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Annasha

Annasha Dey is an NIT student, who apart from studying engineering is also a content writer. She has a great interest in photography, writing, reading novels, and travelling as well. She is a foodie who loves socializing and hanging out with her friends. She is also a trained Kathak dancer and a big fashion enthusiast. Dey also loves watching TV series, which includes F.R.I.E.N.D.S. and Big Bang Theory. To be a better writer she prefers to read more

Encryption

Google’s end-to-end encryption for messages may finally be rolling out anytime soon

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Google has been working on its messaging system for a while now. The company’s target is to establish end-to-end encryption for RCS. Yesterday, Google decided to bring the latest news of its messaging system under the spotlight. And, there are high chances the company might be finally achieving end-to-end encryption for RCS.

Since, RCS has the true potential to wipe out the existence of SMS and MMS, providing end-to-end encryption will be cherry on the cake. Google, in 2018, has launched a chat platform with end-to-end encryption for RCS which reached the U.S customers next year. In 2019, many companies like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile also assured its customers of new RCS standards. But, currently Google is up to some real change for RCS.

What is RCS end-to-end encryption?

RCS stands for Rich Communication Services and is the future of messaging. Though it can replace SMS and MMS, the adaptation rate for RCS is relatively slow. If en-to-end encryption is incorporated in the RCS it will give a strong competition to iMessage. For all these years iMessage has provided end-to-end encryption unlike RCS. End-to-end encryption means the message sent will be encrypted from the sender’s device and can only be decrypted from the receiver’s device. This ensures privacy and a secure system to reduce the chances of leaking information.

For this purpose, Google has built Google Messages 6.2 which will ensure end-to-end encryption for RCS. The app includes 12 new strings that refer to encryption. The question that still lies unanswered is if both the sender and the recipient need to use the Google Messages app. The exact requirements to use this feature are yet to be revealed.

Google mentioned that a good internet connection is mandatory for both the sender and the receiver. If a strong internet connection is not established, Google Messages will offer you an alternate option for sending the message. It can be in the form of either SMS or MMS which won’t be encrypted. Hence, the app will ask for your consent before sending the message without encrypted RCS.

Google’s first RCS chat platform dates back to 2018

In 2018, Google launched some new features for making the messaging experience better for Android phones. For the first time, Google introduced RCS and named it “Chat” for the consumers. It didn’t release a new app but tried to modify the existing Android messages. Google has always been a fan of RCS and tried convincing other big companies in the world to do so as well. But, Google has to admit it is Apple that came up with end-to-end encryption for iMessage in the first place.

Many people might have confusion if Chat is different from Google Chat. The answer is yes as Chat is carrier-based service. But, back in 2018, Chat wasn’t end-to-end encrypted. After one year, in 2019, Google announced that the RCS chat will become Android’s primary texting app. But, this service only rolled out for the people of the U.S. One of the biggest advantages of the chat was that the users didn’t need to download an extra app to enable chat features. The Android users use the default messaging app so only a good internet connection was a pre-requisite.

Challenges faced by RCS

Previously, the challenges faced by RCS were there weren’t enough carriers who wanted to switch to RCS. Moreover, they were not end-to-end encrypted making it easier for the government to demand information. Throughout all these years with Google trying its best to establish RCS, Apple hasn’t spoken a single word in this matter. But, now the scenario is different.

In 2019, the four biggest U.S carriers namely Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint also announced that they will over RCS in 2020. But, RCS faced many problems in the past and still things might turn a little messy. The main reason to expect the probability of success for RCS to be low because these companies will release their app.

Conclusion

If the RCS for the app created by other companies intersects and generate conflict with that of Google’s RCS, everything will become a big mess. Fingers crossed that the Android users just don’t end up preferring iPhone over Android to avoid this chaos. If this happens Google’s attempt to establish secure end-to-end encryption for RCS will go in vain.

wiziq

WizIQ- Virtual Classroom you can use to conduct classes online during the lockdown

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Since e-learning has grown its root deeper in our education system, India has also come up with innovative techniques to make the experience better. More than a million students have benefited themselves from the e-learning platform, taking up new courses and expanding their knowledge. The best thing about online education technology is both a student and a teacher can play the part of a learner.

