UPS launches its first technology center in India

UPS has opened its first technology centre in Chennai, India, with a focus on innovation to improve customer experience. The centre was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, and is led by Dr. Subramani Ramakrishan. UPS has already hired 100 professionals in Chennai and plans to hire up to 1,000 by 2025 across India. The company aims to leverage advanced technologies such as AI, automation, and robotics to enhance its logistics capabilities in the fast-growing Indian market. https://ift.tt/l2E4MrX

Foxconn founder Terry Gou plans to run in Taiwan's 2024 presidential election as an independent candidate, after an unsuccessful bid in 2019 (Chun Han Wong/Wall Street Journal)

Chun Han Wong / Wall Street Journal:
Foxconn founder Terry Gou plans to run in Taiwan's 2024 presidential election as an independent candidate, after an unsuccessful bid in 2019  —  Terry Gou's independent candidacy could split opposition vote and boost the ruling party, which seeks closer U.S. ties amid Chinese pressure

US Judge dismisses lawsuit accusing Google’s spam filters of biasses

A US federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Republican National Committee (RNC) against Google over allegations of biased spam filters on Gmail. The judge cited Section 230 of US law and stated that the RNC had not provided enough evidence to prove that Google had acted in bad faith. The RNC claimed that Gmail marked Republican emails as spam more often, but the study they referenced was criticized for cherry-picking findings. The court ruled that the RNC could amend the lawsuit to establish a lack of good faith. https://ift.tt/op2YR9i

A look at the US Air Force's efforts to build an AI-based air combat system, including drones for as little as $3M apiece that serve pilots as a "loyal wingman" (Eric Lipton/New York Times)

Eric Lipton / New York Times:
A look at the US Air Force's efforts to build an AI-based air combat system, including drones for as little as $3M apiece that serve pilots as a “loyal wingman”  —  An Air Force program shows how the Pentagon is starting to embrace the potential of a rapidly emerging technology …

Laptop import restrictions: US has a 'problem' with licence mandate

The Indian government has added laptops, tablets, and personal computers to the list of restricted imports, requiring a license from the DGFT. The US trade chief, Katherine Tai, has expressed concerns over the new rule, fearing it could impact exports from companies like Apple and Dell. The Indian government stated that the restrictions are in place to safeguard citizen security and will only allow imports from trusted sources. Exemptions have been provided for personal baggage, personal imports through online platforms, and limited items for research purposes. The new licensing regime will take effect on November 1. https://ift.tt/QPgdx2F

Didi says it has agreed to sell its smart car development arm to Xpeng, one of China's largest EV makers, for ~$744M (Bloomberg)

Bloomberg:
Didi says it has agreed to sell its smart car development arm to Xpeng, one of China's largest EV makers, for ~$744M  —  Didi Global Inc. has agreed to sell its smart car development arm to Xpeng Inc. for HK$5.84 billion ($744 million), exiting a promising business in the world's largest electric vehicle market.

How LLMs are transforming computational humor, an AI subfield that uses computers to create jokes, as some artists begin using AI chatbots for improv comedy (Gillian Tett/Financial Times)

Gillian Tett / Financial Times:
How LLMs are transforming computational humor, an AI subfield that uses computers to create jokes, as some artists begin using AI chatbots for improv comedy  —  Machines are getting better at making us laugh — and challenging our notions of humanity in the process

A look at the ethical and legal issues around generative AI, as it makes practical at a massive scale things that were previously only possible on a small scale (Benedict Evans)

Benedict Evans:
A look at the ethical and legal issues around generative AI, as it makes practical at a massive scale things that were previously only possible on a small scale  —  We've been talking about intellectual property in one way or another for at least the last five hundred years …

Sources: Apple's new iPad Pro, due in 2024, will get its first major overhaul since 2018, including an M3 chip, OLED displays, and a revamped Magic Keyboard (Mark Gurman/Bloomberg)

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple's new iPad Pro, due in 2024, will get its first major overhaul since 2018, including an M3 chip, OLED displays, and a revamped Magic Keyboard  —  Apple is working on a revamped iPad Pro for next year, aiming to shake up a tablet market that's deep in the doldrums.

A look at Smart Answers, an AI chatbot trained only on Macworld, PCWorld, Tech Advisor, and TechHive content, and offered to the outlets' readers on August 1 (Mia Sato/The Verge)

Mia Sato / The Verge:
A look at Smart Answers, an AI chatbot trained only on Macworld, PCWorld, Tech Advisor, and TechHive content, and offered to the outlets' readers on August 1  —  By and large, the goal has been: can we make more pages for ads without paying more writers?  —  Now, a group of tech outlets …

A look at the UK's new DARPA-inspired Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), which has a four-year £800M budget to invest in breakthrough tech like AI (Clive Cookson/Financial Times)

Clive Cookson / Financial Times:
A look at the UK's new DARPA-inspired Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), which has a four-year £800M budget to invest in breakthrough tech like AI  —  Head of Advanced Research and Invention Agency tells FT it has appointed directors charged with selecting projects

New technology developed to transport of radio frequency (RF) through optical methods

A new prototype in the NG-PADC project could revolutionize various sectors by enabling faster digital communication, improved satellite communication, better medical imaging, and photonic radars. The prototype, developed by IIT Madras with support from the IMPRINT program, features a time-stretched photonic analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with an effective bandwidth 12 times higher than electronic ADCs. This allows for the sampling of higher bandwidth signals with lower bandwidth ADCs. The scientists behind the project have partnered with Lightmotif Automation to bring the technology to the market. https://ift.tt/eVuPqa5

Income tax department website revamped, here's all that's new

The Income Tax Department has launched a revamped website with a new user interface and additional features. The website aims to serve as a comprehensive repository of tax information and provides access to Direct Tax laws, rules, circulars, and notifications. It also includes a 'Taxpayer Services Module' with various tools to assist taxpayers in filing their returns. The website has been redesigned with a mobile-responsive layout and includes virtual tours and guided explanations of new features. The revamped website is part of the department's efforts to enhance taxpayer services and facilitate tax compliance. https://ift.tt/i1urfYZ

Government warns of action against carrying advertisements on online betting platform

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India has instructed media entities, online advertisement intermediaries, and social media platforms to stop showing advertisements for betting and gambling. The ministry warns that failure to comply may result in action from the Indian government under various laws. The ministry highlights the financial and socio-economic risks associated with gambling platforms and their connection to money laundering networks. It also notes that black money is often used to pay for such advertisements. The ministry has previously issued advisories on this matter in 2022 and 2023. https://ift.tt/8z59Ggm

Edtech company Cuemath cuts jobs, read what CEO's mail to employees said

Cuemath, an online math learning platform, has laid off 100 more employees, marking its second round of job cuts this year. The company cited divergent revenue and cost trajectories, as well as the challenging macro situation around capital availability for edtech, as reasons for the layoffs. Cuemath's revenue for the fiscal year ending March 2022 grew by 63.1%, but its losses increased by 66%. The company is backed by Peak XV Partners and provides an after-school online math program for students in grades K-12. https://ift.tt/0bP3Yhw