Archives January 2024

Xiaomi held its electric vehicle technology launch event and officially unveiled its first ever EV car. During the launch, the Chinese smartphone maker announced EV’s five core technologies – E-Motor, Battery, Xiaomi Die-Casting, Xiaomi Pilot Autonomous Driving, and Smart Cabin. Xiaomi EV‘s first product – the highly anticipated Xiaomi SU7, has been “pre-launched,” with its design, performance, range, safety, and other details making global debut.Positioned as a “full-size high-performance eco-technology sedan,” Xiaomi SU7 aims to push the limits of performance, ecosystem, and mobile smart space. Here are the five core EV tech from Xiaomi that are set to debut with the company’s first-ever vehicle.
Smart electric vehicles are trending towards integration of the automotive industry with consumer electronics and intelligent ecosystems. Integrating full-stack technologies is a necessary step for the industry’s evolution. Lei Jun stated that by integrating industrial manufacturing, smart software, and AI, Xiaomi EV will completely redefine the automotive industry, marking a significant leap in its technological landscape.
Xiaomi EV is committed to a bottom-up approach, starting from developing foundational core technologies and in-depth independent research in key technology sectors. Xiaomi EV has invested over 10 billion CNY in the initial research and development phase. The R&D team comprises over 3,400 engineers and over a thousand technical experts in critical domains both in China and abroad. This conference unveiled breakthroughs in the development of Xiaomi EV’s five core technologies. In key sectors such as E-Motor, Battery, Xiaomi Die-Casting, Xiaomi Pilot Autonomous Driving, and Smart Cabin, numerous Xiaomi EV’s self-developed technologies have become first-of-kind globally or domestically.
E-motor
At the conference, Xiaomi showcased its independently developed and manufactured E-motors, HyperEngine V6/V6s, and HyperEngine V8s. The three E-motors, employing innovative technologies such as Bidirectional Full Oil Cooling Technology, S-shaped oil circuit design, and staggered silicon steel laminations design, rival the performance of traditional large V8 and V6 powertrains from the era of internal combustion engines, pushing the industry’s performance boundaries to new heights.
Notably, HyperEngine V8s, with a maximum speed of 27,200 rpm, 425kW output, and 635N·m peak torque, sets a global record for E-motors. To enable the industry-exceeding standard of 27,200 rpm, HyperEngine V8s employ the industry’s first ultra high-strength silicon steel plate with a tensile strength of 960MPa, boasting strength that surpasses mainstream industry offerings by more than two-times.
For cooling design, HyperEngine V8s adopts a Bidirectional Full Oil Cooling Technology and an S-shaped oil circuit design. For the stator, a dual-cycle oil circuit is employed, increasing the heat dissipation area by 100% and achieving a cooling effect of up to 20°C. Meanwhile, the rotor section utilises a patented S-shaped oil circuit, increasing the heat dissipation area by 50% and achieving a cooling effect of up to 30°C. Additionally, the stator silicon steel laminations feature a “step-like” staggered design, further increasing the effective heat dissipation area by an additional 7%.
HyperEngine V8s is in development and set to be mass-produced and implemented in Xiaomi EVs in 2025.
Xiaomi’s self-developed HyperEngine V6/V6s E-motors boast an industry-leading rotational speed of 21,000rpm, surpassing the most powerful mass-produced electric motor globally. Among them, the HyperEngine V6 super motor has a maximum power of 299PS and a maximum torque of 400N·m, while the HyperEngine V6s super motor achieves a maximum power of 374PS and a maximum torque of 500 Nm.
Battery
Xiaomi has also self-developed CTB Integrated Battery Technology through innovative Inverted Cell Technology, multifunctional elastic interlayer, and a minimalistic wiring system; it features a battery integration efficiency of 77.8%, the highest of CTB batteries worldwide, a 24.4% overall performance improvement, and a height reduction of 17mm, with a maximum battery capacity of up to 150 kWh and theoretical CLTC recharge range exceeding 1200 km.
To ensure stable performance during long-range travel, Xiaomi employs industry-leading safety design standards. The downward-facing pressure relief valve swiftly releases energy in extreme situations, maximising passenger cabin safety. A 14-layer robust physical protection system includes three layers of top support, three layers of side protection, and eight layers of bottom protection.
In terms of heat dissipation, a dual-side water cooling solution implements heat dissipation plates on both long sides of the battery cells, achieving a cooling area of 7.8m²—four times the industry average.
The sides of the battery cells feature 165 pieces of aerogel insulation material, capable of resisting temperatures up to 1000°C.
Xiaomi EV is equipped with a self-developed Battery Management System (BMS) with ASIL-D, the highest functional safety level. This BMS includes three independent thermal runaway monitors and alarms, along with an around-the-clock early warning system. Each Xiaomi battery boasts industry-leading reliability and undergoes the most stringent battery safety tests, including 1050+ safety verifications and 96 times the international standard of durability testing duration.
Xiaomi Die-Casting
Xiaomi has unveiled its self-developed Xiaomi Die-Casting T9100 cluster and proprietary die-casting alloy material, Xiaomi Titans Metal, making it the only domestic automaker simultaneously self-researching both large die-casting and materials.
Xiaomi Die-Casting T9100 covers an area of 840m², with a total weight of 1050t and locking force reaching 9100t. Xiaomi has developed a foundation model quality judgement system that can complete inspections of individual pieces within 2 seconds, offering an efficiency ten times higher than manual inspection. The application of this cluster enables a remarkable achievement for Xiaomi EV, with the rear underbody integrating 72 components into one, reducing welded joints by 840, decreasing overall car weight by 17%, and significantly reducing production hours by 45%.
In material research and development, Xiaomi has developed Xiaomi Titans Metal, a high-strength, high-resilience, heat-treated die-casting material. Xiaomi’s self-developed “Multi-Material Performance Simulation System” selects the optimal alloy formula from 10.16 million possibilities, ensuring a perfect combination of strength, resilience, and stability.
While the industry focuses on the tonnage of die-casting clamping pressure, Xiaomi is steadfastly pursuing a full-stack self-researched path. From materials and equipment clusters to finished castings. Xiaomi has completed nearly all aspects of the large die-casting industrial chain.
Xiaomi Pilot Autonomous Driving
In the field of intelligent software technology, Xiaomi has showcased its unique advantage as a global technology leader, driving the integration of the automotive and consumer electronics industries with intelligent ecosystems. In terms of autonomous driving, Xiaomi has pioneered three key technologies: Adaptive BEV Technology, Road-Mapping Foundational Model, and Super-Res Occupancy Network Technology.
Adaptive BEV Technology is an industry-leading innovation that invokes different perception algorithms based on scenarios. The perception grid has a minimum granularity of 5cm and a maximum of 20cm, with a recognition range extending from 5cm to 250m. This technology ensures wider visibility in urban scenarios, extended vision in high-speed scenarios, and more precision in parking scenarios.

