Copilot Chat beta is now available on GitHub for Visual Studio and VS Code users.

All corporate customers of Visual Studio and VS Code have access to the restricted public version of GitHub Copilot Chat, according to GitHub.

The restricted public beta release of Copilot Chat for Visual Studio and VS Code was announced by the software development and version control site GitHub today. It is an integrated development environment-compatible, contextually aware chatbot made for developers. Code analysis, straightforward troubleshooting, and individualised support are some of its characteristics.

As the first step in introducing Copilot X to commercial businesses, GitHub describes the release of Copilot Chat. Copilot X is a chatbot that was 

The cutting-edge GPT-4 is used by the Copilot X chatbot, which was created in collaboration with OpenAI. GitHub has highlighted the following as some of Copilot Chat's important features.

Developers will receive context-specific assistance through Copilot Chat. This implies that engineers may ask the chatbot for assistance if they are having trouble with a particular code fragment or need explanation of a certain programming topic. Additionally, it will provide in-the-moment help by making recommendations for best practises, hints, and fixes that are specific to the current programming problem.

According to a Slack research, 75% of Indian desk employees are using AI solutions to boost productivity.

According to the "State of Work" study, AI and automation can save Indian desk employees one month every year.

According to a recent Slack survey, Indian businesses are setting the bar for the use of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) products that increase employee productivity and streamline processes.

The "State of Work" research, which polled more than 2,000 Indian desk employees, showed that 75% of them use AI at work, making India a leader in the world for AI use. The study also discovered that people who utilise AI are 53% more likely to report having productivity levels that are noticeably greater than those who do not.

The paper claims that AI and automation may save Indian desk staff an average of 3.6 hours per week by automating repetitive chores like obtaining expense report approvals. This corresponds to at least one month of effort per year that might be spent for more significant and strategic tasks.

Concern concerning OpenAI's ChatGPT is raised by Llama 2 from Meta: What is it, and how can I access it?

The Llama 2 big language model has been released in collaboration with Meta and Microsoft. What that entails for apps like ChatGPT and Google Bard is as follows.

Tech behemoths are engaged in a fierce competition to provide the most advanced AI. The next-generation open-source language model, Llama 2, will be released by Microsoft and Mark Zuckerberg's Meta on Wednesday. 

The model will soon be open for researchers and for commercial usage, according to the CEO of Meta. The most recent, potent model is anticipated to compete against OpenAI's GPT-4. Zuckerberg said that Meta has a long history of opening-sourcing its infrastructure and AI efforts, including Segment Anything, ImageBind, and Dino, as well as PyTorch, the top machine learning framework. He claimed that open-sourcing has aided Meta in producing better goods and advancing the sector as a whole. 

The complete guide to choose the finest smart lights: smart home necessities

Are you contemplating purchasing smart lighting for your house? Here is all you need to know about smart lights, which can efficiently brighten your house.

The easiest approach to begin the process of creating a smart home is to make an investment in smart lighting. There are several sizes and styles of smart lights. One may select a smart light to fit their needs, from affordable solutions to high-end ones.

Here are a few things to consider if you want to add smart lights to your home's design in order to update it.

How do smart lights work?

A smart light is a wirelessly controllable linked gadget that operates on the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Zigbee protocols. Smart lights differ significantly from traditional lighting in several ways. The majority of them, even the more affordable choices, have programmable colour selections that can be managed by voice command or through an app.

Meta makes an AI model available for commercial usage, upending a budding business.

Microsoft will make available the updated model, known as Llama 2, through its Azure cloud service, which is compatible with Windows.

The open-source artificial intelligence model Llama from Meta will soon be available in a commercial form, the firm said on Tuesday. This will provide start-ups and other companies with a strong free alternative to the pricy proprietary models offered by OpenAI and Google.

Microsoft is "our preferred partner" for the rollout of the new model, dubbed Llama 2, which will be delivered through Azure and operate on the Windows operating system, according to Meta in a blog post.

The model, which Meta previously provided only to select academics for research purposes, also will be made available via direct download and through Amazon Web Services, Hugging Face and other providers, according to the blog post and a separate facebook post by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Norway forbids the use of behavioural advertising on Meta's apps

Norway has prohibited Meta, founded by Mark Zuckerberg, from running behavioural advertising on Facebook and Instagram. The Norwegian Data Protection Authority enforced the restriction in reaction to user monitoring and profiling, which infringes their right to privacy.

The Prohibition and Its Effects

The behavioural advertising prohibition will go into force on August 4 and last for three months, or until Meta proves it is in conformity with the law. If Meta disobeys the ruling, a coercive punishment of up to one million NOK ($100,000) per day may be imposed. The Norwegian Data Protection Authority has said that this restriction only applies to users in Norway.

