Global billionaires lost nearly $2 trillion in 2022

We have stepped into the new year over the past weekend but the horrors of 2022 do not seem to catch a break. The previous year, 2022, was a bad one for billionaires who went through a hard time. With tech billionaires having to let go of their workforce in massive layoffs, crypto moguls getting arrested, the stock market plummeting, wars, and alarming inflation, it was definitely a challenging year, to say the least. However, the total amount of wealth lost by tech giants and billionaires, in general, was a whopping $1.9 trillion dollars!

According to a report by Forbes, the planet’s billionaires lost $1.9 trillion in 2022. The collective wealth of the elite dropped from $13.8 trillion to $11.9 trillion, whereas, the number of billionaires around the world also took a hit. Reports suggest that nearly 150 people lost billionaire status this year with the overall number dropping from 2,671 to 2,523 billionaires. Big names like Sam Bankman and the controversial Kanye West famously lost their billionaire status in 2022.

However, the horrors are truly witnessed in the tech sector where around 300 tech billionaires lost $1 trillion in the previous year. After showing an outlandish boom in 2020-21, the tech sector took massive hits costs plummeting, layoffs, and dropping share prices. Forbes reports that Amazon shares have dropped nearly 50%, wiping off $80 billion from Jeff Bezos’ net worth. Whereas, Google’s parent Alphabet and Microsoft’s stock slid 36% and 27% respectively. Mark Zuckerberg took one of his biggest hits this year with Meta’s stock falling down by 66% amounting to $78 billion wiped off his net worth. The biggest loser of 2022 was, however, Elon Musk who lost over $115 billion in 2022. The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX has been busy working his way to ‘restore free speech’ on Twitter which has concerned investors and stakeholders leading to a massive net worth loss. What do you think 2023 looks like for tech billionaires around the world?

 

Microsoft bans crypto mining on cloud platform

It looks like the crypto community cannot catch a break. With news ranging from crypto billionaires dying mysteriously to the coins’ plummeting rates,  2022 was not entirely the year for crypto investors and enthusiasts. Now, another big blow to crypto bros has come from Microsoft which has decided to enforce new restrictions on cryptocurrency mining.

Microsoft bans crypto mining

Microsoft, one of the biggest players in the cloud computing arena has decided to take drastic measures to increase the stability of its cloud services. As a result, crypto mining has been axed from Microsoft’s cloud platform. There was no official announcement of the same as Microsoft quietly decided to ban crypto mining from its online services in order to protect its customers and clouds. The Register, a British tech news agency was the first to crack this development on December 15, 2022.

Microsoft introduced the new restrictions as a part of its universal license terms of Microsoft Online Services. Microsoft’s updated acceptable policy clarifies that crypto mining is now ‘prohibited’ on its platform without prior approval. The latest policy states that users now require users to obtain a written pre-approval from the company in order to use any Microsoft Online Services for crypto mining.

As per reports, Microsoft said that the latest restrictions laid upon crypto mining aims to protect the online service from cyber risks like fraud, attacks, and unauthorized access to customer resources. Furthermore, the company stated that it may consider permissions to mine crypto only for testing and research purposes, thus crypto whales running big mining operations on Microsoft cloud will take a massive hit with this development. Microsoft won’t be the first company in recent times to adopt the new restrictions. Earlier, Google also restricted users from engaging in crypto mining without the company’s prior written approval. Besides this, platforms like Oracle have banned crypto mining entirely, whereas Digital Ocean also requires users to take written permission.

Race to the Top! – Companies Leading AI Research

Artificial Intelligence has surely become a growing force in the business industry today. Be it cloud computing or edge computing, AI is being used as a mix and match of technologies to exceed in several aspects of a business. AI-enabled solutions have become popular thanks to businesses now transforming digitally. The number of businesses now using AI services reportedly grew by 270% from 2015 to 2019, it is still rising as 2022 comes to a close and will only continue to grow more in the coming years. As of 2022, the AI services market is reportedly forecast to grow to US $62.5bn which is a considerable growth from US $19.4bn back in 2020. 

