Arnav's Musings

The Beatles, one of the most iconic and influential bands in the history of music, have once again left their mark on the industry with a groundbreaking new song titled "Now and Then." What makes this song particularly remarkable is that it was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), an innovation that has the potential to reshape the way music is composed and appreciated. This blog is my humble attempt to explore the fascinating journey of about a quarter century that the last surviving Beatles embarked on to bring us "Now and Then." Before we dive into the creation of this song, let's take a moment to appreciate the enduring legacy of The Beatles. From their formation in Liverpool, England in 1960 to their disbandment 10 years later, The Beatles left an indelible mark on music, culture, and the world at large. Their timeless classics like "Yesterday," "Let It Be," and "Here Comes the Sun" continue to resonate ...

The rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have revolutionized various industries, and consumer technology is no exception. From smartphones and smart homes to wearables and personal assistants, AI is enhancing the way we interact with technology, making it more intuitive, personalized, and efficient. In this blog post, I have explored the seven fascinating applications of AI in consumer technology and how it is reshaping the way we live and experience the world around us. 1. Personalized Recommendations One of the most prominent applications of AI in consumer technology is its ability to provide highly personalized recommendations. Streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, and Spotify leverage AI-powered algorithms to analyze user preferences, behaviors, and past interactions to recommend content, products, and music tailored specifically to each user. This level of personalization not only enhances the user experience but also drives customer satisfaction and loyalty. ...

  Apple Vision Pro At its World Wide Developers' Conference on June 5, 2023, Apple previewed the Vision Pro spatial computing headset, which might be the most "personal" device the tech giant has ever made. While industry analysts and tech YouTubers are divided over whether it is an augmented reality or virtual reality headset, I think the product demo that Apple showed at the event highlights how this headset could escalate the pandemic that nobody likes to talk about - loneliness. Watch the video below and you'll get a sense of what I'm referring to. As you may have seen in the video above, the Apple Vision Pro is a marvel of technology and a pinnacle of miniaturization. However, all the use cases of this device are extremely individualistic to the point that what used to be group activities, like watching movies or sports, can only be enjoyed by a single Vision Pro user at a time. You might think that its $3,499 price tag would prevent this device from reaching...

India is poised to soon overtake China as the country with the world's largest population (with some sources saying it might have already happened). And this seems to have caught the attention of the world's most valuable company - Apple - which opened its first two India stores this month in Mumbai and New Delhi (India's financial and political capitals, respectively). Apple BKC at Jio World Drive in Mumbai Apple has long been trying to open its own stores in India, as it aims to capture a larger share of the world's fastest growing smartphone market. The company is already a leader in the country's premium smartphone segment (>INR 30,000) and its India sales grew by nearly 50% year-over-year in March 2023, touching almost $6 billion. Apple has also increased its production of iPhones in India, which now accounts for 7% of its total iPhone production (up from just 1% in 2021). The company assembled $7 billion worth of iPhones in India during the last fiscal year...

 What is a concept car? Concept cars have always been showstoppers and attention-grabbers at auto shows worldwide. Essentially, a concept car is a prototype vehicle that is built to showcase new styling and/or new technology for the purpose of gauging customer reaction. However, they were historically viewed as nothing more than a car designer's outlandish ideas about the future of automobiles. This was because both car manufacturers and customers believed that it would be difficult, or even impractical, to translate a concept vehicle into an actual production model. Having said that, concept cars aren't actually a recent development. The world's first concept car was the Buick Y-Job, which was designed in 1938 by Harley J. Earl (then head of Design at General Motors). It was a convertible (or open-top) vehicle that came with pop-up headlamps, electric windows, wraparound bumpers, and flush door handles. If you're thinking that those are features most modern cars come w...

After a 3-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most major auto shows have returned this year. While India saw the revival of Delhi Auto Expo in January 2023, North America is seeing the resumption of the Chicago, Toronto, and New York auto shows. However, the ongoing supply chain issues due to the chip shortage have pushed major automobile manufacturers (Audi, BMW, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Volkswagen) to sit out of certain auto shows. I was at the 2023 Canadian International Auto Show (or CIAS) in Toronto last week, and while it was clearly a shadow of its past (despite celebrating its 50th iteration), the event still saw record-breaking crowds on opening weekend. This clearly shows that the demand for personal mobility, or rather the interest in it, still remains strong! The theme for this year's CIAS was  "Mobility Reimagined" , with a special focus on electric vehicles. The event saw participation from only 20 car manufacturers, with Hyundai-Kia-Genesis,...