3

Big Tech's core businesses face overhaul under EU tech rules

The companies will have six months to demonstrate their compliance with their obligations and can be fined up to 10% of their annual global turnover for DMA violations.




3

G20 leaders bat for 'responsible Artificial Intelligence', eye ethics-based regulation

A government official said that during the deliberations one of the leaders wondered if AI "replaced or enhanced human skills" and suggested that it should be used in an ethical manner.




3

TikTok hit with $368 million fine under Europe's strict data privacy rules

TikTok has been fined $368 million by European regulators for breaching data privacy rules and failing to protect children's privacy. The investigation found that the app's sign-up process for teen users made their accounts public by default, posing a risk to underage users. The "family pairing" feature also allowed adults to turn on direct messaging for users aged 16 and 17 without their consent.




3

Should new tech rules apply to Microsoft's Bing, Apple's iMessage, EU asks

The European Commission in September opened investigations to assess whether Microsoft's Bing, Edge and Microsoft Advertising as well as Apple's iMessage should be subject to the Digital Markets Act (DMA).




3

IndiaAI 2023: MeitY’s 7 working groups for deploying AI to make governance smarter, data-led

“To ensure the sustainability of the CoE, robust collaboration with the Industry, and the creation of commercially viable outputs, the MeitY will not own any IP generated by the CoE. The IP generated can be retained by the idea generator or by the CoE.”




3

Anonymous GPS data could help check people's usage of green spaces: Study

A recent study shows how the public's use of parks and other green spaces in metropolitan areas can be tracked using anonymized GPS data from people's smartphones, which could help guide their management.




3

AI teaching assistants need to be simple for students' utility: Study

Researchers at the Nicholson School of Communication and Media at the University of Central Florida are investigating how students view teachers who use artificial intelligence, and to make it more utility-driven by simplifying it.




3

Garden Closed, Dec. 31

The Garden is closed today. 




3

Early Closure at 2pm, Dec. 23

The Garden will close at 2pm today. 




3

At-Home Wreathmaking Kit (Pick-up), Dec. 13

Make a UCBG holiday wreath at home! Register for this Kit pick-up and make a one-of-a-kind wreath at home. Come to the Garden to pick up your prepared wreath-making kit, full of unique and special materials from the UC Botanical Garden collection. Then make it at your own pace at home. Registration includes all the materials you need to make a wreath (wreath form, wire, plant material and adornments), plus a how-to tutorial of the process.




3

Fragrant Herbal Wreath Workshop, Nov. 23

Just in time for Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season, join us for Stefani Bittner’s Fragrant Herbal Wreath class at the Botanical Garden! Participants will spend this hands-on session learning to craft beautiful, aromatic wreaths using fresh herbs and seasonal plants. The class explores the art of combining fragrant and culinary herbs. Bittner guides participants through the wreath-making process, emphasizing techniques to create durable, visually pleasing arrangements that can be used for holiday décor or as edible accents. All materials provided to go home with a beautiful 12-15 inch wreath of your own design. Garden admission and light refreshments included. Buy Stephani’s book, The Fragrant Flower Garden, at the Garden or from our Online Garden Shop!




3

UCBG Florilegium Exhibition 2024, Nov. 13

The University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley Florilegium. Experience an immersive exhibition of 75 exquisite botanical illustrations featuring the unique flora of the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley. This juried exhibition includes 31 new works shown alongside entries from our previous Florilegium exhibitions. The works on view display a mastery of technical skill, botanical accuracy and harmonious composition for a show of art that provides an engaging visual story of plants and their unique characteristics. Don’t miss this stunning exhibition of art! A florilegium is a collection of illustrations featuring plants growing in a specific area such as a botanical garden. Centuries before digital or analog photography was commonplace, people relied on detailed botanical illustrations to identify plants and flowers. This years’ participating artists are continuing this rich legacy. Through a range of media, the works on view capture the plant information from root to leaf tip, and more. Viewers enjoy the delicate beauty of each artwork, its subject painstakingly rendered; a testament to the artists’ technical skill and love of plants. The project was conceived by renowned botanical illustrator and instructor, Catherine Watters, and developed with the support of staff and Advisory Board members Laura Sawczuk, Gina Baretta, and Katherine Greenberg. Advisory Board Member and former Director of Collections Chris Carmichael and Curator Holly Forbes developed the list of iconic plants from the collection for inclusion in the project. We invite the public to explore The UCBGFlorilegium—where art, history and science tangibly intersect. The exhibition is hosted this November, 2024.




