Page 409 - Technology Internet
No significant increase in Facebook users deactivating or interaction: Zuckerberg
The Cambridge Analytica scandal in which personal data of over 87 million Facebook users, including 500,000 Indians, was compromised, has not hit the social media platform in a significant way in terms of people deactivating their accounts. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged this during a Congressional hearing, his second in two days, on issues related on data privacy and security in view of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. "Yes," Zuckerberg replied when Congresswoman Dana Louise DeGette said since the revelations surrounding Cambridge Analytica, Facebook has not noticed a significant increase in users deactivating their accounts. "Yes, that's correct," he said when DeGette said since the revelations surrounding Cambridge Analytica, Facebook has also not noticed a decrease in user interaction on Facebook. Zuckerberg said as a result of the scandal, and the questions raised, Facebook is going to put, at the top of everyone's app when they sign in, a tool that walks ..
COAI asks Trai to improve MySpeed app tests
Telecom operators' body COAI has written to sector regulator Trai pointing out "certain discrepancies" in test methodology used for measuring wireless broadband speed by its MySpeed app and sought improvements in it. The letter was in response to a white paper on wireless broadband speed measurement methodology and findings released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) in the first week of February. "We would like to submit that a careful and detailed analysis of the aforesaid white paper depicts certain discrepancies with respect to the results of the Trai MySpeed App...We request the authority to kindly consider our aforesaid submissions favourably to review and improve the functionality of the Trai MySpeed App by rectifying the discrepancies," COAI said in a letter dated April 10. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), whose members include Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Idea Cellular and Vodafone, said that it has found significant difference between the .
Zuckerberg vows to revamp Facebook, admits his own data was shared (Roundup)
Stressing that there is an online propaganda "arms race" with Russia and it was important to make sure no one interferes in any more elections including in India, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday that his own personal data was "improperly shared".
Day 2: Zuckerberg testifies before Congress
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for a second day of Congressional testimony over his companys handling of user data.
China's popular news app shut for neglecting socialist values
One of China's biggest news aggregator app with over 120 million users, including from India, has been removed from online stores for reportedly neglecting the "core socialist values", official media here reported. Zhang Yiming, founder of Jinri Toutian, apologised on his Sina Weibo account, akin to Twitter today saying the company "overstressed technology, but ignored the fact that technology should be used to guide users' socialist core values, spread positive energy, meet the requirements of the times and respect public order and good custom." Zhang's comments came after the app was removed from online stores on Monday, and its another app Neihan Duanzi was permanently closed yesterday for vulgar content. It apologised for overstressing technology while neglecting education on core socialist values, after the app was temporarily removed from online app stores. The Jinri Toutiao app closed five channels, including "Qutu" (interesting pictures), "Meitu" (beautiful pictures) and ...
Storing data in India can safeguard citizen interests: CERT-IN
Citizens cannot be stopped from accessing services of companies amassing huge data like Facebook and Google and the only way to safeguard interests is to ask them to store the data domestically, a senior official from the government's cyber security body said today. "We cannot control or stop the Facebooks or the Googles or such agents walking into this country," Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) director Tulika Pandey said at an event here. Similarly, citizens cannot be told that we do not have the adequate mechanisms to safeguard their personal information being shared "happily" on such sites, she added. "It is becoming more and more pertinent for governments to start at least making the right mechanisms or regulations for somehow safeguard the data of its citizens within the strongholds of the country itself," she said. In the comments that come amid heightened concerns on data privacy after the Cambridge Analytica revelations, Pandey conceded that pulling ...
Facebook CEO starts second day of U.S. congressional hearings
WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg started a second day of testimony on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, facing more questions from lawmakers about data privacy at the world's largest social media network.
Mphasis sets up CoE for cognitive computing with IIIT-Bangalore
IT firm Mphasis today said it has partnered with International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B) to set up a centre for cognitive computing. The centre will focus on applied research with relevance for society and enterprises, and Mphasis will invest more than Rs 5 crore over the next three years on this initiative, the company said in a statement. The centre will work on proof of concepts, prototypes, and research papers and all intellectual assets generated from the programme will be open sourced and accessible for everyone. The inauguration of the centre is scheduled on June 2018. "Cognitive technology is transforming all aspects of enterprises and society today. This requires dedicated investments to build a world class ecosystem accessible for all...we are committed to building the first of its kind cognitive computing center focusing on machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, sensors and augmented reality," Mphasis CEO and Executive ...
