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|In: Android|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

V-Star Labs has unveiled Cityscape, a new way of exploring our neighborhood & changing the way we connect with our locals. The app enables people to report, alert & raise local awareness by following and connecting with their local area and other locals. With features to share pictures, check-ins, selfies and fun content with those around as well as share and consume local news and events from the local community, the app helps users engage with their locals.

Cityscape

The mission is to inform and delight users by helping them stay connected with their local area of choice and other locals to stay up-to date on current and important matters. Updates can be shared by anyone using the app and the Cityscape app automatically shows users just the ones from their local area of choice.

Commenting on the same, Vishal Shah, Founder- V-Star Labs said

Cityscape is a simple to use secure local social platform for people with a strong social attitude, to stay connected with their neighborhood, however small or big. We are extremely excited and look forward to adding more updates to the app, which is available exclusively on the Android Play Store and believe it will be well-received by everyone.

Cityscape was designed keeping ease of use and security in mind. It is one of the easiest to use amongst existing local social networks. It does not require the users email, actual address, or Facebook / Twitter account access. While a phone number is not required to use the app, it is necessary for verification to avoid spam and abuse.

Users can choose to remain anonymous with Cityscape and it does not share personal data. Cityscape also has additional features like local classifieds & discussion forums available to discuss matters that people care about, with other locals, easily and effortlessly.

The app was launched on the Android platform, it will soon be followed by iOS & Windows in the future. Currently users will be able to select one neighborhood, though in future versions, it will be expanded to 3 -for example around their home, work and another place of interest. 

Cityscape is available exclusively in India, with plans to be launched globally in the near future.

About V-Star Labs

V-Star Labs is founded and bootstrapped by Vishal (V) Shah, an entrepreneur with years of experience in the Silicon Valley & education degrees from both India and the United States. The primary mission of V-Star Labs is to connect users by building innovative social technologies and platforms for our day-to-day problems that are useful, yet simple, creative and beautiful. For more details please visit Cityscape

Cityscape for Android can be downloaded from here

[Image Credit* – Cityscape]

|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:

Puretech Digital along with group company Credencys Solutions announced it’s vision to help business organizations succeed in the fast emerging mobile-first and mobile only economy. Mobile is significantly impacting how organizations approach customer engagement and experiences and has the power to transform professions and industries.

Credencys Solutions which was started in the United States by Indian IT entrepreneurs Sandeep Agarwal & Sagar Sharma boasts of a global client base from the US to Singapore, Europe to India. In 2013 they opened their India office in Ahmedabad after they saw a surge in India based clients for their cutting edge applications and developmental solutions in the area of enterprise mobility, augmented reality, wearable solutions, for enterprises.

Credencys

The group aims to redefine the way work will get done, address key industry mobility challenges and spark true mobile-led business changes. With their industry expertise, they offer to create apps and solutions that can transform specific aspects of how businesses and employees work, allowing companies to achieve new levels of efficiency, effectiveness and customer satisfaction—faster and easier than ever before. Today the mobile device is used from content consumption, to content search, to customer engagement, customer experiences, etc. Puretech Digital & Credencys together bring this compelling bouquet of offerings from mobile solutions to digital marketing.

Mobility combined with the phenomena of data and cloud is all set to transform business and industries in historic ways, allowing people to re-imagine work, industries and professions. Credencys Solutions aims on bringing these innovations to the clients globally, and leveraging leadership in analytics, cloud, software and services. Credencys Solutions offers a new class of “made-for-business apps” targeting specific industry issues or opportunities in retail, healthcare, banking, travel and transportation, telecommunications and insurance, among others.

Commenting on this development, Prashant Deorah, Director, Credencys, says

Mobility is increasingly emerging a top priority for business enterprises as they continue to drive innovation and streamline operational efficiency. However, this situation is also creating demand for quicker and constant development cycles that challenge traditional IT infrastructure and development methodologies.

To become mobile-centric, speed and agility must be prioritized without forsaking the stability of core IT. Credencys Solutions complements Puretech’s expertise in digital marketing with exciting new capabilities in mobile and augmented reality. Our vision is to help enterprises evolve in a digital world and provide them with an open and flexible architecture and the technologies that accelerate this transition. From technology to marketing, brand to customer engagement.

Targeting key opportunities and priorities within industries, apps designed by Credencys Solutions take enterprise mobility a level deeper. The apps help employees access their company’s full capabilities wherever they interact with clients—faster, easier and more securely than before.

Sagar Sharma, Chief Technology Officer, Credencys Solutions says

What we’re delivering aims directly at the new quest of business—smart technologies that unlock new value at the intersection of big data and individual engagement. Mobile innovations are driving profound impact on how companies deliver superior client experiences, particularly those that extend the enterprise expertise all the way to the point of customer contact. Approximately 51% of organizations recently surveyed are further increasing their mobile budgets this year. Mobility is increasingly becoming a top priority for business as a means to drive innovation and streamline operational efficiency.

Since accelerating into the enterprise mobile market in 2013, Credencys Solutions has achieved several notable milestones in its mobile journey working with leading enterprises.

About Credencys Solutions

Credencys Solutions is an Enterprise Mobility Solutions & Augmented Reality company creating innovative world-class solutions for complex business enterprises. Started in 2013 in India by Sandeep Agarwal and Sagar Sharma, Credencys Solutions looks past expensive traditional mediums and focuses on mobile technology to overcome various operational hurdles for business establishments.

[Image Credit* : Credencys Solutions]

|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.

Zoho

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:

Body Mind Me Inc, has launched Jiyo – a well-being platform that has been co-founded by Deepak Chopra, M.D world-renowned physician, bestselling author & Poonacha Machaiah, entrepreneur and technology expert.

Jiyo acts as a personal well-being companion by using intuitive technology to analyze users’ daily activities and offer insights and tiny habits to nudge them on their path to well-being. Aggregate data from trackers, sensors, public databases & apps is analyzed into meaningful information and users can engage, learn, and interact with a diverse range of curated content and connect with experts on the platform.

Talking about Jiyo, Deepak Chopra mentioned

The goal of Jiyo is to help people experience a joyful energetic body, loving compassionate heart, restful alert mind and lightness of being. This is the key to personal and planetary transformation.

Besides providing personalized insights and tiny habits, the Jiyo platform also aims to foster community through a curated network of expert content partners as well as ambassador channels from leading wellbeing experts.  The platform will have a blend of free and premium paid services for enhanced content, products and services.

Adding about Jiyo, Poonacha Machaiah said

Jiyo aims to democratize well-being by leveraging mobile technology, devices/sensors and predictive analytics to provide contextual services [content + services] to the user that will enable them to make positive Behavioral changes

Jiyo’s platform provides users with the right content or service in the right context using the mobile phone as the primary medium to start the user on the journey of transforming their personal well-being.

About Jiyo

Jiyo is a US based startup founded by world renowned physician, bestselling author and wellness expert Deepak Chopra, M.D. & Poonacha Machaiah, entrepreneur, technology and trans-media expert in 2015.

For more information & to sign up for the Jiyo beta platform, please visit www.jiyo.com. Connect with Jiyo on social media, Twitter- @jiyo4life & Instagram – @jiyo4life

[Image Credit – Jiyo]

|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