Across Canada, schools are integrating AI and camera capabilities to assist students with physical disabilities in working autonomously. Previously reliant on cumbersome switches, students can now manage their computers by simply moving their heads. This technological advancement allows them to complete their schoolwork independently, preventing them from lagging behind and helping them focus on future aspirations, such as game design.

In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we highlight how schools in Alberta, Canada, have removed barriers for students by implementing Face control—a feature present in every Chromebook—and custom extensions developed through Gemini, accessible via Gemini for Education. Darren Maltais, the technology integration facilitator, shares how these innovations have replaced outdated switch systems, granting students with disabilities newfound independence at school.

The Black Gold School Division serves pre-K to grade 12 students over 32 schools, always seeking technology that enhances learning for their 14,000 students. Occasionally, technology not only improves learning but transforms it entirely. This was the case with Face control, a ChromeOS accessibility feature built into every Chromebook.

For Liam Alphonse Dansereau, a creative and intellectually advanced seventh-grader with mobility challenges, participating in class used to involve a complicated setup. Previously, Liam depended on physical switches to operate his computer. This setup required disconnecting from his wheelchair to connect to his laptop, and each action, like clicking a link, was tedious. Communicating required a scribe for every word and manually writing numbers.

Upon learning about Face control on Chromebooks, it was clear this could revolutionize learning for Liam and others in our district. I was eager to implement it for Liam. The technology was transformative, utilizing the Chromebook’s camera to let Liam scroll and navigate freely by moving his head. This innovation grants him freedom; he no longer needs a scribe for every word or to engage with cumbersome systems. Liam can now move his head to control his cursor, open assignments in Google Classroom, activate voice typing, and complete his work independently.

To enhance Liam’s independence, I used Gemini to create a custom extension that identifies questions on platforms like Khan Academy. This allows Liam to press a single button on his screen instead of scrolling extensively.

With Face control on Chromebooks, barriers are being dismantled, creating equal opportunities. Students who previously struggled with writing can now craft full-page stories. For Liam, barrier-free learning means he can express his humor and curiosity in real time with his peers. Since adopting Face control, Liam has taken charge of his learning, and critically, new future possibilities have emerged. He is now enthusiastic about pursuing web or video game design, armed with the digital independence to start building those skills today.

In Canada, schools are embracing AI and camera functionalities to enable students with physical disabilities to operate independently. By replacing traditional, cumbersome switches with innovative technology, students can now manage their computers by simply moving their heads. This advancement allows them to complete their schoolwork on their own and avoid falling behind, opening up new opportunities to focus on future aspirations, such as game design.

The integration of Face control, an accessibility feature inherent in every Chromebook, and customized extensions created with Gemini for Education, is breaking down barriers for students. Darren Maltais, a technology integration facilitator at the schools, highlights how these tools have transformed accessibility within the classrooms.

At Black Gold School Division, which serves students from pre-kindergarten to grade 12 across 32 schools, technology is continually being leveraged to enhance learning. However, there are instances where a particular technology not only improves learning experiences but fundamentally alters them. This was the case with Face control, a feature of ChromeOS available on all Chromebooks.

For Liam Alphonse Dansereau, an inventive seventh-grader with mobility challenges, class participation previously demanded a complicated setup involving physical switches. These switches necessitated disconnecting from his wheelchair to connect to his laptop, and using them was a laborious process. Every action, from clicking a link to communicating a word, required significant effort.

After discovering the Face control feature, Maltais quickly implemented it for Liam. With this technology, Liam can freely navigate his Chromebook using head movements, significantly enhancing his independence. He can now access assignments, activate voice typing, and complete tasks in Google Classroom autonomously.

To further enhance Liam’s independence, a custom extension was developed with Gemini, allowing easier navigation on resources like Khan Academy. This means Liam can click a single button rather than scroll extensively.

