Shine.com Introduces Face Recognition and Touch ID Capabilities in its Mobile Application

Underlining its focus on leveraging technology as a key differentiator, Shine.com, India’s 2nd largest job portal, has introduced face recognition and touch ID capabilities in its mobile application. The technological milestone marks the first time that any Indian online jobs portal has integrated features designed around hardware-based tech in its mobile app, and emphasizes Shine.com’s commitment to offering users a superior and distinct experience on its platform.

Following the development, when a Shine.com user signs up on or logs into the mobile app for the first time, they are prompted to create a Face/Touch ID for future sessions. One user session on the Shine mobile application lasts for a month, after which users need to log in again. By streamlining the login process through Face/Touch ID, Shine.com has ensured that users can seamlessly log back into the app without any hassle, even if they forget their passwords.

Users can also log into the app any time they receive notifications simply by using their face/touch ID, without having to enter a password or go through other means of authentication. The new features also draw on the in-built security mechanism of the OS platform that the mobile app operates on, to safeguard the user’s information.

Amardeep Vishwakarma, CTO, Shine.com, added, “Shine.com has been an industry frontrunner for the past several years, with an unwavering focus on user-centricity when it comes to its offerings. We were amongst the first online jobs portals in India to have launched their own mobile app. The launch of this first-of-its-kind face and touch-based login features on our mobile app, well before any other player in the domain, further reinforces our commitment to simplifying and adding value to our users’ interactions with our online platform.”

“While most apps focus only on improving on the software side of tech, our app is currently the only jobs app which is also keeping pace with changes on the hardware side. The latest version of the Shine.com mobile app is geared for the latest smartphones in the market, the iPhone XS and the iPhone XR, and is leveraging cutting-edge technology to enable a significantly better user experience,” added he.

Shine.com has enabled touch ID-based login on both Android and iOS applications, while the face recognition-based login is currently available exclusively on the Shine.com iOS app on iPhone XS and iPhone XR. The platform plans to soon make the face ID feature available on its Android app as well.

Shradha Sharma of Yourstory, Launches Author Vishwas Mudagal's Book, The Last Avatar

Successful entrepreneur, CEO, angel investor, motivational speaker and author Vishwas Mudagal's latest book, a mythological fiction and sci-fi novel,titled ‘The Last Avatar’, was today launched at Atta Galatta by eminent media personality, Shradha Sharma, Founder, CEO & Chief Editor of Your story, a media technology platform for entrepreneurs. 

Set in the future and written over a fabric of mythology, weaved with threads of science fiction, the Last Avatar is the first installment of a three-part trilogy under Age of Kalki and attempts to demystify the tense geopolitical times that truly surround us today. Launches amidst popular guests and avid book readers, the event included a book reading sessions by the author himself, followed by a tete a tete with the guest for the evening, Shardha Sharma, who has been instrumental in shaping the career of many entrepreneurs and played an encouraging role for emerging starts-ups. 

Speaking on the occasion, author Vishwas Mudagal says, I was always fascinated with the prophecy of Kalki, the last avatar of God who the ancient Hindu Puranas and epics predict would be born to end the age of darkness on earth. I decided to create a true Indian superhero with Kalli, in a way no one had ever thought about before". 

This is the author’s second book, after a very successful debut – Losing my Religion launched in 2014,  which went on to become a sensational bestseller and etched his place as a top author and youth icon. 

Effectively jugging multiple roles, Vishwas Mudagal is also the CEO & Co-Founder of GoodWorkLabs and GoodWorks CoWork, ranked the No1 co working space in Bangalore, and has embraced storytelling as his parallel career to pursue his love and passion for writing.

Spell Bee League Carnival’ Sees Overwhelming Success in Bengaluru

Spell Bee League in association with NRN Aerospace Systems organized “Spell Bee League Carnival”, a spelling fiesta for children on 16th December 2018 at The Kittur Rani Chennamma Stadium (Jayanagar), Bangalore. The daylong event saw over  1000 children from 1st – 10th standard participate in spelling competitions to win a grand prize of gifts worth 1 Lakh rupees. 32 Children were selected for the Quarter Finals which will be held in the coming days.

The event was inaugurated by MLA of Jayanagar, Sowmya Reddy. In her address she said “Competitions and events of this nature need to be organized on a larger scale across Bangalore. These help on enhancing the communication skill of the children. This not only helps them become more competitive but also gives them a break from their study schedule. I wish the event all the very best”

The event had dedicated zones for parents where they had access to a team of experienced mentors who advised them on topics around parenting and career goals of children. Activities by International & National partner brands included mind stimulating tasks for the future troopers.

Speaking on the occasion, Madhu HS, Co-founder, Spell Bee League said “We have received an overwhelming response for the event. We have seen participation of over 1000 children and we have selected 32 among them for the quarter finals that will happen in the coming days. Today we have also announced the launch of #SpellBeeHive, a unique talent community for children of all age group a nd we are very excited about it”

This event is being organized by BizWingz and is presented by NRN Aerospace Systems, Smart Kidz Club, School Travel App, Kydz Adda, Sanrakshan PTE Ltd Singapore, Faith Foundation Trust, PFA Wildlife Hospital, Hoopsters, Bisleri Fonzo and Breathe Entertainment. Bengaluru’s leading radio station, Indigo 91.9 fm is the official radio partner for the event.

