Asian smart city startups to soar high by 2025: Report

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Asian smart city startups to soar high by 2025: Report

Smart city startups worldwide are expected to generate $110.7 billion in revenue by 2025, a trifold increase in five years, Norwegian financial services company AksjeBloggen said on Tuesday.

Asian smart city startups are expected to generate $14.9 billion or 38 per cent of total revenues in 2021.

By 2025, this figure is forecast to soar by 232 per cent to $49.6 billion.

“Last year, smart city startups worldwide generated $32.3 billion in revenue, revealed the Statista survey. This figure includes all revenue that companies generated by offering technologies and products that use information, data and connectivity technologies to create more value within the public city environment,” said the report.

As the second-largest revenue stream, the mobility segment is set to reach a $9.4 billion value this year.

Statista predicts this figure to jump by nearly 190 per cent to $27.2 billion in the next four years.

“Smart buildings are expected to witness a 172 per cent revenue growth in this period, with the figure rising from $7.2 billion in 2021 to $19.2 billion in 2025.

“However, startups delivering environmental solutions for smart cities are set to witness the most significant growth in the following years. Between 2021 and 2025, their revenues are expected to surge by 210 per cent and hit $16.4 billion globally,” the report mentioned.

European smart city startups are expected to witness a 166 per cent revenue growth in this period, rising from $8.7 billion in 2021 to $23.16 billion in 2025. North American startups follow with $12.3 billion in revenue in 2021.

Zareen Khan on playing a gay character Just had to be honest to emotion of love

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Zareen Khan on playing a gay character Just had to be honest to emotion of love

Zareen Khan plays a homosexual woman in the recently released film “Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele”. While makers were sceptical to cast her in the role initially, the actress says it is not the first time that she has faced such a situation.

“It is not the first time that people have been sceptical to cast me in their film if it is a non-glamorous role. They have this whole thing because of all the previous work that I had done. This was not the first time that people were sceptical,” Zareen said

“But, yes, I was asked for an audition and I was more than happy to give because if a person does not know if I would be able to pull off this character. They loved the auditions and I was a part of this film,” she added.

This is the first time Zareen was seen playing a lesbian on screen. Did she have any inhibitions portraying the character at first?

“It wasn’t really difficult I would say. As for the body language, I have been a tomboy all my life, so that trait, which I was always told to correct, helped me here in the film,” she said.

“The thought occurred to me — because I am not a homosexual — that I shouldn’t end up doing something unknowingly, saying or portraying something that might offend the LGBTQ community. Then I thought to myself that it is about portraying the emotion of love and that emotion is felt the same way how a straight person would feel it, because the emotions are the same,” she said.

The actress, who was launched by superstar Salman Khan in the 2010 film “Veer”, felt that the love would be the same, and once she decided on that, she portrayed the character with full honesty.

“I just had to be honest to the emotion of love and just portray it on screen with all honesty,” she said.

“Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele” released on Disney+ Hotstar VIP.

Samsung researcher to lead largest working group in 3GPP

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Samsung researcher to lead largest working group in 3GPP

Samsung Electronics said on Wednesday that one of its senior researchers will head the largest working group in a global mobile telecommunication standards organisation, boasting of its leadership in the wireless communications sector.

Kim Youn-sun, a master at Samsung Research, was elected to the chair of Radio Access Networking Group 1 (RAN WG1) at a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) meeting on Tuesday, according to the tech giant.

This is the first time that a South Korean has become the chair of a 3GPP working group.

Kim, who has some 20 years of experience in the mobile telecommunication field, has been serving as the vice chair of RAN WG1 since 2017, reports Yonhap news agency.

Established in 1998, 3GPP is a consortium of seven regional telecommunication standards organizations established to develop a universal standard for mobile telecommunications.

Among its 15 working groups, RAN WG1 is the largest with more than 600 delegates. It has been overseeing the development of wireless communications technologies related to LTE and 5G specifications.

The working group is currently researching improvements to 5G coverage, reduction of power consumption in 5G devices and enabling new 5G-based services over satellite link and unlicensed spectrums, according to Samsung.

With the latest appointment, Samsung now holds a total of two chair and three vice chair positions in 3GPP. Along with Kim, Suresh Chitturi, a principal engineer at Samsung R&D Institute India-Bangalore, is currently the chair of Service and System Aspects Working Group 6.

