Workaholics, who could not imagine how their life could be if they were not working, were forced to confront their fears when this lockdown brought an onslaught of unprecedence in our lives. Nobody had ever experienced anything like it. Freedom was such an essential part of our lives that we forgot to realise that it was actually a luxury.

Now that we are all cooped up inside our homes, a lot of introspection and realisation has started to prevail. We all had a notion in our mind that only two and two go together. We could not imagine ourselves to be doing it all. But surprisingly, we are capable of doing much more than we can imagine.

For example, chalk and cheese. These two things do not go there. They form an absurd combination, but if some unprecedented situation arises, these two might become a perfect fit. With these evolving definitions of what normalcy entails, we are beginning to rethink our ways of life.

Who knew, something as elementary as buying groceries would become dependent on something as far fetched as online deliveries or maybe even drone deliveries.

Times are changing, and we no longer can be sure of what happens next. All that we know as of now is that these are highly evolving times and a lot of new combinations and inventions are going to be churned out. This is a highly optimistic time, too, as the opportunities are immense and endless. What seemed far fetched or impossible, can now become viable and feasible. People are experiencing and desiring a different set of needs. The market is tur ing raw and volatile. The situation in India is even more vulnerable, then what it was in 1991. The global scenario isn’t any different too.

Amidst all this revolution and evolution, one can safely say that maybe chalk and cheese can go together.

A few incidents have emerged from different parts of the world which are absurd enough to make our skin crawl. One such incident which has caught my attention is a reemergence of the dark verb in the most unsavoury way possible. Some reports have surfaced which claim that a handful of miscreants are using the dark web to promote blood plasma as a plausible cure for the infamous COVID 19 virus. These claims are highly unsubstantiated and refutable. It is not just unethical but criminal to take advantage of the fear and insecurity that grasps us at the moment.

Great thinkers, strategists, economists all over the world are losing their head over the wrath and extent of this unforeseen situation. To add insult to injury, some people are manipulating a vital source of our saving grace, the internet to mislead people in the worst possible way. The dependability of the IT sector starts losing its bearings because of all this.

The vastness of the internet is such, that there is no feasible measure to checks and monitor the extent of the dark web but what can be done, is that stricter rules can be put into place. Apart from that, the IT sector needs to awaken to this newfound responsibility and try figuring out ways and means to curb this problem.

It is no secret that the internet, telecommunication, health providers, and caregivers have stood up to the challenge in the most profound way and all of us collectively, shall forever be indebted to their services and assistance during this hour of need.

Recently, there was a news update that Twitter will be partnering with a third party to filter and check the quality of content that transpires through the portal. Facebook and Google have already been using similar mechanisms to police the content that goes through them. With the enormous advent of social media, the information dissipation through these websites is becoming very difficult to be taken account of. The authenticity and reliability of any kind of information that comes in through social media is intrinsically becoming doubtful.

The users have started flagging the content that appears to be misleading, and this has prompted big names in this industry to take charge of this situation in a better and well-informed manner.

In fact, Twitter has adopted this approach in the light of unwarranted Coronavirus information, but they plan to enhance the ambit of content checking to more extensive subjects.

According to reports, the fact-checking of the posted content is subjective, and the purview is not extended to everything. Personal views, some political views are spared from fact-checking. But, as the situation is panning out, it can be expected that a lot of topics will come under the scanner when it comes to fact-checking.

As a majority of the global population, makes its way across an abyss of insecurity, uncertainty, and chaos, our place in the new world is a point of great contention too. As the world, sneers in China, the future of each sector is questionable.

Over the years, China has developed quite a reputation for itself. It is not just one or two countries but a lot of nations who depend upon China for stating their manufacturing needs. The manufacturing units in China have been severely hit and have either stopped or are under-functioning. This will have serious ramifications as so many businesses depend on China for various reasons.

