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Mumbai is on NGC’S ‘Megacities’ next year

Published

20 years ago

December 8, 2005

MUMBAI: Continuing its mission of making its viewers ‘Think Again,’ National Geographic Channel (NGC) will be airing a slew of shows next year that are certain to make viewers think about their world.

Speaking to Indiantelevision.com this evening NGC vice president marketing Rajesh Sheshadri says,“One show that we are quite keen about is Megacities. This insightful series takes a look at the modern metropolis.Each episode of the series identifies and examines, one aspect of the infrastructure of a particular megacity that is crucial to its survival. From transportation systems in Mumbai and London, to the recycling system in Sao Paulo, to the power systems that ensure that the bright light of Vegas never dim, Megacities takes a detailed look at the infrastructures that keep these modern megaliths ticking.”

The first episode looks at India’s financial capital Mumbai. It examines the Mumbai Traffic Improvement project, which is said to be one of the largest public works project in the history of the world. The initiative is implementing integrated railroad and water transport systems into the city’s infrastructure in order to support its increasing population. The 50 Flyovers project is using the latest technology to reconfigure traffic flow in and around the city, the Golden Quadrilateral project is connecting Mumbai to other major cities of India and spectacular bridges will soon span previously inaccessible waterways, creating an entire transportation transformation in India.

Another episode looks at the gambing city – Las Vegas. What the show reveals is the fact that the secret behind Las Vegas is not the gambling. It‘s not connections. It‘s not even sex. This MegaCity‘s power is electricity and without it, Las Vegas would simply shrivel and die. This is the Vegas no one sees. Power lines are its arteries. Electricity is its blood. This episode examines the importance of this process and what happens when it fails. It goes inside Las Vegas’ generation and distribution systems and examines current transformations that are occurring in order to prevent a possible black out.

Hong Kong meanwhile is said to be the most densely populated urban region on the planet, and in the recent past it has been rocked by economic and financial upheaval. Yet it has come through with some of the most high-tech, counterfeit-proof currency in the world, as well as some of the most complex bank building structures. This episode shows how such a small city accomplished such immense technological feats. This city is based on the power of money. If it stops flowing Hong Kong will loose its privileged place as financial center of this quickly evolving region.

Those interested in biology can check out Microkillers which kicks off in February 2006. It takes a look at various bacteria and viruses to examine how a pathogen 1/2500th width of a human hair causes the deaths of thousands of people. The series explores the evolution of old foes like malaria and plague, the “Black Death” that killed millions in the Middle Ages, into new drug resistant strains. It also examines the emergence of new killers like AIDS and Ebola, recent escapees from nature’s bio- weapons lab and the frightening implications for the world at large.

Sheshadri adds that in March 2006, NGC will premiere National Geographic‘s Most Amazing Moments – a two-hour special that counts down dramatic events captured on film through the National Geographic lens. Five segments feature spectacular imagery and firsthand accounts from the scientists, journalists and filmmakers on the scene that let viewers experience moments of discovery, adventure and rarely seen animal behaviour. From moments of danger, to extreme behaviour that pushes the limits of human endurance, from face to face encounters with dangerous predators, to close encounters with death, that provide an adrenaline rush, the National Geographic cameras capture it all.

Applications

Moltbook, the AI-only social network, sparks hype, doubt and fear

Published

1 month ago

February 3, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CALIFORNIA: Moltbook, a Reddit-style social platform built exclusively for artificial intelligence agents, has emerged as the latest obsession in Silicon Valley, drawing intense attention for its explosive growth and surreal bot-driven interactions.

The platform hosts more than 100 communities where AI agents post, argue and joke about topics ranging from governance theory to esoteric “crayfish debugging” concepts. Within days of launch, Moltbook recorded tens of thousands of posts, nearly 200,000 comments and more than 1 million human visitors observing the activity.

Yet the numbers and the autonomy are under scrutiny, as per media reports. A security researcher has suggested as many as 500,000 accounts may trace back to a single address, raising doubts about Moltbook’s membership claims. Many posts could also be the result of humans instructing their AI tools to publish content, rather than bots acting independently.

The platform runs on agentic AI, powered by an open-source tool called OpenClaw, formerly known as Moltbot. Unlike chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini, these agents are designed to perform tasks on users’ devices, from sending messages to managing calendars, with minimal human input. Once authorised, they can interact freely on Moltbook.

Some tech figures have hailed the platform as a glimpse of a post-human internet. Head of crypto custody firm BitGo Bill Lees, called it evidence that “we’re in the singularity”.

Academics are less convinced. Petar Radanliev, an AI and cybersecurity expert at the University of Oxford, said the idea of agents acting independently was “misleading”, describing Moltbook instead as automated coordination within human-set constraints. Columbia Business School assistant professor David Holtz, dismissed the spectacle as “thousands of bots yelling into the void and repeating themselves”.

Beyond hype, security worries loom large. ESET global cybersecurity advisor Jake Moore, warned that granting AI agents access to emails, private messages and files risks prioritising efficiency over privacy. Andrew Rogoyski of the University of Surrey said high-level system access could lead to serious damage, from erased data to compromised company accounts.

