AI & Cloud innovation.

India leads in AI and Cloud innovation.

In AI and data are now playing a crucial role across verticals of organisations. Companies are now involved in their digital transformational journey and are also enhancing their AI capabilities.

Data storage and infrastructure company NetApp in its Cloud Complexity Report reveals India heads the pack as an AI leader, with 70% of companies having AI projects up and running or in motion. This is in stark contrast with the global average of 49%. Additionally, the report found 91% of India-based companies will use half or more of their data to train AI models in 2024.

"The rise of AI is ushering in a new disrupt-or-die era. Data-ready enterprises that connect and unify broad structured and unstructured data sets into an intelligent data infrastructure are best positioned to win in the age of AI", says Gabie Boko, the CMO at NetApp.

The report also talks about a clear divide between AI-leading countries and AI-lagging countries as 60% of companies in AI-leading countries that include India, Singapore, UK and the US have either committed to AI projects that are already up and running or are in pilot. In AI-lagging countries such as Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Japan, that number is only 36%. And Japan trails at 17%.

The technology sector is leading in innovation and AI with 70% AI projects either in pilot or up and running. Banking and financial services and manufacturing are also AI leaders with 55% and 50% of AI projects either in pilot or up and running, respectively.

Healthcare is at 38% while media and entertainment is only at 25%. The report also reveals that data scientists and data engineers are embracing AI faster than C-Suite.

IT costs and security are the two biggest challenges in the AI era but they will not impede AI progress. Instead, AI leaders will scale back, cut other IT operations or reallocate costs from other parts of the business to fund AI, the report states.

Tailpiece.

The day started at 5 as we limbered up to be at the polling booth before 7 and we were at the RCUP School at Kottappadi accordingly. The queues had already begun to go serpentine but we were back home by a 10' past 8, after casting our franchise.

A quiet Friday, thereafter.

Justin of the Pure Flames had come by in the afternoon for servicing the cooking range and the chimney. 

Israel limbers up for the Rafah offensive.

Israel was readying to deploy two reserve brigades for missions in the Gaza strip for a Rafah offensive in the south. By doing so, it seeks to remove the Hamas terror group from its last major redoubt in the enclave.

The 679th "Yiftah" Armoured Brigade and the 2nd "Carmeli" Infantry Brigade, which had been operating on the northern border, were set to take responsibility for areas of Central Gaza that have remained under Israeli military control since troops largely pulled back from the other areas of the Strip earlier this month.

The move will free up Nahal Brigade troops currently holding the central corridor to join the rest of the 162nd Division in preparation for future operations, including planned offensive in Rafah and central Gaza.

The mobilised brigades were to be placed under the 99th Division. 

Israel appreciates that Hamas has six remaining battalions in the Gaza Strip, including four in Rafah and two more in central Gaza, in the Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah camps.

Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time. Lekha goes to Guruvayur to have a 'darshan' of the good Lord at 9.

A quiet Thursday.

Fixed up the timings to go for voting, at the RCUP School, tomorrow.

Near-Earth Objects.

Near-Earth Objects, including asteroids and comets, regularly zip past the Earth, as they roam the darkness of space. While collision with our planet is a risk, their study also reveals the secrets of life. Brace for impact!

                                 Earth Encounters

Close Approach

If an NEO is near the part of its orbit closest to Earth's, at the same time the Earth is at the part of its orbit closest to the NEO's, the object has a close approach, or, if the orbits intersect, it could even impact the Earth or its atmosphere. The first NEO known to have passed the Earth closer than the distance of the Moon was 1991 BA, which passed at a distance of 170,000 km.

Impact Event

When an NEO impacts Earth, objects up to a few tens of metres across ordinarily explode in the upper atmosphere, with most or all of the solids vapourising and only small meteorites arriving on Earth's surface (forming impact craters) while larger objects hit the water surface (forming tsunamis). The Tunguska event was a meteor air burst; the atmospheric explosion  of a stony asteroid about 50-60 metres wide that occurred near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Russia in the morning of 30 Jun 1908.

The explosion over the sparsely populated East Siberian taiga flattened 80 million trees over an area of 2,150 sq km of forest, killing three people.

Earth-Grazers

Some asteroids briefly enter the upper atmosphere of the Earth during their close approach, burning their surface. During this time, such an object can be observed as an Earth-grazing fireball. On 10 Aug 1972, a meteor. the 1972 Great Daylight Fireball, moved north over the Rocky Mountains from the US, south west to Canada. It passed within 58 km of the Earth's surface.

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. Had carried out the Wednesday aa'rathi earlier.

Lekha had gone to the ration shop to collect our monthly dues.

Kittu comes in post-lunch.

A quiet evening.

It's been 40 years!

Operation Meghdoot

It's the 40th anniversary of the operation that was launched by the Indian Army on 13 Apr 1984 in Siachen. 

Strategically situated between the Saltoro ridge and the Karakoram ranges, the region overlooks Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It is close to the Karakoram Pass, through which the Karakoram Highway connects Gilgit-Baltistan to China's Xinjiang Province. The Glacier region is also near the Shaksgam Valley, ceded to China by Pakistan.

The Siachen Glacier region holds military significance for the country and is recognised as the highest militarized zone globally, where soldiers contend with frostbite and high winds.

