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|In: Technology|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Intel Security have released findings from its new study Digital Detox – Unplugging on Vacation. This was conducted to better understand the ways consumers stay digitally connected while travelling and to highlight the ways in which they may unknowingly be putting their personal identity and devices at risk.

Study findings indicated that India defines being unplugged as having ‘no electronics usage at all (39%). While almost two thirds of Indians (65%) claimed to have gone on vacation in the past year with the intention to be unplugged.

Vacations are full of distraction and opportunity, and savvy criminals have learned how to capitalise on these moments. Travellers can be targets for cyber-criminals who count on human and device vulnerabilities to provide them with a point of access to consumers’ data and devices. They can gain access to sensitive information via unsecured smartphones, laptops and even wearables, while also collecting data from social channels.

Venkat Krishnapur, Head of R&D Operations for Intel Security’s India Development Centre said

Findings from the survey indicate that a huge majority of Indians (84%) connect to the internet while on vacation. While doing so, they often access and share sensitive information without considering the potential cyber risks of divulging credit cards details, works mails and personal information on unsecured public Wi-Fi.

Through this survey, we wanted to raise awareness about the need to adopt safe digital habits and share security measures to prevent personal information from being compromised while travelling.

Findings from the survey indicate that more than one of three Indians (38%) who went on the vacation with the intent to unplug were not successful in doing so. As cyber-criminals are on the lookout for such opportunities, consumers need to be vigilant and take precautionary security measures to prevent exploitation of their personal information.

Major findings from the India

  • 84% of Indians connect to the internet while they are on vacation
  • Almost three out of four Indians (74%) say that they would want to be unplugged on a week-long vacation if work obligations were not a factor.
  • Majority of Indians (54%) are not willing to leave their smartphone at home while on vacation and Indians fared second worst globally (only Singapore was ahead at 42%) in being able to abstain from social media while on vacation at 43%.
  • Communication with the family (57%) or being available in case of emergencies (46%) are the main reasons that end up keeping people from being unplugged during vacations

 

 

Indians need to be vigilant

  • Indians (31%) that travel, access or share sensitive information while using public Wi-Fi, which is highest amongst the 14 countries surveyed.

Mexico (19%), Brazil (18%), Spain (17%), Singapore (16%), US (15%), Italy (15%), Canada (11%), France (11%), Germany (11%), Australia (10%), Japan (10 %), UK (10%), and Netherlands (09%)

  • Indians lead their global counterparts in willingly sharing personal information such as credit card number or log in name/password. More than one out of three Indians (36%) shared their personal data even when they realize that this will make them vulnerable, which is highest amongst the 14 countries surveyed

US (21%), Brazil (20%), Spain (15%), Germany (13%), Italy (13%), UK (13%), France (12%), Australia (12%), Mexico (12%), Singapore (12%), Canada (10%), Japan (09%), and Netherlands (09%)

  • 37% of Indians could not last a day on vacation without checking social media This is second only to Japan (45%) when compared globally

 

Tips to Minimize Your Travel Security Risks

Create Social Walls : Waiting in airports can be quite boring and often this can lead to posting updates from mobile device. Whether it’s your location or that selfie where your hair looks just right, criminals are more able to monitor your whereabouts via social activity and take advantage of you when you have the weakest protection.

Be Careful When You Share : We love to share our experiences with friends and family via social media, but it’s important to not indicate publicly where or when you’ll be taking that relaxing vacation. Wait until you return home before posting all about it; otherwise, you could leave yourself open to would-be thieves who want to know when your home will be vacant.

Limit Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Use : Data can be expensive but switching on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when out and about can be a recipe for disaster. Connecting to unprotected Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices can expose your personal information to a cyber-criminal. You should be especially careful when exchanging payment information. With this in mind, make sure to update your Bluetooth and Wi-Fi history by removing previously ‘remembered’ wireless networks like ‘cafewifi.’

Check and Monitor Your Accounts : Keep an eye out for suspicious activity in your bank account history. If you aren’t meticulous about monitoring your activity, a criminal could have access to your accounts for quite some time before you are aware.