The adoption of Face control on Chromebooks is leveling the playing field by removing barriers. Students previously challenged by writing can now compose lengthy stories. For Liam, this barrier-free learning environment allows him to fully engage and express himself with his peers. The introduction of Face control has enabled him to take charge of his education, unlocking new potential for his future. With this newfound digital independence, Liam is exploring interests in web and video game design, equipping himself with the necessary skills to pursue these paths.

Over the past year, a key realization has emerged. Businesses are no longer questioning the importance of AI; instead, they are seeking ways to integrate it meaningfully into their workflow and to ensure it produces significant outcomes. This is where many organizations find themselves at an impasse.

Intelligence and trust as fundamental elements

At Microsoft, we believe that successful AI transformation hinges on two essential elements: intelligence and trust. Companies need to leverage their unique work intelligence—comprising data, workflows, and expertise—and apply it through AI in ways that are adaptable, secure, and governed. This calls for a platform that supports a diversity of models and continuous innovation without sacrificing enterprise-grade security, compliance, and reliability.

Equally important is embedding AI into the daily flow of work—how employees collaborate, make decisions, and operate daily. To achieve this at scale, systems must be transparent, secure, and accountable. This is where real enterprise value is generated, and where many companies require clearer guidance.

Creating impact at scale involves more than just deploying new tools. It necessitates a trusted foundation that integrates data, security, privacy, and governance, as well as a new model for delivering AI into the business. This is why Microsoft and EY are strengthening their partnership to help companies transition more swiftly from AI goals to tangible business outcomes.

From pilots to production

In today’s market, there is no lack of AI pilot projects. However, pilots alone do not transform businesses. What is needed now is the capability to scale AI across the enterprise, integrate it into core workflows, and deliver sustained, repeatable impact. EY’s experience in this area is invaluable.

As one of the first global firms to deploy Microsoft 365 Copilot at scale, EY began with an initial rollout to 150,000 staff, quickly showcasing the potential of embedding AI into everyday work. The results were noteworthy and quantifiable:

• A 15% increase in productivity, reinvested into client delivery and continuous learning.
• Monthly adoption at 94% and weekly usage at 85%.
• 63% of enabled employees utilizing Copilot three or more days per week.
• 81% of employees reported time savings, with 84% redirecting that time to higher-value work, and 73% enhancing the quality of output.

The impact extends beyond individual productivity to AI-driven core business operations:

• Finance operations modernized with intelligent agents, resulting in 95% faster lead times and a more than 37% reduction in operational costs.
• A multi-agent AI framework was deployed among 130,000 Assurance professionals and 160,000 audit engagements.
• Tax workflows were transformed through document automation, reducing manual efforts by up to 90%.

With these outcomes, EY is expanding Copilot through Microsoft 365 E7 to over 400,000 employees globally, moving from initial success to genuine enterprise scale. This exemplifies enterprise-scale transformation—not isolated victories, but sustained impact across the organization. This success is why EY serves as Customer Zero, applying Microsoft AI technologies internally to demonstrate effectiveness before offering solutions to clients.

Investing in results-driven outcomes

Building on this foundation, Microsoft and EY are jointly investing more than $1 billion in a new initiative aimed at helping organizations transition from isolated AI activities to enterprise-scale transformation. This venture combines Microsoft’s AI platforms—including Azure, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Foundry, Fabric, and security—with EY’s extensive industry capabilities and leadership in transformation.

However, what sets this initiative apart is not just the resources provided, but the method of delivery. The focus is on assisting companies in becoming Frontier Firms, where AI is embedded throughout the enterprise rather than simply added on top. In a Frontier Firm, data, workflows, and decision-making are interconnected end to end. AI becomes integral to work processes, enhancing human expertise with intelligent systems.

Achieving this level requires more than investment; it demands execution. Our approach diverges from others by positioning Microsoft and EY as an integrated transformation engine—co-developing, co-engineering, and co-delivering solutions aligned with real business priorities.

A new model for execution at scale

A significant part of this model involves Microsoft’s Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs), who collaborate with EY transformation teams directly within customer environments. Together, these teams:

• Co-create solutions rooted in business needs.
• Accelerate deployment across complex systems.
• Remain engaged from initial use case through full-scale adoption.

