Author: Abhishek Singh

Tesla’s Humanoid Robot is Coming Next Year

The divorce of Elon Musk and technology is not possible. It is not easy to stop such a man. And, now this man has announced that he wants to bring a humanoid robot. This announcement is no less than a leap giant after excelling in the electric vehicle and satellite communication domain. The declaration seems to be a bit utopian for many. However, the sense of ‘but’ always comes. Let’s know more about this development. Take a sneak into this Exhibit blog.

How did this news come out?

In the latest Tesla AI event, Elon Musk presented the prototype of a humanoid robot. This robot can help people like you in your boring, repetitive, or dangerous tasks. With this, Elon Musk showed a PowerPoint presentation to showcase the functionalities of this bot. This humanoid robot is precisely a dancer. The height of this bot is 5 feet and 8 inches (somewhere around 1.7m), whereas its weight is 56 kg. 

How does a humanoid robot work?

A bot has to be a proper mesh of hardware and software. It’s true. On the hardware front, you will need sensors, actuators, and other essential instruments to replace almost every crucial function of a normal human being (obviously, there will be no digestive system). On the software front, the codes must have a proper arrangement through which they can perform their niche smoothly. The software helps send signals between the master controller and that hardware equipment to work accordingly.   

Applications of Robot

Trust me, but robots will gain their outreach in the future. You talk about any domain, and you will find them in the next few years. Especially in European countries, you may find that these robots are working in agricultural fields. Or if your relative who is physically challenged can get proper assistance in doing daily activities. The Tokyo Olympics has already paved the path of what a robot, along with technology, can do. Hence, the usage of robots will be countless for sure.

Final Remarks on the Tesla Bot

Bringing a proper humanoid robot with such a huge functionality within the next year is a bit difficult to digest. But is it possible to have such features in one bot? Honestly, as of now, from what we all have witnessed, it may be a bit of a tough task. Why? Check out the videos of robots used in the Olympics. You will know the reason. These robots have very limited errands, like translating a language is one of them. Hence, commenting on what Mr. Tusk is pretty looking like coming out in a virtual world.

Increased Smartphone Usage is a Threat to Cybersecurity

Ohh God! no more mess anymore. But a mess got created. What? I am sure many of you have this frustration for this COVID-19, and it has become a complete mess for you by staying inside four walls (in your home). But a reputed consumer cybersecurity firm, NortonLifeLock, has come up with new insights on online platform usage by the people after the pandemic has hit. The figures can horrify you when it comes to smartphone usage and cybercrimes. The Exhibit team is here to extract all essential information for you from this report. 

Smartphone vs Cybersecurity

The usage of the smartphone has increased in recent times. The reason is well known to all of you. One pandemic, one room might have become the slogan for many. And, the latest report by NortonLifeLock provides the data and information on the same. While doing this survey, NortonLifeLock collaborated with Harris Poll and interacted with many adults. As per this report, almost 84% of people accepted that their smartphone usage has increased. Among them, 74% reported a negative impact on their physical health, and 55% said the same on the mental health front. And, with such frequent usage came the invitation of digital attacks. Yes, it’s true. Around 330 million people have come with an issue related to cybercrime these days. On average, an individual had to spend almost 7 hours to resolve the bug that has hit their electronic gadgets.

Why so much increment in attacks?

This section is important for those who want to showcase their vigilance quotient. But vigilance can only come if you have awareness. Generally, what happens is that there are many phishing emails to your account. Now, if you open these emails and associated attachments, some malicious files may get downloaded. Once loaded into the system, they can start spying on what work you are doing. If you log in to your social media profile or make payment, such files store information and send it to the attacker. Rest the attacker is smart enough to take further steps and create a dent in your image.

 

How to secure yourself?

