiming to surpass Nvidia" ["url"]=> string(66) "amd-introduces-radeon-rx-6000-mobile-gpus-aiming-to-surpass-nvidia" ["full_desc"]=> string(2438) "Leading semiconductor company AMD has reportedly launched the laptop versions of its Radeon RX 6000-series graphics cards with an aim to surpass Nvidia’s mobile RTX 30-series GPUs.
Sources have suggested that the product lineup is being led by the Radeon RX 6800M, indicating the long-awaited return of AMD to high-level mobile gaming. The graphics card is reportedly based on a Navi 22 GPU with 40 CUs which makes it par with Radeon RX 6800.
The company claims that the mobile GPU, which offers 145W TGP and 12GB GDDR6 memory, will provide 120 frames per second (fps) on average. It is expected to offer major performance upgrades as compared to a 2019 gaming laptop consisting of Nvidia RTX 2070 graphics card. The Radeon RX 6800M will provide a 1.4x improvement in Cyberpunk 2077 and 1.7x boost in Resident Evil: Village.
AMD also claims that its high-end mobile GPU will outdo the Nvidia RTX 3070 as well as the Nvidia RTX 3080, in certain cases. The Radeon RX 6800M reportedly provides 141 fps on average in Resident Evil Village as compared to 132 and 137 fps, respectively, and managed to surpass both mobile GPUs of Nvidia in Borderlands 3 and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
The company has claimed even more promising gains from battery-based gaming, suggesting that the Radeon 6800M will provide 1.4x the performance of RTX 3080 in both Dirt 5 and Resident Evil: Village.
The semiconductor major also introduced two less powered mobile GPUs namely the Radeon RX 6800M and the Radeon RX 6700M. Reportedly, the former, which packs 26CUs, TGP of up to 100W and 8GB memory, aims at the Nvidia’s mobile RTX 3060. The latter, featuring 36CUs, TGP of up to 135W and 10GB GDDR6 memory, promises to offer up to 100fps gaming at 1440p.
AMD mentioned that its new GPUs are now available in the market. Shipping of the Radeon RX 6600M and RX 6800M starts from (June 1), while the RX 6700M is expected to follow soon.
Source credits: https://www.techradar.com/sg/news/amd-radeon-rx-6000-mobile-gpus-are-here-to-take-on-nvidia
" ["meta_description"]=> string(182) "Leading semiconductor company AMD has reportedly launched the laptop versions of its Radeon RX 6000-series graphics cards with an aim to surpass Nvidia’s mobile RTX 30-series GPUs." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-05-31 16:40:21" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/31/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/computer/amd-introduces-radeon-rx-6000-mobile-gpus-aiming-to-surpass-nvidia.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [36]=> object(stdClass)#62 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "96" ["name"]=> string(69) "Microsoft, Qualcomm collaborate to create Windows on ARM developer PC" ["url"]=> string(68) "microsoft-qualcomm-collaborate-to-create-windows-on-arm-developer-pc" ["full_desc"]=> string(2385) "Technology giant Microsoft has reportedly joined hands with leading semiconductor company Qualcomm for creating a Windows on ARM-based dev kit for developers. According to the credible sources, the miniature PC will be available at the Microsoft Store for sale from this summer and has been designed to be more cost-effective in a bid to encourage the developers to create ARM64 apps for Snapdragon-based PCs.
Till date, developers reportedly had to purchase devices such as the Surface Pro X for fully testing their ARM64 apps on Windows. That is apparently an expensive exercise for developers, especially when the Surface Pro X costs from $999 and more.
As Microsoft and Qualcomm have not disclosed the price on the new dev kit, it is expected to be more cost-friendly than what developers can purchase today.
Speaking of the developer kit, senior director of product management at Qualcomm, Miguel Nunes stated that it offers an affordable alternative to other consumer and commercial devices. With smaller desktop configuration, this kit provides the developers with more flexibility as compared to the notebook options and at a lower price point, Nunes added.
The announcement regarding the dev kit apparently comes just after the launch of Qualcomm’s second-generation Snapdragon 7c ARM-powered processor. The product has reportedly been developed for the entry-level Chromebooks and Windows PCs, with a higher clock speed than the original.
Sources have reported that the dev kit will allow the developers to test the new x64 app emulation by Microsoft for Windows on ARM. This reportedly went into testing in December for Windows and help users run 64-bit apps that have not been compiled for ARM-based devices so far. The emulation layer is expected to offer a complete host of app compatibility to Windows on ARM once it is fully available to the end users.
Source credits: https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/25/22452710/microsoft-qualcomm-windows-on-arm-dev-kit-pc-features-release-date
" ["meta_description"]=> string(159) "Technology giant Microsoft has reportedly joined hands with leading semiconductor company Qualcomm for creating a Windows on ARM-based dev kit for developers. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-05-26 16:57:40" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/26/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(85) "img/computer/microsoft-qualcomm-collaborate-to-create-windows-on-arm-developer-pc.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [37]=> object(stdClass)#63 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "92" ["name"]=> string(68) "MIT proposes to acquire 29 data centers in the US at US$1.32 billion" ["url"]=> string(68) "mit-proposes-to-acquire-29-data-centers-in-the-us-at-us-1-32-billion" ["full_desc"]=> string(2694) "MAPLETREE Industrial Trust has reportedly proposed acquisition of 29 data centers in the US with an investment of US$1.32 billion. The trust is expecting to raise S$800 million in an equity funding exercise through a private placement and preferential offer for raising.
With this acquisition, MIT is expected to become one of the biggest data center owners among real estate investment trusts (Reits) listed in Asia Pacific. It will also gain a presence across 13 of the top 15 data center markets of North America.
Data centers are expected to secure 53.6% of the Reit's portfolio, increasing from 41.2% before acquisition. MIT's assets under management is also anticipated to increase from S$6.8 billion as on March 31 to S$8.6 billion, with data centers increasing to from S$2.8 billion to S$4.6 billion.
The trust expects the proposed acquisition to be net asset value (NAV) per unit and distribution per unit (DPU) accretive to unitholders.
According to the pro forma estimates, supposing that the proposed acquisition was concluded on March 31, it would increase DPU by 3.3% to 12.97 Singapore cents while NAV would increase to S$1.76 per unit from S$1.66.
