Latest news with #TimBerners-Lee
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Podcast reviews: The history of the internet, falling in love with an AI bot and how Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr invented wifi
In an interview with Euronews Next last year, the inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee said: 'My big push has always been for the enabling of human beings, of people,' adding that 'technology should work for you.' Long Shadow: Breaking the Internet (Apple, Spotify) robustly chronicles 30 years of web history, with the Pulitzer-finalist journalist and historian Garrett M Graff asking at the outset 'When was the last time you felt good about they internet?'. He traces how its founders' noble aim 'to democratise everything' became the opposite; an amplifier for conspiracy theories and hate speech, with big brands using algorithms 'to monetise our attention and maximise profit' and media companies (leaders, and individuals) using it to divide and conquer. Graff's critique includes intelligent vox pops from innovators, commentators and those on the receiving end of viral content, as well as solutions on how best to put manners on what fast became a monster. After devouring such a series, you might want a palate cleanser of a Sheila O'Flanagan ebook. Or continue in a similar fashion with a new Wondery offering, Flesh and Code (Apple, Spotify). Its premise of Travis falling in love with the woman of his dreams Lily Rose – an AI character – is a familiar one in the arts (in film, Her and I'm Your Man; in novels, Klara and the Sun and Machines Like Me). But it's based on a real-life attachment when Travis downloaded an AI companion app during the pandemic and the resulting fallout, revealing how shadowy figures and corporations exploit real-world loneliness for their own means. It's empathetically hosted by Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala, and touches upon why companion bots exist in the first place, why businesses are enlisting them and, from the users' point of view, their lived-experience pros as well as cons. It was 10 years ago that Karina Longworth of the You Must Remember This podcast documented Hedy Lamarr's dual role of Hollywood star and early 'inventor' of wifi, while it took Netflix until 2017 to air the brilliant documentary feature Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story. Now, BBC World Service's new season of Untold Legends (Apple, BBC Sounds, Spotify) which charts how Lamarr's 'frequency hopping' concept in a patent to the US Navy in 1941 was discredited, but later developed, to become the basis of digital communications.
Time Business News
02-07-2025
- Time Business News
What Are the Must-Know Features of FreeSWITCH for VoIP Development?
In 1969, the U.S. Department of Defense introduced ARPANET, the first version of the Internet, designed for military research and communication. Fast forward to 1991, Tim Berners-Lee made the World Wide Web public by releasing the foundational code for web servers and browsers.. This move towards open-source technology revolutionized the internet, leading to the explosion of web-based applications, including VoIP solutions that power modern business communication. Today, everyone is connected to the internet, making it easier than ever for businesses to communicate with customers using VoIP technology. And at the core of VoIP development is FreeSWITCH. It's a versatile, open-source platform that powers high-performance call routing, media handling, and protocol integration. This guide will walk you through the must-know FreeSWITCH features for VoIP developers, including the latest improvements from FreeSWITCH 1.8, and explain why it is a powerful tool for VoIP development services. Before exploring the features, it's essential to understand why FreeSWITCH is highly regarded in the VoIP ecosystem. FreeSWITCH is more than just a PBX system built to handle complex communication scenarios. Some of the key reasons developers opt for FreeSWITCH include: FreeSWITCH is open-source, which means developers can modify and extend the platform. It supports multiple protocols such as SIP, H.323, WebRTC, and XMPP, allowing developers to create highly compatible systems. FreeSWITCH efficiently handles thousands of concurrent calls, making it a great option for high-volume VoIP systems. Its modular design lets developers enable or disable specific features without affecting core functionality. FreeSWITCH offers unmatched scalability and performance, whether you're a VoIP service provider, a call center manager, or an enterprise looking to improve communication. FreeSWITCH is packed with powerful tools for VoIP development. Here are the features that stand out. FreeSWITCH is designed to work with multiple communication protocols, making it a versatile choice for VoIP development. It supports SIP for VoIP calling, H.323 for multimedia conferencing, WebRTC for browser-based real-time communication, XMPP for messaging, and RTP/RTCP for real-time media streaming. This flexibility allows businesses to integrate various communication technologies into