The Road-Mapping Foundational Model revolutionises traditional methods of perceiving road conditions. This model not only recognizes them in real time and intelligently switches to a more reasonable driving trajectory but can also navigate smoothly in complex intersections without relying on high-definition maps thanks to learning from complex intersection scenarios and experienced driver habits.
In terms of obstacle recognition, Xiaomi’s Super-Res Occupancy Network Technology achieves unlimited categories of recognition for irregular obstacles. Compared to traditional networks that interpret obstacles as blocks, Xiaomi’s innovative vector algorithm simulates all visible objects as continuous curved surfaces. This improves recognition accuracy to as low as 0.1m. Additionally, Xiaomi’s self-developed one-click noise reduction feature eliminates the impact of rain and snow on recognition, significantly reducing the probability of misidentification.
In addition to the Road-Mapping Foundational Model, Xiaomi has also independently developed the world’s first production-ready “End-to-End Sensing and Decision-Making AI Model” for automated parking. This model allows for real-time observation and dynamic adjustment when parking in challenging scenarios, such as parking facilities that include elevators.
On the hardware front, the system is equipped with top-of-the-line configurations, including two NVIDIA Orin high-performance chips with a combined computing power of 508TOPS. Perception hardware includes one LiDAR, eleven high-definition cameras, three millimetre-wave radars, and twelve ultrasonic radars on the Xiaomi SU7 Max model. With top-tier configurations and full-stack in-house research, Xiaomi’s intelligent Autonomous Driving system is set to join the industry’s top echelon by 2024.
Smart Cabin
Xiaomi EV Smart Cabin adopts a “human-centric” interaction architecture and features a 16.1-inch 3K central console, a 56-inch HUD head-up display, a 7.1-inch rotating dashboard, and two seat-back extension mounts that allow for the mounting of two tablet devices. It is equipped with the Snapdragon 8295 in-car chip with AI computing power of up to 30 TOPS, enabling an ultimate interactive experience with the linking of five different screens.
The interactive experience of Xiaomi Smart Cabin is similar to tablets, allowing users to quickly adapt without the need for a learning curve. The system operates exceptionally smoothly, with the vehicle OS launching in 1.49 seconds after the door is unlocked. Additionally, it offers seamless cross-device connection between smartphones and the EV. For example, when the phone is brought into the cabin, the console automatically displays an icon, enabling easy access to the phone’s interface with a single touch.
The in-car OS seamlessly integrates mainstream applications, including the whole Xiaomi tablet application ecosystem, with gradual adaptation to over 5000 applications. Smartphone applications can be conveniently pinned to the car console, instantly transforming them into in-car applications. In terms of hardware integration, Xiaomi SU7 supports over 1000 Xiaomi smart home devices for effortless integration with the vehicle, enabling automatic discovery, password-free access, and the ability to set up automation scenarios, creating a robust CarIoT ecosystem. The car interior also has dedicated pin-point expansion connections, supporting plug-and-play functionality for a wide range of devices. To meet the needs of users, Xiaomi EV fully supports CarPlay, the mounting of iPads and iPad accessories, and applications on the rear extension mount.

