DigiSamaksh

What is the internet of things (IoT)?

The internet of things, or IoT, is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, objects, animals or people that are provided with unique identifiers (UIDs) and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

A thing in the internet of things can be a person with a heart monitor implant, a farm animal with a biochip transponder, an automobile that has built-in sensors to alert the driver when tire pressure is low or any other natural or man-made object that can be assigned an Internet Protocol (IP) address and is able to transfer data over a network.

Increasingly, organizations in a variety of industries are using IoT to operate more efficiently, better understand customers to deliver enhanced customer service, improve decision-making and increase the value of the business.

How does IoT work?

An IoT ecosystem consists of web-enabled smart devices that use embedded systems, such as processors, sensors and communication hardware, to collect, send and act on data they acquire from their environments. IoT devices share the sensor data they collect by connecting to an IoT gateway or other edge device where data is either sent to the cloud to be analyzed or analyzed locally. Sometimes, these devices communicate with other related devices and act on the information they get from one another. The devices do most of the work without human intervention, although people can interact with the devices -- for instance, to set them up, give them instructions or access the data.

What is Datafication?

Datafication, according to MayerSchoenberger and Cukier is the transformation of social action into online quantified data, thus allowing for real-time tracking and predictive analysis. Simply said, it is about taking previously invisible process/activity and turning it into data, that can be monitored, tracked, analysed and optimised. Latest technologies we use have enabled lots of new ways of ‘datify’ our daily and basic activities.

Summarizing, datafication is a technological trend turning many aspects of our lives into computerized data using processes to transform organizations into data-driven enterprises by converting this information into new forms of value.

Datafication refers to the fact that daily interactions of living things can be rendered into a data format and put to social use.

Examples:

And here could be many examples of datification.

Let’s say social platforms, Facebook or Instagram, for example, collect and monitor data information of our friendships to market products and services to us and surveillance services to agencies which in turn changes our behaviour; promotions that we daily see on the socials are also the result of the monitored data. In this model, data is used to redefine how content is created by datafication being used to inform content rather than recommendation systems.

However, there are other industries where datafication process is actively used:

Insurance: Data used to update risk profile development and business models.

Banking: Data used to establish trustworthiness and likelihood of a person paying back a loan.

Human resources: Data used to identify e.g. employees risk-taking profiles.
Hiring and recruitment: Data used to replace personality tests.

Social science research: Datafication replaces sampling techniques and restructures the manner in which social science research is performed.

What is extended reality (XR)?

XR is an emerging umbrella term for all the immersive technologies. The ones we already have today—augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) plus those that are still to be created. All immersive technologies extend the reality we experience by either blending the virtual and “real” worlds or by creating a fully immersive experience. Recent research revealed that more than 60% of respondents believed XR will be mainstream in the next five years. To get a better picture of XR, let’s review each of the existing technologies that exist today.

Augmented reality (AR)

In augmented reality, virtual information and objects are overlaid on the real world. This experience enhances the real world with digital details such as images, text, and animation. You can access the experience through AR glasses or via screens, tablets, and smartphones. This means users are not isolated from the real world and can still interact and see what’s going on in front of them. The most well-known examples of AR are the Pokémon GO game that overlays digital creatures onto the real world or Snapchat filters that put digital objects such as hats or glasses onto your head.

Virtual reality (VR)

In contrast to augmented reality, in a virtual reality experience, users are fully immersed in a simulated digital environment. Individuals must put on a VR headset or head-mounted display to get a 360 -degree view of an artificial world that fools their brain into believing they are, e.g., walking on the moon, swimming under the ocean or stepped into whatever new world the VR developers created. The gaming and entertainment industry were early adopters of this technology; however, companies in several industries such as healthcare, construction, engineering, the military, and more are finding VR to be very useful.

Mixed reality (MR)

In mixed reality, digital and real-world objects co-exist and can interact with one another in real-time. This is the latest immersive technology and is sometimes referred to as hybrid reality. It requires an MR headset and a lot more processing power than VR or AR. Microsoft's HoloLens is a great example that, e.g., allows you to place digital objects into the room you are standing in and give you the ability to spin it around or interact with the digital object in any way possible. Companies are exploring ways they can put mixed reality to work to solve problems, support initiatives, and make their businesses better.