a unified system. A global telecom provider can leverage FreeSWITCH to handle calls between SIP-based VoIP phones, WebRTC-powered web applications, and traditional PSTN networks. This ensures seamless communication across different platforms, improving customer reach and reducing operational costs. FreeSWITCH is built to manage thousands of concurrent calls efficiently without system overload. It achieves this through asynchronous call processing, thread pooling to optimize system resources, and call admission control to prevent excessive traffic from degrading call quality. A busy call center handling customer support for an e-commerce company can use FreeSWITCH to ensure smooth operations even during peak sales seasons. The system efficiently manages thousands of incoming calls without delays or call drops, ensuring a seamless customer experience. FreeSWITCH provides dynamic call routing using XML-based and database-driven dial plans, allowing businesses to create complex call flows. It also offers failover mechanisms to reroute calls when a server goes down and load balancing to distribute calls evenly across multiple servers, preventing bottlenecks. A healthcare provider offering telemedicine services can use FreeSWITCH to automatically route patient calls based on their selected language, department, or doctor availability. This improves response time and ensures that patients are connected to the right medical professional without unnecessary delays. FreeSWITCH supports audio and video communication, making it ideal for businesses requiring high-quality media interactions. It enables multi-party conferencing with recording and moderation controls, better-quality video transcoding, and IVR systems for automated customer interactions. If you need a WebRTC-based multi-conferencing setup, this guide will help you configure FreeSWITCH as a WebRTC MCU server. A remote education platform can use FreeSWITCH to conduct live online classes with video conferencing, lecture recording, and interactive voice response (IVR) systems for automated student inquiries. This helps educators manage virtual classrooms effectively while providing students with a smooth learning experience. FreeSWITCH 1.8 introduced several enhancements, including improved WebRTC support for smoother browser-based communication, optimized call processing to reduce latency and improve call quality, and advanced debugging tools to help developers identify and fix issues faster. Improved WebRTC support can benefit a VoIP-based customer support system. This allows agents to handle calls directly from a web browser without requiring additional software, making it easier for businesses to deploy and scale remote customer support teams. Security is crucial in VoIP systems, and FreeSWITCH provides multiple layers of protection. It supports SRTP (Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol) to encrypt voice data, TLS (Transport Layer Security) to secure SIP signaling, and access control lists to restrict unauthorized access. A banking institution using VoIP-based customer support can ensure that customer calls remain private and protected from eavesdropping or cyberattacks by using SRTP and TLS encryption. This level of security is essential for industries that handle sensitive financial information. FreeSWITCH provides powerful APIs and tools that allow developers to build and customize VoIP solutions. It includes mod_xml_curl for dynamic configuration, the Event Socket Library (ESL) for external call control, and integration with SignalWire for advanced communication features. A real estate agency can integrate FreeSWITCH with its CRM system, allowing automated call tracking, lead management, and agent performance monitoring directly from the dashboard. This enhances efficiency and improves customer engagement. Developers can extend FreeSWITCH functionality by creating custom modules tailored to specific business needs. Custom extensions can include speech analytics for monitoring customer sentiment, advanced call queuing for optimized call distribution, and custom codecs for unique business requirements. A large insurance company can develop a speech analytics module to monitor customer calls and analyze conversations for compliance and quality assurance. This helps improve service quality while ensuring adherence to regulatory standards. FreeSWITCH supports load balancing and clustering to ensure high availability and scalability. Its distributed architecture allows businesses to scale their VoIP systems efficiently, with automatic failover mechanisms to reroute calls if a server fails and dynamic resource allocation to handle peak traffic. A nationwide VoIP service provider can use FreeSWITCH clustering to distribute calls across multiple data centers, preventing downtime during traffic spikes and ensuring uninterrupted service. This is crucial for maintaining high-quality VoIP communication on a large scale. Developers can integrate FreeSWITCH with third-party applications using popular programming languages like Lua, JavaScript, and Python. The Event Socket Interface (ESL) allows external