Archives 2023

Today, December 26, is the day after Christmas, also known as Boxing Day. As Businesses open again and people return to work, we have new artificial intelligence developments to report on. At first, a Nasscom survey found that the majority of Indian businesses have reported having either matured Responsible AI (RAI) practices and policies or having initiated formal steps towards the adoption of such responsible practices. In other news, researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have run tests and found that doctors can more efficiently catch cancer-causing tumors during colonoscopy with the help of AI. This and more in today’s AI roundup. Let us take a closer look.

Indian businesses take steps for responsible AI adoption

According to a Nasscom survey, almost 60 percent of surveyed Indian businesses have either developed mature Responsible AI (RAI) practices or are in the process of adopting such practices. About 30 percent have a basic awareness of RAI without a formal strategy. The report, based on a survey of over 500 senior executives in India, highlights the industry’s beliefs and perceptions regarding AI compliance. As the demand for RAI grows, industry leaders are investing in advanced tools and strategies, emphasizing transparency in AI practices. The report notes a correlation between businesses scaling up AI maturity and reporting higher RAI maturity.

AI in cancer detection

Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s medical faculty have made a groundbreaking discovery, revealing the significant potential of AI to improve tumor detection during colonoscopies, as per a report by the South China Morning Post. The focus is on identifying smaller adenomas, addressing the traditional “miss rate” in lesion detection. Unlike conventional methods, where an endoscope is used, the AI tool acts as an additional set of eyes for less experienced doctors, excelling at identifying potential tumors in video footage. This advancement holds promise for transforming colonoscopy practices and reflects the ongoing evolution of medical technology to enhance diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.

AI can detect fake luxury items

Entrupy is using AI to authenticate designer handbags and sneakers in the resale market, focusing on brands like Balenciaga, Burberry, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. Initially available to luxury goods resellers, the tool aims to build trust with customers concerned about buying authentic products in the resale market.

Speaking with Elle in an interview, Vidyuth Srinivasan, the cofounder and CEO of Entrupy said, “The whole point of doing this is to add trust and make it verifiable as a third party. It’s the consumer having the certainty that this is not just [one] person saying that it’s authentic, there’s also a third party that’s not invested in the transaction, certifying it”.

Sharing personal information with AI chatbots might not be a good idea, says Oxford prof

According to Oxford University’s AI expert, Professor Mike Wooldridge, confiding in ChatGPT about work issues or political preferences could have repercussions, as the information shared helps train future versions of the technology, reported the Guardian. Wooldridge warns that such conversations with chatbots are “extremely unwise” due to potential privacy concerns. He also cautions users not to expect a balanced response, as the technology tends to provide answers that align with user preferences. These insights are part of Wooldridge’s exploration of AI in this year’s Royal Institution Christmas lectures, where he aims to address key questions and dispel myths surrounding this groundbreaking technology.

OpenAI investor says AI can be deflationary for the economy

Vinod Khosla, a billionaire and early backer of OpenAI, anticipates that AI will bring about fundamental changes to the global economy. Khosla, who made a significant investment of $50 million through his venture capital firm in 2019, stands as one of the early investors of OpenAI, marking the largest investment in the firm’s 15-year history.

He posted on X, “AI should be hugely deflationary over twenty five years. Capital should be scarce for a while, current measures of GDP and the economy will be less relevant but goods and services should be in great abundance. The key question is what are the right measures and the right questions”.

There are many precautions Apple lists to keep in mind while using iPhones and even other devices they make, but one thing that the company has always been fixated on is the — original charging cable and adapters or at least using the one that comes with MFI certification.
It looks like a Reddit user who goes with the name NoisilyMarvellous on the platform has posted an image of an iPhone 15 Pro Max with a molten charging port stuck in the device.The users’ post also has a lot of questions like “How can I remove this? Also, is this a problem with the phone, the charging cable or the plug? I don’t have AppleCare, is this something Apple will fix?”
The Redditor also mentioned that the phone got so hot while charging overnight that he burnt his fingers while removing the charging cable which led to the stuck port in the phone as the cable’s plastic part melted completely.
Why this may have happened
Apple has always asked users to use certified cables for charging and when the company switched to a USB-C port with the iPhone 15 series, it gave people more options of charging the cable. Now, there’s no denying that the market is flooded with Type-C cables and these cables are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and prices. However, the affordable ones aren’t that good and may cause damage to the device. This case appears to have happened due to low-quality cable. The Redditor, however, hasn’t clarified which cable he was using to charge the device.
The question is how to ensure safe charging. Well, Apple has a couple of them listed on their website’s support page. But, there are several more things that one can keep in mind to ensure safer charging.

