The Makaan Instant App is in line with the brand’s vision of empowering its users with top technology solutions. With Makaan Instant App, an Android user will now be able to experience the ease of Makaan App without actually having to install it on his/her mobile phone. If a user sends a link to property details from Makaan.com’s website to another user, the recipient will be able to access the details even if he/she doesn’t have the app installed. Whereas, without Instant App, tapping on the link would’ve taken the recipient to the web version of the site.
A user simply has to go to ‘Settings’, select ‘Google’ and then activate ‘Instant Apps’ from the list. He then has to visit Makaan.com website through Google on his mobile phone and engage in the most seamless property search experience ever, similar to using an app. This helps users to save storage space in their phone.
Commenting on the development, Ravi Bhushan, Group CPTO, Housing.com, PropTiger.com and Makaan.com, said
The usage of mobile phones for transaction purposes has seen a huge surge in India. We have also observed that more than half of Makaan.com’s web traffic is on mobile browsers. In line with the belief of having our customers at the centre of our offerings, it was imperative to invest in a technology like Instant Apps to ensure the best customer experience for all.
Speaking on the rising demand for this feature, Ravi further added
Our current engagement metrics on Makaan App is more than 2x better than the web experience. This clearly indicates that if more users start migrating to Instant App, the engagement levels will go up significantly and we will be able to offer better property search experience to more customers.
This service was introduced by Google in May 2017 and Makaan.com is one of the early adopters of this technology. Instant Apps also allows users to first check the interface of any app by selecting ‘Try-It-Now’ before downloading the app.
Get started with Makaan Instant App, you need to perform the following steps
Go to ‘Settings’ on your mobile phone and click on ‘Google’
In ‘Google’, click on ‘Instant Apps’
Activate ‘Instant Apps’ and switch it ‘On’
Now go to Google on your mobile browser and search for Makaan.com
You will find Makaan.com along with ‘Instant’ written across it in the search results
Click on Makaan.com and enjoy a seamless, app-like property search experience without installing the app on your phone
Do share your feedback/experience in the comments section…
Be it movies or books; crime, detective, murder and suspense category can give anyone goosebumps and an edge of the seat experience. However, what if we were to say that you encounter such things in the year 2250, where an investigation is in progress for the murder of a crew member who was a part of Europa [Jupiter’s moon] which was a space expedition mission.
There are a lot of thoughts that start flowing into your minds – What would the world be like in 2250, How advanced would be the technology, Whether there would be cars flying in the air, Whether there would be human beings staying on the moon, etc. You would definitely enter a futuristic world when you read Europa by Hywel Richard Pinto which is a sci-fi thriller that unfolds through the eyes of a varied group of characters. Each character has his/her own agenda – one taking a life-risking search, rescue and research trip, to Jupiter’s moon, Europa; the second, through the rivalry between an American businessman and an Indian power hungry politician; whilst the third is the contest between hired guns of both the factions.
In a thriller, characters play a very crucial role and Europa being a sci-fi thriller, the author had to blend suspense with imagination & technology and it was a job done well!
About the Author
Hywel Richard Pinto, born and raised in in Mumbai works full time in a Media agency as a Sr. Director – Media Planning. In addition to this book, he has also written a murder mystery set in Mumbai by the name of ‘The Monday Murder’ which was shortlisted in the top 20 manuscripts from nearly 300 entries by DNA-Hachette India in January 2013 during their Hunt For The Next Indian Bestseller contest. You can read more about Hywel Pinto here
Europa – A Sci-Fi Adventure Of Galactical Proportions : Trailer
The year is 2250 and we are witness to a historical trial of the Silver Fleet’s youngest and most promising captains – Captain Richard Sparks, who has been accused of murdering a fellow crew member during the Silver Star’s lengthy trip to the Jupiter’s moon – Europa. But the crew are divided as to whether the Captain is to be blamed for the fiasco or whether there was a bigger conspiracy on board? Can another murder on board the Silver Star be attributed to the unusual mission that the ship is on? Does someone want the crew of the Silver Star to fail in their mission to locate one of her sister ships, reportedly lost near Europa? And just how many of the crew can Captain Richard Sparks trust, if he is to be believed as being innocent?
Meanwhile, a shadow organization back on Earth contends with a dangerous, corrupt and ambitious politician, with the Europa mission being used as the counterweight. Will this affect the crew on board the Silver Star?
All trials are not as simple as they seem – not when the accused has a story to tell and some people will go to great lengths to protect what actually happened on Europa.
Who is the real culprit and what are the turn of events that would lead to the closure of the case forms the crux of Europa. Mystery, Murder, Politics along with Sci-Fi are keywords that make Europa an intriguing read !!