Ever heard of these lines: “Jankaar baniye, Satark rahiye.” Even the central bank of this country comes every day on television to let you know what you need to do. The report also provided what individuals have done as damage control measures. Whenever individuals have faced any attack (especially US people), 66% of them immediately change their password. Changing passwords or PINs can reduce the probability of attack to a great extent. Apart from this, 51% took the way of raising the concern to appropriate authorities. In addition to this, 31% turned towards the internet to gain more information, whereas 18% of individuals upgraded their antivirus software functionality by enhancing their subscription service.

 

Conclusion

Data privacy has become a major concern, considering that 47% of people like you feel more threatened and vulnerable after the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the world. Hence, counter-attack steps, along with upgrading deterrence, can only help you in saving your crucial data. And, to do the same, you need to explore all sorts of cybersecurity options.

Drone Destroying Technologies: Nullify UAVs’ Impact

A few days ago, the Exhibit team came out with certain essential concerns about drones. Drones which, if it is in your hand, make you feel empowered. Otherwise, you are vulnerable. In the previous article on drones, Exhibit also discussed those points that are creating an issue. And, to counter them, Exhibit laid out several methodologies to upgrade drone detection systems. But, this time, Exhibit will display how to neutralize such entities if such elements penetrate your territory. Keep an eye and understand what you need to do to destroy or take control of such weapons. 

RF Jammer

In the previous article, we have thoroughly discussed how to upgrade detection equipment with an RF analyzer. But the time has come for jammers. What happens in jamming? I hope you have heard of these instruments earlier. Remember when a political figure sitting at the zenith of administration and governance comes to your vicinity. You may complain about network signals getting lost. The same happens with drones. These jammers emit radio frequency signals at enormous energy. Due to this, the controller signals are unable to reach such UAVs. Once it has lost connectivity, it may go back to its original position or fall uncontrolled.

GPS Spoofers

Imagine you are going to a location using your GPS (through a mobile app). Suddenly, you feel like the distance that was reduced again increased. No, don’t worry, such things don’t happen. But, to counter UAVs if such situations arise, you may easily deter such defensive entities. How? Consider that if you detect a drone has trespassed your land and is trying to make a lethal move, you can send a signal that tells a drone that it has come to the wrong location and must move back. GPS Spoofers is a non-lethal method to resist lethal moves (Quotable quote, isn’t it?). Hence, through such systems, you can avoid drone attacks. 

HPM & HEL Devices 

In easy language, you can imagine that your GPS Spoofers or RF Jammers are like Windows OS. And, this OS platform wants to download updates. Once downloaded, it’s an upgraded element for sure with enhanced features. The HPM (High-Power Microwave) device also sends an electromagnetic pulse (similar to an RF signal). But, this pulse can destroy the electronic circuitry in these UAVs. It is because such vibrations create a high difference in voltage. This difference results in a high jump in current, and that destroys the circuitry. The same is true for HEL (High-Energy Laser) devices, but here you send a laser beam. However, HEL has the edge over all other drone-destroying instruments due to its long-range fire. HEL also helps to reduce collateral damage. 

Conclusion 

The Exhibit has come with another byte on defense technology. This time it has covered aspects of destroying drones. But these are hard bits and pieces. Imagine if all such functionalities and traits integrate into one place. Today, defense R&D is trying to hammer and tap the other aspects too. For other articles on defense technology on the Exhibit platform, click here. 

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure: NITI Aayog’s Policy Review Part – 2

So far, we have discussed EVSE, Battery Capacity Segmentation, and Battery Swapping when we reviewed NITI Aayog’s Policy Document on Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure. If you missed all of these sections, along with concrete recommendations made by Exhibit, you could read all of them here. Let’s move on and go further with this document to assess what all things are here for you.

Public Charging Points

Not so important section, but you cannot ignore it. Well, it becomes important for stakeholders to think about bringing establishments and distance between such closest points. NITI Aayog has given the example of the EU and how they have kept different charging points or stations for several categories of vehicles. However, one should only see the good practices present in the EU countries and not adopt them as the conditions in India will be pretty different. In addition to this, Exhibit will also suggest you check how electricity for charging is getting produced. Even, Government and private players who will get involved in this domain need to ponder about green production of electricity. One such example is of setting up a Solar-powered electric vehicle charging station in Karnal (midpoint of Delhi and Chandigarh in the Delhi Chandigarh highway by BHEL). 

