18: Mumbai

5: Mumbai

Behind OpenAI’s Audacious Plan to Make A.I. Flow Like Electricity Sam Altman, OpenAI’s chief executive, is talking to the United Arab Emirates, Asian chipmakers and U.S. officials to expand the computing power needed to build artificial intelligence............... he proposed that they unite on a multitrillion-dollar effort to erect new computer chip factories and data centers across the globe ........... OpenAI’s blueprint for the world’s technology future .. would create countless data centers providing a global reservoir of computing power dedicated to building the next generation of A.I. .......... Mr. Altman’s campaign showed how in just a few years he has become one of the world’s most influential tech executives, able in a span of weeks to gain an audience with Middle Eastern money, Asian manufacturing giants and top U.S. regulators. ......... When word leaked that Mr. Altman, 39, was looking for trillions of dollars, he was mocked for seeking investments equivalent to roughly a quarter of the annual economic output of the United States. .............

Altman has compared the world’s data centers to electricity

............. As the availability of electricity became more widespread, people found better ways of using it. Mr. Altman hoped to do the same with data centers and eventually make A.I. technologies flow like electricity. ......... Mr. Altman’s original plan called for the Emirates to fund the construction of multiple chip-making plants, which can cost as much as $43 billion each. The plan would reduce chip manufacturing costs for companies like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest chip producer. ........... Omar Sultan Al Olama, the Emirates’ minister of state for A.I., told The Times in a March interview that there “is a business case” for going after such a giant deal. ......... OpenAI said in a statement that it was focused on building infrastructure in the United States “with the goals of ensuring the U.S. remains the global leader in innovation, driving re-industrialization across the country and ensuring A.I.’s benefits are widely accessible.” ............ it would take $7 trillion and many years to build 36 semiconductor plants and additional data centers to fulfill his vision ........... During one meeting, a Japanese official laughed when OpenAI said it was seeking 5 gigawatts of electrical power, about a thousand times the power that an average data center consumes ................ in meetings with officials in Germany, OpenAI explored building a data center in the North Sea so it could tap into 7 gigawatts of power from offshore wind turbines ............. political pressures have forced OpenAI to explore options in the United States ............ Built at a cost of $100 billion each — about 20 times the cost of today’s most powerful data centers — they would hold two million A.I. chips and consume 5 gigawatts of electricity.

Why Is OpenAI Trying to Raise So Much Money? The San Francisco A.I. start-up believes there is not enough computing power on Earth to build the artificial intelligence it wants to create.

Refusing To Pay (Short Story)

Deepak was a middle-aged man living in the bustling city of Mumbai, India. He had seen his fair share of changes over the years, as technology infiltrated every aspect of daily life. But one thing that always puzzled him was the way people in the West clung to their cash, even in the face of advanced payment systems. He considered it a thing of the past, a relic of a bygone era.

One sweltering summer day, Deepak found himself in a narrow alley lined with food stalls and eager customers. The tantalizing aroma of street food filled the air, mingling with the sounds of chatter and sizzling oil. As he strolled along the bustling street, his eyes landed on an American tourist standing in front of a colorful ice cream cart.

The American man, clad in shorts and a loose T-shirt, carefully reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. Deepak furrowed his brow, perplexed by the sight. In India, cash transactions had become increasingly rare. People simply whipped out their smartphones, scanned a barcode displayed on the vendor's cart, and completed the payment through digital wallets. It was quick, convenient, and left no room for error.

Intrigued by this oddity, Deepak lingered nearby, observing the unfolding scene. The American approached the ice cream vendor, who had a small mobile payment terminal next to his display of frosty delights. A confused expression crossed the vendor's face as the tourist extended his hand, offering the cash for the ice cream.

Deepak couldn't help himself any longer. He stepped forward, catching the attention of both the American and the vendor. With a friendly smile, he said, "Excuse me, sir. I hope you don't mind my curiosity, but we usually pay using our smartphones here. It's faster and more efficient. Would you like some help?"

The American looked surprised but grateful for the offer. "Oh, thank you! That would be great," he replied with a hint of embarrassment. "I'm not used to these mobile payment systems. I guess I'm just an old-fashioned cash guy."

Deepak chuckled warmly. "No worries. It's fascinating how our payment methods differ across cultures. Let me show you how it works."

Deepak took out his smartphone and opened his preferred mobile payment app. He swiftly navigated through the options and generated a barcode on his screen. Holding the phone toward the vendor's terminal, he scanned the code, and a satisfying beep confirmed the successful transaction.

The American watched in awe as the transaction took place within seconds. "That was incredible! So efficient and convenient," he exclaimed.

Deepak nodded, pleased to share a bit of his culture with the visitor. "Indeed, it has become an integral part of our lives. It saves time, reduces the risk of carrying cash, and offers various discounts and rewards. Plus, it helps in creating a digital record of transactions."

The American fished out his wallet and tucked away the cash. "You've opened my eyes to a new way of doing things. I guess it's about time I embraced this digital era."

