Author: Sairaj Iyer

The shift towards online learning seems to be natural and in line with the pandemic, says Sairaj. A smart classroom is one among the three perplexing technological-questions academics are evaluating in the digital era. The other two being – tackling smartphone usage (addiction) during lectures, and the concern (or fear) of AI replacing teachers. Image Credit: pch.vector on Freepik The digitization of education accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic is responsible for inducing habits such as televised education, Google Classrooms, and even information shared through WhatsApp. Although the sector seems to have normalized, in many cases conventional aspects of the classroom…

Globally, 2.3 million women and men succumb to work-related incidents every year according to the ILO. Can technology help avert this? Netflix’s recent ‘The Railway Men’ remains a well-made dramatized show retelling the sordid saga of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy of 1984. The show reveals the courage of characters, the need for effective compliance, the role of the research community, as well as the aspects of industrial security. Image Credit: Netflix More importantly, it is a stark reminder of the need to have technology to tackle EHS (Environment, Health & Safety) issues as well as better ESG (Environment, Safety and…

As India strives to achieve its target, finding innovative solutions will be crucial in ensuring the sustainability, success of the solar energy sector in the country. Don’t let Google trends ruin the optimism in solar power as we may soon become the world’s biggest market for Solar everything. Google trends indeed indicate an optimistic trend given searches have increased over the last few years. But with power tariffs increasing and discoms doling out significant benefits, that trend may not be representative of the huge enthusiasm around solar. Image Credit: zak zak on Flickr According to the IEA (International Energy Agency),…

Planned obsolescence in the technology industry has proved to be a fatal choice for the consumer as well as the brand in question. These days the latest Apple iPhone ideally arrives in a packaging that screams environmental consciousness. Apple has shunned plastic wraps which have helped it avoid 600 metric tons of plastic. That’s not where its environmental affinity ends. Starting with the iPhone 13, most Apple devices are made from recycled display glass (free of Arsenic), and recycled Gold, Tungsten, and Tin. Samsung, the other leader in the world of smartphones, uses recycled fishing nets, aluminium, and has been…

Could this be the result of AI everywhere? And this in an age where making friends on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Roblox etc seems so easy. What do you think? Hasn’t AI become so ubiquitous these days? The commute to the college and back (I have started professing), for instance, greets me with a breed of smartphone-connoisseurs. From smartphones that could beautify pictures to apps that inform of train schedules, bus timings, payment apps etc. There’s a component of AI built right inside the smartphone. And then there’s a whole pedigree of gadgets marketing themselves around that artificial-promise – AI…

“The dichotomy of our need vis-a-vis the perception of security poses a critical risk to organisation/brand and to end-users who rely on a product” Believe it or not, cyber-security remains underestimated despite several CISOs claiming the need for it. For instance, a global survey by Trend Micro indicated 64% of business decision-makers are still evaluating the relationship of cybersecurity with their enterprise. Worse, 51% found cyber-security not a revenue generator while 38% viewed security as a barrier. The dichotomy of our need vis-a-vis the perception of security poses a critical risk to not just the organisation or brand but to…

Singapore, for years remained the hub for data-centre businesses as much as global banking, trade and finance activities that connected APAC with the rest of the world. But for the local industry things went south starting in 2019. Singapore presents itself as a compelling case-study to India and the business of data centres. In the digital age, data is the lifeblood of the global economy. From the emails we send to the videos we stream, every online interaction generates data, and this information is growing at an astonishing rate. According to recent estimates, the world creates over 2.5 quintillion bytes…

Drones could be applied to far diverse applications than just cinematic marvel. In an interaction with Sify.com, a Hyderabad based entrepreneur narrates the diverse opportunities and experiences. Drones remained a figment of imagination for nearly a century despite the world’s first unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) ready by 1917. For half a century, drones or UAVs remained a strategic military tool for example the one used by the American army in Vietnam. By 2000, commercial applications were limited to toy quadcopters although brands such as Parrot and DJI had entered the scene. In 2012, the bond-classic ‘Skyfall’ featuring Daniel Craig showed…

Blockchain projects have received their fair share of rap thanks to the energy consumption. But this may change with the usage of power-saving mechanisms. Consensus mechanisms are the lifeline that make or break a blockchain network. Remember Blockchain? That venerable keyword that had the industry dissected some years ago? A consensus mechanism is an algorithm that helps reach a conclusion within a group of related parties. Such an algorithm is the lifeline of any decentralised network. The practicality and efficiency of blockchain projects relies enormously upon the utilisation of a consensus mechanism. Blockchain, the alternate universe which powered popular cryptocurrencies…

In the hands of a legal professional, such a tool with its nuance and ability to spot trends is a highly disruptive tool”, says Sai. “So, Babu sir helps people file documents for quick redressal,” informs an ex-colleague about a retired cop who has turned to helping people with police correspondence. “Since he is an ex-cop, he writes in a language and nuance that the local station easily understands. Babu usually charges up to Rs 5,000 for such documentation work. He remains busy through the week. It sure seems like a good source to sustain,” adds my ex-colleague. Image Credit:…