Google eyes Indian payment space, sets to launch app ‘Tez’ on Monday

Google is all set to make an entry into crowded payment space with its own payment product Google ‘Tez’ on September 18. According to a report by The Ken, it is likely to be as similar as company’s global product – Android Pay. Google is expected to partner several large banks including public sector banks.

Tez will leverage Unified Payments Interface (UPI), developed by the NPCI. An application filed with the Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks, outlines that Google Inc applied a wordmark for ‘Tez’ during last week of June this year.

As per the report, apart from its own UPI-based service, Google ‘Tez’ will also integrate third-party payment wallets such as Paytm and MobiKwik including others. Unlike UPI and wallets, Tez will be platform agnostic and can be used across desktop (via Chrome widget) and mobile.

Google has been trying to get into digital payment space from past three years. A couple of years ago, it tried to get an approval for wallet license, however, it didn’t materialise owing to regulatory concerns.

Besides Google, Uber and Amazon are also in queue to launch UPI enabled payment option in the next two-three months. WhatsApp and Facebook are also planning to launch with United Payments Interface in India but they are still in the discussion phase. WhatsApp is reportedely testing beta version for UPI-enabled payment option.

Entry into payment space will help search giant to access transaction related data which it can leverage in selling its advertising related vertical. Google will tap in Tez for purchasing content from Google Play Store, Google Play Music, movies and TV.

These are the obvious and instant use cases for Tez. Building loyalty and driving repeat purchase are huge challenge for any wallet company. Going forward, it would be interesting to see how Google proceeds in digital payment landscape.

The mobile payments market is growing rapidly in India. A report by Research and Markets found country’s mobile wallet market grew 48.85% during the period of four years (2012-2016). This growth was fueled by rising smartphone penetration, increasing mobile internet penetration and rising disposable income. The trend is expected to continue.

Apple Event: iPhone X, Watch Series 3, Apple TV 4K and more

Fans, press, and conusmers alike gathered at the Steve Jobs Theater to witness the unveiling of the iPhone X and more Apple products. Image: Apple.
Apple finally hosted its annual September launch event at the new Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park on Tuesday. Members of the press and technology enthusiasts witnessed the introduction of the new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, the iPhone X, the Apple Watch Series 3, the Apple TV 4K, and more new software.

The event led by CEO Tim Cook also counted with the presence of different top executives from Cupertino, which presented different products and specific features of the new lineup of software and hardware about to hit Apple Store shelves.

There is a lot of ground to cover, so without further ado, here is everything Apple announced today:

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus

The next-generation of flagship smartphones by Apple brings a couple of new changes over the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. The new devices feature an all-glass body, come in three different colors, have better cameras, and slick Retina HD displays.

However, the most significant addition this time over is the A11 Bionic chip and the Wireless Charging support using the Qi standard. Both the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus will come in 64 GB and 256 GB storage configurations. The 4.7-inch model starts at $699 while the 5.5-inch one starts at $799.

iPhone X

The iPhone X is a celebration of the iconic device’s 10th anniversary. In its ten years of history, this exclusive redesign represents the most striking overhaul yet, and things get equally groundbreaking on the hardware and software side of things. It starts at $999 and goes all the way up to $1,149 for the 256 GB model.

Its Super Retina HD display spreads across all 5.8 inches of the front panel, supports HDR, and it has a higher contrast and resolution. Dropping the home button means no Touch ID, but users get Face ID instead to unlock their phone with their face. Portrait Mode, Portrait Lighting, and Animojis are also exclusive.

Apple Watch Series 3

Apple’s Watch lineup is now in its third generation with the Series 3, a new version of the wearable gadget whose most important feature addition is the capacity to support cellular networks. You can now pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone phone number and make and receive calls on it.

As usual, new colors, designs, and accessories will become available with the Apple Watch Series 3, which is also getting an Apple Heart Study app later this year in partnership with Stanford University to track and analyze people’s heart rhythm. The standard version will cost $329 while the cellular model will go for $399.

Apple TV 4K

The Apple TV also got some love on Tuesday, with an upgrade to the streaming device so it can play content in 4K UHD now. The aptly named Apple TV 4K will also support HDR, making colors, contrast, and image in general as good in quality as it is in other brand gadgets.

