Author: Uma Iyer

Uma on why this one single charger reduces our need to rummage through our stack of chargers to find that one ‘perfect’ charger that will fit everything. Apple is finally moving to USB-C, read the headline. While many other devices were already on it, like the Google Chromebook Pixel, Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note 10., Nokia N1 tablet, OnePlus 2, Xiaomi Mi 5, Huawei Mate 9 and HTC 10, Apple still continues to run on older connectors like iPhone SE (2nd/3rd generation), iPod touch (7th generation), Apple Watch Series 3 and earlier and HomePod mini. For the unversed,…

Until the non-invasive option is fully available, it is better to ensure that we live a life with balanced nutrition, physical activity and enough rest to avoid diabetes. The minute one hears about glucose or insulin resistance or diabetes, apart from the medication, it is a constant worry about the pricking and prodding to keep the count in check! It is more difficult for little children and the elderly who may have clotting issues. The invasiveness has drastically reduced over a period of time with more wearable technologies, however, it still remains quite difficult to manage. India has an estimated…

Reels, Social Media etc. are here to stay, but striking the balance is a two way street. Mindless consumption can to mental-breakdown says Uma. Recently I picked up my phone and started browsing through reels. When I looked up at the clock, I had spent 3 hours on mindless scrolling. It started as a harmless 2:00 p.m. activity, but it went on till 5:00 p.m. What was intriguing was the choice of feeds that were fed through the reels. They were in line with my interests, the songs were catchy, and the feeds were intellectual. They were not mindless dance…

“Artistic liberties leveraging original art will always be controversial and fairness and ethics will remain questionable”, says Uma. Yesterday, I heard the Sonu Nigam song ‘Har ghadi badal rahi hai roop zindagi’. With a click of a button the song was overlaid by Arijit Singh’s voice. Only difference, Arijit Singh never sang it! Later, it was easily overlaid by Michael Jackson’s voice. The song itself is reflective of today’s life, Life changes by the second. And how life has changed! Anyone can replace any song traditionally sung in anyone’s voice, without actually having a different singer singing it, all this…

What the assistants can help with is to reduce the chore/drudgery and give more time for meaningful work and engagement, says Uma. When I started my career in 2000, to get an appointment with my boss I needed to go via a personal assistant. They synced up calendars, understood the boss’s preferences and set up meetings seamlessly, took notes, and generated summaries. In 2020, executive assistants were slowly getting replaced as meeting calendars were semi-automated and most IT companies tried to reduce cost centers. Assistants have now gone digital, but can they be the same empathetic people that once understood…

AI is becoming increasingly sophisticated, and it is becoming more difficult to tell the difference between human/AI generated content, says Uma Iyer. With all the conversations about AI, it is natural to wonder if anything we see on the internet is AI generated or AI powered. Is the above statement AI generated? Yes, it is! Can I use a bot to write this article completely? Turns out I can. Few questions and the entire article can be typed up by a bot! Image Credit: Cottonbro Studio from Pexels Key AI Statistics 1. The global AI market value is expected to…

Awide variety of industries utilize blockchain technology to boost their bottom line, but it still seems to have avoided the ‘Tulip mania’, Uma explains. In the 17th century the price of tulip bulbs skyrocketed. As the price of tulip bulbs increased, more and more people bought them, hoping to make a profit. However, the price of tulip bulbs eventually collapsed, and many people lost a lot of money. This had a significant impact on the Dutch economy, as many people had invested heavily in tulip bulbs. The period was called Tulip Mania. Every generation has its own craze. Cryptocurrencies and…

AI, currently, does give indication that it is taking more than it gives from our time, thought, data, privacy and more, says Uma. Artificial Intelligence is the biggest discussion and seller in anyone’s resume today. Every organisation advertising for new roles is looking for individuals who have the magic words,’Automation’ or ‘Machine Learning’ or ‘Deep learning’, in their CVs. All organisations have their front page mentioning the use of machine learning and AI enhancing their product and service catalogue. But truly what does it all mean and what is it going to cost us? Let’s explore. Grammarly: Free Writing AI…

Will Emails ever be replaced by something else more ground breaking, wonders Uma. Emails replaced the standard ‘snail-mail’ and ‘post office’, however, 40 years on since its inception, has much changed? Let’s look back on the changing face of human connection and communication. Imagine the year 1990, my grand father used to visit the local post office and buy blue inland letters, stamps of various denominations, and yellow postcards to replenish the stock to avoid emergencies. When people in our family got married, the standard practice was to send the wedding invites by post along with a personal yellow card…

It is assumed that 1.4 billion people are using chatbots, with top 5- countries being the United States and India. Interactive Voice Responses (IVR) was the key term in early 2000’s where back offices had business process outsourcing units (BPO’s) mushrooming in developing nations. The key was to learn and neutralize accents (American and British), to support various companies. Scores of hours and metrics used to go in calculating wait time of customers, call resolution times and many other aspects. I remember, when I joined my first job where I miserably failed in rolling my R’s! Cut to 2023, I…