applications to control calls, and custom APIs enable businesses to develop tailored VoIP solutions. An AI-powered customer service chatbot can be integrated with FreeSWITCH using Python scripting, enabling automated call handling and AI-based voice responses. This improves customer support by responding quickly and intelligently to frequently asked questions. Developing a reliable VoIP solution using FreeSWITCH requires in-depth knowledge of its features and architecture. Businesses utilizing FreeSWITCH should hire a VoIP developer experienced in integrating, configuring, and optimizing the platform. An expert developer can: Implement advanced call routing and media handling. Customize modules to meet specific communication needs. Implement strong security with proper encryption and access control. An expert FreeSWITCH developer can customize modules, implement advanced call routing, and ensure security. If you're curious about how FreeSWITCH developers are shaping the future of VoIP, here are 5 ways they're enhancing VoIP. In summary, the evolution of the internet from ARPANET to the modern web has transformed how businesses communicate, with VoIP technology playing a central role in this revolution. FreeSWITCH, as a powerful open-source VoIP platform, provides developers with the flexibility, scalability, and security needed to build high-performance communication systems. Its rich feature set enables you to create customized solutions that increase efficiency and user experience, from multi-protocol support and advanced call routing to encryption and API integrations. FreeSWITCH offers the tools needed to build a reliable, future-ready system if you're looking to implement VoIP for customer support or aiming to scale your communication infrastructure. Investing in experienced VoIP developers will help you maximize their potential and open doors for new opportunities for smooth and secure communication. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Economic Times
13-06-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
With Google's latest move, internet's becoming less ad-driven search, more user-paid GenAI
wwwhats-up@ As you browse the web, you must have encountered the 404 error, signifying that a web page can't be found. What you haven't seen is a similar code: 402. When Tim Berners- Lee was creating the World Wide Web, 402 was the code for 'payment required'. The original intention was that every visitor had to pay something to view a web page. But the schema was never built. So, there is no standardised encoded way to send or receive money online. In a 2019 podcast, Netscape builder Marc Andreessen explained: 'One would think the most obvious thing to do would be building in the browser the ability to actually spend money, right? You'll notice that didn't happen... we couldn't actually build economics into the core of the internet and so therefore advertising became the primary business model... We tried very hard to build payments into the browser. It was not possible... We made a huge mistake.' In 2014, internet expert Ethan Zuckerman wrote that 'advertising is the original sin of the web. The fallen state of our internet is a direct, if unintentional, consequence of choosing advertising as the default model to support online content and services.' Arguably, it's this 'original sin' that has made the largest destinations of the web the morass that it has become now. Thus, social networking has morphed into social media, as TikTok and Instagram pivoted to attention-seeking content that is optimised for views and clicks. This is also why Google's famous '10 blue links' are dominated by sponsored and advertiser preferences, rather than the succinct and accurate answer that a user wants. This drove even Berners-Lee to often regret his 'invention' and made him and others dream of a new kind of web - the concept of Web3, conceived to be 'owned' by users rather than advertisers, decentralised rather than concentrated with a handful of powerful tech companies, and, most importantly, have a different business model: that of micropayments. Thus, the user pays for the content she wants to consume, rather than advertiser paying for it, and the payment is also shared with the original the last 20 years, the company around which the existing web has revolved has been Google. While the 'advertiser pays' model was first brought in by companies like Yahoo and MSN, it was Google that perfected it as it made 'search' the way to organise the web. On the internet, if it's free, you're the product. Thus, Google and others sharply targeted and sold your attention, intentions and interest to advertisers who paid handsomely for it. How handsomely? Search contributed $54 bn of Google's $96 bn revenue in the last quarter, and reportedly most of its profitability. But it's also the model that held Google back and made it tiptoe tentatively into the world of GenAI. The search-through-chat business model of AI, which Perplexity or ChatGPT uses, does not lend itself as effectively to the advertising business model. Google experimented with 'AI Overviews' since I/O 2024. This