Move Over, Meghan Markle: David and Victoria Beckham ‘Planning to Launch Rival Brand’ Selling Own Homemade Jam, Wine and Gin as Duchess’ Business Continues to Flop

**David Beckham’s Farm-Fresh Brand Set to Rival Meghan Markle’s As Ever**

*Published: September 19, 2025, 7:07 p.m. ET*

Meghan Markle’s *As Ever* brand is about to face some stiff competition in the celebrity jam market. David Beckham is leveraging his impressive farming skills to launch a range of products—including the traditionally English fruit spread—RadarOnline.com can reveal.

The 50-year-old soccer legend has captivated fans with his farming and gardening talents over recent years, frequently sharing the fruits of his labor and recipes on social media. Now, Beckham aims to take things a step further by opening a farm shop on the couple’s $16.1 million estate in England’s Cotswolds, featuring his homegrown goods alongside products from his wife, Victoria Beckham.

**A Talented Grower with Big Dreams**

“David has been working really hard these past few years growing his own fruit and vegetables, as well as producing honey. It’s always been his dream to have a shop where he can sell his own produce,” an insider revealed. “Now, he feels ready to start selling directly to the public. He’s taken lots of courses, feels very connected to nature, and this shop could become another extension of their brand.”

Victoria shares the vision, with big plans in store. “While much of the project will be handled by their eldest team, Vic and David will be front and center for the launch and any publicity,” the source added. “They’re even thinking about branching out into wines and gins. Plus, Vic sees herself designing some country interiors.”

**A Potential Rival to As Ever**

The insider went on to highlight the Beckhams’ ambitions: “This venture could easily rival Meghan’s *As Ever* brand. Vic knows she has the background and expertise to outshine Meghan if she chooses to. There’s a huge market in the U.S. for English country living, and both David and Victoria know how to make it a success.”

They continued, “Meghan’s brand is very American, and Vic feels Meghan is a divisive figure in the UK, which could limit her success there. So, there’s a big opportunity for Brand Beckham with this farm shop. Victoria is fully behind it because it really energizes David.”

**Plums, Honey, and Jam: Beckham’s Specialty**

Since starting his first beehive in 2020, David has become quite the expert honey-maker. He even founded his own honey-based snack brand, Bee Up Snacks, often sharing honey tips on social media.

Victoria recently showcased her husband’s jam-making skills in a video posted to her Instagram Story on September 7. The pop icon expressed her admiration as David prepared several batches of plum jam made from fruit grown on their farm.

Meanwhile, their estranged son Brooklyn had made a less impressive strawberry jam tutorial two weeks earlier. Insiders suggest Victoria’s upbeat video was a cheeky jab not only at Brooklyn but possibly at Meghan Markle as well.

“Vic has a wicked sense of humor,” the source said. “That jam video is definitely aimed at Brooklyn, but she might also be taking a playful dig at Meghan.”

**The Pause of As Ever**

David’s jam and honey tutorials come across as thorough and authentic, especially when contrasted with some of the content Meghan has shared while promoting *As Ever*.

The Duchess of Sussex launched *As Ever* in March with products including a raspberry spread (not traditional jam), wildflower honey, crêpe mix, shortbread cookies, and dried flower sprinkles. Although she claimed items sold out in under an hour, accusations surfaced that limited stock quantities were used to create hype around the brand.

In June, Markle announced she was pausing restocks to “take a step back, gather data from the launch, and figure out exactly what *As Ever* could be.”

She later introduced an *As Ever* rosé wine, but the sophomore release struggled after criticism over pricing—consumers said it was as expensive as the first vintage despite having lower alcohol content.

With David Beckham’s farm-to-table approach and Victoria’s savvy eye for design and branding, the Beckham farm shop and product line could well become a major player in the celebrity lifestyle market, potentially redefining English country living for fans on both sides of the Atlantic.
https://radaronline.com/p/david-victoria-beckham-planning-launch-rival-brand-meghan-markle/

Hyundai confirms first India-specific EV: Here’s when it will launch

**Hyundai Confirms First India-Specific EV: Here’s When It Will Launch**
*By Mudit Dube | Sep 19, 2025, 06:24 PM*

**Hyundai Announces India-Specific Electric Vehicle**

Hyundai has revealed plans to launch an electric vehicle (EV) specifically designed for the Indian market. This upcoming model will be tailored to suit local driving conditions and customer preferences, ensuring a more relevant and user-friendly experience for Indian consumers.

