Google rolls outs AI grammar checker for G Suite users

US Internet giant Google has said its artificial intelligence (AI)-based grammar checker, corporate web tools and services are available for all users of G Suite, to help them improve writing.

Unlike standard spellcheck in Google Docs, Google applies Machine Learning technology to grammar checker as one of the AI tools that can let software understand complex grammar rules and identify any “tricky” grammatical errors by users in writing, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Using machine translation, we are able to recognize errors and suggest corrections as work is getting done,” G Suite product manager Vishnu Sivaji said in a statement on Tuesday.

He said that G Suite customers will see inline, contextual grammar suggestions in their documents as they type, just like spellcheck.

“If you’ve made a grammar mistake, a squiggly blue line will appear under the phrase as you write it,” Sivaji added.

He said Google has been working closely with language experts to decipher the rules for the machine translation model and used them as the foundation of automatic suggestions in Google Docs, which was all powered by AI.

Google grammar checker will be an extra tool for users to improve their writing alongside spellcheck, which was first introduced in Google Docs seven years ago.

Source:- https://insightonlinenews.in

The Oscar for Best Foreign Film should go to ‘Shoplifters’, not ‘Roma’

There’s no mistaking the fact that Alfonso Cuaron’s Mexican film “Roma” and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Japanese “Shoplifters” are both great films. And they deserve to win the Oscar on Sunday for Best Foreign Film.

Both speak a universal language of the heart. They are both works that celebrate the joy of being part of a family and, in fact, they tell us that a family is not what you are born with but what you cultivate and nurture. In “Roma” the househelp Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) in an upper-class Mexican household is more “family” to her employers than family can ever be.

Director Cuaron follows the ups and downs in the fortunes of Cleo’s employers’ lives, neither judging them for their shortcomings nor congratulating them for their triumphs. “Roma” simply moves on in susurrating rhythms that not only echo life, they also burnish those rhythms with intimations of eternity.

Such is the magic of great cinema. We get swept into drama effortlessly in both “Roma” and “Shoplifters” without understanding the spoken language. I firmly believe that in Great Cinema the language should be the least relevant component of communication.

In “Shoplifters”, signs, signals and echoes play a very important role in the overall impact that the film makes. Twenty-four hours after I saw this masterpiece, I am still thinking about the characters — those fringe people living at the edge of society in Tokyo, no different from Satyajit Ray’s famine-stricken bravehearts of Bengal in “Pather Panchali”.

There is a major difference between “Pather Panchali” and “Shoplifters”. In Ray’s film there is hardly any food. In “Shoplifters”, the family is constantly eating the fancy food that they steal from stores and devour as their own.

It’s an immoral way of life. But one that gives space above the stomach and below the brain for love and compassion. What really won me over in “Shoplifters” was the Shibata family’s celebration of its dysfunctional status without diminishing its tragic context of deprivation and poverty.

The Japanese family is ‘happy’ in a way that happiness can be obtained when one accepts doom as the ultimate culmination of the family journey into the vast open inviting spaces of the city, which becomes a space for a daring adventure for the family’s son and daughter.

The son, Shota, and the illegally adopted daughter, “Yuri”, in “Shoplifters” reminded me of Apu and Durga in “Pather Panchali”. The same innocence swathed in a wisdom that comes easily to those who learn about survival from the hard licks of life at a very young age.

As in “Pather Panchali”, there are no villains in “Shoplifters”, not even destiny, whose cruel verdicts seem to punch a hole in the family’s shared joy much too soon.

Unlike “Roma” where the director elects to leave the family with a non-tragic finale, the family in “Shoplifters” falls apart at the end. There is an unforgettable father-son sequence at the finale where the son asks his father some harsh questions about the parental bond. In an earlier scene on the beach (both “Roma” and “Shoplifters” have a crucial family-on-the-beach interlude), the father speaks to his son about puberty, breasts and arousal like an older buddy.

Apu, in “Pather Panchali” could have never shared these confidences with his father. In India, we are much too in awe of our parents to discuss bodily pleasures with them. Besides, Satyajit Ray was shy of physical intimacy and sex. “Shoplifters” holds nothing sacred and, therefore, hides nothing from its characters’ area of rumination. You can’t afford to be coy when you sleep in a kerchief-sized room with five other members of your family.

In “Roma” the family shares a lot of silences. In “Shoplifters”, they are constantly conversing and, of course, eating. Did your parents teach you it’s ill-mannered to talk while eating? Watch the family in “Shoplifters” talk while they eat, run, steal, sleep…They break many rules and they do it without a show of even an iota of bravado. These people need to bond constantly because time is running out on them. And they don’t need silences to remind them of their brittle lives.

I would go with the Oscar for “Shoplifters”. This family needs the endorsement much more than the family in “Roma”.

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CAG finds flaws in acquisition of Apache, Chinook helicopters

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found certain flaws in the acquisition of Apache Attack helicopters for which the US supplied life-expire missiles and the heavy lift helicopter-Chinook in September 2015.

On the Apache attack helicopter, the Audit found that Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued to seven vendors and only three responded.

“All of them could not meet the full set of Air Staff Qualitative Requirements (ASQRs). The tender process was cancelled. The ASQR parameters which could not be met were charged/deleted and fresh tendering was done.

“If these ASQR parameters were not needed, they should not have been included in the first place,” it said.

After re-tendering, the vendors could not still meet the RFP requirements and the Defence Ministry was contemplating re-tendering for a second time. However, after much deliberation, it was approved with deviations. This took 36 weeks against the prescribed four weeks.

The report said the ASQRs were changed based on the advice of Boeing. Contract was finally awarded to Boeing for Apache helicopters.

