Opening thoughts. By the time you read this, NASA’s Artemis II would have set the record of taking humans further away from Earth (more than 248,665 miles) than any previous space mission. It would’ve also completed the lunar flyby, by then. And if all goes according to plan, the names for two moon craters, proposed to be Integrity and Carroll, would have been finalised. But the space mission is also a tale of two tech companies, since technology likes to find an intersection in most things these days. One gets a big win. And the other? Not so much.
Since I like to be positive as a habit, let’s talk about Apple Inc. first. NASA using the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max to capture stunning photos of the Earth from the Artemis II mission. #ShotoniPhone in space, and the iPhone has now also gone much further than any Android phone. It is believed that every crew member is carrying an iPhone 17 Pro Max, having been approved for use in orbit.
Metadata from Flickr confirms the use of the FaceTime camera, and then processed in Adobe Lightroom Classic—most likely to adjust contrast, exposure and crop. A massive milestone in a big year for Apple completing 50 years, and I fully expect the marketing teams in Cupertino to leverage this at this summer’s WWDC keynote, and the iPhone keynote a few months later.
And then there’s Microsoft Corp. About seven hours into the Artemis II flight, commander Reid Wiseman reported something many of you Windows PC users would know all too well—Outlook on his system had stopped working. The crew can be heard on the stream saying there are “two Microsoft Outlooks [on his PCD], and neither one of those are working”. PCD, in this case, is a personal computing device. That obviously means Outlook (New) and Outlook (Classic)—since we are all familiar with the agony.
While I do not know the specifics of the PCD on this spacecraft, it is nevertheless perplexing for a company that likes to talk big about AI to still not have discovered the basics of a stable computing experience. In office, or in space.
Editor’s Corner: Airtel’s Strategic Masterclass
Bharti Airtel Ltd. has become the world’s second largest telecom operator, with more than 650 million subscribers. I’ll get to the structure of this milestone in a moment, because it is imperative to first discuss the foundations that Airtel has worked with to get here.
The last few years (or for that matter, the last decade) have seen some of the most brutal price wars, particularly after Reliance Jio’s entry into the telecom space in 2016. Fighting in a market that often determined value based on the lowest priced recharge options, while trying to keep up ARPU numbers, buying 5G spectrum and maintaining infrastructure investments, is nothing short of a corporate strategic masterclass.
Airtel’s rise is because of its footprint in India and the continent of Africa. It is unlikely Airtel won this much by aiming to be the “cheapest”. In fact, you have to consider reliability (in my experience, in 2020, 2021 and 2022, Airtel Xstream Broadband at my home clocked a downtime of a grand total of zero minutes; internet connectivity was pivotal at that moment in time) and building a mesh of services that play well along. 4G and 5G mobile services. Fibre broadband and now 5G-led wireless broadband services. DTH and now IPTV bundled with internet connections.
What next for Airtel? Of course, aiming for China Mobile’s throne, which has approximately 350 million more users than Airtel’s 650 million.
Critics can very well say Airtel is chasing a massive capex cycle. But tech giants in Cupertino and Mountain View have proved that once you have a user base of 650 million active participants, the economics of everything else become a lot easier to solve. Airtel has standalone 5G on the agenda. As well as a financial services plan. Airtel is no longer just a telecom player. And that will be its trump card.
Tech Spotlight: Hisense Intelli Cool Pro
The times we live in, warrant a “smart” element to home appliances. And that essentially means connectivity convenience with an app on the phone.
There was some intrigue when Hisense, a brand which already has a very vibrant range of TVs (including Laser TV and Mini LED TVs), suggested an experience with their 2026 edition Intelli Cool Pro residential air-conditioning systems, or RAC. The model I’m specifically referring to is the 1.5-tonne split AC (the specific model is AS-18TW4RXSKG02), and its smartness suite goes much beyond a smartphone app (which itself is quite slick; I’ll get to that).