1) What is 3D Printing?

3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file.

The creation of a 3D printed object is achieved using additive processes. In an additive process an object is created by laying down successive layers of material until the object is created. Each of these layers can be seen as a thinly sliced cross-section of the object.

3D printing is the opposite of subtractive manufacturing which is cutting out / hollowing out a piece of metal or plastic with for instance a milling machine.

3D printing enables you to produce complex shapes using less material than traditional manufacturing methods.

2) How Does 3D Printing Work?

It all starts with a 3D model. You can opt to create one from the ground up or download it from a 3D library.

3D Software

There are many different software tools available. From industrial grade to open source. We’ve created an overview on our 3D software page.

We often recommend beginners to start with Tinkercad. Tinkercad is free and works in your browser, you don’t have to install it on your computer. Tinkercad offers beginner lessons and has a built-in feature to export your model as a printable file e.g .STL or .OBJ.

Now that you have a printable file, the next step is to prepare it for your 3D printer. This is called slicing.

Slicing: From printable file to 3D Printer

Slicing basically means slicing up a 3D model into hundreds or thousands of layers and is done with slicing software.

When your file is sliced, it’s ready for your 3D printer. Feeding the file to your printer can be done via USB, SD or Wi-Fi. Your sliced file is now ready to be 3D printed layer by layer.

3D Printing Industry

Adoption of 3D printing has reached critical mass as those who have yet to integrate additive manufacturing somewhere in their supply chain are now part of an ever-shrinking minority. Where 3D printing was only suitable for prototyping and one-off manufacturing in the early stages, it is now rapidly transforming into a production technology.

Most of the current demand for 3D printing is industrial in nature. Acumen Research and Consulting forecasts the global 3D printing market to reach $41 billion by 2026.

As it evolves, 3D printing technology is destined to transform almost every major industry and change the way we live, work, and play in the future.

AI for agriculture: How Indian farmers are harnessing emerging technologies to sustainably increase productivity

India is faced with the challenge of feeding a growing population while also addressing such risks as climate change, pandemics and supply chain disruptions.

The AI for Agriculture Innovation initiative is transforming the agriculture sector in India by promoting the use of artificial intelligence and other technologies.

Over 7,000 farmers are using the technology to monitor the health of their crops, perform quality control and test soil.

The impact of artificial intelligence on agriculture in India.

The World Economic Forum's Artificial Intelligence for Agriculture Innovation (AI4AI) initiative aims to transform the agriculture sector in India by promoting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies. Led by the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) India and the Platform for Shaping the Future of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, the initiative brings together government, academia and business representatives to collaborate on the development and implementation of innovative solutions in the agriculture sector.

Through AI4AI, the Saagu Baagu pilot was launched in partnership with the Government of Telangana, making it the first Indian state to implement a framework for scaling up emerging technologies and improving productivity, efficiency and sustainability in the agriculture sector. The pilot is driven by C4IR India, Government of Telangana and Digital Green in collaboration with three agricultural technology businesses: AgNext, Krish*tantra and Kalgudi. As of January 2023, more than 7,000 farmers have enrolled in the pilot project, with a focus on chili producers. These farmers are receiving support in the form of various AI technologies, including sowing quality testing, soil testing, crop health monitoring, window prediction and tillage estimation, as well as accessing new customers and suppliers in different geographies.

1) What is 5G?

5G is the fifth generation of wireless cellular technology, offering higher upload and download speeds, more consistent connections, and improved capacity than previous networks. 5G is much faster and more reliable than the currently popular 4G networks and has the potential to transform the way we use the internet to access applications, social networks, and information. For example, technologies like self-driving cars, advanced gaming applications, and live streaming media that require very reliable, high-speed data connections are set to benefit greatly from 5G connectivity.

2) Why is 5G important?

