New technology to give a boost to cashless, offline payments
When it comes to cashless payment at a mall or a pharmacy, it is still mostly either debit/ credit card. However, by this year-end, we might be able to use our mobile phones to make cashless, contactless payments at physical stores too, like online transactions. That’s when a technology being pioneered by a Bengaluru startup, ToneTag, is rolled out.
Kumar Abhishek, Co-Founder and CEO, is bullish about this becoming a reality, mainly because neither the merchant nor the consumer need to instal any new hardware. The merchant can use the same infrastructure like card-swiping machine or computer terminal, and the consumer can use the same mobile phone. All that is needed is the integration of the ToneTag technology.
The process is simple. The merchant enters the amount on his machine, and taps enter; the customer opens the bank app on the phone, presses the ToneTag icon, and brings the phone close to the PoS terminal. Within about 10 seconds or even less, the payment is done.
Currently pilot projects are being run with various banks, and rollout is expected around October this year.
Mr. Abhishek said with the integration of Beacon technology, ToneTag enables even customized two-way proximity communication between retailers and customers too. Stores will be able to send them targeted, relevant offers once the users are near the retail stores.
NEXUS DEVICES GET NOUGAT
The latest Android operating system, 7.0 Nougat, is rolling out to Nexus devices. Any other device that has enrolled with the Android Beta programme will also get the over-the-air software update, said Google.
Like all previous updates, this too will bring in better functionality to device operations. Some of the new features are:
– There are now over 1,500 emoji, including 72 new ones.
– With Quick Settings, users can access Bluetooth, WiFi, flashlight quickly.
– Control what tiles go where, and move them around to fit according to the needs
– Apps can tailor content based on local settings. For instance, if someone speaks multiple languages, search engines can show results in each of those languages.
– Multitask features like multi-window, direct reply, and quick switch.
– Switch between two most recently used apps by simply double tapping the Overview button.
– Software updates instal in the background.
– Direct Boot helps your device startup faster, and apps run securely even before the device has been unlocked.
DATABASE OF JOBS AND SALARIES
Babajobs, an employment-listing website for the unorganized informal service sector, has unveiled a portal that shows the top available jobs in different localities and the corresponding salaries.
The salary index, compiled on a pilot basis on http://www.nextbillion.in/, has been drawn from the vast amount of data contained in the job listings put up by employers on babajob.com. For now, five job categories – drivers, delivery executives, BPO executives, maids and security personnel in Bengaluru – are covered. The average salary has been derived from the previous year’s data of jobs in the city, says the company. The aim is to give more clarity to jobs on offer to both employers as well as job seekers.
The company plans to broad base the portal into an exhaustive resource of data on the informal sector by covering other cities like Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi.
DEMAND FOR TABLETS GOES UP
Tablets (mobile devices that are bigger than a phone but smaller than a laptop) seem to be in demand again. According to market research agency IDC, tablet shipments in India in the second quarter of the calendar year was 0.98 million units. This marks a growth of 14.4 percent over previous quarter.
The report says about three-fourth of tablets sold in India fall in the sub-Rs 10,000 category driven mainly by local vendors like Datawind, iBall and Micromax followed by Lenovo. Samsung dominates Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 segment, while the premium-tier continues to be dominated by Apple, driven primarily by its iPad Air 2.
APP TRACK
MAYA: This is the new avatar of LoveCycles, a women’s health tracker. According to the developers, the app, which has clocked over 6.5 million downloads worldwide, helps women not merely to track their periods but also to understand how their fertility works. The algorithm has been enhanced for better accuracy and now has the ability to track symptoms. The company is looking at expanding the support for international languages from 12 to 25 and adding the ability to sync data with partners and doctors. The company raised Rs. 5 crore from seed-stage venture capital firm Prime Venture Partners in March this year.
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