IIIT-Bangalore and Greendzine Technologies Sign MoU for Robotic Picker R&D

Bangalore, India – September 2, 2024: International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore (IIIT-B), a premier research and development institution, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Greendzine Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a leading company specializing in Electric mobility solutions for the Industrial and Warehouse market. Greendzine is building solutions to connect Warehouse to Home (W2H) through its MOPTro EV platform. This MoU marks the beginning of a strategic partnership focused on the development and implementation of the innovative Robotic Picker technology on Greendzine’s MOPTro WASP, a product for warehouse picking.

The collaboration aims to leverage IIIT-B’s cutting-edge research capabilities and Greendzine’s expertise in electric mobility solutions to create a groundbreaking Robotic Picker that can significantly enhance automation in warehouses and industries. The project will involve advanced research in vision systems, multi-agent path planning algorithms and universal grippers, with IIIT-B providing the necessary lab facilities, product demonstration platforms and funding for the research.

IIIT-Bangalore will offer its expertise in the areas of vision systems, path planning algorithms and universal grippers while providing lab facilities for research and product demonstration. IIIT-B will also fund the project, including resources, hardware, software and IP filing.

Greendzine Technologies will be responsible for the execution and management of the project, including overseeing program management, prototyping, testing and vendor management. The company will also handle the demonstration of the solution to potential customers and execute proof of concept at customer premises.

The project, which is set to run for one year with an option for an additional two-year extension represents a significant step forward in the field of robotic automation. Both parties are committed to ensuring the highest standards of research and development throughout the collaboration. The project is under aegis of MINRO, which is Center of Excellence (CoE) funded by the Government of Karnataka.

Commenting on the partnership, Commodore SR Sridhar (Retd), Registrar of IIIT-Bangalore, said, “This collaboration with Greendzine Technologies aligns with IIIT-Bangalore’s mission to encourage innovation and create impactful technological solutions. The Robotic Picker project holds immense potential to revolutionize the automation landscape in industries and warehouses.”

Mr. Karthikeyan Sundaram, Co-Founder & CTO, Greendzine Technologies, added, “We are pleased to enter into an MoU to advance our Robotic Picking Project to the next level. This 12-month research collaboration focuses on developing a universal gripper for warehouse environments, capable of handling diverse volumetric and textured items. Our research will dive into vision systems, multi-agent path planning, and gripper technology, with the goal of filing intellectual properties (IPs) and eventually bringing the product to market. This strategic partnership also emphasizes the importance of our philosophy “Manomation”, which is Human-Robot collaboration, particularly through the development of cobots (collaborative robots) that assist rather than replace human workers. This approach aligns with our broader mission to enhance workforce productivity, reduce fatigue, and encourage greater participation of women in the workforce. Our ultimate aim is to take cutting-edge technology from the lab to real-world applications, with interest already shown by customers across various sectors, including automotive and third-party logistics.

Airtel, Nokia, and MediaTek Achieve Successful TDD-FDD Uplink Trials on New Chipset

September 2, 2024: Airtel, MediaTek and Nokia today announced the successful completion of trials that efficiently combine TDD and FDD mid-band spectrum on a time basis utilising the latest generation chipset. The trial aimed at maximising the uplink performance was conducted at Airtel’s tech lab and achieved uplink speeds of 300 Mbps, setting a new benchmark in 5G network performance. It underscores Airtel’s commitment to providing innovative solutions that meet the ever-growing demands of a connected world.

The trial enhanced UL speeds by aggregating frequency bands of 3.5 Ghz (n78) and 2.1 Ghz (n1), a groundbreaking innovation that significantly improves the uplink performance for demanding use cases by dynamically switching the uplink transmission across two carriers in TDD and FDD spectrum more efficiently. The innovative UL Tx switching promises faster connectivity, enhanced user experience, and improved network efficiency, catering to high-demand use cases such as video conferencing, live streaming and large file uploads.

Randeep Sekhon, Chief Technology Officer, Bharti Airtel said, “At Airtel, continuous innovation remains the bedrock of all our product and service offerings. This trial not only stands testament to our philosophy of enhancing our state-of-the-art network infrastructure and delivering an unmatched 5G user experience but will also greatly enhance our network’s uplink performance, resulting in faster data speeds and improved connectivity.”

