Hygiene 2.0 – Smart Bath Ware is Key To Ensuring Personal Cleanliness in the New Normal

By Mr. Sanjay Kalra, CEO, Bath Products & Tiles, Brilloca Limited

Tech innovation - as the essential enabler of our time - is seeing accelerated integration across sectors in a call to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 business and safety. With hygiene gaining precedence as primary line of defense, the ongoing pandemic has significantly reinforced the importance of sanitation and bath ware industry in-turn. The permanent fixtures such as taps and cisterns in a standard bathroom are potential infection hotspot, if not sanitized regularly. This raises the dire need of technological innovations in bath ware products to minimize physical touch and ensure enhanced cleanliness and hygiene. As a result, contactless and touch-free bathroom fixtures have become critical and catalyzed IoT in the bath ware industry.

With digital driving hygiene today; few key innovative trends emerging to make bathrooms smarter are observed as below;

Automated Sanitation (E-Clenz)

Automation in water closet is key to avoiding physical contact and maintaining proper hygiene. Self-cleaning nozzles for instance will not only facilitate ease of clean-up for the users but will clean it requiring minimal manual intervention. Remote controlled water closet provides the facility of avoiding physical contact with the cistern. Automated seat covers too will aid in contactless use of sanitary ware propagating the touchless element for added personal hygiene.

Sensor Integration (Touchfree WC & Sensor Faucet)

Among the bathware, contactless faucet fixture or sensor enabled flushing water closets are not just favorable and convenient choices but the need of the hour. Not only at home but in public areas like restaurants, schools, colleges, airports, clubs and hotels; sensor faucets are extremely beneficial for washrooms/ restrooms. For instance, contact-free handwashing allows frontline healthcare professionals to maintain optimum levels of cleanliness while performing their duties. The no-touch element expands to sanitaryware as well – such as modern water closets and their inbuilt sensor for flushing.

Breaking silos between public and private hygiene

In curbing the expedited spread of Covid-19, accessories that don’t need physical contact are indispensable today. Hands-free fixtures that can be installed in both public and private bathrooms and washrooms are deemed to be the new normal providing higher levels of hygiene. This is not only valid for homes but also public space; thus paving way for decelerated spread of infection by touch. 

A new wave of innovation has indeed emerged in bath ware segment to ensure of safety by making our bathrooms cleaner, more hygienic, and also comfortable. While the smart bathroom accessories will enhance the aesthetic appeal and add to our convenience, higher level of personal hygiene will assuredly be the dominant intent. Design & Innovation is the need of the hour to encourage minimal contact with the surfaces and to have a healthy living.

Lava Launches its #ProudlyIndian Portfolio this Independence Day

 Indian mobile handset brand, Lava International Limited announced the launch of its special edition #ProudlyIndian portfolio on the occasion of India’s 74th Independence Day. This Limited Edition collection celebrates the spirit of Patriotism and Love for our Motherland. Lava’s #ProudlyIndian portfolio consists of both Smartphone and Feature phones and will be soon available across retail outlets and e-commerce platforms like Flipkart.

Lava Z61 Pro

The Lava Z61 Pro is a special edition smartphone that comes in a stunning champagne gold color with #ProudlyIndian logo embossed at the back. Lava Z61 Pro features a 5.45-inch HD+ full view display. The phone is powered by 1.6 GHz Octa-core processor and is embedded with a powerful 3100 mAh battery. The smartphone comes with a 2GB RAM and a storage capacity of 16 GB (expandable upto 128GB). Lava Z61 Pro offers 8MP rear camera with LED flash and 5MP front camera. The smartphone camera is packed with premium features like Portrait Mode (Bokeh), Burst mode, Panorama, Filters, Beauty mode, HDR and Night mode which enables users to click stunning pictures even in low-light. The Lava Z61 Pro is equipped with a superfast face-unlock feature that unlocks the phone in just 0.60 seconds*. The phone runs on stock Android (Android 9) and is free from any pre-installed bloatware. On the connectivity front, the smartphone features Bluetooth 4.2, WiFi, GPS, dual-SIM, OTG support and a micro USB port. Price – INR 5777

Lava A5

Lava A5 ProudlyIndian edition has an attractive tri-color inspired back cover. The phone is embedded with special ‘Super Ultra Tone Technology’ that ensures no one hears you conversations by providing sound leakage resistance along with crystal clear sound experience during calls. Device also has world ‘s first AI battery feature designed by Lava’s own design team. It features a 2.4" QVGA display, dual SIM slots and up to 32GB of expandable storage option. This military grade certified handset is embedded with 1000 mAh  battery that lasts up to 3 days on a single charge*. Lava A5 has a provision of auto call recording along with call blink notification. Lava A5 supports incoming texts in 22 languages, and enables users to type in 7 languages The Lava A5 ProudlyIndian phone comes with a primary camera with zoom and video recording feature. The additional features such as Instant Torch, Wireless FM with Recording, Contact Photo Icons, Super Battery Mode, USB Connectivity and Bluetooth make this a multiple purpose and a user friendly handset. Price - INR 1333

Lava A9 

Lava A9 comes with 2.8” QVGA display with keypad that houses a dedicated button to light up the torch. The back cover of the phone is painted in tri-color colors that gives it a unique and attractive look. Lava A9 draws power from a 1700 mAh battery that is rated to last more than 6 days on a single charge*. Lava A9 packs dual SIM slots, built-in Bluetooth and up to 32GB expandable storage option. . This device also has world ‘s first AI battery feature designed by Lava’s own design team. Other features include a 1.3 MP primary camera with flash, big and bold font, call recording facility, contact photo icons, super battery mode, call blink notification, wireless FM with recording, smart search, alarm, calculator and calendar. The phone is military grade certified which means that the users will not have to worry about the minor wear and tear, if the phones gets dropped. The phone is also equipped to support incoming texts in 22 languages, also enabling users to type in 7 languages including English, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Gujarati and Punjabi. Price - INR 1574 

Lava International Limited 

Lava International Limited is a leading Indian Mobile Handset Company with operations in 20+ countries. In the international markets the company is growing rapidly and is already among the top players in many of these countries it operates in. 