The 29 data center portfolio reportedly has a net lettable area of around 3.3 million square feet and is primarily on freehold land. On the completion of the proposed acquisition, freehold properties are expected to increase to 65.8% of the trust’s expansive portfolio by land area from 55.9% as on March 31.
The manager estimates the total acquisition cost to be nearly US$1.35 billion, including expenses and fees of around US$25.1 million, which MIT plans to finance through the proceeds from the equity fundraising and debt.
About 90.5% of the gross proceeds from the equity funding will reportedly be used for partially financing the acquisition cost. Around 7.7% will be used for repaying MIT's debt, and the remainder will be used for paying the expenses and fees of the funding exercise.
The manager expects the proposed acquisition to conclude in the third quarter of 2021.
Source credits: https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/mit-proposes-us132b-acquisition-of-29-data-centres-in-the-us
" ["meta_description"]=> string(131) "MAPLETREE Industrial Trust has reportedly proposed acquisition of 29 data centers in the US with an investment of US$1.32 billion. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-05-21 16:59:36" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/21/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(85) "img/computer/mit-proposes-to-acquire-29-data-centers-in-the-us-at-us-1-32-billion.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [38]=> object(stdClass)#64 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "89" ["name"]=> string(68) "Twitter to launch paid service, Twitter Blue with Undo Tweet feature" ["url"]=> string(67) "twitter-to-launch-paid-service-twitter-blue-with-undo-tweet-feature" ["full_desc"]=> string(2685) "American social networking major, Twitter, is reportedly working towards introducing a subscription service, dubbed Twitter Blue, which will offer certain exclusive new features to the users.
According to the sources of knowledge, Twitter Blue, costing $2.99/month, will offer an 'Undo Send' timer for tweets. As this timer will come under the subscription service, it implies that it will not be available to those who do not subscribe.
Undo Send was reportedly leaked earlier in an animation demonstrating a blue timer including the word 'Undo' that counts down once the user clicks ‘post'.
Apparently, this feature is supposed to give users a chance to think twice before sending any potentially abusive messages to other users.
Sources have suggested that Twitter Blue will also offer another feature called Collections that will allow users to save and organize their favorite tweets into folders so they can be found easily later on.
Twitter, however, has declined to comment on whether Twitter Blue is in development or when it can be launched.
Undo Send seemed to have divided Twitter users as some of them have pointed out that it adding this feature means that there would be an annoying delay of five-second before their tweets appear.
The company is apparently working seriously towards alleviating verbal abuse on its platform, which is evident from another feature that it had rolled out earlier this month. This feature, for English language users on Android and iOS reportedly prompts users to review their potentially harmful replies before posting them.
It applies artificial intelligence for identifying harmful language in a freshly written reply to another user, before it gets posted. The feature then sends a pop-up notification to the users asking them if they want to review their message prior to posting.
According to the company, the prompt provides the users with an opportunity to take a moment to consider their tweet by editing it or deleting the entire message.
Source credits: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9587341/Twitter-said-working-2-subscription-service.html
" ["meta_description"]=> string(193) "American social networking major, Twitter, is reportedly working towards introducing a subscription service, dubbed Twitter Blue, which will offer certain exclusive new features to the users. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-05-18 16:39:44" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/18/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/computer/twitter-to-launch-paid-service-twitter-blue-with-undo-tweet-feature.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [39]=> object(stdClass)#65 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "87" ["name"]=> string(66) "Samsung launches new & updated Galaxy Buds app on Microsoft Store " ["url"]=> string(63) "samsung-launches-new-updated-galaxy-buds-app-on-microsoft-store" ["full_desc"]=> string(2722) "South Korean multinational conglomerate, Samsung Group has reportedly launched a Bluetooth manager app named ‘Galaxy Buds’ for managing the company’s wearable audio devices on Windows 10 systems.
The new and updated Galaxy Buds app has been made available on Microsoft Store to enable users to better manage their wireless earbuds as the default Bluetooth manager app on Windows 10 is very basic and does not host relevant features for managing truly wireless audio devices.
With the Galaxy Buds app, users can now identify the battery levels of the case as well as the earbuds, something the Windows 10 Bluetooth manager app does not do, cited credible sources.
The app reportedly makes up for its minimalist user interface with innovative features such as ambient sound adjustment and touch blocker settings.
Additionally, it also includes some features from the Galaxy Wearable app on Android and iOS devices such as managing equalizer settings and new firmware downloads for Galaxy Buds without requiring a phone.
However, sources cited that the new app will support only the recently released Galaxy Buds Pro model while overlooking the Galaxy Buds Live and the Galaxy Buds Plus variants.
One of the many advantages of the app being launched on the Microsoft Store is that the software will now be compatible with Windows S systems, which only allow the installation of apps from the Windows Store.
The company’s previous ‘Galaxy Buds Manager’ app could be downloaded solely on Samsung’s website and didn’t gain much popularity before it was eventually discontinued.
The new app is about 19 MB in size and comes with a short description on Microsoft Store, stating that it is the standard companion app for Samsung’s wireless Galaxy Buds pro.
The app is also available on Microsoft’s HoloLens, making it even easier to pair the wireless earbuds with the untethered mixed reality smart glasses.
Source Link –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(201) "South Korean multinational conglomerate, Samsung Group has reportedly launched a Bluetooth manager app named ‘Galaxy Buds’ for managing the company’s wearable audio devices on Windows 10 systems." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-05-15 14:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/15/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(80) "img/computer/samsung-launches-new-updated-galaxy-buds-app-on-microsoft-store.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [40]=> object(stdClass)#66 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "86" ["name"]=> string(70) "Telecom major BT pledges to provide fast broadband to 5M more UK homes" ["url"]=> string(70) "telecom-major-bt-pledges-to-provide-fast-broadband-to-5m-more-uk-homes" ["full_desc"]=> string(2580) "British multinational telecommunications company, BT has reportedly revealed its plans to speed up its full-fiber broadband rollout for 5 million more households than planned previously. The company estimates that this move could create around 7,000 jobs.
Philip Jansen, CEO of BT, stated that the company is also putting forth the deadline for completing the work, wherein 25 million homes are expected to be connected by 2026. This is a large-scale program with an investment of £15 billion, Jansen added.
The company had reportedly been criticized for the pace of the rollout of full-fiber broadband. However, BT stated that introduction of tax changes regarding fiber broadband investment to businesses and homes enabled it to expedite its strategy.
