YU, the subsidiary brand of Micromax, made a great entry in the smartphone market with its Yureka smartphone and went on to sign an exclusive partnership with Cyanogen to provide customised Android software for its devices. The company has been one of the more successful subsidiary company, churning better sales than a number of Indian smartphone makers. But with competition on the rise and a fair number of Chinese smartphone vendors establishing themselves in the Indian market, the company needs to buckle up and brings something fresh.There was a time when 4G handsets were difficult to find in the market, but today almost every new handset supports 4G LTE radio. YU has taken the first blow, however, and introduced its latest low-costing smartphone called Yunique which promises to offer 4G connectivity at just Rs. 4,999 and for that the smartphone doesn’t look that bad. It has a similar looking style and finish like YU’s second handset, Yuphoria, with a rubberized plastic back and a large round ring around the camera lens. The handset feels very well made for its price. The display has an economical size of 4.7-inch that fits perfectly well in the hand and has a 720p HD resolution which is justified for such a screen size. It might not be the best display out there, but the best display you can get at such a low price along with Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The handset is powered by a Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor with 1GB RAM and manages to perform quite well. There is 8GB of internal storage as well as a microSD card expansion of up to 32GB. Surprisingly YU has put stock Android 5.1 on the smartphone instead of Cyanogen. Users can however, manually install the Cyanogen based ROM without hampering the warranty of the handset. The camera at the back can shoot pictures at 8MP resolution and can record 1080p videos. One might not expect a lot from a camera at such a low price but the camera can shoot some really good looking pictures and videos, although the colours can be slightly off.The handset comes with dual SIM card slots and supports 4G which is what YU believes will be the selling point of this smartphone. It managed to efficiently support Airtel’s LTE network and gave speeds of up to 14Mbps but mostly stayed around 5Mbps, which is mostly a network provider issue which is still a huge concern for smartphone makers. The Yunique is well worth the money and is great for someone who doesn’t want to shell out a lot of money to experience 4G speeds. The handset is surprisingly well made and performs smooth and lag free and worth the five-grand price tag. Pictures: Kunal Khullar
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Avon Facility Management Services (A Division of Quess Corp Limited) has inked an exclusive nationwide partnership with Helpr, a technology platform that provides hassle free, on-demand household services at the click of a button. The app is available on Google Play and App Store starting Wednesday (16 September). Using the Helpr app, consumers can avail cleaning services, plumbing services, electrical repairs, air conditioner maintenance, carpentry and pest control services from the convenience of their phone and at the time of the consumer’s choosing. Avon as the exclusive partner will ensure availability of well trained and most importantly background verified service personnel, something critical that is often overlooked by on-demand service providers. Helpr has launched its services in Bangalore and plans to expand to 22 cities in the next 12 months. Avon with its pan India presence and experience in facility management is well equipped to support Helpr in its journey through quick scalability. It was co-founded by Rajesh Sankarappan, Vignesh Rengasamy and Vijayramkumar Veeraraghavan who are from Coimbatore and alumni of PSG College of Technology. According to Vivek Arora, Chief Operating Officer, Avon Facility Management Services, “This partnership with Helpr will serve as a platform to create happy households while we continue to work with happy corporates. Avon comes with an experience of 26 years in the facility management space and we are proud of having consistently delivered quality services with the help of our well trained, diligent and trusted associates.” Helpr has features like easy scheduling and live tracking, which enables the customer to track the delivery of services.The app’s proprietary algorithm maps the best and top rated service provider for any selected service. Helpr also provides dedicated Android Apps to service providers to intelligently manage the communication between the customer and the service provider. “Helpr not only eases the booking process, the app also provides instant estimates, transparent pricing and easy payment options.” says Vijayramkumar Veeraraghavan, the CEO of Helpr. “Our exclusive partnership with a reputed service provider like Avon, helps in solving the problem of supply hence we are able to own the entire user lifecycle and provide the most premium experience at competitive prices.”
