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Tag: Intel

  • Bangkok levels up for VCT Ascension Pacific 2025

    Bangkok levels up for VCT Ascension Pacific 2025

    MUMBAI: Game on in Bangkok! The city’s turning into a virtual warzone as VCT Ascension Pacific 2025 kicks off, bringing ten elite VALORANT teams face-to-face in a high-stakes shootout for a ticket to the 2026 Pacific League.

    From 14 to 26 October, the Imperial Samrong Convention Hall will witness the region’s sharpest aimers and coolest strategists clash for two golden berths in next year’s league and a share of the 100,000 dollars prize pool.

    Representing South Asia, Velocity Gaming takes centre stage after clinching a 3–1 victory over S8UL in the Omen Valorant Challengers South Asia qualifiers. The team now sets its sights on conquering Asia-Pacific giants like Boom Esports, Full Sense, and Riddle Order, all gunning for Ascension glory.

    The tournament features two groups of five teams each, battling it out in best-of-three matches before the top six advance to the playoffs. The tension will peak on 25 and 26 October with the upper and lower bracket finals, where only two teams will ascend to the VCT Pacific League 2026.

    Fans can catch the live action in Bangkok or stream every headshot and heartbreak across multiple languages online, courtesy of Acer, Intel, and Benq. For those in Thailand, tickets are available via Ticketmelon, search for “Valorant Ascension Pacific 2025” and grab your seat before they’re gone.

    The countdown to chaos has begun, and in Bangkok this fortnight, only the boldest will level up.
     

  • Communications veteran moves to realise Value 360’s growth ambitions

    Communications veteran moves to realise Value 360’s growth ambitions

    NEW DELHI: Abhishek Dikshit, a communications specialist with over 20 years of experience crafting narratives for global brands, has joined Value 360 as vice-president. The appointment signals the PR firm’s intent to accelerate its evolution from challenger to trusted partner in India’s competitive communications landscape.

    Dikshit arrives from Kaizzen, where he spent four years as associate vice-president leading campaigns for healthcare, IT, energy and infrastructure clients. His portfolio included high-profile mandates for CMRI Hospital, Cairn Energy, FabIndia and BM Birla, among others.

    The new hire brings particular expertise in crisis management—a skill that earned his previous firm PR Professionals two golds. His crisis communication blueprint helped clients navigate reputational challenges whilst maintaining stakeholder trust.

    Before his agency stint,  Dikshit spent over four years at Amway India, where he led corporate communications across north India. His CSR initiatives there earned him the company’s regional trophy for three consecutive years and a spot representing India at Amway’s global CSR summit in Michigan in 2013.

    His career spans blue-chip clients including Google, Intel, Volkswagen, Canon and TataSky. At 20:20 Media, he orchestrated regional campaigns across 10 states, amplifying brand visibility for technology and automotive brands in tier-one and emerging markets.

    The appointment comes as Value 360 seeks to capitalise on India’s growing demand for strategic communications. The firm, led by Kunal Kishore, Gaurav Patra and Manisha Chaudhary, has built its reputation on what it calls a “will do” culture—emphasising execution over promises.

    Dikshit holds a postgraduate diploma in mass communication from Jaipuria Institute of Management and is certified in digital marketing. His approach combines traditional storytelling with data-driven strategy, tailored for diverse audience ecosystems across traditional, digital and owned media platforms.

    “In a world full of noise, the power of communication lies in crafting clarity that connects,” Dikshit said, outlining his philosophy as he settles into his new role.

  • Acer flexes Predator power with AI laptops, monster desktops and more

    Acer flexes Predator power with AI laptops, monster desktops and more

    MUMBAI: Gamers, creators and AI developers, brace yourselves Acer just dropped a tech arsenal that roars as loud as its name. From AI-powered laptops to monster desktops, lightning-fast monitors and even a keyboard that can outlast your weekend grind, the Predator lineup is here to push the limits of power, speed and play.

    Leading the charge is the Predator Helios 18P AI, a hybrid beast that blends gaming brawn with workstation brains. Powered by up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 285HX with Intel vPro, the system supports a jaw-dropping 192 GB EEC memory critical for error-free performance where every byte counts. Graphics duty falls to the Nvidia Geforce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU with DLSS 4, paired with 6 TB PCIe Gen 5 SSD storage, Thunderbolt 5, and Wi-Fi 7. Its 18-inch Mini LED 4K panel hits 1,000 nits HDR brightness and covers 100 per cent of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, perfect for creators. Keeping the monster cool are Acer’s 6th Gen Aeroblade fans and liquid metal thermal grease. Price tag? 3,999 dollars in North America and EUR 4,999 in EMEA, starting early 2026.