Meta's Unlawful Behaviour

The implementation of a temporary ban on behavioural advertising for Facebook and Instagram resulted from the Norwegian Data Protection Authority's determination that Meta's practises were unlawful. The Irish Data Protection Commission ruled in December that Meta was engaging in unlawful behavioural advertising on behalf of all data protection authorities in the European Economic Area (EEA). This decision was taken in response to that decision. Despite certain adjustments made by Meta in response to earlier judgements, the Court of Justice of the European Union has found that Meta's behavioural advertising continues to violat

User Rights and Privacy Protection

It's important to understand that Norway's restriction on behavioural advertising does not entail an outright ban on Facebook or Instagram within the nation. The ban's objective is to guarantee that Norwegian users may access these services in a secure manner while upholding their legal rights. The importance of privacy as a basic human right is emphasised by the Norwegian Data Protection Authority, which also stipulates that business models must uphold it.

On iPhone, Android, and PC, how to turn on Chrome's dark mode for all websites

When using Google Chrome in the dark, do you have eye fatigue? Here's how to activate Chrome's dark mode on Windows, iOS, and Android devices.

One of the most popular programmes on Android, iOS, and Windows is Google Chrome. If you use Chrome to explore the internet for hours on end like most people do, the stark white light may irritate and strain your eyes.

Even though dark mode is supported by Chrome on all devices, certain websites do not. The procedures listed below can be used to enable dark mode on Windows, Android, and iPhone devices:

How to make Chrome for Windows work in dark mode

It's really simple to enable dark mode in Chrome on Windows. On websites that do not support it, the desktop software can also display inverted white text on a black backdrop.

Microsoft and Activision are in discussions to prolong their agreement.

The contract's expiration would not necessarily result in the deal's demise; rather, it would give each business the option to end the relationship.

A source with knowledge of the situation said on Monday that Microsoft Corp. is in discussions to extend the purchase agreement it has with video game developer Activision Blizzard, which is due to expire on Tuesday, so the parties can clear the last regulatory obstacles in their $69 billion merger.

The contract's expiration would not necessarily result in the deal's demise; rather, it would give each business the option to end the relationship.

However, the Xbox game console's manufacturer, Microsoft, has been requesting the contract extension to make sure that Activision is not courted by another prospective purchaser or changes its mind, the source claimed.

Soon, Android smartphones could be able to tell if you're on a flight.

According to a recent patent filed by Google, the company is developing a new function dubbed "Connected Flight Mode" that would automatically switch mobile devices into aeroplane mode.

According to reports, Google is developing a new function dubbed "Connected Flight Mode" that would instantly switch Android devices into Aeroplane Mode.

In accordance with a recent patent application by Google, "Connected Flight Mode" will activate "Aeroplane mode" once it determines that you are travelling by plane and turn it off after you have landed. The new capability can instantly toggle Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, in contrast to the present Aeroplane mode implementation, which automatically turns off all radios. 

According to the patent, the functionality may be able to modify Wi-Fi settings to correspond to the kind of connection that the airline will permit. Additionally, if it notices that the device battery is running low or that the network connection is unstable, it may disengage from the network. Another thing to keep in mind is that when your smartphone goes into "Connected Flight Mode," updates and background app refresh will not be possible.

GST Council Implements a 28% Tax on Online Gaming, Raising Industry Concerns

Regardless of whether the games entail talent or are dependent on chance, tax would be applied to the total value.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently announced that the GST Council has agreed to levy a 28% tax on the revenue from online gambling, horse racing, and casinos. The decision is applicable to the entire face value of these activities and was made by a group of ministers (GoM) made up of representatives from all 50 states and the union territories.

The Debate Over Tax Calculation

The panel debated whether the tax should be based only on platform fees, the overall gaming income, or the face value of wagers. Sitharaman underlined that regardless of whether the games entail talent or are based on chance, the tax will be assessed on the whole value.

Industry worries about online gaming

This move comes after three proposals for the creation of Self-Regulatory Organisations (SROs) in the online gaming industry were submitted to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). These SROs seek to control and distinguish between gambling applications and skill-based online gaming.

The Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS), a self-regulatory organisation that represents business partners including Dream11, Fantasy Akhada, and Guru11, expressed dismay and issued a warning about potential "irreversible damage" to the gaming sector. They suggested that the tax rise may result in a decrease in income, have an effect on job possibilities, and push consumers onto illicit sites.

A recent Esports Players Welfare Association (EPWA) survey revealed that 61 out of 100 online gamers may discontinue playing due to the anticipated tax hike. The proposed changes place additional strain on the gaming industry, potentially affecting foreign investments, career prospects, and related sectors.

Industry stakeholders, including the FIFS and Games24x7, raised concerns that the GST imposition on Contest Entry Amount (CEA) would render the legitimate online gaming industry financially unviable. They cautioned that consumers may shift towards offshore and illegal platforms, resulting in tax losses, outflows of foreign exchange, and job cuts.