With a newfound appreciation for the benefits of mobile payments, the American bid Deepak farewell and indulged in his chosen ice cream flavor. Meanwhile, Deepak continued his stroll, content that he had helped someone understand the changing dynamics of a cashless society.

As he walked away, Deepak couldn't help but smile, knowing that he had bridged the gap between cultures and made a small difference in the life of a stranger. It was a reminder that even in an increasingly interconnected world, there was always room for learning, understanding, and embracing new ways of doing things.

The Megacities

The World’s 33 Megacities
Megacity A megacity is a very large city metropolitan area, typically with a population of more than 10 million people.
Ed Rendell Backing 300mph Bullet Train: DC to Philly in 40 minutes?

Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, Jakarta, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Cairo, Mumbai, Beijing, Seoul, Guangzhou, Manila, New York, Shenzhen, Lagos, Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe, Wuhan, Los Angeles, Dhaka, Chengdu, Moscow, Chongqing, Karachi, Bangkok, Tianjin, Istanbul, Kolkata, Tehran, London, Buenos Aires, Hangzhou, Rio De Janeiro, Xian, Paris, Changzhou, Kinshasa, Lahore, Rhine-Ruhr, Shantou, Nanjing, Bengaluru, Jinan, Chennai, Harbin, Bogota, Nagoya, Lima.


Elon Musk's boring company's top contribution to humanity could be that now every megacity, city and town on earth can hope to have cutting edge sewage systems. They don't have to dig up roads. Machines create tiny tunnels underground at rapid clips.

These cities should all look into vertical farming where Singapore seems to be in the lead.

Ultracity is 100 million or more. You deliberately create. A prime target would be the DC to Boston corridor. The component cities continue to function as independent jurisdictions. But ultracity is an infrastructure play. Transporation is hyperloop. Food is vertical farming. Crime control is biometric ID and the Blockchain. If every transaction is on the Blockchain, how do you steal money? You can't.

Movie Making Trends

Movies are about to enter a whole different realm, mostly for the good. Some of the trends are:

(1) A Screen In Nearly Every Hand

The smartphone will get there before the broadband will, but the connectivity will get there fast enough. It is a legitimate expectation that people should be able to watch new releases on their own screens. You could charge 10 million people $10 each in a theater, or you could charge a billion people one cent each. Or that cent could be an ad they opt to watch. The numbers work. Micro-payments will become much more of an option.

(2) Reduced Production Costs

A small crew dabbling in the art form could do all the camera work on a smartphone and all the editing on a computer today. That opens up the floodgates of production. Every language, every culture can have its own movie industry. Every such industry has a ready global audience among the scattered peoples, all connected. Let a thousand flowers bloom. That also creates a spectrum of success. A movie making 100 K can meet someone's definition of robust business. A movie making 10 K can. What if you could earn a living making 10 minute long movies? Does that beat serving tables?

(3) Really Big

The small can do brisk business. But the big can get really big. A global super hit movie could make outsize money.

(4) Computer Graphics And Animation

For what you can show on the screen, the imagination is now the limit. You don't have to actually build a physical set. Which means it is possible to have small high tech studios. Right now the costs are high. But they will go down. Spices used to be gold. Now they are commodity. The liberation of the background should give added focus to the human element. Movies have to be thought of as therapy sessions for society at large.

(5) The Script

Some things never change. It boils down to the story, not the technology. Ultimately it is about telling a good story. That ancient art has currency.

My Take On AirTime (4)

Image via WikipediaGoogle Hangouts is not it, not by a wide margin. And Chatroulette was more like Lycos. AirTime might end up the Google of the random connections space. But there is no given, even if the founder is Sean Parker. But I think this team has a shot.

Happy Holidays

You see a big screen, a full screen, a near full screen. And in there you see a random person on the service. Could be anybody from anywhere. That randomness has got to be the starting point. I mean, we are talking world peace. The social graph that Facebook has mapped is like the solar system. The random connections space is the size of the Milky Way. But it has to be done right. There is enough broadband globally that this application could fly.

So you start with that random person, and the option to click next and move on to the next random person. But you also want the users to have the flag option to not end up with Chatroulette like penis problem. If you got flagged by 100 users, chances are you have been flashing. The flag option, the block option. You block when you don't want to see that person ever again, you flag when you think that person should not be on the service.

Tech And Terrorism

26 Best Cities

Image by flemming. d5000 via FlickrAccording to The Atlantic.

1. New York City
2. Toronto
3. San Francisco
4. Stockholm
5. Sydney
6. London
7. Chicago
8. Paris
9. Singapore
10. Hong Kong
11. Houston
12. Los Angeles
13. Berlin
14. TokyoImage by Vicky Tsavdaridou via Flickr
15. Madrid
16. Seoul
17. Beijing
18. Abu Dhabi
19. Shanghai
20. Mexico City
21. Moscow
22. Santiago
23. Istanbul
24. Sao Paulo
25. Johannesburg
26. Mumbai

Job Hunting And 2.0

"Recruiting is hard. It’s just finding the needles in the haystack. You can’t know enough in a one-hour interview."
- Steve Jobs

Image by paramendra via Flickr

Web 2.0 is very real to me. It is my primary reality. America is Europe. The Internet is my America.