Lava has always been at the forefront of Govt. of India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. Lava was the first mobile brand to take a lead in support of this important nation building program and had set up a design team in India, becoming the first brand to design phones in the country. With this ‘Design in India’ initiative, Lava is now the only Mobile handset company that makes truly ‘Made In India’ phones with complete control on design and manufacturing within the country. 

With the vision to “Empower people to do more, to be more” the company was established in 2009. Lava International Limited is headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The company has its manufacturing facilities and a repair factory in an approximately 300,000 square feet area in Noida. The manufacturing plants have a capacity of manufacturing 40 million phones per annum.

We Make in India, We Make for India.

Garmin Unveils Tactical Edition of the Rugged, Reliable Outdoor GPS Smartwatch Instinct Series in India

GPS Smartwatch 

* Loaded with TACTICAL features

* NEW Jumpmaster- Specially designed for experienced skydivers, particularly those in military. It provides detail information for speed of descent and altitude.

* NEW Dual Position Format-Access projected waypoint and a dual - format GPS coordinate data page that supports display of MGRS, degree/ minutes/seconds & more.

* NEW Night Vision- Reduces backlight setting to a level that doesn’t interfere with the operation of night vision goggles.

* NEW Stealth Mode-Enable stealth mode to stop storing and sharing your GPS position and disable wireless connectivity and communication.

* Availability: Available in 4 exciting color options, the Instinct Tactical Edition is priced at Rs. 31,990

Garmin India, a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), today announced the Tactical edition of its rugged, reliable outdoor GPS smartwatch Instinct-Tactical Edition, which is loaded with advanced features to make outdoor activities more informative and data-rich.

Built for the true outdoor enthusiast, the Tactical edition supports users with premium features like Jumpmaster, Dual Position Format, Night Vision, and Stealth Mode along with other preloaded tactical activities.

Introducing the Instinct - Tactical Edition in India, Mr. Ali Rizvi, Director, Garmin India said, “Garmin Instinct marked the first offering from Garmin India in the lifestyle segment when it was introduced and we are excited to see how it has become the preferred partner of all the adventure seekers. Now, the Instinct - Tactical Edition comes laden with added tactical features including Jumpmaster, Dual Position Format, Night Vision & Stealth Mode, to further provide more in-depth data and support to the users while exploring outdoor rugged interests.”

Designed to withstand the toughest environments, the Instinct Tactical comes with built-in navigation sensors, multiple global navigation satellite systems, GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo, to support in tracking more challenging environments than relying solely on GPS. It monitors heart rate¹, activity, and stress, providing preloaded activity profiles for training and allow users to stay connected with smart notifications². Exploring the outdoors, users can activate the TracBack feature to navigate the same route back to the starting point or even plan trips in advance with the Garmin Explore website.

Users can enjoy a peace of mind in the outdoors as the battery life of Instinct Tactical lasts 14 days in smartwatch mode, up to 16 hours in GPS mode, up to 40 hours in UltraTrac battery saver mode, so all activities will be recorded on the device.

Highlight features

* Built to endure like you: This rugged, reliable outdoor GPS watch is built to the U.S. military standard 810G for thermal, shock and water resistance (rated to 100 meters). The fiber-reinforced polymer case adds strength and durability, and the chemically strengthened, scratch-resistant display is readable in bright sunlight. The “night vision mode,” reduces backlight settings to a level that doesn't interfere with the operation of night vision goggles. The fully vented silicone bands include two independent, removable keeper loops to ensure a secure fit.

* GPS you can count on: GPS, GLONASS and Galileo satellite network capability tracks in more challenging environments than GPS alone. The built-in three-axis compass and barometric altimeter help you keep your bearings. Take the guesswork out of your return journey by using the TracBack feature to navigate the same route back to start.

* Tactical functionality: Enable the Stealth Mode to stop storing and sharing GPS position and disable wireless connectivity and communication. Access projected waypoints and a dual-format GPS coordinate data page that supports display of MGRS, degrees/minutes/seconds and more.

* Monitor and train: Instinct – Tactical Edition GPS smartwatch monitors heart rate, activity and stress throughout the day to keep track of the user’s daily activity level. Equipped with pre-loaded activity profiles, users can enjoy running, biking, swimming and more. It also has mission-specific training options, including Jumpmaster and a preloaded tactical activity.

* Add global connectivity: Pair Instinct with an InReach device so that the watch can display messages received on inReach device and send preset messages using inReach satellite communication technology. Get weather alerts to stay up to date with changes in environment. Plus, users can trigger an SOS alert to contact the GEOS 24/7 emergency response team³.

Availability for Garmin Instinct - Tactical Edition:

Offline Stores: Lifestyle Stores, Bums On The Saddle, Pro Bikers And Mastermind, Helios, Kamal Watch Co, Just In Time, CT Pundole & Sons, Johnson Watches CP, Select Citywalk, Samay, Indo, Gangaram, Malabar Watches, All Leading Cycling Retailers.

Online: Instinct Tactical will be  available on Prime day launch with Amazon.in. Post that, the watch will also be available at Paytm, TataCliq and The Garminstore.in from 8th August’2020.

Brand Stores: To know about the brand stores in India, visit- https://www.garmin.com/en-IN/buy/brandshop/

Hyundai Receives Over 1.2M Customers' Response to ‘Industry First’ Smart Mobility Service ‘Hyundai on Whatsapp’

Hyundai Motor India Ltd, India’s first smart mobility solutions provider and largest exporter since inception, today announced an overwhelming response to Industry First Transactional Chat Based Medium - Hyundai Service on WhatsApp with over 1.2 million customers. Launched in October 2019, Hyundai Service on WhatsApp was aimed to strengthen Hyundai’s 360° digital & contact-less service experience.

