Latest news with #Rehan
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Obvio's stop sign cameras use AI to root out unsafe drivers
American streets are incredibly dangerous for pedestrians. A San Carlos, California-based startup called Obvio thinks it can change that by installing cameras at stop signs -- a solution the founders also say won't create a panopticon. That's a bold claim at a time when other companies like Flock have been criticized for how its license plate-reading cameras have become a crucial tool in an overreaching surveillance state. Obvio founders Ali Rehan and Dhruv Maheshwari believe they can build a big enough business without indulging those worst impulses. They've designed the product with surveillance and data-sharing limitations to ensure they can follow through with that claim. They've found deep pockets willing to believe them, too. The company has just completed a $22 million Series A funding round led by Bain Capital Ventures. Obvio plans to use those funds to expand beyond the first five cities where it's currently operating in Maryland. Rehan and Maheshwari met while working at Motive, a company that makes dashboard cameras for the trucking industry. While there, Maheshwari told TechCrunch the pair realized 'a lot of other normal passenger vehicles are awful drivers.' The founders said they were stunned the more they looked into road safety. Not only were streets and crosswalks getting more dangerous for pedestrians, but in their eyes, the U.S. was also falling behind on enforcement. 'Most other countries are actually pretty good at this,' Maheshwari said. 'They have speed camera technology. They have a good culture of driving safety. The U.S. is actually one of the worst across all the modern nations.' Maheshwari and Rehan began studying up on road safety by reading books and attending conferences. They found that people in the industry gravitated toward three general solutions: education, engineering, and enforcement. In their eyes, those approaches were often too separated from each other. It's hard to quantify the impact of educational efforts. Local officials may try to fix a problematic intersection by, say, installing a roundabout, but that can take years of work and millions of dollars. And law enforcement can't camp out at every stop sign. Rehan and Maheshwari saw promise in combining them. The result is a pylon (often brightly-colored) topped with a solar-powered camera that can be installed near almost any intersection. It's designed not to blend in -- part of the education and awareness aspect -- and it's also carefully engineered to be cheap and easy to install. The on-device AI is trained to spot the worst types of stop sign or other infractions. (The company also claims on its website it can catch speeding, crosswalk violations, illegal turns, unsafe lane changes, and even distracted driving.) When one of these things happen, the system matches a car's license plate to the state's DMV database. All of that information -- the accuracy of the violation, the license plate -- is verified by either Obvio staff or contractors before it's sent to law enforcement, which then has to review the infractions before issuing a citation. Obvio gives the tech to municipalities for free and makes money from the citations. Exactly how that citation revenue will get split between Obvio and the governments will vary from place to place, as Maheshwari said regulations about such agreements differ by state. That clearly creates an incentive for increasing the number of citations. But Rehan and Maheshwari said they can build a business around stopping the worst offenses across a wide swath of American cities. They also said they want Obvio to remain present in -- and responsive to -- the communities that use their tech. 'Automated enforcement should be used in conjunction with community advocacy and community support, it shouldn't be this camera that you put up that does revenue grab[s] and gotchas,' Maheshwari said. The goal is to 'start using these cameras in a way to warn and deter the most egregious drivers [so] you can actually create communitywide support and behavior change.' Cities and their citizens 'need to trust us,' Maheshwari said. There's also a technological explanation for why Obvio's cameras may not become an overpowered surveillance tool for law enforcement beyond their intended use. Obvio's camera pylon records and processes its footage locally. It's only when a violation is spotted that the footage leaves the device. Otherwise, all other footage of vehicles and pedestrians passing through a given intersection stays on the device for about 12 hours before it gets deleted. (The footage is also technically owned by the municipalities, which have remote access.) This doesn't eliminate the chance that law enforcement will use the footage to surveil citizens in other ways. But it does reduce that chance. That focus is what drove Bain Capital Ventures partner Ajay Agarwal to invest in Obvio. 'Yes, in the short term, you can maximize profits, and erode those values, but I think over time, it will limit the ability of this company to be ubiquitous. It'll create enemies or create people who don't want this,' he told TechCrunch. 'Great founders are willing to sacrifice entire lines of business, frankly, and lots of revenue, in pursuit of the ultimate mission.' This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at
TechCrunch
04-06-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Obvio's stop sign cameras use AI to root out unsafe drivers