This integrated model bridges the gap between strategy and execution, reducing friction across the technology stack and creating a direct path from pilot to production at an enterprise scale. It also ensures that intelligence and trust evolve together, embedding AI across data, applications, and infrastructure in ways that can be governed, secured, and continually optimized. Importantly, it establishes a reproducible blueprint that organizations can use to scale AI adoption across functions, industries, and geographies.

The importance of execution now

Organizations are under pressure to accelerate—moving beyond experimentation to deliver AI across the enterprise requires more than just technology; it needs a clear path to execution, grounded in both intelligence and trust. AI is not merely about streamlining work processes; it’s about empowering people and organizations to do more, focusing on insight, creativity, and higher-value decision-making.

Our collaboration with EY illustrates what is achievable when AI is purposefully deployed at scale. Together, we are sharing those insights with clients worldwide, helping them expedite transformation, unlock efficiencies, and create new growth opportunities. Microsoft and EY are committed to turning AI ambitions into genuine enterprise impacts.

For more details, see the official announcement.

Searches in India for online slots for real money have been growing with a slow, but steady rate over the last three years, with a massive spike registered during the months of May and June of 2021, as revealed by data from Trends.Google.com and confirmed by the Mangools.com SEO tools. These trends are analyzed in detail in the recent publication “India Acquires a Taste for Online Casino Games”, a research paper by Esse N Videri Media (ENV Media), an expert analytical company specialized in the Indian real money gaming market.

While three and a half years ago searches for slots in the country rarely passed 1.5 thousand instances per month, the average monthly search volume for the last year is 18,700. This is to a certain extent due to the sharp May and June 2021 spike, but still, search instances for slots have not fallen below 4 or 5 thousand in any given month of the last 2 to 3 years. Moreover, the Top 20 long-tail and slot-related keywords combined come up at 44 thousand searches per month, again marking a steady increase over the last 12 to 24 months.

At the time of writing the present article, slot games take 7 out of the Top 10 positions in AppBrain.com’s “Google Play Ranking: The Top Grossing Casino Games in India”, and a total of 15 out of the Top 20. Teen Patti games follow with 4 instances, one of which is a combo Teen Patti, Poker and Rummy app, and one position in the Top 20 is dedicated to Poker.

Slots Dominate Gamer Preferences in Delhi and Mumbai Metro Areas

A geographical breakdown of online casino India trends by general game categories reveals that preferences generated within the metro areas of Delhi and Mumbai are dominated by slot titles. The states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh also display a strong incline for slot games. Roulette, another Western casino classic, is the most preferred game in a big number of states, including Assam, Goa, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

The broad category of table games, which ranges from casino traditionals such as Baccarat to popular Indian and Asian cards and dice games, dominate real money gamer preferences in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The geographical trends analysis by ENV Media experts is based on data from more than 170 thousand registered users who have actually wagered on a game between the months of October 2020 and November 2021 on one of India’s leading casino gaming and sports betting platforms Pure Win.

Slots are the Only Game that Beats the Demand for Live Casino Experience

All games that found their way in the Top 30 list, both per turnover and per number of players, according to the Pure Win data analytics feature a live-dealer experience, with the only exception being made by slot game titles. Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt in 23rd place is worth mentioning as a live slot-based game. “While virtual simulation and advanced visualization are important, live sessions are always preferred in almost any category (save for slots),” the ENV analysts conclude.

Interestingly, it is difficult for individual slot games to enter the chart, as slot titles make up for more than 2,300 of the total of 2,640 casino games offered by the platform, but a number of them have done it.

Besides the rising popularity of slots in India, the Esse N Videri study highlights a growing preference among desi casino gamers towards simplified and fast versions of Western games as a whole. “Easy gameplay also means more speed or even instant results,” the authors write and point out that “around a third of the top 30 games are qualified as “lightning,” “instant,” “speed,” or “auto.””