Setting Targets 

Don’t worry; you are not playing a cricket match where one of us has set a target for another. The Indian team had proved its mettle on Lord’s again a few days back when they defeated the England team by 151 runs. Since the core discussion is on electric vehicle charging infrastructure, we will stick to it. The Government of India, through different ministries, has set a target of where to install a charging station, be it in a public place, semi-public place, or private place. But, the issue is that again all this is going through different branches. Rather, the focus should be brought to a special-purpose vehicle or working group that will formulate everything in this sector. No doubt NITI Aayog has talked about nodal agencies and working groups. However, NITI Aayog has assigned different niches to them.

Assessing Demands

Trust me, but this section is very confined on which the policy formulation team has worked properly. Under this, NITI Aayog has laid out the assessment plan with which you as a stakeholder can understand the demand. NITI Aayog is right in its place to record data of how many vehicles are coming, along with the charging time it takes to refuel the batteries installed in EVs. Also, you have to examine the timeline to understand how this demand is increasing.

Leveraging Streets & Electricity Grids

NITI Aayog has also provided information on how a Germany-based startup has utilized the street poles to upgrade them and build mini charging points. Hence, there is optimum space for leveraging the street and its essential points where one recharges their EV batteries. And, to tap such poles for electricity, it becomes important to ponder electricity grid and street poles connection. But, if one thinks of such connections, one has to consider electricity tariff rates. For this purpose, all the state governments have to come up with a consolidated strategy. Consolidated strategy means instructing DISCOMS to establish a parallel framework or bring a new connection for such electricity supply. 

Final Remarks on NITI Aayog Policy’s on Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

No doubt, NITI Aayog has laid down a vibrant framework to ensure a country like India can create a conducive ecosystem. But, it also becomes necessary to work upon eliminating loopholes. For other Auto-Tech section articles, click here.

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure: NITI Aayog’s Policy Review Part – 1

A few days ago, our Chief Editor, Ramesh Somani, came with a quote – Future is Electric. Yes, it is. As if Ramesh Somani has some sort of telepathy with one of the largest think tanks of this country – NITI Aayog. Why? Check out their website, and you will know why. Recently NITI Aayog has come up with their new handbook on Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure. Now, terracotta environmentalists can differ from me that EV policy is not going to help. The 6th IPCC Report also showcases that human effort towards a better future in terms of climate change is not helping a lot. But, EVs can turn around things and reduce the penetration of pollutants in your vicinity. Let’s know what this handbook is all about from this Exhibit blog.

Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE)

If you don’t know what terminology I have just thrown towards you, let me make you understand it easily. Well, this EVSE is nothing but the core component of charging infrastructure. It’s like finding a charging station for your EV, like when you seek electric sockets to charge your smartphones. However, an EVSE has more niche than your smartphone charging point. It is because your EVSE is a public point and will not be present at your home. Hence, you must add more functionality, including user authorization, authentication process for charging, privacy, security, information storage, and network management for better regulations. 

Segmentation based on Battery Capacity

Trust me; it’s an important section. Wherever you go to fill the tanks of your car in a pumping station, you get several choices – petrol, diesel, power, CNG, etc. A similar sort of consideration should come in the charging infrastructure prospect of an EV. Why? Now, your two-wheeler EV will not have the same battery capacity that your four-wheeler will hold. Even when the Government of India will think about EV trucks, situations will become more different. So, if anyone thinks to install a charging infrastructure on any land, one must also ponder battery capacity segmentation. 