Europa – A Sci-Fi Adventure Of Galactical Proportions : Detailed Review
As mentioned earlier, the central character is Captain Richard Sparks, who was the commander-in-charge of Silver Star to Europa where the central task was to rescue the crew of missing scientists who had been to Europa before them. The entire crew was there in Europa for close to 408 days and as you would expect, the entire expedition is filled with innumerable twists and turns. The important question to ask is ‘Are the crew members still alive’?
A German scientist who had the samples from Europa was found murdered in Captain Spark’s ship. There is a high possibility of foul play where some crew members might have been involved in this murder. The murder happens just before the ship reaches the destination. All these situations make Europa an edge of a seat thriller.
Be it movies or books, for the ‘murder mystery’ genre, supporting actors also need to play an interesting role to keep the readers/viewers engaged and Europa does not disappoint on this front. Along with Captain Sparks who is the main protagonist, another major character in Europa is his best friend and fellow colleague, Duncan. They share a very good bonding and the have a lingering question in their minds ‘What could be the major reason for promoting a rookie captain like Sparks, that too before a critical mission’.Theydid feel that something is fishy and the promotion was a part of a major conspiracy planned against Captain Sparks.
Since it is a sci-fi thriller, aliens are also a part of this interesting story. The author has managed to keep the interest alive by introducing different characters at strategic parts of the story. There is also an angle of politics in the story since an Indian politician named Pramod has some vested interests and could also have been a part of the overall conspiracy. Other characters like Draco, Mario, Jewel, Robbie also play crucial roles in this sci-fi thriller.
While the story progresses at a good pace in most parts, it does seem stretched in some cases. However, as per our understanding, this could be because the author wanted to build more suspense and curiosity rather than introducing new characters in a hurry.
While reading the story, you can easily visualize the characters and the story is etched in your minds since it is told in a very subtle manner. The cover photo is well designed and sends the message that Europa has something to do with sci-fi.
The font-size could have been a bit bigger and there was some scope for improvement in the editing department. We could also find some spelling mistakes in the book but even with these minor improvements, Hywel Pinto’s story-telling impressed us!
Rating 3.5/5
Closing Thoughts
Europa – A Sci-Fi Adventure Of Galactical Proportions by Hywel Richard Pinto is an interesting sci-fi thriller where each character is crafted to perfection. As a reader, you feel involved in the story. As you progress through the story, you might feel an adrenaline rush and anxiety about ‘What next’ 🙂 Considering that there are a good number of characters in the story, with each one having a good role to play, a feature film can be made on Europa. If you love reading sci-fi thrillers, you should definitely not miss this one.
Uber, the world’s largest ride-sharing company, launched m.uber.com a light web-based version of Uber in India. In addition to m.uber.com, the company also pilots three new app features – offline search, request for a guest and call to ride.
Daniel Graf, Vice President and Head of Product at Uber said
In India, we have a strong team of over 150 engineers and product champions in Bangalore and at the newly inaugurated Hyderabad engineering facility working on innovations and localization’s for markets around the world. As a part of our efforts to enable global access to Uber, we are focusing on two key areas for riders – building solutions for those who don’t have access to the Uber app and enabling our existing rider app to work better in emerging markets. Customer obsession is a key theme for us – we want to make sure we understand the rider, their needs, the barriers, and then build from there. We believe these features will help us better serve our rider needs and are very excited about the roll out.
M.uber.com – The light web-based version of Uber, m.uber.com provides riders with another convenient option to book an Uber. This feature will be helpful for riders who have basic smartphones, that can support web browsing but cannot support mobile apps due to limited storage space, or want to book a ride from a tablet or computer.
How it works
The experience is almost identical to the Uber app with a few modifications for improved performance on a browser, including the option to load the map
Open your browser, enter m.uber.com, browse the app and available options, sign into your Uber account when ready to book
Enter your destination, select your product as you normally would and confirm your ride
You will be able to follow along on the map as you normally
Call to ride – Calling over the phone is still a natural experience for emerging markets, and we have heard that some riders in India prefer booking a ride through a phone call. We are piloting a phone number that riders can call to book an Uber across popular zones in a city. This will be particularly useful for riders who only have a feature phone, areas with limited network or those who use a smartphone but have limited memory capacity or are running out of their data plan.
How it works
Riders can call single nationwide phone number and enter a numeric code displayed on signage to help Uber identify their location
Once the ride is confirmed, the rider will also be sent a text message with information on the car and driver partner
An Uber will arrive at the exact location for easy pickups
The rider pays with cash at the end of the ride
Availability : This would be rolled out in Pune on a pilot basis.
Offline search – For riders using the app in limited network areas, Uber is enabling offline search by caching the top points of interest in the city so that riders can enter their destinations in the app without having to wait for the connection.