Modern smartwatches come with tons of health and fitness features. They include a wide range of activity tracking, and several health monitoring features like SpO2, heart rate monitor and so on. But, these watches go beyond this as another notification or tel-tel screen for smartphones by allowing them to make and take calls, showing important notifications and also supporting reply options.
But, when it comes to supporting calls, there are two types of technologies smartwatch makers implement in their devices.One is the LTE (4G) and the second is Bluetooth-based calling. The question is how are the two implementations different and which is a better choice overall.
LTE support in smartwatches: What is this, pros and cons
LTE-enabled watches support 4G connection via eSIM support. These smartwatches are mostly premium offerings from companies like Apple, Samsung, etc. Recently, the budget segment has also started seeing this feature.
That said, LTE-enabled smartwatches connect to 4G networks and facilitate far more than just calling. The main benefit of LTE support is the watch can act as a standalone device. For instance, you can leave your phone at home while going to the gym or jogging and still stay connected and receive calls, and notifications and even stream music and run maps. They have their own data connectivity as well which makes these things possible.
The con here is that the LTE support in watches is limited mostly to the premium and expensive offerings. They also consume a lot more power compared to the regular version.
Bluetooth calling in smartwatches
Bluetooth calling is a basic calling feature that smartwatches support. With the feature, the watch acts as Bluetooth earbuds with the option to take and reject calls using the watch. The feature is handy but has limited range and functionality. For instance, you can leave your phone behind as it only works when the watch is connected to the phone. There’s no data support or additional features available with this. The good thing is that the feature is pretty common and even affordable offerings come with this feature.
However, the feature is not limited to affordable offerings. Premium watches also come with GPS versions which support Bluetooth calling features.
Which is a better choice for you
A better choice between the two is subjective. It depends on your needs. If you are someone who wants to rely on a watch alone in certain situations, then LTE is a good choice for you. However, if you take occasional calls on your watch, then a Bluetooth calling watch can do the job pretty well.

Poco introduced the X5 lineup globally earlier this year in February. The lineup includes two smartphones — the Poco X5 and Poco X5 Pro. The more expensive Poco X5 Pro which comes powered by the Snapdragon 778G chipset was launched in the same month. Later, in March, the company launched the vanilla Poco X5 model which features the Snapdragon 695 SoC.Now, the company is working on the Poco X6 lineup which will succeed the X5 series.
Poco has confirmed that the Poco X6 series will be launched soon in India. The upcoming series is also expected to include two smartphones — Poco X6 and Poco X6 Pro. The company has also launched the upcoming smartphone lineup ahead of its launch.
Poco X6 teased on X: What to expect
Poco India Head Himanshu Tandon took to social media platform X to post an image with the caption conveying the season’s greetings and teasing the upcoming smartphone.
It reads, “Happy Xmas Everyone,” and has three decorated Christmas Tree emoji, followed by “Santa is coming with the gift soon,” with a sunglasses emoji and a gift emoji. The image attached to the post shows Santa with sunglasses riding a sleigh driven by a tech-inspired reindeer that also has X-shaped horns. This suggests the company’s upcoming launch of the next Poco X-series model in India.

Just like the Poco X5 series, the company is expected to launch the Pro variant first in the X6 lineup as well. The vanilla Poco X6 smartphone is likely to arrive after the launch of the Pro version.

The Poco X6 Pro model has also been spotted on several certification sites. Considering this year’s release schedule, the Pro variant may be the model to debut first in the country. Meanwhile, Poco may launch the base model a few weeks later.
With the model number 23122PCD1I, Poco X6 Pro was recently spotted on the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) and IMEI websites. An NBTC listing that includes the same model showed that the phone may offer support for GSM, WCDMA LTE, and NR networks as well as 5G connectivity. The Poco X6 Pro is expected to be the rebranded version of the Redmi K70E which was launched in China in November. Meanwhile, the base Poco X6 may debut as a rebranded Redmi Note 13.

More than 4.25 lakh employees have lost their jobs in the massive layoff spree over the last two years. Over 2.6 lakh employees were laid off in this year till December 26 in the global technology and startup sector, with more than 1.6 lakh layoffs done last year. Amazon, Facebook parent Meta, Google and Microsoft were among the companies that laid off a large number of employees.
Tech layoffs in 2022-2023
A total of 1,178 tech companies laid off 2,60,771 employees in 2023, as per data provided by Layoffs.fyi. It also says that in 2022, 1064 tech companies cut 1,64,969 jobs. On average, about 555 employees lost their jobs every day in the last two years, this amounts to 23 workers every hour. In January 2023, about 89,554 employees were laid off.
More layoffs expected
Earlier this month, reports suggested Google may lay off more employees as the companies plan to shift operations based on AI tools. The job cuts have been reported in ad sales teams as Google relies more on machine-learning techniques to help customers buy even more ads.
Job cuts at Google
A report by The Information mentions that Google is planning to restructure its ad sales unit and this may impact some 30,000 jobs due to recent strides in AI. However, there is no indication of whether this exercise will result in job cuts. Earlier this year, Google let go of 12,000 employees – which is among the largest number of employees fired from a tech company.
Layoffs at Amazon
Job cuts at Amazon were regular in 2023. The company has been downsizing a lot of divisions. In 2022, Amazon eliminated 18,000 positions across various departments. Earlier this year, Amazon initiated another round of job cuts, impacting 9,000 employees. This brought the total number of employees being laid off to a staggering 27,000.
Meanwhile, other companies, including Meta (21,000 in two years), Microsoft (approx 16,000), and Twitter (now X/ around 6,000), also had large-scale layoffs.

