Your Tech Story

Athulya

Being a cinephile with a love for all things outdoorsy, Athulya never misses a chance to chase inspiring stories or poke fun at things, even when the subject is herself. Currently pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering, she is someone innately interested in technical and scientific research. Music reviews and op-eds define her as they allow her to explore different perspectives. Though sometimes she thinks she makes more sense playing the guitar than she does while writing.

android

Users Can Now Access Google Stadia Via 4G and 5G Services On Their Mobile Phones

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Gamers have more good news coming their way. Google recently announced that its cloud gaming service Stadia will now be accessible to Android users. As per the report, Google’s Stadia will now work through 4G and 5G services from mobile phones. This will improve the accessibility of the service, which hit the market last November. Let us now take a quick look at how this move will help gamers around the world.

Accessibility Over Mobile Networks

Google’s announcement via their 9to5Google forum says that users can now use Stadia over mobile networks. The platform will be accessible to Android users who have 4G or 5G connectivity. However, this feature will be through an “experiment” mode, hinting that the feature might not pan out so great for the first few users. Ever since the platform dropped in November 2019, users could play games on it only over Wi-Fi. However, a few had figured out how to play over cellular networks by tethering their laptop. Even so, this was not a preferred method for many, with most opting to play over their fixed LANs. 

Experiment Op-In

In order to play over a cellular network, users will have to opt-in for the experiment. To do so, they should head to their Stadia app, select Experiments, and then click on the Use Mobile Data option. As per previous user experience, playing over a 90Mbps LTE connection ranged from playable to filled with stutters. However, that was back in November, and there is reason to suspect Google has since improved the platform. Since we are unsure of whether the tech giant has updated the portal, users might be surprised to find they can now render games smoothly over cellular networks. Also, in the past, cellular networks could be used only via tethering, which does hamper the overall quality. As users can now make use of 4G and 5G services directly, they can expect better user experience. 

Lot of Updates

This announcement is only one of many regarding Stadia since the platform’s launch. Some of the other updates, including making it available to Android phones, allowing wireless connectivity and finally launching a free service. 

Phone Compatibility

One of the major announcements was that the platform no longer supported only a few smartphones. Recently, they opened up the Stadia app to all Android phones capable of downloading it. Most phones that work on an Android 6.0 OS or higher can now use the Stadia app. To enable the platform, users need first to download and install the app. Then, they must open settings, click on Experiments, and later Play on this device. However, most gamers were unsure of whether the app works on tablets. This helped open up a lot more gamers to the platform, which was available only to Pixel phone users when it launched. Later, by February, it added Samsung, Razer and Asus devices to its roster, before finally opening up to other Android users. 

Wireless Connectivity

Six months after launching last November, Google announced that Stadia would work wirelessly with Android devices. During the launch, most users were left surprised that the tech giant did not include wireless controller support to the platform. Due to this, gamers had no option but to connect their controllers via USB to their device. With the announcement of wireless controller support, gamers got an opportunity to test how easily the platform can shift between devices, the web and Chromecast.

Over time, Google has been improving the Stadia platform, enabling 4K Streaming in March over the web, and then making the service free a month later in April. In April, Google also gave away a free trial Stadia Pro version to users for two months. Through this free version, gamers can access Thumper, GRID and Destiny 2, along with six other titles. Furthermore, existing paid users also got Stadia Pro for free for the same period, and a total of 14 countries got access to this free trial.

However, while the service is free and has a sleuth of new games now, Google has not been able to corner the gaming industry successfully. However, the giant promises to add more than 120 games by the end of 2020, ensuring that both game selection and the number of users will grow in the coming months. 

bmw

BMW Out with Electric Versions of the X1-SUV and 5-Series

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Recent weeks have been exciting for auto enthusiasts, with companies like Ford and Tesla issuing updates on new releases. Well, the excitement is here to stay as BMW becomes the newest auto-giant to publish statements regarding future releases. As per a report, BMW has decided to offer completely electric versions of some of their vehicles in the coming year. Here’s a look at the whole story and what it means to the auto giant and car lovers.