In addition, the EV will benefit from a localized supply chain, aimed at making EV ownership more accessible and affordable in India. Although detailed specifications are yet to be disclosed, the new model is expected to debut in the coming years.

**Global Electrification Strategy**

As part of its aggressive electrification roadmap, Hyundai is set to introduce over 18 hybrid models globally. The company is also working on region-specific EVs, including the IONIQ 3 for Europe and a mid-size pickup truck for the North American market.

Alongside these global launches, Hyundai is focusing on developing a vehicle tailored specifically for Indian conditions and buyers, highlighting the strategic importance of the Indian market in its global plans.

**India’s Role in Hyundai’s Production Strategy**

India is poised to play a crucial role in Hyundai’s global production network. The Pune manufacturing facility is expected to produce 2.5 lakh units by 2030, as part of the company’s broader goal to increase worldwide production capacity by 12 lakh units.

Hyundai aims to achieve global vehicle sales of 55.5 lakh by 2030, with electrified models accounting for approximately 60% of total sales—around 33 lakh vehicles. This ambitious target underscores Hyundai’s commitment to electrification and market-specific innovation.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/auto/hyundai-to-develop-india-specific-ev-for-local-conditions/story

India’s first trillion-parameter model to power next-gen AI apps

**India’s First Trillion-Parameter AI Model to Power Next-Gen Applications**

*By Mudit Dube | Sep 19, 2025, 05:18 PM*

In a major stride for India’s artificial intelligence landscape, BharatGen—a government-backed consortium led by IIT Bombay—has been awarded over ₹900 crore under the IndiaAI Mission. This substantial funding will support the creation of India’s first trillion-parameter large language model (LLM), designed to fuel next-generation AI applications across multiple sectors.

### Building a Trillion-Parameter Model for India

The ambitious project aims to develop a massive AI model tailored specifically for Indian contexts. However, this colossal “mother” model is not intended for direct consumer use. Instead, it will be distilled into smaller, domain-specific models suited for industries such as law, agriculture, and finance.

Rishi Bal, Executive Vice President at BharatGen, explained that these distilled models could serve practical uses—like agricultural advisory tools available in various regional languages or legal assistants trained on Indian case law—making AI more accessible and useful across diverse fields.

### Creating a Sovereign Indian Dataset

To ensure that the LLM accurately reflects India’s unique languages and cultures, BharatGen is heavily investing in building a sovereign dataset. The consortium is collaborating with publishers to license archival content and is providing free OCR services to digitize regional texts.

Furthermore, crowdsourced annotation efforts are underway to capture the linguistic nuances and cultural specificities of Indian languages. This indigenous data collection strategy is aimed at reducing reliance on foreign datasets and better aligning AI outputs with Indian realities.

### Overcoming GPU Supply and Funding Challenges

Training a trillion-parameter AI model requires thousands of GPUs working in parallel, and hardware availability remains a key challenge. Bal noted that, like many in the field, BharatGen must navigate GPU supply constraints.

The ₹900 crore government funding will partially subsidize GPU acquisition, supporting the computational backbone of this mammoth training effort. Under the IndiaAI Mission, nearly 40,000 GPUs have been allocated across various initiatives, including BharatGen’s sovereign LLM project.

### Focus on Reliability and Real-World Impact

BharatGen CEO Ganesh Ramakrishnan emphasized that the focus is on building models grounded in Indian data and languages rather than simply scaling up parameters. He highlighted the importance of reliability for real-world applications.

The consortium plans to release distilled models to developers, enabling startups and enterprises to build AI-powered solutions without needing to train massive models from scratch. This approach is expected to accelerate innovation and democratize access to cutting-edge AI technology.

### Collaborative, Efficient Operations

Operating on a hub-and-spoke model with teams spread across India, BharatGen brings together engineers, data scientists, and domain experts while maintaining lean operations. This distributed structure fosters collaboration and specialization.

Looking ahead, BharatGen is exploring public-private partnerships and sustainable revenue models such as licensing distilled AI models — ensuring continuous growth and broader adoption of Indian AI technologies.

