Use Hola Guide App During Your Next Holiday Now Just a Tap Away

Finding a government recognized tourist guide at places of tourist attraction in Karnataka is now just a tap away. With Hola Guide App, you can avail the services of tourist guides at your chosen place of tourist destination, well in advance. The first-of-its-kind App, which functions as a unique interface between tourists and tourist guides, allows you to select tourist guides who can enlighten you about the places you visit, in the language of your choice – both Indian and foreign.

Hola Guide App provides you information about tourist guides who have been recognized by the state government. A list of tour guide packages these guides offer, the charges for their services, their timeslot & such other specific details are also available on this App. The tourist guides can be hired for hours, half-day or full-day depending on your need, with Hola Guide. Similarly tourists can find tourist guides at popular tourist destinations they plan to visit.

Since the App allows users to rate the services of a tour guide, the tourist has the advantage of choosing the one who offers quality services. Furthermore, tourist guides can be paid either online or on cash after they render their service. And all this can be done with your mobile phone from the comfort of your house or office, much before you arrive at your tourist destination.

So, no more scrambling for tour guides at your tourist destination. Just tap on HOLA GUIDE. The app is available for download from Google Play Store and iOS.

Hola Guide is developed by MultiApps Technologies, a Bengaluru-based company of professional and technology enthusiasts with vast expertise in developing custom-made platforms.

ABBS Hosts 7th International Conference on Ecosystem for Growth of Business from Sept 8- 9, 2017

Acharya Bangalore B-School & Acharya Academy of Management Studies, Bengaluru will host the 7th International Conference on the Ecosystem for Growth of Business on September 8 and 9, 2017 at its campus on Magadi Road.


Over a 100 delegates from various countries will participate in the two day event. Prof G Raghuram, Director IIMB along with Tsutomu Kota, Senior VP, Toyota Kirloskar, Dr Kalpana Gopalan, Principal Secretary, Government of Karnataka among others will be the chief guests at the event.

On the second day the valedictory function will be held and Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, Chairman of Dhaka School of Economics, Bangladesh will give away the prizes.

Business does not operate in isolation. Growth of business in any region, country, state or a city depends on its ecosystem. Economic, political, quality of governance, technological, socio-cultural, geographical, geopolitical, and historical factors are important components of business ecosystem. In order to understand and leverage on ecosystem for growth of business, it is essential to study and research the ecosystem. The ecosystem is not common for all sectors.

The challenge is dynamic nature of the ecosystem. The complex inter-woven relationship among varied factors of ecosystems, works differently for different sectors, at different point of time in different locations. Ecosystem to be developed for growth of business needs to be researched. In depth understanding of ecosystem enables organizations to thrive in this rapidly changing environment. The network of vendors, labor force, ancillaries, channel partners and customers constitute the core of business ecosystem.

Today, every business in the ecosystem influences and gets influenced by others, creating a constantly evolving relationship. As business brings in employment, prosperity, growth and development, there is competition among different destinations for developing business. In this background, the study of ecosystem has become crucial for Governments, Corporate, International Organizations, Academicians, and all stakeholders of business.

Keeping this in view, this conference “Ecosystem for Growth of Business” is conceived. Ideal ecosystem should nurture technological development, balanced regional growth, healthy growth of varied sectors, protection of fragile ecosystem, growth of business with human face and benefits of growth in business reaching all sections of the society. More than any of these, ideal ecosystem should nurture a harmonious world.

New Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Anantkumar Hegde Promise to Bring Scale and Speed to India’s Skill Mission

Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Anantkumar Hegde, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship today took charge of their respective portfolios at the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Addressing the media persons on the occasion, Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said, “I am extremely humbled that the Prime Minister has given me this responsibility to steer India’s Skill Mission and we will ensure that we deliver on his expectations. He has a vision that we create a new environment of creating dignified job opportunity for the youth. This is a policy driven ministry and in the last three years we have been able to lay down the foundation for skill development in the country. We will now work towards bringing scale and speed to this program by bringing in convergence and coordination with our States, Departments, Private Institutions and other existing skill programs.”