Jansen mentioned that faster rollout could be made through joint ventures with other parties for sharing the investment and work with its Openreach operation, especially to accelerate broadband access in rural areas.
Numerous telecom rivals in Europe and private equity investors have apparently considered trying to secure a slice in the UK’s rapidly expanding broadband infrastructure.
Jansen stated that speeding the plans will help foster the economic recovery of the country with better connectivity and around 7,000 new jobs.
This announcement from BT apparently came as the company reported a decline of 23% in full-year pre-tax profit to £1.8 billion mainly due to a fall of 7% in revenue to £21.3 billion. Reportedly, the company’s profit was also spent on a bonus for frontline staff, heightened cost of services and continuing investment in fiber network.
In this regard, Jansen stated that he was confident about future trading. He added that after several years of hard work, and as the company is looking forward to coming back better from the pandemic, it is now making predictable and consistent growth.
To relieve the shareholders, the telecom giant stated that it had planned to bring back its dividend. However, it was suspended due to Covid-19 crisis, during the current financial year.
Source credits: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57091063
" ["meta_description"]=> string(187) "British multinational telecommunications company, BT has reportedly revealed its plans to speed up its full-fiber broadband rollout for 5 million more households than planned previously. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-05-14 12:49:17" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/14/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(87) "img/computer/telecom-major-bt-pledges-to-provide-fast-broadband-to-5m-more-uk-homes.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [41]=> object(stdClass)#67 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "84" ["name"]=> string(70) "Facebook to prompt users to open and read articles before sharing them" ["url"]=> string(70) "facebook-to-prompt-users-to-open-and-read-articles-before-sharing-them" ["full_desc"]=> string(2418) "As an effort to promote more informed sharing, Facebook has reportedly announced that it is testing a feature that will nudge the users to first read the articles before sharing them. The social media major is expected to start testing the feature on around 6% of its global users on Android.
Facebook’s move is apparently the latest example of how social media companies are trying to slow the uncontrolled spread of misinformation and polarized content on their platforms.
Reportedly, several social media researchers have long been advocating this kind of prompting, which according to them, can help curb people reacting to provocative headline without getting the full context of the story.
As these features are relatively new, it is apparently unclear at present how feasible will these interventions be, or users will just skip through the prompts and share article without reading. Even though users click on a news article after being reminded by Facebook, it is not guaranteed if they will go through the entire story.
Facebook reportedly announced the news through its Twitter account on Monday (11 May), along with an image showing how the prompt will look like.
Whenever users open an article without clicking on it, the company will send a reminder stating that they are about to share the article without opening it and sharing them without reading may mean missing the key facts.
These initiatives are indicating that such features will not stop the spread of false information entirely. However, they are expected to at least help people read more context pertaining to the news of the day.
For the record, back in September, prominent social media platform Twitter had declared insights after it had initiated testing for a similar feature on Android app. Post that, the data showed that the prompts encouraged people to open articles 40% more often.
Source credits: https://www.vox.com/2021/5/10/22429240/facebook-prompt-users-read-articles-before-sharing
" ["meta_description"]=> string(183) "As an effort to promote more informed sharing, Facebook has reportedly announced that it is testing a feature that will nudge the users to first read the articles before sharing them." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-05-12 13:12:48" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/12/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(87) "img/computer/facebook-to-prompt-users-to-open-and-read-articles-before-sharing-them.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [42]=> object(stdClass)#68 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "82" ["name"]=> string(70) "Microsoft cancels launch of its ambitious Windows 10X Operating System" ["url"]=> string(70) "microsoft-cancels-launch-of-its-ambitious-windows-10x-operating-system" ["full_desc"]=> string(2692) "Launch of Windows 10X, which was considered as a new take on Windows 10 and competitor to Chrome OS has reportedly been cancelled. According to the credible sources, this product, which was supposed to appear first on single-screen devices will not be shipped anytime soon.
Although Microsoft has stopped the development of Windows 10X, the company is expected to incorporate certain elements of the operating system to Windows 10 later this year.
Supposedly, the company is working on the development of Windows 10’s updated version with a refreshed UX. Windows 10, dubbed “Sun Valley” is expected to witness a new user interface and app containers.
If sources are to be believed, cancellation of Windows 10X, is a huge blow to Microsoft. In 2019, while announcing the launch of Windows 10X, the company had stated that the operating system would run only on foldable and dual-screen PCs.
Microsoft has also mentioned that the initial wave of devices based on Windows 10X would comprise of Surface Neo, its dual screen device that was set to go on sale in the fall of 2020. Last year, the company had announced that the operating system will appear on single-screen devices first. It has quoted Covid-19 pandemic as the reason for change in the plans.
For the record, Windows 10X was developed on code from Windows Core OS, a universal Windows codebase. Windows 10X was supposed to be built as a lite version of Windows 10 but with a modern interface.
Microsoft had earlier announced that Windows 10X would be running Win32 desktop apps such as Word and Excel but only inside the containers. However, several reports later claimed that Win32 apps support will not be provided in the initial shipments of Windows 10X, though it’s expected to be added later.
The slimmer Windows 10X operating system was being considered a rival to Google Chrome OS. However, the company seems to have realized that Windows 10X was not enough to compete with the web-centric, lightweight Chrome OS.
" ["meta_description"]=> string(130) "Launch of Windows 10X, which was considered as a new take on Windows 10 and competitor to Chrome OS has reportedly been cancelled." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-05-10 14:59:59" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/10/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(87) "img/computer/microsoft-cancels-launch-of-its-ambitious-windows-10x-operating-system.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [43]=> object(stdClass)#69 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "79" ["name"]=> string(69) "YouTube to launch a feature to make its video platform more shoppable" ["url"]=> string(69) "youtube-to-launch-a-feature-to-make-its-video-platform-more-shoppable" ["full_desc"]=> string(2568) "As part of an effort to offer a more shoppable experience to users on its video platform, YouTube has reportedly announced plans to soon introduce a new interactive feature called brand extensions. This feature is reportedly aimed at advertisers, and will let viewers learn more about a product they see on the screen with just a click.
YouTube mentioned that brand extension ads are the first of its more interactive features. The feature is expected to be launched globally this year at a later date.
It has been reported that this new ad format will enable advertisers to bring up a call-to-action or website link in connected TV ad. The viewer will then be able to click the “send to phone” option, which sends that URL or promotion directly to their mobile device, without hindering their viewing experience.
