BankBazaar, the Personal Finance marketplace backed by Amazon, has unveiled new features on its Android App to further help users manage their finances. In the new Personal Finance section, a user views a real-time snapshot of their aggregated balance across multiple savings accounts and transaction history of individual bank accounts. Most people use more than one bank account, which makes it difficult to keep track of transactions and balances. BankBazaar.com solves this problem by displaying consolidated information in one single simple interface.
Customers can view a personalized summary of their consolidated bank balance from the Home Screen itself, with the option to view bank-specific balances too. They can also use the app to quickly and seamlessly update their balance in real time.
In addition, the app also tracks credit card spends, due & minimum due amounts corresponding to the billing cycle. All this is done in a reliable, secure, non-intrusive manner after the user signs in using their Google or Facebook login credentials.
Rati Shetty, CPO and Co-founder, BankBazaar.com said
In our busy day-to-day lives, keeping track of personal finance transactions can take a backseat. When mobile applications help people make every aspect of their lives simpler, why should money matters be any different? We’ve simplified everyday banking transactions and accessibility to the right financial products together in one simple, secure, unobtrusive application.
According to BankBazaar, the app helps reinforce responsible fiscal habits in the user in three ways:
Enhance savings : The app provides a direct window into a user’s financial health and will help a user get a better handle on over-expenditure and better budgeting.
Schedule payments : The app keeps track of a user’s credit card billing cycle with gentle reminders to pay their bill on time. This will help improve credit score.
Easy credit access : The app delivers the best loan and credit card offers with the added convenience of instant approval, real-time application status tracking and a paperless process.
The new feature update combined with the app’s existing features such as EMI calculators, IFSC search, application tracking etc., gives the user extra fire power with absolute control over cash assets and credit card liabilities in a simple interface. This is yet another firm step in BankBazaar.com’s mission to help users access the right financial products.
BankBazaar app for Android can be downloaded from here
India’s most loved health/fitness app, HealthifyMe hit 1 million downloads on Google PlayStore. With a rating of 4.3/5, HealthifyMe is ahead of all the other apps in this space. Adding to this success, the app has also received an additional USD 1 million [INR 6.7 crores] in funding from Dubai based investor Neelesh Bhatnagar whose company NB Ventures has been actively investing in Indian startups.
One in four Indians risk dying from a non-communicable disease like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and hypertension, among others; before they reach the age of 70. Most of these can be prevented by incorporating healthy habits in one’s routine. HealthifyMe does exactly this for its users in a smart way.
Speaking on the success of the app, Tushar Vashish, Co-founder & CEO, HealthifyMe, said
Hitting 1 million users is a great validation since most of the growth has happened organically. To me, our 4.3 rating matters a lot more as it speaks of how much our customers believe in us. I hope we sustain this momentum by crossing 10 million downloads in the next 18 months.
HealthifyMe has been rated as a Top of 2016 mobile app by Google and it has featured multiple times in the health/fitness category by both Apple and Android.
Speaking on the funding, Neelesh Bhatnagar said
I am keen on investing in emerging digital first Indian startups that have the ability to expand internationally with an asset-light approach. I look forward to helping them expand to the Middle East at the right time. HealthifyMe’s growth journey has been fascinating so far.
This is the second round of funding HealthifyMe has received this year. USD 6 million was raised earlier this year from IDG, Inventus and Blume. The additional funding will be used to hire top leadership and invest in product and tech innovation.
The New Year is an important time for making health and fitness resolutions. We have some in-store activities for our customers to help them stick to their resolutions. I am glad that we got Neelesh’s support at this critical time in our company’s evolution as we make great strides.
About HealthifyMe
HealthifyMe is a mobile health/fitness company that combines power of technology with real human services to deliver measurable impact. Cofounded in 2012 by Tushar Vashisht, Sachin Shenoy, Mathew Cherian, and incubated by Microsoft Accelerator, Bengaluru, it today is India’s largest digital wellness platform catering to 1 million users with over 150 coaches. Its app is rated 4.3/5 and has been featured by Google, Apple multiple times for quality. For more information, please visit Healthify. You can Download the Healthify app from Google Play and iOS Store
Telenor published its WebWise report that analyses internet usage and access patterns of school going children. The report has findings of the safe Internet survey done in schools by Telenor India.
