All Posts in Review

|In: Review|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Picture these simple yet ideal use-cases while you are at your workplace:

  • You want to give instructions to the nanny who takes care of your little one
  • You want to check on how your little one is doing at home
  • You want to see how your parents are doing at your home-town since each one of us are emotional and deeply care for elders!

Well, in such scenarios either a simple phone call or a video-call could come in very handy since it keeps you informed that your loved ones are safe & secure at that very moment. However, if you are looking for a more secure, robust and long-term solution, you have the option to go for ‘Security Camera’ since trouble is real and it can knock at anyone’s door, anytime.

Image Source – Security

Whenever we think about security cameras, we visualize it as a camera that would be stationary, wall-mounted, involve a complex installation setup and require drilling for the wiring. These are all concerns of the past since Godrej Security Solutions [GSS], India’s leading security solutions provider recently launched a range of products based on the SmartLife concept. These products have been designed based on consumer insights and following a design-led approach, with a view to make the category increasingly relevant, convenient and affordable for consumers specifically in the children and senior citizen category.

These innovations were based on the findings of the survey ‘Consumer Attitude towards Home Security‘ that had very important findings

  • Only 34% of women take security measures while traveling.
  • Biggest security measure taken by women while traveling [28%] was to inform their relatives.
  • Only 9% of women use security applications on their mobile phone.
  • A minuscule [2%] were using pepper spray as a measure of their security.

These are problems that needed to be solved but via a secure & long-term solution. This is where Wi-Fi enabled home cameras – EVE Series and video door phone SEE THRU PRO from Godrej Security Solutions could be a real game-changer in the Home & Office security segment.

Image Source – EVE

EVE is a contraction of the product’s core USP – Easy Viewing Everywhere and comes in three different variants – EVE Mini, EVE Cube and EVE PT.

EVE – Easy Viewing Everywhere

The EVE series of products from Godrej Security Solutions [GSS] is capable of directly streaming live feed of a premise to the smart phones of the home owners, and helps one to watch over their loved ones remotely from anywhere in the world. The EVE range of Home Cameras is also equipped with an auto- record function based on motion sensing and triggers notifications to the owners handset everytime it senses some untoward motion.

The EVE series starts at a price point of around Rs. 5,000, and has a range of models to suit the security requirements of the customers. Since Bengaluru has a strong affinity for high-tech solutions, Bengaluru has been delivering an annual revenue growth of 18% for GSS.

Also, Bengaluru is a mature market with strong understanding and appetite for technology based products since a majority of the working population comprises of young professionals related to the technology affiliated industries. Due to all these favorable factors, GSS chose Bengaluru as a launchpad for these innovative products.

Today, we review the EVE PT Wi-Fi Network Camera system from GSS w.r.t useage, installation and features perspective.

EVE Feature Overview

As mentioned earlier, EVE PT is a Wi-Fi Network Camera whose major focus is on the security of children and senior citizens. PT in the name stands for ‘Pan and Tilt’. Some of the salient features of the EVE PT are below:

  • 0 to 355 degree PAN
  • -10 to 90 degree Tilt control to choose a desired view using the app
  • IR LED’s for clear images in a dark environment [up to 10m]
  • Works on Wi-Fi, no additional cabling required for installation
  • Supports up to 128 GB SD Card for on camera recording
  • Built in Mic and Speaker for high quality two way audio communication
  • Instant alerts on the Mobile App
  • 1 MP, 720p HD video to view each detail clearly

EVE Design and Installation

The EVE PT is light weight, elegantly designed and made of superior plastic material. Since the camera serves a very different market when compared to normal CCTV camera, hence lot of thought has gone into making the camera more portable. You can easily carry the camera from one room to another, but it would need either Wired or Wi-Fi internet connectivity.

There are no buttons on the camera which was huge surprise for us, but it is designed in order to make it more secure so that there is no tampering done on the receiver side. The Camera runs on external power source that is connected via a normal micro USB cable. Since there are no specific power requirements, you could even use your normal phone charger [that has micro USB support] in order to power-up the EVE PT. You could even power up the camera using an external power bank, if it satisfies the input current requirement of the EVE PT.

Along with the LAN input, there is a slot for external SD Card that can be used in case you want detailed video recording. There is a Speaker and a Mic on the camera that is used for two way communication. We connected the camera to a Jio Fi Dongle and there was no lag whatsoever in the video or audio output.

There is an indicator LED in the front of the camera that indicates the status of the camera. Since there is no physical wiring required, you do not have to worry about dangling wires and even a novice can setup the camera. In order to setup the EVE PT, you need to download the EVE app from the Play Store or the iOS store.

EVE  App Overview

Since there are no physical buttons on the camera, the EVE PT can be controlled only via the mobile app. For the review, we downloaded the Android app and the setup was super-easy. The Godrej EVE app is designed to work with DNRs, NVRs and IP cameras which support Cloud P2P function. Once you install the app on your mobile phone, you need to create an account and add the EVE PT camera device to your device list.