BMW Company’s Electrics

BMW stated that it would be offering electric versions of two of their popular lines. The company will take the X1-SUV and 5 Series electric in a bid to have at least 25 electrified vehicles as a part of their portfolio by 2023. However, the company has not made it clear by when these vehicles will be available. The electric drive-train will serve as one of four options for the buyers of the X1 and 5-Series. The Sedan and SUV will also be available as diesel, gas or plug-in hybrids. Such models will feature a 48-bolt technology that is mild-hybrid in nature.

BMW
Image Source: autocar.co.uk

Expanding Lines

The company came out with such a decision to align with its plan of diversifying and expanding its electric lineup. Before this announcement, the company decided earlier this year to offer their 7-Series as an electric as well. The flagship 7-Series Sedan is one of their most iconic lineups, and coming next year, it will be available with an electric drive-train.

Goals in the Years to Come

By 2023, the company aims to have at least 25 electric models on their portfolio. Out of these 25, at least half the models will be fully electric, while the others will have electric components. The “electrified” models also stand for ones that come equipped as a plug-in hybrid or normal hybrid. BMW has stated that its goal is to have at least 7 million electrified vehicles on the road by the end of 2030. Also, the company is aiming to ensure that at least two-thirds of that 7 million will be fully electric.

Availability

The automaker aims to bring out these five all-electric vehicles onto the road by the end of next year. The vehicles lined up include the Mini Cooper SE, BMW i4, BMW iX3, BMW iNEXT and the BMW i3. Out of these, the BMW i3 is a famous vehicle, which is a part of the electric vehicle industry. The others are newer entries that do not have the name that the i3 has, and this is something BMW wants to cultivate. When it comes to performance, the Cooper SE comes with an i3 motor. The vehicle’s marketing focuses on the fact that it is an easy-to-drive urban vehicle. It comes with a 32.6 kWh battery that allows for a 110-mile EPA-rated range. 

iX3 Not for America

The iX3, which borrows heavily from the X3, works as an electric crossover. The car will have its assembly done in China, and will surprisingly not come to the US. Instead, BMW plans to hit the market with the iX3 in China by the middle of next year. The company choosing to ignore the US when it comes to their first electric crossover seemed surprising to most experts. However, they believe the decision will help BMW strengthen its hold on the EV market in Europe and China.

However, since the iX3 was built off the X3, which is the company’s most popular model in the US, fans were left disappointed. The company held the unveiling of the car in Beijing through the Auto China expo in 2018. The automaker will have to keep in mind Europe’s stricter regulations when it comes to emissions to have a successful campaign in the EU.

BMW isn’t the only car manufacturer to rethink their EV strategies. For instance, Mercedes-Benz has delayed the American launch of their EQC SUV, which will now occur only in 2021. Similarly, Volkswagen will also withhold the ID.3 from the US, bringing the ID.4 instead to American shores.

When it comes to the other model, BMW stated that the i4, which has a range of 270 miles, will hit production in early 2021. Similarly, the iNEXT, which is a flagship model for the company, will start production next year. It will be interesting to see the finished models and how they perform in a tepid EV market.

dave logo

Popular Banking Application Dave Suffer Major Security Breach Putting Millions at Risk

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As the future looks digital, an integral part of IT infrastructure has been developing security measures. With most companies taking their business online, the protection of customer privacy is vital to enterprises. Over the past decade or so, we have seen a steep rise in cyber-attacks and security breaches. Many popular and large companies have fallen prey to such attacks, leading to a loss in credibility and customer loyalty. Recently, banking application Dave.com added itself to the list of enterprises hit by such cybersecurity attacks. Here’s a look at how bad the data breach is, and what it means for the company.