Find more information, please visit Blog post from Gary Davis

Study Methodology
The research was conducted between 18th–29th March, 2016 by MSI via an online questionnaire to 1,423 people in India, age 21-54. Global study was conducted across 13,960 consumers between the ages of 21 to 54, evenly split by gender.

|In: Mobile|Last Updated: | 1 Comment

Internet has become a huge game-changer in our lives. Be it ordering food, groceries, booking a cab, booking flight tickets etc. every task is now available at our finger-tips !! Increased adoption of smart-phones (even in villages, Tier-II, Tier-III cities), growing penetration (along with affordability) of Mobile internet (2G, 3G) and Reliance Jio’s 4G offering is just an icing on the cake 🙂

Though smart-phones have become more affordable, it has reduced the real Social Interaction between people. Many years back, when I was in Mumbai there always used to be passengers who formed their own groups to pass time-time (by playing cards/discussing about various issues) but now, most of them are busy on their smart-phones. There is no major risk involved when phones when are used during the course of any journey (bus/train/car etc.). The scenario however changes when you use the phone while walking on the streets or boarding trains/buses. It might not only lead to breakage of your phones but can also pose a huge life-threat !! As per a study by Mid-Day, Chatting on mobiles while boarding trains and buses has emerged as the top reason behind mobile phone damage.

Hence, just like Life Insurance that is used to provide life-cover, many companies offer Gadget Insurance and also provide repair services at your door-step. Mobile phone screens are vulnerable to drops. While new technology advancements like gorilla glass and other screen protection methods like tempered glass have reduced screen damages they can’t ensure total protection.

It is therefore wise to opt for a damage protection plan during purchase which ensures you get your phone fixed without hassles in case of any such unfortunate event. Startups like OnsiteGO, India’s No. 1 gadget and electronic device protection company can be of huge help since they provide many complimentary services.

Coming back to breakage of phones, an analysis of over 4000+ repair requests over a period of one year revealed that using mobile phones while alighting or boarding crowed buses or trains is uncool and downright risky. A large majority of about 3000 [76%] people have dropped and broken their mobile phones while using them at such times. The data was revealed by OnsiteGo that offers gadget and electronic device protection.

Key highlights of OnsiteGo Study

  • Women tend drop their phones more often than men (58%)
  • Most people drop their phones while commuting. Talking on mobiles while alighting or boarding crowded trains, buses main reasons for dropping and breaking their phones (76%)
  • Multitasking also cited as one of the reasons for dropping phones (55%)
  • Selfie drops also account for a significant number of phone breakage. (15%)
  • More than 50% of people tend to break their smart phone screens within 8 months of buying a new smart phone.

 

According to the data, taking selfies also accounted for a significant number of drops. About 600 phones (about 15%) were broken while the user was clicking a selfie. The data also showed that about 2400 people (about 60%) comprised female users out of which a majority (about 70%) were in the age bracket of 18 to 25 years.

According to OnsiteGo, about 4000+ requests were received by the company from across the country to repair mobile devices. The data was analyzed to spot trends in usage that could be used to spread awareness among people and help them reduce loss due to breakage.

It was also found that broken screens comprised the largest category to be grouped under repairs. About 1600 (37%) were attributed to broken screens. The other issues included speaker defects, microphone damage, camera, display problems, software issues and others which were fragmented across the remaining 63%.

OnSiteGo-Data-Gender

Of these about 576 (36%) customers had broken screens within six months of purchase. Interestingly about 128 (8%) reported screen damage within the two months of ownership going up to 272 (17%) within 3 months of purchase. The numbers were found to increase exponentially after 3 months indicating that no matter how careful people are with their smartphones, breaking your smartphone screen is almost inevitable. The numbers drastically go up as high as 912 (57%) after 8 months of purchase.

Detailed Infographic of OnsiteGo Study

Looking at this trend, we are sure you would have made up your mind to have a Damage Protection plan for your phone. A damage protection pack on your phone can prove to be a big boon in emergencies. You can buy a damage protection pack online as well. OnsiteGo and a few others offer such services. There are options such as “no questions asked” program offering service whether the damage is accidental or not. And if your phone is beyond repair, some promise replacement for free, so you are sorted.

