In India's crowded smartphone market, a focus on offline retail and a strong localization strategy can push a brand to the top, as #vivo has shown. For Mint today, I chart the brand's growth, which has not been without controversy. www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/...

This is a 🧵 in which I aim to persuade you to support @freelibsnet.bsky.social and, if your finances permit it, to take advantage of the many fabulous offers in its #LibraryLove fun(d)-raiser.

When it comes to headphones, there's a dizzying array of options and finding the perfect pair can feel like navigating a sonic minefield. I wrote a guide for Mint that cuts through the noise (pun intended!) www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/...

People upset about artificial paneer while paneer's whole posturing is as artificial chicken. 😂

Since forever, it's been a pain to figure out hardware requirements to run an app on Windows, especially for the layperson. 'Copilot+ PC' has been an awkward branding, but once you own one, it makes it easy to figure out if some app/feature is supported on your PC or not.

Embarassing to have the Prime Minister bullshit on AI with his silly wordplay attempts in the Parliament while the world debates technology, innovation, economic impact, energy needs, and regulation.

Till school, except a couple on Delhi trips, my fanciest movie experiences were sitting in a 12-seater 'box' at small-town cinemas. It had a sofa seat (wow), often with sponge peeking out. Samosa and Campa were had in intermission. And now, there's PVR Playhouse for the kid! 😳

Would this be counted as putting too much pressure on the seven-year-old? 😁

Microsoft is bringing OpenAI’s o1 reasoning model to all Copilot users. Free. You don't require a Copilot Pro or ChatGPT Plus subscription. With 'Think Deeper', #Copilot can handle complex questions... taking 30 seconds to “consider your question from all angles and perspectives.”

Three pages of the first five pages of today's WSJ feature DeepSeek. Three more pages later have a DeepSeek feature.

Hey Ministry of Tourism, I see your attempt at homogenization and invisibilization of certain communities while showcasing diversity.

The seven-year-old has got his own @letterboxd.social going.

It's awkward that the ChatGPT app on Windows is better than Copilot. Although, I like the minimalist vibe of the latter. Of course, both apps offer similar conversational abilities and creative prowess considering the underlying models are the same. www.makeuseof.com/chatgpt-vs-m...

I wrote a how-to article on video playback settings, and chose this as the featured image. 😂 www.makeuseof.com/make-videos-...

Things are so rough for Apple that today's edition of The Wall Street Journal has two stories about its challenges.

The new Amazon Echo Spot falls somewhere between a smart speaker and a smart display, while being an entirely different device on its own. It's a great device for your nightstand and a good pick as your first smart speaker. But that's that. My review: www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/...

Concerning.

After weeks of using the refreshed OneDrive photos experience as the primary photo app on my phone, I realized that it doesn't quite measure up to Google Photos as a comprehensive mobile photo management tool. Google will continue to take my monies. www.makeuseof.com/tried-to-dit...

Unpopular opinion: I like that Microsoft has now integrated Copilot capabilities with the regular Microsoft 365 Personal/Family subscription. Earlier, one had to pay $20/month extra for Copilot. That barrier meant that most users didn't even try the new AI-powered features.

Elon Musk is such an unlikeable clown, which is awkward, because all he wants is attention.

You could've at least used one kho-kho player/team/match in the foreground in the poster.

It's been 15 years today that papa left us. It threw us off, jolted me out of my comfort, and changed how life, and I, would be. 💔 The passage of time makes you embrace the absence in a way, and you start to cherish the memories and find comfort in the legacy he left behind.

The vivo X200 Pro may emerge as the camera phone to beat in 2025. The sticker price shock aside, vivo packs in enough and more to justify the purchase. Here's my review of vivo's stellar flagship in today's edition of Mint. www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/...

The latest update to Microsoft Copilot introduces a shortcut (ALT + Space) to invoke a mini Copilot window. (It's the same shortcut that ChatGPT app for Windows used. Sly!)

