iWorld
Arre to launch new series ‘A.I.SHA – My Virtual Girlfriend’
MUMBAI: Arre, the digital media brand co-founded by Ronnie Screwvala, B. Saikumar and Ajay Chacko will premiere a new sci-fi thriller series titled A.I.SHA – My Virtual Girlfriend. The platform has associated with Gillette Flexball for the series which will release on 9 April 2016.
The web series is the story of a relationship between a man and woman…only, the woman is the first-of-its-kind Artificial Intelligence Simulated Humanoid Assistant (A.I.SHA), created by the show’s protagonist, Sam.
Tech geek and coder Sameer Luthra (Sam) is frustrated with life and his soul-sucking boss (Sid, played by Raghu Ram). A.I.SHA, his secret project, is what keeps him going. A.I.SHA is the best thing that ever happened to Sam. A.I.SHA is beautiful, A.I.SHA is smart. A.I.SHA is also crazy. Can A.I.SHA redeem or ruin Sam’s life? Do we truly understand the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI)? What if AI was to become self-aware? Is it man and machine or man versus machine?
Produced by Raghu Ram and Rajiv Laxman through their first production venture, Monozygotic, Ram will also be seen playing a pivotal role in the show. “I’m very excited to step into creating fiction for the first time in my career with A.I.SHA. With the arrival of a new-age digital media destination like Arré, there is a scope for telling fresh, new, and edgy stories for young people that’ll never be told on TV. I hope the new viewers like what we’ve worked so hard to create,” said Ram.
Commenting on the association and the initiative, Gillette India country marketing manager Karthik Srivatsan said, “Gillette is extremely proud to collaborate with Arré in launching, A.I.SHA, India’s first digital sci-fi thriller web series. The partnership resonates the core belief at the heart of Arré and Gillette. While Gillette’s core philosophy has always been to innovate, to serve evolving consumer needs, Arré has come up with this modern-age content destination in line with evolving viewership patterns. While, with the recent launch of Gillette FlexBall, Gillette has rebuilt the modern man’s shaving with the revolutionary FlexBall technology that has been specifically engineered to provide a three dimensional motion for the ultimate shaving experience, A.I.SHA is the first-of-its-kind clutter-breaking online series, which we are sure will keep the audience glued.”
To bring technical authenticity, the series has also partnered with Palo Alto Networks, the next-generation security company,as the cyber security advisers and Dell as the technology partner.
Watch the trailer of the web series:
A.I.SHA #MyVirtualGirlfriend Trailer | An Arre Original Web Se…
Sam is a 26-year-old app developer, a loner and a loser, until he creates the most beautiful app of his life. His revenge on his bullying boss, Sid, is his magnum opus – A.I.SHA. But all is not perfect with his perfect creation. What happens when the app gets a mind of her own? Sam can run, but can he hide from his Virtual Girlfriend? #MyVirtualGirlfriend
Posted by Arre on Tuesday, April 5, 2016
iWorld
Tech firms tweak office operations amid LPG shortage concerns
Infosys, HCLTech and Cognizant adjust cafeteria services and work policies.
MUMBAI: When geopolitics turns up the heat, even office cafeterias start feeling the burn. Several technology companies in India are adjusting workplace operations and food services as concerns over a nationwide shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) grow following escalating tensions in West Asia. Major IT firms including Cognizant, Infosys and HCLTech have begun rolling out contingency measures to reduce dependence on office cafeterias that rely heavily on commercial LPG.
The disruption stems from rising geopolitical tensions involving Iran after military action by the United States and Israel reportedly led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route for oil and gas supplies. The closure has disrupted the movement of LPG and liquefied natural gas across international markets, triggering concerns about supply constraints and price volatility.
According to a report by The Times of India, Cognizant has advised employees to bring their own meals to office where possible to reduce reliance on office cafeterias dependent on LPG based cooking.
The company has reportedly told staff that it is preparing for potential disruptions driven by supply prioritisation, price fluctuations and pressure on vendor networks.
As part of contingency planning, Cognizant is identifying alternative food vendors that do not rely on LPG. These include kitchens using induction based or solar powered cooking systems.
The company is also exploring partnerships with cloud kitchens that operate on electric or solar power to ensure uninterrupted food supply in case conventional cooking gas availability worsens.
Additionally, Cognizant is evaluating the possibility of expanding work from home or hybrid arrangements for non critical roles, partly to reduce commuting exposure if fuel prices rise sharply due to global energy disruptions.
Meanwhile, HCLTech allowed employees at its Chennai office to work from home on March 12 and March 13 after cafeteria vendors were unable to operate because of the LPG shortage.
Several food service vendors at the campus reportedly suspended operations as they struggled to secure cooking gas supplies, prompting the company to permit staff to work remotely for the two days.
Infosys has also issued internal advisories across multiple locations, including its campuses in Bengaluru and Chennai.
The company informed employees in Bengaluru that cafeteria services would continue but with reduced menu options due to concerns around commercial LPG availability.
As part of the temporary adjustments, live food counters have been suspended, and employees have been encouraged to bring home cooked food while the situation evolves.
While LPG shortages in India remain a developing situation, the measures taken by these technology firms highlight how global geopolitical disruptions can ripple through unexpected corners of the economy, even the humble office lunch.
For companies with large campuses and thousands of employees relying on daily cafeteria services, cooking fuel shortages can quickly turn into an operational challenge. Until global supply chains stabilise, many workplaces may find themselves rethinking everything from food sourcing to flexible work policies.
