Illustration: Rahul Awasthi Do you want a celebrity to wish you or your loved ones on important occasions? A dedicated set of startups — Tring, Wysh, YoShot, and Celebrify, to name a few — are helping fans, mainly from small towns and cities, connect directly with their favorite television and regional movie stars. These include […]
Archives for 2020
Flipkart’s wholesale unit may go live next quarter
Illustration: Rahul Awasthi Walmart-owned Flipkart will launch its wholesale business in the upcoming quarter, two sources directly aware of the development said, as it gears up to take on Amazon’s B2B division, Reliance’s Market and Tencent-backed Udaan, apart from other vertical ecommerce startups. Flipkart has over the last few months ramped up its supply chain […]
NASCAR’s IoT streaming strategy speeds into new territory
NASCAR’s chief digital officer explains how IoT and big data help racing fans have more ways to engage during the races, including the Daytona 500. PICSUNV, Getty Images/iStockphoto Now that NASCAR season is underway, fans are turning their heads to the track–and their smartphones. More about IoT In October 2019, I covered NASCAR’s use of […]
66% of Americans admit to sleeping with their phone at night
People check their smartphones up to 160x a day (or every 9 minutes), according to a new study that examines the obsession. Americans are completely obsessed with their smartphones, with 75.4% saying they are “addicted,” according to a new report from Reviews.org. The obsession runs deep, and shockingly so, with 45% choosing giving up sex over […]
EU privacy body warns of privacy risks in Google, Fitbit deal
Alphabet Inc-owned Google‘s $2.1 billion bid for fitness trackers company Fitbit could pose privacy risks, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) warned on Thursday, adding its voice to other critics of the deal. Google announced the deal in November last year, as it seeks to compete with Apple and Samsung in the crowded market for […]
Student aid secret: Even high-income families can qualify
As college costs soar, financial aid can make all the difference. Still, many families wrongfully assume they won’t qualify and don’t even bother to apply. Each year, more than 1.7 million private scholarships and fellowships are awarded, worth more than $7.4 billion. Your family’s income doesn’t have to stand in the way. In fact, qualifying […]
Lloyds hit by bad deeds and bad debts
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s biggest domestic lender Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L) reported a 26% drop in annual profit on Thursday, hit by increasing bad debts and billions of pounds of customer compensation. Provisions to cover payouts to customers mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) reached nearly 2.5 billion pounds ($3.2 billion) in 2019, dragging down pretax […]
TikTok to focus on self regulation to ensure people ‘post responsibly’
Chinese video sharing app Tiktok, which has had a tough time in India due to regulatory issues, on Thursday affirmed to focus on self regulation to ensure that people ‘post responsibly’. There is a four-step moderation process to review posts so as to maintain the platform’s credibility, its country head Nikhil Gandhi said. The app, […]
How to Sharpen the Blurriness in Edge Computing
IT and end users need to collaborate and agree on policies and procedures for edge security, software updates, asset management and technology deployment. Image: Shutterstock From networks and integration to failover, asset management, and security, there will be plenty for IT to do to ensure adequate support for edge technology. Here are 10 key areas […]
Fintech investments in India nearly doubled to $3.7 billion in 2019, says Accenture
Fintech investments in India nearly doubled to $3.7 billion in 2019 from $1.9 billion the previous year, putting the country as the world’s third largest fintech center, behind only the U.S. and U.K., according to Accenture. Accenture, which analyzed data from CB Insights, a global venture-finance data and analytics firm, said the number of deals […]