Battery Charging or Battery Swapping

EV battery charging methods will have different methods, consisting of AC or DC. Apart from this, the charging infrastructure must have a battery swapping facility if the lifespan of a battery finishes. But, it can be in a normal car repairing centre. No, it should not be there. You will like to know the reason for sure. See, many of these repairing centres will have the capital to go for such battery replacement. But batteries are a bit costly, and it won’t be possible for small repair centres. Thinking about the population of this country who will purchase EVs after the Vehicle Scrappage Policy, the demands for batteries will increase for sure. To meet such needs, charging infrastructure must add such facilities there. 

Final Remarks & Lacunae in Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

The Exhibit team has discussed hardly anything in the handbook that NITI Aayog has brought. So, I will get more editions for you by examining every aspect of this so-called future document, just like we did yesterday for these articles. However, before we wrap, this document can add some more facilities. Governments must think about installing computer vision cameras that can track the vehicle number of your car and integrate the same with the VAHAN portal to know its car details and accordingly give directions to a particular place where they can charge their batteries (due to different battery capacities). It is an age of automation, and charging infrastructure should have such arrangements. It will surely avoid a fuss even in an electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Top 10 Mobile Apps for College Students: Part 2

I am sure some of you may have gone through the first part of this “Top 10 Apps for College Students”. Many of you are reading essential so many times that some of you may have started creating a perception as if I was the one who formulated the Essential Commodities Amendment Act, 2020, due to complete havoc going around the borders of Delhi. So, let’s not take much of your time and head towards this coolest part that will showcase some of the sophisticated applications. If you have not gone through the first part, here’s a chance for you to go through it by clicking on this link. 

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Top 10 Mobile Apps for College Students: Part 1

Ahh, College! Gone were the days when the “Papa Kehte Hain ” song took people to their college days. PM Modi is constantly working on Atmanirbhar Bharat, but he forgets one crucial thing – Atmanirbharta or self-reliance comes when one joins a college and hostel. Trust me; it is what you will look upon where your second home teaches you every single thing in your life in bits and pieces. I am sure that even this year, many students are ready to make their move to their college, be it a virtual one, till the time vaccination reaches a major portion of the population. One of the major events that will happen with you is that some of you will get your smartphone and be ready to utilize it to the fullest. Let’s know what are essential apps for college students from this Exhibit blog.

Spotify

I am sure many of you know about this splendid application. This app is no less than a rockstar. Why? First of all, it can soothe you in finding your kind of song. Next, it has a wide range of podcasts that can help you during your college days. I was a passionate coder, so I found one podcast channel by Andres Arriaga. This channel can ensure that your coding journey is smooth. So, yes, this will be the first essential app that you will like to have on your smartphone. Exhibit has covered news on Spotify recently, which you can read from here.

Google Calendar

Some restless days can come for you when you know that you have not a single minute in a day for yourself. Yeah, sometimes your college schedule can create a complete ruckus for sure. Now, you will be reluctant to halt at any moment, but those situations will demand the relentless quotient in you. For those times, Google Calendar as a companion can help you a lot in optimizing time management.

EverNote

Hey, don’t move further if you think your smartphone allows you to get in-built notes making apps . No, you should not use it. Now, please don’t get offended as I am no one who will control you. But, I hold a strong reason. What? The best part about this app is that it allows smooth integration with your Gmail account to store these files on the cloud. I hope it is a concrete reason that can allow you to download this mobile app. 

CamScanner or other Image to PDF Converter

Guys and girls, you need to go digital. Please don’t consider me as a right-wing politician. Digitization literally brings comfort to your life. A situation may arise when you need to borrow notes by taking pictures from your friend in one shot. You saved it as pictures and started reading them on your laptop (considering that it helps you give visualization), but you will sense the issue of closing one image and opening the other to read the notes. Instead, get something that can convert these bunch of images into PDF format files. Get any authenticated app that can help you in achieving this feat. 