It took less than 20 seconds for the entire installation and setup [including pairing with the camera]. At each step, the camera would inform the status of the installation. In case you need to give access of the camera to your family members, they just need to follow the same steps and you can configure their Access Rights from your app since that would have the admin access control. You can add more than 10+ slaves whereas there would only one master. The other devices that are connected to the camera can also use the app for simultaneous viewing.

Since the Master app has access to all the camera controls, you can use the app for Pan & Tilt, capturing camera snapshot, recording live video, addition & deletion of slaves, access control of the slave app, two way voice communication, etc.

The EVE app also allows you to play back recorded video to search every milestone of your life.When motion detection alarm is triggered, you can get an instant message notification from Godrej EVE app.

Other notable features of the app are:

  • Real-time monitoring
  • Video playback
  • Motion detection alarm notification
  • Addition and monitoring of upto 16 EVE cameras from the app

EVE Camera and Audio Quality

When we talk about any camera, the quality of the pictures is what defines the overall experience. Godrej EVE PT comes in two different variants – 1 MP, 720p HD and 2 MP, 1080p HD. We received the 1 MP, 720p HD variant for review.

The picture quality is very good and there is not much lag when you perform a Pan or Tilt operation. Also, since EVE PT is a security camera, it becomes primarily important that the core subjects are identifiable. The camera scores well in that area, even when it is used in low-light conditions. The camera comes equipped with an IR illumination LED for enhanced night viewing.

Image Source – Godrej EVE

The audio quality also is very good. We used the Mic for giving voice commands from the EVE PT and sent some Audio commands from the mobile App. In both the scenarios, the audio quality was top notch and this feature can be used in case you want to give some instructions to someone at your home, whether it is your parents/care taker/nanny, etc. The audio is encrypted, which ensures that the focus of this product has been on ‘Security’!

The recorded video/photos are usually saved in the gallery of your mobile but you always have an option to save the same on external SD card on the EVE PT. With the advent of IoT, devices are becoming more connected and hence, it would be great if the future versions of the EVE PT app could bring in the ‘interoperability‘ so that it could be used in conjunction with the Amazon Echo, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, etc.

EVE – Closing Thoughts

The EVE PT is an ideal fit for the urban working class people who have to manage their personal as well as professional time effectively. With this camera, you can keep a watch on your kids, elderly parents since it is better to be safe than sorry. Priced at around INR 10,000, it has all the features to ensure that you can focus on your work and leave some of your household worries to the EVE camera 🙂

What do you think about the Godrej EVE series, please leave your feedback in the comments section…

|In: Books|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

One common trait that you would find in any working professional is the urge to do something different in life. It is a general human tendency that you would never be completely satisfied with what you own and there is always craving for something more. In order to chase materialistic dreams, most of them over-work without realizing their interests and what they intend to do for the rest of their lives. Only after joining the corporate bandwagon, they realize their interests due to which you might come across many of them leaving the corporate world to pursue their dreams. It takes a lot of guts to leave a stable paying job to take up film-making, stand-up comedy, blogging, etc. since it involves a lot of risks but the entire journey would be memorable.

Image Source – The Big Switch

Unlike the older generation, youngsters have different career options and it is only a matter of doing a self-realization on how you can convert those dreams into reality. The millennial generation does not maintain work-life balance due to which you would see rising cases of stress, anxiety, insomnia as well as depression. They need to find that sweet spot in order to lead a happy life.

These are some of the topics that would connect with the current generation and forms the basic premise of The Big Switch: It’s never too late by John Thomas. The story revolves around Keith, a 24-year-old man who works in an MNC but his life is at crossroads as he needs to make important decisions in order to find true happiness.

The Big Switch: It’s never too late: Trailer

The central character of the book Keith is a 24-year-old software engineer working in an MNC named H&G, India. Life is going smoothly for him since he has a stable well-paying job, a loving girlfriend Maya but yet he has lost mojo in life. He is not happy and in the quest to find true happiness, a series events occur that completely change his life.

So, would Keith be able to restore the lost mojo and what happens to his personal life, would he be able to handle the stress that is associated with the change? These are some of the things that form the crux of the story in The Big Switch: It’s never too late

The Big Switch: It’s never too late: Detailed Review

The central character of the novel is Keith, a 24-year-old engineer who is leading a normal life and has a stable job in an MNC named H&G. He is talented, hardworking and ambitious by nature. He also has a beautiful girlfriend named Maya with whom he shares a very beautiful relation. But as it happens with each one of us, you have to go through some rough patches and the same thing happens with Keith as well. Also, there is a purpose that each one us needs to accomplish and many times, we shift the focus from our purpose, ambitions & join the rat-race.  Keith also goes through a similar dilemma since he is not truly happy, though he has all the things that a 24-year-old would aspire for.

You only learn when you fall and this is what happens with Keith as well. Due to some circumstances, his longtime girlfriend Maya breaks-up with him and his life enters into a lean phase. Keith is shaken and heart-broken but he takes up this challenge positively and tries to find his long-lost ‘happiness’. So, does he quit his well-paying job to pursue his dreams and makes the big switch or he continues living a mundane life. These are some of the important questions that are answered in his hard-hitting novel.