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It's time phone and tablet makers gave some serious thought to letting users readily customise their devices and usage, writes Mala Bhargava The rumours that Apple may soon allow users to delete some of the apps it preloads on to its devices is like smoothing down the bristling fur of an angry cat. When you get an Apple device like an iPhone or an iPad, and pay through your nose for every inch of space onboard, you'd think you should have the choice of what to keep and what to throw out. But no, there are all sorts of applications you can do nothing about. To me, the most annoying is the Game Center. I don't want to play any of Apple's recommended games, and that's that. Why can't I just banish the whole folder and its bits and pieces off of my iPad? After all, it's not as if the action is irreversible. It's not certain which apps will be user-offloadable, but it's a safe bet it won't include applications like the Calendar. Or Music. Many apps are central to the whole system and notifications etc depend on them as may the functioning of other apps. So those are probably not going anywhere anytime soon. But even getting rid o a few will be a relief and make more space for what the user wants to do on the device. It's time phone and tablet makers gave some serious thought to letting users readily customise their devices and usage. Let's say I use reminders and calendars and tasks on one device. I use the other device to relax, make artwork with, watch movies, or listen to music. It should be my choice to remain undisturbed by various systems talking to each other, clever as it may be, to send me notifications in duplicate and triplicate. And I shouldn't have to tinker through the settings of every app to pick and choose what I want disturbing me. I don't believe enough attention is given to the idea that not every user wants to be surrounded by multiple devices communicating to each other and enveloping the user in a cloud of messages, reminders and notifications. But the more customizable Android universe is no less a culprit. Practically every manufacturer insists on talking up half the space on a device, if not more, with their own selection of apps. One or two such as security apps, may actually be useful, but through tie-ups with others, space is generously given to various shopping apps, news apps, and messaging apps that you can't get rid of, no matter what you do. If it weren't bad enough that companies heavily "skin" Android with their own interface in the hopeless quest for uniqueness and offering value, they also choose your apps for you. Not everyone is tech savvy and having apps already selected is bound to be very helpful to many. But, there should be the option of removing these should one change one's mind. The Play Store is but a click away. Or, put in an app suggestion widget and leave it at all, letting the user pick whatever seems essential. We paid for our space. And we want the choice to use it as we see fit.
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By Steve BlakemanAfter a decade of use, Google ditched its old logo this week in favour of an ‘all new and improved’ version. Some of the reactions have been pretty extreme including a few that are not quite so complimentary...Firstly, what exactly has it done? Well just a month after a major restructuring of the company, Google is putting on a fresh face to the world. The new product sans typeface is designed to make it appear a little more modern and playful. Some say it’s more like fridge magnets. Or that is shows us the way to Sesame Street...Apparently, the colours are much softer hues than previously. It’s indiscernible to my dodgy eyes though. I even put my glasses on, but I still can’t make out the difference.There is also a more than a passing resemblance to Alphabet’s (Google’s new parent company) logo. And of course it isn’t a coincidence that their design language is remarkably similar as they are clearly seeking to maximise the synergies between the two.Secondly, why did Google change it? Google says the main reason is because technology has changed how we interact with its products and with the Internet at large. Fair enough, that’s a point I get. However, what I don’t understand is why it needed to redesign the logo as a consequence. It goes on to say that the new logo will better reflect the reality that Google is no longer a desktop destination, it’s a humongous array of websites, mobile apps and other services that you visit on a multitude of devices. According to Google, it believes that its new logo reflects this reality and it seemingly demonstrates:“when the Google magic is working for you, even on the tiniest screens”.Hmm. All that said the question remains — why does it need a new logo to convey ‘the Google magic’ on small screens. Frankly I didn’t detect any issues with the old one.Some designers have argued that it’s too simplistic to talk about it as a change of logo stating that this is more about a change in ‘identity’. The logo only represents one facet of that identity and as such is merely a symbol of some of the aspects that define the Google brand: simplicity, creativity and playfulness. And I don’t doubt the wisdom of the design experts. After all, it is their craft. But we humans are fickle beings and are all too quick to proffer our opinions on absolutely anything, particularly on those things that are so familiar to us in every day life.And finally, what about the reaction from consumers? Well for such an inoffensive, quirky, colourful and cute logo it has caused some interesting reactions on Twitter; some are amusing and some a little odd.So come on what do you think? Do you love it or loathe it? Either way, let’s face it, you are still going to use it rather than Bing.The author is managing director of Global Accounts at OMD(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 05-10-2015)