Cyient signs JV with BlueBird Aero to make UAVs
Cyient, a Hyderabad-based firm, today said it has entered into a joint venture with BlueBird Aero Systems to manufacture advanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems. Cyient Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Krishna Bodanapu and BlueBird Aero Systems Founder-CEO, Ronen Nadir, signed the agreement at the ongoing DefExpo, organised by the Defence ministry at Thiruvadanthai, about 40 km from here. As per the agreement, a joint venture company named --Cyient Solutions and Systems Pvt Ltd has been floated in which Cyient would hold 51 per cent stake while the remaining 49 per cent with Israel-based BlueBird Aero Systems. "...the joint venture would offer field-proven UAV systems to Indian defence, paramilitary, security forces," Cyient, Engineering design, manufacturing, geospatial and networks provider, said. Cyient would manufacture, assemble, integrate and test advanced UAV systems at its facility in Hyderabad by leveraging the technology know-how of BlueBird ...
HDFC ERGO launches DIA, new AI chatbot serivice on Amazon Alexa
HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, India's third largest non-life insurance provider in the private sector, on Wednesday announced the launch of its AI enabled Chatbot 'DIA' on Amazon's cloud-based voice service, Alexa.The presence of 'DIA' on Alexa, aims to offer a 24/7 customer assistance with instant solutions to customer queries, thereby creating an enhanced customer service experience with HDFC ERGO.India is moving faster toward digitisation and automation.According to a recent report by Deloitte, touted as a rapidly growing hub for connected devices, India's "Internet of Things" (IoT) market is expected to grow to USD 9 billion by 2020.In this era of technology advancement and digitisation, customers are interacting through various channels with the companies expecting instant gratification for their needs.Hence, insurance companies must ensure they reach customer more smartly.Keeping this in mind, DIA, an Artificial intelligent Chatbot service has been launched by HDFC ERGO ..
Some subordinate staff in MHA would download porn in office:
Some subordinate staff in the Union Home Ministry would see pornographic content on internet and download malware in office, leading to compromise of the computer networks, former Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said here today. "When I was the Union Home Secretary almost 8-9 years ago, every 60 days we would find the entire computers compromised," said Pillai, who chairs the non-profit Data Security Council of India (DSCI) promoted by Nasscom. Giving details, he said senior ministry officials used to be busy with meetings till late in the evening because of which the subordinate staff would have to stay back in the offices for post-meeting work. "So what will they (subordinates) do? They go and open the internet and they are on porn sites and so on and so forth, and download all sorts of things that come up with all the malware," he said, addressing the maiden Finsec Conclave here. He said the ministry issued a lot of directives and it was a detailed review which led ..
Orkut founder launches 'Hello' social network app in India
As people vouch to delete Facebook in the wake of a massive data breach scandal, Orkut Buyukkokten -- a former Google employee who founded the trendsetter social networking website Orkut.com more than a decade ago -- on Wednesday launched a new social network "Hello" in India.
Vodafone rolls out VoLTE services in Punjab
Telecom operator Vodafone India today announced the roll-out of its Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services in Punjab. "Vodafone is the first GSM service provider in Punjab circle enabling customers to make calls using VoLTE," Arvind Nevatia, Business HeadPunjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, Vodafone India, said here. "Vodafone SuperNetTM 4G customers can access Vodafone VoLTE for no additional charges and all calls will be billed as per existing plan or pack benefits, thus experiencing the best from Vodafone's data strong network," he told reporters here. About the VoLTE services, he said, "Customers can now enjoy significantly better network experience and enjoy HD quality crystal clear voice with super call connect, and it will also help us build some better data capacity now on overall network." "Almost 80-90 per cent of new smartphones being sold are all VoLTE enabled," he said in response to a question. To another question, he said "We have almost five million customers in ...
Synup launches CoinFriendly, world's largest repository of Bitcoin-friendly business
Synup, a provider of Software as a service (SaaS) based location intelligence on Wednesday announced the launch of a new website, CoinFriendly.With 10,717 Bitcoin-accepting businesses listed on CoinFriendly, the website is the single largest repository of local businesses that accept cryptocurrency for transactional purposes. The new website will allow Bitcoin users across the globe to identify these stores and services in 20 countries including North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and South America.With the increase in Bitcoin adoption rates, the number of businesses that are now open to accepting any form of cryptocurrency has been soaring.Bitcoins are now worth more than USD 13000, making it a highly valuable asset for cryptocurrency investors.While the debate on regulating digital currency surges on, the adoption rate has been growing tremendously, leading to a market capitalisation of over USD 250 billion.And, while early adopters chose to use Bitcoin as an investment ...