The latest generation of streaming boxes by Apple will cost $179, and the tech giant promises it will update HD movies and shows bought by consumers to 4K for free upon upgrading. It is available now and ships next week.

iOS 11 and macOS

Mobile and desktop made it into the exhibition as well, and company executives formally introduced iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra, the new versions of Apple’s proprietary operating systems.

Highlights of the update include autoplay blocking and enhanced virtual reality support in High Sierra, while iOS 11 will let users wire money to other iPhone users and play with more refined augmented reality apps, among other things. Both systems launch over the next couple of weeks.

Source: Apple

Infosys to hire 6,000 engineers annually over next two years

According to a top Infosys official, unfazed by the recent upheavals at the board, the company will continue to hire about 6,000 engineers annually over next 1-2 years, same as last fiscal.

The hiring process has been ramped up by Infosys in the US and European markets as it looks to tap opportunities and tide over visa-related issues. While speaking at an investor meet last week, Infosys interim-CEO and MD U B Pravin Rao said “We continue to recruit. This year that just concluded we had a net addition of 6,000 and we expect similar kind of additions over the next 1 or 2 years, depending on the kind of growth you see in the market."

The Bengaluru-based firm has been in the eye of a storm over the past few months, with the founders and former board members clashing over alleged corporate governance lapses and irregularities in Infosys’ USD 200-million Panaya acquisition.

The spat, which often spilled over into the public domain, led to the then CEO Vishal Sikka as well as former Chairman R Seshasayee and three other board members quitting. Co-founder Nandan Nilekani was named the non-executive Chairman in a move that was seen as the company bowing to the demands of co-founders and large institutional investors.

After Sikka’s exit, Rao assumed the additional charge as interim CEO and MD. Rao said over one million graduates pass out each year, which may look like a large number but only 20-30 per cent of that is quality talent. “(This is the number that) we and our competitors focus on...It is a question of doing more with less, how can one be more productive,” he said while answering a query on whether increasing automation would result in job losses.

Ex-Kptian Bagged 12th Rank in India in Weight Lifting

source:. blog.naadle.com 


      Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. At their best, sports are about more than just winning games and diverting crowds. They test the limits of what the human body and spirit can achieve. We have young sportsmen Rickson Rodrigues, who have achieved miles in the short time..

     
He did Diploma in KPT Mangalore and for the consecutive 3 years I bagged Gold medal for discus throw. At he same time I focused on my studies and secured 7th rank in DCET for chemical engineering and got seat at R.V college Bangalore. During his engineering, he took part in All India Weight Lifting competition and secured 12th rank.


for more deatils. blog.naadle.com

RBI to bring back all new Rs 1,000 note: reports

After rolling out new Rs 200 and Rs 50 notes, the Reserve Bank will soon be re-introducing the Rs 1,000 note that was demonetized in 2016.

According to a report by DNA, the Rs 1,000 note will be brought back to fill in the vast gap between the existing Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes.

In his effort to curb black money and counterfeit notes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had scrapped Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes on November 8, 2016. RBI had then issued new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes into the currency system.

The central bank on August 25 also issued new Rs 200 and Rs 50 notes, in an effort to address the lack of low denomination currencies and bridge the gap between Rs 100 and Rs 500 notes.

According to the DNA report, preparations for releasing the new Rs 1,000 note are on. The new note will reportedly have  updated security features and can be expected by December 2017. "The printing presses at Mysore and Salboni are getting ready to print the brand-new Rs 1,000 notes which will have enhanced security features," the person said.

The new Rs 1,000 note will be beneficial for everyday use, since low-value currencies are in higher demand.

WhatsApp faces a global outage due to server issues

Just days after Facebook and Instagram suffered an outage, popular messaging platform WhatsApp faced a global outage, leaving its users in the larch.

WhatsApp users were unable to send messages or share media files. Many users also complaint about the distorted voice on WhatsApp voice calls and calls not going through.

According to a report by Downdetector, the messaging service faced connection issues. The report claims that 22 per cent of the users faced issues while using the serive on August 29. There were 30 per cent users who had trouble while sending or receiving messages on the same day. A user from India received a message saying ‘WhatsApp servers are busy now’ after reinstalling the app.

Users from northern Europe, Mexico and Brazil including few Indian users reported their issues on the website. A WhatsApp spokesperson has told  Express.co.uk that the company has managed to identify and resolve the issue