 Noveto An Israeli tech startup has developed a speaker system that creates a “sound bubble”—essentially meaning you get all the privacy of headphones without the physical requirement of wearing them. The truly sci-fi tech uses ultrasonic waves beamed into pockets next to your ears. The aptly named “SoundBeaming” technology means you hear the noise coming from behind, below, and around you, while others nothing at all. If you’re still not clear about what Noveto’s product does, even CEO Christophe Ramstein finds it hard to put the concept into words. “The brain doesn’t understand what it doesn’t know,” he said in a statement. “I was thinking… is [SoundBeaming] the same with headphones?’ No, because I… have the freedom of doing what I want to do. And I have these sounds playing in my head as there would be something happening here, which is difficult to explain because we have no reference for that,” he said. The applications of this product are nearly endless, from being able to listen in on conference calls and other work-related audio without disturbing your neighbors, to removing the risk of losing, tripping on the cord of, or damaging, expensive audio headsets or earbuds.  Noveto3D facial mapping software continuously keeps track of where your head and ears are, and the speakers actually adjust where they must beam the soundwaves. This means that for those not remaining in a fixed position, for instance on exercise bikes, at L-shaped desks, or in the kitchen—the sound still follows you wherever you go. However, unlike headphones, the sounds of your environment can still be heard. If someone calls your name from another room, it’s clearly audible. “Most people just say, ‘Wow, I really don’t believe it,’” SoundBeamer Product Manager Ayana Wallwater said from the Noveto offices in Tel Aviv. “This is what we dream of,” she added “A world where we get the sound you want. You don’t need to disturb others and others don’t get disturbed by your sound. But you can still interact with them. Noveto’s speaker system, though already launched, isn’t available now, but the company plans on releasing a smaller version by Christmas 2021. Company Develops ‘Sound Beaming’ to Enable Digital Listening in Your Own Sound Bubble – A Cone of Near-Silence
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Company Develops ‘Sound Beaming’ to Enable Digital Listening in Your Own Sound Bubble – A Cone of Near-Silence (2025-06-26T11:01:00+05:30)
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An Israeli tech startup has developed a speaker system that creates a “sound bubble”—essentially meaning you get all the privacy of headphones without the physical requirement of wearing them. The truly sci-fi tech uses ultrasonic waves beamed into pockets next to your ears. The aptly named “SoundBeaming” technology means you hear the noise coming from behind, below, and around you, while others nothing at all. If you’re still not clear about what Noveto’s product does, even CEO Christophe Ramstein finds it hard to put the concept into words. “The brain doesn’t understand what it doesn’t know,” he said in a statement. “I was thinking… is [SoundBeaming] the same with headphones?’ No, because I… have the freedom of doing what I want to do. And I have these sounds playing in my head as there would be something happening here, which is difficult to explain because we have no reference for that,” he said. The applications of this product are nearly endless, from being able to listen in on conference calls and other work-related audio without disturbing your neighbors, to removing the risk of losing, tripping on the cord of, or damaging, expensive audio headsets or earbuds. Noveto3D facial mapping software continuously keeps track of where your head and ears are, and the speakers actually adjust where they must beam the soundwaves. This means that for those not remaining in a fixed position, for instance on exercise bikes, at L-shaped desks, or in the kitchen—the sound still follows you wherever you go. However, unlike headphones, the sounds of your environment can still be heard. If someone calls your name from another room, it’s clearly audible. “Most people just say, ‘Wow, I really don’t believe it,’” SoundBeamer Product Manager Ayana Wallwater said from the Noveto offices in Tel Aviv. “This is what we dream of,” she added “A world where we get the sound you want. You don’t need to disturb others and others don’t get disturbed by your sound. But you can still interact with them. Noveto’s speaker system, though already launched, isn’t available now, but the company plans on releasing a smaller version by Christmas 2021.Company Develops ‘Sound Beaming’ to Enable Digital Listening in Your Own Sound Bubble – A Cone of Near-Silence |
Most of us will leave behind a large ‘digital legacy’ when we die. Here’s how to plan what happens to it (2025-06-05T13:16:00+05:30)