3

Medtronic to invest USD 60 million in its Global IT Centre at Hyderabad over 3-5 years

​​ Global IT Centre will focus on cutting-edge technologies such as cloud engineering, data platforms, digital health applications, hyper automation, and artificial intelligence and machine learning, it further said.




3

Data center firm ESDS Software to hire 300 AI/ML engineers in India

ESDS said its client base includes the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), SIDBI Bank, Union Bank of India, State Bank of India Capital, and over 400 cooperative banks, as well as, the Embassy Group, Vadilal, and Unibic.




3

STT GDC to invest $3.2 billion in India to expand data centre capacity

STT GDC India, in which Tata Communications holds a minority stake, has 28 data centres across 10 cities, with a combined capacity of more than 318 megawatt of IT load. It has about 1,000 enterprise customers.




3

Data centre emissions are soaring - it's AI or climate

AI models consume a lot of electricity, and the World Economic Forum estimated in April that the computer power dedicated to AI is doubling every 100 days.




3

STL banks big on data center, targets 25% revenue from it over 3 years: MD

“This is definitely a tipping point. We are going from about 1 gigawatt of data center capacity to about 3 gigawatt as a country. And we are all set for that - whether it is within data center or inter-data center connectivity, from laying the fibre from the landing station into the data centers, all of that is something we are very well set to do.”




3

India's data centre capacity to more than double to 2,100 MW by FY27: Icra

Around 95 per cent of the existing capacity is in six cities with Mumbai and Chennai leading the race, Icra said.




3

'Andhra Pradesh soon to have AI University, data centers'

The state is set to become a hub for startups and manufacturing in the coming days. Construction of the Amaravati capital city will soon commence using advanced technology, says minister.




3

Big IT's Buying Startups to Plug AI, Tech Gaps

Big IT firms such as Accenture, Infosys and IBM along with many midcaps like Persistent, Cyient, Global Logic and others have acquired smaller firms working in cutting-edge technologies.




3

Vision 2030: Role of GCCs in building global leadership in India

As India aspires to reach its future economic and growth goals, GCCs will play a pivotal role in driving economic growth, generating innovation, and creating leadership opportunities, state GCC leaders at the ET GCC Annual Conclave 2024.




3

Navigating the new Silk Road: India's GenAI revolution

Much like the Silk Road once connected India to the world, artificial intelligence (AI) — particularly generative AI — is weaving a new tapestry of connectivity and innovation. Industries across the nation are starting to benefit from the efficiencies and new customer experiences this new technology wave offers.




3

NASA sees Super Typhoon Meranti's extreme rainfall

Satellite data from NASA revealed that powerful storms in Super Typhoon Meranti were generating almost a foot or almost 300 millimeters of rainfall per hour. The Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite measured the heavy rainfall on one side of the Category 5 super typhoon.

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  • Earth & Climate

3

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

3

NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP finds powerful storms in Tropical Storm Malakas

NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite measured cloud top temperatures as it passed over Tropical Storm Malakas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean and found strong storms.

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  • Earth & Climate

3

India's digital lending market likely to grow $515 bn by 2030 : Report

Given the low base and huge demand, the digital lending industry remains in an expansive phase. According to a recent report by IIFL FinTech, the digital lending market is expected to grow to a whopping USD 515 billion by 2030.




3

Germany's Scholz to meet Intel CEO amid intensive talks on chip plant

Germany is in intensive discussions with Intel, the economy ministry said on Friday, without commenting on how much state funding the company is set to receive for the project.




3

Internet shutdowns cost $1.9 billion to India in Jan-Jun 2023: Report

The shutdowns also led to a loss of nearly $118 million in foreign investment and triggered over 21,000 job losses, the global non-profit Internet Society said in its report 'Netloss'.




3

24 central banks will have digital currencies by 2030: BIS survey

The past 18 months have seen turmoil in the crytpo market, including the failure of TerraUSD, an unbacked stablecoin, in May 2022, the collapse of crytpo exchange FTX in November and the bankruptcy of banks such as Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, which serviced crypto providers.




3

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.




3

India is leading in AI adoption at 30%, surpassing global average of 26%: BCG report

India is leading in Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption, according to new research by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), which pegged that 30 per cent of Indian companies are maximizing value through the use of such emerging technology.