Any Payment App

You will be above 18. You will have your bank accounts. And, sometimes, it will happen that you don’t have money in your wallet, but you need to spend it on buying some commodities. Well, for that purpose, you need a payment app. Sometimes, you have to transfer it to a friend, and you have no energy or intention to go to your campus’s bank ATM to take out the cash. Download GooglePay, PhonePe, PayTM, etc., for such instances, whichever suits you the most. 

Essential Apps for College Students

According to Exhibit, this one article is not enough to showcase some of the finest mobile applications that need to be present on your smartphone. Hence, Exhibit will come again with another edition with a second part (with bigger Mirzapur-type applications this time). Get ready to learn more on essential apps for college students.

Catastrophe of a Ransomware: LockBit Hits Accenture

Some of you might have got bored from daily soaps irrespective of languages where you have witnessed series of kidnaps and kidnappers demanding ransom money. But, the current times are getting surrounded by ransomware. Yeah, these attacks are now somewhere creating frustration. Big giants are experiencing intrusions in their IT framework that are highly questionable considering the services you and I fetch from them. Recently, Accenture got hit by the LockBit ransomware gang. The Exhibit will review this news in a more comprehensive way and let you know about such vulnerabilities in a better way.

LockBit Grazing Accenture

One of the most reputed global consulting firms, Accenture, suffered an attack from a ransomware gang. As per the sources, Accenture’s encrypted data and documents face a threat of getting published on the dark web unless and until Accenture doesn’t pay a ransom for the same. Emsisoft, a respected cybersecurity firm, provided this information to the world. However, Accenture claimed that it has contained this attack. Accenture also assured its clients that it has restored its entire system from a backup. Hence, there is no halt to the Accenture operations.

How does ransomware work?

Let me make you understand it’s working with a utopian instance. Suppose you are trying to switch on your laptop. Suddenly, you see that while opening the Desktop, the password does not let you get into your system. At that moment, you see that some message has popped about the current situation you have dived into. You have to lose your pocket and give some bugs to the attacker to access your files. Now, a question may arise that how can such vulnerabilities enter. Well, it’s simple – through spam or unfiltered networks. Apart from this, these vulnerabilities invade your system when you are intentionally installing any application, and you have very little idea regarding the attached files it carries. Once entered into your system, it attacks the user’s files by encrypting them. Now, you cannot use them unless you decrypt them with a password. 

Final Remarks

What Accenture is claiming can satisfy many but ransomware has haunting figures attached to it. As per Microsoft, it hardly takes around 45 minutes to 4 hours for such files to enter your system and create massive damage. If you feel that you can pay such a penny ransom, think again as ransom amount demand is around $180,000 (somewhere around INR 1.33 Cr /-). 

Project Dastaan: Recherishing Fading Memories By Virtual Reality

The independence of India co-existed with its partition. It brought several pains for those who witnessed it. But, technology has come as a solace for them. How? Follow the BBC. Well, some of you will say I am talking about a ridiculous point. How can a journalist platform provide technology? Don’t worry. This story has a different perspective, different edge, and different caricatures. This Exhibit blog brings this news on how some people moved to another side of the border where they didn’t belong since their birth. Let’s know how Virtual Reality is helping out partition survivors.

What is the news about technology and partition?

BBC telecasted news where they presented the story of Iqbaluddin Ahmed and Hari Kishan Anand, who is wearing a VR headset through which they see their place where they have lived in India and Pakistan. These two display their happiness and remember the old golden times with the BBC team. This entire incident is a part of Project Dastaan. Through Project Dastaan, efforts are made for the people to showcase their place where they earlier used to before the partition hit them. The technology used during this project is Virtual Reality. Project Dastaan has this sole motto of connecting partition refugees with their childhood homes. 

Modus Operandi of Project Dastaan

Project Dastaan firstly interviews the Partition survivors, during which they come to know about the exact location where these people have lived. Accordingly, it sends a team to that location. This team creates a complete film of that location by capturing some of the finest shots. After doing some editing on the footage, they add this entire film in the 360 VR headset. Then, they take it to the witnesses and showcase the current times to help them find their childhood. This step will somewhere help survivors to revisit the fading moments and memories of their time. There’s no doubt how Virtual Reality can create an impact on these people due to which they feel like they are at the spot of what they are viewing.  