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Hewlett-Packard Co, which is splitting into two listed companies later this year, said on Tuesday it expects to cut another 25,000 to 30,000 jobs in its enterprise business as the tech pioneer adjusts to falling demand. The latest cuts, on top of layoffs of 55,000 workers previously announced under Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman, notably will be in the company's faster-growing corporate hardware and services operations, to be spun off as Hewlett Packard Enterprise, or HPE, on Nov. 1. The latest job cuts indicate a reduction of the company's total workforce by at least 10 percent, based on the company's most recent number of more than 300,000 employees as of Oct. 31, 2014, and reflecting the previously announced reduction of 55,000. The company indicated the cuts will be global, but provided no specifics. Under the split into two companies, the other company, HP Inc, will comprise the computer and printer businesses, which have been hit hard by a relentless decline in sales of personal computers. "We've done a significant amount of work over the past few years to take costs out and simplify processes and these final actions will eliminate the need for any future corporate restructuring," Whitman said in a statement. The job cuts, aimed at saving $2.7 billion a year, will result in a charge of about $2.7 billion, beginning in the fourth quarter, HP said. Job cuts have become a way of life at the company in recent years as it has digested a series of acquisitions that failed to revive its fortunes. "The number is sadly larger than some people might have expected, but I think it's a reflection of how much trouble HP has been having with its services," said Charles King, president and principal analyst of Pund-IT, a Silicon Valley IT consulting firm. Hewlett-Packard's chief financial officer, Cathie Lesjak, said last month that HP expected the previously announced job cuts of 55,000 under Whitman to increase by up to 5 percent by the end of October. "I'm frankly not sure if HP is finished with the layoffs," King said, saying he expects the job cuts and the shuffling of people and positions to continue well into 2016. HP said it is moving more of its workers to lower-cost locations as part of its efforts to cut costs. In its 2013 fiscal year, the company said 36 percent of the employees in the unit of HPE called enterprise services worked in what it called low-cost locations. This year 42 percent do, and executives said they plan to increase that percentage to 60 percent by 2018. In its fiscal third quarter ended July 31, HP's revenue from personal computer and printer businesses, its largest, fell 11.5 percent. Of the units to be housed in HPE, which will be run by Whitman, sales in enterprise services dropped 11 percent, while revenue at the enterprise group rose 2 percent. HPE will have revenue of more than $50 billion, and is expected to report adjusted profit of $1.85 to $1.95 per share in 2016, HP said on Tuesday. The business is expected to report free cash flow of $2.0 billion to $2.2 billion in 2016, at least half of which is expected to be returned through dividends and share buybacks. HP shares fell 1.4 percent to $26.73 in extended trading on Tuesday after the news. Maxim Group analyst Nehal Chokshi blamed the market reaction on the cash flow target, which he said looked short of the contribution needed from the enterprise unit to meet analysts' forecasts. Late Tuesday, the company also released financial projections for HP Inc, the PC and printer businesses. Saying it expects the market for those products to remain tough for the "next several quarters," it forecast 2016 earnings for HP Inc to be between $1.67 to $1.77 per share, excluding items. The business is expected to report free cash flow of $3 billion to $3.3 billion in 2016, at least half of which is expected to be returned through dividends and share buybacks. (Reuters)
