A million programmable neurons: IBM closer to human brain-like computer

 Tech2 08 Aug 2014 , 14:02

IBM unveiled a “brain-like” computer chip on Thursday that is the size of a postage stamp and capable of processing massive amounts of data while handling inputs from many different sources, the company said.

The announcement comes one month after IBM unveiled a $3 billion investment over the next five years in chip research and development to find a game-changing breakthrough that can help revive its slumping hardware unit.

Unlike most chips, which operate on pre written paths, IBM’s version processes data in realtime and is capable of dealing with ambiguity, the company said. It runs on the energy equivalent of a hearing aid.

Built on Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co Ltd’s 28nm process technology, the chip only consumes 70mW of energy.

A product of almost a decade of research, the chip aims to bridge the divide between existing computers and the brain’s high cognitive power and low energy use. “After years of collaboration with IBM, we are now a step closer to building a computer similar to our brain,” said Professor Rajit Manohar at Cornell Tech, where the chip was designed.

The chip contains one million programmable neurons and could allow a thermometer to scan and smell chemical signals and deliver a diagnosis, or help a search and rescue robot to identify people in need during a disaster, the company said.

IBM hopes it can integrate multi-sensory processing into mobile devices and says the chip can handle future advances in memory, 3G integration, logic and sensor technologies.

Reuters

HDFC Bank has to pay Rs 40,000 to a consumer for ‘hostile attitude’

Fist Biz 8 Aug 2014

 Aconsumer forum has directed HDFC Bank to pay Rs 40,000 to a man for not resolving his problem relating to issuance of an illegal bill of his credit card in a proper manner.

New Delhi Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, presided by C K Chaturvedi, asked the bank to pay the compensation amount of Rs 40,000 to Delhi resident Radhey Shyam Sharma for its "deficiency and hostile attitude" towards the consumer, saying that the bill issued against him was "illegal".

"After considering and receiving the envelope received by complainant (Sharma), we hold that complainant suffered due to some insider in the bank, and complainant cannot be fastened with liability for use of card, without telling him PIN.

"Holding Opposite Party (bank) guilty of not resolving the issue in proper way, we hold the bill issued against the complainant as illegal and award a compensation of Rs 40,000 to the complainant inclusive of litigation expenses for the deficiency and hostile attitude to consumer," the forum, also comprising its members S R Chaudhary and Ritu Garodia, said. S

harma had told the forum that he had applied for a credit card in HDFC Bank and after its issuance, he later on received an envelope with nil PIN. On opening the envelope, he found that the place where PIN should have been mentioned was blank, he said. In the meantime, he received a demand of Rs 7,500 as cash withdrawal made by the credit card from November 2, 2005 to November 5, 2005, while he had received the envelope of secret PIN on November 12, 2005, he claimed. He said the bank, instead of addressing his concern, did not pay any heed and stuck to its point that Sharma must have used it. Aggrieved with the bank\'s response, he file a complaint.

He said on April 13, 2012, a bank official agreed for settlement of Rs 18,000, but the bank retracted later on, saying the employee was not authorised to carry out the settlement. At this, the forum said, "Even if it was so, the proper course was to take approval internally from the competent officer in the bank, in the facts and circumstances of the case. But it has acted in reverse way to continue the case. This is shear harassment."

PTI

 

Syndicate Bank scam: CBI arrests Bhushan Steel MD Neeraj Singh

FBiz 8 Aug 2014

CBI on Thursday arrested Neeraj Singal, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Bhushan Steel Ltd, in connection with Rs 50 lakh bribery scandal involving CMD of Syndicate Bank S K Jain.

Singal, who was allegedly evading arrest, has been nabbed from here, the agency sources said.

He had allegedly gone missing from his residence after the agency had carried out searches and did not appear on Saturday before the officials of the agency for examination.

Singal has applied for anticipatory bail application but it was rejected by Special CBI court of Swarana Kanta Sharma.

Sharma dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Singal, observing that the offence alleged in the case was serious in nature as it involves huge amount of public money.

On August 2, CBI had arrested six accused, including the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Syndicate Bank S K Jain, for allegedly taking bribe of Rs 50 lakh for increasing credit limit of some companies in violation of banking rules.

CBI has filed two cases against Jain -- accusing him of receiving a bribe of Rs 50 lakh through conduits and abusing his official position to enhance the credit limits of some companies in violation of laid down procedures.

"The intercepted conversation also needs to be put to the accused. An employee of applicant Neeraj Singal, who had taken the alleged bribe amount to Bhopal, is also not yet traced. The co-accused Purushotam Totlani is also absconding.

"The offence in question is serious in nature, requires custodial interrogation especially when bribe amount of Rs 50 lakh has been recovered from the possession of co-accused in consonance with the alleged intercepted conversation," the judge had said.

The court also said "accused Neeraj Singal is the Vice Chairman and MD of M/s Bhushan Steel and is thus one of the key accused and one of the key beneficiaries...." the judge said.

PTI