While machine learning leads the pack in the AI revolution, businesses are expanding their technological reach with the help of other technologies like predictive analysis, business intelligence, data warehouse tools, and deep learning. These technologies enable big business giants to alleviate several industrial obstructions with ease. Surely, entire industries are being reshaped with AI right now. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) companies have now swiftly changed their platforms to AI, whereas AI in healthcare has also proven to be a boon in patient healthcare. 

Several companies have showcased a great interest in AI during the pandemic to better the customer experience in a variety of areas. In our AI special we wanted to have a look at all the companies currently leading the race of AI and Machine Learning through the integration of their technologies into apps and systems. Check them out right now – 

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

AWS clearly takes the cake when it comes to being the leader in cloud computing. The company offers both consumer and business-related AI products and services. A number of its AI services build into end-consumer products. Let’s take Amazon Echo as an example, this little speaker brings AI right into your home through your personal voice assistant, Alexa. While Alexa is known as Amazon’s AI, its primary AI service is called ‘Lex’. It is an Alexa variant that is exclusive to businesses. There is also Polly which turns text into speech and Rekognition which is an image recognition service. Besides AWS, Amazon has a number of products based on AI. 

There’s the SageMaker Data Wrangler, a new service that is meant to accelerate the data preparation for machine learning and AI applications. Amazon Codeguru is another service by Amazon which allows coders to enhance their code quality with the help of Ai-powered code suggestions. Finally, Amazon also has Kendra which is an AI and machine learning-powered search tool meant for corporate purposes. 

Google 

I am sure you’re not surprised to Google on this list as it is among the top AI companies right now. While there are several ways Google integrates AI in its business, one notable AI innovation by the company is the Multitask Unified Model famously known as MUM. This technology is aimed to enhance the Google search experience amongst users. MUM is used to better link the information that a web searcher is looking for with precise accuracy. Google has been on a massive AI acquisition binge as it is deeply invested in the integration of AI into our daily lives. Google Cloud itself sells a number of AI and machine learning services to companies around the world. The industry-leading TensorFlow software project and its very own Tensor AI chip project are known around the world. 

Microsoft 

Microsoft is a juggernaut when it comes to the betterment of AI technology. The company not only provides technology but also funds and experiences to organizations working on AI to tackle global issues. Microsoft AI has the potential to enable anyone be it an individual or an organization to study, develop, and innovate in the field. Back in 2020, Microsoft unveiled Project Bonsai, a platform for designing industrial control systems. The company had also launched Project Moab which was an experimental platform designed to introduce engineers and developers to Bonsai. Microsoft also build the Specktacom which was geared toward cricketers. Speckatacom was a technology dedicated to collecting data on speed, quality, twists, and the swing of a cricket bat using a tiny sensor attached to the bat. It used wireless technology and cloud analytics to collect the data. 

Alibaba Cloud 

Alibaba Cloud is the leading cloud platform in Asia. It offers its clients a top-notch machine-learning platform for AI. The company has managed to make AI easy for users with the help of a visually pleasing interface. Companies using Alibaba Cloud’s platform can simply drag and drop data components into a canvas in order to assemble their AI functionality. On the platform, users can also find the scores of algorithm components that can handle a number of different tasks. This enables businesses to use pre-built solutions for their tasks without the hassle of building one which can be time consuming. One can surely expect Alibaba to show significant improvement and growth in the AI sector in the coming years.