Bjorn Nansen, The University of MelbourneImagine you are planning the funeral music for a loved one who has died. You can’t remember their favourite song, so you try to login to their Spotify account. Then you realise the account login is inaccessible, and with it has gone their personal history of Spotify playlists, annual “wrapped” analytics, and liked songs curated to reflect their taste, memories, and identity. We tend to think about inheritance in physical terms: money, property, personal belongings. But the vast volume of digital stuff we accumulate in life and leave behind in death is now just as important – and this “digital legacy” is probably more meaningful. Digital legacies are increasingly complex and evolving. They include now-familiar items such as social media and banking accounts, along with our stored photos, videos and messages. But they also encompass virtual currencies, behavioural tracking data, and even AI-generated avatars. This digital data is not only fundamental to our online identities in life, but to our inheritance in death. So how can we properly plan for what happens to it? A window into our livesDigital legacy is commonly classified into two categories: digital assets and digital presence. Digital assets include items with economic value. For example, domain names, financial accounts, monetised social media, online businesses, virtual currencies, digital goods, and personal digital IP. Access to these is spread across platforms, hidden behind passwords or restricted by privacy laws. Digital presence includes content with no monetary value. However, it may have great personal significance. For example, our photos and videos, social media profiles, email or chat threads, and other content archived in cloud or platform services. There is also data that might not seem like content. It may not even seem to belong to us. This includes analytics data such as health and wellness app tracking data. It also includes behavioural data such as location, search or viewing history collected from platforms such as Google, Netflix and Spotify. This data reveals patterns in our preferences, passions, and daily life that can hold intimate meaning. For example, knowing the music a loved one listened to on the day they died. Digital remains now also include scheduled posthumous messages or AI-generated avatars. All of this raises both practical and ethical questions about identity, privacy, and corporate power over our digital afterlives. Who has the right to access, delete, or transform this data? Planning for your digital remains
Just as we prepare wills for physical possessions, we need to plan for our digital remains. Without clear instructions, important digital data may be lost and inaccessible to our loved ones. In 2017, I helped develop key recommendations for planning your digital legacy. These include:
What if your loved one left no plan?These steps may sound uncontroversial. But digital wills remain uncommon. And without them, managing someone’s digital legacy can be fraught with legal and technical barriers. Platform terms of service and privacy rules often prevent access by anyone other than the account holder. They can also require official documentation such as a death certificate before granting limited access to download or close an account. In such instances, gaining access will probably only be possible through imperfect workarounds, such as searching online for traces of someone’s digital life, attempting to use account recovery tools, or scouring personal documents for login information. The need for better standardsCurrent platform policies have clear limitations for handling digital legacies. For example, policies are inconsistent. They are also typically limited to memorialising or deleting accounts. With no unified framework, service providers often prioritise data privacy over family access. Current tools prioritise visible content such as profiles or posts. However, they exclude less visible yet equally valuable (and often more meaningful) behavioural data such as listening habits. Problems can also arise when data is removed from its original platform. For example, photos from Facebook can lose their social and relational meaning without their associated comment threads, reactions, or interactivity. Meanwhile, emerging uses of posthumous data, especially AI-generated avatars, raise urgent issues about digital personhood, ownership, and possible harms. These “digital remains” may be stored indefinitely on commercial servers without standard protocols for curation or user rights. The result is a growing tension between personal ownership and corporate control. This makes digital legacy not only a matter of individual concern but one of digital governance. Standards Australia and the New South Wales Law Reform Commission have recognised this. Both organisations are seeking consultation to develop frameworks that address inconsistencies in platform standards and user access. Managing our digital legacies demands more than practical foresight. It compels critical reflection on the infrastructures and values that shape our online afterlives. Bjorn Nansen, Associate Professor, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. |
What is a ‘smart city’ and why should we care? It’s not just a buzzword (2025-05-12T11:41:00+05:30)
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More than half of the world’s population currently lives in cities and this share is expected to rise to nearly 70% by 2050.