Users of Twitter Blue will soon have the option to conceal likes and subscription numbers.

 Twitter may eventually roll out new privacy-focused features that are only available to Blue subscribers.

In the middle of the upheaval, Twitter, controlled by Elon Musk, may soon roll out more services that are only available to its Blue members. According to rumours, premium Twitter Blue subscribers will soon have the option to conceal the like button as well as the audience's subscription count.

Only the person who has chosen to conceal the like tab will be able to see it. They may still like other users' posts and see how many people have liked them. The individual likes will still be displayed, but it will also conceal the like timeline from the Twitter API.

Similar to this, when a Twitter Blue user conceals the subscriber count, only them can access the profile's subscriber list.

Chandrayaan-3: Why is moon landing so difficult?

A trip to Earth's only natural satellite is still highly challenging and fraught with dangers more than 50 years after the first Apollo mission touched down there.

With the Chandrayaan-3 mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will try a soft landing on the Moon once more. The mission is slated to launch from Sriharikota at 2.30 PM on July 14. The endeavour is still fairly challenging even though humans first set foot on the Moon more than 50 years ago.

When the Vikram lander collided with the Moon's surface in September 2019, the Chandrayaan-2 mission was declared a failure. A similar outcome befell the Israeli-led Beresheet expedition earlier that year. Years later, in April of this year, the Japanese Hakuto-R mission similarly failed to make a soft landing on the moon.

And these are just a few of the numerous missions that tried and failed to reach the Moon. The United States and the Soviet Union wrecked spacecraft after spacecraft during the space race in the 1960s before successfully landing one. With the Chang'e-5 mission in 2013, China became the only other nation to successfully perform a soft landing on the Moon.

UPI Lite has been introduced by Google Pay to encourage small-value transactions.

Existing users of Google Pay may establish a UPI light wallet within the same app, which can hold up to Rs 2,000 in funds.

UPI Lite payment, which enables users to make minor payments without needing the pin, is now officially supported by Google Pay, the second-largest Unified Payment Interface (UPI) platform in the nation. When compared to traditional UPI payments, UPI lite technology enables customers to send money quickly even during rush hour.

Existing users of Google Pay may establish a UPI light wallet within the same app, which can hold up to Rs 2,000 in funds. Additionally, it enables users to conduct transactions up to Rs 200 without the need for a pin. The Google Pay UPI light has a limited spending restriction because one may only load up to Rs 2,000 twice each day at the moment.

In September 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) first launched UPI light payment, which is now supported by over 15 significant public and commercial banks. UPI lite payments were originally made available by Paytm, PhonePe, and BHIM, a trio of UPI payment apps.

In order to compete with OpenAI, Elon Musk establishes the AI company xAI.

The arrival of superintelligence, or AI that is smarter than humans, was another prediction made by Musk during the next five to six years.

Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX, Tesla, and Twitter, gestures on June 16, 2023, as he attends the Viva Technology conference in Paris, France, at the Porte de Versailles exposition complex. Gonzalez Fuentes/File Photo for REUTERS

The multibillionaire businessman Elon Musk unveiled his long-rumored artificial intelligence startup xAI on Wednesday. He also introduced a team of engineers from the same major American technology companies that he plans to compete against in his effort to create a ChatGPT competitor.

Musk, who is now the CEO of the electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, the CEO of the rocket launch firm SpaceX, and the owner of Twitter, will serve as the startup's CEO. Musk has previously stated that the development of AI should be put on hold and that the industry need control. Musk has frequently expressed his worries about the possible "civilizational destruction" that AI may cause.

In a Twitter Spaces event Wednesday evening, Musk explained his plan for building a safer AI. Rather than explicitly programming morality into its AI, xAI will seek to create a “maximally curious” AI, he said.

How to watch the live online launch of ISRO's Chandrayaan-3

 In this window, you may watch live coverage of ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission launch. Here's how to go about doing that.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is slated to launch on Friday, July 14 at 2.35 PM IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Here is information on how to view the event live.

On ISRO's website and YouTube page, the launch of the LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle Mark - III) carrying the lander, rover, and propulsion module for the Chandrayaan-3 mission will be webcast live. On July 14, at 2 PM IST, you may view it by clicking the link below. For real-time information regarding the expedition, you can also visit indianexpress.com.

The Chandrayaan-2 mission, which impacted the lunar surface in September 2019, was replaced by the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Chandrayaan-3 is a lander and rover configuration, similar to its predecessor, that will be propelled into a 100-kilometer lunar orbit by a propulsion module.

Apps like Threads, Bluesky, and Mastodon are popular among Twitter users.