Gauri Shah, president, Zaffori Ventures, explains, “Having a trustworthy payment solution for our designers is one of our main priorities. Since Zaffori works with international designers, a quick and efficient payment solution where our designers can receive their payments as soon as possible is very important, especially since each piece of garment is made-to-order/made-to-measure. This is why we have integrated Wise into our platform.”

Thus, no matter which country Zaffori’s designers originate from, they will be able to receive their payment just within hours, making the flow of payments very easy and efficient for them.

Zaffori’s team chose Wise because it offers a quick payment solution that fits perfectly into its platform and business model. “We were looking for a payment solution that can send automated payments to our designers at the end of the billing cycle, ensuring that our designers receive payments in a timely manner, thus making it the perfect fit,” informs Shah.

The company believes that utilizing such great technology will not only enhance Zaffori’s platform and make it more user friendly but will allow its designers to do business on the platform with ease.

Since Wise is integrated into the Zaffori online platform, all payments will be made within the platform and therefore the designers would just need an account on the Zaffori platform. It would be that easy. This method will enable designers to also generate monthly or weekly reports of all the payments they receive, all in one place.

A first-of-its-kind, Zaffori is a high-end apparel marketplace which provides a unique opportunity to shop customized clothing from some of the top fashion designers in the world. Every product purchased through the online marketplace is one-of-a-kind due to its tailor-made approach. This makes Zaffori a premier platform in high-end fashion which caters personally to an individual with uniquely customized designer wear.

Zaffori also offers free storage space for designers at its fulfillment center in New York, allowing them to have an immediate presence in the US market. Moreover, the firm has also partnered with the world leader UPS to make the shipping process easier and efficient for the customer.

Most online businesses cannot cope with this surge, resulting in stock-outs, late delivery, poor customer service, and the inability to provide your service when it is most required.

How can you prepare for this surge and make the most of it while still providing valuable service to your clients in a tragedy?

Some types of items will enjoy high demand, whereas non-essential items will suffer a significant drop in demand at this time.

The following are some of the categories where demand is increasing for virtual assistance:

1. Safety and security
2. Online streaming
3. E-learning
4. Gameplay
5. Vegetables and storage
6. Hygiene products

If you fall into one of these categories or want to offer products/services soon, you must get a few things perfect to attract new clients and keep them for a long time.

While the above areas may be experiencing a boom in demand, it is equally vital to note that abandonment rates are increasing in categories such as food, which are considered a need. This might be due to consumers having difficulty finding things on the website as people stockpile, resulting in repeated stock-outs, or it could be due to website quality being affected by exceptionally high traffic. Other factors could include customer service delays, the delivery being hampered by lockdowns, and so on.

So, how do you avoid reverting to your old habits and tumbling down a path of poor service that could jeopardize your company’s reputation? The solution is straightforward!

Hire a Virtual Assistant like ossisto .com, to provide you with the extra help you need to get through these trying times. Ossisto.com is a virtual assistance company that gives you that extra push. The company worked hard to open doors for the larger business community.

Their collaborative partnership will create new doors, spur innovation, and help businesses grow. They are a dynamic community that beneficially offers answers and works to your company.

Ossisto has a very flexible, professional, and responsive workforce, as well as excellent help and energized services for businesses, making it a delight to come into work every day.

Their virtual assistants are professionals in handling assistance and can easily tackle complete load requirements so that online entrepreneurs can relax. In addition, they will efficiently handle your monetary transactions, allowing you to focus on the critical aspects of your organization.

Conclusion

Whether it is covid 19, or any other issue, nothing must stop your business as an online businessman. No matter how hard the times are, if you find the right help, it’s all just a piece of cake! A virtual assistant is an answer to all your business-related issues.

The GSAT-24, a 4,000 kg class Ku-band satellite with all transponders dedicated for DTH services, will be launched by the Ariane-5 from Europe’s Arianespace early next year. “The entire satellite capacity on-board GSAT-24 will be leased to its committed customer  M/s Tat Sky for meeting their DTH application needs,” an NSIL statement said Friday.

