1.An Indian director won the Grand Prix, the second-most prestigious award at the Cannes Film Festival, for the first time.

It was a triple feat for Indian talent at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival with Payal Kapadia's "All We Imagine As Light", "Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know" by FTII student Chidananda S Naik, and Anasuya Sengupta of "The Shameless" fame winning major awards in each of the three competitive sections of the prestigious gala.

Payal Kapadia’s debut feature, All We Imagine As Light, explores the relationship between two Malayali nurses. It was the first Indian movie to compete in the festival’s main competition since 1994 and she is the first female Indian director ever to compete. The BBC called it a “magical ode to nocturnal Mumbai.” Meanwhile, Sean Baker became the first American filmmaker in more than a decade to win the top prize, the Palme d’Or, with Anora, the story of a stripper who marries the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch.

2.Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup raised $6 billion from big-name investors, intensifying a race with former OpenAI colleagues.

The funds will be used to build infrastructure, drive research and development, and bring products to market,the company said. Also part of Musk’s plans for xAI: a new supercomputer to power the next version of chatbot, according to The Information. The new funding is part of a fast-growing competition within Big Tech to define the future of AI, with Microsoft, Google, and others all regularly announcing new products and investments. While xAI is a relative newcomer, it has made major hires and Musk himself was among the founders of OpenAI — though he has since had a fractious relationship with it

3.Why more and more organizations are adopting the slow work movement

In a Fast Company post, Rachel Karl points out that the slow work movement is gaining traction in the business world as a response to the fast-paced, always-on culture that has been detrimental to both personal well-being and overall job performance.

Companies like Basecamp, Patagonia, and Eileen Fisher are leading the way by implementing practices such as reduced work hours, encouraging rest and renewal, and promoting sustainability. The movement emphasizes quality over quantity, establishes boundaries around work hours, and recognizes the importance of disconnection for mental health and productivity. It may define the next wave of work culture, focusing on working better rather than working less, and prioritizing employee well-being for long-term success.

She writes: “The slow movement also emphasizes quality over quantity, a principle that applies to both manufacturing and service industries. In manufacturing, this can mean opting to produce goods that are durable and repairable rather than disposable. In the service sector, it translates into providing thoughtful, personalized services rather than boilerplate solutions.

Consider the consultancy firms that have shifted from measuring success by billable hours to a focus on the outcomes achieved for clients. Not only does this result in more satisfied customers, but also in employees who find greater meaning in their work because they no longer have to rush.

4.Google's AI search tool is producing flubs and fabrications.

Of course, errors are to be expected in a new-ish tech product. This is what the rabid race towards AI gets us. A lot of it will be funny. A lot of it won't.

Google promised better search experience- now it is telling us to put glue on our pizza. "The feature, while not triggered for every query, scans the web and drums up an AI-generated response. The answer received for the pizza glue query appears to be based on a comment from a user named 'f-cksmith' in a more than decade-old Reddit thread, and they’re clearly joking."

5.His Bark is Worse Than His Flight: 

"Bark Air says it will offer 'white paw service to its canine customers — who'll even get to socialize with other dogs in what the company calls a 'dog-centric' cabin configuration. Like first-class human passengers, dogs on board will be offered treats, noise-canceling ear muffs, a beverage of their choice and other surprises, the company said.

6.People want 'dumbphones'. Will companies make them?

Self-labelled neo-Luddites and the tech-stressed are searching for phones with fewer features. Industry experts cite precarious profit margins and a wobbly market around this niche need.

The iPhone turns 17 this year. The launch of the touchscreen-controlled device signalled a moment that has defined our expectations of smartphones ever since. Almost an entire generation has grown up never knowing life without a smartphone. Enough time has passed that people have learnt about the good and bad of these devices in their lives, whether from myriad scientific studies, or simply their own experiences.

Many people are now acutely aware of the costs of having the world at their fingertips. And they're rejecting the ways these phones can sap concentration, impact sleep and exacerbate mental health concerns.

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