From the mobile device, the consumer could then shop from the website by browsing products, adding items to the cart and finishing the transaction. However, they can do it whenever they are ready to engage with the product information, instead of stopping their video to do so.
According to YouTube, this feature will allow advertisers to target the ads to the right audience, as per the video content. It will also enable them to directly measure the conversions generated from these brand extensions in Google Ads.
YouTube boasts of an immense pool of audience who can become potential customers for the brands advertising through the video shopping feature. The platform supposedly represents 40% of watch time of all the ad-supported streaming services. YouTube noted that out of the top five streaming services across the U.S., which represent 80% of the connected TV market, only two are ad-supported.
Advertisements seemed to be a way YouTube will drive e-commerce traffic as creators will also play a significant role. Brand extensions are reportedly separate from that effort. However, they’re inclined on providing the advertisers their own means of offering a shopping experience from a video.
Source credits: https://techcrunch.com/2021/05/04/a-new-youtube-feature-will-make-its-connected-tv-ads-more-shoppable/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(197) "As part of an effort to offer a more shoppable experience to users on its video platform, YouTube has reportedly announced plans to soon introduce a new interactive feature called brand extensions." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-05-06 16:11:59" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/06/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(86) "img/computer/youtube-to-launch-a-feature-to-make-its-video-platform-more-shoppable.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [44]=> object(stdClass)#70 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "71" ["name"]=> string(60) "Takeover talks end between Discord and tech leader Microsoft" ["url"]=> string(60) "takeover-talks-end-between-discord-and-tech-leader-microsoft" ["full_desc"]=> string(2670) "Takeover talks between chat startup Discord and tech giant Microsoft have reportedly concluded after the video-game chat company turned down a USD 12 billion (USD 15.9 billion) offer from Microsoft, en route to a possible IPO in the future.
San Francisco-based startup Discord runs a free online platform where users can chat through texts and in audio and video forms. The app, widely used by gamers, saw a boom during the pandemic as more people flocked to the app as a secure platform to connect with family and friends.
Discord reported 140 million users, doubling its pre-pandemic monthly user base, in 2020 during the surging spread of the novel coronavirus. The company recorded USD 130 million in revenue last year, significantly higher than the USD 45 million revenue reported in 2019, however, it is not profitable yet.
Microsoft, with its current market value at USD 2 trillion, has been considering several deals with companies that will help expand its reach to more consumers. In 2020, the tech mammoth also considered the acquisition of TikTok, the video-sharing platform that gained popularity during the pandemic.
This month, Microsoft announced the purchase of Nuance Communications, the computer software tech corporation and a speech-recognition leader, in a USD 19.6 billion all-cash deal. Moreover, Microsoft’s Xbox business is also expanding its subscription perks that are part of its Game Pass offering.
Discord is seemingly working towards a potential listing in the coming years. As per reports, in the past few weeks, the video-game chat app received offers from several other companies, although it has chosen to operate independently for now.
Amazon and Epic Games have supposedly also been involved in discussions with Discord in the past. Discord, after entering the market in 2015, has doubled its valuation to USD 7 billion in a December 2020 funding round.
According to Crunchbase, the company has raised around USD 480 million, with investors Greylock Partners, Greenoaks Capital, and Index Ventures, among others.
Source Credits:
" ["meta_description"]=> string(240) "Takeover talks between chat startup Discord and tech giant Microsoft have reportedly concluded after the video-game chat company turned down a USD 12 billion (USD 15.9 billion) offer from Microsoft, en route to a possible IPO in the future." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-04-27 16:17:00" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "04/27/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(77) "img/computer/takeover-talks-end-between-discord-and-tech-leader-microsoft.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [45]=> object(stdClass)#71 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "69" ["name"]=> string(72) "Microsoft to add new ‘News and Interests’ icon to Windows 10 taskbar" ["url"]=> string(66) "microsoft-to-add-new-news-and-interests-icon-to-windows-10-taskbar" ["full_desc"]=> string(2285) "Microsoft is reportedly adding more personalization options to Windows 10 taskbar with the ‘News and Interests’ icon that allows the user to quickly access news, weather, and other topics without having to open a tab. Sources close to the matter said that the feature is expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
The button, which appears as an icon on the taskbar, displays the current weather conditions in the users’ locality. When the user moves their mouse over the symbol, a larger panel will appear, displaying headlines for the latest news, stock prices, local traffic conditions, sports scores, and more, confirmed sources.
The tech giant said that the users can click on a story to open a simplified reading experience to save time and stay focused. It also enables them to save the post for later if they do not have the time to read through it.
As the day progresses, the content on the panel will automatically refresh. The user can also change the way it looks, personalize the topics they want to see, and choose which news sources Windows 10 can use, added the company.
In a way, the feature replicates the quick-access weather and news panels found on Android and iOS smartphones to the Windows 10 interface, sources cited.
The news and interests feature is an intriguing addition to the Live Tiles that Windows 10 users will see in the Start Menu for select applications. Microsoft said it will be listening to user reviews to enhance the experience.
As per credible sources, users running Windows 10 version 1909 or newer will be able to use the feature, but those who do not wish to see news and interests in their taskbar can turn it off easily.
Source Credit –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(314) "Microsoft is reportedly adding more personalization options to Windows 10 taskbar with the ‘News and Interests’ icon that allows the user to quickly access news, weather, and other topics without having to open a tab. Sources close to the matter said that the feature is expected to arrive in the coming weeks." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-04-24 14:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "04/24/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/computer/microsoft-to-add-new-news-and-interests-icon-to-windows-10-taskbar.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [46]=> object(stdClass)#72 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "68" ["name"]=> string(67) "Microsoft teams up with Met Office to develop climate supercomputer" ["url"]=> string(67) "microsoft-teams-up-with-met-office-to-develop-climate-supercomputer" ["full_desc"]=> string(2796) "The Met Office is reportedly collaborating with Microsoft to build a supercomputer that can forecast weather, a new feat in the world of supercomputing. The UK’s national weather service claims that the supercomputer would be able to offer more precise weather forecasts and an improved understanding of climate change.
Evidently, the system will operate completely on renewable energy and be built with over 1.5 million processor cores to carry out 60 petaflops / 60 quadrillion calculations in a second. These components will, theoretically, help the computer process more data at faster speeds and run it through simulations of the atmosphere with higher precision.