Any youngster would have to go through such phase where he needs to take important life decisions and this is why readers of the Big Switch can co-relate with the male protagonist. In life, you have to take calculated risks since there is no gain without pain. Along with the right career choices, you also need to make the right personal choices.

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 story-telling is simple yet hard-hitting since it makes readers reflect about their lives. Apart from Keith, Maya, there is one more female character who eventually becomes Keith’s lady luck since she truly loves and supports him. The editing is also good and narration is also very good. At around 300 pages long, ‘The Big Switch: It’s never too late’ is a breezy read and its learnings would be etched in your mind forever.

Closing Thoughts

The Big Switch: It’s never too late is a must-read novel especially for the youngsters who are always in dilemma on what they want to do with their lives. The central character Keith showcases all the right traits and fights hard to lead a happy life. There are a number of novels where the plot loses charm once more characters are introduced in the story but that is the case with John Thomas’s novel. The plot is gripping and as the story progresses, you learn life lessons from the situations that Keith faces. The novel is highly recommended!!

Overall Rating – 4.5/5

You can purchase The Big Switch: It’s never too late by John Thomas from here

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

|In: Android|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Technology is changing at a very rapid pace and one invention that has played the role of catalyst is ‘The Mobile Phone’. Back in the 90’s [the Nokia 1100 era], mobiles used to be a device that only the rich & affluent could afford since consumers had to even pay for the incoming calls on their mobile 🙁 Fast forward now, the bulky, then unintelligent mobile phone has now become much more affordable, intelligent, smarter, and an inseparable part of  our lives. Apart from the on-going innovations in the mobile market, one aspect that has made a tremendous impact on the consumers and businesses alike is the ‘Introduction of applications/apps’.

Image Source – Mobile Phone

Era of Hyper-personalization

Whatever be the task, consumers now have an app that can get the work done for them. There are apps catering to every segment – travel, shopping, medical, banking, personal finance, etc. due to which consumers have access to a variety of services at their fingertips. As mentioned earlier, mobile technology has not only had a tremendous impact on the lives of consumers but has also resulted in a rapid shift in the manner in which products/services are marketed online. Gone are the days where marketers could apply a ‘one size fits all’ strategy for customer acquisition and customer retention since this is an era of Hyper-personalization.

With customers having so many options at their disposal, it becomes imperative for companies to offer consumers hyper-personalized experience, an experience tailor-made for them. Apart from the plethora of consumer-generated data, namely social media information, browsing history, purchasing history, user preferences, etc. that companies can utilize to provide a near-about ‘unique and personalized’ experience, ‘Location Services’ is what would make that experience ‘truly unique’!

Location – Personalization at your service

Majority of the smartphones [high-end, mid-range] as well as tablets now come equipped with Assisted GPS [AGPS] that consume significantly lesser power as compared to GPS, due to which geo-location [process of finding exact location of a mobile/tablet/etc.] has become more important for brands as well as developers. Food-tech companies [like Swiggy, Foodpanda, etc.], on-demand transport apps [like Uber, Ola, etc.], hyper-local startups, etc. use location for customer relationship management, targeted marketing, pushing relevant offers to customers but there are apps in other sectors apart from the ones mentioned above can take advantage of location.

There is no doubt that location-based services have gained much more prominence since people are mostly hooked on to their mobile phones during the day, due to which brands can reach them with relevant and timely information. Location-based services market is expected to reach $3.8 billion by 2018 [Source] and mobile marketers are leaving no stone unturned to make use of these services in order to provide a much better customer engagement and experience. Beacons and Geo-fencing are the two major options available for them, with each having its unique advantages and disadvantages.

Beacons or Geo-Fencing for location-based services

Beacons are small devices that detect when your mobile phone is in close proximity to it. Beacon than sends a signal to the server which in-turn sends a ‘relevant’ push notification to your device. The primary advantage of beacons is that they are highly accurate and can be used indoors. The downside is that they are hard to deploy since beacon is a separate hardware and they need to be placed at strategic locations inside a store in order to get the best output. Geo-fencing is a virtual fence drawn on a map. The size of the fence can vary from small [e.g. a small retail outlet] to huge [e.g. city]. Hence, geo-fencing is ideally suited for outdoor use-cases like measuring the throughput of a billboard advertisement/sending push notifications to customers at an airport lounge/etc. Also, geo-fencing does not require any additional hardware since it uses user’s phone GPS location. In a nutshell, mobile marketers have to make a conscious decision to select the right approach based on the budget, brand requirements, target audience, etc.

