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|In: Android|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Kuberplay, an SDK-based service, offers a solution for app developers to monetize their applications, retain users and enhance consumer experience by empowering mobile users who choose to watch videos, subscribe to services, install applications and participate in other types of advertisements.

India with around 300,000 app developers is the second largest Android developer community in the world and with the average mobile app usage in India growing by at least 131%, India has outpaced the global growth rate in app development.  App development has created about 75,000 direct jobs in India and has the potential to reach 600,000 over a period of time. However, monetization of app development remains a challenge. Over 70% of app developers close shop because of inability to monetize their apps.

Kuberplay will help app developers monetize their app, especially the customers who access only the free component of the app, desire the complete app but are unable to buy the app because they are expensive. The global purchase of in-app purchase is only 2%; through Kuberplay this can increase up to 10% helping them towards financially viable business models.  By integrating Kuberplay into their app the revenue of an App Developer in consumer premium space can increase by 25 to 30%.

Upal Pradhan, Founder and CEO, Kratos said

Kuberplay, will change the game for app developers, and this will be the impetus for an evolution in mobile app development.  The mobile has become a part of individual’s life management, and there is considerable development happening and possible through creation of new apps. We are happy to contribute towards this, as it will unleash the creativity and innovation, that earlier faced the challenge of monetization.

As a company, we have always been innovative in using our competencies in technology and our deep understanding of the mobile ecosystem to create platforms that provide a win- win scenario for all.  We are hoping for this to be a complete game changer for the mobile app ecosystem.

How Kuberplay Works

The developer integrates Kuberplay to his app and while customers are using the app, it will display a list of app download offers with a fixed gratification against each offer.

For e.g. If a customer is playing the free version of a game or listening to the free song of a movie app, then on downloading and installing an app from the Kuberplay’s offer wall, the customer will get virtual coins or give user access to the paid version of the game or one more premium song or film.

About Kratos

Kratos is a leading advertisement technology company for developing mobile ad serving platforms.They are teamed with a bunch of talented individuals with more than 35 years of combined experience in the space of mobile and ad technology. Kratos was established in 2013 by Upal Pradhan,the managing director. Kratos already boasts a history of 3 successful startups in mobile technology space and one in the entertainment space.They developed their own mobile ad serving platform in a record time-span of less than four months.This platform is highly scalable, and forms the foundation of their ad network. For more information, please visit Kratos

|In: Android|Last Updated:

Android has a stranglehold on the smartphone market worldwide. According to Strategy Analytics, Android dominated the global smartphone market again last year with 1 billion units shipped worldwide. It accounted for 81 percent of all smartphones shipped last year, followed by Apple with 15 percent market share and Microsoft with 3 percent at third. Without a doubt, Android is the most popular mobile operating system in the world.

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Commenting on Android, Paul Oliveria, researcher of Trend Micro said

Many users choose Android over other OS-based devices because first, the devices can be relatively cheap; second, it’s known for fast and efficient data storage and third, it’s available across different form factors, brands, and price points. Moreover, Android is popular among mobile developers and manufacturers for its capacity to house innovative app development without licensing fees and its simple, yet powerful Software Development Kit [SDK].

Because the mobile landscape is ever-changing, securing mobile device can be tedious. In the virtual world where hackers and cyber-criminals are hard to trace, you are the only one who can make sure your device and the data in it is well protected.

As Google wants to empower users and developers as much as possible, the very freedom makes Android a viable platform cyber-criminals and hackers want to exploit. Android users can expect to run into a few problems from time to time and their device and the data in it can be stolen, spied on, and used by cyber-criminals if they aren’t careful.

Following are some of the tips proposed by Trend Micro that can help to keep your devices secure:

Lock the screen – Enabling a screen unlock code will prevent a device thief from accessing your mobile data.

Protect your data – Android virtually comes with pre-installed security measures that can be easily accessed and enabled from the security sub-menu. The Android security screen also includes an option to encrypt the device. Enabling this option will help protect sensitive information stored in the device.