“It is a great responsibility more than a challenge and we will work for filling the need gaps and work towards ensuring the youth of a brighter future. We will explore all possible grid system, information systems, technology advent that the country is witnessing, conventional jobs and new age skills to enable a more efficient outcome of our programs and schemes in skills.”

Committing himself to the Prime Minister’s vision, Anantkumar Hegde, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said, “I consider the opportunity of being appointed as the Minister of State as greater responsibility towards serving the nation. I am certain that with the guidance of the Pradhanji, we will work as per the defined agenda and draw a proper roadmap for the work to be taken up which will bring about efficiency in the skill ecosystem.

Pradhan also added that job growth is an aspiration for any government. “This ministry has been doing good job and we will be giving it a major push to fulfil the objectives. Every month, there are more than 10 lakh youth joining the job market. Our primary objective will be to create grid across sectors, States and the aspiration of the youth and ensure all the requirements are well addressed,” he further added. 

Following the joining of respective offices, both the Ministers took an elaborate review meeting with the officials at the Ministry. 

The Best Apps for Entertainment, News, Games, Videos and More…

The rise in mobile technology is evident with the ever-increasing number of available apps for download. Mobile gadgets like phones and tablets have rapidly become the most widely used and the most essential technology in the world. Desktop computers have long taken a back seat as users demand convenience and look for something that can keep up with how they live. The rise of mobile technology naturally birthed other digital phenomena like mobile software applications or mobile apps and in the business side, mobile marketing. A lot of brands use mobile-first strategy for seamless customer journey and find a way to be with their customer every step of the way. 

Imagine being in a store with everything you like, but sadly you can’t have them all. Let us make the job easier for you with this guide in choosing the best apps.

1. For the movies - series buff in you

·  Hotstar - Hotstar is an online video streaming platform owned by Novi Digital Entertainment Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Star India Private Limited. Hotstar currently offers over 50,000 hours of TV content and movies across 8 languages, and every major sport covered live. Highly evolved video streaming technology and a high attention to quality of experience across devices and platforms, make Hotstar the most complete video destination for Over The Top (OTT) video consumers.

·  Amazone Prime - Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service offered by Amazon.com that gives users access to free one-day delivery, streaming video/music and other benefits for a monthly or yearly fee. As of April 2017, Prime has more than 80 million paying users

2. Find the gamer in you

·  RummyCircle :-  RummyCircle.com is India's Largest Online Rummy site which provides you with the best Rummy experience. The ultimate platform for playing Indian rummy card game is available on desktop as well as app based platforms. Online Rummy at RummyCircle is easy , safe and totally fun. With a high quality interface that has the latest security features, it ensures that your Rummy playing experience is entertaining to the core while also being convenient. It offer regular Rummy card games tournaments in Classic Indian Rummy, 13 Card Rummy formats where players can win big cash prizes. So, come be a part of this large community, playing Rummy card games from across India.

·  Candy Crush Saga -  Candy Crush Saga is a free-to-play match-three puzzle video game released by King on April 12, 2012, for Facebook; other versions for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and Windows 10 followed. It is a variation on their browser game Candy Crush.

3. To keep a track of all the latest updates

·  Way2Online - Way2Online is a Hyderabad-based ‘media on mobile’ company that caters to seekers of news & information both in English and regional Indian languages. Its mission is to create a fresh news experience with strong focus on all things local, and understanding what dominates the news space every day. Way2Online news app was incepted in December 2015.

·  Inshorts - Inshorts is India’s highest-rated news app, with more than 8 million downloads on Android and iOS. The app curates the most significant news items of the day, across categories like national, world, politics, business, sports, technology and entertainment, in just 60 words with a link to read the stories that interest them, in detail. Inshorts also continues to be India’s highest-rated news app on Android since January 2014 with a rating of 4.6, and in 2015 was included by Google India in its list of 50 best Android apps from India. By mid-2016, Inshorts garnered more than 8 million downloads on Android and iOS and is serving more than One billion page views every month since.

