Despite arriving early, the annual monsoon rains have been deficient in June. The coming month is critical—any hit to kharif crop planting in July will spoil the chances of a revival in farm growth, besides pushing food prices even higherPar HT Smartcast

Interview: https://truantsblog.com/2024/truancy-volume-329-buttechno/ ‎Soundcloud: @buttechnoAccess the download and full tracklist (TBC) on our Patreon. However if you need anything leave us a nice comment and either us or buttechno will get back to you! Your support helps cover all our costs, allows us to now pay our guests and allows Truants to …

Matty Dalrymple talks with Nat Connors about UNDERSTANDING YOUR BOOK’S NEIGHBORHOOD, including the importance of understanding what books you want your book to appear next to and how authors can use data to guide their publishing decisions about positioning their books. We discuss wide versus KU, series versus standalone, pricing, cover design, blu…

In FY24, China overtook the US to become India’s largest trading partner after a gap of two years. Tune in to know how trade between the two Asian giants has evolved and why it is proving to be so difficult for India to decouple itself from its neighbour.Par HT Smartcast

India accounts for 10% of the 7 billion people using smartphones globally. These, however, may be gradually replaced by extended reality (XR) glasses, gesture-based screens and even brain-computer interface (BCI) devices like Neuralinks in the next 10-15 years.Par HT Smartcast

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) president Sanjiv Puri wants a substantial hike in the already-high government capital expenditure. However, experts suggest it’s time India Inc did some heavy lifting and invested to support economic growth.Par HT Smartcast

Matty Dalrymple talks with Katherine Ramsland about MISTAKES WRITERS MAKE ABOUT FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY, including these commons mistakes and how to avoid them: They are used as profilers because detectives can’t do this work; they visit crime scenes to advise on catching a killer; they profile a person; they interrogate suspects; they undertake hypnos…

Centrally administered Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has seen a sharp rise in terrorist attacks with four incidents last week. The strikes have prompted New Delhi to take a second look at its security strategy. Mintlooks at the possible reasons for the spike in terrorist activityPar HT Smartcast

An Indian avatar is in the world’s first AI beauty pageant shortlist, where two of the four judges are also AI-powered. Mint explores the pros and cons of AI’s growing influence, from AI CEOs and assistants to realistic AI deepfakes and voice clones.Par HT Smartcast

N. Chandrababu Naidu’s fourth term as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh could be his most difficult yet as he inherits a financially broke and industrially ignored state. Mint delves into the challenges the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader faces this time aroundPar HT Smartcast

We all love shopping online. The fallout? Many malls, beyond the top graded ones, have closed. However, developers continue to be bullish on retail spaces, numbers released this month by JLL India, a property advisory, show.Par HT Smartcast

Last week, Nvidia briefly overtook Apple to become the second most valuable company in the world at $3.01 trillion. Even as Nvidia shareholders and its chief executive rejoiced, analysts and watchers of the company claimed the future may not be so easy.Par HT Smartcast

Matty Dalrymple talks with Greta Boris and Megan Haskell about UNCOVERING YOUR AUTHOR PURPOSE, including understanding your priorities and circumstances; having a unifying theme as a "hub"; the importance of alignment between your creative and business focuses; mining your fiction preferences for clarity about your author purpose; writing with a go…

Truancy Sessions S01 E07: Bratches (@taylorbratches)Artwork by Kushagra (kushlet on Instagram)Coming up as a raver in the Denver electronic music, whilst also formally raised as a dancer prior to that, electronic music and DJing offered Taylor a way for her to keep moving and slowly discover her own language of movement. Starting out as DJ after a …

After two terms of absolute majority, the Indian electorate has given a fractured mandate to the Narendra Modi-led BJP. The era of coalition politics is back with a bang. Does that also mean an end to the promise of big-ticket reforms?Par HT Smartcast

The BJP-led NDA scored a victory in the Lok Sabha polls, but the saffron party was unable to secure a simple majority on its own. The age of coalition politics is back and this queers the pitch for the market in the short term. Mint explains why.Par HT Smartcast

The 2024 elections have thrown up a major surprise. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was supposed to have swept the polls. Instead, it has fallen short of a majority. It now needs to form a government with its partners in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). In short, the era of coalition politics is back in India. Here are some of the main take…

