Author: Uma Iyer

ISRO has had 34 launches in the last decade, successfully sending up 121 satellites, 75 of them foreign. Uma Iyer finds out how this Indian juggernaut went international. The Indian Space Research Organization, or ISRO has come a long way since its humble beginnings of requesting other countries to launch its first Satellite Aryabhata in Russian soils to be at the forefront of international collaborations. It not only challenged the costs levied by the big wigs of NASA and all other coveted international counterparts, it now has done what the Indian market does best, launch satellites in wholesale. OneWeb, the…

Uma Iyer explains how in an encrypted post-analog age the code of tomorrow may have no code at all. Since the dawn of the species, humanity has been coding over the hardwiring of their brains to compute, understand, evolve, create, and thrive in an apathetic universe. One of the ways of coding information has been in the form of language, its use and interpretation. Computers, like humans, have evolved over time and have a language of their own. This language, as with many human languages, is now being democratized. I wrote the word ‘democratize’ above and Google gave me a…

Uma Iyer explores how the technological boom of apps and tracking devices is transforming the fitness industry. Did you ring in the new year with a promise that you will eat clean, join the gym and head out for the run every morning at 5:00 a.m.? Or did you get a new subscription with Noom? Or treat yourself to a fancy apple watch to close those coveted rings? Surely for some, at the end of the month, the gadgets have found their place under your couch or in some corner by now! Myzone App (Image Credit: Myzone) Fitness has now…

Uma Iyer reflects on the future of layoffs in a post-pandemic economy witnessing the rise of Artificial Intelligence The prospect of being laid off has been the terror for employees since COVID. Although this fear eventually eased off, it was viewed as inevitable in view of rising inflation and an impending recession. The current Google firing has brought it to fruition and it is hard to say if it is one of many to come in the wake of tools like ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence taking over the mantle from the unfortunate employees. Image Credit: Wikipedia Right from Elon Musk…

With Augmented Reality bending our sense of the ‘real’, cognitive learning becomes important to keep the users safe, Uma Iyer explores… Augmented Reality (AR), as it says on the tin, is reality extended to see the things normal eyes may not perceive. Place your phone on the hand and augmented reality can show the parts of the bones that connect to the tissues and muscles. Ironman movie concepts are not a myth. So, when one manipulates the reality, while ‘altering’, ‘extending’ or ‘augmenting’ it, it does come with its fair share of challenges along with the scores of benefits that…

Ever wondered how fonts can impact the very development of technological progress? Uma Iyer explains how fonts changed the movement of technology itself. Think about reading a full article in the font above and typing hundreds of commands to get to the article you are reading. The fact is that we take many things for granted. One of the most important aspects of anyone getting to an article and reading it has a lot to do with not only how it’s structured, but subconsciously how it renders on a device as well. Technology currently would be very different but for…

Uma Iyer examines the ins and outs of the biggest data centers across India, and their plans for the future With a tightening of regulations, data centers are becoming highly localized. There are over 130 data centers in India and are expected to power 1700 MW by 2025. “The current data centre capacity is around 870 mw which is expected to double to 1,700-1,800 mw by fiscal 2025, according to a Crisil report which says this massive growth is being powered by the troika of data boom, digital adoption and local data storage mandates. This massive capacity addition will require…

Uma Iyer explores the dire prospects that sit in the path of the IT industry in the face of a possible global economic slowdown With the COVID crisis looming over China once again and a predicted economic slowdown, hard times are looking far from over. The IMF predicts that the largest economies China, Euro and the United States are slowing down. The worst, however, is yet to come and 2023 will be like a recession. The cost of living crisis has become more apparent. While the dollar strengthens, inflation in the emerging markets and developing countries like India are going…

Uma Iyer explores the strange new world of click baits, why they are so effective, and how you are compelled to click on it One click is enough to trigger a series of events. Click baits are the new ‘pied pipers’ of news! There are teams who are able to come up with very creative click baits. Click baits are what it says on the tin, bait for the user to be lured into and either get information, or manipulate users or increase readability of web-pages. Click baits can range from headlines to pictures. Click here to get a Rs…

Uma Iyer examines the characteristics, both positive and negative, of leaders that often drive innovation but by maximizing toxicity in workspaces What do Elon Musk and Steve Jobs have in common? They are viewed as leaders keen to create and roll out products that not only help generations view technology differently but also extremely user-friendly. They both have been viewed as leaders who are disrupting the work culture in the organization particularly creating anxiety in search of perfection! But both are also seen as toxic in their own right. Berating employees, forcing them to work longer hours at static pays,…