Dave’s Data Breach

Digital finance and banking app Dave.com, which is also a prominent tech unicorn confirmed they had fallen prey to a major security breach. Today, a hacker published on a forum, details regarding over 7,516,625 of Dave’s users. As per a report provided to ZDNet, the company claimed that the breach occurred through one of their former business partners. The origin of the breach, therefore, was through an engineering analytics platform Waydev. The company served as one of Dave’s third-party service providers earlier, and it was through their breach that a hacker gained access to Dave’s records. 

The fintech company allows users to receive cash advances for bills by linking their bank accounts and, therefore, avoid overdraft fees. Subscribers also have the option of taking extra money on loan, up to $100, following which they can borrow more after repaying the original investment.

Control Measures

The company verified that they have plugged the hacker’s entry point and that they have started to notify users regarding the breach. Furthermore, the company is in the process of resetting app passwords to prevent further pilferage. A spokesperson for the company made it clear that Dave had started taking appropriate control measures as soon as they became aware of the breach. 

The incident prompted an investigation, which is still underway to find the exact cause of the breach. Furthermore, the company is collaborating on the ongoing investigation with the FBI. These bodies will analyze claims stating that a hacker cracked Dave’s passwords in an attempt to sell their customer data. To add more resources and assist the investigation, the company has brought in CrowdStrike, which is a leading cyber-security firm.

Public Data Now

ZDNet learned about the breach on Saturday morning when a reader tipped them regarding the fact a hacker was offering people user data via RAID. The information was viable on a platform that has recently gained a reputation for being the best place to leak secure data and other databases. The hacker who goes by the name ShinyHunters is one who has a reputation, having done this before countless times. The name is associated with several high profile hacks, including that of companies like Wishbone, Tokopedia, and Mathway among others.

As of now, data from the app is available via a free download for members who unlock access to it using forum credits. The data on view includes real names, emails, birth dates, addresses, and contact numbers of millions of customers. For a few unfortunate users, the details also include information related to their credit/debit cards and even their Social Security Numbers. However, Dave confirmed that such data was under encryption and hence would not be accessible to the public. 

The company also stated that while the hacker claims to have passwords included, they are hashed out using a function called bcrypt. However, Dave also confirmed that as of now, they have no evidence to verify that hackers executed anything while they had access to user data.

Dave, which offers cash advance services and overdraft protection will now have to take steps to reaffirm the users of their security. Since the breach resulted in over 7.5 million records being sold via auction and then released for free, the company will have to overhaul their security protocol.

Venminder

How Venminder Helps Companies Handle Vendors and Keep Risks at Bay

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Around the world, everyone is taking their business online. There is so much competition now with regard to online stores that it is hard to stay on top. That is why we need to depend on automation services and other tools to differentiate ourselves from our competition. Venminder is one such tool that helps businesses automate, assess and keep track of their vendors. Here’s a look at how the company has been able to help companies from around the world.

What does Venminder do?

Venminder helps companies by centralising their data into one large reservoir. Furthermore, the company offers software solutions and platforms that allow businesses to automate their processes. Therefore, businesses get to assess, manage and keep track of their vendors with ease. This, in turn, helps them assess risks, avoid faulty endeavours, and stay on the road for success. The software handles the entire vendor lifecycle, from initialisation to final billing and delivery of services. 

The Venminder Team

The first person who comes to mind when someone talks of Venminder is Dana Bowers, who serves as the Chief Solutions Architect for the company. She is also a Founder and a Board Member who assists the company with formulating their long-term strategy. Bowers is also very active in product development, as she brings over 30 years’ worth of experience to the table. She has been with the company since its inception, bringing forth a revolution in the field of vendor management. 

Starting the Company

Dana was also the company’s CEO for around five years, until 2018. It was under her leadership that the company became a global brand with over 780 clients from around the world. Prior to founding Venminder, Bowers led iPay Technologies as its CEO, growing it to become one of America’s largest bill pay providers. It was the experience she gained working with such a high profile company that gave her the confidence to begin a venture like Venminder. Following iPay’s sale to Jack Henry, Dana leveraged her experience to start Venminder and make it a standard vendor management solution.

