Author: Uma Iyer

The key to successful monetisation is to find a way to generate revenue that is both sustainable and fair to users. ‘Amazon will start showing ads to users of its Prime Video service across the world, it has announced.’ Many other providers, along with this one, have announced a change in pricing strategy, as profit and bottomline are now required to sustain the business. Amazon announced that customers who want to avoid advertising will have to pay an extra fee. For example, UK Prime subscribers will be charged £2.99 to go ad-free. This change is not novel to Amazon alone,…

If we give algorithms total control over our decisions, they can influence what we eat and how we behave, our choices may be influenced by an entity we cannot control. Envision a world where the food is prepared and ready to eat before you even have a chance to think about what you want to eat. The ingredients are sourced, the meal is cooked, and the dishes are cleaned up, all while you relax and enjoy your evening. Sounds good if you are thinking about what to cook or order for your next meal right? Image Credit: Muhammad Shahid on…

“Most Self-checkout systems rely on customers to scan and bag items making it easy to steal items or manipulate the system.” ‘Booths removes almost all self-service checkouts and puts staff back behind tills as experts say the move will cut shoplifting: ‘We listen to our customers’ – they want to speak to a real human”- Daily Mail title reads. But is it so simple to track back to the previous state which will have a semblance of the past? Let’s take a look at the route to balance restoration or is it just a gimmick? Image Credit: Dawn Verdaguer on…

Open banking is a win-win for both customers and banks, and it is a trend that is here to stay, Uma explains. Barter was the initial method of trading. Coins and metals eventually came to be used to give value to trade. In the past, banks operated in isolation, creating a monopoly. Eventually, many banks in India were nationalized. However, those days are gone, and banks have had to adopt an open culture. Open banking is the new era, allowing information to be shared outside of banks. This allows fintechs to work with the data and provide convenience and security…

Despite cloud being the buzzword in IT, why is it not as straightforward for organizations seeking Next Generation operations? For most enterprises, cloud and SaaS-based solutions are the preferred option when specifying requirements for Next Generation tools. However, there is more to consider than meets the eye. Achieving the ideal solution you desire comes at a cost, and as Sima aunty would say, this means “compromise and adjustment.”(Reference: Pop Culture Netflix show Indian Matchmaking!) Cloud computing metaphor: the group of networked elements providing services does not need to be addressed or managed individually by users; instead, the entire provider-managed suite…

Rapid technological advancements have the potential to provide solutions and make the digital world supportive by acting as a “digital companion.” You’re probably going to find most of the stuff on social media fascinating, educational, and entertaining. But occasionally, you might come across ominous and even dangerous information online. These could include violent YouTube videos, explicit content showing scenes of animal abuse and beheadings, or news stories about interpersonal or workplace violence. Image Credit: Freepik I was taken aback by some of the case studies pertaining to different forms of violence that people can encounter when I picked up a…

It is likely that virtual assessments will play an increasingly important role in the future of work, academics and more says Uma. After the Covid-19 pandemic, virtual assessments have become increasingly popular in education. Virtual universities have sprung up all over the place, and online assessments are now widely used for a variety of purposes, including submitting assignments, taking initial assessments to gauge students’ interests and skills, and taking general psychometric tests. Let’s take a deeper dive to explore the phenomena and the future. Image Credit: gpointstudio on Freepik Advantages vs Challenges There are many advantages to using virtual assessments.…

A 500-metre testing unit for hyperloop pod prototype, developed by students of IIT Madras, is one of the models chosen by Musk’s SpaceX. IIT Madras has become the centre for hyperloop development in India, sparking a discussion about when the futuristic travel mode will be available in the country. A 500-metre testing unit for the hyperloop pod prototype, which was developed by IIT Madras students, has been funded by L&T Technology Services. The design aims to reach speeds of up to 1,200 kilometres per hour, and it was one of the models chosen by Elon Musk’s SpaceX organisation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvZ814pKJPo History:…

“I do believe that wearables are here to stay, and it is only a matter of time before they are integrated into contact lenses,” says Uma. The other night, I was gazing at the moon when I suddenly picked up my phone and started zooming in and taking pictures. My first thought was, “How cool would it be if our eyes could take pictures of what we see, exactly the way we see it?” In 2013, I participated in a hackathon with the newly launched Google Glass. Our case study was a heating specialist fixing an electric heater. The technician…

Big retailers do self-service checkouts in many countries, so it may well be a cashier-less check out soon, but not anytime soon. The advent of online shopping has sent many of the traditional high-street and whole-sale outlets to bankruptcy. Amazon however did a U-turn by setting up 68 brick-and-mortar book-stores carrying toys, books and home goods. In March 2022, however, they announced closure of the ones both in the US and UK. Amazon Books store. (Image Credit: Michael Sauers on Flickr) Amazon then switched to grocery markets and department store concepts. However, in July they closed three stores in London.…