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The wallet is equipped with state of the art technology and a robust partner network, reports K Chandra Mohan Online e-commerce major Snapdeal-owned utility payments platform FreeCharge on Tuesday (15 September) launched a digital wallet in partnership with Mumbai-based private lender Yes Bank. Snapdeal had acquired FreeCharge in a deal believed to be worth around Rs 2,800 crore earlier this year and the launch of the new wallet could be seen as a challenge to digital payments player Paytm. The company claims that its wallet is able to reduce checkout times to less than 10 seconds. While FreeCharge already has a credit-based wallet-like feature in its app called 'FreeCharge Credits', which gets credited when a transaction is unsuccessful. By partnering with a payment bank licensee, FreeCharge can integrate the wallet with savings bank accounts via IMPS and NEFT transfers and issue ATM and debit cards. The payments bank market is expected to hit $1 trillion 2019. The company will partner with FINO - a payments bank licensee to build scale and ability to reach even the under-served "With the launch of the FreeCharge digital wallet service, we are all set to transform the way people make payments. A secure, easy to use and feature-rich service, the wallet is equipped with state of the art technology and a robust partner network, making it a truly game-changing service that will bring value to consumers and our partners in the ecosystem," said FreeCharge co-founder Kunal Shah. "At Snapdeal we are building an ecosystem that powers billions of digital commerce transactions. With the launch of the FreeCharge Digital Wallet, we will now play an even more intrinsic role in our customers' lives," he added. FreeCharge said that its platform has 27 million registered users making more than 5 transactions per month per user, 8.2 million daily unique users, 4 million monthly engaged hours, 15 million stored cards, with combined with GMV of over $4 billion (roughly Rs 26,543 crore). Over 90 per cent of its transactions are from mobile devices, accounting for a volume of over 200 million transactions annually. The FreeCharge Digital Wallet is set to become India's most used wallet in the next 6 months. Anand Chandrasekharan, Chief Product Officer at Snapdeal compared the synergy between the two firms to eBay and PayPal, Taobao and Alipay. In line with Snapdeal's vision of building the most impactful digital commerce ecosystem in India, the FreeCharge digital wallet will enable a culture of digital payments through multiple partnerships. FreeCharge Digital Wallet is powered by cutting edge technology, consumer behaviour insights and innovations in payments. It is a robust and flexible platform that leverages enabling technologies such as HCE, NFC, QR code and BLE to bring in efficiencies in the consumers' purchase experience.
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SanDisk is a popular name when it comes to data storage especially flash drives and memory cards. The company has gone beyond making just high-capacity storage devices to introduce a flash drive that can also be accessed wirelessly. The SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick is the newest product under the company’s portfolio which comes fitted with a Wi-Fi chip inside. The product is targeted at consumers who have a smartphone and like to have some extra storage by their side which can be accessed effortlessly. While SanDisk also makes dual-port flash drives that can by directly plugged into your Android or iOS device, SanDisk says that they want to provide options and variety to its consumers.The Connect Wireless Stick is a simple looking flash drive but fairly larger than the traditional flash drives that we are used to see today. Which is probably due to the fact that it has a Wi-Fi chip and a small battery embedded inside. On the outside there a nice textured finish with a button to activate the wireless hotspot and a tiny LED to indicate the power and the battery level. It can be used as a traditional flash-drive to transfer data by plugging it onto a PC which also charges the battery inside. However, plugging the drive to charge or to transfer data disables the wireless chip, so to transfer data or stream videos wirelessly, the drive should not be plugged into a USB port.Users need to install the SanDisk Connect Drive app on their iOS or Android device to connect to the flash drive. The app automatically detects when the Connect Wireless Stick is in range, automatically connects via Wi-Fi and fires up a file manager. The file manager is simple to use and lets you browse files on the drive. One can easily move files from and onto the drive through the app and can also open and edit documents as well as access media. The app also lets you secure the drive by letting you put a password with a WPA2 security encryption. The drive also supports video streaming and up to three devices can play 720p HD videos simultaneously from the drive. Wireless transfer speeds are fast and copying a 4-5MB picture takes just seconds, however transferring videos can take its sweet time. The battery on the drive is pretty good and SanDisk has confirmed about 4.5 hours of battery backup while watching a video after a full charge. One major issue with the drive is when you connect it to an Android device. Since the drive creates a Wi-Fi hotspot, your Android smartphone or tablet will be connected via Wi-Fi which means your access to the internet will be blocked. SanDisk is working on this and says that there will be updates to fix this issue.The Connect Wireless Stick is a great tool to have if you frequently need to transfer files from your PC to your smartphone, or just want to unload media and data from your smartphone onto a safe location. It is as portable as any other flash drive and easily charges by plugging it into a PC. The drive is available at Flipkart.com in capacities of 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB at Rs. 2790, Rs. 3790, Rs. 5490 and Rs. 9490.