model of AI-generated answers to common topics became popular with users, but reduced click rates on ads. This is the classical 'innovators' dilemma' that Harvard professor Clayton Christensen proposed in 1997, where he posited that great companies lose out to startup innovators, because they do not want to cannibalise their existing profitable business month, Google finally bit the bullet at I/O 2025, announcing that all its US users will be able to activate 'AI mode' in Google search and Chrome browser that will provide a conversational, question-and-answer experience akin to OpenAI's ChatGPT, rather than a traditional list of what happens to the super-profitable search business model? The company is tight-lipped about it, and is reportedly working to insert ads into AI answers. This is not as easy, however, since GenAI is a probabilistic tech, unlike the deterministic nature of traditional search. Thus, predicting what search result will come and matching advertiser needs to them becomes much more Google has hinted at a change in revenue model, with a $20 subscription for the service, and a $250 subscription for the super-premium version. So, with this monumental change, is the World Wide Web shifting on its axis? And does it take us one step closer to the dreams of a new web - user-owned, more democratic, and where you are finally not the product?Time will tell. But what is clear is that I/O 2025 did not signal just the re-emergence of Google in AI leaders, but also the emergence of a new kind of internet. So far, it was search around which the web was organised and the advertiser-driven model that paid for it. Maybe, we are now inching towards a web organised around GenAI, with subscribers paying for it - and content creators getting ably rewarded too. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Warren Buffett-fan Pabrai is betting big on Edelweiss' Rashesh Shah. Will it pay off? Coal on one hand and green on the other; this company balances both Yet another battle over neem; this time it's a startup vs. Procter & Gamble Move over tariffs, China wields rare earths in an economic war of a different kind Is Zomato under siege? Quick commerce may be the next telecom 9 stocks from different segments of financial services sector with an upside potential of up to 37% Stock picks of the week: 5 stocks with consistent score improvement and return potential of more than 32% in 1 year Is an oil shock on its way? 14 stocks to watch carefully if the Iran-Israel conflict leads to a sustained rise in crude oil prices
Business Wire
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
NICE Announces Interactions International 2025, Accelerating Global Customer Service Automation Adoption – Featuring Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Jonny Wilkinson and the Kaiser Chiefs
HOBOKEN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NICE (Nasdaq: NICE) is excited to announce Interactions International 2025, the premier customer experience (CX) event of the year, taking place July 1-2, 2025, at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, London. This two-day conference will unite 1,000 industry leaders, customer experience (CX) professionals, experts and partners to explore the AI-powered innovations shaping the future of customer service. To register for Interactions International 2025, or to learn more click here. As AI and automation continue to transform customer service, Interactions International 2025 will be the ultimate destination to explore NICE's most advanced innovations in AI-driven orchestration, customer service automation, and agentic workforce augmentation. Across two action-packed days, attendees can experience the future of customer service with 25+ interactive demos—including the game-changing CXone Mpower Orchestrator—as well as share best practices, exchange ideas, and seize this career-defining AI opportunity. This year's event boasts an exceptional lineup of speakers, including Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web and one of TIME magazine's '100 Most Important People of the 20th Century', as well as former rugby legend and World Cup hero, Jonny Wilkinson. Attendees will also hear from TalkTalk, a NICE CXone Mpower customer driving real business value, along with visionary keynotes from NICE CEO Scott Russell and NICE President CX Barry Cooper as they unveil the next chapter of AI-powered customer service. Kicking off on July 1, the event begins with hands-on EDU Training sessions to help NICE users unlock the full potential of AI and automation to uncover immediate results. Attendees can also dive into dynamic breakout sessions across four focused tracks, offering practical insights on implementing and scaling AI-driven CX strategies. Learn directly from top brands like Openreach, DPG Media, SSE Airtricity, Halfords, and many more. The conference will close with a legendary 'Party-on-the-Pitch', featuring a live performance by the Kaiser Chiefs. Darren Rushworth, President, NICE International, will deliver the opening keynote address at the conference. 