Reference Link – Mobile Phone Study

|In: Incubators|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Lot of innovations are coming up in the Fintech space and the launch of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) just makes the space even more competitive. One of the critical driving factors of the innovation in the ‘Financial Tech Space’ is due to the increasing penetration of mobile phones, affordability of internet (2G/3G) and sky-rocketing use of Digital Currency (Closed and Semi-Closed Wallets).

Gone are the days when you had to stand in long queues to get your bank’s pass book updated or withdraw/deposit money. In fact, all these activities including opening a new account are now possible with the click of a button !!! Though Payment Services (Paytm, Freecharge etc.), P2P Lending (EasySalary, LendBox etc.), Personal Finance Services (BankBazaar, Capital Float etc.) are some of the sectors that have seen major growth and investor interest; there is still lot of room for startups to innovate in the ‘Fintech Sector’.

A startup incubator from well known Financial Brand like Axis Bank, India’s third largest Private Sector bank could just bring a huge delight for entrepreneurs in the Fintech Space.

Thought Factory : Startup Accelerator from Axis Bank

Axis Bank has partnered with Amazon Internet Services, Payments product company VISA and Singapore based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation to set up startup accelerator Thought Factory in Diamond District in Bengaluru. The major focus of Thought Factory would be Financial Technology Space and it would on-board it’s second batch of startups next month.

The incubated startups would be focusing on ideas built on emerging technologies like AI, Big data analytics, Block Chain, Robotics and much more. These ideas could take the consumer banking experience to the whole new level. The KPMG Fintech Report – 2016 also points that the next wave of Indian Fintech Startups would be from these areas !! First batch of startups are already live in Mumbai and the second batch will begin this month & they might be based out of Bengaluru.

The launch was attended by Axis Bank executives – Rajiv Anand, Executive Director (Retail Banking), Amit Sethi, President & CIO amongst others. Serial tech-entrepreneur Vishal Gondal, Founder & CEO of GoQii, Sanjay Swamy, Entrepreneur & prominent Angel-investor, Senior executives from VISA and Amazon Internet Services were also present at the event.

Commenting on the launch, Rajiv Anand, Executive Director (Retail Banking), Axis Bank said

We are excited about the way financial industry is evolving and how millennials are re-imagining the industry. ‘Thought Factory’, our innovation lab is an endeavor to build on the ideas of innovators that can radically change consumers’ life in Banking and beyond. With this initiative, we are creating a vibrant ecosystem of Global Banks, startups & tech innovators.

The Keynote Speaker of the event was Tenith Adithyaa, 18-year old inventor & innovator from Tamil Nadu who spoke about his inventions.

Thought Factory : Industry Partnerships

For the accelerator programme, Axis Bank has partnered with Zone Startups. At the end of 3-month long incubation programme, Axis Bank in association with Zone Startups would organize Investor Day to facilitate funding for the short-listed startups.

Thought Factory would also have external mentors on-board that would support the startups in their journey. It is also working with NASSCOM 10K, VC partners, Global Banks etc. in order to create a healthy and vibrant tech eco-system and to create a culture of ‘Co-Creation‘.

Additionally, Axis Bank has also launched ‘Hack for Hire‘ programme for identifying talent from across the country through Hackathons for the in-house innovation team at Thought Factory

Thought Factory : How to apply

In order to be a part of the Thought Factory, your startup needs to be a registered Indian entity trying to create it’s mark in the fin-tech sector. There is no cost & no equity (taken by Axis Bank) if your startup is selected for the Axis Bank’s Thought Factory.

To know more about Thought Factory Program, it’s structure etc., drop a mail to to thoughtfactory@axisbank.com or visit bit.ly/thoughtfactoryapply

Thought Factory : Fin-tech meets Health-tech

Though Digital Wallets have been widely adopted by the Indian consumers, contact-less payment via Wearables could see an up-trend with the #AxisActive. Axis Bank in collaboration with GoQii launched #AxisActive, a fitness band with which you can make Payments at PoS of retail outlets.

For every 70,000 steps you walk, you earn 500 Axis eDGE reward points. So go ahead, turn anytime into fitness time. #AxisActive is a perfect marriage of Fin-Tech and Health-Tech 🙂 Now, earn reward points for burning calories with this innovation from GoQii and Axis Bank. More information about #AxisActive is available here

Thought Factory : Closing Thoughts

Given the deep-rooted expertise of Axis Bank in the Financial & Banking sector, Thought Factory looks the right step taken by them to be a part of the vibrant tech-startup eco-system.