4. To keep yourself fit 

·  Fitpass:  This app enables you to get yourself a pass to workout anywhere, anytime across 1350+ gyms and fitness studios in Delhi NCR only for Rs.999 per month, fitpass gives its users the flexibility to workout when they want, how they want and where they want. Fitpass users have access to unparalleled variety of choices from Yoga, Zumba, Pilates, Aerobics, MMA, Cross Fit, circuit training, kickboxing, spinning, bootcamp and many many more. Fitpass is an app based service available on iOS & Android. Fitpass is successfully removing friction and creating marketplace efficiency through technology.

·  Nike + Run Club – Nike+ Run Club app is your perfect running partner. Whether you’re just getting started or getting ready for another race, the Nike+ Run Club app surrounds you with everyone and everything you need to run better. With the motivation of millions of runners behind you and expert guidance around every turn, we'll help you reach your goals—and have more fun doing it.

Enterprises Need to Build a Ransomware Strategy to Combat the Recent Locky Ransomware Attack

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cyber security solutions, has stated that there are no incidence being reported in India at present. As per Trend Micro, the ransomware is not likely to be on the scale of Wannacry and Petya ransomware, which relies on Microsoft vulnerability in Windows XP. Trend Micro has also provided precautionary measures on how to stop the Lukitus variant of Locky ransomware from spreading.

In the wake of Locky Ransomware attack and the Government of India issuing alert across the country,

Sharda Tickoo, Technical Head, Trend Micro India said, “So far, there haven’t been any cases of Locky ransomware reported in India or across geographies, but we are getting enquiries from customers and Trend Micro’s support team is helping out in resolving them. For addressing this malware, Trend Micro has its protection in place with suspicious and bad URLs being blocked. There are technologies wherein such embedded macros and file scripts can be detected and deleted.”

Pointing out the differences between other ransomware, she added, “Wannacry and Petya ransomware looks for Microsoft vulnerability to exploit and spread. There were only few machines with Microsoft vulnerability in Windows XP and hence the damage was huge. In this case, it is not exploiting any vulnerability, but what it uses is a Visual Basic (VB) / JavaScript encrypts in a document and the chances of this malware getting evaded are high.”

On the dos and don’ts, she further added, “Since this particular malware arrives through email compressed attachment and through hidden Visual Basic (VB) / JavaScript, we have to ensure that email as a channel is widely protected. We are trying to build a ransomware strategy with two best practices - first is to start with fortifying email defense mechanisms and second is to delete the VB or Java Script if it is not used in machines. There are certain secure configurations which are unnecessary and not running, should be blocked. This particular malware has a tendency of self deletion. It deletes itself with no traces left, once the payload is executed. It encrypts local drives and network shares. The basic hygiene is to try and avoid open network share and to make sure it is password protected.”

Home Healthcare is the Way Forward to Improve Elderly Care in India

By Dr. Gaurav Thukral, Executive Vice -President and COO, HealthCare atHome

A report released by UN Population Fund India titled ‘Caring for our elders: Early response India Ageing Report 2017’, highlights a perturbing issue. By 2050, the global population of the elderly who are above 60-years of age is set to reach 2 billion, outnumbering those under 15-years of age for the first time in history. India is going to be a major contributor to this phenomenon, with this set of population in the country predicted to grow three-fold from around 100 million at present to 300 million by 2050. The report suggests that ageing does not only affect the elderly but has consequences for the entire society. One of the major challenges such circumstances can pose is on the healthcare sector. Home based healthcare, with its reach and resources, can play a pivotal role in addressing this challenge by providing professional geriatric care to improve the quality of life for the elderly and maintain their independence for as long as possible.