'Our commitment to AI-powered innovation has never been stronger. At Interactions International 2025, we will present groundbreaking advancements that empower organizations across EMEA and APAC to deliver proactive, personalized and automated customer service experiences at scale – and seize the once-in-a-career opportunity ahead of them.' About NICE With NICE (Nasdaq: NICE), it's never been easier for organizations of all sizes around the globe to create extraordinary customer experiences while meeting key business metrics. Featuring the world's #1 cloud native customer experience platform, CXone, NICE is a worldwide leader in AI-powered self-service and agent-assisted CX software for the contact center – and beyond. Over 25,000 organizations in more than 150 countries, including over 85 of the Fortune 100 companies, partner with NICE to transform - and elevate - every customer interaction. Trademark Note: NICE and the NICE logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NICE Ltd. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners. For a full list of NICE's marks, please see: Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, including the statements by Mr. Rushworth, are based on the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of NICE Ltd. (the 'Company'). In some cases, such forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as 'believe,' 'expect,' 'seek,' 'may,' 'will,' 'intend,' 'should,' 'project,' 'anticipate,' 'plan,' 'estimate,' or similar words. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results or performance of the Company to differ materially from those described herein, including but not limited to the impact of changes in economic and business conditions; competition; successful execution of the Company's growth strategy; success and growth of the Company's cloud Software-as-a-Service business; changes in technology and market requirements; decline in demand for the Company's products; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications; difficulties in making additional acquisitions or difficulties or delays in absorbing and integrating acquired operations, products, technologies and personnel; loss of market share; an inability to maintain certain marketing and distribution arrangements; the Company's dependency on third-party cloud computing platform providers, hosting facilities and service partners; cyber security attacks or other security breaches against the Company; privacy concerns; changes in currency exchange rates and interest rates, the effects of additional tax liabilities resulting from our global operations, the effect of unexpected events or geo-political conditions, such as the impact of conflicts in the Middle East that may disrupt our business and the global economy; the effect of newly enacted or modified laws, regulation or standards on the Company and our products and various other factors and uncertainties discussed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC'). For a more detailed description of the risk factors and uncertainties affecting the company, refer to the Company's reports filed from time to time with the SEC, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise them, except as required by law.
South China Morning Post
14-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
How future scientists and innovations are encouraged for the greater good
Every day, innovative individuals and organisations are conducting important research that can help safeguard the planet and its population against challenges related to health, safety and climate change. Rolex is a staunch supporter of such projects, having launched the Perpetual Planet Initiative in 2019 to champion groundbreaking discoveries and technologies that are making a positive impact across the globe. Advertisement The Swiss watchmaker recognises the importance of not only making science more accessible, but also inspiring young people to take an interest in the subject. To that end, Rolex has been working with the European Organization for Nuclear Research, also known as CERN – based in Meyrin, a suburb of Geneva, Switzerland – on its educational mission to nurture the next generation of scientists. Investing in the future of science Researchers working at CERN, the world's leading particle physics laboratory that was established by European governments in 1954, have achieved many significant scientific breakthroughs over the years. One of the most notable discoveries, in 2012, is the Higgs boson particle, also called the 'God particle', regarded as one of the biggest recent breakthroughs in the field of physics as it has deepened our understanding of how matter is formed. Other milestones achieved at CERN include British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee's invention of the internet in 1989, and the pioneering development of touch-screen technology in the 1970s. Advertisement Rolex and CERN have long shared a passion for exploration and discovery. Their partnership dates back to 1956, when Rolex asked CERN scientists to help test a new watch designed to withstand strong magnetic forces like those used in a particle accelerator.