Tech giants like Apple and Samsung have kept each other at tenterhooks for having in the upper hand when it comes to the latest technology. Where the prevailing unprecedented situation muddles the fate of iPhone 12, Samsung has already dissipated 5g smartphones in a few if their variants. Apple is yet to follow suit.

Apart from tech, telehealth care services will also get a significant boost in the post-Corona era. Though the plausibility of the same, seems quite vague at the moment but breakthrough will be made to achieve this unthinkable feat as humanity won’t be able to find a way around this predicament any time soon.

Every sector will develop novel ways of tackling this problem. So many businesses have already started functioning cautiously, but the risk still lingers.

A few undergraduate students from the University of Virginia and the University of Notre dam have come together to design an application called the TraceX.

This application relies on anonymity and is focused on informing the user about his proximity or contact with a COVID infected person.

One of the developers of this application, Rohan Taneja told the UVA about this application and was quoted as saying “TraceX is a privacy-preserving contact tracing platform that enables users to play an active role in containing the spread of COVID-19 within their communities. It is currently an iOS-based app that uses Bluetooth signals to determine when someone has been in close proximity to an individual who has COVID-19 symptoms or has recently tested positive for COVID-19. These low-energy Bluetooth signals provide a way for users to anonymously notify all of their recent close contacts if they test positive. The app does not use any location data, so TraceX users remain completely anonymous to each other and are not required to input any other information.”

This application makes use of mild Bluetooth waves to detect proximity or contact, and minimum information is solicited from the user.

Apart from Rohan Taneja, the other developers are Emerson Berlik and Matthew Jennings. TraceX is available for use now.

As the educational institutions plan on resuming their operations, utmost I’m precaution needs to be observed in order to mitigate the risk of transmission.

Though the times are tough, but it is heartening to see that mankind is finding its way around it, and that is the right spirit.

But the latest developments have not been very favourable for China. Though the onus to substantiate any claim right now does not clearly rest with anybody. To top it all off the recent unfortunate clashes between the Indian and Chinese army have come at a very ominous time.

The Indian ministry of information technology has issued an official statement pertaining to the banning of 59 Chinese applications in India. The official statement quotes that the Chinese applications are “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order”.

The government officials also quoted to News channels that this decision “is a targeted move to ensure safety and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace.”

The Chinese officials are intently watching the proceedings as meeting to decide the further course of action will be convened. Amongst the banned applications TikTok, WeChat and others were widely used in India. TikTok had turned into a revolution of sorts during this lockdown as people started heavily relying on it for entertainment and even business.

Though the Indian department of TikTok maintains its stance that no trust has been breached in terms of data and user details have been sent anywhere, but the fate of these applications remains to be seen in the coming days.

Frugal innovations and disruptive technologies have enjoyed their share of limelight for a significant chunk of time. Sustainable solutions are the need of the hour. People from all over the world are burning the candle at both ends to develop sustainable and ecologically friendly solutions for all our needs, desires, and wants.

Right from clothing to the most sophisticated form of innovations, sustainability is what is being aimed at. Amazon has started a fund called the Climate pledge fund, which aims at funding sustainable start-ups from all over the world. As quoted on ZDNet, Amazon founder and CEO said that “Companies from around the world of all sizes and stages will be considered, from pre-product startups to well-established enterprises. Each prospective investment will be judged on its potential to accelerate the path to zero carbon and help protect the planet for future generations.” This fund is valued at an impressive number of 2 billion dollars.

Three alumni from IIT Bombay, Gunvant Nehete, Sharayu Kulkarni, and Vikash Jha have developed a special cooler called Subjee cooler under their company Rukart technologies to help farmers keep their produce fresh for a longer duration of time. As quoted in Krishi Jagran, one of the founders of Rukart technologies said that “We used to visit villages as a part of our course. We realized that the farmers weren’t earning all that much from the sales of their produce, and we wanted to find a solution to that problem”

As we have already witnessed that the fate of our planet is actually unknown. The onset of unprecedented problems and calamities cannot be foreseen. In light of these recent developments, it is being considered that accessibility, connectivity, and accountability are the three central tenets of sustainable development. These three tenets were given and elucidated by Grethel Aguilar (acting director (IUCN), as quoted by the business mirror.

