Latest news with #Moonshot
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Mokobara's Diljit Dosanjh ad: A splash of sci-fi humor and deja vu
Mokobara , the travel and lifestyle brand, has stirred up a buzz with its latest advertisement featuring Diljit Dosanjh . In a quirky mix of sci-fi humor and Bollywood-style action, the ad follows Dosanjh as he receives an unexpected galactic invite from a fictional Elon Musk to perform on Mars. Amidst interplanetary chaos and Diljit's signature charm, Mokobara cleverly spotlights its standout feature i.e. a hassle-free, " no questions asked " 30-day trial policy . However, the ad's distinct style and plot have triggered a wave of comparisons to an older, equally memorable campaign for Carlton Luggage . Advertising pundits and social media users alike have pointed out striking similarities. The Carlton campaign was famous for launching their 'Carlton Edge' sub-range, which came with a lifetime warranty that even covered airline damage, all under a 'no questions asked' policy. The campaign, developed by Moonshot , fully embraces far-fetched humor and pop-culture parody , leveraging Dosanjh's charismatic persona to deliver a memorable, albeit outlandish, narrative. It's a clear attempt by Mokobara to position itself as a modern, design-forward brand that understands its audience's inclination. We reached out to both Moonshot and Mokobara for comment on the campaign's creative influences, but did not receive a response at the time of publishing. While Mokobara's ad with Diljit certainly stands out for its celebrity power and production value, the chatter around its resemblance to the Carlton campaign has added an unexpected layer to its reception. The brand officially announced Diljit Dosanjh as their brand ambassador in October 2024, a partnership that prominently featured his global 'Dil-luminati' tour.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Sydney Morning Herald
Why the Finnish ambassador is driving a Camry from Perth to Darwin
Driving a cheap car across the vast Australian outback is becoming a rite of passage for ambassadors living in Perth, with Finland's Ambassador to Australia Arto Haapea the latest diplomat to take part in the Shitbox Rally. More than a year after former USA Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy drove her beaten-up BA Falcon 'Moonshot' from South Australia to Perth, Haapea will later this week drive a blue 2004 Toyota Camry dubbed the 'Happiest Car in the World' through the WA outback from Perth to Darwin. The car is covered in decals evocative of Finland, such as homages to Santa (much of the country is encompassed by the Arctic Circle), the white hippo-like Moomins characters and a big smile on the front bumper. The Shitbox Rally encourages entrants to raise money for the Cancer Council by purchasing a car worth less than $1500 and driving it huge distances from one corner of the country to the next. Haapea, who was appointed to the role in March last year, said he was hooked on the thought of driving through the outback with a sense of purpose after seeing Kennedy's trip. 'As I have gone through cancer in my early 20s, this challenge seemed like the most natural way to bring together our fun-loving countries,' he said. 'I have always been a big fan of road trips, so the Shitbox Rally really ticks all the boxes for me. 'I have to confess I know very little about cars, so I'm putting all my hope into skilled and experienced fellow shitboxers. If there's one thing that I am slightly worried about, it has to do with the deadly fauna and sleeping in a swag. 'The car is all about bringing the famous Finnish happiness to the outback.'
The Age
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Age
Why the Finnish ambassador is driving a Camry from Perth to Darwin
Driving a cheap car across the vast Australian outback is becoming a rite of passage for ambassadors living in Perth, with Finland's Ambassador to Australia Arto Haapea the latest diplomat to take part in the Shitbox Rally. More than a year after former USA Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy drove her beaten-up BA Falcon 'Moonshot' from South Australia to Perth, Haapea will later this week drive a blue 2004 Toyota Camry dubbed the 'Happiest Car in the World' through the WA outback from Perth to Darwin. The car is covered in decals evocative of Finland, such as homages to Santa (much of the country is encompassed by the Arctic Circle), the white hippo-like Moomins characters and a big smile on the front bumper. The Shitbox Rally encourages entrants to raise money for the Cancer Council by purchasing a car worth less than $1500 and driving it huge distances from one corner of the country to the next. Haapea, who was appointed to the role in March last year, said he was hooked on the thought of driving through the outback with a sense of purpose after seeing Kennedy's trip. 'As I have gone through cancer in my early 20s, this challenge seemed like the most natural way to bring together our fun-loving countries,' he said. 'I have always been a big fan of road trips, so the Shitbox Rally really ticks all the boxes for me. 'I have to confess I know very little about cars, so I'm putting all my hope into skilled and experienced fellow shitboxers. If there's one thing that I am slightly worried about, it has to do with the deadly fauna and sleeping in a swag. 'The car is all about bringing the famous Finnish happiness to the outback.'
