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Rise of AI agents is imminent: Godard Abel, Global CEO, G2.com

Organizations can tap into $200 billion AI infrastructure built by Amazon, Microsoft, Google




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It’s crucial to invest in building or enriching data sets: Vinayak Bhavnani, Chalo

Chalo enhances public transport with AI-driven solutions, offering real-time bus tracking and data insights. This innovation improves passenger experience and operational efficiency and supports a data-driven culture within the organization. Vinayak Bhavnani, Co-Founder & CTO of Chalo, shares key insights.




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We practice digital at the fore, human at the core: Shalini Warrier, Federal Bank

In an interview with ETCIO, Shalini Warrier, Executive Director, Federal Bank shares how their Digital CoE fosters a multi-disciplinary approach to banking, how it works together with the business to identify new opportunities, tenets of a bank-fintech partnership and how technology is at the fulcrum of every banking innovation.




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Why execution excellence and innovation are GCC growth drivers

GCC leaders discuss how by breaking silos, fostering collaboration, and focusing on execution and innovation, GCCs will be instrumental in India’s journey toward becoming a global economic powerhouse.




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Strategies for large enterprises to scale conversational AI across multiple touchpoints

For large enterprises, Conversational AI isn't just another digital tool; it's becoming a strategic imperative. Consider this: a typical Fortune 500 company handles over 50 million customer interactions annually across various channels – from social media and websites to mobile apps and contact centers.




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Digi Yatra operates on principle of privacy by design, brings convenience & security: CEO Digi Yatra Foundation

“We have already crossed 7 million users on the Digi Yatra app. Every day, around 30,000 new users are enrolling in the system. In terms of usage, Digi Yatra has been used more than 30 lakh times across airports in India, and this number continues to grow rapidly.”




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Fog lifts: IT spending revives on AI, BFSI gets growth and hiring surges

India-centric IT firms saw signs of recovery in the first half of the fiscal year, driven by growing tech spends in North America's BFSI sector, increased hiring, and improved revenue guidance. Experts foresee further tech spending bolstered by Donald Trump's US election win, which may lead to lower business taxes and favor skilled immigration, setting the stage for Indian IT firms to expand and innovate.




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NASA follows Hurricane Orlene in the Eastern Pacific

The sixteenth tropical depression of the Eastern Pacific Ocean Hurricane Season formed on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 11 p.m. EDT and became a hurricane named Orlene early on Sept. 12. NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured an image of the strengthening storm.

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  • Earth & Climate

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NASA catches Tropical Depression 19W nearing Vietnam after formation

Early on Sept. 12 Tropical Depression 19W formed east of Vietnam. NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the South China Sea and captured a visible image of the storm that had quickly started moving over Vietnam.

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  • Earth & Climate

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Chemists offer enhanced 3-D look inside batteries

A team of chemists has developed a method to yield highly detailed, three-dimensional images of the insides of batteries. The technique, based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), offers an enhanced approach to monitor the condition of these power sources in real time.

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  • Physics & Chemistry

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Land-based food not nutritionally sufficient for wild polar bears, according to new study

A study, by San Diego Zoo Global conservationists, released this week (Sept. 12, 2016) is shedding new light on how scientists evaluate polar bear diet and weight loss during their fasting season. On average, a polar bear loses up to 30 percent of its total body mass while fasting during the open-water season. Although some scientists previously believed land-based foods could supplement the bears' nutritional needs until the sea ice returns, a new study published in the scientific journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology has revealed that access to terrestrial food is not sufficient to reduce the rate of body mass loss for fasting polar bears.

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  • Earth & Climate

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Inheriting and cleaning my predecessor’s mess

I did not bad mouth my predecessor. However, I never attempted to defend him or any of his actions. I fixed them!




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Google’s ad tech in peril as EU joins US’s breakup bandwagon

The European Commission last week joined the Department of Justice in touting a breakup as a viable remedy for the California-based tech giant’s alleged monopoly abuses. A selloff order would strike at the heart of one of Google’s biggest money spinners, although it could still be years away due to the legal processes being played out.




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Private banks bullish on branch expansion while PSU banks scale digital operations

Private banks including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis have been spending a lot on expanding their operations into the hinterlands of the country, contrary to public sector banks which have been investing in building capabilities and enhancing their digital functions. What’s driving this change? Is phygital the new norm in banking? Find out more here.




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Ecommerce logs 24% Q2 growth as premium products click; slowdown hits low-priced items

The 24% quarterly growth follows a slower-than-expected 16% growth in the January to March quarter, as reported by ET in May. While certain segments like pharma and eye wear have grown at a faster clip, senior ecommerce industry executives said there is an emerging trend of slowdown in online sales of low-priced items across categories like fashion, appliances, etc.




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Meta, Qualcomm partnership to bring AI-powered apps on phones

Both the companies are working to optimise the execution of Meta’s LLMs directly on-device without the need of cloud services. According to the chipmaker, the technology will enable applications, powered by Snapdragon, to work in areas with no connectivity or even in airplane mode. This will essentially bring generative AI capabilities from large companies using powerful processors to users’ hands.