With this landmark project, BharatGen is paving the way for AI systems that are not only powerful but also deeply rooted in India’s linguistic and cultural landscape, promising impactful and reliable applications across the nation’s key sectors.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/iit-bombay-s-bharatgen-to-build-1t-parameter-ai-model/story

India’s first trillion-parameter model to power next-gen AI apps

**India’s First Trillion-Parameter Model to Power Next-Gen AI Apps**
*By Mudit Dube | Sep 19, 2025, 05:18 PM*

**BharatGen Consortium Awarded ₹900 Crore to Build India’s Largest AI Model**

A government-backed consortium led by IIT Bombay, BharatGen, has been granted over ₹900 crore under the IndiaAI Mission to develop India’s first trillion-parameter large language model (LLM). This ambitious project aims to create a massive AI system that will serve as the foundation for building smaller, domain-specific models tailored for sectors such as law, agriculture, and finance.

**From a ‘Mother Model’ to Specialized AI Solutions**

Rishi Bal, Executive Vice President at BharatGen, explained that the trillion-parameter model is not intended for direct use by consumers. Instead, it will act as a “mother system” from which smaller, more efficient AI models can be distilled. These specialized models could include agricultural advisory tools available in regional languages or legal assistants trained on Indian case law, designed to meet the unique needs of various industries.

**Building a Sovereign Indian Dataset**

To ensure the AI reflects authentic Indian contexts, BharatGen is heavily investing in creating a sovereign dataset by aggregating diverse Indian content. The consortium is collaborating with publishers to license their archives and create comprehensive digital corpora. Additionally, they are providing free OCR (Optical Character Recognition) services to digitize regional texts and are employing crowdsourced annotation to capture the nuances of Indian languages and culture.

**Hardware Challenges and GPU Availability**

Training a trillion-parameter model requires thousands of GPUs running in parallel. Bal acknowledged the challenges in securing sufficient hardware and noted that BharatGen must wait for GPU supply like others in the field. The ₹900 crore government funding will act as a subsidy to help procure the necessary GPUs. Under the IndiaAI mission, around 40,000 GPUs have been allocated to various projects, including building India’s sovereign LLM models.

**Focus on Reliability and Real-World Applications**

Ganesh Ramakrishnan, CEO of BharatGen, emphasized that their priority is creating AI models grounded in Indian data and languages with a strong focus on reliability for real-world applications—not just raw scale. BharatGen plans to release distilled versions of the model to developers, enabling startups and enterprises to build AI-powered applications without the need to train colossal systems from scratch.

**Operational Structure and Future Plans**

BharatGen operates on a hub-and-spoke model with teams distributed across multiple locations in India. According to Bal, this approach helps bring together engineers, data scientists, and domain experts efficiently while keeping operations lean. Ramakrishnan also noted that BharatGen is exploring public-private partnerships and revenue models such as licensing smaller distilled models to sustain and expand the initiative.

This pioneering project marks a significant step toward India’s technological sovereignty in AI, promising customized and reliable solutions tailored for the country’s diverse sectors and languages.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/iit-bombay-s-bharatgen-to-build-1t-parameter-ai-model/story

5 workplace communication myths ‘The Office’ gets wrong

**5 Workplace Communication Myths ‘The Office’ Gets Wrong**
*By Vinita Jain | Sep 19, 2025, 02:24 PM*

*What’s the story?*
The Office, a popular sitcom, has given us plenty of laughs and some insights into workplace communication. However, not all of its portrayals are accurate or practical. While entertaining, the show often exaggerates or simplifies complex communication dynamics. Here, we debunk five common myths about workplace communication as seen in The Office and offer a more realistic view of how to effectively communicate in professional settings.

**#1 Myth of Over-the-Top Personalities**
The Office frequently depicts characters with exaggerated personalities that dominate most of the office dynamics. In reality, workplaces feature a diverse range of personalities, but they are rarely as dramatic or over-the-top as shown on the show. Believing this myth can lead to misunderstandings about how personality traits affect communication at work. The key in actual workplaces is to understand and adapt to different personalities to communicate effectively.

**#2 Misconception of Constant Conflict**
Another recurring theme in The Office is the idea that workplaces are always filled with conflict and drama. While some conflict is inevitable in any team environment, most workplaces maintain a more subdued atmosphere where collaboration and teamwork prevail. This misconception can cause unnecessary stress among employees who feel they must be perpetually managing conflicts.

**#3 Oversimplification of Leadership Roles**
Leadership roles in The Office are often simplified, with managers portrayed as either clueless or overly controlling. Effective leadership, however, requires a balance between authority and approachability. Leaders need to navigate complex relationships and make decisions that support the well-being of their teams. This myth can undermine the importance of strong leadership skills that foster a positive and productive work environment.