 A new crop of artificial intelligence startups has shaken up Silicon Valley — and the wider business world — throughout this year, but there’s one thing that hasn’t changed: Big Tech still wields power. In the wake of Microsoft Corp.’s $10 billion investment in OpenAI in January, other tech giants raced to partner with leading AI startups through funding and cloud computing deals. Salesforce Inc. led a round in Hugging Face at a $4.5 billion valuation. Alphabet Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. invested billions in OpenAI rival Anthropic. And Nvidia Corp. seemed to back almost every AI startup of note. 

The net effect is that many of the most promising AI startups now depend heavily on the old guard of dominant tech companies for their financing and infrastructure needs. That dynamic is starting to draw the attention of regulators.

Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI is facing fresh scrutiny from UK and US competition regulators. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission has been tasked by the Biden administration with promoting “a fair, open, and competitive AI ecosystem.” The agency has previously requested public comment about whether large cloud computing contracts are anti-competitive.

“What regulators might be concerned about is that the story of Big Tech’s strategic investment in AI startups could have the potential to become the story of Big Tech’s AI monopoly,” said Ngor Luong, senior research analyst who focuses on AI investment trends at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology. 

For AI companies, these deals with Big Tech can serve as a vital lifeline. It’s extremely costly and computationally intensive to build large language models, the technology that underpins AI chatbots like ChatGPT. Large tech companies are in the small camp of businesses with the infrastructure and funds to support these efforts.

For Big Tech companies, these deals can serve as a means to cement their grip on a competitive and rapidly evolving market after some were caught off guard by the massive success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT a year ago. These partnerships can also help tech giants bolster demand for their products, whether it’s the chips sold by Nvidia or cloud-computing services from Microsoft, Google and Amazon. 

In a blog post this month, Nvidia said it has made “more than two dozen investments” this year. “These partnerships stimulate joint innovation, enhance the NVIDIA platform and expand the ecosystem,” the company said.

In addition to OpenAI, Microsoft has invested in Inflection AI and Adept, among other billion-dollar AI startups, but these deals are much smaller than the $13 billion it has committed so far to the ChatGPT-maker. 