    For desktop warriors, the Predator Orion 7000 is a liquid-cooled powerhouse, packing up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU with integrated AI acceleration, paired with an Nvidia RTX 5090 GPU. Gamers get access to Nvdia NIM Microservices for cutting-edge AI assistant development. Cooling is handled by the Cyclonex 360 system, improving efficiency by 15 per cent and cutting motherboard temps by 9°C, while up to 128 GB DDR5 RAM and 6 TB SSD storage keep things screaming fast. Prices start at EUR 3,999 in EMEA and AUD 8,199 in Australia. Its sibling, the Predator Orion 5000, offers a slightly leaner build with an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, NVIDIA RTX 5080 graphics, up to 2 TB SSD and 4 TB HDD storage, starting at EUR 2,999. Both sit inside ARGB-lit, eco-friendly 45L recycled-plastic chassis.

    Display junkies can feast their eyes on the Predator X27U F8 monitor. At 720 Hz refresh rate, it’s one of the fastest on the planet. The 26.5-inch OLED IPS panel runs at WQHD (2560×1440) and switches to 1280×720 at 720 Hz for pro-level esports. HDR 500 True Black and 99% DCI-P3 colour ensure visuals pop, while AMD FreeSync Premium Pro smooths the ride. Launch prices: 1,299 dollars in North America, 1,199 euros in EMEA, and RMB 9,999 in China.

    And for the finishing touch, Acer introduced the Predator Aethon 550 TKL keyboard, priced at USD 129 / EUR 129. With tri-mode connectivity (wired, Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz), a battery life of 150 hours, hot-swappable switches, and customisable per-key RGB, it’s built for both precision and flair.

    Acer’s Predator lineup isn’t just flexing, it’s redefining what next-gen gaming and AI machines can do. Whether you’re dropping headshots, training models, or cutting 4K edits, this is hardware that doesn’t just keep up; it dares you to push harder.

  • Lenovo sets up camp to call out campers in clever gaming crackdown

    Lenovo sets up camp to call out campers in clever gaming crackdown

    MUMBAI: Gamers hiding in corners just got cornered by a laptop upgrade. In a cheeky ambush inside one of India’s most popular shooter games, Lenovo India, with Intel and Leo Burnett, has launched Gamers on Duty, a guerrilla-style campaign that calls out “campers” mid-battle and offers them a shot at redemption: a discount on Lenovo Legion laptops.

    For the uninitiated, “camping” in gaming lingo is the much-despised strategy of hiding in one spot and picking off opponents from cover, much to the annoyance of serious players. But Gamers on Duty flips the script recognising that many Indian gamers aren’t camping by choice, but by compulsion. Outdated hand-me-down laptops, dad’s office machine, or just old tech struggling to keep up with today’s graphic-heavy games are pushing players into passive play.

    So Lenovo and Intel assembled a squad of undercover operatives 12 of India’s top gaming influencers, wielding a cumulative reach of 20 million. These “agents” infiltrated live games, hunted down campers using an in-game feature that allows a brief 15-second chat when a player is caught and used that vulnerable moment to serve up an unexpected offer: ditch the lag, grab a Lenovo Legion.

    By turning a niche in-game mechanic into a pop-up sales pitch, the campaign reached players right when their frustration peaked slow machines, melting keyboards, and sluggish gameplay. The result? A deluge of hilarious, shareable content and a savvy new way to turn gameplay into advertising without feeling like advertising.

    “At Lenovo, we believe gamers deserve to experience every moment of their gameplay at its absolute best. With this campaign, we wanted to connect with them not just through screens, but in the heat of action at the very moment when outdated devices hold them back. Lenovo Legion is engineered to deliver uncompromised performance, so gamers can play fearlessly and experience their full potential. By meeting players exactly where they feel the need for better performance, we’re not just showcasing our technology – we’re empowering them to level up, quite literally.” said Lenovo India CMO, Chandrika Jain.

    Publicis Groupe CCO for South Asia and Leo chairman for South Asia Rajdeepak Das added “This is a great example of how data and tech come together to create a hyper-personalized campaign targeting campers who have been at the receiving end of hate from the entire gaming community. Our idea was to reach out to gamers while they were hiding because of slow laptops and put the brand’s message and offers in the right place, at the right time, and to the right audience.”