The demand for internet access, combined with the emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and automation, is driving a massive increase in the amount of data created. Data creation is growing exponentially, with volumes set to increase by several hundred zettabytes over the coming decade. The current mobile infrastructure was not designed for such a high information load and requires upgrading.

At the same time, with its high speed, massive capacity, and low latency, 5G could help to support and scale several applications like cloud-connected traffic control, drone delivery, video chatting, and console-quality gaming on the go. From global payments and emergency response to distance education and mobile workforce, the benefits and applications of 5G are limitless. It has the potential to transform the world of work, the global economy, and people's lives.

3) How could 5G benefit society?

The growth of 5G networks is predicted to create trillions of dollars in economic value and millions of jobs, but there are also many areas where it could benefit society.

Smart cities

Smart cities rely on IoT devices to collect data from traffic, people, and infrastructure in real-time. By analyzing that data, city planners make better informed decisions, cut emissions, improve public services, cut traffic, and improve air quality. The emergence of 5G could be the catalyst for the world's major cities to become truly connected.

Healthcare

5G networks can add great value to healthcare technology. For example, the low latency will allow real-time information to be shared over HD video, potentially making remote surgery more commonplace. Wearables and ingestibles are also predicted to become more common and provide healthcare professionals with feedback data. Real-time monitoring will result in increasingly personalized healthcare for patients and help doctors spot signs of disease earlier.

Environment

There is the potential for 5G to help reduce global emissions. One of the benefits of 5G is the efficiency of transmissions and the low power it uses compared with previous networks. It will also support real-time monitoring of emissions, air quality, water quality, and other environmental indicators. 5G will also help drive electric vehicle development, smart building, smart grid projects, and remote work, all of which will benefit the planet through efficient resource usage and reduced pollution.

4) How does 5G technology work?

As with previous cellular networks, 5G technology uses cell sites that transmit data through radio waves. Cell sites connect to networks with wireless technology or wired connection. 5G technology works by modifying how data is encoded, significantly increasing the number of usable airwaves for carriers.

OFDM

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is an essential part of 5G technology. OFDM is a modulation format that encodes high-band airwaves incompatible with 4G and offers lower latency and improved flexibility compared with LTE networks.

Smaller towers

5G technology also uses smaller transmitters placed on buildings and other infrastructure. 4G and previous cellular technology relied on standalone mobile towers. The ability to run the network from small cell sites will support many devices at superior speeds.

Network slicing

Mobile network operators use 5G technology to deploy multiple independent virtual networks over the same infrastructure. You can customize each network slice for different services and business cases, such as streaming services or enterprise tasks. By forming a collection of 5G network functions for each specific use case or business model, you can support different requirements from all vertical industries. The service separation means users benefit from a more reliable experience and improved efficiency on their devices.

8 Technology Enablers for Digital transformation.

Tech enablers can play a crucial role in digital transformation by providing innovative and scalable solutions to help businesses achieve their objectives. They can help organizations to streamline their operations, increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve customer experience. Tech enablers can also help individuals to acquire new skills and knowledge to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Examples of tech enablers include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, IBM Cloud, Salesforce, Adobe, and Oracle. These companies provide a range of services such as cloud hosting, storage, software development platforms, and customer relationship management (CRM) tools to enable businesses to leverage technology for growth and success.

Digital transformation is the process of integrating digital technologies into all aspects of an organization's operations to fundamentally change how it operates and delivers value to customers. Here are eight technology enablers that can support digital transformation:

1) Cloud Computing: Cloud computing allows businesses to access software, storage, and computing resources over the internet. This technology enables companies to scale their operations up or down quickly and efficiently, making it an essential tool for digital transformation.

2) Artificial Intelligence: AI technologies such as machine learning and natural language processing can help automate and optimize business processes. By analyzing vast amounts of data, AI systems can provide insights that enable businesses to make data-driven decisions.

3) Internet of Things (IoT): IoT devices can collect and transmit data from various sources, such as sensors and smart devices. This data can be analyzed to provide insights into how customers use products and services, which can inform decisions about product development and customer engagement.