**#4 Illusion of Open Communication Channels**
The Office portrays open communication as easily accessible to all employees, regardless of hierarchy or position. In contrast, most organizations require conscious effort from both management and staff to build trust and transparency. Believing otherwise might lead employees to assume they can voice concerns freely without facing any barriers or repercussions.

**#5 Simplistic View on Feedback Mechanisms**
Feedback in The Office is often shown as simple exchanges between coworkers or between employees and managers. In reality, effective feedback is part of structured systems designed to facilitate constructive criticism and professional growth. Without these systems, misunderstandings can arise and potentially harm team dynamics.

By understanding these myths and recognizing the realities of workplace communication, employees and leaders can foster more effective, respectful, and productive interactions. While The Office provides great entertainment, real-life communication requires nuance, effort, and balance.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/5-workplace-communication-myths-the-office-gets-wrong/story

Better to risk billions than fall behind in AI: Zuckerberg

**Better to Risk Billions Than Fall Behind in AI, Says Mark Zuckerberg**

*By Akash Pandey | Sept 19, 2025, 2:12 PM*

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reaffirmed his commitment to heavy investment in artificial intelligence (AI) research and development, emphasizing that the greater risk lies in not being aggressive enough rather than overspending.

**A Calculated Risk Amid an AI Bubble**

In a recent episode of the Access podcast, Zuckerberg acknowledged that an AI bubble is “quite possible.” However, he stressed that for Meta, the larger danger would be falling behind in the race to develop transformative AI technologies.

Zuckerberg highlighted the importance of preparing for the advent of superintelligence, warning that companies moving too slowly could find themselves at a significant disadvantage. He described superintelligence as potentially the most important technological breakthrough in history—one that will fuel new products, innovations, and economic value.

> “The risk, at least for a company like Meta, is probably in not being aggressive enough rather than being somewhat too aggressive,” Zuckerberg said.

**Massive Investment in Infrastructure**

To support this vision, Meta has committed to investing at least $600 billion in US data centers and infrastructure by 2028. This figure, revealed earlier this month and confirmed by Meta’s CFO Susan Li, covers data center expansions as well as broader investments in US business operations, including hiring.

**Balancing Growth with Caution**

Despite the massive financial commitment, Meta has recently slowed its recruitment pace after initially offering substantial signing bonuses to attract AI talent. This strategic caution comes amid concerns from Wall Street regarding Meta’s labor costs and the potential dilution of shareholder value through stock-based compensation without clear innovation outcomes.

**Sustainability and Market Position**

Zuckerberg contrasted Meta’s financial stability with other AI labs like OpenAI and Anthropic, which rely heavily on fundraising to cover expensive compute costs. He asserted:

> “We’re not at risk of going out of business,” unlike these private companies whose futures depend on both AI progress and wider economic factors.

**Preparing for Superintelligence**

Looking ahead, Meta is consolidating its top AI researchers into a small, flat “superintelligence” lab that prioritizes research without rigid deadlines. Zuckerberg emphasized that the company aims to make “compute per researcher” a competitive edge by outspending rivals on GPUs and custom infrastructure necessary for frontier AI development.

Mark Zuckerberg’s vision underlines Meta’s commitment to leading the AI revolution—even if it means risking billions—to avoid falling behind in what he sees as a defining technological race of our time.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/risking-billions-on-ai-is-worth-the-gamble-zuckerberg/story

Zuckerberg’s Meta glasses demo stumble recalls Jobs’ iPhone 4 fail

**Zuckerberg’s Meta Glasses Demo Stumble Recalls Jobs’ iPhone 4 Fail**
*By Mudit Dube | Sep 18, 2025, 01:16 PM*

At Meta Connect 2025, Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a trio of Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, showcasing exciting new features designed to enhance everyday life. However, the live demonstrations, including a cooking guide and a WhatsApp video call, faced unexpected technical difficulties.

During the cooking demo, Chef Jack Mancuso’s recipe instructions repeated incorrectly, causing confusion. The situation worsened when Zuckerberg’s video call with Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth failed, prompting Bosworth to join Zuckerberg live on stage instead. Meta cited Wi-Fi connectivity problems as the reason behind these glitches, bringing to mind a similar incident in tech history.

**A Look Back at Jobs’ Demo Disaster**

In 2010, Steve Jobs introduced FaceTime on the iPhone 4 with a highly anticipated live demonstration. However, the video call unexpectedly failed in front of millions of viewers worldwide. Despite the setback, Jobs remained composed and handled the situation with grace, instructing the audience to turn off Wi-Fi, which allowed the demo to proceed successfully.