Strengthen passwords and app permissions – Google does a fine job at synching their updates with Android devices. However, some manufacturers take a little more time to update. Remember to check the features that you allow the app to access, and don’t forget to use strong and unique passwords. If you re-use your passwords, hackers can effortlessly guess the passwords on your other accounts.

Install a security app – It’s always a good idea to make use of security apps. An app that offers anti-theft features like remote wipe-out, tracking, and locking, as well as malware scanning and detection can help mitigate potential threats. For example, Trend Micro Mobile Security is a security app for Android phone and Android tablet, which blocks malicious apps from Google Play before they are installed; guards against identity theft and viruses; blocks dangerous and fraudulent websites; protects your privacy on Facebook; protects kids online; and even extends battery life and optimizes device performance and memory.

Connect to secure networks – Whenever you go online using a network you don’t know, such as public Wi-Fi, you should be more careful because unsecured Wi-Fi networks can be used to stage man-in-the-middle attacks where data can be intercepted by a third party. Avoid online banking, financials, and purchasing over public networks. If you use Wi-Fi at home, please make sure you use a password to secure your router.

Avoid rooting your device – Before rooting your Android device, consider the pros and cons first. While it allows you more control over your device, it could also allow unsigned apps, including malicious ones, access to your data. This also makes it difficult to patch and update your OS and apps, which could leave your device vulnerable.

Download from official app stores – Downloading from third-party sites or app stores is one of the easiest ways for any mobile device to get infected with malware. Limiting your apps to those from official or trusted app stores (like the Google Play app store) can lower the risks.

For more information on Mobile Security for Android Smartphones and Tablets, visit the following link.

[Image Credit* : Trend Micro]

|In: Android|Last Updated:

In December 2014, HDFC Bank launched its “Go Digital – Bank aapki mutthi mein” campaign on the banks of the Varanasi river with an aim to provide holistic banking services in all possible digital channels. Today, HDFC Bank provides 175+ banking transactions through its Net banking platform and 80+ transactions through Mobile banking [Mobile and Tablet apps]

With the launch of wearable devices & potential demand for wearable devices in India, consumers are highly likely to add yet another digital interface – a wearable device – to their current portfolio of devices. A banking experience on a personalized wearable device would take the consumer’s interaction with the bank to a whole new level.

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Hence, HDFC Bank thought that it was the opportune moment to introduce a new category in digital banking, leveraging the emerging wearable platforms, and becoming the first bank in India to launch Watch-Banking for Apple Watch.

Why Apple Watch?

HDFC Bank is starting with the Apple Watch and aims to provide banking services through all wearable devices across platforms like iOS and Android.

We have started with Apple Watch since it is designed from ground up keeping in mind what the user would want to do with such a device in a jiffy. HDFC Bank’s App has been made keeping this in mind and the features are chosen accordingly.

Features of HDFC Bank Watch Banking

HDFC Bank will provide a total of 10 banking transactions in the current launch phase. Some of the features include:

  • View Account Information
  • Bill Payments, Recharges
  • Hot-listing facilities
  • Locate nearest branch/ATM/offer
  • Request statement/chequebook etc.

Moreover, HDFC Bank’s Watch-Banking does not require our customers to download a separate App. Customers can activate Watch-Banking from an upgraded version of HDFC Bank’s Mobile-banking App itself!

Security features and how will it work?

HDFC Bank brings in the same level of high security of its Mobile Banking App to its Watch Banking experience.

  • Any user information or data flow that happens, it if from the mobile phone to the bank’s secure servers. The watch is merely a projection device
  • For added security, there is a watch banking PIN that the user himself sets during the one time set-up process. This can be done only after entering his customer id and password known only to the user.
  • Additionally the Apple watch itself has a pass-code lock just like other iOS devices.

You can see the HDFC watch-banking in action below

If you have  already tried the HDFC watch-banking app, please share the experience in the comments section!!

|In: Android|Last Updated:

Zoho has launched Zoho Forms, an intuitive cloud-based application that enables non-programmers to create and share mobile and web forms. Available immediately, Zoho Forms securely captures mobile and web user data — like customer registrations, orders, surveys, and responses — and automatically stores it in the cloud, making it available from any device.