Dr. Ho-Chi Hwang, General Manager of Wireless Communication Systems and Partnerships at MediaTek, said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Bharti Airtel and Nokia on this groundbreaking trial in India where our Dimensity 5G mobile platform played a crucial role in achieving the highest uplink speeds on Airtel’s 5G network. This partnership underscores our commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology that enhances the connectivity experience for users”

Tarun Chhabra, Country Manager and Head of Mobile Networks Business at Nokia, India, said: “We are proud to partner with our long-term partner Airtel on this ground-breaking project. Uplink Tx switching will pave the way for superior 5G networks, enabling seamless data transfer in mobile devices and driving demand for data-intensive applications like XR. We congratulate Bharti Airtel for achieving this milestone and pushing the boundaries of connectivity to new realms.”

For this advanced trial, Airtel used equipment from Nokia’s next-generation 5G AirScale radio portfolio while MediaTek provided its Dimensity 5G mobile platform as the user equipment.

International Women in Cyber Day Commentary

By – Ms. Mandy Andress, Chief Information Security Officer at Elastic

Mandy Andress_Elastic

In the face of a rising tide of new threats and tactics, the industry needs different perspectives for a varied, yet nuanced approach to cybersecurity. Malicious actors work tirelessly to explore new tactics, find new vulnerabilities, and identify novel ways to bypass controls. A more diverse IT security team is better equipped to adopt the resourcefulness and the spontaneity of the ‘hacker mindset’ needed to counter these attacks.

To mark International Women in Cyber Day, I’d like to suggest that our industry takes two crucial steps to include more women in our teams.

To encourage more diverse candidates and women to join cybersecurity roles, we need to broaden the scope of the qualifications we seek in candidates. Looking beyond traditional schooling and career paths, we must consider other skills and personality traits that might enhance the way we protect IT systems.

Second, we need to work harder to encourage more women to join us. That might mean reviewing how and where we advertise roles so that news of open positions reaches more women.

In a multidisciplinary field like cybersecurity (or data science, for that matter), the routine exclusion of female viewpoints isn’t just a barrier to good work – it’s a vulnerability. And in my view, from my day-to-day experience as a CISO, a more diverse cybersecurity team is definitely a better cybersecurity team.

Cloudera Achieves PCI DSS 4.0 Compliance to Unlock Business Value from AI for Financial Institutions

India — August 27, 2024: Cloudera, the only true hybrid platform for data, analytics, and AI, announced it has achieved Level 1 compliance with the Payment Card Industry’s (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) for Service Providers. This certification demonstrates Cloudera’s commitment to cybersecurity and compliance in its mission to help financial institutions unlock business value from AI. With this milestone, Cloudera’s Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Private Cloud (PVC) are both PCI DSS v4.0 compliant, the newest major version of the framework.

PCI DSS standards define rigorous security controls and processes for entities involved in the payment ecosystem, as well as requirements for developers and solution providers to build and securely manage payment devices, software, and solutions for the payment industry.

As the rise of e-commerce has rapidly scaled the amount of data that financial institutions have under management, the need to protect that data has grown as well. According to the International Monetary Fund’s 2024 Global Financial Stability Report, the financial sector is the target for one-fifth of all cyber-attacks, and this risk is largely driven by its dependence on third-party IT providers. Certification with the most recent security standards for the PCI is a testament to Cloudera’s ability to quickly adapt to the latest financial sector security requirements, where threats are constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated.

AI has also transformed the financial sector in recent years, with financial institutions adopting virtual assistants, creating synthetic data for model training, generating research reports and investment summaries, and harnessing machine learning for fraud detection. As the vendor to eight of the top 10 global banks, Cloudera helps financial institutions harness the power of AI and Generative AI while navigating the associated risks, providing a secure environment for managing the vast volumes of data needed to train AI models.

“The financial services industry is undergoing significant digital transformation, and the ability to work with trusted third-party solution providers is critical to success” said industry analyst, Sanjeev Mohan. “Financial institutions can view compliance with rigorous frameworks, like PCI DSS 4.0, as an indicator that the partner they’re choosing to work with is one that can securely navigate the complexities of their data and thrive in this AI-powered future.”