Microsoft’s unique relationship with OpenAI was put on full display in November when Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman was briefly ousted from the startup. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella played a key role, along with other investors, in forcing the board to reverse its decision. At one point Microsoft said it would hire Altman and his OpenAI colleagues to form a new Microsoft AI unit.

In response to regulators’ concerns, Microsoft emphasized that it doesn’t own a traditional stake in OpenAI. “It is important to note that Microsoft does not own any portion of OpenAI and is simply entitled to a share of profit distributions,” the company said last week. 

While Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet have all been very active this year in backing AI startups, two other Big Tech companies have largely stayed away from such deals: Apple Corp. and Meta Platforms Inc. 

Apple Inc. has built its own large language model called Ajax and rolled out an internal chatbot dubbed “Apple GPT.” Meta, meanwhile, has an open source large language model and has struck partnerships with other Big Tech companies, including Microsoft and Amazon.

Apple rolled out the iOS 17.2.1 software update last month to deliver “important bug fixes.” While rolling out the update, this is what Apple said in most countries. However, soon after the update was released, the Cupertino-based tech giant said that the update “addresses an issue that can cause the battery to drain faster under certain conditions,” in both China and Japan.Now, a new report claims that iOS 17.2.1 did more than fix a battery-draining bug.
How the latest update is affecting users
According to a report by BGR, the latest update has also broken iPhone connectivity. The report claims that some users took to Apple’s Support Community Discussions platform to complain that their iPhones were no longer able to connect with their cellular provider after their devices were updated to iOS 17.2.1.
One iPhone user the update released to fix the battery from draining was causing their battery to drain. He wrote: “After updating my iPhone last night to 17.2.1 I can no longer connect to my network provider. Tried the resets and still it does not work! Very frustrating. Trusted Apple and iPhone for years, now not so sure.”
Another user on the same site said: “After installing this update I’m facing heating and battery draining issues on my iPhone 15. Do we have any solution to this ?”
This suggests that some iPhone 15 series handsets are also suffering from the “thermal issues” and are overheating once again.
Temporary workarounds to fix the issues
The report also suggest some workaround which have been mentioned by iPhone users on the Apple Support Community Discussions website:

Users can also try installing the iOS 17.3 beta version which has also been rolled out. Since the iOS 17.3 public beta release was released before iOS 17.2.1, installing this version may rid users of the connectivity bug.
How to download the latest iOS 17.3 public beta version
Firstly, go to beta.apple.com. Tap the beta sign-up button and sign in using your Apple ID and password. Then go to Settings > General > Software Update and tap on the Beta Updates box near the top of the display. Select iOS 17 Public Beta and you will receive the latest iOS 17.3 public beta version to install.
However, before installing the iOS 17.3 public beta, users should remember that beta releases are unstable and they need to stay in the beta program until the final version of iOS 17.3 is released.

 Data-driven hiring ways, inclusive and diversity-focused practices and nearly double-digit salary hikes are likely to leave their stamp on the human resource landscape in 2024 as companies continue to scout for the right talent amid economic uncertainties. Over the last few years, the expectations of candidates and employers have changed dramatically. Employees want workplace flexibility, a greater emphasis on diversity, and impartial hiring processes, while companies are eager to provide fair, engaging and streamlined candidate experiences to attract and retain top talent, according to experts.

Designing comprehensive well-being programmes, including flexible work arrangements, inclusive culture and work-life balance policies will be among the priorities for companies.

Experts said that data-driven hiring will be one of the key trends that will redefine the HR landscape.

AI-powered tools will revolutionise HR practices by automating repetitive tasks and providing personalised employee experiences, they added.

“As we move to 2024, increased focus on managing an inclusive and equitable organisation is likely to take centre stage,” said Sudakshina Bhattacharya, President and CHRO of HDFC ERGO General Insurance.

The year 2023 was challenging in terms of employment outlook across multiple industry sectors. Edtech employees suffered the most, led by Byjus, followed by many other companies in the same vertical.