    In short, Gamers on Duty proves that when it comes to clever marketing, it pays to play dirty, especially if you’re cleaning up the camping mess along the way.
     

  • Intel chips in with TSMC for US fab fix amid foundry fatigue

    Intel chips in with TSMC for US fab fix amid foundry fatigue

    MUMBAI: Fab mates in the making? In a twist worthy of Silicon Valley drama, Intel and Taiwan’s TSMC are reportedly close to a blockbuster chip deal with Washington pulling a few strings from the wings.

    According to The Information, via Reuters, the two semiconductor giants have reached a preliminary agreement to form a joint venture that would see TSMC operate a 20 per cent stake in Intel’s U.S.-based fabs. The rest of the ownership remains under wraps, though whispers of potential investor pitches to AMD, Nvidia, Broadcom, and Qualcomm have swirled since early 2024, despite public denials by some of the players involved.

    Behind the scenes, the Biden administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce are said to be stage-directing the high-stakes collaboration. With Intel’s IDM 2.0 strategy stalling and its fabs failing to fire on all cylinders, this venture appears designed to stabilise an American chip titan without handing over control to foreign ownership, something the U.S. government has firmly resisted.

    The stakes are silicon-sharp. Intel has spent tens of billions of dollars on its domestic fabs, but only a select few are equipped for advanced 18A process technologies, the bedrock for Intel’s next-gen processors. The challenge? Many of these fabs are tailored for Intel’s own chips, not contract manufacturing, a space where TSMC reigns supreme.

    TSMC’s planned 20 per cent stake also raises eyebrows given its existing 165 million dollars investment in Arizona’s Fab 21, which already serves top-tier clients like Apple. How the Taiwanese foundry plans to juggle its own fab expansion with the new Intel tie-up remains unclear.

    Chip watchers say this uneasy alliance may be less about synergies and more about survival, with the White House acting as the matchmaker. As part of a broader push to keep chipmaking competitive and domestic, Washington seems determined to bring Intel back into the game, even if it means nudging rivals into bed together.

    Adding to the plot, Intel recently brought in industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan as CEO to guide its comeback after it fumbled the AI-driven semiconductor surge. While Intel and TSMC have stayed silent on the matter so far, industry insiders suggest that this deal, if sealed, could redefine global chip geopolitics.

  • Intel chips in with new boss: Veteran semiconductor maestro Tan takes the reins

    Intel chips in with new boss: Veteran semiconductor maestro Tan takes the reins

    MUMBAI:  The Silicon Valley giant that’s been looking for a permanent captain has finally found its new helmsman, as Intel Corp yesterday announced semiconductor veteran Lip-Bu Tan will slide into the chief executive’s chair effective 18 March.

    The appointment ends months of boardroom musical chairs at the chip-making behemoth, with Tan succeeding interim co-CEOs David Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus.

    Zinsner will remain executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Johnston Holthaus will remain CEO of Intel Products. 

    Frank D. Yeary, who took on the role of interim executive chair of the board during the search for a new CEO, will revert to being the independent chair of the board upon Tan getting his feet under the corner office’s desk.
     
    “Lip-Bu is an exceptional leader whose technology industry expertise, deep relationships across the product and foundry ecosystems, and proven track record of creating shareholder value is exactly what Intel needs in its next CEO,” Yeary said. “Throughout his long and distinguished career, he has earned a reputation as an innovator who puts customers at the heart of everything he does, delivers differentiated solutions to win in the market and builds high-performance cultures to achieve success.

    “Like many across the industry, I have worked closely with Lip-Bu in the past and have seen firsthand how his relentless attention to customers drives innovation and success,” Yeary continued. “We are delighted to have Lip-Bu as our CEO as we work to accelerate our turnaround and capitalise on the significant growth opportunities ahead.”

    The 63-year-old Singapore-born executive, who previously served on Intel’s board before stepping down last August, brings over two decades of semiconductor foreplay to a company desperately seeking to regain its mojo.

    A  longtime technology investor, he has deep relationships across Intel’s ecosystem, having served as CEO Cadence Design Systems from 2009 to 2021, where he led a reinvention of the company and drove a cultural transformation centered on customer-centric innovation. During his time as CEO, Cadence more than doubled its revenue, expanded operating margins and delivered a stock price appreciation of more than 3,200 per cent. 
    Tan served as a member of the Cadence board of directors for 19 years, from his appointment in 2004 through his service as executive chairman from 2021 to 2023 following his tenure as CEO.

