Telecom equipment maker Ericsson has partnered with Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) to launch a Center of Excellence (CoE) at Delhi Skill & Entrepreneurship University (DSEU). The CoE will train students on 5G and emerging technologies along with job placements post the completion of the selected module by the student. Around 300 students will receive the training in the first year of the program. The rollout of 5G networks in India, the rapid adoption of smartphones and IoTdevices in the country, as well as the boost in the manufacturing sector, have led to the creation of new skill requirements in the telecom sector. Ericsson together with TSSC is looking at addressing this gap by providing training and skill development to students in addition to providing career opportunities in the telecom sector. Ericsson-TSSC student upskill program: DetailsThe modules being offered to students include training to be a 5G network engineer, technical training for handheld devices and for IOT devices/systems as well as line assembly of telecom products. The industry-approved training modules include theory lessons as well as hands-on practical training for the students in the Skill Labs set up in the CoE. Ericsson’s other educational initiatives in India Ericsson’s educational initiatives in India include providing financial support to girls from underprivileged sections of society who are pursuing technical education. As part of its Connect To Learn initiative, Ericsson has been running 40 centres across the country to provide ICT and soft skills training to underprivileged youth to boost their employability. Furthermore, to stimulate students’ interest in technology and provide digital skills including coding, programming and robotics, Ericsson has set up 15 Robotic Labs in the country. Through Ericsson’s flagship program Connect to Learn, 400,000 children and young adults in 36 countries have been provided with access to digital learning and skills development programs.

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has been working on its next-gen foldable devices for some time now. Now, the company’s CEO, Lei Jun took to X to confirm the launch date of the Mi Mix Fold 3 foldable smartphone. The smartphone will succeed the Mi Mix Fold 2 smartphone that debuted in 2022. Apart from the foldable smartphone, the company may also launch the Xiaomi Pad 6 Max tablet and the Redmi K60 Ultra smartphone at the same event. In the teaser shared on Twitter, Xiaomi revealed official images of the smartphone which also confirms its overall design. The upcoming smartphone can be seen sporting a Leica-branded rear quad-camera system and appears to have slightly curved corners. The smartphone is expected to compete with other foldable phones like Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, Pixel Fold and Honor Magic V Fold. Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold 3: Launch timing and other details Xiaomi’s CEO has already confirmed that the Mi Mix Fold 3 smartphone will be launched at an event which will be held in China. Jun has confirmed that the upcoming foldable smartphone will launch in the company’s domestic market on August 14. Apart from this, the company has also shared official renders of the upcoming phone on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo. These renders show the Mi Mix Fold 3 from all angles in both folded and unfolded modes. The Weibo post shows the smartphone in a sleek design and two colour options – black and cream colour variants. The company is yet to reveal any key specs of the smartphone.Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold 3: Expected specsAccording to a report by GizmoChina, the Mi Mix Fold 3 is expected to feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and a periscope telephoto lens. The foldable smartphone may also pack a 4,800 mAh battery unit that is likely to support 67W fast charging.