It’s no wonder “smart cities” have become a buzzword in urban planning, politics and tech circles, and even media. The phrase conjures images of self-driving buses, traffic lights controlled by artificial intelligence (AI) and buildings that manage their own energy use. But for all the attention the term receives, it’s not clear what actually makes a city smart. Is it about the number of sensors installed? The speed of the internet? The presence of a digital dashboard at the town hall? Governments regularly speak of future-ready cities and the promise of “digital transformation”. But when the term “smart city” is used in policy documents or on the campaign trail, it often lacks clarity. Over the past two decades, governments around the world have poured billions into smart city initiatives, often with more ambition than clarity. The result has been a patchwork of projects: some genuinely transformative, others flashy but shallow. So, what does it really mean for a city to be smart? And how can technology solve real urban problems, not just create new ones? What is a smart city, then?The term “smart city” has been applied to a wide range of urban technologies and initiatives – from traffic sensors and smart meters to autonomous vehicles and energy-efficient building systems. But a consistent, working definition remains elusive. In academic and policy circles, one widely accepted view is that a smart city is one where technology is used to enhance key urban outcomes: liveability, sustainability, social equity and, ultimately, people’s quality of life. What matters here is whether the application of technology leads to measurable improvements in the way people live, move and interact with the city around them. By that standard, many “smart city” initiatives fall short, not because the tools don’t exist, but because the focus is often on visibility and symbolic infrastructure rather than impact. This could be features like high-tech digital kiosks in public spaces that are visibly modern and offer some use and value, but do little to address core urban challenges. The reality of urban governance – messy, decentralised, often constrained – is a long way from the seamless dashboards and simulations often promised in promotional material. But there is a way to help join together the various aspects of city living, with the help of “digital twins”. Digital twin (of?) citiesMuch of the early focus on smart cities revolved around individual technologies: installing sensors, launching apps or creating control centres. But these tools often worked in isolation and offered limited insight into how the city functioned as a whole. City digital twins represent a shift in approach. Instead of layering technology onto existing systems, a city digital twin creates a virtual replica of those systems. It links real-time data across transport, energy, infrastructure and the environment. It’s a kind of living, evolving model of the city that changes as the real city changes. This enables planners and policymakers to test decisions before making them. They can simulate the impact of a new road, assess the risk of flooding in a changing climate or compare the outcomes of different zoning options. Used in this way, digital twins support decisions that are better informed, more responsive, and more in tune with how cities actually work. Not all digital twins operate at the same level. Some offer little more than 3D visualisations, while others bring in real-time data and support complex scenario testing. The most advanced ones don’t just simulate the city, but interact with it. Where it’s workingTo manage urban change, some cities are already using digital twins to support long-term planning and day-to-day decision-making – and not just as add-ons. In Singapore, the Virtual Singapore project is one of the most advanced city-scale digital twins in the world. It integrates high-resolution 3D models of Singapore with real-time and historical data from across the city. The platform has been used by government agencies to model energy consumption, assess climate and air flow impacts of new buildings, manage underground infrastructure, and explore zoning options based on risks like flooding in a highly constrained urban environment. In Helsinki, the Kalasatama digital twin has been used to evaluate solar energy potential, conduct wind simulations and plan building orientations. It has also been integrated into public engagement processes: the OpenCities Planner platform lets residents explore proposed developments and offer feedback before construction begins. We need a smarter conversation about smart citiesIf smart cities are going to matter, they must do more than sound and look good. They need to solve real problems, improve people’s lives and protect the privacy and integrity of the data they collect. That includes being built