General Awareness

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - July 2016

Jul 2016

Oct 31, 2022

Google Buys Artificial Intelligence Avatar Startup 'Alter' for $100 mn

Tech giant Google has acquired Alter, an artificial intelligence (AI) avatar startup that was working on using AI to generate avatars for social media users and brands to express their virtual identity.
According to TechCrunch, Google buys the startup for about $100 million in an effort to improve its content game and compete with TikTok.
The acquisition was completed about two months ago, but the company is yet to make a public announcement.
Alter started as Facemoji, a platform that offered plug-and-play technology for helping game and App developers add avatar systems to their Apps.
Among its investors are Play Ventures, Roosh Ventures and Twitter, which invested $3 million in the startup.
Later Facemoji rebranded as Alter.

RIL Becomes First Indian Company to Post Earnings Call on Metaverse

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) posted the proceedings of its Q2 FY 2022-23 earnings call on the metaverse.
This is the first time in the history of corporate India that a company has used metaverse to engage with its stakeholders.
The RIL metaverse was produced in partnership with GMetri, a no-code metaverse creation platform.
One doesn't need to wear an AR/VR headgear to access it. Using it, analysts across the world tracking the company can toggle with slides and graphics placed on different screens as per the multiple buckets in the results presentation.
They can also download the RIL Q2 22-23 media release and the transcript of the media and analyst call in PDF formats.

Oct 29, 2022

Indian Scientists Develop First Indigenous Overhauser Magnetometer

Indian scientists developed an indigenous Overhauser Magnetometer, one of the most accurate magnetometers extensively used by all magnetic observatories around the world, making way for reducing the cost of sampling and sensing experiments essential for geomagnetic sampling.
The sensor installed at Alibag Magnetic Observatory (MO) can reduce India's dependence on commercial OVH magnetometers for performing geomagnetic field measurements.
OVH magnetometers are known for their higher accuracy, higher sensitivity, and efficient power consumption and hence find applications in all magnetic observatories worldwide as well as in international space programs. It has so far been imported for such purposes in India.

Oct 28, 2022

Dehradun to Host 3-day "Akash for Life" Space Conference

The "Akash for Life" a 3-day space conference will showcase the blending of traditional and modern knowledge through an extended integration of all schools of thought. The decision was taken by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, and Jitendra Singh. The event is scheduled to be held at Dehradun from November 5 to 7, 2022.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for the integration of science and technological development within society in a way that places science in a position to address the needs of the common citizen.
The conclave aims to expose the youth of India to the wisdom of ancient sciences along with modern scientific advancements.

Oct 27, 2022

NASA Kicks Off Study to Unravel Unidentified Aerial Phenomena or UFOs

NASA kicked off a study to help scientists learn more about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) or UFOs (unidentified flying objects).
Over the course of nine months, the independent study team with 16 members would lay the groundwork for future study on the nature of UAPs for NASA and other organisations.
The team includes leading scientists, data and AI practitioners, aerospace safety experts, and other experts in their respective fields.
The study will focus solely on unclassified data. A full report containing the team's findings will be released to the public in mid-2023.

Govt. Unveils New Policy Reforms for Satellite Communication Services

The government unveiled new policy reforms for satellite communications services to ease procedures and streamline clearances to expedite the rollout of Satcom across the country, especially in remote areas.
Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw exhorted the industry to increase tower deployments for a speedy 5G rollout.
The current pace of tower deployment needs to increase from 2,500 towers a week to 10,000 towers per week, he said.
The government has done its bit in ushering in reforms, and it is now up to the industry to show its commitment.

Oct 26, 2022

ISRO Launches 36 Satellites in 1st Commercial Mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launched its heaviest rocket Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, putting in orbit 36 satellites of UK-based OneWeb satellite communications company.
The launch of the LVM-3 — with its largest ever payload of 5,796 kg also marked India's entry into the global commercial launch service market.
All the 36 satellites were injected into the orbits around 75 minutes after the rocket blasted off from the Sriharikota.
OneWeb is the UK-based customer of New Space India Ltd (NSIL), ISRO's commercial arm, and a global communication network powered from space, enabling internet connectivity for governments and businesses. Bharti Enterprises is one of the major investors in OneWeb.

IIT-Madras and NASA Researchers Study Microbes on Space Station

The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) researchers studied the interactions between microbes in the International Space Station (ISS).
A key finding is that a microbe that resides on the ISS, was found to be beneficial to various other microorganisms but hampered the growth of a fungus.
The study would help devise strategies for the disinfection of space stations to minimise any potential impact of microbes on the health of astronauts.
"Crews, during spaceflight, may have altered immunity and limited access to terrestrial medical facilities. Therefore, studying the microbes inhabiting the space station becomes important to understand the risks associated with short-term and long-term space travel on the health of astronauts," the IIT-Madras said in a press release.
The present study was inspired by the earlier observations of the dominance of Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacteria, on the surfaces of the ISS.

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