Category: Science and Technology

Google Plus is now ‘Google Currents’ in playstore

July 11, 2020

• Google has officially shut down its ‘Google Plus’ social networking platform and it has rebranded the app as “Google Currents”.
• Google Currents is a platform which enables its users to connect with their colleagues, exchange documents and interact with like-minded people who have similar interests

ISRO prepares to launch brazil’s amazonia-1 satellite aboard PSLV in august this year

July 11, 2020

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to lift off Brazil’s Amazonia-1 satellite next month onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
• The Amazonia-1 satellite which PSLV will launch will help in monitoring and observing the deforestation of the Amazon region.
• The Brazilian satellite has been locally designed and tested in Brazil. It will be the first satellite for Earth observation.
• The Amazonia-1 launch is among the 36 space and satellite missions ISRO has planned over the next two years

IIT-Hyderabad collaborates with NVIDIA to establish India’s first AI research center

July 11, 2020

• The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) has collaborated with NVIDIA, a US-based multinational technology company, to establish India’s first ‘NVIDIA AI Technology Centre’(NVAITC) to accelerate research on Artificial Intelligence and its commercial adoption.
• The centre will focus on advancing AI research in the areas of Agriculture and Smart Cities besides Language Understanding, increasing crop yield, support safer transportation systems and better ways of managing traffic, among others.

Loyal Textile Mills Limited launched the world’s first reusable PPE kit with Triple Viral Shield Technology

July 11, 2020

• On 9th July 2020 Loyal Textile Mills Limited launched Viral Shield, a line of COVID-19 anti-viral, reusable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), masks and protective fashion wear range.
• The series has been launched in collaboration with Reliance Industries India and HeiQ from Switzerland.
• The reusable masks, garments, and PPE kits are made with the Viroblock Technology of HeiQ Materials AG.

Bangladesh starts “Digital Haat” for sacrificial animals

July 9, 2020

• ‘Digital Haat’ platform has been started by the government of Bangladesh for online sale and marketing of sacrificial animals ahead of the festival of Eid-Ul-Azha.
• The platform has been started to protect the cattle farmers and traders from financial loss amid the Corona pandemic.

Odisha to be the first state in India to use space Technology & Artificial Intelligence for Safeguarding Government Lands

July 9, 2020

• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on July 8 released Bhubaneshwar Land Use Intelligence System (BLUIS) to observe changes in all the government lands in Bhubaneshwar.
• Odisha has become the first state in the country to hit artificial intelligence (AI) and space technology for safeguarding the government land.

Equitas Small Finance Bank starts video KYC account

July 8, 2020

• Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited has started a facility for opening an account through video KYC.
• With this, any person anywhere in the country can initiate a savings account with Equitas Small Finance Bank; complete the full KYC through video with the Bank employee.

Mamata Banerjee starts West Bengal’s ‘Self Scan’ app

July 7, 2020

• West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee released a mobile app ‘Self Scan’, indigenously made by the state information technology department, for document scanning.

Israel successfully started its Intelligence Satellite Ofek-16 into LEO

July 7, 2020

• On 6th July 2020, from Central Israel’s Palmachim Airbase Israel has successfully released its intelligence satellite ‘Ofek-16’ into the Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
• This is the 12th Satellite ejected by Israel under its Ofek group of satellites. The Ofek-16 Satellite was propelled as a payload of the rocket- Shavit 2.

Maha Jobs Portal started by Maharashtra Chief Minister, Domicile Certificate Mandatory for Registration

July 7, 2020

• Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) will be the nodal agency for the successful release of the Maha Jobs portal.
• The portal is a mutual venture between 3 Departments of the Maharashtra State Government viz. Labour, Department of Industries, and the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Department.