To know more about the Thought Factory Program, it’s structure etc., drop a mail to to thoughtfactory@axisbank.com or visit bit.ly/thoughtfactoryapply

|In: Technology|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

It’s that time of the year again when the sparkling Ganpati brings the city alive. Zuver has rolled out a special package so that the customers make the most of the festivities and immerse oneself in the history of the festival.

Your Driver on Demand has come with an offer where you can book a driver to take the idols for emersion from your doorstep. Our professional drivers will reach you at the pickup time and drive you around in the comfort of your own car. The prices for the first 5 hours are Rs. 499 and Rs 70 over 5 hours.

There is an additional package which ensures its customers a safe and hassle-free drive to city’s famous Ganpati pandals. Your comfortable rides with a self-driven car by trained and skilled Zuver drivers are just a click away. This five hour package is priced for Rs. 1200

Furthermore, the drivers [or Captain as Zuver calls them] are presentable and amiable with soft skills; customers can rely upon throughout their journey. They ensure customers with basic car checks like battery, petrol, PUC etc., before starting every journey. Zuver recognises the need of customers and meet them with efficiency.

Ushering the spirit of Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai is always Splendid! This Ganpati enjoy the festive fervor with Zuver rides.

Zuver for Android and iOS is available here & here respectively.

About Zuver – Driver on Demand
Zuver is a start-up with a unique selling proposition –a service that promises reliable, skilled, well-trained ‘driver on demand’ at your doorstep. They aim to make their drivers the gold standard for industry drivers and create a new benchmark. This mobile-first company that offers the best in class service is on its course to expand its presence in other metros. Zuver, Your driver on demand is available on Android and iOS or at 022-43686868. For more information, please refer Zuver

|In: Technology|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Intex Technologies expands its wearable range with the launch of a kids-only smart watch, iRist Junior. The kids smart watch is more like a tracking device with parental guidance features to keep tap on child’s security round the clock. iRist Junior connects with parents’ smart phone through IoT platform secured server powered by mobile internet. The brilliant watch for the smart generation is available at appealing price of Rs 3,999.

iRist Junior comes with an appealing design, to make sure that toddlers and children are willing to have it on their wrists. The kids smart watch has 2G network and is Location-based Service (LBS) enabled, making the smart watch a tracking device. With this, comes the primary parental feature of iRist Junior-Geo Fencing. This feature tags the child’s movement to limited places, so whenever the child steps beyond pre-defined places, the watch notifies parents about the child’s whereabouts. Being GPS enabled, parents can keep track of child’s movement anytime and anywhere.

Apart from location, parents can also pre-install contact list to whom the child can talk to. iRist Junior comes with Auto Call and Voice Chat features. Auto Call enables parents to reach out to the child by listening to their surroundings without child answering the call.

Image Source - Intex iRist
Image Source – Intex iRist

Voice Chat feature on the other hand enables the child to talk to parents (watch to smart phone) and friends who have iRist Junior (watch to watch), thereby having a two-way calling. To ensure the child is completely focused in the class, parents can turn ON the Forbidden in Class feature, after which the little one can only see the main screen of the watch.

Keshav Bansal, Director, Intex Technologies said

Intex has always aimed at improving lives and empowering consumers through technological innovations. With iRist Junior, we have with the power of technology brought an innovative device that will address parental concerns with respect to child’s security and at the same time make them connected to their child. The kids smart watch by Intex is an example of innovative devices catering to social concerns that will resonate with everyone one across the world.

IRist Junior has a special safety feature, the SOS button on the top right side of the watch. By simply pressing the button, the kid can send an alert message to a pre-defined list of people who can be reached out for help.

The sturdy IRist Junior comes with a TFT display (128*64) and is very lightweight at 48.5gms. The smart watch is powered with a 580mAh battery, Bluetooth connectivity and a 2G single micro-SIM slot. The kids smart watch is water resistant – IP65 certified.