Instagram lets users list their pronouns on profiles

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Instagram lets users list their pronouns on profiles

Facebook-owned Instagram has announced to let users add up to four pronouns to their profiles, which they can then display publicly or only to their followers.

It’s another way to express yourself on Instagram and the feature is now available in a few countries today with plans for more. The company, however, did not specify which countries have this feature at the moment.

“Now you can add pronouns to your profile with a new field. It’s another way to express yourself on Instagram and we’ve seen a lot of people adding pronouns already, so hopefully this makes it even easier. Available in a few countries today with plans for more,” said Vishal Shah, VP of Product at Instagram.

People can fill out a form to have a pronoun added, if it’s not already available, or just add it to their bio.

The news comes at a time when a coalition of 44 US Attorneys General has signed a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg urging Facebook not to launch “Instagram for Kids”, citing mental health and privacy concerns.

The “Instagram for Kids” app will allow children under the age of 13 to begin using the popular photo-sharing app. However, the attorneys general urged Facebook to abandon its plans to launch this new platform.

Currently, children under 13 are not allowed to have an Instagram account unless it is explicitly written in the profile description that the account is being managed by a parent or guardian.

At 4,205, India reports record Covid deaths in a day

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At 4,205, India reports record Covid deaths in a day

India on Wednesday recorded 4,205 deaths due to Covid, the highest till date with 3,48,421 fresh cases, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

On May 8, India has recorded 4,187 deaths in 24 hours, while on May 7, India recorded its highest ever-fresh cases 4,14,188.

In the past 20 days, India’s daily Covid tally has plateaued over the three-lakh mark and over 3,000 casualties for a fortnight.

India’s total tally of Covid-19 cases now stands at 2,33,40,938 with 37,04,099 active cases and 2,54,197 deaths so far.

According to the Health Ministry, a total of 3,55,338 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours, with 1,93,82,642 being cured from Covid till date.

The Health Ministry said that a total of 17,52,35,991 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 24,46,674 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 30,75,83,991 samples have been tested up to May 11 for Covid-19. Of these 19,83,804 samples were tested on Tuesday.

Now Google Pay users can send money to India, Singapore

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Now Google Pay users can send money to India, Singapore

Google Pay users in the US will now be able to send money to users in India and Singapore, the company announced on Tuesday.

“By the end of the year, we expect that US Google Pay users will be able to send money to people in more than 200 countries and territories through Western Union and to more than 80 countries through Wise,” the company said in a blogpost.

To send money internationally, start by searching for the Google Pay user you want to send money to in its app, tap “Pay” and select either Western Union or Wise.

From there, you simply follow the steps to complete the payment, according to the blogpost.

From now until June 16, Western Union will offer unlimited free transfers when sending money with Google Pay and Wise will make the first transfer free for new customers on transfers up to $500, the company said.

“For some, sending money back to their home countries is a regular activity and we are making it more accessible by adding it to the app that you use for your everyday money tasks,” the company said.

“Working with Western Union and Wise, we are now able to give those with family abroad a simple, safe and reliable way to send money abroad,” it added.

According to a recent Mastercard study, 73 per cent of people regularly send money abroad. However, in the last year, 38 per cent of people surveyed reported greater involvement in international payments.

This suggests that as the pandemic continues to create uncertainty, easing the financial anxieties of loved ones is even more critical.

Bahraini Prince scales Mt. Everest

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Bahraini Prince scales Mt. Everest

An expedition team consisting of Bahraini Prince Sheikh Mohammed Hamad Mohammed Al Khalifa successfully scaled the world’s tallest peak, Mt. Everest on Tuesday, according to officials.

“We have been notified that an expedition team consisting of a Bahrain royal family member has reached the top of Mt. Everest from 5.30 a.m. to 6.40 a.m. on Tuesday,” Mira Acharya, director at Nepal’s Department of Tourism, said in a statement.

The Seven Summit Treks, which organised the expedition, also confirmed the news on its social media account.

Mingma Sherpa, chairperson of the Seven Summit Treks, told Xinhua news agency that 12 members of the 16-strong team of the Bahrain Royal Guard reached the top of the world’s tallest mountain.

“Four could not climb the mountain due to illness,” he said, without giving details.

Sherpa denied, however, that any of the four climbers were infected with coronavirus, as reports were rife about climbers sickened with the virus at the base camp of the world’s tallest peak.

The Seven Summit Treks also noted that nearly four dozens of other climbers scaled Mt. Everest on Tuesday morning as well.

Before the Bahraini expedition team attempted Everest, the group climbed Mt. Manaslu (8,163m) and Mt. Lobuche (6,619m) in Nepal last October.

Andhra CM turns to Navy for help with oxygen supply chain

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Andhra CM turns to Navy for help with oxygen supply chain

At a virtual meeting with the district collectors on Tuesday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that although the state government may not be directly responsible for the Ruia Hospital tragedy in Tirupati, the unfortunate incident cannot be denied.

Tragedy struck the well-known Ruia Hospital in Tirupati on Monday night when 11 Covid patients lost their lives due to an interruption in oxygen supply.
The Chief Minister said that measures are being taken to prevent a repeat of such mishaps.

“We have already sought the help of the Eastern Naval Command to oversee the oxygen supply chain and to ensure its adequate supply to the hospitals. To overcome the technical problems relating to oxygen supply, four Navy teams have already been deployed at various hospitals to inspect and give relevant suggestions and recommendations,” Reddy said.

The Ruia Hospital tragedy happened due to a few minutes of disruption in oxygen supply, as the tankers transporting oxygen from neighbouring Tamil Nadu were slightly delayed.

Expressing anguish over the death of 11 persons at the hospital in Tirupati, Reddy announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of each of the victims.

He also said a thorough probe has been ordered into the incident.

90% feel video calls help them combat loneliness: Report

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90% feel video calls help them combat loneliness: Report

Around 90 percent of respondents feel that video calls have helped them to combat feelings of loneliness amid the pandemic, a report said on Tuesday.

The survey conducted by video-conferencing platform Zoom in collaboration with Qualtrics Research also revealed that 50 percent of respondents have used video calls for business purposes.

And over half of them (52 percent) appreciate having a choice between virtual and physical meetings as they feel “hybrid workplaces will save time and provide convenience”.

“India adjusted and adopted video call platforms rapidly. It wasn’t just a shift in technology but in behavioral mindset as well,” Sameer Raje, General Manager & Head of India, Zoom, said in a statement.

“As we look forward to a hybrid world, Zoom is ready to empower organizations with solutions that ensure physical safety and virtual security of their hybrid workforce. We are excited to see the role of video unfolding in the future,” Raje added.

In India’s sector-specific dive, the report finds that the most common use of video calls are seen in education (72 percent), celebration/social gatherings (62 percent), events (59 percent), entertainment (58 percent), business (50 percent) and a sector that gained prominence during the pandemic — telehealth (42 percent).

More than 90 percent of respondents feel that virtual and remote activities have helped them stay connected with others during this period, while 75 percent said that these activities helped to improve emotional health, the survey revealed.

When it comes to business travel, 39 percent expect to travel more post-pandemic, while 37 percent expect less travel than in the pre-Covid era.

The company said that it emerged as one of the top video calling apps in India, having high levels of awareness (85 percent) and usage (72 percent), and 61 percent of respondents using it over seven days.

The survey included 7,689 respondents from the US, the UK, Mexico, Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, India, Singapore, and Australia from March 15 to March 26, 2021.

Drew Barrymore urges all to give to Priyanka Chopra’s Covid relief fund for India

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Drew Barrymore urges all to give to Priyanka Chopra’s Covid relief fund for India

Hollywood star Drew Barrymore has urged everyone to contribute towards Priyanka Chopra and her husband Nick Jonas’ Covid-19 relief fund for India.

“I would like to start this show by giving our love and heart to India. We have all been reading about the Covid crisis there and they have been hit with 300 thousand new cases a day more than any country at its peak,” Barrymore said.

“Entertainment Tonight reports that Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas have teamed up with ‘Give India’ for an urgent fundraiser and they have also announced the news on Instagram,” she added.

The actress said she is with India, which has been hit by the devastating second wave of Covid-19 pandemic while speaking on her programme, “The Drew Barrymore Show”.

She also recalled that her great grandfather was born in Agra.

“I actually love India so much. It’s a country that I have traveled very thoughtfully throughout my adult life and my great-grandfather was actually born in Agra. I feel such a deep connection and I want to thank the Jonas’s for giving us a direct and easy way to contribute,” she said on the show that airs on Zee Cafe in India.

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