Any development globally has no impact on the company’s India business, said CEO Karan Virwani He added that despite the challenges brought by the pandemic, the Indian arm emerged profitable early last year The company ended FY23 with a revenue of INR 1,400 Cr and INR 250 Cr in earnings, said Virwani Even after global workspace provider WeWork expressed “substantial doubt” regarding its ability to continue as a going concern, its Indian arm has claimed to remain unaffected by it. “Since its inception, WeWork India has been backed by the Embassy Group which holds the majority stake and control to run and operate WeWork Global’s business in India. Any development globally has no impact on our business here,” said Karan Virwani, CEO, WeWork India, in a statement on Wednesday. It is pertinent to note that the New York-based WeWork warned of a possible bankruptcy, which has turned out to be a sharp reverse of fortune for this Softbank-backed one of the most celebrated names in the global startup ecosystem. During its quarterly earnings for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, WeWork said, “…as a result of the Company’s losses and projected cash needs, combined with increased member churn and current liquidity levels, substantial doubt exists about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.” The company reported a net loss of $696 Mn in the first half of 2023 as against $1,139 Mn reported in the last year’s period. However, WeWork India’s Virwani said that despite the challenges brought by the pandemic, the Indian arm emerged profitable early last year. He said that it ended FY23 with a revenue of INR 1,400 Cr and INR 250 Cr in earnings.  “We have built a strong network of local stakeholders, members, landlords and developers who are increasingly looking to partner with us. We are focussed on growth with sustained profitability, and the fundamentals of our business remain strong,” Virwani added. Notably, WeWork India has continued to expand its footprint in the country. As of October last year, it had more than 6 Mn square feet of assets signed across 40 locations in the country in cities, including Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune, and Hyderabad. In June this year, WeWork India reportedly took a lease of over 1 lakh square feet of office space in Hyderabad after taking on lease a 2.2 lakh square feet of office space in Bengaluru. Last year, the coworking space provider announced its first investment in Bengaluru-based conferencing and collaboration platform Zoapi to enhance the hybrid workspace model. In December last year, WeWork India secured INR 550 Cr ($66.4 Mn) from Hong Kong-based BPEA Credit.

Communication plays a role in effective leadership, especially for CEOs who need to master various communication strategies to lead their organizations successfully. In this article, we will explore strategies that CEOs can utilize to communicate effectively with their teams, stakeholders, and the wider business community. 1. Open and Transparent Internal Communication Transparent internal communication involves consistently sharing information, updates, and insights within the organization. By being open about company goals, performance, and changes CEOs foster an environment of trust and engagement among employees. This approach ensures that employees are well-informed about the company’s direction and understand how their roles contribute to its objectives. It also encourages a culture of accountability where employees feel empowered to take ownership of their work and contribute to the company’s success. 2. Crafting an Inspiring Vision CEOs possess the ability to articulate an inspiring vision, for their organization’s future. Through storytelling techniques, they create a narrative that resonates with employees’ aspirations. This vision not guides decision-making but also motivates employees by providing them with a sense of purpose and direction. When employees form a connection to the company’s vision they are more inclined to collaborate and go above and beyond to bring that vision to life. 3. Tailoring Messages for Different Audiences CEOs communicate with groups each having their interests and concerns. To effectively resonate with employees, investors, customers, and the media CEOs adapt their messages according to the needs of each audience. By adjusting the language, tone, and content of their communication CEOs address the perspectives of these groups. This fosters impactful and relevant communication building stronger relationships and promoting a deeper understanding of the company’s value proposition. 4. The Importance of Active Listening Listening is a crucial skill for CEOs to develop. By listening to feedback concerns and ideas from employees and stakeholders alike CEOs show respect for their opinions. This not makes employees feel valued but also enriches decision-making by incorporating diverse viewpoints into strategic plans. Encouraging listening through sessions like town halls and open forums nurtures a culture of transparency and inclusivity. It creates an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their thoughts. 5. Effective Communication – in Times of Crisis During periods of crisis, CEOS need to communicate openly and promptly while maintaining transparency. Effective crisis communication is about acknowledging the challenges providing accurate information and outlining the steps being taken to address the situation. By keeping lines of communication open CEOs can inspire confidence maintain trust and minimize any damage to the organization’s reputation. Furthermore, transparent crisis communication reassures stakeholders that the company is actively managing the situation thereby preventing speculation and misinformation from spreading. 