IRist Junior comes in four popular kids colors – Green, Yellow, Pink and Blue.

|In: Technology|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Kingston, the independent world leader in memory products have announced its tie-up with Saavn, India’s leading audio entertainment streaming service, for its limited edition microSD Cards. With this exclusive partnership, Kingston offers its customers a two week Saavn Pro subscription for free. This offer is valid on Kingston’s three new Limited Edition microSD Cards- 8GB Class 4 [SDC4], 16GB Class 10 UHS-I [SDC10G2) & 32GB Class 10 UHS-I [SDC10G2] – which will soon be available in the leading retail as well as e-tail outlets in India.

To avail this exclusive offer, one needs to purchase any of the mentioned Saavn Limited Edition microSD cards. There is a unique code in each of these packs which can be redeemed either on the Saavn app or here . The offer is valid for a year and the two weeks start from the time the customer activates the given unique code.

Speaking on the partnership, Vishal Parekh, Marketing Director, Kingston India said

We at Kingston believe in doing things differently and are excited about this partnership with Saavn. This alliance is a positive step from both brands to add value to the end user which would lead to customer delight. This is a good opportunity for those who always wanted to try out the Saavn’s Pro feature.

Mahesh Narayanan, Managing Director, Saavn said

We are delighted to work with Kingston and provide their customers access to well curated, high quality music and audio entertainment content. With this partnership, Kingston customers can enjoy streaming music and Saavn Original shows offline without any ad interruption

|In: Technology|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

The National Association of Software & Services Companies [NASSCOM] launched The Future of Internet in India report in partnership with Akamai Technologies. The study was researched and created by YourStory in collaboration with Nasscom and with supporting data from Akamai and other sources. The report, launched by R Chandrashekhar, President, NASSCOM and Dr. Tom Leighton, Co-founder, CEO Akamai Technologies, aims to understand the impact of the Internet on the way we live, learn, work, shop and connect and focuses on the future trends that will change the landscape of India by 2020.

Speaking at the launch, R Chandrashekhar, President, NASSCOM stated that

India’s Internet consumption has already exceeded USA to become No. 2 globally. Keeping into consideration the massive impact that the Internet is creating across sectors, it has become the greatest disruptor of our age by changing the way we work, interact socially and live life in general. By 2020, the Internet is expected to penetrate deeper in the hinterlands of the country, helping to create more opportunities for everyone.

The rapid growth of the Internet and its expansion into verticals including e-Commerce, Travel and Hospitality, Public Sector, Financial Technology and Media is a clear indication of the state of things to come.

According to the report, India’s Internet user base is the second largest after China. Globally, the number of Internet users is expected to touch 4170 million by 2020 [Source – DazeInfo]. The growth of the Internet has successfully created a strong ecosystem for new businesses to tap into growing markets and create solutions to address their demands.

Sidharth Malik, Vice President and Managing Director, India, Akamai Technologies said

The start-up ecosystem in India, coupled with the government’s initiatives make the Internet accessible to every citizen across the country, is helping India set the stage to enable large numbers of ‘netizens’ to reap the benefits of the Internet. With the rise of digital natives and the increased adoption of smartphones, Internet penetration in India will stretch beyond the large cities, as more services and devices come online. This is also a great opportunity for enterprises to harness the power of the Internet to innovate and scale operations.

Online shopping will account for two-thirds of the total e-Commerce market, edging out travel

According to the report, the overall e-Commerce market in India was valued $17 billion in FY 2016, and by 2020, India will have an estimated 702 million smart phones in use and mobile phones will emerge as the preferred device for shopping, accounting for 70% of total online shopping. The fashion and lifestyle segment will emerge as the largest e-tailing category with a 35% contribution to e-Commerce GMV by 2020, overtaking the consumer electronics segment which dominates the sales of Indian e-Commerce industry at present.

50% of travel transactions to be online by 2020

Travel across India, for social visits, leisure, shopping and holidays is all set to increase and more people will be booking online, taking advantage of competitive pricing offered by online travel agents [OTAs] and aggregators. An increasing amount of user-generated content online [views on social media, reviews on websites, etc.] is driving aspirational travel, tipping the scales in favour of trips that were once only contemplated, never undertaken.

Media and OTT – All moving online, one app at a time

The availability of affordable smartphones and tablets has encouraged the second screen phenomenon. With the rapid adoption of smartphones and next generation networks, content consumption patterns and consumer engagement channels are rapidly evolving. Even in its nascent phase, the video-on-demand [VOD] market is highly competitive in India.