Radar – Location platform for mobile apps

Location is definitely the future of mobile and as mentioned earlier, a majority of the apps on Android as well as iOS platforms are not location-aware. Though there are many companies in the location space like FourSquare, Factual, etc., app developers required location platform for mobile apps. The main advantage of such a platform is that developers can build great location-aware product experiences, and collect and store location data in a privacy-sensitive way without spending too much time on this development. Radar, a US-based startup is solving this problem for developers by providing tools that help app developers add location tracking and context to their apps. Radar helps companies build better products and make better decisions with location data. For example, a travel app may change the in-app experience when someone is traveling and at an airport or a delivery app can help track all the delivery drivers. App developers can use Radar’s iOS and Android SDK to add these capabilities to their apps in just a few lines of code. Building these capabilities from scratch can take weeks or months, but integrating Radar takes only a few hours.

Radar currently caters to use-cases in the following segments

  • Shopping
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Entertainment
  • Social
  • On-demand

Radar has three products as mentioned below:

  • Geo-fencing: With Geo-fencing, Radar will tell you when a user enters custom regions that you draw on a map. Geo-fences can be circles or polygons, and they might represent stores, neighborhoods, or other regions depending on your use case.
  • Insights: With Insights, Radar will learn where a user lives and works, and tell you when a user is at home, at work, or traveling.
  • Places: With Places, Radar will tell you when a user is at a place, a chain [e.g., Starbucks], or a category [e.g., airport], even if you have not set up a geo-fence for that place.

Location technology by Radar is used in many apps, including Warby Parker, Via, SeatGeek, Chick-fil-A, Raise, etc.

Further details can be found in the Radar Documentation If you are an app developer looking to integrate location intelligence into your app, do give Radar a spin! We would love to hear from you as to how location services will enable future apps and how these services can be used for the greater good of people and humanity, leave your response in the comments section…

|In: Finance|Last Updated: | 1 Comment

There is a very famous saying when it comes to investing – ‘Never put all your eggs in the same basket,‘ which in simple terms means that you need to have a diversified investment portfolio. Higher the risk, higher are the chances of yielding better returns, but as an investor, you need to formulate the entire plan based on various factors like age, assets, liabilities, existing investments, risk appetite, etc.

Image Source – Savings

We are always on the lookout for investments that would give the maximum ROI [either in the short-term or long-term], but in some cases, you need to park aside the factor of ‘short-term gains’ and opt for an investment plan that can safeguard your near & dear ones when you are not around. There are pure play ‘Term Insurance Plans’ that provide insurance for a certain period of years, and the payout is done only if the policy holder is no more. However, what if there existed a plan that is an amalgamation of the two worlds – Term Insurance and Wealth Creation?

When we talk about investments, we cannot rule out the role that ‘technology’ is playing in every aspect of the spectrum – financial planning, tax saving, insurance, etc. Renowned financial institutions are now leveraging the power of AI, machine learning, deep learning, etc. in order to serve the digitally savvy investors who now seek to manage their money in a digital world. Rising internet and smartphone penetration, push for Digital India, rise of Fintech are some of the factors that contribute to the growth of the overall financial sector. Financial companies are becoming more agile to meet the changing needs of digitally savvy young investors by rolling out products to that particular market segment!

We had earlier hinted about a product that is an ideal fit from investment as well as insurance point of view. Edelweiss Tokio Life has come up with an #Unyakeenable Unit Linked Insurance Plan [ULIP] called the Wealth Plus Plan. Whether it is about securing your child’s future or saving for long term, Wealth Plus has the answers. So, let’s delve deeper into features of Wealth Plus, its benefits, etc.

Wealth Plus – High Level Features

Wealth Plus from Edelweiss Tokio Life is a market-linked insurance plan aimed at digitally-savvy customers. It is an industry-first product that is aimed at wealth creation and has no premium allocation & policy administration charges. The only assurance that the company needs from its customers is:

  1. Paying the premium on time, and
  2. Staying invested.

As a percentage of Annualized Premium, there is additional premium allocated on every premium paid and that increases over a period of five years. Additional 1% allocation is added with every premium installment in the first 5 policy years.

Another useful feature of the Wealth Plus is the ‘Premium Booster’. Premium Booster is added at the end of each year starting from the 6th Policy year till the end of the Premium paying term.

The reason why the company advises it’s investors to stay invested for a long term is that over a 20-year premium paying term, 80% of the one-year premium is reinvested via additional allocation. This means that a major portion of your premium is being paid via the interest earned on the earlier premiums paid by you.

Wealth Plus – Investment Strategies Suited to Your Requirements

Investing in any fund becomes less beneficial if there are stringent terms associated with the fund. However, in case of Wealth Plus, the investment terms are very flexible, and the policy holder is free to invest the premium in any of the available funds based on his/her risk appetite. This is termed as the ‘Self-Managed‘ option. The funds available are below:

  1. Equity Large Cap Fund
  2. Equity Top 250 Fund
  3. Equity Mid Cap Fund
  4. Managed Fund
  5. Bond Fund

The policy holder has the option to seamlessly switch between funds based on his/her choice. Also, your future premiums would be redirected to the newly chosen fund. Even if you are a passive investor in the equity market or just have knowledge about investing in the equity market, you can maximize the benefits of the Wealth Plus by switching between funds since it covers small cap, mid cap, and bond funds which have a different risk to returns ratio.