    “I am honoured to join Intel as CEO,” said Tan.”I see significant opportunities to remake our business in ways that serve our customers better and create value for our shareholders.”

    “Intel has a powerful and differentiated computing platform, a vast customer installed base and a robust manufacturing footprint that is getting stronger by the day as we rebuild our process technology roadmap,” Tan continued. “I am eager to join the company and build upon the work the entire Intel team has been doing to position our business for the future.”

    Intel’s shares jumped four per cent on the announcement, as investors bet that Tan – who holds a nuclear engineering Master’s from MIT and a physics degree from Nanyang Technological University – has the technical chops to help the company reclaim its crown from rivals like Nvidia and AMD.

  • Saint-Gobain group appoints Ramya Sampath Sharma as CHRO

    Saint-Gobain group appoints Ramya Sampath Sharma as CHRO

    MUMBAI: It’s been a couple of months since she’s taken up her new assignment but it has come to our notice now; hence we are posting it as she has had a remarkable career trajectory and has built an impeccable reputation for herself as a human resource professional. .

    Ramya Sampath Sharma, a seasoned chief human resources officer (CHRO) with a diverse background in global technology and services sectors, has been appointed as the new CHRO  at Saint-Gobain group in India. In this position, she aims to leverage her expertise and drive organisational transformation through strategic HR leadership.

    With over 27 years of experience, Ramya holds a proven track record of fostering high-performance cultures and driving growth. Prior to joining Saint-Gobain Group, she served as the CHRO  at GreyOrange, where she spearheaded organisational design, implemented advanced HR technologies, and achieved significant increases in employee satisfaction and productivity.

    Ramya holds an MBA in Human Resources from XLRI Jamshedpur and has pursued an executive program on board effectiveness at the Indian School of Business. Throughout her illustrious career, she has worked with prominent companies, including Accenture, Intel, and Microland. Her most notable achievements include transforming HR functions, driving business growth, and implementing innovative HR strategies.

    At Saint-Gobain group, Ramya will lead the company’s HR efforts, focusing on driving business excellence through talent development, strategic organizational design, and employee engagement. Her appointment underscores Saint-Gobain group’s commitment to investing in its human capital and driving growth through HR excellence.

    Ramya ‘s appointment is effective as of November 2024.

  • Apurva Jani gets expanded marketing role at Intel India

    Apurva Jani gets expanded marketing role at Intel India

    MUMBAI: He’s spent a large part of his early career in the automotive industry at leading brands and firms. However, Apurva Jani  has been at global chip leader Intel for the almost a decade, rising to director of marketing for Intel’s sales, communications, and marketing group in India. 

    Now the chip maker has expanded his remit to include the amplification of the company’s brand presence and driving growth in both consumer and B2B markets, according to a news report on storyboard18.

    A mechanical engineer and a  PGDBA in marketing from NMIMS, Apurva began his career at Tata Motors, moved onto Ford Motor as regional sales manager, then worked with Mahindra & Mahindra as DGM – marketing, crossed industries into health care as director of advertising promotions at GE Healthcare, before landing up at Intel as consumer marketing head in 2015, where he has stayed put since.

    According to Apurva, he has  have been successful in disrupting the norms in highly competitive industries over his 23-year long career. Intel probably is relying on him to do so once again!

  • OpenAI joins C2PA steering committee

    OpenAI joins C2PA steering committee

    Mumbai: The Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) announced that OpenAI, a leader in artificial intelligence research and deployment, has joined the C2PA as a steering committee member. This marks a significant milestone for the C2PA and will help advance the coalition’s mission to increase transparency around digital media as AI-generated content becomes more prevalent.

    Joining other steering committee members that include Adobe, BBC, Intel, Microsoft, Google, Publicis Groupe, Sony and Truepic — OpenAI will collaborate to further develop and promote the adoption of Content Credentials, an implementation of the C2PA’s open technical standard for tamper-resident metadata that can be attached to digital content, showing how and when the content was created or modified.

    The announcement today builds on OpenAI’s previously shared initiatives to improve transparency around digital provenance. Earlier this year, OpenAI began attaching Content Credentials to images created and edited by DALL•E 3, the company’s latest image model, in ChatGPT and the OpenAI API. In addition, the company also announced its plans to attach Content Credentials to video generations from Sora, the company’s text-to-video model, when the model is ready to be deployed to the public.      