Commenting on the overwhelming response, Mr. Tarun Garg, Director (Sales, Service & Marketing), Hyundai Motor India Ltd. said, “Hyundai has always been at the forefront of widening its purview of services and providing a wholesome experience to our valued customers. The remarkable response to our Whatsapp Service with over 1.2million strong customer base is a testimony of Hyundai’s impeccable service support and we stand committed to provide ‘Peace of Mind’ to the evolving needs of the New Age Indians. I’m glad to inform that the continuous trust and support of our patrons for brand Hyundai has helped us rank No.1 in JD Power Customer Service Index for 3 years consecutively. We look forward to keep creating more and more Brilliant Moments in the lives of our customers and set new service-related benchmarks.”

Hyundai Service on WhatsApp is a communication platform which provides updates to customer during the entire vehicle service process. Prominent features like service reminders, service booking, in-service updates, invoice, online payment and feedback ensure a 360° Digital and contactless Service experience to customers. Additionally, customers can also chat directly with the trained agents to receive instant customized response.

With its strong network of over 1300 workshops PAN India, Hyundai has always been at the forefront in providing the best ownership experience to its customers through numerous initiatives like Hyundai Care App, Wonder Warranty, Door Step Advantage and much more.

Garmin India Brings Out Tacx Range of Indoor Cycling Trainers

Bringing more thrill for the cycling enthusiasts in India, Garmin India today launched Tacx’s smart range of indoor cycling trainers and rollers including Flux 2 Smart, Flux S Smart, Antares and Galaxia roller trainers. The newly launched trainers will create ‘a one-of-a-kind’ indoor cycling experience and be an ideal indoor training companion for cyclists.

The tacx range of indoor cycling trainers provide very realistic ride feel and accurate track of your performance. These smart bike trainers are everything you need for an enjoyable and efficient indoor training session equipped with advanced features making it an ideal training companion. The new range of trainers surely climb the leaderboard in the cycling world.

Ecstatic with the launch of revolutionary smart indoor cycling trainers, Mr. Ali Rizvi, Director of Garmin India said, “Garmin has always aligned itself with fitness fanatics and made sure we support them with the best of products and cutting edge technology to enhance and promote healthy and active lifestyles. Wth the launch of Tacx’s new smart range of indoor cycling trainers, we are sure that these products will definitely be a bench mark for cycling enthusiasts across India. These trainers are equipped with advanced and more powerful features which will make them an ideal training companion and help improve the performance of cyclists in all aspects.”

Flux 2 Smart- a powerful and realistic smart direct drive trainer

The Flux 2 Smart is equipped with a bigger and stronger resistance unit and a heavier flywheel resulting in a wider simulation range, better ride feel and a more accurate power measurement. With a bigger resistance unit, allowing for a wider simulation range, it is able to realistically simulate inclines up to 16% gradient. Providing a reliable, accurate and consistent power measurement FLUX 2 Smart measures your power accurately within 2.5%. The FLUX 2 Smart is designed to bring vibrations and noise levels to the absolute minimum resulting in a very silent flywheel equipped bike trainer. The well-balanced design and large footprint of the FLUX 2 Smart trainer ensures maximum stability, even during the most explosive sprints, up to 2,000 watts.

Flux S Smart – A Smart Trainer that checks all the boxes

The FLUX S Smart is a reliable, accurate and quiet direct drive trainer that features a heavy flywheel for a realistic ride feel. Measuring data accurately within 3%, the FLUX S Smart is designed to provide power, speed and cadence measurements to help riders track their performance and progress. To train for those big climbs, the FLUX S Smart realistically simulates inclines up to a 10% gradient and powers sprints up to 1,500 watts.

Get more from your ride with the Tacx Training App

Designed to make a ride feel as realistic as possible, cyclists can use the Tacx software or take on the virtual worlds of Zwift to experience the road feel feature, which lets the trainer simulate the feeling of riding on different surfaces, like cobblestone and gravel.

The Tacx Training app allows riders to stream a large collection of high-quality films1 and virtually experience their favorite courses, from famous classics to the steep hills of the Alps, live opponents, 3D map rides, structured workouts and more. By downloading films ahead of time using the desktop version, riders can avoid interruptions due to buffering for the best virtual cycling experience possible. Users can also create or upload GPS data from an Edge® cycling computer, or by linking a Strava account and the app will create a 3D map ride, meaning there are no boundaries on where cyclists can train.

While riding, cyclists can view their speed, power, cadence and heart rate2 right on the screen. This data can then be accessed afterwards to help users analyze performance and help them train better. Additionally, cyclists can race against friends who are currently riding the same course, or even select previous rides and use them as a virtual training partner3.

While using the desktop or tablet version of the Tacx Training app, riders can structure workouts based on target slope, power or FTP and sync these plans between all devices and even share them with friends. The Tacx Training app also syncs seamlessly with Strava, making it easy for cyclists to export and share training data.

Pricing and Availability

The Tacx Flux 2 Smart and Flux S Smart are available at the price of Rs. 79,990 and Rs. 69,990 respectively.  The Antares and Galaxia roller trainers are available at the price of  Rs. 17,990 and Rs. 23,990 respectively. 

Ed-Tech StartUp TagHive Collaborates with Government of Madhya Pradesh to Make their Schools Smart Across 52 Districts

Schools Smart 

* TagHive’s flagship product – Class Saathi to onboard 2080 schools across 52 districts in MP

* This decision has been made after successful pilot tests of Class Saathi in 2 districts, which was launched on Children’s day, 14th November, 2019

* Looking at associating with a CSR partner to expedite the deployment 

Samsung Ventures backed ed-tech start-up TagHive Inc., today announced that it has received a letter of confirmation from the Government of Madhya Pradesh to deploy ‘Class Saathi’ to a network of 2080 schools in the state. Class Saathi is an AI powered app by TagHive which, along with its clicker, is an affordable classroom solution that engages every student even in remote schools that have no infrastructure such as Internet, computers and electricity. Class Saathi also provides an app for parents and an app for administrators to monitor progress and take appropriate action. TagHive recently closed its Pre-Series A Funding round by Mr. Joon Hyon from South Korea, currently valuing the start-up at USD 10 million.