Just imagine that you are 40 years old and would remain invested for the next 20 years. Also, nothing wrong happens to the policy holder during the tenure. In such circumstances, as the age of the life insured increases and the remaining policy term reduces, ‘Life Stage & Duration Based’ strategy ensures that the sum invested is moved from riskier funds to safer funds over a due course of the time. As you are approaching 60 years, you can plan a graceful retirement since you have reaped benefits from the sum that you invested for the past 20 years 🙂

Under the Life Stage & Duration based investment strategy, the fund value is divided between the following:

Wealth Plus – Rising Star Benefit

If you are a parent, your child becomes your top priority. You ensure that your child is always happy and (s)he is given the best education so that (s)he can fulfil his/her dreams. Life is uncertain, and hence, it is left up to the parents to ensure that the child’s life is not adversely impacted when you are not around. Wealth Plus caters to these customers where the policy holder can avail the ‘Rising Star Benefit‘, where on the untimely death of the policy holder [the parent/grandparent], following benefits are paid:

  • Lump sum amount [based on age of policy holder] becomes payable immediately
  • Sum of all the future premiums are credited to the Fund Value
  • All future premiums waived off
  • Additional allocation will be added to the Fund Value as and when due
  • Maturity Benefit becomes payable on maturity

There would be a lingering question – What happens if nothing happens to the Policyholder? In such circumstances, on Maturity, you get the Fund Value. In case the Life Assured dies before the policyholder, the nominee would get either the Fund Value or Higher of the sum assured [whichever is higher].

For more information, click here

Wealth Plus – Closing Thoughts

Let us create a hypothetical scenario – You are around 30 years old and you pay an annualized premium of 1 Lakh. The sum assured is Rs. 10 Lakhs, investment strategy is Self-Managed and Payment mode is Annual. The premium paying term and Policy term is 20 years. With this input, on maturity you would make around Rs. 41.41 Lakhs. This number indicates that Wealth Plus is a ULIP that you can opt for both insurance as well as investment purpose.

Disclaimer: Information provided in the article is based on my research and I do not have any holding in it.

|In: Marketing|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

In the good old days, you had to step out to shop for clothes, books, grocery and had to refer to mass media advertisements [TV, Radio, Newspapers] in order to hunt for the best offers. Fast forward now, all these services are now available on the tip of your fingers due to the affordability of smart-phones, rising internet penetration, evolution of digital technologies, etc. Due to these factors, there is a rapid shift in the overall strategy in which companies market products to their customers.

Image Source – Marketing

Marketing is an essential part of any new start-up or business. To succeed in whatever domain you are targeting, you need to pay more attention to direct mail marketing as it is still a fundamental marketing tool. Though there are many channels to acquire/retain customers, email marketing is still one of the most productive ways to win over customers. Email still delivers the highest ROI for marketers, for every $1 spent; email marketing generates $38 in ROI [Source].

The Era of Hyper-personalization

How many times have you opted out of a newsletter from an Online Travel Agency [OTA], e-commerce website, etc. since it was not relevant to you or you found that there was zero personalization in the newsletter? It would be an annoying situation if you receive offers for a product that you have never searched for on an e-commerce website or receive promotional emails for products not pertaining to your profile. Marketers can now utilize plenty of data-points from customer generated data – social media information, browsing history, purchasing history, user preferences, location & demographics, etc. to provide them a near-about ‘Personalized Experience’. There is a shift to Hyper-Personalization so that customers are offered hyper-personalized experience, an experience tailor-made for them.

Hyper-personalization can be applied to entire umbrella of the digital-marketing strategy, but it is the most effective when applied to email marketing. One more problem that marketers face is the low open rate of emailers and newsletters, but with the advent of AI, Machine Learning and other evolving technologies, they can now leverage AI that learns to automatically maximize open rates of email campaigns. Startups are working on solving this problem so that they can help their clients in achieving maximum conversion rate thereby acquiring as well as retaining customers.

SendPulse – Making Marketing Simple

SendPulse, a US based startup is leveraging AI, Hyper-personalization, Predictive analysis for email, SMS, Web Push, SMTP in order to make Marketing Simple

It maximizes the core metric of e-mail marketing – newsletter open rate – automatically. SendPulse collects tons of data about billions of subscribers in their system and predicts the best time and channel for each subscriber when to deliver the next message to him. The result has been fabulous where their customer’s see 50% open rate increase in average. When compared to other popular email marketing solutions, the core USP of SendPulse is that it is an all-in-one integrated solution that offers bulk email, bulk SMS messages and web push notifications.

SendPulse follows a freemium model, which means that customers can try out all the features that SendPulse offers in the trial period. Though the email marketing space is largely dominated by MailChimp and GetResponse, the major advantage of SendPulse is its advanced email service As a part of the review; we would be digging deeper into the email service of SendPulse.

SendPulse was among the 3 finalists of The Next Web SCALE 2016 program. It was recognized as one of the best startups of 2016 by The Next Web.