“Cloudera’s achievement of this certification is a testament to our commitment to our financial sector customers,” said Natalia Belaya, Cloudera’s Chief Information Security Officer. “We strive to provide and maintain a secure and trusted platform to support our customers with evolving data initiatives and empower them to unlock greater value from AI.”

Bold in Black: Kia Seltos X-Line Gets Badass ‘Black’ Colour

Mumbai, 26th August 2024: Kia India, a leading premium carmaker in the country, has introduced a new Aurora Black Pearl color option for the X-Line trim of its popular Seltos lineup. This addition complements the existing Matte Graphite colour of the X-Line, offering customers more ways to personalize their vehicles.

KIA

The Aurora Black Pearl colour enhances the exterior and interior design, staying true to the distinctive X-Line styling. The interiors are highlighted by an exclusive two-tone combination of Black and Splendid Sage Green, adding a layer of luxury and sophistication.

The new X-Line Black features several gloss black finish elements, including the front and rear skid plates, Outside Rear-View Mirrors, shark-fin antenna, tailgate garnish, and faux exhaust on the rear bumper. These elements are further enhanced by striking, ‘Sun Orange’ accents on the skid plates, side door garnish, and wheel center caps. Additionally, the X-Line is equipped with larger 18-inch alloy wheels with a dual tone crystal cut with glossy black outline, and the iconic ‘X-Line’ badge on the tailgate adds a final touch of distinction.

Commenting on the innovation and customer reception of the X-Line, Mr. Joonsu Cho, Chief Sales Officer at Kia India, said, “The Kia Seltos has been our best-selling model, and we are on the cusp of achieving an incredible milestone—500,000 units sold. The X-Line trim has struck a chord with our new-age buyers, who prioritize distinctive and exclusive products in their purchasing decisions. In response to their demand and feedback, we are thrilled to introduce a new black color option in the X-Line trim, providing our customers with even more choices to match their unique tastes and we will continue to evolve in line with our customers’ preferences, ensuring that Kia remains their brand of choice”.

Skye Air Mobility Partners with CARiTAS Hospital for Drone-based Medical Deliveries in Kerala

New Delhi, 26th August 2024: Skye Air Mobility, a leading drone technology-based logistics firm, has announced a collaboration with CARiTAS Hospital & Institute of Health Sciences, Kottayam, Kerala, to revolutionize medical deliveries through drone technology. This partnership aims to enhance healthcare accessibility and efficiency in the region by leveraging unmanned aerial vehicles for the transportation of essential medical supplies and diagnostic samples. The Caritas Drone Medical Supply Delivery Unit is first of its kind in South Kerala.

kerala

The initiative will see drones carrying payloads of up to 3 kilograms over distances of 10-15 kilometres, connecting CARiTAS Hospital with various other satellite healthcare facilities of CARiTAS (CFH, CKMM, CHPD) and remote areas in the region. The drone delivery system is expected to significantly reduce delivery times from hours to just 5-7 minutes, ensuring critical medical supplies reach their destinations swiftly and efficiently and also helps in reduction of carbon emission via reduction of road transportation.

Over the last 6 decades, Caritas Hospital & Institute of Health Sciences has been a revolution in the healthcare segment, which paved the way for actualising the dream called a healthy and happy community with latest cutting edge technologies. With 5 satellite centres with both IP, OP, pharmacy, lab, radiology and supportive facilities, Caritas Hospital has tried to reach to the patient for providing better patient care.

The first drone flight successfully transported a package of vital medicines from CARiTAS Hospital to Caritas Family Hospital and CARiTAS KMM located 10-15 kilometres away.

Rev Dr. Binu Kunnath, Director of CARiTAS Hospital, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “We’re excited to work with Skye Air Mobility on this project. Drones are a game-changer for healthcare in Kottayam, helping us reach patients in remote areas much faster and more reliably. Whether it’s delivering medicine, transporting lab samples, or providing medical equipment, these drones will improve care in our community. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have on healthcare in our region.”

Dr. Ajith Venugopalan, Chief Operating Officer (COO), CARiTAS Hospital described the importance of the drone facilities and the various process by which it is going to benefit patient service and community.

