As part of the Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that the government would encourage start-ups to facilitate drone-as-a-service.

Drone-as-a-service enables enterprises to avail of various services from drone companies. This removes the need for them to invest their own money in drone hardware and software, pilots, and pilot training programmes.

For example, a mining company wants to conduct a mapping and surveying operation. Using drones in this case would be very convenient and helpful. But, for this, the company will have to buy the associated hardware and hire or even train the pilots needed. And this would involve considerable costs.

Here drone-as-a-service facility comes into play. The miner can go to a drone company, which already has the hardware, software and human resources at hand. This drone company will then use its resources to conduct the mapping and surveying operation, in the form of services rendered, for the miner.

According to the government, the drone services industry is slated to grow to over Rs 30,000 crore in the coming three years and create over 500,000 jobs.

On a related note, drone-related courses for skilling will start at select Industrial Training Institutes across all states. The government has said that it would also promote the use of ‘Kisan Drones’ for the purposes of crop assessment, spraying of insecticides, and digitization of land records.

So, what are the applications of drone-as-a-service?Let us look at how it can be used in agriculture. Drones can be hired for crop health monitoring, damage assessment, yield estimation, land preparation, irrigation planning, and crop counting.

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Even though it has been over half a year since their initial launch, the Google Pixel 6 duo still do not have the Face Unlock feature.

As per rumours, Google wanted to implement facial recognition in its phones but missed the deadline and ultimately shipped its flagship phones without the feature.

According to GSM Arena, there might still be some hope though as new evidence suggests that Google might still push Face Unlock for Pixel 6 phones as a future software update but there’s no release timeframe for now.

There’s also the possibility that Google is working on bringing facial recognition to a future Pixel phone and is testing out the feature on a Pixel 6 device.

Based on previous evidence, Face Unlock on Pixel 6 was using up too much power during the facial recognition stage which is one of the main reasons Google decided to skip the feature altogether.

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Jeep India, a part of the automotive group Stellantis, on Tuesday introduced its new SUV Meridian and the deliveries will begin in June 2022.

The Meridian is the company’s first three-row SUV designed and engineered specifically for India. It will come with a 2-litre turbo diesel engine with nine speed automatic and six speed manual transmission options, the company said.

The model is among the three new products along with Grand Cherokee and Compass Trailhawk that are being launched in India this year.

The company had launched the Compass Trailhawk in February at an introductory price of Rs 30.72 lakh (ex-showroom).

Stellantis India CEO & Managing Director Roland Bouchara said all these will be produced from the company’s Ranjangaon plant in Maharashtra and shows the company’s commitment to the Indian market.

In a virtual conference, he said in the last two years the company has invested USD 250 million on the development of five products, including Wrangler and Compass, for the Indian market.

He said the company sees India as an export hub and the Meridian will also be exported to countries in the Asia Pacific Region, including Japan and South Korea as it has been doing for the Compass model.

When asked about the sales expectations from the Meridian, Bouchara said it is difficult to forecast as “COVID is still not behind us”.

However, he said the model will become a key player in the premium SUV segment, which is currently dominated by Toyota Fortuner.

Commenting on the EV strategy for India, Bouchara said Stellantis is following the market development closely.

Last year, Stellantis had announced plans to invest more than 30 billion through 2025 on electrification of its vehicle line up globally.

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Meta-owned photo-sharing platform Instagram has announced that it is testing a new feature that will make it easier for users to discover and support social causes directly through hashtags.

The company said it is testing a new feature to help people discover social movements happening in the world and on Instagram, as well as ways to take action.

“We are rolling this out first to a handful of hashtags that are focused on popular and long-standing movements on Instagram and in the world, like #BlackLivesMatter, #womensrights and #climatecrisis,” the company said in a blogpost.

“We are making it easier to raise awareness of these causes by sharing the hashtag page via DM or creating a fundraiser,” it added.

With this new feature, users will be able to support, fundraise and spread the word about the social causes centered directly through hashtags.

“Hashtags have long been a place where people discover new causes to support on Instagram, and now when you search for specific hashtags associated with certain movements, you will have the option to support them,” the company said.

“Support” shows more information about the movement, “Spread the Word” lets you share it with your friends via DM, and “Create a Fundraiser” lets you start a fundraiser on behalf of the movement.