The Education Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri. Prabhuram Chaudhary, along with the Principal Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, Mrs. Rashmi Arun Shami and thier delegation had personally visited South Korea last year. The objective was to benchmark best practices in Korean schools. And, they witnessed successful implementation TagHive’s clicker solution across schools of South Korea. The visit convinced the team of Indian delegates to kick-start Class Saathi’s pilot on 14th November, 2019 (Children’s Day).

Speaking about this collaboration, Mr. Pankaj Agarwal, Founder & CEO of TagHive said, “TagHive entered the Indian market in 2019 and has been looking to strengthen and rapidly grow the presence of ‘Class Saathi’ – world’s first patent pending clicker solution to work on a mobile phone app. We did a successful pilot with government schools in 2 districts of Madhya Pradesh last year. Over 4,800 questions were solved by students during the pilot test. The government officials could see the learning outcomes of the students in real time and take corrective action almost immediately. With this collaboration, Class Saathi would be deployed in over 2000 schools catering to over 100,000 students and 4000 teachers. Class Saathi as a solution is ideal for government schools because it is low-cost and does not need schools to have any additional infrastructure, besides the teacher’s smartphone.”

Mr. Lokesh Kumar Jatav, Commissioner of School Education Department in Madhya Pradesh said, “We believe Class Saathi will revolutionize the K-12 education system of the state. On the basis of the pilot done in our schools, the results are extremely encouraging as it helps to increase student engagement in the classrooms and learning outcomes of the students. To begin with, we are now looking at installing the Class Saathi clickers in 40 schools in each of the 52 districts.  We are also looking for a suitable CSR partner to help us accelerate the deployment of Class Saathi across the state.”

Speaking on the future plans of TagHive, Mr. Pankaj Agarwal further added, “Not only does Class Saathi improve the learning capabilities of students, it also helps identify students that need help in specific subjects. The interactive quiz solution of the app enables teachers to understand the strength and weaknesses of the students. Post Madhya Pradesh, we are also looking at expanding to other states. Our mission is to help students and teachers achieve more on a daily basis and provide Class Saathi to all 250 million students in India.”

About TagHive Inc.:

Incorporated in April 2017, TagHive Inc. is a Samsung funded, education technology company headquartered in South Korea and with corporate infrastructure and operations in India. The edtech startup is founded by Mr. Pankaj Agarwal, an IIT Kanpur graduate with an MBA from the

Harvard Business School. TagHive offers clicker-based classroom response systems and AI powered at-home learning app under the ‘Class Saathi’ brand in India and under the ‘ClassKey’

brand elsewhere. This mobile and desktop enabled smart and low-cost classroom technology solution is currently being used in over 450 K-12 schools in Korea alone. Also, over 85,000 students have already benefited from Class Saathi at-home learning app, which, for now, caters to students from Class 6 to Class 10. Currently, TagHive owns 13 registered patents and trademarks and 8 more are in the pipeline. The EdTech company recently raised its latest round of investment and stands at US$10M valuation.

Syska Group Ventures into Smart Wearables, Launches Sleek & Cool SW100 Smart Watch in India

Key Highlights:

1.  The new Smartwatch from the Syska stable will help in keeping track of one’s health & fitness routine at home

2.  With this move, Syska aim to meet the evolving needs of today’s young fitness enthusiasts

3.  Syska has collaborated with e-commerce giant Flipkart to sell this smart watch

Syska Group, the leading FMEG brand in India today announced its venture into the Smart Wearable segment with the introduction of the sleek and cool SW100 Smart Watch. The launch of this latest product from the Syska stable is a momentous one, given that the company now brings its innovation and technology prowess to an all-new industry segment. In the new normal COVID-19 scenario, maintaining good health is crucial for one’s physical and mental well-being. The new Syska Smart Watch will enable users to prioritize their health and allow them to track their fitness regimen while working out at home.

There is an increasing demand for fitness related devices in Indian market, with the smart wearable category seeing rapid growth. India's wearables market continues to see strong growth, registering 168.3% on-year growth in 2019 shipping a total of 14.9 million units of wearable devices. Smartwatches continued to lead the watch category with 61.1% share in 2019 and grew 53.6% from the previous year. The demand for wearable technology will further rise in the coming years owing to the increasing inclination toward fitness and healthcare. Syska has always been at the forefront of launching new and innovative products that cater to the evolving customer needs. The company has entered the smart wearable category at the most opportune time when individuals are looking to boost their immunity through workouts and yoga sessions at home.

Interesting features of the Syska SW100 Smart Watch –

1. Battery Life upto 15 Days – One of the main USPs of the Syska Smart Watch SW100 is that it comes with a steady battery life which lasts upto 15 days.

2. Smart Health Monitoring – Syska’s Smart watch tracks your fitness and monitors your health by providing features to monitor sleep, track step count, monitor the calories intake, track heart rate, etc. This feature is the most essential which will help you to maintain data of your fitness during such times

3. IP68 Water Resistant upto 1.5mtrs – Syska’s Smart Watch is water resistant, so you can workout seamlessly without the fear of the smart watch becoming wet due to sweat while working out at home.

4. Custom watch faces – Syska’s innovative custom watch faces allows you to customize the dial of your smart watch as per your mood and attire.

5. Yoga Monitoring – Syska Smart Watch is equipped to also monitor the yoga sessions. Consumers can keep a track their virtual yoga regimen.

6. Elliptical Workouts – Syska’s Smart watch allows you to keep a track of your elliptical workout sessions thereby accurately tracking your exercise and workouts, distance, calories burned etc.

7. Multi-Sport Mode – Syska’s Smart watch is compatible with multi-sport mode which allows you to choose your sporting activity - cycling, weight lifting, running and more.

8. Smart Notifications – Once you connect your watch to your smartphone, you can get all the notifications on your watch. This feature enables you to access your social media, calendar, important emails, etc. right on your wrist acting like a mini smart watch on your wrist, without you having to touch your phone unnecessarily.