Microsoft Surface Event: New Surface Products Launched

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for tech enthusiasts as giants in the tech industry introduce a slew of new products. After Apple, Google and Meta, Microsoft has now jumped the gun and launched a new lineup of products. The company unveiled a suite of new Surface products during an event held on Wednesday. Here is everything launched during the Microsoft event:

Surface Pro 9

It’s hard to believe that we have already had almost ten of the hybrid tablet devices from Microsoft to this date. The latest Surface Pro 9 comes with a 13-inch display sporting the trendy 120Hz refresh rate. On the processing side, users can either opt for the 12th Gen Intel Core processors or a Microsoft SQ3 processor which is 5G-enabled. The Microsoft chip is reportedly based on Qualcomm tech. While the 5G model is limited to either 8GB or 32GB RAM options, the WiFi model comes with 8, 16, and 32GB options.

The Intel-based Surface Pro 9 comes with a removable SSD of up to 1TB, whereas, the 5G variant is limited to only 512GB. The company claims that the 5G Surface Pro 9 comes with 19 hours of device usage, but the Intel-powered version of the device only comes with 15.5 hours. The differences don’t end here as the port selection is also different here. The standard variant of the device comes with two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support, the 5G variant does not get the same as its ports do not support Thunderbolt 4.

Surface Laptop 5

Microsoft is not limiting itself to the hybrid PC-Tablet form factor and introduced a conventional Surface Laptop 5. Similar to the Surface Pro 9, it comes with a touchscreen display but the keyboard is not an external accessory as it is built-in. It comes in standard laptop sizes like 13.5-inch and 15-inch. There is no confusion here with the processing power either as both the variants come with 12th gen Intel Core processors. While the 13.5-inch model is versatile with the support of i5 and i7 processors, the 15-inch variant is locked to i7.

Surface Studio 2+

The final device launched at the Microsoft event was the biggest of them all! The 28-inch Surface Studio 2+ is a desktop PC primarily targeted to creatives who need a lot of computing power for 3D renders, 8K edits, digital art, and much more. Similar to previous Surface Studio devices, this one is also an all-in-one device which means that the Monitor and the PC are built directly into one another. The PC rests on a hinge so it can be used as a regular m monitor or can be lowered down to be used as an artist workstation. The touch display is clocked at a stunning 4500×3000 resolution that is coupled with the 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor. It comes with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 which is capable of handling high-res gameplay. the RAM here is locked to 32GB and the storage to 1TB. The pricing for all new devices launched by Microsoft is yet under wraps.

 

Top 5 Wireless Keyboards

Being a part of the ongoing pandemic and information age, we all or at least most of us, prefer Work From Home over a traditional office. Whether you’re in your home or a corporate office, or anywhere else for that matter, we all use computers or laptops to make our life more accessible and smoother. Now, talking about the keyboard, it is an essential part of modern tech-based life. Without it, we can’t do much on our computers or laptops and being honest, most of the time when we’re not in a generous mood or when we’re typing a prompt mail or playing games, we use our keyboards like a punching bag and smashes every key of it like we’re a war zone soldier.

Though most keyboards are built to handle such pressures, what will you do if you lose a key or any key stops working? Well, for computers, you’ll have to buy a new keyboard or depend on the on-screen keyboard for that particular key but in the case of laptops, once you lose a key, restoring everything to its original state can be burdensome for some of us. 

So, it’s better not to use in-built keyboards all the time, especially when you type for a long span and have a habit of pressing the keys in a vivid manner. Accidents can happen at any time, and to prevent them, we would recommend you to use Wireless keyboards, and if you’re looking for the same, you’re at the right place.

Why Wireless Keyboards?

Wireless keyboards are life-saving when you prefer a neat, decluttered desk or like typing comfortably with your keyboard on your lap. They help you type faster and are ideal for pairing with laptops or even computers at workstations or home. Wireless keyboards are travel-friendly compared to their counterparts and work best not only on your computer/laptop but also on your tablet, your phone, or even your TV. Nowadays, wireless technology is everywhere and has done an impeccable job in the past few years and finding the best one is tricky, and it all depends on how you’re going to use it, for work or a gaming purpose? So, before we hit the list, let’s take a quick look at specs to consider. 