6. Utilizing Digital Communication Channels CEOs have an opportunity to connect directly with an audience by leveraging digital platforms such as social media, blogs, and podcasts. These channels allow CEOs to showcase their side share valuable insights and highlight the company’s culture. By engaging on these platforms CEOs can establish a more genuine connection with stakeholders and build a stronger online presence. Engaging in real-time conversations, responding to comments promptly, and offering behind-the-scenes glimpses enables CEOs to create an experience that resonates with digitally savvy audiences. 7. Personalized One on One Communication Developing relationships through one on one communication with stakeholders like employees investors and partners is invaluable. This personalized approach demonstrates the CEO’s commitment to fostering connections. By listening to individual concerns while providing direct support and expressing appreciation, for contributions made by stakeholders; CEOs can enhance loyalty and engagement levels. Interactions on a one-on-one basis can also serve as a platform for mentorship enabling CEOs to offer guidance and share insights based on their experience. 8. Maintaining Consistent Messaging Consistency in messaging plays a role in establishing credibility and building a strong corporate identity. CEOs should ensure that their communication aligns with the company’s values, vision, and objectives across channels. By maintaining messaging organizations reinforce their brand and build trust among stakeholders. It also prevents confusion. Ensures that all stakeholders have a clear and unified understanding of the company’s goals and initiatives. 9. Promoting Collaborative Communication CEOs foster communication by creating platforms for open dialogue and sharing of ideas. This approach empowers employees to contribute their thoughts express concerns and provide feedback. By involving employees in decision-making processes CEOs cultivate a culture that values ownership and mutual respect. Collaborative communication not boosts employee engagement but also taps into the collective intelligence of the workforce leading to innovative solutions and continuous improvement. 10. Assessing Communication Impact Evaluating the impact of communication efforts is essential for improvement. CEOs should monitor metrics such as feedback from employees and stakeholders’ levels of engagement well as employee satisfaction surveys. Analyzing these data points helps CEOs refine their communication strategies to ensure they remain effective and responsive, to evolving needs. Measuring the impact of communication also provides insights into how effective different communication channels are and helps CEOs make well-informed decisions about allocating resources. photo credit: Sebastiaan ter Burg / Flickr To Conclude… Being a communicator is a key characteristic of successful CEOs. By practicing transparent internal communication creating inspiring visions tailoring messages to diverse audiences and actively listening to feedback CEOs can build strong connections with their teams and stakeholders. Additionally handling crises through communication strategies utilizing digital communication platforms engaging in personalized one, on one interaction and employing other tactics further enhance their ability to communicate effectively. Consistently delivering messages fostering collaborative communication environments and evaluating the impact of their communication efforts all contribute to establishing themselves as skilled communicators who drive organizational success.

Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), an agency operating under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has issued a warning for Google Chrome users. Classified as ‘high severity,’ this warning pertains to the discovery of multiple vulnerabilities within specific versions of Google Chrome.The role of CERT-In encompasses addressing and managing cybersecurity threats, encompassing issues such as hacking and phishing. Their latest advisory underscores the potential risks linked with using certain iterations of the popular web browser.What’s the threatThe advisory divulges that “Multiple vulnerabilities have been reported in Google Chrome which could be exploited by an attacker to execute arbitrary code and gain access to sensitive information on the targeted system.” The gravity of the situation calls for immediate action to safeguard users’ data and systems from potential breaches.The vulnerabilities in question have been attributed by CERT-In to several factors, including ‘use after free’ scenarios in prompts, Web Payments API, SwiftShader, Vulkan, Video, and WebRTC. Additionally, a heap buffer overflow in Video and integer overflow in PDF have contributed to this issue. The concerning part is that a remote attacker could potentially exploit these vulnerabilities by luring unsuspecting victims to visit maliciously crafted web pages.List of all the vulnerabilities foundThe vulnerabilities highlighted by CERT-In are as follows:– CVE-2023-0927– CVE-2023-0928– CVE-2023-0929– CVE-2023-0930– CVE-2023-0931– CVE-2023-0932– CVE-2023-0933– CVE-2023-0941Affected versionsGoogle Chrome versions prior to 115.0.5790.170 for Linux and MacGoogle Chrome versions prior to 115.0.5790.170/.171 for WindowsWhat users can do?CERT-In has recommended users to promptly apply the latest available security patches for the browser. On a positive note, Google has already dropped the latest version of Chrome which includes fixes for these vulnerabilities.