Features of WizIQ’s Virtual Classroom

WizIQ is very popular for its versatility and engagement with users. The virtual classroom of WizIQ comes with more than enough features to make your learning experience better. Some of the features are high quality videoconferencing, server-side recording, polls and surveys, secure live streaming, live screen sharing, collaborative code editor, advanced collaboration and moderation, interactive whiteboard, etc. More than 3 million people worldwide use the WizIQ virtual classroom to take online classes. 

A versatile platform 

WizIQ offers a chain of tools and services that can make the experience of online education better for both learners and educators. 

Here is the list of services you can access from the WizIQ platform. 

Also Read: Brush Up Your Skills With The Learning App Of Byju’s

1. Create your course

An ideal learning platform is one where you can play the role of both a learner and a teacher. WizIQ allows you to create your course and sell them through their platform. You can also host live classes if you wish to and interact with the students. One of the best things about this service is if you want to join a course in WizIQ you can pay for it from the money you make by selling your course. So, this is a very cost-effective strategy for the course creators. 

2. Introduction to online tutoring

Online tutoring is very common these days given that students have the liberty to learn from online educational platforms. WizIQ gives a very big opportunity for the tutors to go online and expand their market. You will find many personal tutors around you trying hard to reach out to more people. Platforms like WizIQ make it possible for them to earn more and extend the audience base with low investment.

3. Create Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

MOOCs are very common for any online educational platform. They help in driving traffic and attract students from around the world. MOOCs can be created in millions of different topics starting from literature to science. This is a humongous advantage for independent teaching professionals or even students. Teachers can expand their courses to unlimited students and similarly anyone who wants to learn can join the courses. The main target of the MOOCs is to generate more a lump-sum amount of additional revenue. 

4. Mobile apps for Android and iOS

It is difficult for many students to get access to PCs or laptops. Especially in a country like India, poor children from remote areas cannot afford a computer easily. But, nowadays at least one person in the family has a smartphone. And, WizIQ has expanded its services through mobile phone apps. So, now you can learn from your smartphone as well. The mobile application for WizIQ also makes it easier to learn when you are traveling. Also, a smaller screen implies less data usage. 

5. Customer training

WizIQ provides a course builder suite that helps you to create training courses. You can provide online courses as well as host live classes to train your customers. WizIQ provides this service mainly to train customers about many software products and their applications. After the completion of the training, the customers also receive certification which is either free or paid. You just have to integrate WizIQ with your website, LMS or CMS then you are good to go. This will help maintain consistency in brand voice.

6. Online Partner Training

With the help of WizIQ training partner software, one can extend the advantage of training to promoters, partners, traders, etc. Through this software one can create unlimited courses. It also gives the benefit of running multiple live classes simultaneously for different categories of a global audience. This is a very good source of making a profit as you can upgrade the courses to various premium plans and charge for certification as well. You can also brand your learning portal if you want. 

Also Read: The E-Learning Platform Of Udemy Serves Dual Purpose At Its Best

Conclusion

Even a few months ago, many schools and colleges were using the platform of Zoom to carry out online teaching. But, after the incident of Zoombombing, I think we already have a more than better option right in front of us. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up and start enjoying the features of WizIQ. Maybe you will come up with your course during this lockdown. 

Also Read: Udacity Is Unleashing The True Power of E-Learning With Moocs

inscripts

CEO of Inscripts is the 16-year-old who developed his own company along with his twin brother

Leave a Comment / COVID-19, start-up, Tech Story / By

The digital era has spread its arm to warmly welcome the web developers, software developers, web designers, data scientists, etc. There are many roles for people in this digital world to participate and contribute to the technology sector. Gaining knowledge in fields like IoT, competitive programming, data analysis, web designing increases the chances of landing a job in this constantly upgrading world. We have come across many legendary scientists and programmers who started coding from a very young age. They built their website, established their business, etc from scratch. Anuj Garg is one such persona in today’s world who created his own company Inscripts at the age of sixteen. With the support of his twin brother, Anant Garg, their business has achieved great success in a less interval of time.

Also Read: INDIA’S OWN VIDEO CONFERENCING TOOL SAY NAMASTE GIVES A STRONG COMPETITION TO ZOOM

The tale of two brothers behind Inscripts

From a very young age, both Anuj and his brother were interested in running and exploring the world of technology. At the age of four, their uncle bought them their first computer and this is when it all began. He started exploring the internet which led him to develop various products before launching Inscripts. They began their entrepreneurial journey by creating an alumni programme at school. One thing led to another and they ended up creating Inscripts in 2001.  