Apple’s Notes app does quite a lot more than just take notes. Among the many features, one is the ability to scan both printed and handwritten notes directly into digital text. The new scanning feature utilises the iPhone‘s advanced camera capabilities to capture high-quality images of notes. Whether it’s a printed document or handwritten notes on a piece of paper, users can now simply open the Notes app.
The scanning feature is designed to support multiple pages, allowing users to scan entire documents or a series of handwritten pages in one go. The app intelligently organises the scanned pages, creating a cohesive digital document that mirrors the structure of the original notes. The scanned notes are automatically saved in the user’s iCloud account, ensuring that the data is securely stored and synchronised across all Apple devices linked to the same iCloud account.
Scanning printed notes
Follow these steps to scan printed notes:

Scanning handwritten notes:

Tips for optimal scanning

Xiaomi 14 was launched in China alongside the Xiaomi 14 Pro model in October this year. The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC and is backed by a 4,610mAh battery with 90W wired, 50W wireless and 10W wireless reverse charging support. The Xiaomi 14 models were the first phones from the company to ship with Xiaomi’s new HyperOS user interface. Now, the base Xiaomi 14 model is tipped to launch in India, as well as globally, in the coming months.

A 91Mobiles report citing tipster Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh) suggests that the base Xiaomi 14 model is expected to be introduced globally at the Mobile World Congress 2024 which is scheduled to take place between February 26 and February 29. The report suggests that the phone may be unveiled on February 25, and the handset may launch in India on the same day. 

Previously, the standard Xiaomi 14 model was spotted on India’s Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) website with the model number 23127PN0CG. The ‘G’ is speculated to represent the global variant of the Chinese counterpart. Although usually, the Indian variants carry an ‘I’ at the end, since the model was spotted on BIS, an India launch of the phone appears imminent. The phone was also spotted on the IMDA certification site as a “5G Mobile Phone with Bluetooth Wi-Fi and NFC” connectivity.

In China, the Xiaomi 14 launched with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 onboard storage and a 4,610mAh battery with 90W wired, 50W wireless and 10W wireless reverse charging support. It ships with the company’s new HyperOS interface that is based on Android 14. The phone features a 6.36-inch 1.5K (1,200 x 2,600 pixels) LTPO AMOLED panel with up to 120Hz refresh rate, 460ppi pixel density, and a peak brightness of 3000 nits.

In the camera department, the Xiaomi 14 has a Leica-branded triple rear camera unit with a Summilux lens. It includes a 50-megapixel Hunter 900 sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS), a 50-megapixel telephoto camera, and a 50-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide-angle lens. The front camera has a 32-megapixel sensor. The handset comes with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. It measures 152.8mm x 71.5mm x 8.20mm and weighs 193g.

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Building a website is no small feat. It usually means people have to rely on web developers, graphic designers, and content creators and pay a hefty price to have their website built from the ground up or use a generic template-based website from platforms such as Wix, WordPress, and more. However, now you can do it yourself from the comfort of your home too! With the advancement in artificial intelligence (AI), you can give your business a boost or show off your stellar portfolio by letting AI custom-build a website for you. There are a lot of AI-powered website creator tools available in the market including Wix, GoDaddy, Jimdo, and more. Check out the 4 best AI-powered tools to create a website below.

1. Wix ADI

The Wix ADI tool is one of the earliest AI-powered to create a website. It supports a vast range of website formats including blogs, portfolios, e-commerce, photography, and more. It makes website building as simple as getting into an editor, answering a few questions, and then custom-build the website. You can even customize your own images, and also choose from many stock photo options offered by Wix. Wix ADI is available on all Wix plans, including the free subscription.

2. GoDaddy

One of the prominent website-building platforms, GoDaddy has undergone the AI revolution and now offers an AI-powered website-builder tool. To begin, users need to add a series of questions about the type, content, and layout of the website, as well as the services offered. It’ll then work its magic and generate a website for you! Using the editor, you can add pages, tweak SEO settings, change images, and much more. GoDaddy offers the AI builder free of cost but it generates an ad-supported website using the GoDaddy subdomain. Building a unique website on your own domain will cost you at least $11.99 a month.