Financial technology – Disrupting the way India pays online

Fintech is disrupting financial services and is likely to have far more widespread impact on society and the Indian economy, both directly and indirectly. The fintech software market within this was pegged at $1.2 billion [13-15%, Source – NASSCOM Fintech Report].

The remaining 87% focus on services, primarily in payments [60% of the market, including ATM/Point of Sale] and core banking services. Overall, according to the report, India’s fintech market is expected to grow 1.7x between 2015 and 2020. While cash-on-delivery may remain the preferred mode of payment for newer users, keep in mind that use of mobile banking and e-wallets is surging.

Conclusion – The future is bright but there is a greater need to collaborate

In times to come, while mobile will be a key access device, larger devices will continue to be important in areas like education and business. Multiple stakeholders will need to work in tandem to bring the next generation of Internet users [rural based, mobile centric, local language focused] online in India.

Further, with digital connectivity, the risk of cyber-crimes also increases. With multitudes of people using e-Commerce and transacting online, there is a huge need for technologies that can prevent data theft. India is witnessing a huge demand for security professionals [technologists and analysts, alike]. In line with these growing demands, security has become one of the key focus areas for NASSCOM Sector Skills Council, working towards creating the right cyber-security skill sets for Indian IT professionals.

|In: Technology|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

With the honourable PM Narendra Modi announcing the Digital India Vision, the country saw various developments in the technological sector. And keeping in line with this, Airtel launched its 4G services in 296 towns across India, in August, 2015. It had promised that it would make further contributions towards the Digital India Vision.

True to its promise, Airtel had signed a deal with Aircel for acquiring 4G spectrum against 8 circles back in April this year [2016]. According to present reports, it has succeeded in acquiring the spectrum of Odisha circle, which completes its acquisition of 7 circles.

What Airtel is saying

According to a regulatory filing by Aircel with the BSE

The acquisition of rights to use 20 MHz 2300 Band BWA spectrum from Aircel, Bharti Airtel has now informed BSE that the proposed transaction has been successfully concluded for Odisha circle following the receipt of all necessary approvals and satisfying all the conditions [including conditions stated in the spectrum trading guidelines].

With this, the company has completed the transaction in 7 out of 8 circles namely Tamil Nadu [including Chennai]; Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, Assam, North East and Odisha.

To acquire the Odisha circle, Airtel was required to give away 1.2 MHz of spectrum with a valuation of Rs. 38 crore. That is because the acquisition deal was crossing the spectrum limit for Aircel. Does this spell a surge in 4G rate? That only time will tell. Airtel had promised that 4G will be available for the cost of 3G. So, one thing is for sure – now we get to enjoy unfaultering speed for less.

If this can be coupled with some great recharge deals that are easily available online, it would be a complete win-win situation for the consumers. There are quite a few coupon sites that are popular today for instance Happy Sale. Using coupon codes is a great way to save on everyday needs, be it recharge or bill payments. Yet, if there’s doubt as to why it is better to migrate to Airtel 4G, check out articles that aptly answers this question.

How is this deal beneficial for Airtel ?

Till date Reliance JIO has been the only brand to hold the 4G spectrum in 22 circles all over the country. Now, Airtel becomes the second largest company to hold 4G spectrum with a bandwidth of 2300 MHz, with this latest acquisition. And the acquirement of the Odisha circle is not the only latest accomplishment by Airtel. They have also launched 4G services in West Bengal, Kharagpur; it being the second city to enjoy 4G services after Kolkata.

The Kharagpur services were introduced on the basis of dual spectrum bands. One is of a bandwidth of 1800 MHz [FD LTE] and the other is of a bandwidth of 2300 MHz [TD LTE]. FD is the one in which there is less interference, which helps with better reception. TD is in which transmission happens alongside reception, at the same time. As per the company, this combination will help with improved user experience. And the 4G services are compatible not only with mobile phones, but also with dongles and 4G hotspots.

The news of the Aircel 4G spectrum deal along with the launch of 4G services in Kharagpur has increased the stock value of the company. It is reportedly said to have closed at a rate of Rs. 346.20 on Thursday.