Project Dastaan – The Birth

The concept of Project Dastaan got consolidated after two graduates of Oxford University, Sparsh Ahuja and Ameena Malik, exchanged their history that they had heard from their grandparents. After listening to a similar sort of story from Sam Dalrymple and Saadia Gardezi, the idea of this project took birth. The basic aim was to take back partition refugees to old times. 

Final Remarks

Project Dastaan is one of the fundamentalist ways that can bring two countries together. And, see what acumen used to do it? Virtual Reality technology. It is like a gift for those who had deep down their heart accepted that they wouldn’t be able to go back and see their native places. In case, you want to know the basic working of Virtual Reality, here’s an article for you.

Countering Drones: Assessing Drone Monitoring Technologies

Drones are love for some. Many of you have watched the movie “Uri” for sure. You have seen the potential of drones there. The market of drones has simply witnessed a boom and will take a CAGR of 55% by the time 2025 arrives. This market will have a business of around 63 billion USD. However, I am not here to discuss the drones business. The Exhibit will catch a different perspective this time to showcase what massacre it has created. Drones are currently coming into the news due to the series of attacks they are making. Recently, you have observed such incidents in the UT of J&K. Some claimed that drones bring some disadvantage against which it is getting used. Let’s get an idea on this domain and how to deter them by building resilient solutions.

Why are drones powerful?

First of all, you need to know that drones are not stand-alone instruments. It gets controlled remotely. Hence, you can increase and decrease after assessing the situation. A pilot in an aircraft may not get that time to decide what to do next unless clear instructions are not available due to the aircraft’s speed, which is in the multiple of Machs. Apart from this, a drone has better manoeuvering management than fighter aircraft and helicopters due to its small size. Remember, the maneuvering was done by the Uri movie team. They showed that Pakistan knew about some helicopters towards their side, and radar detection could have hampered the Indian contingent. But, that’s not the case with drones. Why? It is because drones have a small size and can easily pass the cross-sections of radars. The slow-motion profiles of these drones cannot generate a huge signal that can create an alert. 

Drone Monitoring Technologies

DMTs are necessary in modern times considering the capability and deployment approach of our neighboring countries. So, what functionality should be there in DMTs? Well, you don’t need to create a separate platform for detection equipment. What to do then? Pretty easy. All you need is to enhance the working of radars. It means that you bring more niche in the framework of radars. And, one of the biggest niches will be the identification of objects. Now, drones being slow empowers them to go undetectable. But, if radar can identify each object and segregate them under birds and other unmanned aerial vehicles, it will be a great accomplishment. Apart from this, one can work tapping the communication signal between the UAV and controller. Hence, for this, one can use a radio frequency analyzer. But RF won’t be effective if someone is using autonomous UAVs against you.

Other Tactical Elements 

RF and enhancing radar functionality is not the end of the world. Let’s empower you in this domain by allowing you to widen your horizon. Think about a drone. Does it make some sound? Yes, it makes it whenever it is moving. Hence, it must be generating some acoustic signals. Now, what if you detect such sound alerts and accordingly enhance your vigilance capability. Isn’t that great? Using acoustic sensors and some additional facilities you can identify the direction and movement of these UAVs. In addition to this, you also know that if any UAV enters your territory and you watch it, you are doing it with your eyes. So, what to do then? Well, here, some computer vision libraries attached to optical sensors can help you detect such events in a better way. It will also generate shreds of evidence that you can present to your enemy.  

Concluding Remarks

I hope this edition has helped you understand drones in a better way and what one needs to do to detect them if, currently, they have the edge over us. The Exhibit will be back again with anti-drone technologies that can help you out in destroying such UAVs. 

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