Airbus to Increase Sourcing to $2 Billion and 5,000 People Employed from India by 2020

Bullish on India as a market place as well as a manufacturing hub, leading aircraft maker Airbus today said it has begun sourcing components for almost all its jets from the country and aims to take its cumulative sourcing from there to USD 2 billion in the next five years.

Showering fulsome praise for the Modi government's Make in India campaign, Airbus said it's making large number of products in the country, either directly or through its supply partners, where collectively more than 5,000 people are employed.

"It's a great initiative and we are already pushing for it in a big way. We have done a lot of 'Make in India' of our own and we would do much more, going forward," the European giant's Managing Director for India Srinivasan Dwarkanath told the media at the Paris International Air Show.

The company's latest A380 aircraft, which is being displayed here, has got evacuation slides for all its eight doors made in Bangalore while there are many other products that the company is getting made in India. "Almost all our products have got India-made parts," he said.

Dwarkanath said there are broadly four areas of focus for Airbus in India -- engineering, services for customers, aerospace partnerships and R&D innovation.

"Some of the common themes across all these focus areas are skill development, jobs and getting and transmitting the know-how," said Dwarkanath, who is the Vice-President for International Cooperation, South and South-East Asia, besides being MD for Airbus India.

Airbus' own centre in Bangalore for engineering has got more than 350 engineers working in core engineering functions while there are over 2,000 people across the supply chain in this segment.

Two offshore development centres are also employing 300 people each, he added.

In the aerospace segment, Airbus has got over 40 suppliers and partners, including the Tatas and the Mahindras.

"Across the supply chain, more than 5,000 people are working, including one-third on the manufacturing side, exclusively for Airbus products. Our target for the next five years is to source USD 2 billion worth products from India cumulatively up to 2020," he said, while adding that the growth in the past 10 years has already been of about 12 times.

India Post Announces Full-Fledged Entry into E-Commerce

India Post has announced its full-fledged entry into e-commerce business, where it will leverage its parcel business for end-to-end delivery of products.

“We have simplified decision-making process at Department of Posts (DoP) by setting up a separate parcel directorate. It can make quick decision on parcel rates and related provisions. India Post will leverage its vast network for e-commerce services for doorstep delivery of products,” Communications Minister Manoj Sinha told reporters.

The minister also launched India Post’s e-commerce portal.

Earlier, any decision related to change in parcel delivery rates or matching services of private players required approval from top officials, which was time-consuming. The DoP has set up parcel directorate which is free to take decision to match the competition.

“India Post is open for registration of all vendors for e-commerce business. It will pick up products from vendor and deliver to doorstep of customers,” Sinha said. India Post has delivery network up to remotest villages through its 1.55 lakh post offices which no one can match, the minister said.

“We will also facilitate return of products service like it is available for customers on other e-commerce platforms,” India Post Secretary A N Nanda said.

Sinha said the department will strictly monitor delivery of products. “The credibility that DoP has built over the years is immense. We will suitably resolve complaints whenever we receive them,” the minister said.

India's CDAC, France's Atos Sign Rs 4.5-bn Deal for Supercomputer Network

India's Centre for Development of Advanced Computing and France's IT services company Atos Saturday signed a three-year industrial contract for designing, building and installing the BullSequana, its high-performance supercomputers, in the country.

The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Jean Yves Le Drian, French minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs and Ajay Prakash Sawhney, secretary - Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

It was signed between Hemant Darbari, Director General of C-DAC, and Pierre Barnab, chief operating officer - Big Data & Security at Atos.

Speaking at the ceremony, Jean said the agreement will deepen our bilateral ties.

"India and France have a strategic partnership and we are two nations that innovate a lot. It is true that supercomputers are a necessity and not a luxury. We often say that data for the 21st century is what oil was to the 20th century, we are using data in a massive way and that raises questions of ethics. India and France share not only interests but also values that require us to use technology for good for humanity," he said.

"India and France have the same vision of what cyberspace should and we would like to deepen our cooperation in areas of cyberspace in R&D or regulation for digital technology," Jean added.

This contract has been awarded to Atos under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), a scheme of Rs 45 billion, aimed at creating a network of over 70 high-performance supercomputing facilities for various academic and research institutions across India.

This contract is of special importance as Atos has become India's preferred industrial partner in a highly strategic field, according to a statement by the French Embassy.

The delivery of BullSequana supercomputers is expected to start in early next year, it said.

Infosys Signs Joint Venture with Japanese Hitachi, Panasonic Corp

IT major Infosys has announced the acquisition of majority stake in Hitachi Procurement Service (HPS), a fully owned subsidiary of Hitachi.

For the deal, aimed at setting up a joint venture between Panasonic, Pasona an Hitachi, the Bengaluru-based IT services will acquire 81% stake in HPS for JPY 2,762 million (approximately Rs 174 crore).

Other three companies in the JV will be minority stakeholders, as per the agreement. Hitachi will transfer 2% each to Panasonic and Pasona, and will hold the remaining 15%.

However, according to the company, the final amount paid for the deal depends on the closure of the deal. The transaction is an all cash deal.
The JV is expected to accelerate business process transformation leveraging digital procurement platforms for the local and global needs of Japanese corporations.

Procurement process

“This joint venture will help Japanese corporations transform their procurement processes using next-generation digital platforms, as we bring together the combined power of deep procurement expertise, technology, global expertise and local skills,” Ravi Kumar, President, Infosys said in a statement.

The transaction is expected to close on or before April 1, 2019 and is aimed at helping Infosys strengthen its presence in Japan and invest in local capabilities to serve the local and global needs of Japanese corporations.