The satellite will be owned and operated by NSIL, which will also be the intermediary agency between ISRO, Arianespace and Tata Sky.

NSIL, which has been created to commercialize research work and capabilities of the ISRO, is looking to merge as an Indian communications satellite operator by taking over ISRO satellite to provide DTH and broadband services to customers on demand.

In March this year, the official of NSIL – incorporated in 2019 – had stated that two deals were in the pipeline with a DTH operator and a broadband provider in India.

NSIL official had said on March 12 that it will take over two communication satellite to be launched by ISRO and is in talks with the space department to take over ISRO’s fleet of communication satellites. “Shortly, NSIL will finalise requirements for new satellites in consultation with various users and start procuring, owning, launching and providing services, primarily in the communication sector. We are also in an advanced stage of discussion with DoS to take ownership of two new communication satellites,” NSIL Chairman and MD G Narayanan had stated.

Rajendra Singh, Head, School of Interdisciplinary Research (SIRe) and lead Pl, CoE on Quantum Technologies, IIT Delhi said, “In the past 100 years or so, Quantum Physics has impacted the society in an unprecedented way. By exploiting the characteristics of quantum physics in light and materials, researchers invented both the laser and the transistor. Such inventions form the basis of information technology as whole – computer, the internet, and much more besides – which to a large extent has shaped our society today. It was the first quantum  revolution is now round the corner, benefitting enormously from the advancements in our ability to detect and manipulate single quantum objects such as photons and atoms.”

Singh added, “ The COE Quantum Technologies at IIT Delhi will focus on select thrust areas, which include Quantum Computing, Quantum communications, Quantum Sensing and Metrology and Quantum Materials and Devices.

India and Taiwan are in talks on an agreement that could bring chip manufacturing to South Asia along with tariff reductions on components for producing semiconductors by the end of the ear, People familiar with the matter said, a move that may spark fresh tensions with China.

Official is New Delhi and Taipei have met in recent weeks to discuss a deal that would bring a chip plant worth an estimated $ 7.5 billion to India to supply everything from 5G devices to electric cars, the people said. India is currently studying possible locations with adequate land, water and manpower, while saying it would provide financial support of 50% of capital expenditure from 2023 as well tax breaks and other incentives, the people said.

Official in Taipei wanted quick progress on a bilateral investment agreement that would include tariff reductions on dozens of products used to make semiconductors – a precursor to a broader trade deal also under consideration, the people said.

The people asked not to be identified to discuss negotiations that were currently ongoing. The Office of Trade Negotiations under Taiwan’s cabinet declined to comment, while a spokesperson for India’s trade ministry didn’t immediately respond to a text message.

The trade talks come at a time when democracies across the world are boosting economic and military links to stand up against an increasingly assertive China. While Taiwan has long sought a trade deal with India, officials in New Delhi had been hesitant to anger Beijing, which claims the island democracy as its territory.

Ola Electric this week commenced the pre-booking for its upcoming e-scooters at Rs 499. The company received 1 lakh bookings in 24 bookings in 24 hours, it announced.

Congratulating Ola Electric head Bhavish Aggarwal, Mahindra said on Twitter. “No matter how this scooter ultimately fares, it is exciting to see courage & taking being rewarded. The more entrepreneurs that follow the lead of @bhash & show no fear of failure, the more robust Indian innovation will become…”

Ola Electric hasn’t revealed technical specifications of its scooters but they expected to offer features like an app-based start-up system, a large TFT display showcasing information like calls and SMS alerts, navigation, ride statics, and others.

Pre-launch bookings have commenced and the Ola Electric scooter is expected to be rolled out by the end of July or August. It will rival the likes of the Bajaj Chetak, Ather 450X, and TVS iQube Electric.

The Ola electric scooter would be manufactured at the 500 acre facility in Tamil Nadu. The facility is targeted to produce 10 million units per annum.