Ankit Kumar, CEO & Founder of Skye Air Mobility, highlighted the impact of the collaboration, stating, “Our partnership with CARiTAS Hospital represents a significant step forward in the application of drone technology in healthcare. By establishing an aerial supply chain, we are not only reducing delivery times but also minimizing costs and environmental impact. This initiative serves as a model for future healthcare logistics solutions across India.”

Fr. Joice Nandikunnel, Joint Director, CARiTAS Hospital highlighted the changing trends on healthcare industry and the aspect of drones in providing services in remote centre.

The drone delivery program is set to undergo a series of trial runs over the coming weeks, with plans for a full-scale rollout across Kottayam district in the near future. Both CARiTAS Hospital and Skye Air Mobility are committed to working closely with local authorities to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the drone delivery system, adhering to all relevant regulations and guidelines.
Founded in 2020, the Delhi-based start-up offers drones for the delivery of retail and ecommerce products, postal services, and food products. It also provides last-mile drone delivery services for healthcare, defense, agri-commodity and essential supplies.

Epson Launches SureColor SC-F1030: A Game-Changer for Direct-to-Garment and Direct-to-Film Printing

India, August 26, 2024: Epson, a global leader in printing technology, has introduced the Epson SureColor SC-F1030, a groundbreaking direct-to-garment (DTG) and direct-to-film (DTF) hybrid garment printer. Designed for the entry-level DTG market, the SC-F1030 offers unparalleled versatility and quality, making it an ideal choice for existing businesses and new entrepreneurs who would like to expand or set up garment printing business.

EPSON

The DTG market has expanded significantly since FY18, and this growth has continued robustly even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The demand for high-quality, customizable garments is surging both in online and offline stores. Businesses are increasingly seeking innovative printing solutions to meet this growing demand, reflecting a broader trend towards personalized and dynamic fashion.

“With the launch of the SC-F1030, Epson’s most compact direct-to-garment printer to date, we are offering an ideal solution for transforming the storefront or novelty gift businesses into a highly customizable, profitable and interactive space,” said Vasudevan, General Manager – LFP/IE, Epson India. “The SC-F1030 is perfect for anyone who wants to expand an existing garment printing business or start a new business. Equipped with the Micro TFP print head, UltraChrome DG2 inks, and an Auto Gap Adjustment feature, it addresses the growing demand for high-quality, customizable garments while making your business an attractive destination for customers.”

Key Features of the SureColor SC-F1030:

  • PrecisionCore Micro TFP Printhead: Ensures superior detail and quality, perfect for cotton and fine details in DTG mode, and versatile fabric applications in DTF mode.
  • White Ink Mode: The SC-F1030’s ink set includes White ink, enabling high-quality printing on various coloured garments, adding significant value at the entry-level segment.
  • User-Friendly Features: Includes a large opening space, retractable hanger platen, scales, centre position marks, auto gap adjustment, T-shirt setting error detection, panel UI, interior lighting, and easy installation.
  • Vivid Color Profile: Supports two colour profiles that deliver more vivid colours, enhancing the visual appeal of printed items.
  • Film Mode: As a DTG & DTF Hybrid printer, users can easily switch between “T-shirt” and “Film” modes, offering flexibility and adaptability to different business needs.
  • Design Concept: Compact Semi-transparent design to monitor the printing process, reduce production errors, demonstrate live printing and excite customers and enhance store decor.
  • Garment Creator 2 Software: Enhances processing speed and allows higher resolution input, contributing to improved print quality.
  • UltraChrome DG2 Inks: Provide vibrant and durable prints, suitable for a wide range of applications.

Social Beat Wins Mandate to Drive Business Outcomes for Cialfo

Chennai, 26, August 2024: Cialfo, a leading global edtech company, has assigned its digital mandate to Social Beat, a premier digital marketing agency known for its innovative strategies and driving business outcomes. Social Beat will focus on increasing lead inflow through LinkedIn campaigns and improving organic ranking via comprehensive SEO strategies. Additionally, the agency will explore platforms like Meta and Google to boost brand awareness, targeting metrics such as cost per quality lead, keyword rankings, website visits, and keyword search volume.

Suniel Chawla, Co-Founder, Social Beat(1)

Mr. Suneil Chawla, Co-Founder of Social Beat, said, “We are thrilled to partner with Cialfo, a pioneer in the edtech space. Our goal is to drive meaningful business outcomes by leveraging our expertise in digital marketing to enhance their lead generation and organic presence. We look forward to a successful and impactful collaboration.”