Facebook committed to ensure integrity of elections in India and other countries: Zuckerberg
Facebook is committed to ensure the integrity of elections in countries like India, Pakistan and the US, its CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said as he was questioned for nearly five hours by senators over the Cambridge Analytica scandal that has shaken the social media giant. Zuckerberg's first day of testimony came after it was recently revealed that the British marketing firm Cambridge Analytica tied to US President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign improperly collected profile data of up to 87 million Facebook users. The scandal shook confidence in Facebook, leading some people to go as far as abandoning the social media site altogether a revolt called the hashtag #DeleteFacebook. Zuckerberg, 33, who is also the founder of Facebook, said data privacy and foreign interference in elections were topics that they have discussed at the Facebook board meeting. "These are some of the biggest issues that the company has faced, and we feel a huge responsibility to get these right," he told ...
Digital transformation to contribute USD 154 bn to India's GDP: study
By 2021, digital transformation will add an estimated USD 154 billion to India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and increase the growth rate by one percent annually, according to a new business study released by Microsoft on Wednesday.The research, "Unlocking the Economic Impact of Digital Transformation in Asia Pacific", was produced by Microsoft in partnership with IDC Asia/Pacific.The study predicts a dramatic acceleration in the pace of digital transformation across India and Asia Pacific's economies.In 2017, about four percent of India's GDP was derived from digital products and services created directly through the use of digital technologies, such as mobility, cloud, Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI)."India is clearly on the digital transformation fast track. Within the next four years, it is estimated that nearly 60 percent of India's GDP will have a strong connection to the digital transformation trends," said Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft ...
Cyient, BlueBird Aero Systems to offer UAV systems to Indian defence industry
Cyient, a provider of engineering design, manufacturing, geo-spatial, networks and operations management services to global industry leaders and Israel-based BlueBird Aero Systems, a leader in design, development, and production of micro, mini, and small tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) announced a joint venture to offer field-proven UAV systems to Indian defence, paramilitary, security, and police forces.The joint venture, named Cyient Solutions & Systems Private Limited, has 51 percent and 49 percent shareholding by Cyient and BlueBird respectively.The JV was inked at the DefExpo 2018 in the presence of stakeholders of both companies and industry representatives from India and Israel.Cyient Solutions & Systems will indigenize, manufacture, assemble, integrate, and test advanced UAV systems at its production facilities in Hyderabad by leveraging BlueBird's technology and manufacturing know-how. Cyient Solutions & Systems, supported by BlueBird, will also provide ...
Diverse skin tone emojis boost inclusion: Twitter study
Different skin tones and hair colours of emoji characters are helping boost diversity, and are rarely abused, a study of Twitter posts has shown. Fears that a range of skin colour options for the social media icons might be used inappropriately - in provoking antagonistic racial sentiment - have been unfounded since their introduction in 2015, according to the study by researchers from the University of Edinburgh in the UK. Drawing on a sample of a billion tweets, researchers found that most people who chose to modify their emojis opted for a skin tone that aligned with their own. In tweets where the selected skin tone was different from that of the user, posts were found to be mostly positive. Users with darker skin, according to their Twitter profiles, were most likely to modify their emoji, while users with light skin were less likely to make any changes. This underlines the importance to users of being able to express their identity online, researchers said. "The introduction of ..
Cyient in JV with BlueBird Aero
: Cyient Limited today said it entered into a joint venture with Israel-based BluBird Aero Systems to offer field-proven UAV systems to Indian defence, paramilitary, security, and police forces. The joint venture, named Cyient Solutions & Systems Private Limited, has 51 per cent and 49 per cent shareholding by Cyient and BlueBird respectively, a press release from Cyient said. Both the companies signed theJVagreement today at DefExpo 2018 being held in Chennai. Cyient Solutions & Systems will indigenise, manufacture, assemble, integrate, and test advanced UAV systems at its production facilities in Hyderabad by leveraging BlueBirds technology and manufacturing know-how, it said. Cyient Solutions& Systems, supported by BlueBird, will also provide comprehensive aftermarket services, including spares, repairs, maintenance, and support to end-users across India, it added. Cyient Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Krishna Bodanapu,said, "I am very ...
HireXP unveils app for recruitment solutions on the go
Recruitment solutions startup HireXP launched an app to make the hiring process portable, so that recruiters would be able to access and undertake the entire process from their mobile phones and tablets, while on the move.Currently launched for Android, the app comes as part of expansion plans of the startup that recently secured funding from Knowlarity CEO Ambarish Gupta and a British entrepreneur, Marina Zoltoverkh.The Gurugram-based startup harnesses end-to-end recruitment software that automates the entire hiring workflow. It is a new age recruitment solution that not only empowers companies to hire the right candidates but also opens a window for the candidates to speak their heart when it comes to their interview experience."We are all set to take the venture to the next level. The app is only the first step; we have a long way to go. Our vision is to make the recruitment process one of the simplest organisational tasks, with the help of technology and AI," said HireXP founder ..