A perfect sized keyboard is always going to help you and light up your life. If you travel a lot, then go for a light one and if you’re a gamer, go for a smaller than average keyboard, as you’re not going to use it for typing. If you’re a writer or doing some sort of work related to heavy use of the keyboard, go for a more oversized keyboard to hit the keys comfortably. Look for a keyboard according to your preferred operating system because sometimes special characters matter. Gamers, keep in mind, if you’re an avid gamer, you’re going to need keyboards that connect to multiple devices with the press of a single button and a customizable option for RGB lighting or at least backlighting.

Logitech MX Keys

Price – ₹12,995/-

Logitech MX Keys is one of the best wireless keyboards out there for iMac users. It offers the best typing experience with its full-size structure, and it features a built-in number pad and backlit keys to equip you with a great user experience and maximum productivity. The low-profile keyboard could be your perfect office companion. Its wireless connectivity empowers you to pair a total of three devices over Bluetooth or its USB dongle, and you can easily switch between these three connected devices. 

The typing experience is smooth, and people sitting next to you can’t complain about losing concentration over a keyboard noise. The keyboard has a rechargeable battery, and it offers an impeccable 10 days of power backup. So, if you’re looking for a keyboard with a great blend of comfort and features that provide a versatile typing experience along with a premium price and durable build and have enough space on your desk, we recommend Logitech MX Keys for you.

Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard

Price – ₹14,999/-

Are you one of those who type for long hours, are tired of repetitive strain injuries, and looking for a comfortable keyboard to avoid arm, wrist, or shoulder pain? In that case, you should definitely try ergonomically designed keyboards such as Microsoft’s Sculpt wireless ergonomic keyboard that offers a pain-free experience and even take care of your bad posture. The keyboard offers a split layout and design and a nicely cushioned palm rest to keep you in an ideal typing position and avoid additional pressure on the wrists. 

The keyboard is split in half and offers a separate number pad, making it significantly different from its equivalents. The affordable ergonomic keyboard connects via a 2.4 GHz wireless USB dongle and requires two AAA batteries to work, which seems a little outdated. However, this ergonomic keyboard by Microsoft will surely help you recover lousy posture, but only if you stay put with it during those initial days.

Logitech K380 Bluetooth Keyboard

Price – ₹3,195/-

Logitech has a rich history of creating excellent computer accessories, and the name Logitech will often pop up when you’re looking for computer accessories, especially keyboard and mouse. The comfortable and compact Logitech K380 Bluetooth Keyboard is one of the best budget-friendly keyboards out there in the market, which offers great design and compelling battery backup of up to 2 years with its AAA batteries.

The keyboard arrives with round-shaped keys, and it takes a while to adapt to it; and it also lacks a backlighting feature and macro programmable keys. The smart-looking keyboard could be paired up with three devices via Bluetooth (it doesn’t come with a USB dongle), and one can easily toggle between the devices such as smartphones, tablets, Apple TV, and most computers using the F1-F3 hotkeys. The tiny and well-built wireless Bluetooth keyboard is offered in three colours: dark grey, rose, and off-white.

Apple Magic Keyboard With Numeric Keypad

Price – ₹12,500/-

Apple Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, the name itself suggests it has something magical in it, and we can’t deny the fact because it’s a fact. The aesthetically designed Apple Magic Keyboard will undoubtedly add a slight tint to your modern office, and if you’re a follower of a minimalist lifestyle, it’s clearly the best buy for you. The Magic Keyboard sports light and bouncy keys to satisfy your typing experience. 

Previously, it was available without a number pad and only bundled with Apple’s 5K iMac Pro, but now it is available in full size with Numeric Keypad, and the company even sells it separately. The flat designed Apple Magic Keyboard is ideal for gaming, reading or working with spreadsheets as it offers an impressive battery life of one month, on a full charge. The ultra-sleek space-grey keyboard offers keys based on a scissor mechanism to enhance your typing experience, but unfortunately, it is only compatible with Apple products.