4) Blockchain: Blockchain technology allows for secure, decentralized transactions between parties without the need for intermediaries. This technology can improve transparency, reduce transaction costs, and increase efficiency in supply chain management and financial transactions.

5) Big Data Analytics: Big data analytics tools can help businesses analyze and make sense of vast amounts of data. This technology enables companies to understand customer behavior, identify trends, and optimize operations.

6) Robotic Process Automation (RPA): RPA uses software robots to automate repetitive and manual tasks. This technology can improve efficiency and accuracy, reduce errors, and free up human resources to focus on higher-value tasks.

7) 5G: 5G technology offers faster download and upload speeds, lower latency, and increased capacity. This technology can enable new applications such as real-time remote control of machinery and autonomous vehicles.

8)Cybersecurity: Digital transformation increases the risk of cyber threats, making cybersecurity an essential technology enabler. Cybersecurity tools and processes can protect data and networks from attacks, ensuring the security and reliability of digital systems.

Predictive analytics is used in a wide variety of ways by companies worldwide. Adopters from diverse industries such as banking, healthcare, commerce, hospitality, pharmaceuticals, automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing get benefitted from the technology.

Here are a few examples of how businesses are using predictive analytics:

Customer Service
Businesses may better estimate demand by utilizing advanced and effective analytics and business intelligence. Consider a hotel company that wants to estimate how many people will stay in a certain area this weekend so that they can guarantee they have adequate employees and resources to meet demand.

Higher Education
Predictive analytics applications in higher education include enrollment management, fundraising, recruiting, and retention. Predictive analytics offers a significant advantage in each of these areas by offering intelligent insights that would otherwise be neglected.

A prediction algorithm can rate each student and tell administrators ways to serve students during the duration of their enrollment using data from a student's high school years.
Models can give crucial information to fundraisers regarding the optimal times and strategies for reaching out to prospective and current donors.
Supply Chain
Forecasting is an important concern in manufacturing because it guarantees that resources in a supply chain are used optimally. Inventory management and the shop floor, for example, are critical spokes of the supply chain wheel that require accurate forecasts to function.

Predictive modeling is frequently used to clean and improve the data utilized for such estimates. Modeling guarantees that additional data, including data from customer-facing activities, may be consumed by the system, resulting in a more accurate prediction.

Insurance
Insurance firms evaluate policy applicants to assess the chance of having to pay out for a future claim based on the existing risk pool of comparable policyholders, as well as previous occurrences that resulted in payments. Actuaries frequently utilize models that compare attributes to data about previous policyholders and claims.

Software Testing
Predictive analytics can help you enhance your operations throughout the full software testing life cycle.

Simplify the process of interpreting massive volumes of data generated during software testing by using that data to model outcomes. You can keep your release schedule on track by monitoring timelines and utilizing predictive modeling to estimate how delays will affect the project. By identifying these difficulties and their causes, you will be able to make course corrections in individual areas before the entire project is delayed.

Predictive analytics can assess your clients' moods by researching social media and spotting trends, allowing you to anticipate any reaction before it occurs.

So far we discussed what is Predictive analytics and its examples. Moving forward, lets understand what are its analytics tools.

Edge computing vs Cloud computing

Edge computing and the cloud have a similar purpose. The main difference lies in the location of the computing and data processing and storage resources. As you already know, in edge computing, these resources are decentralised and located at the same point as the data source (at the network edge). On the contrary, in cloud computing, the data is first transferred from a device to the cloud, where it’s stored and processed.

From a business perspective, edge computing allows more efficient collection, filtering, processing and analysis of a large amount of data that would be expensive or technologically impractical to first move to the cloud. Edge computing, used by local data-generating IoT devices, solves the latency and network congestion challenges. Local servers perform essential data processing and analytics on the spot, allowing decisions to be made in real time. The data can then be sent to the cloud for more in-depth analysis, necessary, for example, to make process improvements in the long run.

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Google announces Passkeys to improve online security across major platforms.

Say goodbye to passwords, and hello to passkeys.