Even OpenClaw’s founder Peter Steinberger, has felt the darker side of attention, with scammers hijacking his old social media handles after the platform’s rebrand.

For now, Moltbook remains a strange digital zoo: part experiment, part spectacle, where AI agents banter about philosophy, productivity and, occasionally, their fondness for their human operators.

Applications

Apple appoints Avtar Ram Singh as head of international marketing

Published

1 month ago

February 2, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CALIFORNIA: Apple has handed a bigger global brief to a long-time insider. Avtar Ram Singh has taken over as head of international marketing for the App Store, Apple Arcade and the Apple Games app, deepening his remit across one of the company’s fastest-growing businesses.

“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as head of international marketing, App Store, Apple Arcade and Games App at Apple,” Singh said while announcing the move.

The promotion crowns nearly seven years at Apple, where Singh has led services marketing across Southeast Asia and India and previously served as head of marketing for Southeast Asia content and services, business lead for Apple Podcasts in the region and interim marketing lead for the App Store internationally.

His new portfolio spans three pillars of Apple’s services push. The App Store, which Apple positions as a safe and trusted discovery platform, now attracts more than 850 million average weekly users globally. Since 2008, developers have earned over $550 billion on the platform.

Apple Arcade, the company’s gaming subscription service, offers unlimited access to a catalogue ranging from brain teasers to big-name franchises. The recent addition of Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Arcade Edition brings a AAA PC title to iPhone, iPad and Mac from 5 February.

Then there is the Apple Games app, unveiled at WWDC as a unified destination for games from the App Store and Arcade. It aggregates titles in one place, surfaces personalised recommendations, tracks events and achievements, and lets users compete with friends or connect controllers for a console-like experience.

Singh arrives with a hybrid background in strategy, data and creativity. His career spans digital and social media marketing, business intelligence, content, editorial and analytics across culturally diverse markets. He has worked on brands including P&G, Accor, Audi, UBS, Nikon, Samsung, Sony, Pizza Hut, HBO and Singapore Airlines-linked businesses such as Scoot.

Before Apple, Singh led strategy at Falcon Agency, focusing on performance marketing and ROI-driven digital frameworks. He earlier ran the social practice at Publicis Singapore, where he oversaw operations, business development and regional social strategy for multinational clients. His career also includes roles at Ogilvy-linked Circus Social, Rocket Internet ventures Lazada and Zalora, and research firm IDC in Bangkok, where he analysed technology markets and won early awards for collaboration and client retention.

At Apple, he has been close to several service launches and expansions, including Apple Fitness+ in Singapore, Apple Creator Studio, global podcast subscriptions and new App Store marketing tools.

The timing is notable. Apple’s services business has posted record years, and gaming is becoming a sharper battleground as platforms chase engagement and recurring revenue. Singh’s brief sits at the intersection of content, community and commerce.

In a market where attention is scarce and loyalty scarcer, Apple is betting that sharper storytelling and smarter marketing can keep users inside its ecosystem. Singh now holds the megaphone. The real test will be how loudly the world listens.

Applications

Cloud nine in the capital Bharathcloud plugs Delhi into its AI plans

Published

1 month ago

January 30, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Bharathcloud is bringing its cloud closer to power. The Hyderabad-based sovereign AI cloud services provider has opened its Delhi office, marking its formal entry into North India and setting the stage for its next phase of growth.

The expansion comes as India’s digital transformation fuels rising demand for AI-ready cloud infrastructure, driven by wider adoption of artificial intelligence, machine learning, the Internet of Things and data-heavy applications. With the new office, Bharathcloud plans to onboard more than 100 employees in 2026, strengthening its workforce to support customers across government, enterprises, MSMEs and social sectors.

The Delhi presence is expected to sharpen the company’s engagement with organisations seeking secure, scalable and cost-efficient cloud platforms that comply with India’s data sovereignty requirements. It also positions Bharathcloud closer to policy, public sector and enterprise decision-makers in the region.

Founded in Hyderabad, Bharathcloud offers AI-ready cloud infrastructure including Kubernetes-as-a-Service, zero-trust security architecture and multi-level data protection frameworks. Its platform supports AI and ML workloads, blockchain application migration from hyperscalers and distributed data management, with an emphasis on reliability, low latency and operational continuity.

“With the Delhi expansion, we are positioning Bharathcloud to engage more closely with AI-driven enterprises and technology hubs in North India,” said Bharathcloud co-founder Rahul Takallapally. He added that the move would help nurture local cloud and AI talent while accelerating the adoption of secure and resilient AI infrastructure across sectors.

The company currently operates in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow and Chennai, employing over 200 people and serving more than 1,500 clients across manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, IT and media. Aligned with national initiatives such as Digital India and Make in India, Bharathcloud continues to focus on building indigenous AI-cloud infrastructure to support data localisation and the country’s growing appetite for next-generation digital solutions.

With its Delhi office now live, the company is signalling a clear intent: to make sovereign, AI-ready cloud infrastructure not just an alternative, but a mainstream choice for India’s north as well as its tech capitals.