3. Jimdo

Jimdo works similarly to Wix ADI, by letting users create their own websites within minutes! It features various layouts for content blocks on the website, and placement of elements such as images, videos, and text. You can even add a music player and contact information forms! While the basic Jimdo plan is free, it only offers you 5 subpages. Other plans start at $9 a month.

4. Durable

Want to create a website within 30 seconds? Durable promises to do so with AI magic! It is not limited to just building the website. The platform also offers an AI-powered blog writer and even an admin assistant. The best part is you don’t even need to create an account to build a website using Durable. Just open the AI-powered website builder, enter your business name, location, and industry, and your website will be ready! If you don’t like the AI-generated website on the first go, you can select the Regenerate option to get another one of your choice. Durable isn’t free, and its subscription starts at $12 a month for the Starter plan, while the Business plan will set you back $20 a month, but with added advantages.

Redmi Note 13 4G and Redmi Note 13 Pro 4G specifications have been leaked online. The leak comes days ahead of the Chinese smartphone maker’s scheduled launch date for the Redmi Note 13 5G series in India on January 4. The upcoming lineup will come with the base Redmi Note 13 5G, Note 13 Pro 5G and Note 13 Pro+ 5G models. The Indian variants of the handsets are expected to be similar to their Chinese counterparts. The phones ship in China with Android 13-based MIUI 14, and a tipster has now leaked details of the software support for these phones.

Tipster Sudhanshu Ambhore (@Sudhanshu1414) shared a detailed list of specifications for the Redmi Note 13 4G and Redmi Note 13 Pro 4G in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The phones are expected to launch globally soon, even though the company has not yet announced these LTE models. The design renders of the 4G models were also shown in the leak. The rear camera units are arranged in individual units alongside an LED unit on the top left corner of the back panel without a distinct camera module. The base model is seen in black, blue and green colour options, while the Pro 4G model is seen in black, grey and purple shades.

Ambhore also stated in a post on X that the Redmi Note 13 5G models are expected to receive three years of major Android upgrades, that is, up until Android 16, both in India and globally. The phones are also said to support four years of security updates. He noted that these models are not likely to get the Xiaomi HyperOS update “anytime soon”.

Redmi Note 13 4G and Redmi Note 13 Pro 4G leaked colour options
Photo Credit: MySmartPrice/ @Sudhanshu1414

 

Redmi Note 13 4G specifications, features (expected)

The base Note 13 4G model is expected to launch with a 6.67-inch full-HD+ (2,400 x 1,080 pixels) 8-bit AMOLED panel with 120Hz refresh rate, 50,00,000:1 contrast ratio, 1200 nits peak brightness, 240Hz touch sampling rate and 20:9 aspect ratio along with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The phone is likely to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 chipset paired with Adreno 610 GPU, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. Similar to the 5G variant, the rumoured 4G model is also tipped to boot Android 13-based MIUI 14 out-of-the-box.

For optics, the phone is expected to carry a 1/1.67-inch 108-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide-angle lens and a 2-megapixel macro shooter at the back. The front camera is said to be equipped with a 16-megapixel sensor. Redmi is tipped to pack a 5,000mAh battery into the Note 13 4G model and is expected to support 33W wired fast charging via USB Type-C port.

For security, the Redmi Note 13 4G is said to carry an in-display fingerprint sensor and an AI-backed face unlock feature. The leaked specifications suggest that the phone will get a stereo speaker setup with Dolby Atmos sound and a 3.5mm audio jack. The dual nano SIM-supported handset is also expected to get Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, IR Blaster, GPS, and GLONASS connectivity. It is also expected to arrive with an IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance. The model is said to weigh 188.5g and measure 162.24mm x 75.55mm x 7.97mm in size.

Redmi Note 13 Pro 4G specifications, features (expected)

The Redmi Note 13 Pro 4G, on the other hand, is expected to feature a similar-sized screen as the base LTE model but it is expected to get Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. This model is likely to be equipped with a MediaTek Helio G99 Ultra SoC paired Mali G57 GPU, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of inbuilt storage. 

The Pro model is expected to feature a 1/1.4-inch 200-megapixel primary sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS) support. The phone is said to share other camera unit specifications, including the front camera, OS and battery details with the base model. The phone is also expected to feature a similar IP rating, audio, security and network connectivity. However, the Redmi Note 13 Pro 4G is said to support 67W wired fast charging. The model is also reportedly likely to weigh 187g and measure 161.1mm x 74.95mm x 7.98mm in size, according to details shared by the tipster.

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