France’s Bouygues reported first-quarter core earnings below expectations on Tuesday, citing a sharp decline in its Immobilier real estate unit that overshadowed a stronger performance in energy and construction. The company’s shares fell 4.5% in early trade. “Bouygues Immobilier will continue to face a challenging market environment, with low visibility on the timetable for recovery,” the company said in a statement. Bouygues announced plans last month to lay off more than a fifth of its real estate staff in France as the construction market weakens. The family-owned group posted first quarte ..read more

Apple is developing its own chip to run artificial intelligence software in data centers, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. Apple, which has been falling behind its competitors on AI, has been evading questions about its plans for the technology. “We continue to feel very bullish about our opportunity in generative AI and we’re making significant investments,” CEO Tim Cook told Reuters in an interview. The project, internally codenamed as Project ACDC (Apple Chips in Data Center), aims to leverage Apple’s chip design expertise for its server in ..read more

CyberMedia Research (CMR) has released its Tablet PC India Market Report Review for Q1 2024. In Q1 2024, the India tablet market experienced a robust 8% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) growth, primarily propelled by the strong demand for 5G tablets. Shipments of 5G tablets surged by an impressive 130% QoQ, constituting a substantial portion of the market. Additionally, the overall tablet market demonstrated a robust 18% year-on-year (YoY) growth in Q1 2024. “The rapid rollout of 5G infrastructure and the increasing availability of 5G-enabled tablets are fueling a consumer desire for future-proofing t ..read more

The increasing temperatures in many parts of India are expected to raise air-conditioning expenses at telecom tower installations. These installations are critical for ensuring uninterrupted operations of base stations for 24×7 mobile connectivity. Industry executives and analysts have claimed that if heatwave conditions persist for the next month, the power and fuel costs required to effectively run tower installations by telecom operators’ like Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea may increase. Typically, the tower companies pass on any change in energy costs to telcos. How the heatwave can affect ..read more

Apple plans to hold a virtual event on Tuesday where it is expected to show new iPad models, some of which could come with a new chip aimed at speeding up artificial intelligence tasks carried out on the devices. Its latest product launch event comes as the Silicon Valley heavyweight trails Big Tech rivals as they race to build AI into its products across their businesses and dominate the emerging technology. Apple often introduces new iPads in May, a time when education customers are making purchasing decisions for the next academic year. But in recent years, Apple has started to transform it ..read more

In a world where deepfake scams and misinformation are on the rise, McAfee has announced significant enhancements to its AI-powered deepfake detection technology. Leveraging the power of the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) in Intel® Core Ultra processor-based PCs, McAfee Deepfake Detector is set to revolutionize the fight against deepfakes, providing consumers with the tools they need to discern truth from fiction. The Growing Concern for Deepfakes With nearly two-thirds of people globally expressing increased concern about deepfakes, McAfee Deepfake Detector comes at a crucial time. The advanced ..read more

The Philippines’ largest telecommunications group PLDT is in talks to sell up to 49% of its data centre business to Japan’s Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT), PLDT Chairman Manuel Pangilinan told Reuters on Tuesday. The deal could value the data centre business at $750 million, said two people with direct knowledge of the matter, declining to be identified as the discussions were private. PLDT declined to comment on the valuation. NTT did not respond to a request for comment. NTT is Japan’s largest phone company with a market value of $99.9 billion as of Tuesday, LSEG data showed. PLDT will ..read more

Unified API platform, Knit, has raised $1 million in a seed funding round led by Endiya Partners, along with participation from Axilor Ventures and angel investors. As per the SaaS startup, the funding will be used to enhance product capabilities and incorporate Gen AI technologies to streamline integration processes. It will also support Knit’s expansion efforts, scaling its customer base in the US market and beyond, aligning with the ‘Make in India and sell globally’ vision. Founded in January 2024, Knit offers a plug and play integrations platform for SaaS companies to help them build and m ..read more

According to the survey conducted in the fourth quarter of 2023, 29% of the 644 respondents from organizations in the U.S., Germany and the U.K. said that they have deployed and are using GenAI, making GenAI the most frequently deployed AI solution. GenAI was found to be more common than other solutions like graph techniques, optimization algorithms, rule-based systems, natural language processing and other types of machine learning. The survey also found that utilizing GenAI embedded in existing applications (such as Microsoft’s Copilot for 365 or Adobe Firefly) is the top way to fulfill GenA ..read more

Chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) must expand their focus beyond cost management or accept a relegated role within the enterprise, according to Gartner, Inc. During the opening keynote at Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo, taking place today through Wednesday in Orlando, Gartner experts said that to retain influence and control of their strategic objectives, CSCOs must focus on initiatives that can deliver multiple sources of value and align with their CEOs’ growth agendas. “Stakeholders perceive that the worst of the supply chain crisis has receded, and CSCOs now face the prospect of being ..read more