Founding a company at the age of 16

After developing the alumni programme which was sheer out of interest and need, they had an understanding of market demand. So, when they were in Standard X, Anuj and his brother developed their company, Inscripts. They set up the company from their home and it was based on web development.

Initially, they created different products and put it online. When they tried to sell it, they were surprised that people were showing interest. So, eventually, their market expanded and they started hiring full-time employees. Anuj said that people buying their products were a great encouragement for them.

Struggle and Success of Inscripts

Anuj worked with a bunch of freelancers. Many people don’t tend to work for small companies or start-ups. So, they faced difficulties at the beginning especially because they were just school students back then. One year after launching Inscripts they received a big proposal from an oil company. So, they fled to Delhi to confirm the project but were unfortunately turned down because they were seventeen back then.

But, with years of struggles, they reached at a better position by 2007. At the beginning of 2008, Inscripts dealt with clients across 30 countries. They mainly sold their products to small and medium enterprises. Anuj’s main target was to sell the company’s products to those businesses that cannot afford expensive solutions. At a cheap price, the quality is compromised but Anuj took it as a challenge and developed quality products at an affordable rate.

Anuj also faced many challenges tackling foreign clients. They already had a negative impression of Indian companies that the product will be cheap and of unsatisfying quality. Anuj said that cheap product doesn’t necessarily mean degraded quality. Because it is a real breakthrough to produce high demanding quality products at a cheaper rate. So, it shouldn’t always be the judging criteria.

Launching Say Namaste

Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the user base for the video conferencing apps. With Zoom becoming vulnerable to the security breach and privacy leakage, Inscripts launched Say Namaste to replace Zoom. The Indian government announced a challenge a month ago. It announced that whoever will be able to come up with a secure video conferencing platform will be awarded prize money.

Also Read: Eric S. Yuan : CEO & Founder of Zoom Video Communications, ‘A Service That Connects People

And, that is how Inscripts released the beta version of Say Namaste last month. Within 48 hours of the launch, Say Namaste hosted 25,000 successful meetings. The platform’s main priority is to secure privacy with high-end encryption. Currently, it is working on releasing an iOS app and expanding the strength of one meeting from 25 to 100 people.

CometChat

After co-founding Inscripts, Anuj created a chat platform, CometChat in 2009. It is a Chat API and In-App Messaging SDK that has served foreign clients as well. Apart from India, CometChat also has an office in Colorado. Last year, it became the first Indian start-up ever to get selected into the Techstars Boulder Accelerator. It also received a seed funding of $120,000 from Techstars in 2019.

Say Namaste

INDIA’S OWN VIDEO CONFERENCING TOOL SAY NAMASTE GIVES A STRONG COMPETITION TO ZOOM

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With the lockdown now existing for months, work from home has become a ritual rather than a trend. We are loaded with plenty of projects, presentation and not to mention the everyday conference call. When you are collaborating with other people for work, video conferencing is necessary. Moreover, it is not only for attending professional meetings but also connecting with friends and family. But, with Zoom’s security breach and the threat of personal data leak, an alternative is the need of the hour. Here comes India’s very own video conferencing tool, Say Namaste that gained massive popularity within a few days.

Also Read: Zoom Freezes the Release of Any New Feature as Its Security Is At Stake

What is Say Namaste?

Say Namaste is an Indian web-based video conferencing platform. There is no app released officially yet for mass use. Many people are suggesting our Indian government has launched this platform. But, a Mumbai-based software development company, Inscripts has designed the program and launched its beta version. Till now the application has received hugely positive feedback from the people of India. But, the company hasn’t declared any date yet for the official release of Say Namaste.

Let’s see the full story of Say Namaste.

How Say Namaste emerged out of a government initiative?

First of all, everybody should steer away from the rumor that the Indian government launched Say Namaste. The Indian government in response to the security breach of Zoom wanted to alert the citizens of the country. So, the government took an initiative to launch an app development challenge to replace Zoom in India.

So, the Indian government declared the “Innovation Challenge for Development of Video Conferencing Solution” to give India a chance to develop an application. The winner is promised prize money of one crore. It is through this challenge the Mumbai-based company Inscripts came up with Say Namaste which got famous overnight. Though the result of this challenge will be declared on 29th July, Say Namaste has already become successful in drawing the attention of lakhs of people.

How the application of Say Namaste works?