The survey reveals access trends of school going children in areas such as Medium used to access internet, What is Internet being used for, Who will they approach if they are bullied, Understanding of safe internet practices, Awareness about child helpline, Favourite social media platforms and Types of cyber harm faced.
The WebWise survey was conducted across schools in 13 cities of India covering a sample size of 2727 students who have attended these sessions. The WebWise programme is aimed at strengthening digital resiliency among school children. As part of the programme, Telenor employees conduct workshops in schools to spread awareness on safe internet practices for students, teachers and parents.
Sharad Mehrotra, Chief Executive Officer, Telenor India Communications said
At Telenor, we believe in promoting a digitally connected society. As our children embark on this journey, it is our responsibility to ensure that Internet becomes a window to a wealth of information for them. On one hand the WebWise Report highlights the vulnerabilities and cyber threats, and on the other hand it presents us with insights that can help us to create focused awareness campaigns around safe internet practices.
Telenor has taken many steps towards enabling safe internet including Child Helpline 1098 by embedding the number on SIMs. Additionally, we conduct WebWise workshops to coach students on how to be safe while being online. We have reached out to over 55,000 students and will continue to educate them, along with parents and teachers, to ensure a secure digital future.
The Telenor India WebWise report indicates that children are extremely vulnerable to account hacking, receiving inappropriate messages, being bullied online, etc. Cyber-bullying has also emerged as one of the major threats online and often it goes undetected as children do not discuss the issue with parents or teachers.
Key findings of the survey
98.8% school-going children access internet in urban areas and 49.5% of them do it from home.
Over 43% use mobile as the medium to access internet, followed by laptop, desktop and tablets.
Children use internet to find information for school projects, playing games, reading online books, listening to music and watching movies, social networking sites, email, etc.
54.8% children share their passwords with friends.
Majority of children were willing to approach their parents in case they experience any cyber harm.
Over 76% children are not aware of the Child Helpline 1098.
Facebook is the most favourite platform, followed by WhatsApp, Twitter and Instagram.
Over 35% children have experienced their account being hacked while 15.74% shared that they have received inappropriate messages.
15% complained of being bullied online whereas 10.41% faced humiliation through picture/video that were uploaded on Internet.
After the workshop, 92.6% of the children surveyed said they will not share personal information with strangers while online whereas 89.3% said they will block suspicious persons and inform an adult in case they are bullied online.
In 2014, a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study done on behalf of the Telenor Group indicated that nearly 180 million children will access internet by 2017 in Telenor markets (13 countries) and up to 85% will use mobile devices as their point of access. Amongst the 12 countries studied by BCG, children in India were in the highest risk category due to a combination of increased access, enabled by affordable Internet and smartphones, and lack of knowledge among parents and children on the safeguards against different types of cyber threats.
To mitigate these risks, Telenor has been consistently working towards making Internet use safe among children. It is extremely important for a parent to monitor the online activities of their children and constantly educate them on internet safety by citing real life examples. Earlier this year, Telenor had also launched a Parental Guide to help parents talk to their children about internet access and solve their existing dilemmas.
Telenor India’s WebWise Report, which includes details of Internet access habits of school children is available online here
An awareness programme was organized under the aegis of Ministry of Communications on Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Emissions and Mobile Towers. This is the part of a nationwide programme to facilitate digital India initiative. Honourable Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Communications, Shri Manoj Sinha graced the occasion as Chief Guest in the inaugural session of this programme and delivered the inaugural address.
Shri O.P. Meena, Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan participated as a Special Guest in the inaugural session of this programme along with Shri J.S. Deepak, Secretary, DoT, DDG TERM, DoT and others senior officials of the Government of Rajasthan in the panel. Shri Rajpal Singh Shekhwat, Minister of Industry, Government of Rajasthan also graced the occasion and supported the initiative. The panel comprised of senior members of the DoT, Principal Secretaries, Govt of Rajasthan, Advisor of Health Ministry and medical experts and professor of IIT Bombay. Shri Meena while delivering the address supported the idea of such initiatives to educate the masses on EMF and clearing the air on the misconceptions associated with it.