with strong safeguards against cyber threats. A connected city should not be a more vulnerable city. The term smart city has always been slippery – more aspiration than definition. That ambiguity makes it hard to measure whether, or how, a city becomes smart. But one thing is clear: being smart doesn’t mean flooding citizens with apps and screens, or wrapping public life in flashy tech. The smartest cities might not even feel digital on the surface. They would work quietly in the background, gather only the data they need, coordinate it well and use it to make citizens’ life safer, fairer and more efficient. Milad Haghani, Associate Professor & Principal Fellow in Urban Risk & Resilience, The University of Melbourne; Abbas Rajabifard, Professor in Geomatics and SDI, The University of Melbourne, and Benny Chen, Senior Research Fellow, Infrastructure Engineering, The University of Melbourne This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. |
Digital mindfulness could help reduce the effects of technostress at work (2024-03-26T11:24:00+05:30)
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Technology-related stress, overload and anxiety are common problems in today’s workplace, potentially leading to higher burnout and poorer health. Many of these issues are likely to have increased since remote working became much more widespread following the pandemic. In 2022, along with colleagues at the University of Nottingham, I conducted a review of the academic literature on the downsides of digital working. We looked at nearly 200 studies from over the past decade, which revealed extensive evidence of negative health impacts of technostress and related “dark side of digital workplace” effects. Building on that research, our next study, published in 2024, investigated whether mindfulness and digital confidence – the ability to apply existing digital skills to new devices, apps and platforms – might help reduce these negative effects. We found that being more confident and mindful when using technology could help protect the health of digital workers. Mindfulness is a technique to develop an nonjudgmental awareness of one’s feelings, thoughts and surroundings in the present moment. It can help some people to avoid negative habits and responses by learning to observe their thoughts and emotions and tune in to the breath and body as an anchor. Becoming aware of habitual reactions In this way can help us to respond in a calmer, more effective manner. Our latest study adds to evidence collected through many decades of workplace mindfulness research, which has demonstrated its potential to reduce stress and anxiety among workers, as well as promoting better mental health and improving work engagement. While our research did not investigate specific mindfulness techniques, our interview participants talked about ways that being mindful helped them to reduce stress in the digital workplace. This could be as simple as pausing for a few deep breaths or stepping away from the technology for a short period. Checking in with their own mental, emotional and physical state while working digitally was also something that people said really helped them. Participants with higher levels of mindfulness tended to be less overwhelmed by technology. They talked about avoiding multitasking online – for example, reading emails while on a video call – as well as establishing clear boundaries around its use, such as only using technology at certain times of the day. It is worth noting that some workers were uneasy about taking time to disconnect, noting that they feared being seen as slacking or falling behind. Overall, workers who were more confident with technology experienced less anxiety. And those who were more mindful appeared better protected from the negative aspects of digital working. Our results suggest that although digital mindfulness and confidence are both important for employee wellbeing, ultimately, mindfulness is more effective than confidence with technology in protecting against technostress. Change perceptions to improve wellbeing: In our analysis we explore the idea, based on previous studies, that mindfulness can help reduce anxiety by altering employees’ perceptions of digital stressors. For example, researchers from the University of Turin in 2019 found that higher mindfulness among teachers was associated with a more positive workload stress appraisal and lower rates of subsequent burnout. In our study, we found that digital workers who were more mindfully and digitally confident appeared to have a greater sense of agency when working digitally. They were also better equipped to change their digital habits for the better. These changes involved setting boundaries by implementing rules for how and when to engage in the digital workplace. For example, turning off notifications, batching email or