Matty Dalrymple talks with Kathleen Donnelly about MISTAKES WRITERS MAKE ABOUT WORKING K-9s AND HOW TO AVOID THEM, including whether a dog can track across water or track a person in a car; whether one scent can be disguised with another; what makes it difficult for a dog to track and how to evade tracking dogs (maybe); training rescue and human re…

Artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI) are advancing at an incredible pace, but we are unable to understand how they make decisions, so they are called ‘black boxes’. Researchers say they are now able to peek under the AI hood. Will this make AI models safer?Par HT Smartcast

A Deloitte report recently highlighted a 33% reduction in campus placement budgets for 2023-24 when compared with the year before. This is the first time projected salaries of MBA graduates have actually dropped.Par HT Smartcast

At 2.30pm on Wednesday, the NCR’s temperature hit a shocking 52.3 degrees Celsius, its hottest day ever. Extreme hot weather is increasing both in duration and intensity. let's take a look at heatwaves, what causes them and how prepared we are to deal with this weather event.Par HT Smartcast

Despite a record harvest, wheat prices are on the rise. That’s because of lower production in some states, which in turn means the Centre is unlikely to meet its purchase target. Will prices rise further, and push India to allow imports, currently banned?Par HT Smartcast

After selling Depop to Etsy for $1.6 billion in 2021, Simon Beckerman took on a new challenge, to fix the food industry. With his dedicated team, including Community and Partnerships Manager, Sam Wong, DELLI set out to champion small independent food & drink makers, providing them with a means to sell their products. We spoke with Simon and Sam to …

Matty Dalrymple talks with Chelle Honiker about THE SALES FLYWHEEL, including what a sales flywheel is ... and what it is not; building a community through the flywheel; finding the nugget of humanity; the danger of teaching readers to expect free; sharing of yourself, but within parameters you set; building cyclical, not transactional, relationshi…

India has built highways at a frenetic clip over the past decade. Now there are signs that the pace may have peaked in 2023-24 and it may even fall in the current fiscal year. Mint explores the reasons for this and whether this is a temporary blip or long-term in nature.Par HT Smartcast

Tune in to the latest episode to know that now users are getting comfortable with AI models and chatbots, the next step is to improve user experience. But how? The answer lies in using many specialist bots, rather than getting one to do all the jobs from banking to customer care to teaching.Par HT Smartcast

A sizzling heat wave is stretching India’s power infrastructure. In fact, the power deficit in June is projected to be the highest in 14 years. Mint looks at the factors causing it, steps the government has taken, and whether a crisis can be avoided this time around.Par HT Smartcast

Truancy Sessions S01 E06: DJ Drink Water (@dj_drink_water)Artwork by Kushagra (kushlet on Instagram)A devoted music enthusiast and integral member of Washington, DC’s dance music community, DJ Drink Water seeks to become a master in sonic versatility. Starting his DJ career in 2019, he has shared bills with top local acts like Juana, Soso Tharpa, a…

A big casualty of the ongoing housing boom, ironically, has been affordable homes, whose supply and sales have been shrinking. By contrast, the luxury homes segment has expanded. Can the budget home dream be revived?Par HT Smartcast

Matty Dalrymple talks with Johnny B. Truant about MOVING THE NEEDLE TO A DIFFERENT TRACK, including the impetus for him starting his podcast, "The Art of Noticing" and what drove his creative pivot; the importance of not missing the magic that's happening around you; supporting the artisan writer; the age of the iconoclast writer; the power of bein…

Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, 63, and foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, 60, were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday. Mint looks at the implications of Raisi’s death for India and the wider region.Par HT Smartcast

Google’s long-term experiment to create a science fiction-like 3D, holographic ultra-realistic display is now a real product. After many failures, is Silicon Valley’s quest to build screens that look like teleportation portals finally nearing promise?Par HT Smartcast

The Supreme Court has exempted lawyers from the purview of the Consumer Protection Act. This sets the stage for doctors to get a similar exemption. Mint looks at what this ruling means for consumers and what redressal options we now have for poor service.Par HT Smartcast

Unhealthy food is responsible for more than half of India’s disease burden, cautions the new dietary guidelines released last week by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN). Eat lots of fresh food and avoid heavily marketed, packaged and ultra-processed food.Par HT Smartcast

Interview: https://truantsblog.com/2024/truancy-volume-328-etari/ ‎Soundcloud: @etariAccess the download and full tracklist (TBC) on our Patreon. However if you need anything leave us a nice comment and either us or Etari will get back to you! Your support helps cover all our costs, allows us to now pay our guests and allows Truants to continue run…