Synthesia hasn’t always been considered at the sharp end of the generative AI industry. For six years, Riparbelli and his cofounders labored outside the spotlight in pursuit of their mission to invent a way to make video without using any camera equipment. Back in 2017, there were not a lot of investors who thought that was very interesting, says Riparbelli, who’s now 31. But then ChatGPT came along. And the Danish CEO was catapulted into London’s burgeoning AI elite alongside founders of companies like DeepMind, owned by Alphabet since 2014, which is currently working on a ChatGPT competitor, and Stability AI, the startup behind image generator Stable Diffusion. In June, Synthesia announced a funding round that valued it at $1 billion. That’s not quite the $29 billion price tag OpenAI received in May—but it’s still a giant $700 million increase compared to two years ago, the last time investors poured over Synthesia’s business. I meet Riparbelli over Zoom. He joins the call from his family’s vacation home on a Danish island, his childhood bunk bed in the frame behind him. Growing up in Copenhagen, Riparbelli became interested in computers through gaming and electronic music. Looking back, he believes being able to make techno with only his laptop, from Denmark—not a place known for its clubs or music industry—was a big influence for what he does now. “It was much more about who can make great music and upload it to SoundCloud or YouTube than about who lives in Hollywood and has a dad who works in the music industry,” he says. To get to that same point, he believes video has a long way to go because it still requires so much equipment. “It’s inherently restrictive because it’s very expensive to do.” After graduation, Riparbelli got into the Danish startup scene, building what he describes as “vanilla” technologies, like accounting software. Dissatisfied, he moved to London in search of something more sci-fi. After trying his hand at crypto and VR projects, he started reading about deepfakes and found himself gripped by the potential. In 2017, he joined up with fellow Dane, Steffen Tjerrild, and two computer vision professors, Lourdes Agapito and Matthias Niessner, and together they launched Synthesia. Over the past six years, the company has built a dizzying library of avatars. They’re available in different genders, skin tones, and uniforms. There are hipsters and call center workers. Santa is available in multiple ethnicities. Within Synthesia’s platform, clients can customize the language their avatars speak, their accents, even at what point in a script they raise their eyebrows. Riparbelli says his favorite is Alex, a classically pretty but unremarkable avatar who looks to be in her mid-twenties and has mid-length brown hair. There is a real human version of Alex who’s out there wandering the streets somewhere. Synthesia trains its algorithms on footage of actors filmed in its own production studios. Owning that data is a big draw to investors. “Basically what all their algorithms need is 3D data, because it’s all about understanding how humans are moving, how they are talking,” says Philippe Botteri, partner at venture capital firm Accel, which led Synthesia’s latest funding round. “And for that, you need a very specific set of data that is not available.”