shutting down devices at the end of the working day. Some participants also used short mindful practices to regulate their engagement with technology and take care of physical and mental health while working digitally. Beneficial activities included taking a short break from technology, going for a walk or making a cup of tea. Reflection is key to healthy digital habits: To help employees thrive during the ongoing digital transformation of the workplace, organisations should consider ways to support staff with digital skills and mindful practices. Otherwise, they risk workers suffering further negative effects. Conducting this research made our team think about our own digital practices and identify areas for change. For instance, being setting clearer boundaries around reading and responding to emails outside of work hours and taking more pauses while working digitally. There are opportunities for all of us to grow our own skills in these areas, for example by engaging with training or self-learning to raise our digital competencies for work and learn some basic mindfulness practices. Reflecting on what is and isn’t working in your digital work day can be a great place to start in fostering healthy digital work habits.  Elizabeth Marsh, PhD Candidate, employee technostress and the potential of mindfulness, School of Psychology, University of Nottingham This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. |
Nicole Kidman, face of airline campaign (2016-05-01T23:14:00+05:30)
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ICICI Bank launches digital locker (2016-01-21T15:52:00+05:30)
Mydigitalfc, By PTI Aug 18 2015 , New Delhi, ICICI Bank today launched the first of its kind fully automated digital locker which would be available to customers even on weekends and post banking hours. Named 'Smart Vault', the locker is equipped with multi-layer security system, including biometric and PIN authentication and debit cards, among others. Customers can access it without any intervention by the branch staff, ICICI Bank said in a statement. "Through the Smart Vault, we bring a very different, much more convenient, state of art branch experience to the customers," ICICI Bank MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar said after its launch here. The 'Smart Vault' is an example of 'Make In India' programme as it has been designed and manufactured by Indian partners, she said. "The vault uses robotic technology to access the lockers from the safe vault and enables customers to access their lockers at any time of their preference," the statement issued by ICICI Bank, country's largest private sector lender, said. Asked about charges of the digital locker, Kochhar said: "The lockers are of two-three different sizes and charges would depend on that. Also, the locker charges in a city would vary depending on the real estate cost." Launched in Delhi, Kochhar said the bank would replicate this digital locker facility to a much larger scale in the days to come. Source: mydigitalfc.com
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PM launches digital version of ‘Ramcharitmanas’ (2015-08-31T20:09:00+05:30)
New Delhi, August 31: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the digital version of Tuslidas’s ‘Ramcharitmanas’ here on Monday. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said, “Our family values are something that is admired by the world, even envied. The ‘Ramcharitmanas’ speaks about family values. Now, even if somebody says Om, there’s debate on how it should be said, but on the ‘Ramcharitmanas’, there is no debate.” He said that he was happy to be informed that 14 persons had worked to compile this digital version of the ‘Ramcharitmanas’. “20-22 years of recording by Akashwani and keeping track of it is indeed commendable. So, this digital compilation of Ramcharitmanas by All India Radio (AIR) officials is an inspiration for others,” Prime Minister Modi said. Describing the reach and popularity of Akashwani as huge, Prime Minister Modi said there are some values and things that have a strength of their own, a strength that never shows signs of dwindling. “People who went as labourers to far off countries over 100 years ago, took the Ramcharitmanas with them, and this allowed them to maintain their links with India,” said Prime Minister Modi. “The Ramcharitmanas is a reflection of our culture, traditions and our songs and hymns,” he added. — ANI. Source: Article
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Sony MAX and SIX give Indians a reason to celebrate with India ka tyohaar (2015-04-27T19:17:00+05:30)