Corsair K63 Wireless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Price – ₹15,999/-

Corsair is one of the few companies that manufacture a wireless alternative of its popular gaming keyboards, and their latest addition, a refresh of the old Corsair Gaming Lapdog but slimmer and wireless, Corsair K63 Wireless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, is an exceptional one. The new K63 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is almost similar to its wired sibling, and if you’re familiar with Corsair keyboards in the past, then while using this one, you’ll feel super comfortable as the keyboard is specially made for people who prefer to operate from the comfort of the couch. The K63 keyboard has a frameless and straightforward design, and users can pair the keyboard with either a wireless USB receiver or Bluetooth. The keyboard features dedicated media controls, linear Cherry MX Red switches, excellent compatibility with various operating systems, but at the same time, it lacks backlighting as it is limited to a single blue colour. However, the K63 wireless keyboard is still a good option for gaming and also for work too.

Popular Companies Who Began Their Journey From A Garage

The secret of getting ahead is getting started, and not every multinational company begins with huge sophisticated office spaces and wealthy founders. Some of them start their journey with hope and passion, and when it comes to choosing a start-up place within a budget, no place is better than a household garage.

Famous founders, who we idolise today, were once ordinary people who decided to achieve their dreams with exceptional drive and motivation but how they started their journey is still the talk of the town. So, here are the top 10 popular companies who began their journey from a garage and proved that great ideas could come from anywhere but works adequately if the place is your garage.

Amazon

Founder: Jeff Bezos

We all know about Amazon and who owns it, thanks to its worldwide reach and customer friendly service. It all started with one dream when Mr Bezos quit his job at a Wall Street investment firm and moved to Seattle to try his hands in the online bookselling industry, and the rest you know is history.

Currently, Amazon is the world’s largest e-commerce marketplace, but to your surprise, when Mr Jeff Bezos started Amazon in 1994, it was just an online bookstore and used to deal with only book-related sales and operations right from Bezos’ household garage in Bellevue, Washington. 

Today, Jeff Bezos is one of the wealthiest guys in the world, and Amazon is one of the biggest companies in the world, but the initial days of Amazon were packed with struggle as it took them an entire year to sell their first book, which makes sense to the quote, patience is the key element to success.

Amazon began as an online bookstore and has since expanded to various other e-commerce products and services, including audio and video streaming, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. Mr Bezos has announced he would step down from his role as CEO of Amazon on 5th July 2021 and fly to space on 20th July 2021 along with his brother, Mark Bezos.

Disney

Founders: Disney Brothers

The Walt Disney Company is well-known as a pioneer of animated cartoon films and famous for creating iconic cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. In 1923, Walt and his brother Roy moved to Los Angeles to their uncle’s house and set up their first studio, Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, in the one-car garage and started operating from there, looks like a very humble and dedicated beginning.

The first-ever film they shot in this tiny garage was Alice Comedies, which would later inspire Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. Later on, in 1926, they changed the company’s name to The Walt Disney Company. Disney faced a lot of sorrows in its journey toward prosperity but conquered all the combats and became one of the world’s most popular and biggest entertainment conglomerates, with current worth over $200 billion.

Google

Founders: Larry Page & Sergey Brin

The world is made up of tiny matters, and you won’t believe it, but Google also followed the same path. Yes, the world’s most famous search engine and the basic need of modern life began its official journey in current YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki’s 2,000-foot Menlo Park garage in September 1998.

Two Stanford Graduate students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, started Google as a research project in January 1996, and after a couple of years, they decided to register the domain name www.google.com on 15th September 1997. The main goal behind creating Google was to organize and maintain all kinds of information on a single platform accessible to all people worldwide.

In March 1999, the company shifted its base along with its eight employees to Palo Alto, California, home to several prominent Silicon Valley technology start-ups. Today, Google is the most trafficked site in the world and has also launched other helpful websites, applications and devices like Gmail, Google+, Google Drive, Pixel phones and Google Nest.