The procedure of carrying out a video conference on the platform of Say Namaste is similar to the Zoom app. One is supposed to join a meeting by using the meeting link and code. And, if you are creating the meeting you can share the same with other Say Namaste users who you want to join. The features of the platform are almost the same as Zoom. You can mute the audio or the video whenever you want, swipe the screen to check other active participants, etc. The application also has the feature for chatting.

How to use Say Namaste?

The company hasn’t released an app for both iOS and Android yet. It is a video conferencing tool that can be accessed on your PC or laptop. But, the company is planning to launch an app for iOS users. But, Inscripts haven’t given any information about Android application for Say Namaste.

For creating a new meeting, you will find creating a new meeting option. You can easily create a meeting ID that can be shared with other people. And, to join a meeting you need to enter your name, the meeting ID, and the meeting code. Go ahead and enjoy the experience of India’s latest video conferencing app.

Why is it better than Zoom?

With the recent case of Zoombombing, people don’t find it safe anymore to attend video conferences via the Zoom application. The users have witnessed the recent and many flaws of the app which still needs fixing. But, people cannot just wait around for the company to modify the app. Say Namaste came as a blessed replacement for the Indians. The main motto of the platform is to provide extremely strong security.

This is the main reason why Inscripts has extensively focused on the level of encryption that is required for Say Namaste. The features, number of callers on one meeting, etc can be expanded gradually. But, the company has made security its primary goal and that is why it is better than Zoom on many folds.

The popularity of Say Namaste

Once the users feel secure, they will keep coming around. With Zoom witnessing its downfall, a better security model has played the ace for Say Namaste. After the launch of 48 hours, the company tweeted that Say Namaste crossed 100,000 users creating and joining 25,000 in less than a couple of days.

Anuj Garg, CEO of Inscripts said that they are delighted with the huge number of users and happy about being the talk of the city currently. Though the company has independently created the platform, Anuj showed his interest to work closely with the government. Anuj also says that the platform was built within two days by a team consisting of more than 50 developers.

Conclusion

Though the platform is only supporting 25 people on a video call, developers are working to expand the figure to 100. Since it is very new, it lacks some of the Zoom features. But, very soon the users of Say Namaste will enjoy features like screen sharing, file sharing, etc.

Sazae-san

The 45-years old Japanese cartoon will start rerunning its episodes due to the COVID-19 crisis

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The consequences of the pandemic have hit every industry in the worst possible way. While people are trying to entertain themselves staying at home, the demand for movie streaming websites, Netflix has skyrocketed overnight. But, the kids also need a constant source of refreshment. They indulge in various indoor games and not to mention watching cartoons. Cartoons, anime, and fictions are very popular among kids. Many old cartoons bring a feeling of nostalgia, especially when more than two to three generation grows up watching it. Sazae-san is a Japanese cartoon that started broadcasting from 1969. But, any further production won’t take place due to the lockdown.

Disruption due to the novel coronavirus

Sazae-san is a famous and one of the oldest cartoons running for 45 years. The sudden cease in the production will witness many gloomy faces. But, Fuji TV has decided to rerun two-years-old episodes from next week. This is the first time since February 1975 when it has stopped production. The last time it was due to the oil crisis which shook Japan’s economy. The lockdown has already resulted in the repeat telecast of many shows all over the world. But, with the increase in the intensity of the crisis, the rerun of cartoons will also take place.

A great loss

Before the pandemic disrupted the production, a fresh episode of Saeze-san was aired every Sunday night. Fuji TV is not going to air any new episode shortly. In the history of cartoon series, this anime TV show is the longest one still on the track. Since 1969, more than 2,500 episodes of Saeze-san were aired. With time, this anime series became a part of the Japanese culture. So, with a sudden pause in the production, it feels like the end of an era. The series also made into Guinness World Records as the longest-animated series after the famous U.S show, The Simpsons.

Who created Saeze-san?

Sazae-san, the longest-running cartoon adopts itself from the manga series by Machiko Hasegawa. Manga is the word used by the Japanese to refer to comics and cartooning. Machiko Hasegawa is one of the first female artists in the world of comics. She started creating her very own Sazae-san in 1946.

Born in Taku, Machiko and her family moved to Tokyo after her father passed away. She started drawing cartoons from the age of fifteen. Many of her cartoons and comic strips got published in newspapers and magazines. Holding the hands of Machiko, the four-panel layout of comics came into practice.