The RFP required the vendor to offer transfer of technology for maintenance of helicopters. A separate contract was to be signed for maintenance.

Before signing the contract, Boeing convinced the Defence Ministry that transfer of technology and maintenance in India would not be cost effective in view of the small quantity of helicopters.

The Ministry agreed, said the CAG. This amounted to changing the terms of tendering during the process. Moreover, IAF would now be dependent on Boeing for repair and maintenance.

It said missiles for the attack helicopters were to be supplied by the US government under an Inter Government Agreement (IGA). The US government supplied life-expired missiles.

On Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, the national auditor observed that the ASQRs were prepared such that it were aligned with the features of Chinook helicopters.

Two helicopters, namely Chinook and MiG 26, were technically qualified. Chinook has a capacity of carrying 11 tonnes of load with a seating capacity of 45 troops. MiG 26 has a capacity of 20 tonnes and 82 troops.

“IAF ended up comparing the price of two helicopters with widely varying technical characteristics. Chinook being cheaper was selected.

“When IAF was preparing the ASQRs, Army desired that the helicopter should be able to carry artillery guns inside the cabin. IAF did not include this requirement of the Army on the grounds that if this would include only one vendor would qualify,” it said.

On the acquisition of basic trainer aircraft, Pilatus, in May 2012, the CAG said equity was not maintained in price evaluation.

In its price bid, M/s Pilatus had stated the price of two items to be exclusive of its bid price. However, after opening the bid and before the determination L1, M/s Pilatus was allowed to change the price bid to make the two items inclusive of the total bid price.

Against the requirement of spare of five years, Pilatus supplied spares for only three years. This does not rule out the possibility that Pilatus under-quoted for the spare.

According to the contract, Pilatus was to provide transfer of technology for maintenance, within three years of signing of the procurement contract. Technology was to be transferred to HAL. The contract for maintenance, ToT could not be signed between Pilatus and HAL because the offer of Pilatus was incomplete.

HAL also could not create the required facilities for maintenance. The responsibility for maintenance was, therefore, given to IAF instead of HAL. Contract for maintenance is yet to be signed. As a result, a substantial portion of the fleet of 75 aircraft delivered n 2015 remained grounded as on May 2018, the CAG observed.

Source:- https://insightonlinenews.in

Prez rule in WB not possible after case heard by SC: Nitish

Amid a national brouhaha over the developments in Kolkata on Sunday evening involving CBI and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Bihar CM and NDA ally Nitish Kumar played it down saying election is round the corner and many things will happen in next one month. 

However when asked about imposition of President rule in West Bengal, Nitish said, “It is not possible since the matter is under hearing of the Supreme court.”

Nitish added,” All parties are concerned about votes but none is concerned about the nation.”

On the police lathi charge on RLSP chief and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha in which he was injured on Saturday, Nitish said everything was on record who provoked police. Asking DGP Gupteshwar Pandey to direct police force for observing patience, the CM said the police react only when it is hit and when the police react only a senior officer could stop them.

On Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s rally at Gandhi maidan, Nitish said any party could make any promises before polls. He asked why during Congress or UPA governments at centre Patna University was not accorded central University status?

He said Rahul compromised his image by joining hands with those convicted in corruption cases (Lalu Yadav). ” It is the same person who had torn the ordinance and enhanced his image but nie corruption was no longer an issue for him.”

Rahul sounds poll bugle from Patna’s Gandhi Maidan

Sounding the poll bugle from Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan on Sunday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi predicted a Congress led alliance government in Delhi and promised minimum income guarantee to all the poor people and waiving the loans of the farmers in the country.

Addressing a mammoth rally organized by the Congress after 28 years in Patna, Rahul declared to fight from front foot with the help of RJD, RLSP, HAM and other allies not only in Lok Sabha polls this year but also in 2020 Bihar assembly election. “We with Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav will fight from front foot and make big score to uproot the present regimes,” he said.

(Rahul went hammer and tongs against the Narendra Modi and the BJP and repeated“Chowkidar chor hai” slogan). “today entire nation knows that chowkidar is chor (thief) who benefitted his few industrialist friends and cheated the common people, poor and farmers.

“To favour his 15-20 friends Modi demonetized Rs 500 and 1000 currency notes and brought Rs 2000 notes. Demonetization is worlds’ biggest scandal. He waived 3.5 lakh crore of rupees of his friends but not of any farmer. He went to foreign countries taking Anil Ambani and got him struck arms deal. Anil Ambani alone had a loan of Rs one lakh crore which was waived,” alleged Rahul.

Rahul also criticized Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and said he too was making false promises like Modi and asked people to vote them out. “All the opposition parties should unite to ensure that neither BJP nor Nitish’s party win a single seat in Bihar,” he said.

The Congress chief was critical about the educational decline in Bihar and said once Nalanda University was world fame and students from across the globe would come here for education but now nothing was happening for its revival. Similarly he said Patna University was a premier institute in the country but lost its glory. “I promise

that with Congress coming to power in Delhi we will declare Patna University as Central University,” he announced amid much applause by the youths.

Others who addressed the rally included Madhya Pradesh CM Kamalnath, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Sharad Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Tariq Anwar, Sadanand Singh and Satyanarain Singh of CPI among others.

This was one of the biggest rally at Gandhi Maidan in recent memory and first by Congress after 28 years, the last one was addressed by Rajiv Gandhi in 1990. All the roads led to the maidan since morning and people in group carrying Congress flags were seen moving towards the venue. “This rally and the enthusiasm of them people is clear indication that people have decided for change and the impact of the rally will be seen in the election,” said Bihar Congress president Madan Mohan Jha.        

Source:- https://insightonlinenews.in