Current CEO, James Hyde brings with his boundless energy and passion. These qualities have helped James grow the company to its heights. He helped propel Braintree to become a global pioneer in the field of payment processing. This company was later sold to PayPal in 2016. Before this, he served as Senior Vice President of Sales at iPay. 

Kelly Vick serves as the President of the company, and she has over three decades’ worth of experience in finance. She served as the COO of iPay Technologies before making the transition. After iPay’s acquisition by Jack Henry in 2010, she worked there as Senior Director of Operations before making her way to Venminder.

Cindy Horn is Venminder’s COO, also being an iPay Technologies staff for over ten years. She began her career at Bluegrass Cellular joining iPay Technologies after nine years. Brian Adams joined the team in 2012 and now serves as the company’s CTO. Michael Campbell handles the company’s financial management and has more than 20 years’ worth of experience in finance.

Growth and Expansion

Venminder has had two major rounds of funding from various investors. Their Series B funding worth $4M came in December 2016 with the lead investors being MissionOG and Bain Capital Ventures. Their first round of funding occurred in September, 2012 wherein they raised$1M. The company has an office in Elizabethtown and employs over 85 people across the US. Venminder generates over $1.11 million in sales annually, being a major player in the vendor management business. 

Venminder’s software organises and centralises all data related to vendors. They help with risk assessment, contract management, questionnaire generation, and due diligence norms. They also offer various third-party outsourced services for due diligence, which helps with cybersecurity assessment and financial health reports. The company’s services help over 750 companies around the world in easing their workload and addressing tactical problems.

Venminder brought to the world a state-of-the-art approach to handling vendors. Their software and infrastructure helps thousands of businesspeople make the right decisions. It answers growing concerns that the industry has and helps companies overcome all their operational hurdles and challenges. Through the years, the company has helped both small and large enterprises from around the world. In the years to come, Venminder aims to reach out, and help even more companies fulfill their potential reach for the stars.

Tianwen-1

China All Set to Reach for The Stars with Tianwen-1

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The last week or so has led to several high-profile space launches and missions. Adding to the list is China, which plans on launching a mission on July 23rd. It is the country’s most ambitious mission to date, with plans to send three spacecraft to Mars, which also includes a rover to explore the Martian surface. If successful, it will become only the second country in the world to get a rover to the Red Planet. Here’s a look at everything you need to know about the launch and what it means to the country. 

Aiming for the Stars

The mission, codenamed Tianwen-1, after a poem that translates to Questions to Heaven is China’s most ambitious project yet. The mission comprises sending to the lunar orbit and surface an orbiter, lander, and rover. The probes will be a part of the Long March 5, which is China’s sturdiest and most powerful rocket. The orbiter will study the atmosphere, whereas the lander will touch down on the ground. It will work as a platform for the rover, helping it move around on the Martian surface to explore it.

Tianwen-1
Image source: space.com

Ambitious Projects

Over the last decade, China has been testing out various complex space projects and missions, like Tianwen-1. Last year, it became the world’s first nation to land and explore the Far-Side of the Moon. The country also stated that it would remain committed to lunar exploration. In keeping with that, China aims to launch another mission to bring samples from the Moon. This mission will mostly occur by the end of this year. The Tianwen-1 will be China’s biggest and most ambitious interplanetary mission. In the future, the country aims to explore an asteroid, and even visit Jupiter by the 2030s. Planetary Scientist James Head, who works at Brown University and collaborated with scientists from the Chinese Space Program, believes the country has several long-term exploration plans. 

Martian Exploration

Exploring Mars is by no means an easy feat, with China’s first attempt not even leaving the Earth. The country launched orbiter Yinghuo-1 in 2011 with the help of a Russian spacecraft named Phobos-Grunt. However, the Ukrainian rocket which aimed to launch the probes failed, destroying both the Russian and Chinese crafts. However, this time around, China is handling everything from the launch to the development of the craft. If successful, China will add its name to the small list of countries that have successfully orbited Mars. Taking things further, the Chinese plan on landing on Mars, which only the USSR and the US have done prior to this. When it comes to rover exploration, only the US has done it before on Mars, making this a prestigious project for the Chinese. 