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Designed for the mobile world, Zoho Forms empowers sales, service, delivery and other mobile professionals to securely collect customer data right from their mobile devices and upload it to the cloud.

Available on iOS and Android devices, the Zoho Forms mobile app offers unique flexibility by enabling offline forms creation and data collection, invaluable in remote geographic locations, warehouses & distribution centers. Forms and data are synced back to the cloud later, when the device has network access.

Speaking about Zoho Forms, Raju Vegesna, Zoho evangelist said

Forms do multiple things – both on the web and on mobile devices. A good form creation tool comes down to three things – how flexible and customizable it is to enable even a non-programmer to create a custom form, how easy it is to enable workflow coordination like approvals, and how seamlessly it integrates with other business systems. So we focused Zoho Forms on these three elements.

Zoho Forms Highlights

Zoho Forms is the first app in the market that will let users create forms on a mobile device, back them up to the cloud, and access them from anywhere. Some critical capabilities are listed below:

  • Ease of Use – Users need no programming experience. They simply create forms by dragging and dropping fields in a form builder. They can even work offline and data will be auto-synced to the cloud when they are back online. Custom capabilities, like themes, provide branding opportunities.
  • Collaboration – While simple enough for non-programmers, Zoho Forms enables complex business needs by orchestrating workflow. Completed forms can be assigned as tasks to different

Pricing and Availability

Zoho Forms is free for a single user, for up to three forms. It is also immediately available in the following packages: Basic [$10 per month per user], Standard [$25 per month for 10 users] & Professional [$50 per month for 25 users].

For more information on Zoho Forms, please visit https://www.zoho.com/forms/index1.html

Zoho Forms can be downloaded for Android & iOS here & here respectively

|In: Android|Last Updated:

HeyBiz-logoHeyBiz Messenger, a mobile application that connects both customers and businesses on mobile with real time chat; has added an exclusive feature in the app called Expert Advice.

HeyBiz has grouped a team of experts from different niches on a mobile platform. These experts are from vastly varied domains that include health care, dental care, fitness, career experts, astrologers, makeup artists, gadget and gizmos, gift options, jobs & real estate consultants. Not just that, it allows the users to chat directly with the experts in a real time conversation, ask questions, and get opinions and advice.

Adding further about the exclusive feature, Bhartesh Chhibbar, Founder, HeyBiz said

“Chat with Experts” is a feature that will help you get a second opinion on anything and everything, making sure you take the right decisions; whether you are booking a vacation or purchasing a house, contemplating a job switch or looking for a “Shubh Mahurat” for a family function.

HeyBiz Experts are also taking care of best deals for the users, Bhartesh adds on

When a business or service provider register with HeyBiz, we make sure he brings the quality as well as good price for our users. Based on the service provider’s best bargain, we suggest the deal to our users and connect them with those service providers. It is real time right on the Chat.

Rewards is another interesting feature that has now been added to the app. The users can earn reward points by sharing the app with friends and family, by following their nearby businesses on HeyBiz, by doing a deal with any business on HeyBiz and by referring their favorite local business to HeyBiz.

The users can redeem the accumulated reward points with HeyBiz directly against a wide array of options available like iPhone 6, Power Bank, Selfie Stick, Philips Trimmer, Mobile recharge, etc.

Within 3 months of its launch, HeyBiz application has acquired 3000 SMB’s & 12,000 users .Already several Brands like Axis Dental, Tansen Sangeet Mahavidhayala, Bonton Holidays, Snap Fitness, Little Millennium, Eco Rent a Car etc and many of the local businesses have been attached to the HeyBiz and enjoying the benefit of digital presence and reaching out to customers.

HeyBiz is also looking to extend its Platform and bringing Local online Shopping [L-commerce] together in its platform.

About HeyBiz Messenger

HeyBiz Messenger is a mobile application that connects both customers and businesses on mobile with real time chat. With HeyBiz, customers can do one click search, find the relevant business and can initiate a real time chat without disclosing personal contact details. They can enquire about services, product or support related to the business. They can upload pictures, videos and detailed description of service and can update it on regular basis. Potential customer will simply search and initiate a chat about the business.