Syska aims to disrupt the smart wearable market which is fast catching up with consumers jumping onto the fitness bandwagon. Syska’s smart watch has been designed for consumers who are looking for a device that can help them track their entire fitness journey right from tracking their sleep to monitoring their steps, heart rate, track their calorie intake etc on the go in this new normal owing to COVID-19 pandemic. The Syska SW100 Smart Watch comes along with a USB charging cable and a user manual. The product with the MRP of INR 3,999 is launched exclusively on Flipkart and will be available at an attractive offer of INR 2,499 from 30th July.

Global Consumer Electronics Giant Hisense to Introduce Next Gen Tech Products in India

Next Gen Tech Products

* Announces the launch of its range of QLED, UHD & Smart televisions on August 6th on Amazon, Flipkart, TataCliQ and Reliance Digital

* Aims to upgrade buyers with entire 4K range having Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos technology

* Also plans to bring in Laser TV, 8K Dual Cell TVs along with UHD, Intelligent ACs with Wifi and premium refrigerator in India at enticing prices

Hisense, a leading consumer electronics and appliance manufacturer of the world is entering the India market with a range of products including next generation technology display products like 100” Laser TV, 86” 8K TVs, Dual Cell QLED TV & OLED TV. Besides these futuristic technology products, the brand will be launching its range of QLED, UHD and Smart televisions on August 6th on Amazon, Flipkart, TataCliQ and Reliance Digital followed by Intelligent ACs and premium Side by Side Refrigerators this year.

Known for its glorious 51 Years, Hisense is a global technology leader and has recently acquired the premium European brand Gorenje and leading Japanese brand Toshiba TV in addition to existing portfolio of brands with an aim to expand globally. With both Hisense and Toshiba, the Hisense group is targeting 40 million TV sales aiming at number two position globally. The brand is operating in over 160 countries and is committed to continuous production innovation with 14 Intelligent manufacturing bases and 18 R&D hubs across the globe. The brand also invests 5% of its revenue back into R&D every year. Sports has also been one of keen area of association for the brand and has been associated with FIFA World Cup, Australian Open, Red Bull F1 Racing, UEFA Euro Championships etc and is also the official partner of UEFA Euro 2020.

Speaking about the launch, Mr. Rishi Tandon, COO Hisense India said, “We are extremely excited to be a part of one of the biggest growing markets in the world. Our goal is to become an aspirational premium brand offering niche, innovative products and solutions at very competitive prices. Our new Made in India range of Smart & 4K televisions are fully loaded and enhancing consumer delight to make their life better will be a key focus area for us. Our products offer uncompromised quality with a seamless, smart and enjoyable viewing experience.”

Hisense will be launching next generation TV Products including Laser TV’s, World’s first DUAL CELL TV products by end of the year. The brand will also be bringing in a range of Toshiba TVs next month.  Apart from the smart television range, Hisense Group will also introduce its Air Conditioners range with intelligent health filters with smart cooling and big capacity refrigerators in French door concept which is currently out of reach due to limited options for the consumer.

The upcoming new Made in India television series of Hisense Amazing 4K LED TV are specially designed, manufactured and packed with innovation and top-notch technology features based on feature insights from the Indian market at the most competitive price points. In collaboration with Dolby, Hisense 4K TVs will be equipped with Dolby Vision & Dolby Atmos for full immersive & engaging cinematic experience.  Dolby Vision, the advanced form of HDR with its Frame by frame processing to brings out the ultimate brightness, color and contrast on screen. Moving audio on screen of Dolby Atmos transports you to the middle of action for a breathtakingly immersive experience The Quantum Dot technology in the TV’s create huge amount of color combinations to present stunning picture quality and Full Array Local Dimming with more dimming zones for better contrast ratio and a bezel-less slim design identity across entire range.

The entire range of Hisense televisions come equipped with the official Android TV 9.0 PIE operating system and official Google Play Store app preloaded giving access to 500,000+ TV shows and movies. The entire range has a Built-in Google Assistant and Built-in Chromecast for a seamless casting of any HD or Full HD content on the big screen.  The range also comes with One touch access feature on the remote, the applications Youtube, Netflix, Disney+Hotstar, Prime Video can be easily browsed through the press of a button.

Starting with Hi to Hisense campaign, the entire range of 4K & Smart televisions will be available online on Amazon, Flipkart, TataCliQ and Reliance Digital starting August 6, 2020.  As an introductory celebration offer and as reinforcer of its confidence on product quality, the brand shall be offering 5 Year warranty on the panel along with certain inaugural discount over its normal operating prices for the first three days of launch i.e. from 6th to 9th Aug 2020.

To ensure consumer delight, the brand shall be ensuring that its service is readily accessible with fast response time and a wide cover having network across more than 18,000 pin codes with 400+ service centers.

Hisense Group has regularly been awarded at international platforms for their product innovation and leadership. The brand received 8 awards in the beginning of 2020 at CES including CES 2020 TOP PICK, Best of CES 2020 for its premium range of LED and Laser TV and Best Fridge Freezer and Induction hob by Trusted Review.

About Hisense

Hisense is global technology leader in manufacturing premium televisions with an impeccable track record of providing top quality products. It is known for its glorious 51 Years of Global Trust and Innovation worldwide. Striving to push the boundaries of innovation and working tirelessly on the research and development, it is one of the world’s leading television manufacturers. Hisense is a leading TV brand worldwide and is also the leading TV brand in countries like Australia, USA, Japan, Mexico and South Africa. Hisense is having footprints globally with presence in over 160+ countries having 14 manufacturing facilities located including countries like Mexico, Slovenia, Serbia, Mexico, Czech, South Africa etc. The group is committed to continuous innovation with 18 R&D hubs across the globe and invests 5% of its revenue back into R&D every year with the sole aim of delivering first-rate and affordable products that improve the lives of consumers.