Rugged Details

The details regarding the space program, like with most things happening in China are kept hidden. However, the country has released some general information regarding the structure of their mission. All three of their crafts will take around seven months to reach Mars. As per schedule, the Chinese devices will reach their destination by February 20201, by when the UAE orbiter too will arrive. Furthermore, NASA plans to launch the Perseverance Rover on July 30th, meaning all three crafts will reach Mars around the same time. The Tianwen-1 will orbit Mars for two or three months, studying the perfect landing location. Once it has a potential landing site, it will analyse and validate data before it proceeds to the surface. The Chinese plan on landing on a strip known as the Utopia Planitia, which is where NASA’s Viking 2 touched down way back in 1976.

Mission Plan

The Tianwen-1 rover will map out unexplored Martian geography, search for water and ice, and also study the Martian surface climate. The rover has over six different instruments, including a Ground-penetrating radar that can help identify rocks, and search for water under the surface. The lander and rover will have to perform an ambitious eight-minute descent manoeuvre to reach the Martian surface. The spacecraft will utilise the Martian atmosphere to cushion the fall, helping them slow down when exiting the orbit. A parachute will deploy to help further slowdown the devices, and the lander will use its engine to hover over the surface before touching down. 

The confirmation regarding the mission’s success will have to come from Chinese officials. Experts believe that if all goes well, the Chinese will celebrate grandly, whereas there will be little noise if something goes wrong. The orbiter will help relay communication between the team and the rover while analyzing Mars from its orbit using its instruments. First and foremost, though, the launch needs to be successful. Reports state that it will take place around 12:45 AM on July 23rd. If they miss that timing, they have a window of opportunity till early August to try once again. This will be the Long March 5’s fifth launch, and its history isn’t all good. 

While its debut was a success, the second launch in 2017 was a failure, leading to redesigning. After the revamp, the rocket had a successful launch in 2019, and we will have to see if the fourth time turns out lucky for the rocket. Space enthusiasts will have to wait and see whether the mission will be a resounding success for the Chinese and their blossoming space exploration plans. Also, such an achievement could help everyone by giving us more insight into the Martian surface. 

CustomerGlu

CustomerGlu Helping Companies Give Customers What They Want

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Artificial Intelligence has picked up tremendously over the last few decades, becoming an integral part of the digital world. Several Indian AI start-ups have been able to make a name for themselves in this highly competitive tech space. The market comprises several niches including, retail, computer vision, image processing, and automation. One particular area wherein AI has tremendous scope, which has not fully materialised yet is in improving e-commerce platforms. CustomerGlu is a company hoping to change all that, by revolutionising the way eCommerce businesses run offers that save money while converting more using AI. Here’s a look at what the company does, and how it has quickly grown to become a leader in the space.

Giving Customers Incentives while improving profitability

The company, formerly known as Marax.AI burst into the scene with their SaaS platform named Mars in 2019. The tool was the first of its kind, helping businesses optimise and personalise their discounting budgets. Using Artificial Intelligence, the platform helped companies run the most optimised discount campaigns for their products. It also used a privacy-first model, assisting companies in reaching out to their target audience across niches and devices. The tool nudged customers into completing a transaction or purchase by providing them with the right discount rate based on a budget.

AI-Driven Approach

The Mars tool utilised deep reinforcement learning principles to recommend and allocate the right discount rate for different users. Furthermore, the software allowed companies to improve their overall marketing, purchasing, and discount experience for users. Also, it did all this without intruding or invading user privacy, making it the perfect tool to reach out to larger audiences. The AI engine monitors data points from the user’s cycle, studying their interactions and behaviour. It then gains an understanding of their intent and engages them through a multistep recommendation process – while considering the cost control constraints for the business. The product aims to help e-Commerce companies improve their net revenues while saving money. CustomerGlu does that by allowing companies to do the following:

  1. Personalise offers, discounts and recommendations on categories, brands, and products for individual users.
  2. Reduce the cost of Offers by optimising the offer’s budget and the product’s discount margins.
  3. After initial integration, users have access to a built-in library of Offer UIs for easy application.