Penny Endersby, Chief Executive, Met Office, said that working alongside Microsoft will result in optimal quality climate and weather datasets and even more precise predictions that will allow people to stay safe, according to reports.
In February 2020, the UK government had announced a £1.2 billion-investment in the project that will create what will be one of the top 25 supercomputers across the globe once it is operational in 2022 summer.
Tech giant Microsoft plans to update the supercomputer over the following decade alongside advancements in computing. Morgan O'Neill, Assistant Professor, Stanford University, reportedly described the collaboration as an excellent public investment towards the basic and applied sciences of climate and weather.
O'Neill added that an investment of this scale to build a state-of-the-art climate and weather forecasting system by the UK is good news for the entire world and will pave the way to significant scientific advancements.
The Met Office has reportedly said that the technology will help enhance their knowledge of the weather, allowing people to prepare for severe weather conditions, efficiently plan their activities, and understand climate change better.
The supercomputer, the Met Office claims, will be able to track more potential weather scenarios, offer more comprehensive weather models, provide more accurate predictions for severe weather, and give more precise localized predictions.
The supercomputer will supposedly employ cloud computing services by Microsoft Azure and integrate Cray supercomputers by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).
Source credits: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56840169
" ["meta_description"]=> string(153) "The Met Office is reportedly collaborating with Microsoft to build a supercomputer that can forecast weather, a new feat in the world of supercomputing. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-04-23 15:14:17" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "04/23/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/computer/microsoft-teams-up-with-met-office-to-develop-climate-supercomputer.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [47]=> object(stdClass)#73 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "65" ["name"]=> string(73) "Domino's India allegedly hacked; 1 million credit card details leaked" ["url"]=> string(67) "dominos-india-allegedly-hacked-1-million-credit-card-details-leaked" ["full_desc"]=> string(2840) "Renowned pizza restaurant chain Domino’s India has apparently become the victim of a cyber-attack. According to the credible sources, hackers have gained access to the company’s 13 TB of internal data. The data comprises of the details of more than 250 employees from various departments like Legal, IT, Marketing, Finance, Operations, etc.
Domino’s India, in this regard, stated that the company’s user data has not been compromised. Jubilant FoodWorks which holds the master franchise of Domino’s in India claimed that the company did recently experienced an information security incident. However, no data related to the financial details of any person was compromised and the incident has not made any business or operational impact.
As a part of the company’s policy, it does not store financial information or credit card details of its customers. Hence, no such information has been breached, the company added.
Domino's India has neither confirmed nor denied the data leak from its servers yet.
Reportedly, the hackers have claimed that they have obtained all customer details along with 180 million order details. This consists of customer's names, email IDs, delivery address, phone numbers, payment details consisting of over 1 million credit card details used for purchasing on Domino’s India app.
Sources have suggested that the attackers are planning to sell the whole data to a single buyer. They are aiming to make $550,000 (nearly INR 4 crores). The hackers are also planning to build a search portal to allow querying of the data. Apparently, the sale will take place on the dark web through a website frequently visited by cyber scammers.
Amidst the cyber-attacks that India has been facing lately, this new cyber breach is worrisome. As per Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) statistics, cyber-attacks on India during the pandemic have increased by around 300% last year, rising to 11,58,208 in 2020 from 3,94,499 in 2019.
According to a survey report, around 52% of domestic Indian companies claimed to have faced a cyber- attack in last 12 months.
" ["meta_description"]=> string(206) "Renowned pizza restaurant chain Domino’s India has apparently become the victim of a cyber-attack. According to the credible sources, hackers have gained access to the company’s 13 TB of internal data. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-04-20 17:03:43" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "04/20/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/computer/dominos-india-allegedly-hacked-1-million-credit-card-details-leaked.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [48]=> object(stdClass)#74 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "63" ["name"]=> string(74) "Microsoft Edge gets ‘Kids Mode’ to ensure safer browsing for children " ["url"]=> string(67) "microsoft-edge-gets-kids-mode-to-ensure-safer-browsing-for-children" ["full_desc"]=> string(2436) "Microsoft Corporation has recently rolled out the new ‘Kids Mode’ feature for its Edge browser, which is a free built-in option available both on the Windows and macOS variants. It can be enabled by selecting it from the Edge profile option, allowing children to access only approved websites.
Microsoft built this Kids Mode around the idea of a parent handing their child a laptop and allowing them to surf the web. When Kids Mode is triggered, parents can choose between five to eight years old and nine to twelve years old.
Divya Kumar, Product Director of Microsoft Edge, mentioned that this new feature is free and offers a safe online environment for children aged 12 and below which gives parents a sense of relief when their kids browse the internet on a shared device.
Edge offers high tracking prevention for both the age groups and strict Bing SafeSearch, which filters adult text, photographs, and videos from searches. Microsoft also provides an automated allow list of 70 famous kids' sites, but parents may have to add any additional sites manually, sources cited.
This mode disables common Windows keyboard shortcuts to prevent kids from exiting, but unfortunately, the same shortcut restrictions aren't on macOS. When this mode is enabled, an adult must enter their macOS or Windows credentials to exit and return to regular browsing.
A news feed with selected stories from MSN for Kids is available on the new tab page in Kids Mode for those aged nine to twelve. The subjects are more focused on science, fun facts, and animals than on the latest pandemic or geopolitics swarming the web.
Sources confirmed that Kids Mode doesn’t require a Microsoft Account, neither will it sync a list of approved websites across multiple devices, requiring parents to set up multiple lists if they have more than one shared PC or laptop.
Source Credit –
https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/15/22385357/microsoft-edge-kids-mode-features-now-available-release
" ["meta_description"]=> string(181) "Microsoft Corporation has recently rolled out the new ‘Kids Mode’ feature for its Edge browser, which is a free built-in option available both on the Windows and macOS variants." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-04-17 15:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "04/17/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/computer/microsoft-edge-gets-kids-mode-to-ensure-safer-browsing-for-children.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [49]=> object(stdClass)#75 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "58" ["name"]=> string(70) "MacBook, iPad production delayed by supply crunch; launch kept on hold" ["url"]=> string(68) "macbook-ipad-production-delayed-by-supply-crunch-launch-kept-on-hold" ["full_desc"]=> string(2708) "American multination technology company, Apple Inc., is reportedly witnessing production delays of the upcoming MacBook and iPad models due to a global component shortage crisis.