How it works
The feature will automatically work if the app detects limited networks
Availability : Rollout begins in the next few weeks
Request for a Guest – A fully redesigned and enhanced feature, riders will now be able to book an Uber for a loved one from from their Uber app no matter where the rider or guest is located. Their guest does not need a smartphone or the Uber app in order to ride.
How it works
To use this feature, the person requesting the ride for a guest can simply tap ‘Where to?’ as they normally would, then choose who is riding above their pickup location
The rider will receive trip information in an SMS text message – including ETA, car type, and driver contact information, enabling them to coordinate with the driver directly
The driver will see the rider’s name, and be able to contact that person, too [through a masked number, for privacy on both sides]
The ride will be charged to the requestor’s card on file unless the requestor selects cash as the payment
Availability : Rollout begins in the next few weeks
3M signed a MoU with the Government of Karnataka at the ongoing three-day Bengaluru Technology Summit.
As per the MoU, 3M will provide a ‘Booster Service Kit’ and conduct, on a ‘pro-bono’ basis, mentoring sessions to start-ups in the areas of commercialization process, stage gate discipline, building a business case and accelerating product launch, competitive and pricing analysis, and differential value and options analysis. This will be conducted as per the program and schedule mutually agreed by the parties involved.
Mr Krish Sridhar, Head R&D, 3M with Honorable Minister Priyank Kharge, ITBT & Tourism, Government of Karnataka, Gaurav Gupta, Karnataka Principal Secretary, Dept.of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology and, Salma Fahim, MD, KBITS and Gaurav Gupta, Principal Secretary, IT & BT Department.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Priyank Kharge, the State Minister for IT, BT and Tourism, said
We are pleased to announce a partnership with global conglomerate 3M. It is our hope that start-ups in the State will benefit from the wide range of mentoring sessions by industry specialists from 3M in the areas of commercialization, stage gate discipline, building business cases, competitive pricing analysis and differential value analysis.
3M is a multinational conglomerate corporation that transforms technology into solutions. It supplies an array of innovative products across applications such as electronics, healthcare, industrial, safety and security.
Government of Karnataka announced its partnership with the Business France India to develop and intensify mutual beneficial cooperation on 5 programmes under the umbrella of the French Tech.
This MoU sees promise in the dynamic start-up ecosystem which has emerged in France over the last few years as well as the strength of Karnataka as a start-up hub. .
Five areas of collaboration have been identified for the MoU, which include:
French Tech Tour to India – For participation in the BengaluruITE.biz
French Tech Ticket – Promotion of French Tech Ticket & NAIN and other incubators/accelerators in Karnataka
French Tech Hub – 22 French Tech Hubs have been setup in the world and the first in India will be established in Bengaluru
International collaboration
Learning and commercial expedition
Honorable Minister Priyank Kharge, ITBT & Tourism, Government of Karnataka, said
Bengaluru has been the innovation and start-up hub of the country and has proven to be a preferred location for start-ups. We intend to provide best in class exposure to our start-ups for cross learning, incubation and partnerships. In this regard, the partnership with Business France India will enable Karnataka start-ups to leverage the inherent strength of France in education and R&D. The establishing of the French Tech Hub in Bengaluru will provide a single point access to innovations in France.
Mr Jean Francois AMBROSIO, Head of Tech & Services Dept. Director Business France South India with Honorable Minister Priyank Kharge, ITBT & Tourism, Government of Karnataka, Gaurav Gupta, Karnataka Principal Secretary, Dept.of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology and, Salma Fahim, MD, KBITS and Gaurav Gupta, Principal Secretary, IT & BT Department.
About Business France India
Business France is the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy. Its three key responsibilities are to:
Support French or foreign companies with their international development
Facilitate job-creating foreign investment in France
A good project plan can make the life of a Project Manager (PM) as well as the team members easy. As a Project Manager, you have worked hard on the following activities:
Collated and froze the requirements
Formed a competent and diversified team
Done the budget estimation and activity planning
Done a detailed SWOT analysis
Many times things can drastically change once the project progresses and massive changes can have a major impact on the Project. It could also lead to a project closure e.g. The technology that is being used in the development becomes obsolete or holds no value due to which there are no takers for the product that was under development.
As per a report, more than half of the IT projects fail that result in millions of dollars in lost funds. Wirke that specializes in project management software has come up with an informative infographic that lists down some of the techniques that can be used to avoid Project Failure.
Infographic brought to you by Wrikehosted project management software
The award ceremony was presided over by Arun Jaitley Minister of Fiinance & Corporate Affairs, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan Honourable Minister of Petroleum & Natural gas & skill development & Entrepreneurship, Anantkumar Hegde Honourable minister of skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Chanda Kochhar, MD & CEO ICICI Bank.