Gideon: I hear you navigating a kind of, I guess, a broad political space. I hear you talking like someone who is part of both left and right political groupings. You know, you obviously—a lot of the people that you hang out with in Silicon Valley, or around Elon, are libertarians or conservatives, and then there’s a lot of progressives as well, and from the backgrounds that you habitually hang out in, I’m guessing. So am I right that I see youth trying to thread together different political viewpoints and think about how they can be integrated? Grimes: Yes. I really think one of our biggest issues right now is the polarization. Like, I refuse to be left or right. Like, you know, like, I’m—I’m scared about what we’re doing to young men and the discourse around men right now. Lauren: What part scares you? Grimes: There are a lot of issues with like male toxicity, but like—like we’re seriously, like we’re just telling men they’re evil for, like, things that they can’t—like testosterone is like a crazy war drug. Like why can’t there be a political platform that, like, makes space and room for—and honors—masculinity, like traditional masculinity, and like encourages it to be better in a constructive way, rather than, like, tearing it apart, that’s still is like into women’s rights and access to abortion and trans rights. It’s like, why are these things dichotomous? Like—like why are they fighting each other? Like— Lauren: What do you think is an effective way to do that though? Grimes: I—I think for me, it’s always about, like, the carrot and not the stick. What I would love to see is sort of, um, celebration of the good parts of masculinity. Like, how do you create a discourse that, like, encourages men to, like, push themselves and, like, be chivalrous? And like—like how do you romanticize, uh, a type of masculinity that is really respectful of women and supportive of discipline and like, I don’t know, like all the shit everyone makes fun of, but like— Gideon: I think I understand what you’re trying to say again. I mean, it feels like you’re saying, simply, the default way to criticize toxic masculinity is to try to take apart masculinity itself. And instead— Grimes: I think that, I think that’s, I think that’s what happens with—what’s happening too much, is like in our attempts to get rid of the things that have been so, so destructive, I think we’re tearing apart masculinity as a whole. Lauren: Should we do a rapid-fire round? Gideon: Sure, I’ll start off. What keeps you up at night? Grimes: We have an education crisis across the board, like kind of globally. Gideon Mm-hmm. Grimes: Almost everything to do with how we raise kids. Gideon: What makes you optimistic? Grimes: Young people, kids. I see a lot of Gen Z stuff that’s like scary and bad and traumatizing, but like every Gen Z person that I personally know, I’m just like, “Wow, fuck yeah. You are so sick. Oh my God. And like, so enlightened.” I mean, my kids, it’s like, you realize humans are actually born really great. We just fuck ourselves up, but like we start out awesome. Like we start out like enlightened, and, like, you know, I—I think that gives me a lot of faith, that like the natural state of the human is, like, a—a pretty wonderful one.

James Field, founder and CEO of LabGenius. Photograph: LabGenius The tests are almost fully automated, with an array of high-end equipment involved in preparing samples and running them through the various stages of the testing process: Antibodies are grown based on their genetic sequence and then put to the test on biological assays—samples of the diseased tissue that they’ve been designed to tackle. Humans oversee the process, but their job is largely to move samples from one machine to the next. “When you have the experimental results from that first set of 700 molecules, that information gets fed back to the model and is used to refine the model’s understanding of the space,” says Field. In other words, the algorithm begins to build a picture of how different antibody designs change the effectiveness of treatment—with each subsequent round of antibody designs, it gets better, carefully balancing exploitation of potentially fruitful designs with exploration of new areas. “A challenge with conventional protein engineering is, as soon as you find something that works a bit, you tend to make a very large number of very small tweaks to that molecule to see if you can further refine it,” Field says. Those tweaks may improve one property—how easily the antibody can be made at scale, for instance—but have a disastrous effect on the many other attributes required, such as selectivity, toxicity, potency, and more. The conventional approach means you may be barking up the wrong tree, or missing the wood for the trees—endlessly optimizing something that works a little bit, when there may be far better options in a completely different part of the map. You’re also constrained by the number of tests you can run, or the number of “shots on goal,” as Field puts it. This means human protein-engineers tend to look for things they know will work. “As a result of that, you get all of these heuristics or rules of thumb that human protein-engineers do to try and find the safe spaces,” Field says. “But as a consequence of that you quickly get the accumulation of dogma.” The LabGenius approach yields unexpected solutions that humans may not have thought of, and finds them more quickly: It takes just six weeks from setting up a problem to finishing the first batch, all directed by machine learning models. LabGenius has raised $28 million from the likes of Atomico and Kindred, and is beginning to partner with pharmaceutical companies, offering its services like a consultancy. Field says the automated approach could be rolled out to other forms of drug discovery too, turning the long, “artisanal” process of drug discovery into something more streamlined. Ultimately, Field says, it’s a recipe for better care: antibody treatments that are more effective, or have fewer side effects than existing ones designed by humans. “You find molecules that you would never have found using conventional methods,” he says. “They’re very distinct and often counterintuitive to designs that you as a human would come up with—which should enable us to find molecules with better properties, which ultimately translates into better outcomes for patients.” This article appears in the September/October 2023 edition of WIRED UK magazine.