SendPulse – Detailed Review

As mentioned earlier, major concern that digital marketers face with emailers, newsletters is the Low Open Rates. SendPulse leverages the potential of AI that helps its customers to increase email and message Open Rates & overall audience reach. When compared to the existing Email Marketing Services [EMS], SendPulse provides 70% increase in the Email Open Rates resulting in much better ROI.

The AI solution in SendPulse will choose an optimal communication medium [email, SMS, web/mobile push] and optimal time to send out the message so that there is maximum probability of an interaction with the subscriber.

Sending Personalized Emails

Once you have signed up with SendPulse, you can start using the plethora of useful features available in the product. We discussed about the importance of Hyper-personalization and SendPulse takes that to a whole new level with its email offering.

Customers have the option to choose from the Free Email Templates on their website that cater to different segments like Travel, e-commerce, Business, Healthcare, etc. or prefer to design their own template using the WYSIWYG drag & drop email editor. If you are well-versed with HTML, you should definitely give a try to design your own personalized template.

The look & feel of the emails are adapted as per the device and display resolution so that there is uniformity in the design when the users switch from one device to another.

Create Unique Mailings with Personalization and Segmentation

Mailing Lists are a very powerful medium where companies can connect with their customers. With SendPulse, you can create a template that is tailored for each and every recipient.  The best part about the personalization is that it is all in the form of Macros. A sample is shown below

There is a huge difference when you refer a person by his/her name e.g. ‘Hey Himanshu’ when compared to ‘Hey’. SendPulse takes personalization to a different level, where multiple fields like Gender, Company, Position, etc. can be customized in order to Wow their customers.

Segmentation consists of dividing your customer base up into different groups according to the criteria you set. In order to deliver unique experience to every recipient on the mailing list, customers of SendPulse can do Segmentation on the basis of Gender, Place of residence, users’ subscription details date. Segmentation according to users’ subscription details date are useful for sending personalized offers, sending re-activation emails to customers who have been in-active after sign-up.

Web Push, Analytics and REST API

Customers of SendPulse can leverage the power of Web Push that lets them reach their customers when they are active on their devices.

SendPulse provides support for REST API that can be used by developers/engineers for their app/web development. SendPulse API’s can be integrated with existing CMS and CRM systems like WordPress, WooCommerce, etc.

A product is in-complete if there is no Developer Support and if there is no way to track What approach has worked and what hasn’t? Google Analytics is a powerful tool used by marketers for detailed tracking and measuring the CTR & taking appropriate actions. Emails that have been sent via SendPulse can be tracked using Google Analytics, hence there is no learning involved in it. Along with the number of emails opened, links clicked and other details, customers of SendPulse can track the activity of the subscribers, segment their mailing lists and work with clients with an individual approach.

SendPulse Pricing

As mentioned earlier, SendPulse follows the Freemium model so that it can cover a varied spectrum of customers right from startups to MNCs. Below are the different plans of SendPulse

Free Plan – If you have less than 2,500 subscribers you can send up to 15,000 emails per month for free.

Monthly Subscription – The pricing in this plan would vary based on the number of subscribers and emails that you need. The pricing for 50K subscribers is $191.

Pay As you Go – This prepaid email package gives you the option to pay for the emails that you need.

VIP Plan – If you have more than 1 million subscribers and if there is a plan to start a regular mailing program, than you should opt for the VIP Plan. You need to send a mail to sales@sendpulse.com for getting more information about the VIP Plan.

For further details about the Email Marketing Pricing, SMTP Service, Web Push Services, etc. please visit SendPulse Pricing Page

SendPulse – Conclusion

SendPulse is an interesting product that solves a ‘much-needed’ problem for online marketers. If you are looking out for a hybrid series of communications to target your customers, than you should definitely give SendPulse a try.

Since they have integrated SMS, Web Push, and Emails in one single platform hence, you can build/change your online strategy on the fly. If you are an existing SendPulse customer, please leave your feedback in the comments section.

|In: Review|Last Updated: | 2 Comments

There has been a rapid transformation in each and every sector due to technology, much of which can be attributed to the advent of the internet. Though every device is becoming much more ‘smart’er; be it the phone, refrigerator, washing machine, etc., there are still some devices/tools that are still very 90’ish and had to make the technological shift. One such tool is the Screwdriver and it was about time that the screwdriver also went smart along with a major design overhaul!

Today, consumers expect a smart device for an enhanced performance, longer lifetime, and faster charging cycles as well as compact designs. A couple of days back, Bosch Power Tools India, leading manufacturer and marketer of power tools for construction, woodworking, and metalworking industry, announced the launch of a smart screwdriver ‘Bosch GO‘. This new smart screwdriver combines all these features and is bound to boost engineering standards.

Bosch GO Smart Screwdriver

‘Bosch GO’ smart screwdriver is a perfect tool for screwing tasks, it is not only cordless but also has a very compact design that makes it very easy to use. ‘Bosch GO’ is the smart screwdriver where a simple push gets the work done and it’s intelligent E-clutch system knows when to stop on reaching the target torque. The strong spindle lock closes the gap between manual and automatic operation helping users to stop impending work on demand.