American streets are incredibly dangerous for pedestrians. A San Carlos, California-based startup called Obvio thinks it can change that by installing cameras at stop signs – a solution the founders also say won't create a panopticon. That's a bold claim at a time when other companies like Flock have been criticized for how its license plate-reading cameras have become a crucial tool in an overreaching surveillance state. Obvio founders Ali Rehan and Dhruv Maheshwari believe they can build a big enough business without indulging those worst impulses. They've designed the product with surveillance and data-sharing limitations to ensure they can follow through with that claim. They've found deep pockets willing to believe them, too. The company has just completed a $22 million Series A funding round led by Bain Capital Ventures. Obvio plans to use those funds to expand beyond the first five cities where it's currently operating in Maryland. Rehan and Maheshwari met while working at Motive, a company that makes dashboard cameras for the trucking industry. While there, Maheshwari told TechCrunch the pair realized 'a lot of other normal passenger vehicles are awful drivers.' The founders said they were stunned the more they looked into road safety. Not only were streets and crosswalks getting more dangerous for pedestrians, but in their eyes, the U.S. was also falling behind on enforcement. 'Most other countries are actually pretty good at this,' Maheshwari said. 'They have speed camera technology. They have a good culture of driving safety. The U.S. is actually one of the worst across all the modern nations.' Techcrunch event Save now through June 4 for TechCrunch Sessions: AI Save $300 on your ticket to TC Sessions: AI—and get 50% off a second. Hear from leaders at OpenAI, Anthropic, Khosla Ventures, and more during a full day of expert insights, hands-on workshops, and high-impact networking. These low-rate deals disappear when the doors open on June 5. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW Maheshwari and Rehan began studying up on road safety by reading books and attending conferences. They found that people in the industry gravitated toward three general solutions: education, engineering, and enforcement. In their eyes, those approaches were often too separated from each other. It's hard to quantify the impact of educational efforts. Local officials may try to fix a problematic intersection by, say, installing a roundabout, but that can take years of work and millions of dollars. And law enforcement can't camp out at every stop sign. Rehan and Maheshwari saw promise in combining them. The result is a pylon (often brightly-colored) topped with a solar-powered camera that can be installed near almost any intersection. It's designed not to blend in — part of the education and awareness aspect — and it's also carefully engineered to be cheap and easy to install. The on-device AI is trained to spot the worst types of stop sign or other infractions. (The company also claims on its website it can catch speeding, crosswalk violations, illegal turns, unsafe lane changes, and even distracted driving.) When one of these things happen, the system matches a car's license plate to the state's DMV database. All of that information – the accuracy of the violation, the license plate – is verified by either Obvio staff or contractors before it's sent to law enforcement, which then has to review the infractions before issuing a citation. Obvio gives the tech to municipalities for free and makes money from the citations. Exactly how that citation revenue will get split between Obvio and the governments will vary from place to place, as Maheshwari said regulations about such agreements differ by state. That clearly creates an incentive for increasing the number of citations. But Rehan and Maheswhari said they can build a business around stopping the worst offenses across a wide swath of American cities. They also said they want Obvio to remain present in – and responsive to – the communities that use their tech. 'Automated enforcement should be used in conjunction with community advocacy and community support, it shouldn't be this camera that you put up that does revenue grab[s] and gotchas,' Maheshwari said. The goal is to 'start using these cameras in a way to warn and deter the most egregious drivers [so] you can actually create community wide support and behavior change.' Cities and their citizens 'need to trust us,' Maheshwari said. There's also a technological explanation for why Obvio's cameras may not become an overpowered surveillance tool for law enforcement beyond their intended use. Obvio's camera pylon records and processes its footage locally. It's only when a violation is spotted that the footage leaves the device. Otherwise, all other footage of vehicles and pedestrians passing through a given intersection stays on the device for about 12 hours before it gets deleted. (The footage is also technically owned by the municipalities, which have remote access.) This doesn't eliminate the chance that law enforcement will use the footage to surveil citizens in other ways. But it does reduce that chance. That focus is what drove Bain Capital Ventures parnter Ajay Agarwal to invest in Obvio. 'Yes, in the short term, you can maximize profits, and erode those values, but I think over time, it will limit the ability of this company to be ubiquitous. It'll create enemies or create people who don't want this,' he told TechCrunch. 'Great founders are willing to sacrifice entire lines of business, frankly, and lots of revenue, in pursuit of the ultimate mission.'
