Report Wire

Category: Technology

  • Apple Opens Office Spanning 15 Floors In Bengaluru: Check Other Specifications |

    New Delhi: Along with the increasing nip in the air in India, Apple, the world’s most valuable corporation, is also expanding its presence in the country. The tech giant is all set to strengthen its foothold in India by inaugurating a new 15-floor office in Minsk Square, Bengaluru. The iPhone maker expressed excitement about this expansion.

    Apple Bengaluru Office: Location

    The company emphasizes the dynamic and innovative atmosphere Bengaluru provides. The prime location of the new office in Minsk Square places it close to significant landmarks like Vidhana Soudha (housing the Karnataka state legislature), the High Court, Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium, and Cubbon Park. (Also Read: How You Can Invest Rs 3K For 35 Years And Earn Rs 1.5 Lakh Per Month? Check Return Calculator Here)

    Apple deliberately chose this location near the Cubbon Park metro station for enhanced accessibility to its employees. (Also Read: LIVE Updates | Samsung Galaxy S24 Series Launch Event To Start At 11:30 PM)

    Apple Bengaluru Office: Details

    Designed to accommodate up to 1,200 employees, the 15-floor office boasts dedicated lab spaces, collaborative areas, wellness zones, and Caffe Macs. The Caffe Macs is a food and beverage service for Apple employees.

    Apple Bengaluru Office: Design

    Utilizing locally sourced materials such as stone, wood, and fabric in walls and flooring, the interior incorporates a touch of Bengaluru’s essence. The office also incorporates numerous local plants, contributing to a green and eco-friendly ambiance.

    Apple Bengaluru Office: Renewable Energy

    Apple emphasizes its commitment to sustainability, stating that the new office operates on 100 percent renewable energy and aspires to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum rating, the highest level of LEED certification for green buildings.

    Apple has maintained carbon neutrality for its corporate operations since 2020 and powered all its facilities with 100 percent renewable energy since 2018.

  • WhatsApp’s New Feature Lets You Share Polls In Channels On iPhone Version |

    New Delhi: WhatsApp, owned by Meta, is reportedly introducing a new feature to some beta testers on iOS (iPhone Operating System), allowing users to share polls within channels. As evidenced in a shared screenshot by WABetaInfo, some beta testers can now explore a new poll option directly within their channels.

    To check if this feature is active for their account or not, channel owners can check by accessing the chat attachment menu within their channel.

    According to the report, this feature emphasizes the security and confidentiality of polls, ensuring that the choices made by channel followers remain protected and anonymous throughout the polling process. Participants will only be allowed to see the total number of votes, without access to information about individual contributors. (Also Read: List Of 5 Best Mobile Phones Under Rs 20000 in India)

    A post written by WhatsApp on Instagram suggests, “You can now turn your photos into stickers or edit existing stickers. In other news, you’ll likely have to show the entire group chat how you did it. Rolling out now on iOS.”

    Furthermore, you can customize stickers with text, drawings, and the ability to overlay other stickers with WhatsApp’s editing tools. When you send a custom sticker, it automatically saves in your sticker tray so you can reuse it whenever you want. (Also Read: Surprised! iPhone 15 Can Be Charged 9 Times With This Smartphone)

    “While creating a poll, channel owners can also restrict it to a single choice by disabling the multiple answers option, providing a flexible voting experience for channel followers,” the report said.”

    Notably, the feature has already begun to be rolled out to WhatsApp beta users on both iOS and Android. However, a stable build containing the feature for all users may be released soon.

  • ‘AI Girlfriends’ Flood GPT Store Shortly After Launch, OpenAI Rules Breached |

    New Delhi: OpenAI’s recently launched GPT store is encountering difficulties with moderation just a few days after its debut. The platform provides personalized editions of ChatGPT, but certain users are developing bots that violate OpenAI’s guidelines.

    These bots, with names such as “Your AI companion, Tsu,” enable users to personalize their virtual romantic companions, violating OpenAI’s restriction on bots explicitly created for nurturing romantic relationships.

    The company is actively working to address this problem. OpenAI revised its policies when the store was introduced on January 10, 2023. However, the violation of policy on the second day highlights the challenges associated with moderation.

    With the growing demand for relationship bots, it’s adding a layer of complexity to the situation. As reported, seven out of the 30 most downloaded AI chatbots were virtual friends or partners in the United States previous year. This trend is linked to the prevailing loneliness epidemic.

    To assess GPT models, OpenAI states that it uses automated systems, human reviews and user reports to assess GPT models applying warnings or sales bans for those considered harmful. However, the continued presence of girlfriend bots in the market raises doubts about the effectiveness of this assertion.

    The difficulty in moderation reflects the common challenges experienced by AI developers. OpenAI has faced issues in implementing safety measures for previous models such as GPT-3. With the GPT store available to a wide user audience, the potential for insufficient moderation is a significant concern.

    Other technology companies are also swiftly handling problems with their AI systems, understanding the significance of quick action in the growing competition. Yet, the initial breaches highlight the significant challenges in moderation that are expected in the future.

    Even within the specific environment of a specialized GPT store, managing narrowly focused bots seems to be a complicated task. As AI progresses, ensuring their safety is set to become more complex.

  • Google Layoff; Senior Engineer Takes Layoff In Stride After 19 Years Of Service |

    New Delhi: Google has recently declared substantial layoffs impacting employees with long tenures. One of those impacted is Kevin Bourrillion, a software engineer who has dedicated 19 years to the industry. Upon waking up to the unseen news, Bourrillion expressed his perspective on the situation on X.

    In a post on the platform, Bourrillion disclosed the conclusion of his almost two-decade tenure at Google. Notably, he had dedicated more than 16 years to the team he initially established. In spite of losing his job, Bourrillion showcased an uncommon degree of acceptance and positive outlook. To him, the reduction in employment opens up a chance for a necessary transformation in his life.

    End of an era! After 19 years of working at @Google, with more than 16 of them on the team that I founded, I made the tough decision yesterday morning to finally bite the bullet and find out that I’d been laid off overnight. — Kevin Bourrillion (@kevinb9n) January 12, 2024

    He said “Layoffs suck, but in my case… it’s fine, because I’ve needed some kind of change in my life for a very long time.”

    In this statement, Kevin Bourrillion is expressing a positive outlook despite the challenges of the job loss. He emphasizes that the layoffs, while not ideal, are acceptable to him because they offer an opportunity for the meaningful change he has been seeking in his life.

    He also added “And I have no plans to rush into anything else right now. I’ve got too much to do: cycling, reading, restarting my drum lessons, travel, family time. etc. etc,”

    He highlights his intention to take a deliberate and unhurried approach to his next steps focusing on personal interests such as cycling, reading, drum lessons, travel, and family time.

    The sudden job layoffs at Google reflect a wider pattern in the tech sector as other prominent companies, including Amazon, Flipkart, and Paytm, have also revealed plans for workforce reductions in 2024.

    Google in a statement stated that the company had to make tough decisions regarding the continued employment of certain employees. They convey regret for the impact on affected employees acknowledging the difficulty of such decisions.