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Case Study : BT One Enterprise Cisco: Work without boundaries around the world

A BT One Enterprise Cisco solution makes voice calls between the UK and India simple and immediate. In most cases they’re free of charge too. Best of all, the employees feel as one with the BT global team.




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Etihad Airways: Assuring special service levels for high-flying guests

A BT cloud-based virtual contact centre helps Etihad deliver own-language service excellence to guests from 37 countries




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Case Study : GSK Nutritional Healthcare: Market leader makes customer care miles better

Care isn’t just part of the name at GSK Nutritional Healthcare. It’s at the heart of its customer help lines. But Ashley Thomas knew that the company’s legacy telephone technology was becoming a bit of a hindrance. Keen to boost customer service with new technology, a review of the market led Ashley to BT Cloud Contact




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Case Study : Tesco uses BT Cloud Contact technology to bring it closer to customers

Tesco, one of the world’s largest retailers, is using the BT Cloud Contact solution to give its UK customers an enhanced, more flexible and more responsive contact centre service.




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OpenAI and rivals seek new path to smarter AI as current methods hit limitations

TECH-AI-OpenAI and rivals seek new path to smarter AI as current methods hit limitations




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63% of HR professionals cite data privacy and security as top AI concerns: Survey

A new survey of over 500 HR professionals, titled "HR Report on AI: Insights on HR’s Readiness and Risk Management" reveals that while 63% are concerned about data privacy and security related to AI, 40% of organisations lack clear policies governing its use. This highlights a critical need for HR to establish guidelines and training for responsible AI adoption to mitigate risks and leverage its potential benefits.




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Role of IT distributors in safeguarding India's digital infrastructure

By adjusting global cybersecurity tools and strategies to fit Indian requirements, distributors help companies of all sizes -- small businesses to large corporations -- adopt security solutions that are practical, effective, and scaled appropriately for their environments.




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Security at Mahakumbh to feature advanced technology including AI: UP DGP

Prashant Kumar on Tuesday said the security arrangements at the Mahakumbh Mela will be equipped with advanced technology, including the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). After a review meeting on preparations for the Mahakumbh Mela with Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, the DGP told reporters, "Our control room will have data of around 1 million suspicious individuals, and we will closely monitor all types of anti-social elements."




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As ChatGPT takes the internet by storm, here’s what its rivals are up to

OpenAI took the internet by storm as its AI chatbot ChatGPT wowed people with its ability to formulate detailed and human-like answers on a wide range of subjects in a few seconds.




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OpenAI to enable more customizations for enterprise and individual users

Speaking to investors at a Morgan Stanley conference, Altman said the AI company will focus on building a platform that sells APIs to others and creates killer apps like ChatGPT.




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No petrol/diesel 4x4 SUVs from Tata Motors: Off-road tech to next be seen in electric avatar

Up till now, the automaker reportedly maintained that low demand for 4x4 cars has led to the absence of off-road tech in its products. In a recent conversation with TOI Auto, Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited, shed some light on the future of the company’s SUV portfolio and if the 4x4 drivetrain will make a comeback.




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Critical information needed in fight to save wildlife

With global temperatures rising, an international group of 22 top biologists is calling for a coordinated effort to gather important species information that is urgently needed to improve predictions for the impact of climate change on future biodiversity.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Chinese investigators characterize the world of resistance gene exchange among bacteria

Certain antibiotic resistance genes are easily transferred from one bacterial species to another, and can move between farm animals and the human gut. A team led by Chinese researchers has characterized this "mobile resistome," which they say is largely to blame for the spread of antibiotic resistance. They found that many antibiotic resistance genes that are shared between the human and animal gut microbiome are also present in multiple human pathogens. These findings are published September 9 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Bacteria supply their allies with munitions

Many bacteria possess molecular spear guns, which they fire at enemies and rivals, thus putting them out of action. The tips of these nano-spear guns, known as Type VI secretion system (T6SS), are loaded with toxic molecules that lead to death of their adversaries. However, sometimes close related bacteria come under fire.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Male chemistry primes females for reproduction -- but at a cost

A research team led by a Northwestern University scientist has discovered that male animals, through their invisible chemical "essence," prime female animals for reproduction but with the unfortunate side effect of also hastening females' aging process.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Zoox headcount grows as Amazon's self-driving unit expands testing in Vegas

Amazon's shares were 1.2% higher at $128.84 in early afternoon trading.




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US lawmaker urges labelling, restrictions on AI content

In the letter to the chief executives of OpenAI, which released ChatGPT, and its partner Microsoft among others, Bennet said it was especially important for Americans to know when AI was used to make political content. US senator Bennet noted that some companies - including OpenAI and Alphabet's Google - have begun marking some content as AI- generated but added that those companies' policies are "alarmingly reliant on voluntary compliance."