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First Post
01-06-2025
- First Post
Pakistan: 3 killed, 9 injured in separate attacks across Balochistan, police station torched in Mastung
A fresh wave of violence has gripped Pakistan's troubled Balochistan province, where multiple attacks in recent days have left at least three people dead, including a taxation inspector, and nine others injured. read more Pakistan: 3 killed, 9 injured in separate attacks across Balochistan, police station torched in Mastung. Reuters In Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, multiple attacks unfolded in which three people, including a taxation inspector, were killed and nine others injured, according to reports from Dawn. A taxation official was shot dead in Dera Bugti, and a Levies police station was set on fire in Mastung district. Meanwhile, amid ongoing unrest and insurgent activity, a roadside blast near Quetta killed two siblings and injured nine others on Saturday, officials said. The Additional Deputy Commissioner of Surab district was also killed in an attack on Friday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The official, identified as Rehan, was on his way home when armed men opened fire on him in the Sui Tehsil Bazaar area of Dera Bugti. No group has claimed responsibility for the shooting, and the motive remains unclear. Levies authorities have registered a case. Later in the evening, armed militants attacked a Levies police station in the Wali Khan area of Mastung. They set the building ablaze, causing extensive damage and destroying official records, a senior official said. No casualties were reported in the attack. The attackers attempted to encircle the area but fled when security forces arrived and launched an operation. Earlier, on the outskirts of Quetta, a roadside bomb exploded, killing two brothers and injuring nine others. The improvised explosive device (IED) went off in the Nawan Killi area as a car passed by. The two deceased were sons of a local tribal leader. Police and Frontier Corps personnel quickly arrived at the scene and transferred the victims to Civil Hospital Quetta. Dr Wasim Baig, the hospital spokesman, said two bodies and nine injured individuals were brought in. The deceased were identified as Abdul Salam and his brother Abdul Nafay. Of the injured, six were identified, while three remained unidentified at the time of reporting. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The bodies were handed over to the families after legal formalities. Police described the blast as a targeted killing. Security agencies are continuing their investigations. No group has claimed responsibility so far. Meanwhile, Additional Deputy Commissioner Hidayatullah Buledi, who was killed earlier in an attack at his residence, was laid to rest on Saturday in his hometown of Bhag in the Kachhi district. Pakistan has long been accused of exploiting the people of Balochistan and neglecting the region's development. A fresh wave of suspected fake encounters by Pakistani forces has also triggered public anger in Balochistan. Baloch rights activists have accused security forces of killing three people while in custody and staging the deaths as armed clashes. The victims were identified as Abdul Rehman Buzdar, Fareed Buzdar, and Sultan Marri. However, Pakistan has consistently maintained such narratives, even as its agencies and forces are frequently accused of committing human rights violations, including enforced disappearances. In March 2025 alone, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan documented 151 enforced disappearances and 80 killings, marking a sharp escalation in violence and repression. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The independence movement in Balochistan is a longstanding and complex struggle, rooted in historical neglect, political marginalisation, and widespread human rights concerns. In May 2025, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) briefly seized control of parts of Sorab city, attacking government buildings and looting a bank. The incident resulted in the death of a local official and injuries to civilians. Baloch leaders subsequently declared independence from Pakistan, proclaiming the 'Republic of Balochistan' and seeking international recognition, including appeals to the United Nations and India.