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Meta-owned encrypted messaging service WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new feature that will allow users to share bigger-sized files and media with others over their platform.

According to a WABetaInfo report, WhatsApp will soon start testing the “Media File Size” feature in Argentina which will allow users to share media files up to 2GB in size. The feature will initially be limited to Beta testers in Argentina.

As for the feature, it will soon be available on both Android and iOS devices of Beta testers in Argentina.

For those who are unaware, currently it is only possible to share files up to 100MB due.

WhatsApp recently started rolling out the much-awaited multi-device support for all users.

Till now, the feature has been available to users under WhatsApp’s opt-in beta testing programme. Now, according to WABetainfo, the update will roll out to iOS users this month, followed by an Android release next month.

With the new update, your primary device will not have to remain online in order to access the platform.

Viewing live location is not possible on paired devices. Creating and viewing broadcast lists or sending messages with link previews from WhatsApp Web cannot be performed on the secondary devices.

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Samsung on Tuesday announced the addition of five new models Galaxy A13, A23, A33 5G, A53 5G, A73 5G to its Galaxy A series portfolio in India.

The new Galaxy A53 5G, Galaxy A33 5G, Galaxy A23 and Galaxy A13 will be available in four awesome colours – peach, blue, black and white. Galaxy A53 5G is priced at Rs 34,499 for 6GB+128GB and Rs 35,999 for 8GB+128GB variant. Galaxy A23 will be available at Rs 19,499 for 6GB+128GB and Rs 20,999 for 8GB+128GB variant.

Meanwhile, Galaxy A13 is priced at Rs 14,999 for 4GB+64GB, Rs 15,999 for 4GB+128GB and Rs 17,499 for 6GB+64GB

variant.

“At Samsung, we believe in openness with the Galaxy experience powering endless possibilities. The Galaxy A series epitomises that belief by making flagship-like features accessible at an affordable price point. The five new models we are launching are curated to inspire consumers with style, power and versatility,” Raju Pullan, Senior Vice President, Mobile Business, Samsung India said in a statement.

Galaxy A73 5G comes with a 108MP camera with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), enhanced durability with IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, powerful Snapdragon 778G 5G processor and Super AMOLED+ display at 120Hz refresh rate.AIt features RAM Plus with which you can expand RAM up to 16GB. It comes in 2 variants — 8GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB with expandable storage up to 1TB.

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India on Sunday successfully test-fired two Indian Army-version Medium Range Surface to Air Missiles (MRSAMs) from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha.

The flight tests were carried out as part of live-firing trials against high-speed aerial targets, sources in the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) said, adding that the missiles intercepted the targets and destroyed those completely, registering direct hits at both the ranges.

The first missile hit a medium-altitude long-range target and the second a low-altitude short-range one.

This MRSAM version is a Surface-to-Air Missile developed jointly by DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for use by the Indian Army. The MRSAM Army weapon system comprises multi-function radar, mobile launcher system and other vehicles.

The flight tests were carried out with the weapon system in deliverable configuration. The performance of the weapon system was validated through the flight data captured by range instruments like radars, electro-optical tracking systems and telemetry deployed by ITR, Chandipur.

The flight tests were carried out in the presence of senior officials from DRDO and Indian Army.

“MRSAM-Army missile system flight tested from ITR Balasore at around 1030 Hrs intercepting a high speed aerial target at long range. The target was destroyed by the missile in a direct hit,” DRDO tweeted.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO, Indian Army and the defence industry for the successful flight tests of MRSAM-Army. He said that both the successful tests establish the capability of the weapon system in intercepting targets at critical ranges.

DRDO chairman G Satheesh Reddy complimented the teams involved in the flight trial.

As a precautionary measure, the Balasore district administration had temporarily shifted around 7,000 people from three villages close to the ITR to safety.

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Friday, March 26 will go down as a black day in the history of the e-two wheeler industry. In a span of 24 hours, two electric scooter models went up in flames. While such incidents of e-two wheelers bursting into flames, have been on a rise with increasing sales, it’s the first one that has claimed two lives. Including the recent ones, over half a dozen cases of e-two wheelers catching fire has been reported in less than a year.

Experts are of the view that given the novelty of the technology and an under developed testing system the government should introduce a mandatory recall policy for EVs.