This initiative is aimed at bridging the communication gap and equipping various stakeholders like citizens & residents, chiefs of municipal bodies, government officers, municipal councillors and office bearers of Residential Welfare Associations with scientific evidences and facts on EMF which clearly prove that non ionising radiation from mobile towers are not harmful or hazardous for human health. The government of India norms are stricter and are rigorously implemented ensuring that emissions from mobile towers remain within the permissible limit and government guidelines are strictly adhered too. The panel also presented the body of scientific evidence and research where it was clearly established that no correlation has been found between these emissions from mobile towers and human health diseases.
Delivering the inaugural address, Hon’ble Minister of State [Independent Charge] for Communications, Shri Manoj Sinha, said
Telecom is a key source of communication & empowerment of citizens and an effective tool for socio-economic development of a nation. It is the backbone for growth and modernization of various sectors. The delivery of voice and data services to those who are at the bottom of the pyramid in India, can be done through mobile networks only, which has been a game changer by expanding connectivity in the last decade. A conducive ecosystem for infrastructure rollouts is essential to take the country on the path to progress and we should continue to encourage a scientific temper in the country with no place for myths around towers.
Shri J.S. Deepak, Secretary, Telecom Commission, DoT, during his welcome address said
The Government recognizes the challenges for the sector and the people at large and is striving to empower the citizens with facts that help them make informed decisions. We are absolutely committed to protect the health of our citizens, the standards for Electromagnetic Radiation limit that DoT have prescribed for emission from mobile towers are ten times stricter than the international standards prescribed by ICNIRP and recommended by WHO. Indian Government has taken adequate steps to ensure that Telecommunications Service Providers (TSPs) strictly adhere to these norms. We want to continue working together to create a fully connected and empowered India and for them we need more towers.
Dr. R.M. Chaturvedi, DDG-CS, DoT, pointed out that based on around 30 years of research and 25,000 studies conducted around the world, the WHO arrived at the conclusion
Despite the feeling of some people that more research needs to be done, scientific knowledge in this area is now more extensive than for most chemicals. Current evidence does not confirm any correlation between health ailments and exposure to low-level electromagnetic fields.” He also referred to the WHO-led EMF Project, involving over 50 national authorities and 8 international organizations. Together, since 1996, they have been reviewing scientific information to provide scientifically sound and objective answers to public concerns about possible hazards of low-level electromagnetic fields. Despite extensive research, to date, there is no evidence to conclude that exposure to low level electromagnetic fields is harmful to human health
A Committee, formed at the behest of the Hon’ble Allahabad High Court comprising experts from five IITs, AIIMS (Delhi), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow has also on the basis of scientific evidences, studies and reports available, found that there is no conclusive evidence about the stated dangers of EMF radiation from mobile BTS tower.
Throwing more light on this crucial aspect of EMF radiation, Dr. Arun Chougule, Professor & Head, Department of Radiological Physics, SMS Medical College, Jaipur, explained to the audience that the radiation from cell towers are well within the safety limit and have no detrimental effect on human health.
While demystifying the notions associated with EMF, Dr. Chougule mentioned
A lot of research and many scientific studies have already been done to find the possible link between EMF emission and human health, but nothing so far proves any correlation between them. Experts in healthcare agree that there is nothing that substantiates the belief that EMF emissions can cause severe health hazards.
Shri Ram Narain, Senior DDG, Telecom Enforcement Resource & Monitoring (TERM) unit detailed the staunch monitoring and enforcement mechanism maintained by DoT for EMF related compliances. A penalty of Rs. 10 lakh per incidence is imposed in case any BTS site is found to violate the prescribed EMF norms. If the violation persists, sites can also be closed down.
Several Indian Courts, including the High Courts of Punjab & Haryana, Madras, Kerala, Gujarat and Allahabad hearing cases related to effects of radiation from cellphone towers, have delivered verdicts dismissing petitions raising concerns against mobile tower installations on grounds that they posed risk to people’s health.
The Government has endeavoured to clear misconceptions around the issue of mobile tower emissions. It has sought advice from various scientific and research organisations to substantiate safety of mobile communications. To further instil confidence in the public, the Government of India has taken the step of allowing towers to be installed atop Central government offices. The effort to drive awareness about the truth of mobile tower emissions will continue. But it will also need the people to open up their minds to be able to distinguish reality from myth. Only then will seamless connectivity be possible.