Sources close to the matter stated that these issues for the tech giant might persist into the next year. As a result, Apple has postponed the production of the two devices from the first half to the second half of this year.
This chip shortage has also hampered the iPhone production plans. Sources confirmed that the lack of components is still a supply chain problem for Apple, although interestingly it has not yet affected the product availability to the consumer.
Foxconn, the company's key supplier, had already issued a warning about the chip shortage impacting supply chains to customers, with companies and consumers all over the world suffering from an ongoing shortage of semiconductor microchips.
In this context, David Huang, Chief Financial Officer at Foxconn, reportedly stated that although the COVID-19 pandemic has severely hit the company's gross margin, strong smartphone sales have led to a better-than-expected fourth-quarter result.
For those unaware, Foxconn had reported a 15% increase in sales during the last quarter of 2020. According to the Taiwanese firm, this was primarily due to a more than 15% sales growth year over year from consumer electronics inclusive of smartphones, which has contributed approximately 63% of its business in the quarter.
Foxconn had previously expected fourth-quarter revenue to be in the range of a 3% decrease to a 3% increase from the previous year, sources claimed.
In other developments, American multinational tech giant Intel Corp. has apparently used the renowned MacBook to promote its newly introduced chip.
Source Credit –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(178) "American multination technology company, Apple Inc., is reportedly witnessing production delays of the upcoming MacBook and iPad models due to a global component shortage crisis." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-04-12 13:00:02" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "04/12/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(85) "img/computer/macbook-ipad-production-delayed-by-supply-crunch-launch-kept-on-hold.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [50]=> object(stdClass)#76 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "55" ["name"]=> string(67) "Play Ventures raises $135M in second fund to invest in gaming firms" ["url"]=> string(66) "play-ventures-raises-135m-in-second-fund-to-invest-in-gaming-firms" ["full_desc"]=> string(2372) "Play Ventures has recently raised $135 million as a part of a second funding round for investing in gaming startups. According to the credible sources, the newly raised fund will allow the company to invest in the best game developers around the world. This is apparently much larger than Play Ventures’ previous funding, valued at $40 million, and now the company will have $175 million in total to invest in gaming companies.
It has been reported that the company has invested in 24 game companies spread across 10 countries since December 2018.
Harri Manninen, founding partner of Play Ventures and head of the fund stated that despite being in earlier stage of their collective journeys, these companies are making huge impact. The company believes that there will be more positive outcomes from these companies as well as the founders from its portfolio, Manninen added.
With the second Fund the company believes that gaming will be the dominant and most impactful form of entertainment during the 21st century. Reportedly, there are numerous game venture capital funds with similar interest that are increasingly making investments in game companies.
Manninen further stated that Play Ventures holds a strong view that the most efficient gaming teams can be established and built anywhere around the world. He also added that the company is planning to continue investing in early stage game companies as well as gaming service startups worldwide, and to expand into ecosystems such as India and Latin America.
The company has reportedly invested in Indian game startup All-Star Games’ pre-Series A funding round valued $1.5 million.
Manninen also mentioned the company is in the process of concluding various new deals around the globe. details of these deal will be shared by the company in due course.
Source credits: https://venturebeat.com/2021/04/06/play-ventures-raises-135-million-for-second-fund-to-invest-in-game-startups/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(252) "Play Ventures has recently raised $135 million as a part of a second funding round for investing in gaming startups. According to the credible sources, the newly raised fund will allow the company to invest in the best game developers around the world." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-04-07 14:59:10" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "04/07/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/computer/play-ventures-raises-135m-in-second-fund-to-invest-in-gaming-firms.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [51]=> object(stdClass)#77 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "51" ["name"]=> string(66) "CD Projekt Red restructures to build next Witcher, Cyberpunk games" ["url"]=> string(65) "cd-projekt-red-restructures-to-build-next-witcher-cyberpunk-games" ["full_desc"]=> string(2545) "Polish video game producer CD Projekt reportedly held a strategy meeting to discuss the companys roadmap for the rest of 2021 and looking forward into 2022. The company is determined to offer more updates, free downloadable content, and a present generation patch for Cyberpunk 2077. This is expected to allow the game to appear and run better on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, as well as PS5.
It has been reported that further updates for its GWENT: The Witcher Card Game are also on the way, while a current-generation patch for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is also expected to arrive later in 2021.
However, the biggest news remains the restructuring of CD Projekt Red. The team is reportedly overhauling various processes, enabling the simultaneous development of two AAA games which indicates that the next Witcher and Cyberpunk games are expected to arrive sooner.
According to the credible sources, CD Projekts strategy meeting shared its vision for a highly flexible and unified team that can effectively work towards the development of two AAA games parallelly. This plan, named Red 2.0 would involve the development of proprietary Red Engine for supporting two franchises while ensuring simultaneous development of new Cyberpunk and Witcher games.
Apparently, CD Projekt Red is also focusing on expansion to effectively support this scale. For this purpose, the company acquired Digital Scapes, a support studio based in Vancouver, to be a part of the Vancouver team of CD Projekt Red.
The company will supposedly be working towards building a more caring and sustainable work environment. This follows the extreme crunch that was reported during the leadup to Cyberpunk 2077 release in December 2020.
The PC version of the game have recently received positive reviews however, other versions of the game faced criticism for several glitches, bugs, and performance issues. Subsequently, the game was then taken down from the PlayStation Store and has so far not returned.
Source credit: https://www.techradar.com/sg/news/cd-projekt-red-restructures-could-work-on-next-witcher-cyberpunk-games-at-the-same-time
" ["meta_description"]=> string(157) "Polish video game producer CD Projekt reportedly held a strategy meeting to discuss the companys roadmap for the rest of 2021 and looking forward into 2022. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-04-01 15:30:32" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "04/01/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/computer/cd-projekt-red-restructures-to-build-next-witcher-cyberpunk-games-1.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [52]=> object(stdClass)#78 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "49" ["name"]=> string(69) "Microsoft emphasizes MS Teams prominence by offering big bug bounties" ["url"]=> string(69) "microsoft-emphasizes-ms-teams-prominence-by-offering-big-bug-bounties" ["full_desc"]=> string(2736) "Tech giant Microsoft has reportedly emphasized the key role of its popular business communication platform, Teams, in its existing as well as future strategies by launching a new bug bounty program. The new program is expected to fetch cybersecurity researchers up to USD 30,000 for reporting vulnerabilities that were not known previously. Supposedly, this amount is twice the maximum of any MS Office application.
