All stories by DEVANGSHU DATTA
The Nobels and the Age Problem
Rediff.com22 Oct 2020Science is a young person's game. An award to a young scientist could free up that person to do productive work, or help win more grants by enhancing reputation, argues Devangshu Datta.
Your WhatsApp messages are encrypted but are they safe?
Rediff.com10 Oct 2020Apart from physical access to handsets, metadata and backups are two common ways in which private communications can be broken.
When auto industry isn't doing well, it's a clear sign economy isn't doing well
Rediff.com6 Oct 2020'Given all the linkages, the monthly registration data for new vehicles, may well be the single most accurate indicator of India's economic health,' points out Devangshu Datta.
Now Alexa will respond in Bachchan's voice
Rediff.com4 Oct 2020Every word spoken by "Alexa Bachchan" is computer-generated, not a recording.
Portnoy's complaint about Warren Buffett
Rediff.com27 Aug 2020When it comes to Mr Portnoy, it is hard to claim that his trading patterns are any more logical than his fictional namesake's methods of entertaining himself, notes Devangshu Datta.
The looming banking crisis no one's talking about
Rediff.com24 Aug 2020The financial sector has been deeply troubled since 2013. It is now in a full-blown crisis, warns Devangshu Datta.
As Microsoft's Internet Explorer bows out, a look at its chequered life
Rediff.com21 Aug 2020The potted history of the browser wars indicates how much the online space has altered in the last 25 years. Chrome's dominance, says Devangshu Datta, is unlikely to last forever.
How did the Twitter hack happen?
Rediff.com31 Jul 2020The hack may have been done by a rogue Twitter employee, or it may have been a smart hack into the Twitter system, or a social hack where someone conned Twitter's employees into giving them access,' suspects Devangshu Datta.
Ludo or Rummy? What's your choice?
Rediff.com29 Jul 2020These games of skill with a large social component have managed the transition to a new online avatar.
Is the worst over for the Indian IT sector?
Rediff.com28 Jul 2020The IT industry advisories show that they think they've weathered the worst, observes Devangshu Datta.
Why advertisers are boycotting Facebook
Rediff.com14 Jul 2020'This is the first time there has been an attempt to use market forces to counter disinformation on social media,' notes Devangshu Datta.
Aurangzeb's time and ours
Rediff.com6 Jun 2020The emperor's appetite for enlarging his realm translated into a fetish for raising taxes, despite the simplicity of his personal lifestyle, points out Devangshu Datta.
Why you need to watch out for April SIP numbers
Rediff.com28 Apr 2020Due to tax associations with the fiscal-ending, April is a month of SIP renewal. So, the April numbers will be important and may perhaps, mark a change in retail attitude.
India's greatest test since Partition
Rediff.com23 Apr 2020'The steady poverty reduction achieved over the last three decades could be largely reversed in this one financial year with hundreds of millions sliding below the red line,' warns Devangshu Datta.
The Ministry of Acronyms, Shlokas and Slogans
Rediff.com19 Apr 2020'This way, you'll maintain our glorious traditional values and get more efficient governance as well.'
How maths helps you understand the coronavirus
Rediff.com5 Apr 2020The first cycle starts with 1, then 2, then 4, 8, etc, until the infected population jumps to 16,384 at the 14th cycle, explains Devangshu Dutta.
How the world will change after coronavirus
Rediff.com23 Mar 2020'Tens of millions will be working from home for months at a time, which means the smartest brains in business will be focussed on creating more efficient WFH processes,' predicts Devangshu Datta.
Which way is Covid-19 headed?
Rediff.com18 Mar 2020The disease could go down several paths. One possibility, the least likely, is that it will just disappear. The most likely is that it will have seasonal impact, says Devangshu Datta.
Investments in the time of coronavirus
Rediff.com9 Mar 2020Gold, forex assets, IT sector, pharma. Devangshu Datta explains why each of these is a good hedge against market shocks at this time.
Being evil pays. Does it pay enough?
Rediff.com5 Feb 2020Construction companies will make money building detention centres. Information technology companies will make money on the enumeration of the CAA, NRC and NPR, notes Devangshu Datta.