Wednesday: 11-March-2015: Sony MAX and SIX, the official broadcasters of the Pepsi Indian Premier League (PEPSI IPL) give its viewers a reason to cheer by launching the biggest campaign of the year – “Ismein Hai Dilon Ka Pyaar….Ye Hai India ka tyohaar”. As the name suggests, the campaign aims to connect hearts, connect lives, creating a national euphoria and strengthening emotional affinity towards the sport. ‘India ka tyohaar’ invites people to break their differences and join in the revelry which is aptly communicated through a heart shaped mnemonic that exudes the ‘spirit of togetherness’ this season of Pepsi IPL 2015. The campaign kicked off with a series of 3 prequels set in distinct situations of people’s life, ending with the common messaging of ‘India ka Tyohaar’. The films leave viewers with intriguing thoughts of preparation towards the year’s grandest tournament. Sony MAX & SIX have roped in the renowned musical duo - Salim-Sulaiman to compose the anthem for this magnanimous tournament. The Anthem with words like “dooriyan chod kar…dil se dil jod kar”, stirs up warm emotions that encourages viewers to come together and transcend all barriers to rejoice this season of Pepsi IPL. With a peppy and feet tapping rhythm the music will surely get the nation to groove in the spirit of festivity. Directed by Anupam Mishra of Crazy Few Films and conceptualised by DDB Mudra, the films brings alive the excitement that Pepsi IPL brings year on year and promises another year of fervour and celebration. Speaking about India ka Tyohaar, Mr. Neeraj Vyas, Senior EVP & Business Head, SONY MAX said, “‘Pepsi IPL reaches out to people across age groups, gender and languages. This year’s initiative “India ka tyohaar” is a unique thought that stems from the insight of how Pepsi IPL over the years has grown to be a huge festival which people celebrate together. It is a perfect blend of cricket, entertainment and festivity packaged in one”. Known to redefine the music of Bollywood with their unique style, Salim-Sulaiman hope to get everyone to dance to the anthem of Pepsi IPL 2015. Extremely overwhelmed with the opportunity to compose the anthem, they said, “With Pepsi IPL that reflects the fervour of the nation and an idea as powerful as ‘India Ka Tyohaar’, we tried to create a song which is very Indian in its spirit but yet has the sound of 'The Now'. Once we had the lyrics we composed the tune and created a rhythm around it which is the beat of our folk music and festivals all across India. The song is infectious! We hope the audiences will celebrate the music and this festive spirit of the Pepsi IPL across the globe.” The much acclaimed ad man & Mudra DDB chairman, Sonal Dabral said “If Cricket is a religion in India; Pepsi IPL is it's only true festival. Unlike any other sporting event in the world, it’s a microcosm of the passion, fervour and madness that envelops our country whenever cricket is played, uniting hearts and minds in its wake. And unlike any other festival in India, this is one festival that every Indian celebrates. It's got the colours of Holi, the festivity of Diwali, the brotherhood of Eid and the joy of X-mas. What else can you call it but one amazing 'India Ka Tyohaar'? It's been a privilege and an honour to create this big idea for Pepsi IPL. Here's to Sony! Here's to India Ka Tyohaar!" Stretching across a 4 week period till the launch of the tournament, the Pepsi IPL 2015 campaign will have a complete 360 degree rollout across mass media. The communication will be seen by viewers across mediums like television, print, radio, digital, outdoor, on-ground, mobile, BTL and out of home. Source: page3bollywood.com
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Star Wars: Digital Movie Collection on Amazon Instant Video (2015-04-27T18:19:00+05:30)
Star Wars: The Digital Movie Collection (episodes one to six) is now available to pre-order in digital HD on Amazon Instant Video for the first time ever. From today, customers will also be able to pre-order a special bundle of all six episodes for purchase via the web. The release date for the movies is April 10th, when all customers will be able to buy the complete Saga and start watching instantly. Star Wars will be available to own and play on more than 400 devices, including Fire tablets, iPad, iPhone, Amazon Fire Phone, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox, PlayStation, Wii and Wii U, amongst others, and online at amazon.co.uk. Amazon Instant Video offers more than 70,000 popular movies and TV episodes available to rent or buy digitally, including latest releases like The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Horrible Bosses 2 and Penguins of Madagascar, and now, Star Wars: The Digital Movie Collection. Source: Article, Image: https://flickr.com
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Have a digital day: New tech toys at German IT fair (2015-04-27T16:23:00+05:30)
The concept behind “Cognitoys”, which can talk with children and, through the powers of wireless communication and cloud computing, instantly answer questions such as “What’s on Mars?