Amazon is celebrating four years of Alexa in India. In order to mark the occasion, Amazon has launched a Hindi and multilingual mode in India. The Amazon Echo device users in India can now use the multilingual mode and switch between Hindi, English, and Hinglish when making requests to Alexa without having to change their language settings each time. Why Amazon introduced the new Hinglish mode in IndiaThe US-based giant revealed that in many households Hinglish has become a commonly spoken dialect in India households. This unique conversational style was the reason for Amazon to develop the multilingual mode for Alexa, with India becoming the first country where this was launched. How users can use the Hinglish modeThe Amazon Alexa users can easily make requests like “Alexa, Bollywood ke latest songs sunao”, “Alexa, Delhi ka weather kaisa hai?”, “Alexa, solar system ke baare mein batao”, and “Alexa, makar rashi ka horoscope batao” in the Hinglish mode.Alexa’s desi-ness in India delights customersAlexa in India also harbours uniquely ‘desi’ and charming responses that continue to delight customers. They enjoy getting to know about Alexa’s likes, dislikes, and personal preferences on topics that matter most to Indians. For example: “Alexa, kaisi ho?”, “Alexa, kya tumhe garmi lagti hai?”, “Alexa, filmy dialogue sunao”, “Alexa, tumhara favourite cricketer kaun hai?”, “Alexa, tell me a Bollywood joke”, and “Alexa, kya bolti tu?”.How to activate multilingual mode To activate multilingual mode, customers can simply say, “Alexa, speak in English and Hindi” or “Alexa, Hindi aur English bolo”. Customers can also opt for this language setting by navigating to their Echo device settings on the Alexa mobile app.

IdeaForge’s shares have been on the decline for the past six trading sessions, falling 13% during the period However, IdeaForge’s stock is still trading around 50% higher than its issue price of INR 672 per share The share price failed to rally despite the dronetech startup announcing bagging an INR 88 Cr order from the Ministry of Defence Shares of the listed drone startup IdeaForge slipped 6% to INR 1,008.05 on the BSE in Wednesday’s intraday trade after the drone maker announced its first quarterly results since its stock market debut last month, the lowest since its market debut on July 7. The stock has been on the decline for the past six trading sessions, falling 13% during the period. Currently, IdeaForge shares are trading at INR 1,015.70 apiece as of 01:42 PM on Wednesday (August 9). The market price of the company has corrected 25% from its record-high level of INR 1,344 touched on listing day. However, the stock is still trading around 50% higher than its issue price of INR 672 per share, having listed at INR 1,300 on the BSE, a 94% premium over the issue price. The share price failed to rally despite the drone startup announcing bagging an INR 88 Cr order from the Ministry of Defence for the supply of surveillance quadcopters with accessories. The development comes after IdeaForge reported a 54% year-on-year (YoY) decline in its consolidated profit at INR 18.86 Cr for the April-June 2023 quarter (Q1 FY24) as against INR 41.25 Cr in the year-ago quarter (Q1FY23). The company had reported a loss of INR 5.42 Cr in the previous quarter (Q4FY23). Revenue from operations was down 2.2% YoY to INR 97.07 Cr from INR 99.27 Cr. However, on a sequential basis, the company’s revenue from operations grew 151% from INR 38.66 Cr in Q4FY23 with an EBITDA margin of 3.1%. “Given the nature and nascent stage of the drone industry in our country, our business performance is not immediately comparable on a quarterly basis,” Ankit Mehta, the CEO of ideaForge, said. After the results were announced, the CEO said that IdeaForge has made ‘notable strides’ in its ability to innovate by introducing products engineered to serve a wide ambit of use cases. “The launch of the new Netra V4 Pro UAV as well as initiating the development of UAV logistics platform are a testament to this fact. Aligning with the sectoral opportunities, we are actively pursuing new product development and business models,” said Mehta.