After she started designing the Saeze-san comic, it became a dramatic radio series in 1955. And, after that, it became an animated series broadcasted on television. The comic was also translated into English under the title The Wonderful World of Sazae-san. Machiko is the recipient of Order of the Precious Crown (fourth-order, 1990) and People’s Honor Award (1992).

The longest-running cartoon 

The story of Sazae-san is based on a Japanese housewife and her extended family. It narrates the ups and downs of the life of Sazae-san who lives in a suburban area. The background story runs deeper than just revolving around her life which includes the story of more than one generation.

From next week, the old episodes will also come on Sundays for thirty minutes. Since two-years-old episodes will be telecasted, losing the audience is obvious. But, the show might still attract 10% of the total audience the show entertained. Though the number of coronavirus cases is comparatively low in Japan, it seems like it has hit a recession this year.

Return of Terrace House

It is not only one Japanese show that is making a reappearance this month. The famous Japanese drama, Terrace House is also coming back though with a single panelist. Terrace House was off the air for nearly a month and it declared its reentry today. Terrace House, the famous addictive Japanese show was only broadcasted on the television in the beginning. Later, it became a big hit for Netflix as well. The entertainment industry is trying its best to keep people busy and cheer them through the flat screen. It is a hard time and we have to patient and strong we combat it.

Google

Google puts the key of leadership on a single hand while unifying the teams of its communication apps

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Strategies, opinionated discussions, absorbing consumer feedback, and implementing changes are the basic steps of teamwork and product development. Also, not to mention leadership has always been the most precious element towards quality output. With that noted, Google dropped the news of bringing all its communication and messaging apps under one team. Yesterday, Google revealed the news and also added there won’t be any changes in the products for the time being.

The announcement

Google announced yesterday that Javier Soltero, VP, and GM of G Suite will be managing this new team. With already in charge of G Suite along with Google Meet and Google Chat, the additional products that came under his team are Messages, Duo, and the phone app on Android. But, the company also mentions that this won’t harm the position of Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP of Platforms and Ecosystems, and they will work side by side.

Users might expect some changes in the sphere of product development. But, Google clearly said that the company is unifying the team for communication products under one leader, Javier Soltero. The team will work under the mutual leadership of Soltero and Lockheimer while Soltero will still be a part of the cloud team.

Javier Soltero’s devotion towards G Suite

Javier joined Google as the VP and GM of G Suite on last October. Before that, he worked with Microsoft company for five years. After a few months of his time at Google, he was still not getting the hang of the working system like Google. In Microsoft, Javier was in charge of Outlook.

One of the most impressive things about Google that made him want to join the company is the constant innovation of products that creates a dialogue between the user and the tool. He said the tools of Google propel the users forward to learn something new instead of holding them back.

Since he has joined the company, Javier has devoted all his time and focus on understanding the demand and needs of clients. His team is very much focused on browser-based experience and native mobile experiences. He is focusing more on the implementation of AI, especially for a smart chat. Javier said the products of Google still need much more integration and coherent development.

Google Meet and Google Chat

It has not been a year and Javier successfully put behind the chaos of Hangout. The pace of development Javier has picked up after coming to Google is way faster than Google updating features on communication apps. Javier wants to give more clarity to the products and especially for the consumers. This made him rebrand Hangout to Google Chat which was followed by Google Meet. Every other product of Google comes with the brand name, but these two were left out. So, it was a brilliant move by Javier.

Moreover, at the end of last month, Google announced that Google Meet will be free for everybody. The demand for videoconferencing escalated during this pandemic. So, making Google Meet free attracted a lot of users. Also, people are trying to avoid the Zoom communication platform currently due to the zoombombing case a month ago.

Innovation shouldn’t come too fast

Javier is inclined towards bringing innovations but he doesn’t want to smudge the clarity between products. He said every product has a different job and a different goal. So, unlike Facebook, Javier is not planning to integrate all the Google chat apps. The clarity should be maintained for the sake of clients and their purpose of using it. And, this harmony will be disrupted if rapid changes are made to these products.

The integration hypothesis

Improvement can never take place if there is only one-sided opinion. While Javier says that rapid development might create difficulties for the users, Hiroshi believes in the perfect amalgamation of Google apps and Chrome OS. According to Hiroshi, it is a good idea to integrate G Suite apps and Chrome OS as the latter might work better due to the conjugation. He wants to broaden the platform for Google’s app.

But, paying importance to Javier’s opinion, he might keep the decision on hold. Because nothing can be worse than confusing the customers by making a mess which they are already trying to come out of.