About the Department of Telecommunication (DoT)
The Department of Telecommunications, abbreviated to DoT, is part of the Ministry of Communications of the executive branch of the Government of India. Its mission is to develop a robust and secure state-of-the-art telecommunication network providing seamless coverage with special focus on rural and remote areas for bridging the digital divide and thereby facilitate socio-economic development; create an inclusive knowledge society through proliferation of affordable and high quality broadband services across the nation; reposition the mobile device as an instrument of socio-economic empowerment of citizens; make India a global hub for telecom equipment manufacturing; promote development of new standards to meet national requirements; attract investment, both domestic and foreign and promote creation of jobs. For more information, please visit DOT
Swipe Technologies launched Elite Max, its premium flagship smartphone that sports 4 GB RAM and is powered by Octa-Core Snapdragon Processor. Redefining the traditional class-apart, the elevated level of craftsmanship supports power-packed features in an aesthetically-designed stylish and sleek glass body. Featuring a 5.5 inches Full HD IPS Display, the Swipe Elite Max is available in Onyx Black variant.
It is Swipe’s stated goal to make the latest mobile technologies available to aspiring Indian youth at affordable costs and Elite Max promises to live up to Swipe’s stated goals. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, an Octa-Core CPU, 64-bit capabilities and compatible with the ultra-fast 4G LTE networks, Elite Max lets the user reach new levels of performance for video, photography and gaming. With its powerful and aesthetically-superior specifications, Elite Max is going to be an ideal choice for youth, fashion-savvy women and professionals who are constantly connected, mobile-centric and aware of latest trends.
Speaking on the launch Ajay Yadav, VP-Mobiles at Flipkart, said
Flipkart is the largest and most preferred platform for smartphones in India, and we are constantly innovating to build on that. Our association with Swipe mobile is an extension of our philosophy of creating market disruptions through new innovations and valuable partnerships. After the overwhelming response to Swipe Elite Star, that was launched few days back, we are positive that Swipe Elite Max will be a blockbuster hit among smartphone customers.
Elite Max is Swipe’s flagship offering-in terms of design, form factor, performance and utility. Swipe Elite Max sports a large 5.5 inch FHD IPS display for absolutely comfortable viewing. Powered by an enormous 4 GB RAM, Elite Max is capable of running heavy apps easily and makes multi-tasking a way of life while helping gamers to play graphic-heavy games without any lag. Elite Max comes with an internal memory of 32 GB, which is expandable up to further 32 GB for users to store all the pictures, videos, music, document and more.
The phone draws power from the Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor that supports fast downloads and uploads, stunning graphics and photos while ensuring a lag-free multi-tasking smartphone experience.
Users of Elite Max get unprecedented control with integrated fingertip sensor that supports intuitive unlock feature. For the users to be able to enjoy superior Android experience, the Elite Max comes with the latest Android Marshmallow 6.0 for the best performance.
Elite Max is powered by Zip Charge attribute providing enough power to users through the day & beyond. With zip charge, a user can charge for 15 minutes and talk for 120 minutes. The new phone gives an extended company to the user with its mammoth 3000 mAh battery, which is installed keeping in mind the daily lifestyles and usage patterns of young smartphone users. Also, its Dual-SIM 4G-connectivity provides an effortless share-and-up.
Swipe Elite Max promises the ultimate multimedia experience with great sound and better picture quality. Its stereo max speaker lets the user enjoy sound in incredible detail and clarity. Its high resolution Audio reproduces high-frequency sound for a studio-quality experience.
Faster than a blink of an eye, Elite Max’s 13 MP rear camera is capable of auto-focusing in just 0.2 second for taking great-quality pictures. With power to preserve spontaneous action in real-time, Elite Max comes with the PDAF-support for better light path and finding the exact distance. The Selfie-enthusiasts can rejoice by taking incredible Selfies instantly and effortlessly with Elite Max’s 8MP Front Camera. Elite Max consistently takes high-quality images – quicker, clearer and crisper – wherever they are snapped.
Its stunning Onyx Black form factor makes Elite Max exceptionally elegant and expressive for any personal style statement. And despite so many upgrades, Elite Max is surprisingly thinner and fits comfortably in hands. At 7.7 mm, Elite Max is one of the slimmest phones with comparable features making it India’s most affordable 4 GB phone.