Mar 18, 2015 : There’s the intelligent yoga mat, the coffee flask that’ll give you and your smartphone a jolt, and a super-smart dinosaur toy with his head in the cloud. Love it or hate it, this is a glimpse of the world of tomorrow according to the gadget makers who’ve shown up in force at the German IT fair CeBIT. The start-up founders and architects of the “Internet of Things” have an app for everything to help the connected citizen get through the day. Workout meta-data: For those who like to get the blood pumping at the crack of dawn, there’s the Smart-Mat, a digital work-out assistant. Its over 6,000 pressure sensors can keep count of your push-ups, sit-ups, crunches and even your breathing rate. “It can automatically measure different exercises and create meta-data for your personal workout regime,” said a trim-looking Bo Zhou, who has developed the floor sports mat for the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence. Although the mat is still a prototype, he said, it could in future be connected to any number of sports apps, like those that talk people through yoga routines. “Right now yoga assistant applications on smartphones tell you a routine and you have to follow at their pace,” Bo said. “You don’t have your hands free. If you cannot follow it, you will miss the whole routine. “But with this, we could distinguish whether you’re in position and stable, and ready for the next step so you can follow your own pace.” Remote elder care: If the Smart-Mat is good for body and spirit, there’s another innovation for peace of mind: the “easierLife” system that lets you check whether an elderly relative living alone is following their usual routine. Its wireless sensors are fitted in an elder person’s apartment to detect when they get up or leave the house. It sends a message by SMS, email or phone to the concerned relative when there is a worrying break with daily routine. “If something goes wrong, you get a push notification that may say ‘my mum has been inactive or didn’t get back home from shopping’,” explained company chief Sebastian Chiriac. “With this information, the elderly feel more safe and the relatives know everything is alright at home, and if something is wrong they can react instantly to it,” he said. The system respects privacy to the extent that it doesn’t rely on cameras or microphones and “works in the background”, he said. It is available in a German language and sells for $315. Java jolt: Having worked out and checked on the grandparents, it might be time for that morning cup of tea or coffee, perhaps on the run. But what if the batteries of the mobile device are low and need a jolt of energy as badly as its user? No problem, there’s Terratec’s HotPot 1200, a digital thermos flask that also boasts a USB port to power up an Android or iPhone mobile device. When filled with a hot beverage of at least 80 degrees Celsius, it generates power that is stored in a battery. Terratec says that the 60-euro device, which takes several hours to quarter-charge a common phone battery, may be better suited to campers than busy city life, but may come in useful at a weekend picnic in the park. Dino wizard: The kids, of course, also want to have new toys. Perhaps a little green dinosaur that knows everything? That’s the concept behind “Cognitoys”, which can talk with children and, through the powers of wireless communication and cloud computing, instantly answer questions such as “What’s on Mars?” (The dinosaur’s answer: “red dirt and Martians”). To satisfy children’s curiosity, the toy draws on the knowledge of IBM’s supercomputer Watson. “It can hold conversations with children, and as the child uses the toy, the toy learns about the child,” said developer J.P. Benini, co-founder of Elemental Path. The company plans to sell English-language Cognitoys for $99, and other characters are set to follow. “We’ve gathered a lot of very leading edge technologies to make a really compelling toy,” said Benini, “but it’s still a toy, and toys need friends.” Soutce: The Asian Age, Reference-Image: https://upload.wikimedia.org
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Russians more ambiguous about digital privacy (2015-04-15T09:30:00+05:30)
The NSA scandal which erupted last year has motivated governments to rethink their approach to internet and legislation, at least when it comes to protecting personal information. Let’s take a look at Russia, though. According to a poll conducted by EMC, 92% of Russians support legislation banning companies from processing and sharing information without users agreeing. Listen on air and read more on our daily Runet review '.RU' at the voiceofrussia.com.