Business Times
09-06-2025
- Business Times
Alibaba, Tencent freeze AI tools during high-stakes China exam
[BEIJING] China's most popular artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots such as Alibaba's Qwen have temporarily disabled functions including picture recognition, to prevent students from cheating during the country's annual 'gaokao' college entrance examinations. Apps including Tencent Holdings' Yuanbao and Moonshot's Kimi suspended photo-recognition services during the hours when the multi-day exams take place across the country. Asked to explain, the chatbots responded: 'To ensure the fairness of the college entrance examinations, this function cannot be used during the test period.' China's infamously rigorous 'gaokao' is a rite of passage for teenagers across the nation, thought to shape the futures of millions of aspiring graduates. Students – and their parents – pull out the stops for any edge they can get, from extensive private tuition to, on occasion, attempts to cheat. To minimise disruption, examiners outlaw the use of devices during the hours-long tests. Alibaba Group Holding's Qwen and ByteDance's Doubao still offered photo recognition as at Monday (Jun 9). But when asked to answer questions about a photo of a test paper, Qwen responded that the service was temporarily frozen during exam hours from Jun 7 to 10. Doubao said the picture uploaded was 'not in compliance with rules'. China lacks a widely adopted university application process such as in the US, where students prove their qualifications through years of academic records, along with standardised tests and personal essays. For Chinese high-school seniors, the gaokao, held in June each year, is often the only way they can impress admissions officials. About 13.4 million students are taking part in this year's exams. The test is considered the most significant in the nation, especially for those from smaller cities and lower-income families that lack resources. A misstep may require another year in high school, or completely alter a teenager's future. The exam is also one of the most strictly controlled in China, to prevent cheating and ensure fairness. But fast-developing AI has posed new challenges for schools and regulators. The education ministry last month released a set of regulations stating that, while schools should start cultivating AI talent at a young age, students should not use AI-generated content as answers in homework and tests. BLOOMBERG
Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
An Indian model in delivering health care, at scale & low cost
The US spends more on health care than any other country, pouring in hundreds of billions of dollars each year on research, sprawling government programmes, and high-profile initiatives. But what does it have to show for this massive investment? Skyrocketing costs, deep inequalities in access, and health outcomes that lag many developed nations. Both its medical and research systems have grown bloated and inefficient, increasingly disconnected from the real needs of patients. The US Cancer Moonshot is a textbook example of this dysfunction. Launched by President Barack Obama in 2016, with Vice President Joe Biden championing it, the programme promised to transform cancer care — accelerating research, delivering new treatments, and saving lives. Touted as a bold mission to achieve 10 years of progress in just five, it secured over $2 billion in funding. Biden made it a personal crusade, reviving and expanding the initiative during his presidency. Yet nearly a decade later, the results are meagre. Announcements were made and papers published, but little came of this. In sharp contrast, India is demonstrating what true health care innovation looks like — with a fraction of the resources. Karkinos Healthcare, a private venture I have mentored and advised, set out to revolutionise cancer care with just $100 million in investor funding — a sum that would barely register in US health care budgets. And in just four years — less than the Moonshot's original timeline — Karkinos has built a nationwide cancer care network that delivers measurable, life-saving results at a scale the US programme could only dream of. Today, Karkinos operates 80 centres across 12 states, having screened more than 3 million people and diagnosed over 60,000 cancer patients. Of these, 35,000 are from remote villages and small towns that previously had no access to cancer care at all. Thousands of lives have already been saved. Unlike the US moonshot, this is not PR spin — it's real progress, delivered with precision and impact. Karkinos's success is built on execution and smart partnerships. It collaborates with hospitals and clinics to offer screenings and diagnostics close to home, escalating complex cases to higher-level centres only when needed. Its digital backbone ensures every patient's journey is tracked and managed, closing gaps that typically plague cancer care in low-resource settings. The entire experience is mapped — like an Uber for cancer care — with everything digitised and tightly coordinated. Tumour boards review each patient's treatment plan to ensure a second opinion is always part of the process. Rates are pre-negotiated and a fraction of what insurance companies or patients would normally pay. The system is fast, efficient, and fully patient-focused. The journey was far from easy. At one point, Karkinos was in serious trouble — grappling with logistical challenges, funding shortfalls, and scepticism. Its very survival was at stake. But through determination, problem-solving, and tight execution, the team turned things around and achieved what the US could not. Meanwhile, the US Cancer Moonshot — despite its massive budget and high-profile promises — delivered little more than press releases and committee meetings. I saw this complacency firsthand through my interactions with its leadership, including a White House meeting and extensive follow-up discussions. My goal was to advocate for collaboration with India, highlighting the technology Karkinos had built and the treasure trove of medical data it had amassed — offered freely as part of a groundbreaking partnership. But instead of seizing this chance to leap forward, the Moonshot team reverted to its usual routine. It handed out grants to favoured researchers who churned out academic papers with little practical impact, and endlessly scheduled meetings with other government bureaucrats, brushing off India's capabilities with thinly veiled condescension, as if it couldn't possibly have built world-class technology. The sense of urgency was all for show. Patients continued to suffer — and die — while the government's machinery crawled along at its usual pace. The Moonshot's failure is not unique; it reflects a deeper issue. The US health care system is addicted to funding academic research and pilot projects that rarely scale. There is a reluctance to focus on the hard, unglamorous work of delivering proven solutions at scale. The result? A system long on discovery but painfully short on meaningful impact. Karkinos offers a different path, solving real-world problems now, at scale, and using existing technologies. It is a model driven by necessity and ingenuity — and it is working. With Reliance Industries acquiring Karkinos and Mukesh Ambani compassionately backing its expansion, the company is set to scale rapidly. Reliance brings the capital, reach, and operational expertise to take the Karkinos model across India — and eventually to other countries. What began as a bold health care startup is fast becoming a blueprint to deliver cancer care — and healthcare more broadly — effectively and equitably. America spends nearly 18% of its GDP — over $4 trillion annually — on health care. Yet, it delivers poor outcomes. Even more troubling is how much of that funding is tied up in research that rarely translates into real-world improvements. India, too, faces calls from international experts to pour more public money into research. But rather than copying the US model of research for its own sake, India's policymakers should focus on what is already working — government-industry partnerships built for execution, scale, and results. The world doesn't need more Moonshots that fizzle out; it needs more Karkinos-style revolutions that deliver. Vivek Wadhwa is CEO, Vionix Biosciences. The views expressed are personal