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Throughout the ages, communication has been a necessary driving force in the evolution of mankind as a species. We created language when we needed to interact with each other. We further created letters, telephone and then television to interact with each other bypassing the restrictions imposed by distance. The response lag started diminishing and soon with the advent of internet and emails we completely eliminated the factor of response lag from communication.However, so far we had only conquered the aural or textual forms of conversation. Admittedly the visual medium was well represented with the invention of television but not a lot had been done to cut down the response lag from the visual mediums of communication. This would prove to be a major roadblock in the path of true connectivity and would continue to puzzle a lot of great minds until the late 80s when the computer systems became powerful enough to stream media and we had enough bandwidth to transmit media across the channels.Enter live streaming, the earliest widespread example of live streaming is from 1993 when 'Severe Tire Damage' became the first band to perform live on the internet. Nearly two years later a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners became the first game to be live streamed on the internet. Ever since then, continuous breakthroughs were made in the field and soon the entire world became completely comfortable with the concept of streaming media on their home systems.Entering the new millennium, when streaming media was busy trying to become a mainstay at our homes and offices, another technology was busy making a lot of buzz. Mobile phones, while existing since the 80s had suddenly burst into the public conscience due to slashed prices and advent of new technology. Nearly everything was going mobile. Our gadgets started growing smaller in size and becoming more portable starting with laptops, moving on mobiles and most recently tablets. Every technology that had been created up until that point had to be altered to these platforms. Live streaming suddenly took a back seat for some time while the world rushed to capture everything mobile.It was around 2002 that live streaming started picking up in earnest again. Flash player had just become mainstream making it easier for people by having a common architecture for streaming content. Soon companies like Livestream and Ustream sprung up within a few years offering dedicated live streaming solutions on PC and laptops. Mobile live streaming on the other hand, was a market still left untouched mostly due to hardware restrictions.Mobile live streaming was a market which picked up in the current decade thanks to players like Meerkat, Periscope, YouNow, and InstaLively. A lot of other players like Livenow, Twitch and others are entering the market from different verticals as well. Mobile live streaming is based on a simple concept. You see something shareable, instead of clicking picture or taking videos, which would be asynchronous method of transfer, you just livestream it to your audience. All the above mentioned apps are doing a great job of it.With just a click of a button now, you can go live anywhere in the world. Just as simply, you can find anything you want to watch on these apps or online. The performances at the iTunes festival are streamed live from London every year for everyone to watch. Features like Live Chat make livestreams even more interesting because not only can the world watch these events together but talk about it over chat which brings a sense of community.Meerkat made a big impact at the SXSW Music Festival in Texas, as people from around the world had the ability to watch what was happening through the lens of onsite attendees. This is what makes streaming events unique, rather than posting your feelings and experience as you would do on Twitter or Facebook, you can provide a window into what you are truly experiencing in real time. InstaLively is the first app to allow inline sharing of streams on Twitter and Facebook which means you gather a wider audience for your stream. Those who miss out can watch is later, most live streaming apps like Periscope and InstaLively have such a feature.The author, Prakhar Khanduja, is Co Founder, InstaLively
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