The economy went ahead and did a bungee jump. Many people lost jobs. I was not, am not into jobs. I did not lose a job. But I did lose some investors. I will find new ones, not to worry.

My primary tech startup might have taken a momentary backseat, but my secondary tech startup - to do with online tutoring - is also thick in 2.0. 2.0 is reality. And it is exciting. And it could pick up fast. It also helps me network in Mumbai, India's NYC, a sister city. That networking is crucial for my primary startup.



Personally I think a downturn like this one is high time for ambitious entrepreneurship, but most people prefer to do the job thing. And that's fine. Dropouts who create trailblazing companies depend on big name colleges to populate those companies. Entrepreneurs need jobholders, many, many of them.

For now I wanted to share this wonderful article about job hunting and 2.0. It is comprehensive and helpful. I personally know too many people who are between jobs. It is not a happy sight. I hope this helps a little.

Computer World: Job Hunting? Use Social Networks To Make Crucial Connections social networking Web sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter ...... a highly organized, scientific approach to his job search ...... a spreadsheet ..... made concentrated use of social networking sites to present himself online and to research targeted companies. ......... LinkedIn was one of the most useful tools ....... the de-facto must-use tool in today's career environment. ...... If you're not on Twitter, get there. Start Tweeting ...... sending out about 60 to 70 resume/cover letter blasts to job sites, companies, etc ....... sent out 103 blasts -- but this time he used LinkedIn ....... trying to find people who worked at the company who had a role in the product area he was interested in ......... follow-up messages. "And the response rate from those follow-ups was much higher than the original sendouts," he said, at 40% compared to the first response rate of only 5%. ........ maintaining his online profile, doing status updates on sites such as Facebook and Twitter ....... four weeks and one day after the targeted resume/cover letter blast.

• Get to know the hiring manager LinkedIn was vital to her success. ..... garnered 35 recommendations from former co-workers and posted them on LinkedIn .... used LinkedIn contacts ..... you must be willing to take action outside your comfort zone ....... Don't spend too much time in front of the screen. Phone calls and face-to-face meetings are vital ...... get connected to someone working at the company you're targeting ....... Don't be afraid to reach out to anyone on the Web in your targeted area .... stay engaged in your field, keep up on the latest news, products and services -- and check out start-ups, which can be a great place to find a job
  
• Why in-house contacts matter His data confirms that an in-company referral is priceless..... how crucial it is to use social networking sites for one specific purpose and one purpose only. ..... 50 to 70 times more likelihood of being interviewed ....... she used LinkedIn to actually find four people she knew well who in turn knew current associates in her targeted company ...... I also used LinkedIn to research the three individuals I interviewed with
• Fewer resumes, but more focused "In 2001, I probably put out, over five months, 10 resumes a day" ........ only 20 to 30 resumes in total ........ very much more laser-focused" approach that includes asking a social contact to put him in touch ...... used Twitter mainly as a "listening post," keeping himself up to date on current events in his areas of interest.
• The power of going local face-to-face networking with short and quick "elevator pitches." ....... it's often a case of contacting someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows a person at a company looking to fill a position. ...... "a lot of touch points" ...... a large number of recommendations on his LinkedIn profile
• Don't spend all your time online Contacting people, staying on the phone [is important] ........ spend no more than 10% to 20% of their time with online tools ...... Find a way to get their phone number. Find a way to get a meeting with them. ....... information interview ......... And too many simply post their resume to job sites and hope that that will get them a job. And that is one of the least effective methods that's out there. ........ nothing more than a printed-out profile from LinkedIn .... all relationship based ...... Tyler Cooper received his first job offer from a blog.
• Don't be afraid to reach out Use the Web to keep track of trends and new start-ups and reach out to companies, Web sites, bloggers and other resources. By "reaching out" he means taking the initiative to contact people you may come across on the Web. "Never be afraid to reach out. If someone leaves their e-mail address, send them a message, ask questions, send suggestions. You never know what will come of it" ......... TwitterJobSearch Twellow.com "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it."
• 10 don'ts for job hunters
• Can your online past come back to haunt you?

Losing Job May Be Hazardous to Health New York Times
What to Do When You Lose Your Job - Room for Debate Blog
For Job Losses, No Sign That Worst Is Over
Bright Spot in Downturn: New Hiring Is Robust while 4.8 million workers were laid off or chose to leave their jobs in February, employers across the country hired 4.3 million workers that month ...... In February — before the economy started to show the first faint signs of a possible recovery — there were three million job openings nationwide. And despite large new job losses likely to be announced Friday, there are still millions of job openings. ...... “You’re facing more competition for every job you apply for, but the reality is there is a lot of hiring going on” .... “You’re never going to find anything unless you apply.”

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