HeyBiz for Android & iOS can be downloaded from here & here respectively. Do give HeyBiz a spin & share your experiences…

|In: Android|Last Updated:

Trend Micro is a company with a simple, yet ambitious goal, to protect their users from cyber-criminal activity. Everyday, thousands of people browsing the internet are in danger of being digitally assaulted. While there is no way to be one hundred percent safe from malware attacks; there are certainly, numerous ways to avoid them. The first step to being safe, is to be informed, for which Trend Micro has launched its first quarterly Security Roundup. In this report, the most present threats up to this month are explicitly detailed and advice is given to both companies and customers on how to avoid said malware threats.

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Dhanya Thakkar, Managing Director, APAC, Trend Micro adds

Cyber threats are exponentially growing with every passing second, and Trend Micro in the hopes to better inform and prevent cyber attacks, has released in its first quarterly security roundup of the year, the main security risks that users have faced since the beginning of the year. This first quarter’s threats range from the exploits that Adobe Flash faced back in February, to applications ridden with Adware in Google Play, to point-of-sale malware attacks in retail stores.

In only three months, there have been some serious incidents that have put the user’s information and security at risk. Trend Micro states that the people behind malware, will “not hesitate to take advantage of even the slightest security loophole to get what they want”, and in today’s digitized world, there should not be any room for this kind of errors.

Malvertisements are not in any way new, in fact, many internet users have already become accustomed to them. Trend Micro, in this round-up report has revealed that how a business model based on web advertising is, and always will be putting the user at risk; this is because site owners cannot control the ads that are being seen by users.

A major company was recently the target of this zero-day exploit, in which malvertising was sent out through Adobe software, so victims of this kind of attacks were no longer required to visit a specific website to infect their computers.

Highlights of the report

  • In the first quarter of 2015, Adobe suffered from three different exploits that targeted each new release of Adobe Flash; in total, over 10,000 computers were infected with BEDEP malware. All the issues were quickly addressed by Trend Micro’s Deep Security Rule and removed traces of the malvertisement found in Adobe Flash.
  • But, not only computers were targeted by these malicious attacks based on advertising, mobile devices were also affected. Adware was also found on several apps inside Google Play, these apps all used MDash software development kit; this made harmful apps present on all mobile devices that had any of these apps installed. According to the report, millions of devices were infected before Google took responsibility and removed over 2,000 malicious apps.
  • Crypto-ransomware is another kind of malware that was greatly present during the year’s first quarter. The goal of this type of malware is to hold the user’s computer “hostage” and restrict all access to it, until a ransom has been paid. Crypto-ransomware, not only targets the average consumer, it also takes aim at companies and their interactions, meaning that anyone that shared a link with the already infected computer, now has possibly became ill with crypto-ransomware.
  • In order to avoid Crypto-ransomware, users can download and install specialized software that can stop a crypto-ransomware attack before it lock down your computer. It is uncertain the amount of malware that is released each month or quarters, as it is evolving at a similar pace.

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in security software, strives to make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Trend Micro enables the smart protection of information, with innovative security technology that is simple to deploy and manage, and fits an evolving ecosystem. Their solutions are powered by cloud-based global threat intelligence, the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network infrastructure & are supported by more than 1,200 threat experts around the globe.  For more information, visit TrendMicro

[Image Credit – TrendMicro]

|In: Android|Last Updated:

Zoho has launched Zoho ShowTime, a web and mobile app focused completely on making better presenters out of speakers. Presenters now can engage with their audience, drive self-improvement through feedback and showcase their work on a secure cloud platform.

With Zoho ShowTime running on computers or mobile devices, audiences can view and participate in presentations as they interact with presenters. Presenters, meanwhile, can view participant engagement, activity and appreciation—at the slide level—so they can improve their presentations like never before.