Harley Davidson

Founders: William Harley & Davidson Brothers

Everyone knows about the unique and distinctive sound of Harley Davidson Motorcycles, but not everyone knows that the world’s first Harley Davidson was built in a 10 by the 15-foot wooden shed at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The shed was equivalent to a garage because they didn’t have cars. 

In 1901, 20-year-old William Harley outlined layouts for a small engine designed for use in a regular pedal-bicycle frame and started working on a motor-bicycle project for a couple of years along with his childhood friend Arthur Davidson. The project was completed in 1903 with the help of Arthur’s brother Walter Davidson, and soon they officially founded Harley-Davidson in 1903.

Harley Davidson was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression along with the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company. Today, Harley Davidson is the most well-known and respectable motorcycle brand in the world. Their engines’ deep, rumbling and muscular sound still make people go crazy to buy these motorcycles.

Hewlett-Packard (HP)

Founders: Bill Hewlett & David Packard

Stanford University has something with developing future-oriented students, and we’re back again with another founder duo from Stanford. Bill Hewlett & David Packard were students of electrical engineering at Stanford, who later on founded Hewlett-Packard, popularly known as HP, in 1939, inside Packard’s 12 by 18 foot rented garage in Palo Alto, California, with an initial investment of $538, equivalent to $9,891 in 2020. Today, the Packard’s garage is recognised as the birthplace of HP and Silicon Valley.

The very first product HP developed was an audio oscillator (HP200A), and one of their first clients was Bud Hawkins, Chief Sound Engineer for Walt Disney Studios, who bought eight audio oscillators for testifying the surround sound systems installed in theatres for their motion picture Fantasia. Following its inception, HP has evolved into a robust and active company, developing numerous computers, laptops, printers,  3D printing solutions, and other computer-centric accessories with advanced technologies.

Apple

Founders: Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak & Ronald Wayne

Without standards, there can be no improvement, and one should learn how to set high standards and win hearts from Apple, which is currently amongst the group of insanely popular international brands. However, it is widely believed that it was founded in the household garage in 1976 by a trio Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak & Ronald Wayne. Apple’s first product was the Apple I computer which was designed and hand-built entirely by Wozniak. 

One of their first big orders was from a local retailer who ordered 50 units of Wozniak’s Apple I computer at $500 apiece, which they hand-built in 30 days. Ronald Wayne gave up on the company before it finished the first-ever order. The first big order helped the company achieve more, and shortly the team continued to create the Apple II computer. Later on, they built a Macintosh line of products which made them millionaires. 

Steve Wozniak permanently left Apple in early 1985, stating the company had been going in the wrong direction, but time proved who was going in the wrong direction. Today, Apple is worth $2.2 trillion and leading a technological revolution with its devices like iPhones, iPods, iPads, Macbooks and Mac computers; special thanks to the late Steve Jobs, who helped transform the world of computers through Apple.

Microsoft

Founders: Bill Gates and Paul Allen

Microsoft is a household name, and if you’re not aware of it, you must be living in an alternate dimension, existing in parallel to the human world. When childhood friends Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in 1975, they had a small garage, and they thought it’s enough space to start a coding company. 

Bill Gates and Paul Allen were keen on developing programming language and software operations; they collaborated with IBM and built their first operating system and licensed it for $80,000. They decided to name the company Microsoft, short for micro-computer software, which was a suggestion from Paul Allen.

Furthermore, they developed their most popular operating system, called Windows, which currently runs on 80% of the computers in the world. Recently, the company launched its latest OS, Windows 11, the most advanced version of Windows. Today, Microsoft is worth $1 trillion, and its co-founder Bill Gates is the 2nd richest person in the world.