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Global IT hardware companies bat for lifting of import restrictions

In a meeting with IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, held earlier this week, the companies said the import licensing requirement puts "unnecessary pressure" since there is no ecosystem in place in India at present to manufacture these products such as laptops, tablets and servers, executives present at the meeting told ET.




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Digital payments show strong uptick buoyed by wider adoption of credit during festive season

During this year’s festive season sales, credit cards and credit-based payment instruments like pay-later products saw a significant increase, according to industry reports. Transactions rose by 35-50% compared to last year, with a large share being made through credit cards, EMIs, and pay-later options. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) remained the dominant payment method, with a 34% rise in transactions and over 500 million daily payments recorded.




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Study highlights serious security threat to many internet users

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have identified a weakness in the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) of all Linux operating systems since late 2012 that enables attackers to hijack users' internet communications completely remotely.

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  • Mathematics & Economics

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In right balance, environmental regulations increased firms' profits, new study finds

CEOs and corporate lobbyists often spend plenty of time decrying how potential government regulations will affect their bottom line, but a new University of Kansas study finds that the U.S. Clean Water Act, when implemented in the right balance, improves firms' profitability.

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  • Mathematics & Economics

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Ramen noodles supplanting cigarettes as currency among prisoners

Ramen noodles are supplanting the once popular cigarettes as a form of currency among state prisoners, but not in response to bans on tobacco products within prison systems, finds a new study.

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  • Mathematics & Economics

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Norwegian prisons rehabilitate criminal offenders

The research project "The Social Costs of incarceration" is the largest study of imprisonment and return to a normal life that has ever been conducted in Europe.

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  • Mathematics & Economics

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Louisiana Tech University uses underground radar to locate post-Katrina damage

An innovative underground radar technology developed at Louisiana Tech University is helping the City of Slidell in south Louisiana to identify and document underground infrastructure damage that had gone undetected in the months and years following Hurricane Katrina.

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  • Mathematics & Economics

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App vs. website: Which best protects your privacy?

That's the ques­tion that North­eastern researchers, led by assis­tant pro­fessor David Choffnes, ask in new research that explores how free app- and web- based ser­vices on Android and iOS mobile devices com­pare with respect to pro­tecting users' privacy.

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  • Mathematics & Economics

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New data bill’s mandate could pose security risk, say social media platforms

For users in India between 13 and 18 years of age, apps may now have to get parental consent by verifying the identity of the children and their parents.. The Digital Personal Data Protection bill defines children as those below 18 years, which is above the global threshold. Users above 13 years of age, for example, are typically allowed on many social media platforms.




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Building the government-to-citizen (G2C) value chain with cloud-first-security-first approach

The government will need to start by assessing and uplifting the digital posture of each concerned department, further enabling an interconnected ecosystem of government, private, and peering parties, and offering seamless and secure last mile for government-to- citizen services and support. All this while keeping the citizen’s data and identity safe.




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Generative AI biggest weapon and tool for cybersecurity: Microsoft's Brad Smith

Addressing cybersecurity attack concerns raised by generative AI, Smith said that there will be an increasing number of organisations and governments that will use the technology to develop cybersecurity threats.




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Cybersecurity firms CrowdStrike, Okta shares jump after better-than-expected earnings

CrowdStrike beat estimates when it reported late on Wednesday that its revenue jumped 37% to $731.6 million while adjusted net income more than doubled to $180 million in the second quarter on strong growth in subscriptions to its cloud-based data and identity protection services.




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Encourage ethical data management amid rising concerns: Confluent’s Jay Kreps

Confluent chief Jay Kreps says compliance can be challenging and lead to scrutiny of data movements. “Streaming technology enables the real-time synchronization of data, connecting all these disparate sources. An apt analogy is that of a central nervous system. The capability to unify data streams from different organizational segments empowers better decision making and the creation of personalized customer experiences,” he said.




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What Google's antitrust trial means for your search habits

If Mehta rules that Google has been running an illegal monopoly in search, the punishment could open up new online avenues for consumers and businesses to explore in pursuit of information, entertainment and commerce.




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First in UP, Agra police launches advanced digital court monitoring system

The Agra Police Commissionerate launched the Commissionerate Courts Monitoring System (CCMS) to enhance transparency and efficiency in judicial processes. The digital portal, developed under Commissioner J Ravinder Goud's supervision, provides real-time access to case information for citizens and police officers, aiming to streamline and digitize court case management.




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AI-driven cyber attacks top risk for enterprises, says report

According to Zachary Ginsburg, senior director, research in the Gartner Risk & Audit Practice, while the upcoming US election generates headlines over the candidates' regulatory, trade and other proposals, organisations have difficulty considering the actual risk implications from the many scenarios that might unfold.




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US considering new restrictions on AI chip exports to China: report

The Commerce Department will stop the shipments of chips made by Nvidia and other chip companies to customers in China as early as July, the report said.