Here are some platforms that are increasingly finding their base among users who are quitting Twitter.

Since being bought by entrepreneur Elon Musk for a staggering $44 billion in October 2022, Twitter has been on a rollercoaster ride. On the other hand, Twitter's user base is steadily declining. The current turf war on Twitter has given many people a chance. Now, a plethora of rivals are vying for the diminishing user base of the microblogging service. Recently, a number of businesses introduced platforms that were designed after the social networking site run by Elon Musk.

Most users are looking into Twitter alternatives as the market becomes more competitive and in light of the constantly shifting restrictions. Here are a few websites that are gaining popularity among Twitter users who are leaving the service.

Instagram's Threads

Threads, the most recent clone of Twitter, is now the one that poses the greatest threat to Twitter. In fact, Threads has recorded over 100 million registrations within a few days of introduction, which is an astounding amount of users even for an established social networking site. It should be emphasised that despite being a site over two decades old, Twitter only has 450 million users, which is just four times as many as Threads.

A study shows that honey bees can make judgements more quickly and effectively than humans.

Using their primitive brains, bees can make quick, wise judgements, according to a recent research.

The humble honeybee is a subject that can never be adequately discussed. They serve a crucial role in many ecosystems as pollinators and even produce honey, which is a delightful and very nutritious meal that is enjoyed by many animals. These tiny critters have been "engineered" over millions of years to make quick judgements that minimise danger, according to new study.

According to Macquarie University, the study that was published in the journal eLife yesterday not only advances our knowledge of insect brains but also provides insight into how human brains have developed and how to create better robots. In addition to outlining the neural pathways in bees' brains that enable quick judgements, the study report presents a model of decision-making in bees.

“Decision-making is at the core of cognition. It’s the result of an evaluation of possible outcomes, and animal lives are full of decisions. A honey bee has a brain smaller than a sesame seed. And yet she can make decisions faster and more accurately than we can. A robot programmed to do a bee’s job would need the backup of a supercomputer,” said Andrew Barron, corresponding author of the study, in a press statement. Barron is a professor at the university.

Amazon challenges EU online content regulations as the first Big Tech company.

19 platforms and search engines were classified as extremely significant online platforms under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which went into effect last year and has more than 45 million users.

In a move that might inspire other internet titans to imitate, Amazon is contesting its inclusion in a group of businesses subject to strict European Union online content regulations.

Two weeks after German online retailer Zalando sued the European Commission over the same matter, a Big Tech corporation filed a challenge at the General Court in Luxembourg, the second-highest court in Europe.

19 platforms and search engines were classified as extremely significant online platforms under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which went into effect last year and has more than 45 million users.

First-ever decline in ChatGPT user numbers

 In June, ChatGPT's traffic, which includes both app and website traffic, declined by 9.7%.

A report by The Washington Post reveals that ChatGPT’s traffic decreased by 9.7 per cent in June, encompassing both app and website traffic. Additionally, data from Sensor Tower indicates a significant drop in ChatGPT app downloads on iOS compared to early June.

For the first time ever, traffic to OpenAI's ChatGPT, the generative AI model that swept the internet, has dropped a startling 10%. Similarweb data shows a dramatic fall in mobile and website traffic, which suggests that OpenAI is using less AI-powered products and services.

According to a report by The Washington Post, ChatGPT's traffic, which includes app and website traffic, declined by 9.7% in June. Additionally, according to Sensor Tower statistics, fewer iOS users have downloaded the ChatGPT app since early June.

A report by The Washington Post reveals that ChatGPT’s traffic decreased by 9.7 per cent in June, encompassing both app and website traffic. Additionally, data from Sensor Tower indicates a significant drop in ChatGPT app downloads on iOS compared to early June.

The next big thing on the internet, ChatGPT, uses generative AI to produce replies that are human-like and can compose essays, develop computer code, and maybe even pass professional examinations. OpenAI even worked with Microsoft to popularise ChatGPT, resulting in a new version of the Edge browser that gives users free access to GPT-4, the most recent language model developed by OpenAI.

A bug in Google News stops fresh news from showing up in the stream.

You can't access Google News to view fresh content from your favourite websites and publishers. It's Google, not you.

One of the finest news aggregation applications is without a doubt Google News, however a recent glitch seems to be restricting stories from your favourite websites and newspapers.

All websites are now experiencing an ongoing difficulty that prevents them from being correctly indexed, according to Google's Search Status Dashboard, a portal that gives information on services that are part of Google Search. This appears to be preventing many people from viewing fresh content from their favourite websites and magazines and decreasing traffic for numerous businesses.

Many publications may experience a significant decline in traffic until the flaw is rectified because Google News is a major traffic referrer for websites on the internet. Google acknowledged the problem yesterday, although according to the Search Status Dashboard, it may have originated on June 21.