The company now uses Microsoft’s Azure platform to run its SaaS platform which enables it to provide customers with the most competitive prices. CustomerGlu received a grant of $120,000 in credits as they are a part of Microsoft for Startups initiative.

Early Steps

The company came to be in 2016, intending to help online businesses solve issues they had related to churn rates. Since then, the company has grown tremendously, aiding the likes of Rapido in optimising their discount experience. The initial team consisted of Prateek Gupta, Raman Shrivastava, and Sumant Subrahamanya. The team has raised their seed round from the likes of Amit Singhal(Former Head of Google Search), SmartStart, and Artesian.VC. The Bangalore-based offer marketing and AI-powered SaaS start-up also has an office in Palo Alto, California. The main mission of the company is to help businesses improve their net revenues while reducing the cost per transaction. By offering users personalised & optimized offers and discounts, the tool helps eCommerce businesses become more profitable.

Funding and Growth

Marax.AI incubated at a start-up accelerator and seed fund named Axilor. Kris Gopalakrishnan and SD Shibulal, who co-founded Infosys were the brains behind Axilor. The rise in the importance of applied reinforcement learning in marketing to connect analytics with automated actions at the segment of one is what pushed the founders to start something like Mars, which helps companies improve profits on every transaction. The tool solves this problem by contextualizing the offers for higher conversions while reducing the cost per transaction.

Clients and Success

In fact, the use of the Mars tool helped DailyNinja(now acquired by BigBasket) reduce churn by around 17%. CustomerGlu is currently in use by a curated set of early adopters like a preventive healthcare app GOQii(Mumbai) to improve net revenue by 10-30%, and cutting costs by 50-77%. Mumbai-based cosmetics e-commerce company Purplle and Jakarta-based delivery service named Sealog are beginning to use the platform.

Investors and Advisors

The company has also raised funds from Amit Singhal(Former Head of Google Search), SmartStart, and Artesian.VC, and are in talks to raise their next round. They also plan on improving their ML and AI model and want to expand their team to scale their company to broader enterprise markets. The firm also receives support and business advice from PK Gulati, who is the Chairman Emeritus and Founder of the TiE Dubai Chapter and Dr. Srinivas Padmanabhuni, who has a PhD. in AI from the University of Alberta, assists the team in improving the design of their Reinforcement Learning engine.

From Marax.AI to CustomerGlu

The four-year-old start-up recently repackaged their offerings and launched under the name of CustomerGlu in March 2020. Since the company’s primary aim is to help e-commerce players improve net revenues while reducing the cost per transaction, the new name seems to ‘stick’ well.

What’s next for CustomerGlu?

CustomerGlu takes care of both budgetary constraints and retention goals. By striking the right balance between optimizing profitability and making offers contextual, the company has proven to be a massive success. By 2021, experts predict that over 2.5 Trillion transactions will occur through mobile devices bringing in revenue worth more than $3 Trillion. CustomerGlu aims to help businesses improve their margins by 10-30% leading to billions of dollars in profit. It will be interesting to see how the company expands, reaching out to more businesses, and helping them give their customers exactly what they need!

Vocal for Local Campaign

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced several businesses to focus on digital growth and expansion. Many brick-and-mortar stores and retail outlets are now taking their business online, and foraying into the e-commerce industry. The Indian government’s push for “Vocal for Local” encourages the sale of Indian products and brands. Therefore, Indian companies now have an opportunity to pledge their support for local industries and accelerate the initiative of Atmanirbhar Bharat, or Self-reliant India. CustomerGlu can work with such e-commerce companies and help them with improving conversions and boosting their ROIs.

By using a plethora of strategies and campaigns like Cart Discounts, Product discount recommendations, Reward, and Activity UI programs the company helps companies drive their profitability.