Internet is a relatively young phenomenon – an extremely young if we look at the big picture, i.e. the history of humanity. However, it has stormed the world, destroying old paradigms and creating new ones, and the resulting mess cannot be truly comprehended using traditional methods. For example, take national legislation – how exactly should it work? It was pretty much black and white in pre-internet days. You do something on the territory of a country, you follow the laws of this county. But internet blurs national boundaries, with users, routing points, servers and other users scattered across the globe. But that’s, of course, just part of the problems traditional legislation has with the difficult to describe information-based medium. The NSA scandal which erupted last year has motivated governments to rethink their approach to internet and legislation, at least when it comes to protecting personal information. But perhaps it would best to use an international approach? This spring, on the 25 year anniversary of writing the first draft for the first proposal of the world wide web, its author, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, proposed creation of the online Magna Carta – a charter which would protect and safeguard the independence of the digital medium, along with rights of its users to freedom of expression and privacy worldwide. The proposal did not come out of the blue – talks on introducing legal guarantees for internet and its users have been voiced for a while now; proponents of legally established internet freedoms have become increasingly vocal, as I’ve said, after revelations leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Essentially this project is a crowdsourcing effort for all internet users to create a digital bill of rights in each respective country. Berners-Lee said he hoped the intiative would be supported by public institutions, government officials and corporations. Ufortunately, nothing came of it yet. The possible reason for inaction is people simply don’t care much about their online freedoms and privacy – until they’re directly affected, of course.: Here’s an example: in 2012 Facebook tried holding a vote for new user policies, but it failed miserably. The seemingly ever-increasing general dissatisfaction concerning their privacy policy prompted Facebook to announce a massive network-wide vote on privacy. Well, a lot of people simply didn’t know there was a vote going on or didn’t care. The social network stated that 30% turnout was needed in order for the management to adhere to the people’s choice. Well, the final figures are nowhere near. Out of 900 million users the social network had at the time, a mere 342,632 voted on which privacy policy would govern the site. That’s less than 1% of the Facebook userbase. Let’s take a look at Russia, though. According to a poll conducted by EMC, 38% of Russians are ready to provide personal information for better online services. According to EMC Privacy Index, approximately one in four people worldwide care about privacy and are willing to provide information, with Germans being the most proactive – only 12% are ready to share personal data. Maybe it has something to do with experience. 61% of Russian users had to deal with violation of privacy in the past. In fact, 92% of Russians support legislation banning companies from processing and sharing information without users agreeing. Peter Lekarev, Source: The Voice of Russia, Image: pixabay.com under Creative Commons CC0
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ICICI launches 'digital village' project; adopts Gujarat village (2015-04-08T22:55:00+05:30)
Mumbai: Joining Prime Minister NarendraModi's Digital India programme, top lender ICICI Bank has launched its own 'digital village' project while adopting an entire village in Gujarat to provide services ranging from cashless banking to digitised school teaching. The project was announced today to coincide with the 60-year-celebration of the ICICI group's existence since the erstwhile ICICI Ltd was set up in 1955. The Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) was originally set up as an Indian financial institution at the initiative of the World Bank, the Government of India and representatives of Indian industry to provide project financing to Indian businesses. It later got merged with ICICI Bank, which was set up in 1994. The new 'digital village' project was announced in Modi's presence at a function held at the bank's headquarters here. Speaking on the new initiative, ICICI Bank's MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar said the bank's activities in this digital village is not limited to providing cashless banking through digital platforms, but was focussed on use of technology in all aspects of every resident there. This village, named Akodara, in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat incidentally happens to be the same place where Modi started Gujarat's first animal hostel in 2011 when he was the Chief Minister of the state. The animal hostel, a concept conceived by Modi was envisaged as a place where the cattle of the village are kept and maintained together and have all necessary infrastructure facilities to take care of them."Through this Digital Village initiative, we are trying to set an example on how technology can change the lives of people," said Kochhar, who began her career with erstwhile ICICI Ltd in 1984 as a management trainee and has been instrumental in shaping the retail banking sector in India. "One of the key points is providing cash-less banking services to every villager. But it is not only about making sure that the commercial life of a person goes ahead without cash, but we want to ensure that technology is there in every sphere of life. "On banking we have digitised all our offerings, from opening an account to sale of goods to purchase of products including milk from the vendor or kirana stores. At the same time, we have digitised the school records, the Gujarat syllabus and even teaching methods and tools. "This way, we are ensuring that the teaching can be much more effective and can be done without physical books or any other physical items in a school," she said. Kochhar further said that ICICI is ensuring that all villagers have access to all the required data and information in a digital format. "The villagers are very excited about the entire project and it is not only the residents of this particular village,but even those from adjoining areas are coming to us and sharing their excitement. The villagers are getting SMSs in Gujarati for their transactions and other digital services," she added. Source: The Asian Age
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