Swipe Elite Max is priced at Rs. 10,999 and will be available online exclusively on Flipkart from 16th December 2016.
About Swipe Technologies
Swipe Technologies is an innovation-centric mobility solutions company, having started its operations in July 2012. Within a short span of time, Swipe has become the leading tablet and Smartphone maker in India. Swipe was started with an aim to bring exciting devices in the growing Indian market and today, it is the leading consumer brand with key innovations across products, pricing and customer support.
Founded by technocrat Shripal Gandhi, Swipe raised $5 million in May 2014 from the Venture Capital firm Kalaari Capital. For more details, please visit JustSwipe
Tally Solutions Private Limited (TSPL), the premier Indian software product company, launched its GST mobile application to ensure easy adoption of the Technology led law. The app will be a rich source of information on Goods and Services Tax (GST) for businesses and will help them with understanding GST and its nuances. Its user friendly interface has been designed to cater to both sets of users-those who are adept with technology and those who are easing into the use of technology, for better understanding and automation of their accounting practices.
This initiative is yet another progressive step taken by the Company to simplify the process of adoption and compliance by businesses in the country. Tally has constantly been making efforts to equip small businesses and traders with the right information to train and prepare themselves for the Tax reform. Recently, Tally qualified as a GST Suvidha Provider (GSP) by the GSTN Network. They also collaborated with the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) in a bid to train and educate the Trading community on GST. Additionally, Tally has also launched a blog to help with the provision of the most updated information on GST and its allied impact on verticals.
Commenting on the launch, the Executive Director of Tally Solutions, Tejas Goenka said
Tally has been proud of building the simplest and most advanced technology solutions for businesses over the past 30 years. After a number of events that we have conducted with our Partners in the eco-system, across the Nation, we realised the need to develop an easy to use yet comprehensive tool that would ensure businesses transition smoothly to GST in the coming year. It is to deliver this solution to the businesses that we have invested in the Tally for GST App.
Tally has conducted over 170 events across the Nation with various partners for GST awareness and training of small businesses. Tally powers more than a million businesses and is constantly mobilizing its manpower and systems to help ease of transition of their existing as well as additional users to GST regime. Tally is proactively taking initiatives to impart the right knowledge and training for GST compliance and enablement right from the grassroots level in the country. Tally for GST can be downloaded from here
Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited delights Indian gamers by bringing the sought-after, first-of-its-kind, Augmented Reality game Pokémon GO to India in partnership with Niantic, Inc. – publisher and developer of Pokémon GO in association with The Pokémon Company. With this partnership, thousands of Reliance Digital Stores and select partner premises in India will appear as ‘PokéStops’ or ‘Gyms’ in the Pokémon GO game beginning December 14, 2016.
This launch is in line with Jio’s mission to empower Indians with opportunities that are fueled by the power of data and a Digital Life and to delight them on an ongoing basis with entertainment-based apps, such as ‘Pokémon GO,’ the leading app in the gaming category.
John Hanke, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Niantic said
We are delighted to partner with Jio to launch Pokémon GO in India.It’s exciting to see Pokémon fans in India step out and explore their neighborhoods in search of Pokémon and Jio’s disruptive high speed 4G LTE Network will be an excellent way to experience the game.
The two companies will work together to bring Indians a richer and more enjoyable mobile entertainment experience for Pokémon GO, including activating Jio retail locations & charging stations as PokéStops and Gyms within the game and allowing Indians to catch, train, and battle at any of Jio’s outlets throughout the country.
On Jio’s social messaging app, JioChat, Pokémon players have access to an exclusive Pokémon Go Channel. The Pokémon Go Channel will enable Pokémon Go players to collaborate and be part of an exciting community of players with daily tips, contests, clues, and special events. The Pokémon Go Channel on JioChat a fun way to socialize with other players and level-up faster.
With over 500 million downloads globally, we are excited to launch Pokémon GO officially in India on the Reliance Jio network. Our partnership with Niantic not only brings access to the Pokémon GO app but also opens the door to more opportunities for our customers to enjoy content on Jio’s one-of-a-kind mobile broadband network.
The partnership puts Pokémon GO players on a world-class all-IP data strong network, and during the Happy New Year Offer, Jio SIM customers will be able to download and play Pokémon GO without incurring data charges, like any other apps and content, till 31st March 2017.