Garmin and PhysioQ Join Hand to Drive Data-Driven Study to Accelerate COVID-19 Research

Garmin India has announced an exclusive partnership with PhysioQ, a non-profit organization that will connect registered users’ health data from Garmin smartwatches to PhysioQ-Neo platform. The platform has been launched specifically focusing on the COVID-19 research. This connected self-monitoring system allows users to proactively monitor their own and their family members’ vitals through the Neo mobile app.

PhysioQ- Neo is working exclusively with Garmin to collect key health data – Heart Rate, Respiration and SpO2 through their smartwatches. Data shared by PhysioQ-Neo  users will be anonymized and aggregated to aid medical researchers studying novel coronavirus to combat this and future pandemics. This will be a freely available tool for all researchers.

Sharing his thoughts on the new partnership to fight COVID-19, Mr. Ali Rizvi, Director of Garmin India said, “We at Garmin, are extremely delighted to partner with PhysioQ. It is a big step that we have taken towards fighting the battle against the pandemic. With the collected data and the support from PhysioQ research tools, we will be able to provide people with the ability to monitor their health status and well as their family members. This will provide peace of mind to families who are feeling anxious, and worried about the health of their loved ones. We are looking forward to a fruitful association and we are confident that this data driven research will help the researchers in studying the future trends.”

Talking with immense experience of taking care of 50+ Covid-19 patients, Dr. Andrew Cei Ahn, MD, MPH Assistant Professor of Medicine & Radiology at Harvard Medicine School said, “I think it is a game-changer to have an oxygen sensor while being at home, using a wearable device that is affordable. To have Garmin onboard and to have the data available to the researchers is just extremely great for us clinical researchers. Many device manufacturers simply don’t make the raw data available to the user. For Garmin to willingly make the data available to the users and the researchers is just a huge step because that enables us to really analyze the data. Garmin is at the forefront of pioneering in this area and it is a big opportunity for us to fight COVID-19 together.”

Medical professionals around the world are still trying to understand the implications and effects of COVID-19. Early recognition of symptoms will allow for timely medical treatment, and the data can easily be exported for medical professionals to refer to.

Receiving an overwhelming response for PhysioQ-Neo, Christopher Peng, PhysioQ-NEO Co-founder & President said, “In Addition to Garmin’s reputation as a leader in wearable devices as well as with the work they have already done for clinical and medical researchers, we are working with Garmin because they will provide the data we need to see, including high resolution heart rate variability, all day monitoring of blood oxygen saturation, respiration and a lot more. ‘The share your data to defeat COVID-19’ initiative that we have started with Garmin is an effort to help the researchers get the information they need outside the hospital to understand the disease. Garmin users can actually donate their data and make a difference in fighting against this pandemic diseases. We hope that maximum number of people will join NEO in supporting this initiative.”

PhysioQ’s Neo app will be available on Android and iOS platforms for free and is compatible with Garmin’s range of smartwatches that tracks SpO2, including the latest Venu, vívoactive 4, vívomove 3 series, Forerunner 245/245M, Forerunner 945, fēnix 6 series, vívosmart 4, and fēnix® 5X Plus.

To know more about Garmin and PhysioQ-Neo partnership and how to access the app please visit: https://physioq.org/neo?SG-PROMO

About Garmin

Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN). Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Garmin, Instinct and Trackback are registered trademarks, and Garmin Connect, Garmin Explore, and UltraTrac is a trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.

Sylo Partners with Indian Exchange Bitbns to Serve the Indian Market

Global software development house Sylo has officially partnered with premiere Indian exchange, Bitbns, to better serve the Indian market’s growing demand for legitimate crypto-projects.

A unique place where the old and new worlds collide, it’s clearer every day to those watching the market that #IndiaWantsCrypto

Bitbns, a bona fide cryptocurrency exchange and one of India’s first, represents a significant partnership for Sylo that is positioned to help extend key functionalities into the experience of Sylo Smart Wallet users. 

The Sylo-Bitbns alliance is one that makes sense across business and product levels - with both partners sharing the belief that “digital currencies are the future of money” and are an area to which users need straightforward access.

Through their partnership, Sylo and Bitbns aim to take cryptocurrency usage to the mainstream in India.

Often deemed complex, Sylo solves one of the biggest hurdles to the normalisation of cryptocurrency through the Sylo Smart Wallet, a highly-usable app designed from conception to “make crypto simple”.

The move for a more dedicated expansion into India will not come as a surprise to anyone keeping an eye on the Sylo success story. Recently, the tech firm revealed that in Q2 2020, they had already seen a 500% growth in sign ups to the Sylo Smart Wallet app from India, with Indian users now making up 30% of the app’s more than 250,000 strong overall user-base.

"India's new-found enthusiasm for digital assets and privacy after the restriction of certain privacy-hogging apps like WeChat and TikTok, has presented a significant opportunity to offer India a ‘WeChat’ of sorts that incorporates all the best elements of new generation communications tech, without the privacy concerns, and with the added benefits of crypto assets,” says Bitbns CEO Gaurav Dahake. 

“This is an area where the Sylo Smart Wallet, being developed on decentralised infrastructure, is primed to address, and a key reason we’re excited about this partnership opportunity.”

Sylo also offers a solution for the unbanked of India. In terms of barriers to get started on Sylo, there are very few - neither a sign up cost nor the mandatory provision of an email address or phone number is required in order to create a Sylo Smart Wallet account.

The result of this forward-thinking is the ability to instantly provide millions of people with access to de-fi services. Using the Sylo Smart Wallet, users can request and receive payments in chat, store and interact with digital assets  such as Bitcoin or any ERC-20 compatible token, such as Ether or BAT, in the non-custodial wallet.

“We realised a long time ago that in order to see widespread adoption, we needed to make interacting with crypto as simple as any other activity you might do on a smartphone,” says Dorian Johannink, Sylo Co-Founder and Business Director. “That’s why sending and receiving cryptocurrency in the Sylo Smart Wallet is as straightforward as sending a message.”