Dell

Founder: Michael Dell

Dell is one of the largest technology corporations in the world that develops, sells, repairs, and supports computers and related products. Still, its founder Michael Dell is not a familiar name for us like we know Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, though he’s also a college dropout like them who made a name in the computer world by designing customized computers for people. Michael Dell dropped out of school to focus full-time on his business and founded Dell Computer Corporation in 1984, headquartered in his dorm room.

The company designed the first computer of its design in 1985, the Turbo PC, and sold it for $795. Later on, Michael moved to North Austin to expand the company from his own office, which he acquired through the early profits. Over the years, Dell grew up as one of the trustworthy brands in the computer world. Currently, Dell is worth $78.05 billion and competing fairly with several computer manufacturing opponents like HP, Lenovo and Acer.

Lotus Cars

Founder: Colin Chapman

If you are a fan of competitive racing and sports cars, you must be aware of the Lotus Cars, which manufactures lightweight and fine handling sports and racing cars. The Norfolk headquartered British automotive company was founded in 1948 by then 20-years old Colin Chapman in a garage where he built his first racing car, and the first factory was situated in old stables next to the railway hotel in Hornsey, London.

Over the next few decades, Lotus emerged as one of the top racing and sports car manufacturing companies where Lotus was also involved in Formula One racing via Team Lotus, winning the Formula One World Championship seven times. Lotus encountered financial troubles after the death of Colin Chapman, and later on, it was bought by General Motors. Currently, Lotus is owned by Chinese multinational group Geely which holds a 51% controlling stake in Lotus and the remaining 49% were acquired by Etika Automotive.

Along with these 9 companies, several other companies started their journey from a Garage or even smaller space, including Mattel – a toy manufacturing company founded in 1945 and popular for products like Barbie, Hot Wheels, and more. The next on the list is Maglite – a flashlight manufacturing company which Anthony Maglica founded in 1979, and last but not least is Nike, which began as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964 and started its journey from the trunk of a car, which is way smaller than a garage.

Microsoft Began Testing A New Night Mode Feature For Xbox Users

Nobody likes to play games with all the lights on, as playing games in a dark room benefits the gamer to build a gaming world atmosphere right from the comfort of home. Earlier, Xbox users complained about not having a night mode, but soon they will have a night mode to play comfortably after dark or in a dark room as Microsoft has started testing a new night mode with Xbox Insiders.

The under-testing feature allows users to dim and filter their screens, Xbox power button, and even the console and controller LED brightness through the console’s settings app. The feature also grants users many customisations options like multiple dimming levels, a blue light filter and more.

The software giant is allowing its users to set an Xbox to switch to the night mode manually and disable HDR when the night mode is enabled; switching modes will help users avoid scorching bright images. Users can schedule the toggling of modes at specific times or automatically set it to turn on at sunset and off at sunrise.

Currently, the new build to the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring of the Xbox is only live to a limited audience (only available for experiment) as Microsoft is testing the feature with Xbox insiders; the feature will pass various testing channels and soon the company will roll it out to all the users.

The new build will fix previous bugs linked with launching apps and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Xbox users, especially late-night gamers, were waiting for such a feature for a long time, and now that Microsoft has come up with one, the users will appreciate the efforts, as it’ll add consistency in their gaming. In the last couple of years, Microsoft has taken its rivalry competition seriously, and the company is trying to up their game by implementing a night mode feature.

WBU? I Just Downloaded Windows 11 Updates

Hrithik Roshan transformed the narration of stories from ‘once upon a time’ to ‘one day’ with his Masala-type movie Bang Bang. One day comes when it becomes necessary to download some system updates. You get notifications regarding new updates that you have to download to your smartphone or laptop. You have witnessed this problem in yourself where you like to act as a bureaucrat and try to avoid and delay such essential updates. But a day comes when these updates start downloading automatically. Okay, it’s understood now that you are feeling this frustration of even listening about updates and your reaction towards them. But why is there so much talk about updates? Windows 11 has brought a new set of updates. So, if you do not have a laptop or computer with Linux or macOS, you must go through this Microsoft Windows 11 updates blog by Exhibit.