“It’s a new technology, therefore, the ecosystem for a rigorous testing and validation of the vehicles and its parts and aggregates have yet to fully mature and develop, ” said Balraj Bhanot, former Director ARAI, automobile homologation expert and former chairman –central motor vehicle regulations (CMVR) committee.

“There’s a need for a mandatory recall till the technology matures. Why should customers suffer? The manufacturers should be penalised,” he added.

The mishap on Friday involved a brand new Okinawa model going up in flames, the second one was a parked Ola S1 bursting in flames. It didn’t have any casualties.

It has come to light at a time when battery-powered EVs are being touted as cleaner, greener and cheaper alternatives to their ICE counterparts and getting all the policy thrust from the government.

In an email response a spokesperson at Ola Electric said the company is aware of an incident in Pune that happened with one of its scooters and is investigating to understand the root cause and will share more updates in the next few days.

“We’re in constant touch with the customer who is absolutely safe.

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TRAI has released a discussion paper on rating of buildings or areas for digital connectivity as the telecom regulator took note of “huge gaps” in meeting quality demands of users inside and across complexes.

The consultation paper proposes value addition to the buildings or areas by introducing digital connectivity infrastructure evaluations and award ratings in terms of points or stars, based on the quality of experience assessed in a scientific way involving a combination of field measurements, users’ experience of digital connectivity provided in their buildings or premises, the regulator said.

TRAI has released a consultation paper on “rating of buildings or areas for digital connectivity”, the regulator said in a statement.

The paper also provides details on the provisions in various laws and guidelines for the development of telecom infrastructure in an area or building, and suggests measures to include digital connectivity infrastructure as a key component for the completion of a building or development of an area, with legal backing.

The demand for digital connectivity has increased manifolds in recent years, and the pandemic further accentuated this demand. Accordingly, various policy interventions have been taken by the TRAI so far.

The regulator has been monitoring the quality of telecom services by conducting detailed studies and issuing suitable directions towards improving the service quality.

While there have been significant improvements in the coverage of telecom services on the street, there are still huge gaps in meeting the quality demands of the users inside and across the buildings, residential or commercial areas, TRAI observed.

These gaps are required to be bridged by implementing technological solutions in holistic ways by stakeholders, wherein end-users take call on the quality of services needed inside their complexes, premises, or areas, TRAI has mooted.

According to TRAI, the latest consultation paper suggests a road map for creating an enabling environment for the creation of an ecosystem in designing, implementing, operating, maintaining and expanding connectivity through upgradations to meet future challenges of digital connectivity inside buildings and areas.

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TRAI has released a discussion paper on rating of buildings or areas for digital connectivity as the telecom regulator took note of “huge gaps” in meeting quality demands of users inside and across complexes.

The consultation paper proposes value addition to the buildings or areas by introducing digital connectivity infrastructure evaluations and award ratings in terms of points or stars, based on the quality of experience assessed in a scientific way involving a combination of field measurements, users’ experience of digital connectivity provided in their buildings or premises, the regulator said.

TRAI has released a consultation paper on “rating of buildings or areas for digital connectivity”, the regulator said in a statement.

The paper also provides details on the provisions in various laws and guidelines for the development of telecom infrastructure in an area or building, and suggests measures to include digital connectivity infrastructure as a key component for the completion of a building or development of an area, with legal backing.

The demand for digital connectivity has increased manifolds in recent years, and the pandemic further accentuated this demand. Accordingly, various policy interventions have been taken by the TRAI so far.

The regulator has been monitoring the quality of telecom services by conducting detailed studies and issuing suitable directions towards improving the service quality.

While there have been significant improvements in the coverage of telecom services on the street, there are still huge gaps in meeting the quality demands of the users inside and across the buildings, residential or commercial areas, TRAI observed.

These gaps are required to be bridged by implementing technological solutions in holistic ways by stakeholders, wherein end-users take call on the quality of services needed inside their complexes, premises, or areas, TRAI has mooted.

According to TRAI, the latest consultation paper suggests a road map for creating an enabling environment for the creation of an ecosystem in designing, implementing, operating, maintaining and expanding connectivity through upgradations to meet future challenges of digital connectivity inside buildings and areas.

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