If you’re looking to purchase a smart split AC ahead of the summer, drawing maximum long-term value for your buck would be the ideal strategy.
I’ll start with the basics. This is a 3-star rated system, and is priced at ₹28,990. Going by current AC pricing structures, this is a very good deal. Even before you point to the fact that it’s a 3-star system and not a 5-star system, and I must agree with you: Hisense should have, and now must consider, a 5-star version as well for living room and heavier bedroom usage in particular.
That said, the 2026 edition Intelli Cool Pro does have AI (of course, it’s impossible to even sell a pen without AI these days), which builds a lot of the functionality, including the 5-in-1 convertible mode, to significantly reduce power consumption. Irrespective of a selected mode (depending on room size), Hisense has tuned this quite well for quick cooling of a typically warm room on a summer afternoon and maintaining it at the set temperature.
At the core, powerful fan throw (and it’s very silent) defines cooling efficiency. The remote could be better configured for toggling Eco modes (C1, C2, and C3). Some other AC manufacturers keep it simpler—press the button to toggle between modes with a percentage figure to indicate capacity usage (40%, 60%, and so on). Also, the Intelli Cool Pro doesn’t remember these Eco mode settings at the next power on. Neither does the remote remember certain clock settings.
To get started, you must download the ConnectLife app (it’s available for iPhones and Android devices) and follow the “add device” process to set up the Intelli Cool Pro RAC. This will replicate the complete wireless remote functionality in the app, and its beautifully tuned interface is very usable and quite intuitive. Notice the “Routines” option, because this is where you can configure the AC for automated actions such as time based power on/off, or indoor temperature-based configuration. The latter is particularly interesting to configure, if continuity of ambient comfort is the objective.
This also works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, in case you want voice control for the AC (it’d make little sense to use Home for controls, and ignoring the neat ConnectLife app). In Google’s Home app for instance, look for the ‘+’ sign > Select Device > Link Apps or Services > Search ConnectLife.
Beyond the WiFi features, it is interesting to note that Hisense has designed a four-layer filter for air purification for the 2026 edition of the Intelli Cool Pro ACs—this includes HEPA and activated carbon layers.
A thought that stays long after the cooling settles in, is that Hisense has understood the modern brief rather well. A room AC in 2026 will not just be judged by compressor tonnage, cooling efficiency (full marks to Hisense here too) and intuitiveness of usage, but also automation and smart controls. Hisense’s Intelli Cool Pro gets a lot of that right, with thoughtful app integration and strong core cooling performance at a price that is certainly competitive. A 5-star variant would make this lineup a lot more complete, and perhaps that is the next logical step. For now, a smart home gadget that’s smart for the right reasons.
Second Thoughts: Cred’s Big Moment
A few days ago, CRED did a few things. First, the roll out of biometric authentication for UPI payments up to a value of ₹5,000 on their mobile app. Second, and even more important, the Reserve Bank of India granting final authorisation to CRED (Dreamplug Paytech Solutions Pvt. Ltd.) to operate as a payments aggregator.
That development is crucial for the fintech’s growth aspirations. It now means CRED can onboard merchants, collect payments on their behalf across instruments, and handle settlement and refunds. The fintech says that in FY25, the platform managed payments of more than ₹8.5 lakh crore. A lot of that would be UPI payments as well as something the app is well known for—handling credit card bills and settlements for millions of users.
“Stakeholder trust has been central to how we have built CRED from the get-go; we’ve operated with a high bar for performance, reliability, transparency, and governance from day zero. The authorisation to operate as a payments aggregator reflects the trust we have consistently built across the ecosystem and sets the foundation for the next chapter of enabling financial progress for India’s most creditworthy.” — CRED founder Kunal Shah.
CRED and its subsidiaries now hold two licences from the RBI: The Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) licence secured earlier and the Payments Aggregator licence now sit alongside a corporate agency licence by IRDA, a registered investment advisor licence from SEBI, and a TPAP licence from NPCI. This is certainly a big moment for the fintech.
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