The IT sector also remained cautious, and many large companies were laying off employees all through the year. Alongside sectoral issues, many employees were also not sure of how AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) technology will impact their employment and careers.

“While the Indian economy is going strong and IT is one of the major levers for this growth, the global outlook seems a bit low currently and might impact overall hiring in the IT sector.

“However, an interesting trend in terms of IT-related hiring in tier II and III towns is going to pick up in 2024. This will be part of the overall cost optimisation, especially in the wake of global economic outlook and margins pressure,” said Achal Khanna, CEO – SHRM India, APAC and MENA.

According to industry players, skill-based hiring continues to gain prominence, focusing on candidates’ specific skills and competencies rather than traditional qualifications.

AI and automation-related hiring will increase across industries, especially in IT, auto, financial services and manufacturing in 2024.

“Going ahead, in 2024, companies must play a role by connecting talent with opportunities, irrespective of college tags, fostering partnerships that transcend boundaries for mutual growth,” said Ankit Aggarwal, founder and CEO of Unstop, a community engagement and hiring platform for students and freshers.

Meanwhile, when it comes to appraisals, companies in India are expected to give a salary raise of 9.8 per cent in 2024, slightly lower than the actual salary increase of 10 per cent in 2023, as companies across industries are still closely monitoring their cost structures.

According to Willis Tower Watson’s latest ‘Salary Budget Planning India Report’, the median salary increase in India is forecast to rise by 9.8 per cent in 2024, close to the actual salary increase of 10 per cent in 2023.

“The careful approach towards hiring and spending is likely to continue for the next few quarters as the companies are focusing on improving employee utilisation due to weakening demand, especially by IT companies in response to sluggish revenue growth across the industry,” said Jasvinder Bedi, Managing Partner of Biz Staffing Comrade Pvt Ltd.

Startups have been the worst hit this year since the highs of aggressive hiring in the past. Even well-funded companies have taken a cautious stand on hiring now.

Another factor that has been impacting jobs is automation.

According to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, corporate India’s hiring sentiment for the next three months is one of the highest across the world, with 37 per cent of employers planning to increase their staff strength amid buoyant domestic demand conditions.

As per the survey, India and the Netherlands reported the strongest net employment outlooks at 37 per cent, followed by Costa Rica and the US at 35 per cent in second place, and Mexico at the third position with 34 per cent of the net employment outlook. The global average stood at 26 per cent.

The factors that support the bullish hiring plans of companies include buoyant domestic demand, private investments, and stability in the political arena, experts said, adding that employee well-being, recruitment for skilled roles and adopting AI and technology seem to be the top three in the chart of priorities of corporate India.

In terms of sectors, industries pivotal to core infrastructure and essential goods and services like power and energy, fast-moving consumer durables, and healthcare and pharmaceuticals, show a pronounced incremental replacement hiring in the October-March 2023-24 time frame.

Also, a combination of fierce competition and potential investments in renewable energy is driving replacement hiring in the power and energy industry.

Additionally, sectors like retail and education services look to get back to normalcy after losing a considerable chunk of their workforce.

The retail industry is set to add 23.25 million square feet in mall space during the 2023-24 financial year. The hiring spans across both permanent and contractual workforce as the sector makes efforts to adjust for the attrition faced by them in recent times.

Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube recently released their annual recaps where they clubbed and listed their users’ listening habits, their favourite songs and other data in a fun way. Uber is the latest company to provide a recap of how users travelled in 2023.
How to access Uber 2023 recap
If you are a regular Uber user, here’s how you can access your recap on the Uber app.