In India, family is responsible for the care of elderly relatives. However, there is a marked dissolution of the traditional family set-up as we know it with changing scenarios where children are increasingly moving out for employment, both spouses are working for a living, competitive and busy lifestyles taking over sedentary regimes and even the elderly looking to be independent for as long as possible. Nuclear families are growing in numbers gradually taking over the joint family structure. These factors affect how the elderly receive their care. Additionally, it is important to note that the requirements for health-care of the elderly are different from regular patients.

Dr. Gaurav Thukral, Executive Vice -President and COO, HealthCare atHome said, “An important area where home based healthcare proves to be invaluable for the seniors is in the management of chronic or non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Regardless of socio-economic status, NCDs are extremely common in old age. Common chronic conditions include cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases like asthma, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and mental conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, depression and hypertension. Chronic diseases, are not only the biggest reasons for hospital visits but also a leading cause of death among elderly in India. Disabilities resulting from chronic diseases are occurring more often, which makes it difficult for the senior patients to conduct their day-to-day lives in a normal manner. When that happens, there is also an escalating burden on the care giver”.

Home based healthcare services provide both effective and economic resources to manage such chronic diseases. For instance, HealthCare atHOME provides the LifeCare atHOME services that includes management of lifestyle changes, chronic diseases and wellness segment requisite for elderly care. Other services offered by HealthCare atHOME include DIABEE specifically for the management of diabetes. Keeping in mind that elderlies with chronic conditions require consultation of multiple physicians and continuous assistance with daily tracking of health parameters, DIABEE service provides patients with a multi-disciplinary care team who creates personalised diabetes management and support for the patients. Technology is vital to every homecare service and HealthCare atHOME has developed a DIABEE app which monitors a patients vitals like fitness levels, diet charts, up-to-date medical reports and hospital visits for comprehensive management of the disease.

Thus, more and more families are opting for homecare when it comes to administering long term care for their elderly relatives. The fact that patients can be monitored and treated within their homes, the environment they are most comfortable in, is the biggest benefit of home based healthcare. However another major plus point is the cost-effectiveness resulting from reduction in doctor visits and hospitalisation. Families end up saving anywhere between 10-50 per cent of the total healthcare costs as compared to regular hospital treatment. Therefore, homecare offers a preventive and effective approach to overseeing chronic diseases in the elderly.

As mentioned earlier, geriatric care is very different from general nursing. From being technically well-equipped to handle medical situations, caregivers to the elderly also have to have a certain type of disposition. Patience and compassion are two significant qualities required while attending the elderly. Home healthcare provides its staff with essential training specifically for geriatric care, that allows them to provide professional care that even family members may not endowed to. As a person ages, their vulnerability to declining functional abilities also increases. The ability to perform staple tasks on a daily basis like feeding, bathing, dressing, maintaining physical hygiene and basic mobility become difficult for the elderly. In most cases, it is not possible for one of the family members to stay home and take care of the patient everyday. Nursing services provided by homecare are not only limited to medical duties like monitoring vitals and administering medications but healthcare attendants are available round the clock for assisting patients with daily activities.

Debilitating health can harm both the physical and psychological state of the elderly. Therefore, in the case of geriatric care, the healthcare giver must be extremely sensitive to the needs of the patient. While improving the quality of life for the older patients through physical wellbeing it is also necessary to provide them with emotional support. This is why, they are best cared for at home where they feel secure among their loved ones. But with the demands of geriatric care being much greater and vastly different, it is also important that they receive professional care. Home based healthcare ensures that diseases in the elderly patients are treated with successful clinical outcomes while making sure they do it with compassion.

Audi Drives in the Audi Q7 40 TFSI Quattro on Bangalore Roads

Audi, the German luxury car manufacturer, today announced the launch of the Audi Q7 40 TFSI quattro in India. The powerful 2.0 TFSI engine churns out 185kW (252hp) and 370 Nm of torque effectively accelerating 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.9 seconds. The Audi Q7 also packs in a lightning-fast power redistribution through quattro permanent all-wheel drive, segment first Audi Virtual Cockpit and a smart Audi Smartphone Interface, and is priced  at  Rs 67,76,000  onwards.