“Our design team have worked hard to create an app that is clean, fast, intuitive, and astonishingly simple to use. The Sylo Smart Wallet user statistics speak for themselves, the app has been available for just ten months and already has over a quarter of a million users. We’re confident that Sylo can meet India’s desire to get in the crypto game.”

Other features of the app include the ability to send messages, make audio and video calls, utilise a Web3 Ethereum dApp browser to spend crypto, and to pay using cryptocurrency in the real world at relevant vending machines.

The Sylo-Bitbns partnership will also see the SYLO token, an ERC20-compatible utility token that fuels the Sylo Network, listed on the Bitbns platform as of July 23, 2020.

Amazfit Verge Lite with AMOLED Screen and GPS Relaunching at INR 4,999 in Indian Market

Huami Corporation, a biometric and activity data-driven company with significant expertise in smart wearable technology and the number 1 smartwatch brand in the watch segment, has relaunched Amazfit Verge Lite in India at an interesting price point. Starting July 14 onwards, customers can purchase Amazfit Verge Lite on Flipkart at INR 4,999. Huami has partnered with PR Innovations, a leading technology importer, to market and distribute Amazfit Verge Lite in India.

Earlier priced at INR 6,999, Verge Lite was launched in India last year, the lighter version to Amazfit’s flagship product Verge. Verge Lite comes with advanced functionalities like the lasting battery life of up to 20 days*, 1.3” AMOLED display, which gives the screen an incredibly bright and colorful appeal; durable protection with the anti-fingerprint reinforced Corning Gorilla Glass. Exciting features like GPS enabled + GLONASS dual positioning, multi-sport tracking, 24 hours heart rate monitor, music control, app notifications, set up alarms, event reminders, and customizable watch faces, making this latest addition a fitness companion for the millennials.

Amazfit Verge Lite is equipped to track 7 different fitness activities like running, cycling, and elliptical training with real-time monitoring. The smartwatch features a self-developed high-precision optical sensor for more precise and reliable heart rate monitoring data. It also provides 24hrs of continuous heart rate monitoring with a comprehensive daily and weekly view on the heart’s condition.

With a blend of advanced technology and sleek aesthetics, Verge Lite also has a sleeping tracker, keeping its users continuously informed about the daily regime.

For more detailed product information, please go to in.amazfit.com/pages/amazfit-verge-lite

*Test conditions for an approximately 20-day typical usage scenario: Under the factory default settings, wear for 24 hours, measure heart rate every 30 minutes, 60 minutes exercise per week with GPS enabled, the screen on 30 times a day when wrist-raising, and receive 150 messages per day. 

About Huami Corporation 

Huami is a biometric and activity data-driven company with significant expertise in smart wearable technology. Since its inception in 2013, Huami has quickly established its global market leadership and recognition by shipping millions of units of smart wearable devices. In 2018, Huami shipped 27.5 million units of smart wearable devices. Huami has one of the largest biometric and activity databases in the global smart wearables industry. Huami's mobile apps work hand in hand with its smart wearable devices and provide users with a comprehensive view and analysis of their biometric and activity data.

itel Mobile Brand Launches ‘itel Smart Gadgets’ to Enhance Smartphone Experience of Consumers in India

Smart Gadgets

* itel Smart Gadgets to empower aspirers and first-time users to live life uninterrupted by providing them relevance, quality, and affordability.

* Launches comprehensive gadgets portfolio by introducing 14 products under 4 categories ranging from power, audio, speaker to fit band

* The product range attempts to accentuate the user’s experience of accessories and bridge the market gap.

 

After establishing its leadership position in entry level Smartphone and feature phone segment, itel mobile forays into the accessories segment by announcing the launch of ‘itel Smart Gadgets’ to enhance and provide a superior mobile experience to its users.

itel ‘Smart Gadgets’ is built on the brand positioning of ‘Make Every Moment Magical’ for consumers by harping on the relevance, that it would make their day to day life complete without any interruptions. The portfolio of itel smart gadgets aims to fuel the aspirations of both aspirers and minimalist set of consumers by providing them with trendy and quality technology at an affordable bracket of price.

The portfolio boasts of 14 brand new and exciting gadgets ranging from power, audio, speaker and fit band in an attractive price range of INR 100 to INR 1999. Designed to enhance the smartphone experience of its consumers, the product range offers a complete mobile solution to users which incorporate a wide range of technology and features.

Announcing itel’s entry into accessories market, Mr. Arijeet Talaptra, CEO, TRANSSION India said “With ever-evolving lifestyle and technological advancements, there exists a remarkable need for high quality smart accessories in the entry-level segment, especially in Tier 3 cities and towns. With this growing demand for smart accessories, India has proven to be one of the crucial markets for itel with its existing loyal consumers base. itel smart gadgets are not targeted towards a specific age group or demography but to a mind-set who belong to semi-urban and rural areas, who are looking for stylish, efficient and quality product at a reasonable price point.”

He further added, “With this launch, itel aims to fulfil the aspirations and desires of its consumers to own smart accessories that not only are relevant for day to day transactions, but also upgrades their smartphone experience to a superior level.  The new range boasts latest technology, innovation, style all under an affordable bracket of price point. We are confident that the launch of itel smart gadgets range will enjoy similar success in India as we witnessed in the mobile handset segment.”