3

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.




3

India's IT spending to reach $160 bn in 2025: Report

"In 2025, Indian chief information officers (CIOs) will start allocating budgets for generative AI (GenAI) beyond initial proof-of-concept projects," said Naveen Mishra, VP Analyst at Gartner.




3

Nvidia and SoftBank pilot world's first AI and 5G telecom network

"Every other telco will have to follow this new wave," SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son said at an AI event where he was speaking alongside Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.




3

India likely to add 33.9 mn jobs to its workforce by 2028 in AI era

With AI-driven transformation, India is projected to increase its workforce from 423.73 million in 2023 to 457.62 million by 2028, a net gain of 33.89 million workers, according to a report on Wednesday.




3

Is 'learn to code' just empty advice now that AI does the heavy lifting? Here’s Google’s take

Google's head of research, Yossi Matias, emphasizes the enduring importance of coding skills in an AI-driven world. While acknowledging AI's growing role in software development, Matias argues that basic coding knowledge is crucial for understanding and leveraging AI's potential. He compares coding to math, suggesting that both are fundamental for navigating an increasingly tech-reliant society.




3

Mobile app helps adolescents access health services in B'desh

Millions of adolescents in Bangladesh will be able to access health information and services through two online portals launched at the National Adolescent Health Conference.




3

Spotify and 8 other companies call Apple a 'harmful' company

The companies called EU to take “urgent” action to end “Apple's abusive behaviours.” A new Digital Markets Act has been passed by the EU and the companies said that the “EU has the opportunity to take the lead, but it must act fast, as every day that passes is a loss for innovation and for the welfare of European consumers.”




3

India's smartphone market estimated to grow 7-8 pc this year

India's smartphone market is estimated to grow 7-8 per cent this year, driven by strong demand for premium, 5G and AI smartphones, according to a new report.




3

Snails' speedy insulin

University of Utah researchers have found that the structure of an insulin molecule produced by predatory cone snails may be an improvement over current fast-acting therapeutic insulin. The finding suggests that the cone snail insulin, produced by the snails to stun their prey, could begin working in as few as five minutes, compared with 15 minutes for the fastest-acting insulin currently available. Biologist Helena Safavi, co-author on a paper describing the cone snail insulin published September 12 in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, says that studying complex venom cocktails can open doors to new drug discoveries.

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  • Biology & Nature

3

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.




3

Meta plans to challenge Apple and Google's dominance over apps

Social media giant Meta is looking to challenge Apple and Google's dominance in the app marketplace by considering the creation of its own app store. The move is motivated by the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which calls for tech giants to open their platforms and allow alternative methods of app downloading. Meta aims to allow users to download apps directly from Facebook ads, resulting in higher conversion rates for developers. Failure to comply with the DMA can result in fines and possible acquisition bans.




3

Google training Bard on scraped web data: Here's what the company has to say

“Our privacy policy has long been transparent that Google uses publicly available information from the open web to train language models for services like Google Translate,” The Verge quoted Google spokesperson Christa Muldoon as saying. This publically available data includes data available on the internet, device type and settings, operating system, mobile network information including carrier name and phone number, and application version number.




3

Apple removes 25 VPN apps from App Store in Russia, here's why

Apple has removed 25 VPN apps from its App Store in Russia, complying with orders from the communications regulator. This move comes amidst Russia's crackdown on VPNs and ongoing tensions with big tech companies over content regulation and censorship.




3

Researchers find that Android apps can secretly track users' whereabouts

Three years ago, the Federal Trade Commission dimmed hopes for the Brightest Flashlight app for Android, slapping its developer with charges of consumer deception. Why? The app was transmitting users' locations and device IDs to third parties without telling the users or getting their permission.

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  • Mathematics & Economics

3

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

3

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.




3

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.




3

OpenAI's internal AI details stolen in 2023 breach: Reports

OpenAI executives informed both employees at an all-hands meeting in April last year and the company's board about the breach, according to the report, but executives decided not to share the news publicly as no information about customers or partners had been stolen.




3

Global IT spending on banking, investment services to reach $652 billion in 2023: Gartner

Driven by the increased use of consulting services and infrastructure as a service (IaaS), IT services will be the largest spending category, forecast to reach almost $270 billion in 2023.