We lead peaceful lives knowing our brave soldiers stand steadfast at the borders.

Tailpiece.

Got up half an hour before my usual time, opened up the house, lit the lamp at the puja room, worked the motor to pump up water into the overhead tank and put on the music.

Sajeesh came and gave me a haircut and massage.

The maid had come for work and it was a quiet Tuesday.

The Radhakrishnans came by in the evening to offer condolences on Sanil's passing away.

  

Appropriate during election time...

A ll the

B eloved

C itizens come and do your

D uty to

E nsure that your

F uture is in

G enuine and responsible

H ands which is so

I mportant.

J ust

K eep your

L ong leave plans aside and

M ake sure you will

N ot miss the

O pportunity of

P ressing the button

Q uietly thereby discharging your

R esponsibility. Also

S pread the message

T o the 

U naware

V oters as to not

W aste their

X tremely important vote and do

Y our bit in building the future of

this

Z ealous nation

My take

Vote and spread the importance of voting.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 4, the chores, an early bath and we were ready by 7. All of us left for Raj Nivas where the land measurement was scheduled to commence at a half past 7. However, we'd gouged into the idiappam-stew-appam breakfast and tea brought by the caretaker.

The surveyors were late and to make matters worse, their machine had problems which had to be taken to Adoor for repairs. They'd returned by a half past 10.

Meanwhile, we'd dropped Mini and Ammu back at Ayoor and shaped our journey to Guruvayur. Lunch at Bharath Restaurant at Muvattupuzha around 2.

Reached The Quarterdeck by a half past 5. Settled down to a quiet evening.     

Earlier, had sent Kannan and the car back home without wastage of time.                                                                                                                    

The right response to 'idiotic' suggestions'.

Our lordships and milords keep quoting western democracies, at the drop of a hat. They should take heed that military is about winning wars, not providing equal opportunity or breaking the purported glass ceiling.

Trey Gowdy, South Carolina Congressman, recently responded to a reporter about the military in response to a question from a CNN reporter about the DoD ban of transgenders from joining the US armed forces. As Trey typically does so very well, he nailed it rather succinctly.

Q. How can President Trump claim to represent all US citizens, regardless of sexual orientation, when he banned transgenders from joining the military? Isn't that discrimination?

Trey Gowdy's response.

"Nobody has a right to serve in the Military. Nobody! What makes you people think the Military is an equal opportunity employer? It is very far from it - and for good reasons - let me cite a few".

"The Military uses prejudice regularly and consistently from joining for being too old or too young, too fat or skinny, too tall or too short. Citizens are denied having for having flat feet, or for missing or additional fingers". He went on to explain, "By the way, poor eyesight will disqualify you, as well as bad teeth. Malnourished? Drug addiction? Bad back? Criminal history? Low IQ? Anxiety? Phobias? Hearing damage? Six arms? Hear voices in your head? Self-identification as a Unicorn? Need a special access ramp for your wheelchair?"

"Can't run the required course in the required time? Can't do the required number of push-ups? Not really a morning person? And refuse to get out of bed before noon? All can be legitimate reasons for denial!"

"The Military has one job : Winning War.. Anything else is a distraction and a liability. Did someone just scream? That isn't fair? War is very unfair, there are no exceptions made for being special or challenged or socially wonderful".

"You must change yourself to meet Military standards and not the other way around".

"I say again : You don't change the Military - you must change yourself. The military is not about being fair, it is about taking advantage of others and about winning.

The Military doesn't need to accommodate anyone with special issues. The Military needs to Win Wars and keep our country safe - PERIOD!"

"If any of your personal issues are a liability that detract from readiness or lethality... Thank you for applying and good luck in future endeavours".

"......any other questions?"

My take

What clear perceptions! Wish we, too, displayed such clear thinking!

Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time, the chores. Recited my prayers and exercised.

A quiet Sunday.

Set off around a half past 4 in the evening to the Kottarakkara Maha Ganapathy kshetram, Padinjaattinkara Siva kshetram, pulled out money from the ATM, went to the Anchu Murthy kshetram and Chandra maman's house.

A lovely dinner and a comparatively early evening. 

   

Sanil has mingled with the elements.

The day had begun at 3 AM, thanks to Lekha's cellphone alarm and we went about our chores in right earnest. Lekha had provided tea at the appropriate time and all of us were ready by a half past 5. A Creta and Sanil's car were pressed into service for the 12 of us.

We reached the Varkala beach after an hour. The arrangements for the 'bali tharpanam' have been streamlined and this was our first trip after the immersion of Mom's ashes in Sep 2016.

Ammu had gone through the entire procedure with Mini being by her side. It was a poignant moment and by a half past 8, the earthenware urn carrying Sanil's ashes was tipped above her head by Ammu, into the Arabian Sea.

Sanil had intermingled with the elements and has become memory!

Sadgati bhava!

Tailpiece.

Since the eatery was taking time to 'arrive', we'd gone into Sreedharan Nair-Sreekumari's house to relieve ourselves. Had a bountiful of dates and bananas, satisfying the hunger albeit for a short while. We, finally, had our breakfast at the Paravoor 'kambolam'.

Sanil's car had sprung a puncture and some time was taken to get it okay.

Rema and Padmakumar left an hour after lunch after I'd reiterated that the four of us would always be there for Mini!

A quiet evening.