Bosch GO is powered by a lithium-ion battery and is compact & easy to carry around anytime, anywhere. The tool is designed to be as close to the shape and size of a manual screwdriver in order to help the Indian user leapfrog from manual effort to effortless working with minimal discomfort. With the smart screwdriver, you no longer need to worry about the misaligned screws since it has excellent precision. ‘A simple push, A perfect finish’ perfectly suits the Bosch GO.

Advantages of the Bosch GO Smart Screwdriver

Compared to the normal screwdriver, this tool has the following advantages:

  • Powerful – Four times more powerful than the existing screwdriver
  • Intuitive – Intuitive operation style, just push to drive screws [Push & Go]
  • Precise – Intelligent E-clutch system stops when you want to stop
  • Lightweight – It is just 0.28 kg making it easy to carry and enabling hassle-free working for a long time.
  • Torque setting – The torque setting has six levels, 1 is for small screws into soft surfaces, e.g. Softwood. 2~4 is for standard screws & 5~6 is for big screws on hard surfaces, such as metal, teak wood, etc.

Features and Technical information of Bosch GO Smart Screwdriver

Developed with an extended UX approach and with a user-friendly design, it adds an aesthetic value to repair tasks. From tightening to loosening screws, this smart screwdriver comes with adjustable 5/2.5 Nm torque and the speed goes up to 360 rpm. The user can even use the product manually as it has a spindle lock that allows him to carry on the screwdriving operation without any hassle.

‘Bosch GO’ is powered by the 3.6V 1.5Ah in-built battery for longer run time and 90 mins of charging attains a full charge. ‘Bosch GO’ features new innovations that deliver unprecedented run-time and efficiency for any kind of application. It has a Micro-USB charging point and a 3-LED charging indicator. The screwdriving functions can be carried on with absolute ease due to the rotary brush plate that assists with the forward and reverse rotation.

To summarize, below are the major features and in-depth technical information of Bosch GO

Features of Bosch GO
Technical Details of Bosch GO

What’s in the Box – Bosch GO Smart Screwdriver

The Bosch GO kit comes with the following:

  • Bosch Go smart screwdriver in a plastic case
  • 33 pieces screwdriver bits
  • USB Adaptor and USB cable

Be it tightening door hinges, fixing electrical switchboards, repairing cycles, furniture installation, etc., with the smartness of Bosch GO you can now enjoy effortless & high-precision screwdriving 🙂

Bosch GO Smart Screwdriver – Pricing and Availability

Bosch GO is available on Amazon India and Flipkart at a price of Rs. 2,199 & Rs. 2,399 respectively. The retail price is Rs. 4,450 and the product will be available at dealer stores across India from October onwards. Customers can reach at 18004258665 & bpt@in.bosch.com

|In: Review|Last Updated: | 3 Comments

Technology has become an integral part of our lives, be it whether you are sleeping, eating or performing any activity [working out, jogging, etc.]. There is a significant proportion of people who are interested in tracking their sleep patterns, quality of food they intake, calories burnt, the quantity of water intake, etc.

Image Source – Water Filter

However, Technology is only acting as an ‘Enabler’ but the central control still lies in your hands 🙂 Though you might have advanced gadgets at your disposal, you need to put them to the right use. For example, you might be having very stringent rules to consume ‘certain’ amount of water during the day but did you even ‘care’ to check the quality of water being consumed! Just like growing Pollution is spoiling the quality of the air we intake, Water also is no longer good to consume in its purest form. In a number of cities in India, there are households that directly utilize municipal tap-water for consumption but it is always recommended that the water goes through the purification process. Irrespective of where you reside in India, quality of drinking water has become a major concern since it might contain harmful toxic compounds.

Just like having healthy food is an integral part of becoming fit, consuming clean water that is free from every kind of impurity is essential to keep our health in check. Water is a principal component of all the body fluids and the human body is composed of 70% water. According to the World Health Organization & United Nations Children Fund, more than one in six people –or 894 million – worldwide live in areas where the availability of safe water is limited [ Source]. Hence it is always advisable to not have tap water directly since it might contain chlorine, heavy metals, fluorides, arsenic, etc. It goes without saying that having safe water keeps you healthy and free from any water-borne diseases.

If you are very particular about tracking your water intake using ‘wearable technologies’, then why not be more particular in ensuring that you intake ‘safe drinking water’ 🙂 This is where ‘water purification’ plays a very important role in ensuring that the water is free from all the impurities. LivPure has been the torch-bearer in bringing clean drinking water by ensuring purity in consumers’ lives through pure water & pure air. Their key mantra is ‘Keep your family safe with healthy drinking water‘. They offer India’s first smart touch RO+UV+UF+Taste Enhancer at customer’s doorstep; one of the best water purifiers in India available online that provides 100% safe, tasty, and healthy drinking water.

LivPure water purifiers have an innovative next generation design built with smart technology. They have multi-dispensing options, variable storage tank capacity to address different needs of consumers, purification capacity up to 15 liters per day and more. They have the best water purifier addressing your needs.