While developing the product, itel has ensured that each product is quality-driven, light weighted, highly portable and equipped with best in class specifications which helps in empowering users to live life on their terms and at their own pace. itel smart gadgets range will be available in attractive color variants and will go on sale across offline stores starting today.

itel hosted its first-ever innovative virtual Channel Partners meets to take the launch to its distributor fraternity amidst this lockdown. Insightful and interactive meetings were conducted to abreast the partners with the product portfolio and future business plans. To promote itel smart gadgets, itel will focus extensively on social and digital marketing communication to engage with consumers. Innovative product communications through aggressive WhatsApp marketing will be one of the crucial approaches the brand will follow to reach out to its customers.

itel smart gadgets range consists of 14 new products under 4 categories including power bank, phone charger, car charger, data cable, phone battery, wired earphone, Bluetooth earphone, wireless earphones, wired speaker, Bluetooth speaker and Fit Band. Let’s have a quick look at a few key products category wise:

1) Power

itel IPP-62 | 10000mAh Super Slim pocket size Power Bank

itel IPP-62 boasts of the ultra-slim and stylishly designed body along with multi-protection safety system to avoid any phone damage. Providing a massive capacity of 10000mAh, it allows 2.1A fast charging to support your devices throughout the day. This lithium polymer battery cell enabled power bank, comes with dual output with itel’s high speed charging technology, which enables users to charge two devices simultaneously. This portable power gadget can be fully charged at a fast speed in 4.5- 5 hrs and can be carried anywhere.

itel ICC-11 Car Charger | 3.4A Fast Charging for Two

itel car charger comes with dual USB ports that are designed to provide appropriate power to each connected device. itel's assurance of best quality, charger's compact design, multi-layered protection and its compatibility with most cars in the market make it a must-buy for your cars. It detects optimum charging protocols and delivers total 3.4A full speed charging to your devices. A perfect companion on the go! 

2) Fitbands

itel IFB- 11

itel Fitband comes with HD color screen and 20 days long-lasting battery life. itel fitness tracker is a must-have when it comes to keeping a daily check on your calorie counts, footsteps, keeps a track of your sleeping time, etc. It’s your perfect partner to your workout, swimming and jogging sessions with IP67 splash resistant technology. itel Fitband helps you with notification alerts of calls, messages and WhatsApp.

3) Speakers

itel IBS-10 Powerful Sound

The itel Bluetooth speaker is compact, portable and provides unmatched experience to the listener. It contains dual speaker of 5W each within 1 unit thus making output as 10W and comes with stereo stabilization and 1500mAh battery which makes it your perfect partner to turn any place into a music station or a disco. The wireless speaker also supports Bluetooth 5.0 along with music playtime of 6 hours. It comes along with three options so that you can listen to your favourite music anytime and anywhere—Aux connectivity, T-Card support along with Wireless FM. This will soon hit the market.

4) Audio

Bluetooth Earphones| BT Necklace (IEB-62)

BT Necklace is attractive Bluetooth earphones that are ergonomically designed, sweatproof and houses a precision-engineered with less than 20gm weight combines with the best quality BT Chip and In- line remote and microphone that redefines the audio experience for the music lovers. These earphones have flexible around-the-neck design & have magnetic buds and produce uber sound quality with extreme bass and big sound that ensures long-lasting comfort. The Necklace earphones exhibit a standby of 120 ours and its battery provides a talk time of up to 6 hours and music playtime of 5 hours continuously.

Service Proposition

itel is offering a 12 months’ warranty for its accessory portfolio, ranging from power banks, chargers, fit bands to Bluetooth headsets and speakers. The brand is also offering a 6 months’ warranty for other accessories in the portfolio which includes batteries, earphones, USB cables.  The service proposition provides an additional benefit of over the counter replacement for selected itel smart gadgets.  New itel accessories range will utilize time-tested robust Go-to-market strategy of itel smartphone business which has deeper regional penetration backed by a strong service network of 970+ service centers spread across the nook and corners of the nation.

Are mobile phones really hot?

Christmas being just round the corner, as always mobile phones are a popular gift choice. Reevoo.com gives you the low-down on mobiles; examining what's hot, what's not, what people are actually buying and which phones are the best value for money.

What's hot? The iPhone 3G of course! But it's not highly ratedDespite being one of the most talked about phones of the year, the iPhone 3G has failed to beat its 2007 predecessor.

The original iPhone is rated 8.3/10, just pipping this year's 3G offering to the post, (the iPhone 3G scores 8.2/10). According to owners, the major issues with the 3G model are its battery life and application crashes, meaning that other phones have been able to storm ahead of the iPhone. So, what really is the hottest mobile phone this season?

Revoo recommendations: Top five Christmas mobile phones

Top five most popular in last 30 days:
1. Nokia N96
2. Samsung F480 Tocco
3. Blackberry Storm
4. Sony Ericsson C902
5. Samsung Omnia

Top five highest rated phones of 2008:
1. BlackBerry Bold 9000
2. Sony Ericsson W980i
3. Apple iPhone 3G 8/16GB
4. Samsung F480 Tocco
5. Sony Ericsson K660i

Reevoo reviewers pick the BlackBerry Bold 9000 as the best phone released in 2008.

Reviews on Reevoo for the BlackBerry Bold 9000 include:

Positive+
+ Great keyboard for e-mailing and texting. Cracking screen which is nice and bright and videos look lovely on it. The sound from the internal speaker is really good. Just a great phone overall.
+ The Bold is undoubtedly the most impressive Blackberry yet. One of its greatest advantages is that in spite of many new features, it feels very familiar. Web browsing is almost broadband speed.

Negative
– Out of the box battery life is bad but gets better with regular charges
- The hyped-up phones usually get all the attention but it's interesting to see how the most popular phones differ from the most highly rated:

The Nokia N96, whilst being the most popular phone on the market, gets marked down by reviewers for poor battery life and software problems. At around £500 for Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) customers, it's no surprise that it also gets rated below average for value for money.

However, it does impress with its design and features. One reviewer writes "great picture and video quality, very easy to find your way around, fantastic features...looks good".

So who wins the race?

When it comes to value for money, the stylish Samsung F480 Tocco is a great buy. It scores highly for design and features and gets much higher scores for battery life than the Nokia N96, both iPhones and the BlackBerry Bold 9000. It's around £150 PAYG or free on some contracts.

Here are some of the reviews from owners of the Samsung F480 Tocco:
Positive:
+ Easy to use, good haptic technology feedback from the touch screen, excellent camera, fair battery life, smart, compact, stylish.
+ It's easy to use and has a very good memory and has good features that I would have expected.

Negative
- No Wi-Fi capability.
- Should come with a ball point touch screen pen, can be hard to press the right keys sometimes.