Pooja Gupta, Sr VP, Strategic Operations, Ciaflo

Pooja Gupta Pasari, Sr. VP of Strategic Operations at Cialfo, stated, “Our partnership with Social Beat marks an important step in our growth journey. Their deep understanding of digital marketing and commitment to excellence aligns perfectly with our vision. We are excited to work together to achieve our objectives and expand our reach.”

SK Telecom Unveils Upgraded AI Assistant ‘A’ with Enhanced Search and Convenience

SEOUL, August 26, 2024SK Telecom, announced a complete overhaul of its innovative artificial intelligence (AI) service, ‘A.’ (A-DoT). The revamp aims to transform the A. app into an AI personal assistant focused on enhancing daily convenience for customers.

The most significant feature of this revamp is the enhancement of natural conversation experience based on a large language model (LLM) and the strengthening of daily management functions through multi-agents. The entire user experience (UX) has been overhauled to enable flexible conversations with an LLM-based agent.

A. has integrated all essential functions into the new ‘Daily’ feature, including calendar, tasks, schedules, routines and sleep. This enables comprehensive management of all aspects of a user’s daily routines.

Users can save and manage appointments, meetings, to-dos and more through voice commands, reducing the need for conventional, tedious typing. Moreover, the new service greatly enhances the daily AI personal assistant experience by providing customized suggestions tailored to the user’s personal situation, preferences and other factors, such as alerting the user to weather or traffic conditions before their appointments.

In the updated A. app, users can access an array of seven multi-LLM agents. These include Perplexity, A.X, ChatGPT 3.5 turbo, ChatGPT 4o, Claude Haiku, Claude Opus and Claude Sonnet. Each agent offers unique conversational AI capabilities tailored to the user’s specific needs. Users can select an LLM engine that aligns with objectives, enabling them to compare responses from various models for the same query. These features will be provided free of charge for the time being.

In addition, the app provides specialized agent services across various fields, including music, media and stocks, ensuring a comprehensive and immersive user experience.

“The A. overhaul ensures a more natural and convenient conversational experience as if the users are interacting with a real personal assistant,” said Kim Yonghun, Vice President and Head of the AI Service Business Division at SKT. “We will continue to innovate to provide AI services that save our customers’ precious time and enhance convenience and quality of life.”

Samsung Brings Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification to Galaxy Watches in India

GURUGRAM, India – August 21, 2024: Samsung, India’s largest consumer electronics brand, on announced the rollout of Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification (IHRN) feature on the Samsung Health Monitor app for Galaxy Watches. The new feature, combined with the app’s existing Blood Pressure and Electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring capabilities, helps detect heart rhythms suggestive of atrial fibrillation (AFib), offering Galaxy Watch users a more comprehensive understanding of their heart health.

Watch7 IHRN

Once activated in the Samsung Health Monitor app, the IHRN feature continuously checks for irregular heart rhythms in the background using the Galaxy Watch’s BioActive Sensor. If a certain number of consecutive measurements are irregular, Galaxy Watch warns the user of potential AFib activity, prompting them to take an ECG using their watch for a more accurate measurement. With the existing Blood Pressure and Heart Rate monitoring, this new feature provides users with even deeper insights into their cardiovascular health.

Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and AFib — a type of arrhythmia — is widely considered a warning sign for major cardiovascular issues including an increased risk of stroke, heart failure and other complications. Moreover, many cases of AFib are asymptomatic or even silent, leaving people unaware of their risk.

With the addition of the IHRN feature, Galaxy Watch users can now monitor other crucial aspects of their heart health. Equipped with Samsung’s BioActive Sensor, it offers tools to help users better understand their heart health, including on-demand ECG recording and an HR Alert function that detects abnormally high or low heart rates.

The Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification feature is now available as part of the newly launched Galaxy Watch7 Ultra, Galaxy Watch7 as well as on Galaxy Watch6, Watch5 and Watch4 series.

Galaxy Watch users can simply update the Samsung Health Monitor app on their devices via Galaxy Store and then enable the IHRN feature from the settings menu on the app