This moment became iconic—not for the failure itself—but as a lesson in leadership and poise during live tech presentations. Jobs’ calm response set a high standard for handling real-time demo challenges.

*[Watch: How Jobs handled the live demo failure]*

**Tech Troubles Across Eras**

Zuckerberg’s Meta glasses demo underscores how even as technology evolves, live presentations remain vulnerable to real-world issues. Network interruptions, device glitches, and unforeseen technical problems can undermine even the most advanced products on stage.

Both Jobs’ and Zuckerberg’s experiences highlight the human side of technology launches. While Jobs’ poised handling is remembered as exemplary, Zuckerberg’s hiccups serve as a reminder that live demos are inherently unpredictable—even in today’s era of cutting-edge innovation.

In the end, these moments emphasize the importance of adaptability and resilience in delivering successful tech presentations.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/iphone-4-to-meta-glasses-when-live-tech-demos-fail/story

MediaTek to launch its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 rival chip on Sept 22

MediaTek has announced that its next flagship Dimensity mobile SoC will officially be unveiled on September 22, 2025. The Taiwanese tech giant has yet to reveal the name or any additional details about the new chip. Interestingly, this launch is scheduled just one day before rival Qualcomm announces its own top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor.

On Chinese social media platform Weibo, MediaTek confirmed the September 22 launch date for its upcoming flagship processor. Qualcomm is set to reveal its next flagship 8-series chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, a day later on September 23.

While MediaTek has not provided further specifics, rumors suggest the new processor will be called the Dimensity 9500. This chip is expected to be the successor to the Dimensity 9400, which was launched last year. The Dimensity 9400 currently powers flagship smartphones such as the Oppo Find X8 Pro. However, it has still lagged slightly behind the Snapdragon 8 Elite in performance benchmarks.

According to Geekbench scores, the Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered Samsung S25 Ultra achieved a single-core score of 2,860, while the Oppo Find X8 Pro scored 2,648. In comparison, a Dimensity 9500-powered Oppo device, believed to be the Oppo Find X9 Pro, recorded a significantly higher single-core score of 3,394.

### MediaTek Confirms Successful Test of 2nm Chip Process

The Dimensity 9400 is manufactured using Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC’s 3nm process, and the Dimensity 9500 is also expected to utilize the same technology. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 will similarly be based on the 3nm process.

However, MediaTek has confirmed that it has successfully adopted TSMC’s 2nm process technology, which could debut in a future chip. The 2nm process features a nanosheet transistor structure, promising enhanced performance and improved power efficiency. Additionally, a higher manufacturing yield is anticipated with this advanced technology.

Despite this progress, users will need to wait longer before seeing a MediaTek chip built on the 2nm process enter the market.

In parallel, Samsung is rumored to be developing its own 2nm process for the upcoming Exynos 2600 chip. This new SoC is expected to power the Samsung S26 Pro and S26 Edge smartphones slated for release next year.

Stay tuned for more updates as both MediaTek and Qualcomm gear up for their flagship launches later this month.
https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/mediatek-to-launch-its-qualcomm-snapdragon-8-elite-gen-5-rival-chip-on-sept-22-details-here-2788827-2025-09-18?utm_source=rss

Mark Zuckerberg fumbles Meta Ray-Ban Display showcase at Connect 2025 keynote

Meta Connect 2025 kicked off with an exciting keynote, featuring a live demo of the new Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. While the glasses showed promising potential, the demonstration faced several technical hiccups that marred the overall presentation.

During the Meta Connect 2025 keynote, Zuckerberg introduced the translucent Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, opting for a live demo rather than a pre-recorded video. This bold choice, however, did not go as smoothly as planned. At one point, Zuckerberg was unable to answer a video call, which caused him to become flustered and ultimately abandon that segment of the demo.

Despite these challenges, viewers were able to catch a glimpse of the glasses’ key features. The Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses come equipped with a Meta Neural Band, enabling users to navigate the display and write messages through hand movements. While the glasses also offer dictation capabilities, this feature was not showcased during the demo.

In addition to innovative controls, the glasses feature a translucent screen and boast an impressive 18-hour battery life. They are water-resistant and come with two transition lenses designed for both indoor and outdoor use, enhancing their versatility.

The Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses are set to be released on September 30, 2025, with a retail price of $799 USD. Despite the rocky live demo, these glasses represent an intriguing step forward in wearable technology, blending style and functionality.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146002/meta-ray-ban-display-connect-2025