According to the company, this new program, labelled "Microsoft Applications Bounty Program", exclusively focuses on the Teams desktop client. The company is also expected to include other applications in the program. However, the timeline for the same has not been announced yet.
The company has mentioned five specific scenarios that come with the rewards ranging from USD 6,000 to USD 30,000. The largest bounty reportedly is for the vulnerabilities classified as remote code execution with no user interaction.
It has been reported that the glitches in Teams that gave the ability to access authentication credentials for other users (excluding phishing) would rate a maximum USD 15,000.
Microsoft has also provided a rate sheet of general bugs, right from the vulnerabilities of remote code execution to tampering or spoofing with rewards ranging between USD 500 and USD 15,000, based on the severity of the fault as well as the thoroughness and quality of the finder's report.
On the other hand, the company’s "Office Insider Builds on Windows" program offers reward of maximum USD 15,000. The only other application for which it provides the bounty as large as USD 30,000 is Edge browser.
The company has also allocated USD 30,000 as the maximum reward for the vulnerabilities in the Windows Defender Application Guard, which as such is not an app but a security feature in Windows.
These bounty programs by Microsoft indicates that it places great importance on several parts of its software ecosystem. Although the rewards for Teams are seemingly the top tier for an application, they are surpassed by the Windows and its identity services for which the company pays maximum USD 100,000.
Source credit: https://sg.channelasia.tech/article/687272/microsoft-elevates-teams-importance-by-offering-top-dollar-bug-bounties/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(198) "Tech giant Microsoft has reportedly emphasized the key role of its popular business communication platform, Teams, in its existing as well as future strategies by launching a new bug bounty program." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-03-30 16:21:54" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "03/30/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(86) "img/computer/microsoft-emphasizes-ms-teams-prominence-by-offering-big-bug-bounties.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [53]=> object(stdClass)#79 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "48" ["name"]=> string(71) "Windows 10 users to get free access to Microsoft Power Automate Desktop" ["url"]=> string(71) "windows-10-users-to-get-free-access-to-microsoft-power-automate-desktop" ["full_desc"]=> string(2651) "Washington-based technology company Microsoft Corporation recently announced that its popular workflow automation service called the Power Automate Solution will soon be available free of cost for Windows 10 laptops and computers.
Microsoft’s Power Automate Solution basically mechanizes repetitive and manual tasks which reduce productivity among employees and can help in improving workflow with the help of Robotic Process Automate.
According to the tech giant, automated solutions are currently in high demand especially in unpredictable scenarios amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, Microsoft Power Automate permits companies to record and replay actions like keyboard and mouse clicks. These actions can be replayed limitlessly on various applications such as Microsoft Excel, Outlook as well as other third-party apps and websites.
According to reliable sources, the application can extract and compile data from PDFs, database files, websites, and Excel spreadsheets to create reports as specified by the user.
Microsoft is providing this automated facility to organizations as well through an Attended RPA plan which permits clients to use more than 400 connectors through a cloud.
In a press release, Microsoft commented that its Power Automate Solution was updated to include more low-code RPA capabilities after it had acquired Sofomotive, a company that specializes in RPA systems. It is available in English, Japanese, French, German and Spanish and is reportedly used by several companies.
Notably, Microsoft is also working on another tool that identifies the causes behind the slowdown of processes and subsequently recommends relevant methods to combat the issue.
Over the years, Microsoft has released various innovative and useful applications by effectively gauging the needs of users. It will be interesting to see which new and useful applications it will bring to the market in the upcoming years.
Source Credits –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(230) "Washington-based technology company Microsoft Corporation recently announced that its popular workflow automation service called the Power Automate Solution will soon be available free of cost for Windows 10 laptops and computers." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-03-27 14:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "03/27/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(88) "img/computer/windows-10-users-to-get-free-access-to-microsoft-power-automate-desktop.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [54]=> object(stdClass)#80 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "43" ["name"]=> string(65) "Acer hit by largest known ransomware attack; hackers demand $50mn" ["url"]=> string(63) "acer-hit-by-largest-known-ransomware-attack-hackers-demand-50mn" ["full_desc"]=> string(2881) "Taiwan based electronics and computer manufacturing company, Acer Inc., has reportedly come under a ransomware attack wherein the hackers have demanded $50 million. This is apparently the largest ever known ransom amount demanded b hackers to date.
According to the credible sources, hackers have gained access to some of the company’s most important documents such as financial spreadsheets, bank communications, and bank balances which compromises its network through a Microsoft Exchange server vulnerability.
It has been reported that the REvil group, which was behind last year’s ransomware attack on Travelex, is believed to be responsible for Acer’s breach as well. The ransomware group has declared through their data leak site that they have breached Acer, sharing images of allegedly stolen files as the evidence.
Sources have confirmed that during the conversations between REvil and the victim, which began on March 14, the representative from Acer was alarmed by the massive demand of $50 million.
Acer stated that they have reported the recent anomalous situations to the respective data protection and law enforcement authorities across several countries. The company further stated that there is an investigation going on and for the sake of security, it is avoiding any comment on the details.
The $50 million demand by REvil is so far the biggest known ransom amount to be demanded, with the previous being valued at $30 million, extorted by the same hacking group from the Dairy Farm.
Reports have claimed that five different hacking groups (including 'Hafnium', a China-backed hacking group) are taking advantage of the vulnerabilities existing in Microsoft business email servers.
Microsoft has reportedly released an emergency patch for its Exchange Server, which is the most popular mail server around the globe. All the calendar invitations, incoming and outgoing emails, and virtually anything that is accessed within Outlook passes through the Exchange server.
Reliable sources have suggested that at least 32 organizations in India, mostly finance and banking institutions have been attacked by the hackers last week who used vulnerabilities in unpatched business email servers of Microsoft.
Source credit: https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/hackers-hit-computer-maker-acer-with-50mn-ransomware-attack/81624551
" ["meta_description"]=> string(164) "Taiwan based electronics and computer manufacturing company, Acer Inc., has reportedly come under a ransomware attack wherein the hackers have demanded $50 million." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-03-22 17:56:29" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "03/22/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(80) "img/computer/acer-hit-by-largest-known-ransomware-attack-hackers-demand-50mn.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [55]=> object(stdClass)#81 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "39" ["name"]=> string(70) "Google faces $5Bn lawsuit for tracking users’ data in incognito mode" ["url"]=> string(66) "google-faces-5bn-lawsuit-for-tracking-users-data-in-incognito-mode" ["full_desc"]=> string(2549) "Tech giant Google is reportedly facing a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. over how its browser, Google Chrome, manages tracking when users activate incognito mode. According to the court ruling, this lawsuit seeks damages of a sum of $5 billion.
