👓️ Project Orion

Good morning and Happy Friday. Latest - Jeremy Allen White (aka Carmy) is dating co-star Molly Gordon (aka Claire).

That’s the update.

- Ruchirr Sharma & Shatakshi Sharmaa  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 👓️ Project Orion

• 🖥️ Indian Supercomputers

• 🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

  • 💪 BeerBiceps hacked

  • 👋 Another set of executives depart OpenAI

• 🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

• 🍿 Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment

MARKETS

🇮🇳 India

• Indian benchmark indices, BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty50, hit record highs on Thursday. Sensex gained 666.25 points to close at 85,836.12, while Nifty50 added 211.90 points, ending at 26,216.05. Auto and Metal sectors led gains, with Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, and others driving the rally. India VIX dropped 7.12%.

🌍️ International

• Stocks jumped Thursday. Tech stocks surged, with Nvidia, Tesla, Meta, and Apple seeing significant gains. The rate cut reflects the Fed's shift from fighting inflation to supporting employment, though it carries inflation risks.

AUGMENTED REALITY

👓️ Project Orion

Meta had a quality day at Meta Connect. 

First - Meta just made its AI products more powerful and versatile, rolling out several new features aimed at improving user experience. 

Here’s what’s new: 

• Meta AI can now interact using voice on platforms like Messenger, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. You can ask questions, get explanations, or enjoy a laugh with familiar voices like Awkwafina and John Cena. Meta AI also added photo-based features, allowing users to share images and receive answers—whether it’s identifying a flower or editing photos by changing outfits or backgrounds.

• Another exciting development is a translation tool for Reels, currently being tested in English and Spanish for select creators. This tool translates audio and lip-syncs it to match the speaker’s language, opening content to more viewers.

• In the business world, Meta expanded its AI-driven tools, allowing thousands of businesses to provide customer support and facilitate commerce on WhatsApp and Messenger. Over a million advertisers have adopted Meta's generative AI ad tools, leading to notable improvements in click-through and conversion rates.

But the biggest reveal of the day? Meta introduced Orion, its first true Augmented Reality (AR) glasses, a major leap in wearable tech. Here’s the scoop:

Here’s the tea: 

• Orion combines the look of everyday eyewear with immersive AR capabilities, allowing users to seamlessly interact with both digital and physical worlds. 

• It features a large holographic display and contextual AI that can assist with tasks like multitasking or hands-free video calls. 

• With its lightweight design, transparent lenses, and the largest field of view in AR glasses to date, Orion delivers immersive experiences like life-sized holograms.

Overall: While Orion isn’t yet available to consumers, Meta is hard at work refining the technology, focusing on sharper displays, a smaller form factor, and future affordability. 

Ultimately, Orion is set to transform everyday interactions, helping users stay connected while remaining present in the real world.

Read more: Meta Blog

TECHNOLOGY

🖥️ Indian Supercomputers

The recent launch of the Param Rudra supercomputers by Prime Minister Narendra Modi marks a significant milestone in India's journey towards becoming a leader in High-Performance Computing (HPC).

This initiative, part of the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), aims to enhance India's scientific research capabilities and foster innovation across various fields, including astronomy, material science, and climate studies.

The three Param Rudra supercomputers, developed at a cost of ₹130 Cr., will be strategically deployed in:

• Pune: The Giant Metre Radio Telescope (GMRT) will utilize the supercomputer to investigate Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) and other astronomical phenomena, contributing to our understanding of the universe.

• Delhi: The Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) will focus on advancing research in material science and atomic physics, which are critical for technological advancements and innovations.

• Kolkata: The S N Bose Centre will leverage the supercomputers for advanced studies in physics, cosmology, and earth sciences, enhancing India's capabilities in fundamental scientific research.

The deployment of these supercomputers is expected to:

• Enhance computational capabilities across various scientific disciplines.

• Facilitate groundbreaking research that can lead to significant advancements in healthcare, environmental science, and space exploration.

• Provide Indian researchers with access to high-performance computing resources that were previously limited or unavailable.

In addition to these supercomputers, two High-Performance Computing systems named Arka and Arunika were inaugurated for weather and climate research, further demonstrating India's commitment to leveraging technology for societal benefits.

Why is this such a big deal?

• The launch is not merely a technological upgrade; it reflects India's ambition to achieve self-reliance in computing technology.

• PM Modi emphasised that "there is no sector which does not rely on technology," highlighting the integral role of computing power in modern research and development.

• This initiative aligns with broader governmental goals such as Digital India and Make in India, aiming to establish a robust infrastructure supporting academic institutions and startups nationwide.

Overall: By investing in indigenous supercomputing capabilities, India is positioning itself as a formidable player on the global stage.

As these systems come online, they are likely to unlock new frontiers in research that could benefit not just India but also contribute to global scientific knowledge.

Read more: Times Of India

GENERAL OVERVIEW

🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

💪 BeerBiceps hacked - Prominent YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, known as BeerBiceps, had both his YouTube channels hacked while he was in Singapore. The attackers renamed the channels using references to Donald Trump and Elon Musk, before deleting Allahbadia's videos and uploading old livestreams of Trump and Musk. YouTube later removed the channels for violating company policies. Despite the attack, Allahbadia responded humorously, sharing a photo of his meal and joking about the situation on Instagram. His fans expressed confidence that YouTube would restore his channels and recover the lost content. Allahbadia is known for his fitness tips and high-profile interviews.

👋 Another set of executives depart OpenAI - Three top executives from OpenAI, including Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati, VP of Research Barret Zoph, and Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew, announced their departures. Murati, who has been with OpenAI for 6.5 years, is negotiating her exit while the company undergoes significant changes, including a $6.5B funding round and a corporate restructuring. The changes involve transitioning into a for-profit benefit corporation and giving CEO Sam Altman an equity stake. These departures follow other recent exits from the company, raising concerns about potential impacts on the ongoing fundraising efforts.

HEADLINES

🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

What’s happening in India (and around the world 🌍️)

• Former Amazon seller Appario Retail sues CCI over antitrust probe.

• Low oil prices a bright spot for the Indian economy? Why is the Finance Ministry feeling positive about recent reductions?

• Rahul Dravid, Zaheer Khan, Karan Johar invest in Swiggy ahead of IPO launch.

• 'NEET' problem: 25% of India's youth not in education, employment, training.

CULTURE

🍿 Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment

• Alia Bhatt and Vedang Raina’s much anticipated Jigra trailer out now.

• Yudhra review: Siddhant Chaturvedi's film is relentlessly violent.

• Menendez family slams Monsters series: Ryan Murphy “never spoke to us”