    OpenAI’s membership and implementation of Content Credentials serve as a strong endorsement for the C2PA technical specification and advance the collective mission to help restore trust in the digital ecosystem.

    “C2PA is playing an essential role in bringing the industry together to advance shared standards around digital provenance,” said Anna Makanju, OpenAI’s VP of Global Affairs. “We look forward to contributing to this effort and see it as an important part of building trust in the authenticity of what people see and hear online.”

    “OpenAI is a long-time supporter of the C2PA’s mission and we’re thrilled that they’ve deepened their engagement by becoming a Steering Committee member,” said Andrew Jenks, C2PA Chair. “OpenAI’s existing adoption, advocacy, and ongoing commitment to Content Credentials will bring an important voice to our membership’s working efforts to guide the development of the C2PA standard.”

     

  • NODWIN Gaming secures major partnerships for DreamHack India 2023

    NODWIN Gaming secures major partnerships for DreamHack India 2023

    Mumbai: South Asia’s leading emerging market gaming and esports media company NODWIN Gaming has partnered with Intel, Monster, Hyundai, TVS Raider, Opraahfx, BenQ, and ACT for the fourth edition of India’s premier digital festival, DreamHack. The much-awaited three-day grand celebration of gaming and pop culture, packed with exhilarating action, cutting-edge technology, and esports marvels kicks off on 3 November, in the city of Nizams, Hyderabad, for a second consecutive year.

    NODWIN Gaming’s strategic alliance with tech giant Intel as the festival’s global partner will usher in Intel’s unmatched expertise and state-of-the-art technology to elevate the overall DreamHack India experience. This collaboration ensures that attendees stand at the forefront of gaming innovation, resonating perfectly with Intel’s unwavering dedication to empowering the gaming and esports ecosystem, harmonizing seamlessly with NODWIN Gaming’s commitment to delivering the ultimate spectator experience to the community. Joining Intel in this exciting venture is Monster Energy, a brand synonymous with esports and gaming across the world. This collaboration aims to energize DreamHack India attendees and create a dynamic atmosphere that supercharges the esports and gaming community at India’s premier digital festival.

    Adding to the festival’s excitement, Hyundai has been announced as the official mobility partner, with Indian two-wheeler manufacturing giant TVS Raider joining as the official motoring partner for the latest edition of DreamHack India.

    NODWIN Gaming has further announced that ACT will serve as the festival’s connectivity partner, ensuring seamless internet connectivity, vital for esports enthusiasts and the success of the multitude of esports tournaments delivering the customary DreamHack India experience.

    Opraahfx will be the festival’s talent partner, bringing an array of experiences, activities, and talent from the entertainment industry, playing a pivotal role in ensuring that DreamHack India is an all-encompassing entertainment extravaganza.

    Intel has also been named as the title partner for the CS2 Invitational tournament, with world-renowned consumer electronics manufacturer BenQ joining as the tournament’s monitor partner. The CS2 Invitational will also have DreamHack mobility partner Hyundai featuring as a partnering brand.

    NODWIN Gaming also extends its gratitude to the Government of Telangana for its unwavering support in the success of DreamHack India 2023.

    Together, NODWIN Gaming and its esteemed partners share the joint objective of leveraging their brand strengths to deliver the highest level of entertainment to DreamHack India attendees. The mega collaboration promises to set new standards for gaming festivals and provide the community with an unforgettable three-day DreamHack experience.

    Commenting on the latest edition of DreamHack India 2023, NODWIN Gaming co-founder and managing director Akshat Rathee said, “We are thrilled to bring the 4th edition of DreamHack India to Hyderabad for the second successive year. DreamHack embodies the very essence of the digital world and stands as a grand celebration of technology, gaming, esports, and pop culture. We want to express our sincere gratitude to the Government of Telangana for their steadfast support. NODWIN Gaming, in collaboration with our esteemed partners, remains dedicated to advancing the esports landscape in India through our collective intellectual properties. Our shared objective is to leverage the unique strengths of each brand to elevate the overall experience for our DreamHack community. While there is undoubtedly a significant amount of work ahead, we are embarking on an exhilarating journey filled with promise and excitement!”

    NODWIN Gaming has also announced day passes designed to cater to the specific entertainment preferences of DreamHack attendees in addition to the previously unveiled feature-laden festival passes. These day tickets are priced from Rs 299 and can be acquired through DreamHack India’s official ticketing partners, PayTM Insider, and MeraEvents.