Started in the year 2013 with quick service restaurants, Sattviko has grown exceptionally to becoming a healthy lifestyle brand offering packaged food products that combines the goodness of age old wisdom of Ayurveda with the unique taste and flavor of contemporary cuisines. Sattviko has a range of ethnic product categories including Roasted Makhana, Khakhra Chips, Ajwaini Flax Seeds, Dry Mango, Khakhra Chips, Gur Chana, Salsa Almonds, etc. Sattviko fosters wellness and shares Indianness by incorporating modern flavors on traditional ethnic snacks.
Commenting on the recognition, Prasoon Gupta, Co-Founder of Sattviko, said
We are elated to be awarded as the most prominent food startup in the country. Since our inception, our focus has been on delivering an exceptional experience to our customers who are looking to adopt healthy lifestyle and its practices. Today’s customers are experimental in trying new cuisines yet the familiarity of certain flavours remains the requirement. Sattviko brings the benefit of both with its age-old recipes and exotic preparation methods.
Sattviko products are currently available at modern retailers such as Metro Cash & Carry, More, Hypercity and in general trade across Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Surat.
The National Entrepreneurship Awards seek to recognise the efforts and achievements of exceptional entrepreneurs and those individuals and organisations who are working in the field of entrepreneurship development. The Awards also seek to highlight models of excellence for others to emulate and improve upon. The winners were selected through a three stage rigorous selection process. Winning individuals/ enterprises were given a prize amount of Rs. 5 lakhs.
About Sattviko
Sattviko started in the year 2013, and has been on an epic ride ever since. From launching the quick service restaurants and fine dine chains to becoming synonymous as a healthy lifestyle brand, it has stayed true to its core beliefs of delivering an exceptional experience to customers who are looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle but don’t want to compromise on the taste. Sattviko ethnic Indian snacks while being roasted & baked without any preservatives or artificial flavours provides a very healthy alternative to the current fried options available in the market. For more information, please visit Sattviko
BookMyShow, India’s largest online entertainment ticketing brand, has joined hands with India’s largest Indie distributor PVR Pictures for Vkaao, a web-platform that enables individuals to choose the films that play in their local cinemas. As part of this association, India’s leading entertainment brands have come together to bring curated content by empowering the fans and movie goers to choose films, screening time, and theatre locations at any PVR Cinema across the country.
While PVR Pictures will continue to focus on making available a variety of films across genres and languages, BookMyShow will leverage its advanced analytical capabilities to identify the right set of viewers and curate screenings backed by its decade long intelligence and incisive understanding of movie goers.
Since its inception in January 2017, Vkaao has screened hundreds of shows, including exclusive paid previews. Vkaao currently has a library of over 400 studio and independent titles and plans to grow this collection manifold over the next 12 months. Vkaao has emerged as an alternate distribution platform for Indie film makers becoming a direct link between them and the cinemas. With this strategic tie up, Vkaao will have the capability to be the turnkey theatrical distribution arm for film makers, providing promotional services, campaign strategy, advertising & theatre booking services. Vkaao will continue to provide its standard Theatre On Demand model for films not positioned for traditional theatrical release.
Marzdi Kalianiwala, VP-Marketing & Business Intelligence, BookMyShow said
Our partnership with PVR Pictures only strengthens the existing successful movie viewing experiences we together provide our customers and now, we are excited to play a significant role in elevating the on-demand movie going experience with Vkaao. Over the last decade, BookMyShow has redefined the access to movies for millions of its users and through Vkaao, we are excited to bring them a curated selection of niche and exclusive films. This will be coupled with Vkaao’s cinematic experience that is highly personalised, and driven by people themselves, empowering them to share it with others with similar interests. Our analytical capabilities will definitely be able to bring together a new generation of cinema lovers and create a community that shares love for such films.
Our successful association with BookMyShow spans decades and we are really excited to work with them on Vkaao. As we continue to grow the Vkaao collection of films, our mission is to enable audiences to share an endless selection of films with friends, families and local communities, and to provide for a rich and engaging experience at PVR Cinemas. This new collaboration will help create a more seamless relationship between the theatrical and the digital experience. As part of this association, Vkaao, which is currently run as an independent platform will soon be integrated with PVR’s native digital platforms and BookMyShow.
About Vkaao
A fresh, disruptive medium of movie-going, Vkaao is a platform which gives viewers complete control of their movie watching experience at theatres. It allows them to select their preferred movie along with the location, date, and time of the screening at any theatre of their choice. This novel approach to movie going is why Vkaao is being considered as an exciting alternative to the conventional way of watching movies at the theatres. Vkaao’s USP lies in its focus on leveraging state-of-the-art technology in order to create a social, crowd-sourced movie going experience. For more information, please visit Vkaao