According to the credible sources, this lawsuit, which was first filed in June 2020, has alleged that even when incognito mode is activated, Google Chrome allows websites to gather personal information.
Initially, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, had supposedly tried to cast out the case. However, now the company has announced in media that it will strongly defend itself.
The company stated that incognito mode is not meant to make the browsing invisible on the web. Although the browser itself does not record the users’ history, there is no provision to restrict the websites or the user’s internet service provider (ISP) from keeping a record.
Google further mentioned that it clearly states that every time one opens a new incognito tab, websites might be able to record the information regarding the browsing activity during the session.
For the records, Incognito mode in Google Chrome browser is described more private considering that the user’s history is not recorded, cookies are not saved, and websites are not cached on the user’s computer. For doing this, Google disables certain background features, e.g. the FileSystem API which helps to avoid leaving traces of activity on user’s device.
Websites can check the availability of FileSystem API, and if they receive an error message back, it indicates that the user has activated Incognito mode. This provides them with a different experience. Essentially all the activities of the user on the internet is routed through their IP address.
Therefore, unless the user masks that with a virtual private network (VPN), their internet provider will know exactly what the users are doing regardless of them using in incognito mode or not.
Source credit: https://metro.co.uk/2021/03/15/google-facing-5-billion-lawsuit-over-incognito-mode-tracking-14245351/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(163) "Tech giant Google is reportedly facing a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. over how its browser, Google Chrome, manages tracking when users activate incognito mode." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-03-17 15:40:55" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "03/17/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/computer/google-faces-5bn-lawsuit-for-tracking-users-data-in-incognito-mode.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [56]=> object(stdClass)#82 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "28" ["name"]=> string(67) "Fortnite developer Epic Games acquires Fall Guys creator Mediatonic" ["url"]=> string(78) "2021/03/04/fortnite-developer-epic-games-acquires-fall-guys-creator-mediatonic" ["full_desc"]=> string(2421) "Leading video game developer, Epic Games, who created Fortnite has reportedly announced the acquisition of Mediatonic, the development studio behind Fall Guys, one of the most famous live-service games of 2020. As of now, the companies have not disclosed the details of the agreement. However, they have confirmed that the game won’t change for current players on PlayStation or PC or on Xbox and Nintendo Switch.
Commenting on the deal, Dave Bailey, chief executive of Tonic Games Group has stated that the company is thrilled to collaborate with Epic Games as the latter shares with it the goal of developing and supporting games that can create a positive impact, are able to empower others, and can sustain over time.
Acknowledging this partnership, Paul Croft, chief games officer of Tonic Games Group stated that beyond the shared vision, the group sees huge potential in its alliance with Epic. Whether it is about enhancing their own games or helping other developers in taking their content ideas towards commercial success, the group believes that by working together both the companies can attain great heights, Croft added.
According to reliable sources, the Mediatonic deal fits into Epic’s strategy of securing dominance in the field of gaming. Fortnite, which has been a great hit, is continuously drawing new players as well as bringing back current players to spend money. The company lays great importance on this business model which had encouraged it to acquire Rocket League developer Psyonix earlier. Now, it is apparently following the same approach in case of Mediatonic and Fall Guys.
Meanwhile, Tim Sweeney, chief executive officer of Epic Games has stated that this deal is part of the company’s efforts of creating an online world for players which will allow them to express themselves and play together.
Sweeney further stated that it is well known in the industry that Epic is dedicated towards building the metaverse, and Tonic Games Group shares this goal. As the company is working for this goal, it requires great creative talent that can help it in building powerful content, games and experiences.
Source credit: https://venturebeat.com/2021/03/02/fortnite-developer-epic-buys-fall-guys-studio-mediatonic/
" ["meta_description"]=> NULL ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-03-04 00:00:00" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "04/03/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(98) "wp-content/uploads/2021/03/fortnite-developer-epic-games-acquires-fall-guys-creator-mediatonic.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [57]=> object(stdClass)#83 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "19" ["name"]=> string(67) "Researchers identify over 30,000 Macs affected by a sleeper malware" ["url"]=> string(77) "2021/02/22/researchers-identify-over-30000-macs-affected-by-a-sleeper-malware" ["full_desc"]=> string(2177) "The popular conception that computers manufactured by Silicon Valley technology giant, Apple Inc., are mostly immune to malware is apparently on the verge to be proved false as security researchers at Red Canary and Malwarebytes have reportedly identified a suspicious piece of malware hiding on around 30,000 Macs.
It has been reported that this malware, named Silver Sparrow by the researchers, has been designed for delivering a still unknown payload. The malware also contains a self-destruction mechanism capable of removing all the traces of its existence.
The researchers have shed light on the details by mentioning how they identified that several versions targeting Macs comprising of not only Intel chips but also M1 chips, which is Apple’s own production. This apparently is a big deal considering how new these computer systems developed by Apple are and how only a few vulnerabilities have been found on them.
For the record, just one week before the researcher from Objective-See security, Patrick Wardle had published a report talking about the first piece of malware that had been found targeting Apple Silicon, and now, one more has been identified.
According to sources knowledgeable of then matter, Silver Sparrow could not cover its tracks before getting exposed. There has not been any indication that the malware was used to cause any damage. Additionally, Red Canary has also stated that Apple already revoked the binaries which theoretically should prevent the users from mistakenly installing it themselves.
However, the potential damage from the malware is not a theorical concept as the strains of malware were actually identified on Macs that are in the wild.
Researchers have reportedly warned that Apple’s transition from Intel to its indigenous silicon is expected to make it simpler for several bad actors to introduce malware using the cracks.
Source credit: https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/21/22294377/silver-sparrow-malware-macs-m1-intel-red-canary-wardle
" ["meta_description"]=> NULL ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-02-22 00:00:00" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "22/02/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(8) "computer" ["image_url"]=> string(97) "wp-content/uploads/2021/02/researchers-identify-over-30000-macs-affected-by-a-sleeper-malware.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } }