- Arvind's Newsletter
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- Arvind's Newsletter
1.Air India is planning to unseat its iconic Maharaja mascot and also redesign its livery, reports The Economic Times. The 77-year-old Maharaja, who has become synonymous with the airline, will no longer be a mascot, although he’ll still be visible at Air India’s airport lounges and in premium classes.
In addition, as part of the rebranding exercise, the airline will get new livery that will feature red, white and purple. Red and white are Air India’s colours. The purple will be derived from the livery of Vistara, which has earned a significant amount of goodwill during its eight-year existence. The airline has appointed London-based design consultancy FutureBrand, whose clients include American Airlines, Bentley, and the 2012 London Olympics. The new Air India branding will be unveiled in August.
In more Indian aviation news, AirAsia India gets nod to operate under 'Air India Express' brand, reported Business Standard.
AIX Connect, which operates as AirAsia India, has received regulatory approvals to operate the airline’s flights under the ‘Air India Express’ branding prior to the subsequent legal merger between the airlines Air India Express and AirAsia India. This will enable AIX Connect and Air India Express flights to be marketed, distributed and operated under the common brand name of Air India Express.
2.India ‘open’ to Chinese investment despite tensions with Beijing, Minister says
India is “open” to investments from China, a senior government official has said, despite New Delhi’s crackdown on Chinese companies and recent reports that some investment proposals have stalled.
The claim by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state for electronics and information technology, comes as India seeks to capitalise on global supply chains in a pivot away from China, wooing suppliers to multinational companies such as Apple.
“Is India open to doing business with Chinese companies?” Chandrasekhar asked in an interview with the Financial Times. “Of course we are.”
India has banned more than a hundred Chinese social media, lending and other apps, including TikTok, over the past three years, citing data protection and privacy concerns.
New Delhi has also launched regulatory probes against Chinese mobile phone producers Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo, claiming the companies violated tax, foreign exchange or other laws.
“We are open to doing business with any company anywhere as long as they are investing and conducting their business lawfully and are in compliance with the Indian laws,” Chandrasekhar said.
He added: “We are open to all investment, including Chinese.”
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3.This new tool could protect your pictures from AI manipulation reports MIT Technology Review
There’s currently nothing stopping someone taking the selfie you posted online last week and editing it using powerful generative AI systems. Even worse, it might be impossible to prove that the resulting image is fake. The good news is that a new tool, created by researchers at MIT, could prevent this.
The tool, called PhotoGuard, works like a protective shield by altering photos in tiny ways that are invisible to the human eye but prevent them from being manipulated. If someone tries to use an editing app based on a generative AI model to manipulate an image that has been “immunised” by PhotoGuard, the result will look unrealistic or warped.
The need to find ways to detect and stop AI-powered manipulation has never been more urgent, because generative AI tools have made it quicker and easier than ever before.
4.Big Automakers Plan Thousands of EV Chargers in $1 Billion U.S. Push
The companies—BMW, General Motors, Honda Motor, Hyundai Motor, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Jeep maker Stellantis—plan to collectively invest at least $1 billion in a joint-venture company that will build out charging stations, the people said. The group is targeting the addition of around 30,000 fast chargers in urban and highway areas over several years.
The joint investment is modeled after a similar charging company in Europe, Ionity, that was formed in 2017, funded by many of the same automakers.
Those automakers and others are rushing to develop more electric cars, and have laid out plans to convert much of their vehicle lineups to EVs in coming years. A lack of charging stations is cited by U.S. consumers as a top concern keeping them from switching to an electric vehicle, surveys have shown.
5.The 2-step “loci method” for memorising absolutely anything
Some people are naturally gifted with an amazing ability to remember things. But some seem to have superpowers. How else can you explain the ability to memorise the first 70,000 digits of pi? However, instead of only relying on innate ability, such “memory athletes” can enhance their abilities using mnemonic strategies. And you don’t need to be a genius to use them: The average person can improve their memory with a few tricks.