A violent solar flare has reminded us just what changes in the sun’s surface conditions can do to us. Strong solar storms can bring down power infrastructure, communications and disrupt navigation—facets through which the modern world functions.Par HT Smartcast

Matty Dalrymple talks with Melissa Addey about THE BIG INDIE AUTHOR DATA DROP 2024, including author income data; whether trad pub income is spikier than indie pub income; the growth of libraries; the continuing popularity of paperback; selling direct; trends in KU; the power of the backlist; behavioral aspects of indie authors (it's not what I wou…

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has managed to keep the buzz going around the release of a generative pre-trained transformer (GPT)-5 and a ChatGPT search engine by calling previous versions “dumb”. Here’s why enterprises would do well to seek alternatives.Par OpenAI, Sam Altman, CEO, generative pre-trained transformer, GPT-5, ChatGPT, search engine, enterprise, alternatives, artificial intelligence, AI, natural language processing, NLP, technology, innovation, advancements, machine learning, deep learning, data, performance, capabilities, scalability, reliability, functionality, competition, business, strategy, development, deployment, adoption, potential, challenges, risks, opportunities, future, evolution., market

Regulatory action in Singapore and Hong Kong on two of India’s biggest spice brands—MDH and Everest—for alleged chemical contamination has turned the heat on spice exports. Mint looks at the issue and analyses what it could mean for the $4-billion export sector.Par HT Smartcast

New RBI draft guidelines on project loans are aimed at bringing credit discipline and ensuring only serious players participate. But since their release last week, shares of PSU banks and infra NBFCs have tanked. And bankers are upset.Par HT Smartcast

Matty Dalrymple talks with Jessie Kwak about CREATING YOUR OWN COMMUNITY. Our conversation was triggered by the fact that Jessie recently hosted the first Author Alchemy Summit, and I wanted to find out what had made her decide to dive into this huge community-building undertaking. But even if organizing your own conference isn’t on your bucket lis…

The dollar is having an unusually strong year, gaining against most major currencies. That’s got policymakers from Tokyo to London fretting over its implications for economies. Mint takes a look at one of the most important price signals of the global financial market:Par HT Smartcast

The Humane AI Pin, a voice-controlled personal assistant, was one of Silicon Valley’s most-hyped AI-first products. However, the hype has crashed rather fast. Barring Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri, voice interfaces have been tech’s biggest failures.Par HT Smartcast

The frequency and severity of forest fires triggered by climate change are on the rise, the latest being fires that have engulfed 8 of the 17 districts in Uttarakhand. What’s the impact of forest fires and how can they be brought under control?Par HT Smartcast

Truancy Sessions S01 E05: Babypufff (@babypufff)Artwork by Kushagra (kushlet on Instagram)Emerging from vibrant Baltimore, the DJ known as Babypufff captivates audiences with her signature blend of melodic prowess and playful energy. Since making her debut behind the decks in 2018, she has swiftly garnered acclaim for her ability to craft immersive…

The heatwaves sweeping India can lead to a spike in food inflation, especially vegetables and mangoes where prices are already steep. After a prolonged spurt in cereal and pulse prices, are we facing a volatile new front in the battle against inflation?Par HT Smartcast

Flexible workspace provider Awfis Space Solutions recently got the market regulator’s nod for a public listing. More operators, which offer modern office solutions, are likely to follow. What does this mean for the commercial office sector?Par HT Smartcast

Matty Dalrymple talks with Tiffany Yates Martin about CREATING CHARACTER MOTIVATION: THE FALLACY OF MAGICAL KNOWING, including an explanation of what "magical knowing" is, what leads a writer to fall back on it, and the signs that you're relying on it; the importance of understanding the character's overarching goal and of laying in brushstrokes of…

In part 2 with BAFTA award winning filmmaker, best-selling author and extreme sports veteran, Christian Stevenson, we talk about how his friendship with Jamie Oliver led to his book deal. We also cover how he became a best-selling author in the barbecue world, DJing at A-list celebrity parties, and how he interviewed music legends such as Coldplay,…

Theoretically, redistribution of wealth is a good way to bring down economic inequality. But implementing it is fraught with challenges. As the debate on the topic rages, will look at the concept, the pros and cons of implementing it, and the outcomes of past attempts.Par HT Smartcast