"The economically dynamic India of today is his legacy. So, too, is his example of service to the cause of a prosperous India in harmony with the world." Lovely tribute to Dr. Manmohan Singh by FT's Martin Wolf. www.ft.com/content/263e...

Let's do this! Time for some Satya-vachan. #MicrosoftAITour

This was Mark Zuckerberg in 2021, calling out Donald Trump while evading platform's accountability. Now, he's dining with him at Mar-a-Lago.

According to the Financial Times, once hailed as the 'next China', the world's fastest-growing G20 economy is slowing down.

Microsoft has announced $3 billion investment in India for cloud and AI infrastructure over the next two years. The company also shared a comprehensive plan to train and skill 10 million people by 2030.

F1 Services, the company that provides after-sales support for Google in India, has launched its third service center in Mumbai. Last year, F1 Services opened two centers in Bengaluru and Delhi for Google products, including Pixel Mobiles & Watches, Buds, Fitbit, Nest, et al.

"The companies looking to invest in the Indian market are happy to do it via Jio to smooth over regulatory barriers while paying a gate fee to Jio Platforms." I wrote this in 2020 in @themorningcontext.bsky.social. The Shein-Reliance thing isn't a surprise. themorningcontext.com/internet/ove...

India's sex-tech category is booming, even if the products have to hide behind euphemisms like ‘massagers’. In Mint Lounge, I write about how a growing number of Indians are rejecting traditional notions of shame and embracing a more sex-positive outlook. www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/...

Looking forward to No. 47 later this month.

An obituary for Zakir Hussain in the Wall Street Journal.

India's sex-tech category is booming, even if the products have to hide behind euphemisms like ‘massagers’. In Mint Lounge, I write about how a growing number of Indians are rejecting traditional notions of shame and embracing a more sex-positive outlook. www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/...

How they write 'that fat uncle's shirt' politely.

AI is transforming our everyday interaction with technology and workflows at a rapid pace. But beyond incremental improvements, I find myself incredibly excited about these key trends that will represent a significant leap forward in 2025. www.makeuseof.com/ai-trends-20...

I'll be less annoyed at India's performance in Melbourne and Sydney if the matches started later in the day. To see what we have to see at 5am hits different. #AUSvIND

In September, PM Narendra Modi called for achieving a $500 billion electronics economy by 2030. That's mostly empty bluster. This requires an annual revenue growth of 23%. Where are we? 5% or lower growth in every electronics category. www.livemint.com/industry/dom...

Happy Birthday to countless Indians who have their birth date as January 1st because one or the other Digital India initiatives of the government forced their enrollment without consent or correct information!

naya saal naya din nayi ik subah nayi umeed; guzre hue kal se behtar ho ye nayi ibtida. New year, new day a new morning, a new hope; May this new beginning be better than yesterday that has passed.

25 years have gone by, and we're doing alright!

Some light new year reading... doi.org/10.1371/jour...

naya saal naya din nayi ik subah nayi umeed; guzre hue kal se behtar ho ye nayi ibtida. New year, new day a new morning, a new hope; May this new beginning be better than yesterday that has passed.

Happy New Year, everyone! Here's to a year filled with hope, kindness, and the belief in a better tomorrow.

Happy New Year, everyone! Here's to a year filled with hope, kindness, and the belief in a better tomorrow.

My 2024 tech quality-of-life upgrade is voice-based AI assistants... upping the ante on AI chatbots used for creative and productive work. I was talking about some aircraft thing, referred to a scene of a movie but couldn't remember the name. Asked Gemini Live, and here we are.

"India may yet remain the fastest-growing large economy, but this will only remain the case if climate adaptation becomes a strategic priority for the government, corporates and investors." www.ft.com/content/927a...

Goddamn. Important story by Jagriti Chandra in The Hindu.

All hail... Mufasa, king of Milele! The 4DX experience is fun in such movies; picked this instead of IMAX 3D. The last one I saw in 4DX was Indiana Jones.