WaaS

Some of you must be thinking that I am derailing myself by delivering linguistic errors even in the headings. But that’s not true. If you are the one who has used ERP and CRM applications, you must have heard about SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS; here’s another for you – WaaS (Windows as a Service). WaaS is the core model on which Microsoft is trying to work upon to bring essential and sophisticated features in their new Windows 11. With these new updates, Windows 11 will add some more niche and security elements.

Microsoft Windows 11 Updates At a Glance

  • Additional microcodes to identify vulnerabilities or hardware issues that the CPU is facing 
  • Windows Defender Antivirus can handle more risks by mitigating the probability of attacks and deter them properly.
  • Malicious Software Removal Tool will help to detect any known infection that is created due to threat-building applications. MSRT will get new updates every month.
  • Compatibility and reliability updates will help a user like you to install applications seamlessly on your system.

Hence, cumulatively you can say that more focus is towards one core matter – security.

Patch & Release

Every second Tuesday of each month will have a Windows 11 B update that will work upon security issues and quality resolution of bugs. It will be known as Patch Tuesday. In addition to this, there will be Windows 11 C & D updates that will come on every third and fourth week. Hence, the development, support, and other concerned teams will constantly work to ensure that you get a better experience every time you think about using it.

Conclusion

If you have Windows in your system and have downloaded the latest OS – Windows 11, get ready to add the new updates. You will see the difference for sure when using the applications and other utilities provided by Windows 11.

Artificial Intelligence Model Will Predict Heatwave Risks

Ahh, AI, then it’s possible. The pace of advancement has rapidly increased after the advent of artificial intelligence. Many tech giants are working with different models to ensure that they bring betterment in that space or domain. Climate disaster has become a burning topic in recent times, considering the way firstly heat waves and then rampant rain came and hit the country. Due to this, there has been a huge loss measured in every front. Every year, you can hear the news that cyclones will hit a specific region or area due to the pressure generated in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian sea. Though a model has been devised for predicting the cyclones, there’s nothing available for heatwave risks. Thankfully, there’s one now! Microsoft has come up with an artificial intelligence model that can do the same. Through this Exhibit blog, you will get finer information. 

Artificial Intelligence Model – Sunny Lives

It has been a long time since Little Master and cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has written “Sunny Days.” But now there’s something new with this word Sunny. Microsoft collaborated with Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) to develop a new AI model named Sunny Lives. This model will help to predict heatwave risks that may build in the future in India. It is precisely for urban heatwave zones. It was this model which has helped Indians to estimate the arrival of other natural disasters, including floods and cyclones. The team at Microsoft developed this under their flagship program – Artificial Intelligence for Humanitarian Action. 

Working Principle of Sunny Lives

This AI model is going to take the help of satellite images and thermal maps of a particular area. Apart from this, the model has accumulated a bulk dataset related to specific urban areas, especially the temperature data. Through this dataset and satellite imagery, the code in the model will work out to find the next estimated period when there will be a huge probability for heatwaves in that dwelling settlement. Accordingly, pre-emptive actions can be taken by the nodal authorities and other concerned organizations to reduce its impact.

Potential of this AI Model

As of now, the administration and weather monitoring agencies in India can use it as a pilot project for the urban areas. Later, one can expand it to the rural areas where climate change has posed severe threats. Crop failure has become a major problem these days. Due to this, there will arise issues related to food security. Food security is no less than a boon for many, considering the current population of this country. Hence, if there is a heatwave prediction, farmers can get assistance in growing drought-resistant crops and other essential measures to deter crop failure. Apart from this, a heat wave prediction can help the administration to work on a water conservation strategy. 

Final Word

Admit it or not, but this artificial intelligence model named Sunny Lives is like a blessing that has come to the rescue after seeing the current climate changes in the country. A lot depends on how responsible people will harness and tap it to the fullest to help society.

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