For example, it will tell how many rides did the user complete in 2023 and how many days did the user travel. Furthermore, in our case, Friday was our “favourite day to travel.”
Other information includes the first trip of the year and in which area. Uber will also provide data on the number of minutes spent riding with Uber, how many kilometres were covered and which cities users visited while riding in Uber.
Finally, there is information on the rating system. Uber will tell you on how many trips were you rated a 5 star rider, preferred mode or service of travel within Uber.
Uber’s year in review in India
Recently, the company also released a report in which it provided insights into how Indians ‘Ubered’ during the year. The cities with the highest number of Uber trips in 2023 are Delhi-NCR, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata.
Additionally, Delhi-NCR led the pack with the overall highest number of trips and residents of Delhi NCR used Uber the most for the highest number of office-hour trips booked. Mumbai, however, beat Delhi-NCR in terms of the most late-night trips booked and Kolkata residents booked Uber the most on the weekends.

 ISRO is set to welcome the new year with the launch of its first X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite that would offer insights into celestial objects like black holes, onboard a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket on Monday. The launch comes after the success of its Gaganyaan Test Vehicle D1 mission in October. 

The PSLV-C58 rocket, in its 60th mission, would carry primary payload XPoSat and 10 other satellites to be deployed in low earth orbits. 

The 25-hour countdown commenced on Sunday for the lift-off scheduled at 9.10 am from the first launch pad at this spaceport, located about 135 kms east of Chennai, on January 1. “The countdown commenced for PSLV-C58 at 8.10 am today,” ISRO sources said. 

The X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) is aimed to investigate the polarisation of intense X-ray sources in space. According to ISRO, it is the first dedicated scientific satellite from ISRO to carry out research in space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emission from celestial sources. Besides ISRO, the US-based National Aeronautics Space Agency (NASA) conducted a similar study — the Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer mission in December 2021 on the remnants of supernova explosions, the particle streams emitted by black holes and other cosmic events. 

While space-based X-ray astronomy has been established in India focusing on imaging, and time domain studies, Monday’s mission marks a major value-addition to the scientific fraternity, the space agency said. The objective of the PSLV-C58 mission includes measuring polarisation of X-rays in the energy band 8-30 keV emanating from about 50 potential cosmic sources, to carry out long term spectral and temporal studies of cosmic x-ray sources. The X-Ray polarisation serves as a crucial diagnostic tool for examining the radiation mechanism and geometry of celestial sources. 

The primary payload of XPoSat is POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-Rays) which is designed to measure polarimetry parameters by Raman Research Institute and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) built by the U R Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru. The Mission life is about 5 years. The space-based study of X-Ray polarisation is gaining utmost importance internationally, and in this context, the XPoSat mission would play a significant role, ISRO added. 

XPoSat is anticipated to bring substantial benefits to the Astronomy community globally. Apart from its capability of timing and spectroscopy-based observations, the insights derived from X-ray polarisation measurements on celestial objects like black holes, neutron stars, and active galactic nuclei, hold the potential to significantly improve the understanding of their physics. The mission is poised to play a pivotal role in building expertise in X-Ray polarimetry in India, providing a foundation for future advancements and fostering a collaborative network within the astronomy community. 

The 44.4-meter-tall PSLV rocket would first deploy the primary satellite into a 650 km Low Earth Orbit around 21 minutes after lift-off and later the scientists would bring the satellite to a lower altitude of about 350 km by restarting the fourth stage of the vehicle, for conducting the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3) experiment. It may be recalled that the space agency conducted a similar scientific experiment using POEM-2 in the PSLV-C55 mission in April 2023. 

The rocket that will fly is the PSLV-DL variant which has a lift-off mass of 260 tonnes. The fourth stage is configured as a 3-axis stabilized Orbital platform for conducting experiments. 

The payloads are: 

Radiation Shielding Experiment Module by TakeMe2Space, 

Women Engineered Satellite by LBS Institute of Technology for Women, 

BeliefSat (an amateur radio satellite) built by K J Somaiya Institute of Technology, 

Green Impulse Transmitter by Inspecity Space Labs Pvt Ltd, 

LEATTD — Launching Expeditions for Aspiring Technologies Technology Demonstrator by Dhruva Space Pvt Ltd, 

RUDRA 0.3HPGP and ARKA 200 developed by Bellatrix Aerospace Pvt Ltd, Dust Experiment (DEX) built by PRL, 

ISRO and Fuel Cell Power System and Si based High Energy cell built by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.