“Our flagship SUV Audi Q7 had been the only product in its segment in India when it was launched. A popular choice of bollywood celebrities and big industrialists, the Audi Q7 lead the way for the luxury SUV segment in India. With the introduction of the Audi Q7 40 TFSI quattro, we are now offering customers an exciting line up of their preferred SUV to choose from and own their favorite Audi. This marks the debut of the first-ever luxury SUV in its segment in India and reigning segment leader with a petrol engine,” said Rahil Ansari, Head, Audi India.

“This is the year of ‘Audi Reloaded’ for us. ‘Audi Reloaded’ just doesn’t mean new products or new touch points but it signifies a nimbleness to tweak the strategy as per the market demand. We have taken a strategic decision to increase our petrol mix and started off the process with the launch of the Audi Q3 1.4 TFSI in March this year. We do have some other surprises planned for this year,” added Mr. Ansari. 

The Audi Q7 40 TFSI joins an exciting line up which already has a powerful 3.0 TDI engine. The adaptive suspension and the lightweight body make the new Audi Q7 a dynamic car among the large SUVs. The car is available in Premium Plus edition and the fully loaded Technology edition.

Key Highlights:

Engine and Transmission

·  Powerful 2.0 TFSI quattro engine

·  Superior new Eight-speed tiptronic transmission

·  Power output of 185kW (252hp) @5000 to 6000 rpm

·  370 Nm of torque @1600-34500 rpm

·  Accelerates 0 to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds with top speed of 233 kmph

·  Fuel efficiency of 11.68 Kmpl (ARAI certified)

Exterior

·  Sharp striking lines, continuous shoulder line accentuates athletic lines

·  Matrix LED Headlamps with signature DRLs

·  Wide sculptured 3D single frame grille

·  Prominent muscular bumpers & air inlets

·  Inlay strips at the bottom of the doors with quattro embossing

·  Bold R19 5 Spoke Alloy Wheels

·  Full Paint Finish

·  Panoramic Sunroof

·  Available in Carrara white, Floret silver, Graphite gray, Orca black and Ink blue

Interior

·  Wrap around cockpit for improved driver bias, elegance and operation

·  Horizontal design architecture - slim low profile dash with continuous broad band of air vents

·  Slim, high resolution retractable MMI display

·  Benchmark in aeroacoustics, ‘Library Quiet’ Cabin

·  Floating dashboard effect from plunging centre console

·  Ambient Lighting with 30 Combinations

·  Interior Upholstery in genuine Cricket Leather in black and beige

·  Full size Seven Seater configuration

Comfort

·  Audi Drive Select - Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, Individual and Off-road as standard. In conjunction with adaptive air suspension, the All-road mode is added, while the Off-road mode becomes Lift/Off-road

·  Electromechanical power steering

·  4 Spoke Leather Steering Wheel with Shift Paddles

·  Four Zone Deluxe Automatic Climate Control

·  Electric Steering Wheel Adjustment

·  Electrically Adj. Front Seats with Driver Side Memory

·  Electrically foldable 3^rd row seats

·  Lowering of load floor for easy luggage loading

·  Cruise Control

·  Auto Park Assist

·  360 degree Surround Camera

Infotainment

·  MMI Navigation Plus

·  MMI Touch with 8 Favourite buttons for Music, Contacts, Navigation, Place of Interest (POI)  and Radio Channels

·  Audi Smartphone Interface for Apple Carplay & Android Auto

·  Audi Phone Box with Wireless Qi-charging

·  BOSE 3D Surround Sound System – 558 watts

Safety and Assistance systems

·  Tilt Angle Sensor for Off-road & All-road modes

·  8 Airbags incl. Rear Side Airbags

·  Auto Park Assist with 360⁰ Surround View Cameras

·  Audi Pre Sense

·  Tire Pressure Monitoring System