Most of the water purifiers from LivPure have indicators for amount of water being consumed as well as Filter change indicator. The best part is you can book a demo or buy the water purifier online. Water purifiers from LivPure follow a seven stage purification process:

  • Pre-Filter
  • Sediment Filter
  • Pre-Activated Carbon cum Absorber
  • Antiscalant Cartridge
  • Reverse Osmosis [RO] Membrane
  • Ultra Violet [UV] Disinfection Column
  • Ultra Filtration Cartridge [Source]

Developing a good product is only ‘half the job done’ since it still needs to undergo a significant amount of testing. Each of the water purifiers from LivPure goes through various levels of testing, right from lab testing to live testing.

Remember, water is a healthy resource that helps your body grow, sustain and function optimally, so why not rejuvenate your system by consuming water regularly on a daily basis. If you are an existing user of LivPure Water Purifiers, do leave your experience in the comments section…

|In: Books|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Be it movies or books, crime, detective and suspense category can give anyone goosebumps and an edge of the seat experience. How many of you got glued to the suspense portrayed in the 1990’s TV series Byomkesh Bakshi or have been on the edge of the seat while watching the Bollywood movie Bhoot. Like me, if you are also in awe with movies or books that fall into that category, then the book Bhrigu Mahesh, PhD – The Return of Damayanti by Nisha Singh might be of interest to you.

Image Source – Mystery

Bhrigu Mahesh, PhD – The Return of Damayanti is the second book by the author featuring the detective Bhrigu Mahesh and his friend Mahesh Sutte. Though it is the second book featuring the same characters, a good amount of detailing has been done in order to make the readers well-versed with them. The publisher is Partridge Publishing.

About the Author

Nisha Singh is the author of two books, namely ‘Bhrigu Mahesh, PhD- The Witch Of Sendukar’ and ‘Bhrigu Mahesh, PhD – The Return of Damayanti’. She is a crime fiction enthusiast who has written short stories for National Print Magazine and has contributed to a variety of online publications. Nisha is a prolific reader and writer and her stories have surprising endings. Nisha resides in Uttar Pradesh, India. You can read more about Nisha Singh here 

Bhrigu Mahesh, PhD – The Return of Damayanti : Trailer

The central character of the book Bhrigu Mahesh is a private detective and a retired policeman. On this second adventure, he is called to help by a hapless, retired clerk named Nataraj Bhakti. Nataraj Bhakti approaches the detective because he thinks that he is being haunted by the spirit of his dead wife, Damayanti. He along with Sutte, his friend and trusted lieutenant travel to the village in order to solve this mystery. There are series of twists and turns, including the murder of a lady that keeps the suspense alive and manages to treat the readers with an edge of a seat experience.

So, would the detective be able to crack the case? What would be main motive behind the murder and all such lingering questions form the crux of the story. Mystery, Murder, and Religion are three keywords that make Bhrigu Mahesh, PhD – The Return of Damayanti an intriguing read !!

Bhrigu Mahesh, PhD – The Return of Damayanti : Detailed Review

As mentioned earlier, the central character of the novel is Bhrigu Mahesh, an ex-policeman turned detective. On the request of Nataraj Bhakti, Bhrigu and Sutte travel to his village Krishna Dwar to investigate the case. Nataraj stays in a village that is very popular for its temples and owns a large ancestral home. Both Brigu and Sutte take accommodation at his place and witness the unusual/haunting activity themselves.

As expected there is a new twist in the story when a member from Bhakti’s family is murdered and at this juncture, Brigu & his team needs to take a vital decision on whether they should catch the killer or risk the destruction of many innocent lives. Who is the killer of that woman, what about the haunting of Damayanti and all such questions are answered over the course of time.

Being a thriller, it is very important that the story is told at the right pace, characters are introduced at the right time and suspense is unfolded in pieces so that it provides an edge of the seat experience! Though sometimes the story becomes a bit slow, especially in the first half of the book, it does catch up in the latter half. Detailing is given to each and every character in the story. Overall, Bhrigu Mahesh, PhD – The Return of Damayanti definitely scores high in all the three important categories.

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. Though this is the second installment of the Bhrigu Mahesh, PhD series, characters of Sutte and Mahesh Bhrigu are created with the finest detail which was very important for first-time readers. Being a thriller, we cannot be a spoilsport by revealing the ending but one thing which we can expect is a sequel to this story since the ending might surprise some set of readers 🙂

Closing Thoughts

Bhrigu Mahesh, PhD – The Return of Damayanti is a well-etched thriller where each character is crafted to perfection. Being a thriller, it was very important that there are few characters in order to stick to the storyline and Nisha Singh has managed to deliver the same, that too with a punch! As you progress through the story, you might feel an adrenaline rush and anxiety about ‘What next’ 🙂 If you love reading thrillers, you should definitely not miss this one.

You can purchase Bhrigu Mahesh, PhD – The Return of Damayanti by Nisha Singh by clicking on the link below

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!