A video overview of Zoho ShowTime is below

Diving into the product, Vijay Sundaram says

Presentation software for decades has focused exclusively on creating pretty presentations,” said , chief strategy officer of Zoho. “The focus has been on graphics and special effects rather than on tools that engage. Who needs yet another twist-and-turn animation?

That traditional approach misses the goal of most presenters, who don’t just want to create presentations. They want to talk with their audiences—not at them. They want to understand the messages that worked and those that didn’t, so they can improve their material and tactics over time. However, the disconnect between vendor offerings and presenter objectives leaves audiences in a slideshow stupor and presenters in the dark.

During a presentation, attendees use Zoho ShowTime to ask questions, vote on slides, and even go back and revisit slides to cement their understanding. Presenters can step out from the confinement of the lecturn, roam the room, and connect with people. Later, they can examine audience activity, like ratings and questions, to assess what worked and what didn’t.

Zoho ShowTime: How It Works

To turn a presentation into a conversation, presenters upload their PowerPoint or PDF files into Zoho ShowTime. Presentations can also be created using Zoho Show, the cloud-based presentation software. At the start, the presenter assigns a key that audience members use for secure access from their computers or mobile phones.

During the presentation, Zoho ShowTime gives audiences many ways to remain engaged. They can go back slides, “like” individual slides, pose questions, and rate the presentation at the end of the session.

The speakers can leave the podium, interact with the audience, and control the presentations from a smart phone. Zoho ShowTime ensures that the speaker is always in control and not interrupted by all this engagement. Speakers, at their discretion, may select questions, project them on the screen and drive interaction whenever they choose.

After the presentation, Zoho ShowTime provides the speaker with a dashboard of detailed analysis of the presentation with insights into audience engagement. For example, speakers can observe the slides that received the most likes, those where audiences spent the most time, look at overall ratings, and more.

Zoho ShowTime is transformative presentation software. It restores the engagement between speakers and their audiences that robotic presentation technology has robbed.

Pricing and Availability

Zoho ShowTime is available immediately for free in desktop, iOS and Android versions. The Zoho ShowTime apps for presenters is available here [iOS] & here [Android]. The Zoho ShowTime apps for viewers are available here [iOS] & here [Android]

For more information on Zoho ShowTime, please visit official link

|In: Android|Last Updated:

Online and mobile ads are one of the biggest threats IT security this year, Trend Micro has revealed in its Q1 2015 round-up.

The company’s latest report, Bad Ads and Zero-Days: Re-emerging Threats Challenge Trust in Supply Chains and Best Practices, has revealed that ad-ware on mobile devices is the top threat in the mobile category – although Trend Micro has identified a mammoth five million Android threats to date. It is, however, predicting this will rise to eight million by the end of this year.

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Zero-day exploits are the biggest threat to desktop systems, but again, these are related to advertising and, in particular, are being used on adverts in Adobe software. This means victims don’t even need to head to a malicious site for their computer to be infected.

Dhanya Thakkar, Managing Director, APAC, Trend Micro says

It is clear 2015 is shaping up to be noteworthy in terms of volume, ingenuity and sophistication of attacks..It is clear businesses and individuals alike need to be proactive in protecting against threats. As a business, how would your IT-Security policies look like in a Zero Trust Environment? An aggressive and different security posture is critical to keep financial, personal and intellectual property safe.

In the enterprise space, Trend Micro said the healthcare sector was most at risk of cyber attacks, specifically in iOS and POS system applications. However, these types of threats have existed for the last few years and it would appear that their widespread nature is down to companies not being prepared for such assaults.

The question we have to ask is, ‘are we doing enough to protect ourselves from security threats? While we need to constantly update our systems to protect against new attacks, the first quarter of 2015 clearly showed we need to also watch out for older threats, and how no industry or system should feel exempt.

You can download the complete report from here

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in security software, strives to make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Trend Micro enables the smart protection of information, with innovative security technology that is simple to deploy and manage, and fits an evolving ecosystem. Their solutions are powered by cloud-based global threat intelligence, the Trend Micro™ Smart Protection Network™ infrastructure & are supported by more than 1,200 threat experts around the globe.  For more information, visit TrendMicro