News18
23-05-2025
- News18
Afghan Man Who Stayed 5 Years In India With Fake ID Held At Lucknow Airport
Last Updated: Jandullah, a resident of Afghanistan's Paktika province, admitted to having stayed illegally in India for several years and obtaining forged documents to establish a false identity In a startling breach of airport security, immigration authorities at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow apprehended an Afghan national attempting to board an international flight using a forged Indian passport. The incident occurred on Sunday, May 19, when the man, later identified as Jandullah, alias Rehan, was preparing to board an IndiGo flight bound for Sharjah. According to immigration officials, the individual initially identified himself as 'Rehan", a native of Bihar. However, his dialect and language immediately raised red flags with immigration officer Vidya Ram Shukla, who was on duty at the time. Sensing inconsistencies, Shukla initiated a deeper inquiry into the man's documents. A subsequent investigation revealed that all of the Indian identity documents in the accused's possession including his Aadhaar card, PAN card, and passport, were issued after 2020. Yet records showed he had entered India in 2019 on a six-day medical visa. This glaring discrepancy set off alarm bells. Under intense interrogation, the suspect confessed that his true identity was Jandullah, a resident of Chakan village in Afghanistan's Paktika province. He admitted to having stayed illegally in India for several years and obtaining forged Indian documents to establish a false identity. Officials also learned of an elaborate personal backstory: after initially entering the country for medical treatment, Jandullah remained in India and integrated into local life. He reportedly lived with his brother and even participated in a family wedding. Within a week, his suspicious behaviour prompted further scrutiny, eventually leading to his confession. With the gravity of the situation apparent, immigration authorities swiftly alerted the local police and intelligence agencies. The suspect has since been remanded to judicial custody following preliminary investigations. Security and intelligence agencies are now working to trace his movements across cities during his stay in India. How someone managed to remain undetected for nearly five years using counterfeit documents is a significant lapse, said a senior intelligence official familiar with the case, speaking on condition of anonymity. Police are preparing to seek custodial remand to extract more information from the accused as the probe expands into what may be a broader network of illegal entries and forged documentation. First Published: May 23, 2025, 14:47 IST
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Time of India
Accent that betrayed: An Afghan'sfailed masquerade as a Bihari
Lucknow: The bustling departure terminal of Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport was alive with the usual hum of travellers. Among them stood Jandullah Dad Mohammad, a 33-year-old man from Afghanistan's rugged Paktika Province, clutching an Indian passport under the alias Rehan of Patna. His destination was Sharjah, his demeanour calm—until his accent betrayed him, unravelling a tale of forged identities, illicit travel, and a life lived in the shadows. It was just past 7 pm on Monday when Jandullah, dressed in nondescript travel attire, approached the immigration observation counter for IndiGo flight 6E1423 to Sharjah. His documents were impeccable: an Indian passport, Aadhaar card, PAN card, Voter ID, driving licence, SBI bank passbook, and even a ration card, all bearing the name Rehan, son of Kabir, from Kotwali, Patna. He carried US $1,600, 3,000 UAE Dirham, ₹21,000, a UAE visa, hotel bookings, and three mobile phones, including a gleaming iPhone 16 Pro. To the untrained eye, he was a Bihari heading abroad for work or leisure. But something felt off to the junior immigration officer scanning his profile. The documents aligned, yet Jandullah's presence didn't. His face, his mannerisms, his story—they didn't quite match the dossier of a Patna native. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo The officer, trained to spot discrepancies, leaned in for a routine verbal check. "Aap Patna ke hain? Kahaan se hain wahan? (Are you from Patna? Where in Patna?)" he asked casually, probing for details about Rehan's supposed hometown. Jandullah responded, but his words carried an unfamiliar cadence. The lilt of Magadhi, the dialect spoken across Bihar's heartland, was absent. His Hindi was stilted, tinged with a foreign inflection that didn't belong to the Gangetic plains. "He claimed to be from Patna but couldn't answer basic questions about the city. His tone was all wrong," the officer later told colleagues. After signalling for backup, the officer had Jandullah quietly escorted to a holding room for further questioning. The suspicion turned to certainty when a background check revealed his Afghan passport and expired medical visa hidden in his bag. Authorities learned Jandullah had entered India in December 2019 on a six-day medical visa but vanished after landing in Delhi. By 2020, he'd acquired a full suite of fake IDs, likely through a Patna-based document racket. The revelation has stunned the immigration team. It's important to note that Paktika is a volatile region bordering Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Known for its rugged Toba Kakar Range and proximity to terrorrist strongholds, it's a place where survival often trumps legality. Jandullah's journey from there to Lucknow's airport was a puzzle authorities were now desperate to piece together. On Thursday afternoon, the Sarojini Nagar police in Lucknow had lodged an FIR against Jandullah, based on the written complaint of immigration sleuth, charging Afghan national under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating, impersonation, forgery, using forged documents, and violations of the Passport Act (section 12) and Foreigners Act (section 14B). The charges painted a picture of a calculated crime: Entering India on a medical visa, overstaying illegally, and building a false identity to move freely, perhaps toward a larger scheme. Presented before a magistrate, Jandullah was remanded to judicial custody, his Sharjah dreams grounded.
