Multimedia
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IT services companies may benefit as enterprises tap AI to sunset legacy apps
In one thing today in tech, India's top IT companies might benefit as their biggest customers look to sunset legacy applications that are only being maintained for the critical data they hold. In just Asia Pacific, which lags the US in generative AI investments, companies are expected collectively spend some $3.4 billion over the next year. In other headlines, Paytm taps former SEBI boss M Damodaran to help it meet RBI's compliance diktat. And India's parliamentary committee on IT raises alarm over the PhonePe Google Pay duopoly
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Google retires Bard with launch of Gemini Advanced as $20 subscription
Google, on Feb. 8, launched its most powerful AI chatbot yet, called Gemini Advanced, based on its Ultra 1.0 large language model. With this, the company is also pulling together all its AI products and features into the Gemini brand. Google is rolling out Gemini on smartphones with a new Android app and within the Google app on iOS. This is all initially only in English, but Google says it is working to add more languages, starting with Japanese and Korean
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Tech layoffs in 2024 already: 32,500 and counting as AI takes precedence
Tech companies have already shed about 32,500 jobs in 2024, according to layoffs.fyi, which tracks jobs at 5,000 tech companies. Snap, the parent company of the video and photo sharing app Snapchat, yesterday became the latest to announce cuts, when it said in an SEC filing it would reduce its headcount by 10 percent worldwide, affecting more than 500 people. In India, the top IT services companies entered the new year with their collective workforce lower by tens of thousands of employees
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Apple's Vision Pro is in US stores, but a see-through AR glass isn't on the horizon yet
Apple, on Feb. 2 announced that its Vision Pro AR headsets were available for sale in stores in the US. Apple calls the headset a spatial computer, which works by tracking natural hand gestures and movement of your eyes. The $3,500 headset is unlikely to be available in India anytime soon. In the long run, see-through AR glasses are the real deal, unlike the video from multiple cameras rendered onto a display, but that tech will take time before a consumer-grade device can happen
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Apple's iPhone sales in India crossed the 10 million mark in 2023, Counterpoint says
Apple's focus on India is paying off and the company also captured the top position in revenue in a calendar year for the first time, due to strong demand for both its latest iPhone and older models, according to market research provider Counterpoint. Overall, Samsung maintained its lead with the biggest market share, at 18 percent, in the predominantly Android market, and Vivo took the number two spot with 17 percent share
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What India's tech startups want in Budget 2024
The well-known expectations remain, such as tax breaks and incentives, but tech startups are also hoping the government will sharpen its focus on supporting them to develop more intellectual property within the country, which is crucial for our long-term security. They want more R&D spends, deeper partnerships with public labs, and simpler rules to help them go after global customers
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Why Indian philanthropists are supporting 'risky' causes
The latest Forbes India issue highlights some significant philanthropists and how the Indian IT and technology industry is at the forefront of giving. In this podcast, Divya Shekhar dissects how they choose the causes to support and why they back underfunded causes with patient capital
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Coming up, India to host conference on dual-use tech, software
India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Department of Commerce in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs is organising a national conference on strategic trade controls, in New Delhi on Jan. 30. The conference will focus on India's strategic trade control related to SCOMET and export controls system and international best practices on export of dual-use (industrial and military) goods, software and technologies, according to a government statement on Jan. 28
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Highlighting Indians on Asia's Powerful Businesswomen list
Businesswomen in Asia-Pacific are pushing forward with new ventures and rising to secure top spots at some of the region's largest and most prestigious enterprises. Forbes Asia's Power Businesswomen list features 20 such leaders, and three of them are leading Indian businesses. In this podcast, Divya Shekhar puts the spotlight on the package and tracks the record of cover star MR Jyothy of Jyothy Labs
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Why you should definitely try Google's Circle to Search
The feature will initially be available on Samsung's new Galaxy S24 series and Google's Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones. This is the latest in Google's stack of AI and machine learning-based features for end users on their smartphones that make using the devices ever more user-friendly
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With circle to search, Google's AI makes looking things up ever more human
The feature was unveiled at Samsung's Unpacked event two days ago, and shows off how Samsung is doubling down on its AI bet, integrating Google's tech, alongside its own new Galaxy AI software. Circle to Search is launching January 31 on a few premium Android smartphones, initially including the new Samsung Galaxy S24 series and Google's own Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro — in all languages and locations where they're available