Technology has a very imminent role to play when it comes to the development and application of sustainable tech.

It would be wrong to say that the demand for innovation has faded but what would make more sense is to say that the lurking fear of Coronavirus has definitely impeded the growth process. Tech startups are not getting the kind of love they were used to.

Max Azaham from Garter inc. was quoted in the Wall Street Journal stating that “Startups are a great source of innovation in the IT industry, but are now especially cash-constrained”. This quote highlights the present state of the tech sector, and an ensuing result is an increasing number of layoffs.

Tim Herbert, who is the Executive Vice President of research and market intelligence at CompTIA, was quoted in the Wall Street Journal. He said that “Startups developing artificial intelligence and other emerging digital tools fall under the category of tech-sector employers, which have cut jobs for four consecutive months”.

Big companies like Lyft, Uber etc. have laid off a considerable number of employees. Nearly 70000 employees from the respective sector have lost their jobs worldwide.

But this does not mean that it will necessarily be a bad thing. As the employees are being laid off, they are in a position to find their way around things. This mindset is the basic tenet of technology. The layoffs are happening in light of the cash crunch, but this is only temporary. The world has become so increasingly dependent on technology that it cannot relegate from this dependency.

Though the situation will become better than normal eventually but I honestly believe that a lot more startups and innovations will spur out of this unprecedented pandemic. Hence, the tech sector shows a lot more promise than ever before.

The respect guidelines are supposed to be in place till December 31st. H-1B visas and all other non-immigrant work permits stand suspended for now. The decision has come after the massive blow which has been endured by the United States in terms of the Corona Virus deaths.

The virus seems to have made The United States it’s sweet spot as the number of cases has been on a constant ascend. In light of this scenario, the Trump administration took this step which did not go down too well with some of the most sought after varsities of the country. As stated in the Economic Times, MIT and Harvard University have decided to sue the respective administration for this decision.

The talent, which comes to the United States based on its merit, pose as a valuable repertoire for the country’s future development. In light of this development, this repertoire will get severely hampered.

Milind Lakkad, the Global head for human resources, told the Economic Times that “In the long term, based on how the situation evolves, we anticipate challenges from a sourcing perspective as a fair share of students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and medicine) are international students.”

He told Economic Times that these students play a very vital role in the technological development of the country. The United States employs nearly 40 lakh people in the tech sector, and the prognosis seems bleak at the moment.

Amidst all this ambiguity, the students have set their eyes on Canada, which is exhibiting better immigration rules compared to the United States. The Canadian authorities have ratified that the number of students enquiring about the formalities there, has shown a stark increment post the United States new visa-related guidelines.

As a result, many applications endemic to the USA are emerging, which imitates the functioning if TikTok. What needs to be taken into consideration is the fact that TikTok enjoyed a large customer made globally. People from all over the world had downloaded this application, and it had sort of become a viral trend.

But in light of China’s ambiguous stand in various issues of global importance, the Chinese applications have come under the scanner and countries are deciding whether to pull the plug on them or not.

An American application called “Byte” is slowly becoming very popular, and many users have already downloaded this application onto their phones. Byte has witnessed a significant surge in its downloads post the news of a probable ban on TikTok. Don Hofman has created byte, and he had also co-founded a similar kind of an application called “Vine” a few years ago. Vine was taken over by twitter bug was subsequently discontinued from functioning.

As TikTok straddles between continuation and discontinuation, a lot of applications which are based on similar tenets are gaining a lot of attention in terms of investment also. It definitely looks like a bubble at the moment, and more clarity can only be put into perspective once a formal decision has been taken concerning TikTok and its operations globally. The ‘infamous’ did enjoy a consumer base of over two billion users which is an astounding number in its own right.