Nearly a year after tech titans Google, Apple, Microsoft, and the FIDO Alliance joined forces to usher in a passwordless future, Alphabet’s Google announced that passkeys are now coming to Google account users. Starting today, they can create and use passkeys on their Google accounts, bypassing the two-step verification process and passwords, when they sign in. Passkeys are coming to Google accounts on all major platforms, even though Google accounts will continue to support existing login methods like passwords for the foreseeable future.

Google’s adoption of passkeys is expected to encourage other major tech companies to follow suit and adopt stronger security measures to protect users’ accounts. This technology could become the new industry standard for online authentication, providing users with a more secure and reliable way to access their online accounts. This method also eliminates the need for traditional passwords and provides an extra layer of security – unlike passwords, they cannot be created manually or written down on a piece of paper and are instead generated by the device itself. Furthermore, passkeys let users sign in to apps and sites the same way they unlock their devices, whether it be via biometric measures or a screen lock PIN. Passkeys have already been integrated by Apple – the iPhone maker integrated it into iOS with the launch of iOS 16, and the feature is also available in iPadOS 16.1 and macOS Ventura.

“For some time we and others in the industry have been working on a simpler and safer alternative to passwords. While passwords will be with us for some time to come, they are often frustrating to remember and put you at risk if they end up in the wrong hands,” Google wrote in its blog post. It added that it has already brought updates to bring passkey experiences to Chrome and Android alike. While users across the globe can already use passkeys over passwords to further safeguard their accounts from phishing attempts, administrators of Google Workspace accounts will have to wait for some time before they can enable passkeys for their end-users during the sign-in process.

Digitalization Strategy for Business Transformation

Roadmap for digital business transformation
What is the best way to scope, scale and lead the digital transformation that can deliver financial results?

The Gartner IT Roadmap for Digital Transformation is based on unbiased research and interactions with thousands of organizations that have successfully implemented digital business transformation initiatives.

CIOs and IT leaders can avoid common pitfalls and lead smart, effective digital transformations by following these best practices.

What is quantum computing?

Quantum computing is an area of computer science that uses the principles of quantum theory. Quantum theory explains the behavior of energy and material on the atomic and subatomic levels.

Quantum computing uses subatomic particles, such as electrons or photons. Quantum bits, or qubits, allow these particles to exist in more than one state (i.e., 1 and 0) at the same time.

Theoretically, linked qubits can "exploit the interference between their wave-like quantum states to perform calculations that might otherwise take millions of years."
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Classical computers today employ a stream of electrical impulses (1 and 0) in a binary manner to encode information in bits. This restricts their processing ability, compared to quantum computing.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Quantum computing uses phenomena in quantum physics to create new ways of computing.

Quantum computing involves qubits.
Unlike a normal computer bit, which can be either 0 or 1, a qubit can exist in a multidimensional state.

The power of quantum computers grows exponentially with more qubits.

Classical computers that add more bits can increase power only linearly.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been making waves in various industries, including tech. With the emergence of language models such as ChatGPT, many wonder whether AI will replace programmers. ChatGPT is a language model based on GPT-3 and GPT-4 architectures, trained on a massive dataset to generate human-like responses to text inputs. In this article, we explore the possibilities of ChatGPT replacing programmers and its impact on the tech industry.

1) Will ChatGPT Replace Programmers?

The short answer is no, ChatGPT will not replace programmers entirely. However, it has the potential to automate some aspects of programming, such as code generation, bug fixing, and documentation. ChatGPT can learn from vast amounts of code and data, making it possible to generate new code similar to existing code. While ChatGPT can automate some aspects of programming, it cannot replace the human creativity and critical thinking required to design and develop complex software applications.

2) Will ChatGPT Take Away Tech Jobs?

ChatGPT is not a threat to all tech jobs. It has the potential to automate some repetitive and time-consuming tasks, freeing up time for programmers to focus on higher-level tasks. ChatGPT can also enhance productivity, such as generating code snippets, writing test cases, and automating documentation. However, it is essential to note that the automation of some tasks may result in a shift in job responsibilities rather than job loss.