Archive: August 22, 2020

DÇafe appoints Verizon President to BoD

dcafé digital Inc, a global leader delivering OTT products, services & experiences, today announced that it has named media technology pioneer, innovator and former President of Verizon Digital Media Services, Ralf Jacob, to its Board of Directors.

This appointment is effective immediately and supports the continued growth of dcafé digital by furthering its visionary thought leadership. Jacob brings astute industry experience and a deep understanding of video delivery solutions.

“dcafé’s technology is barred none! Every feature, button or service is exposed as an API which makes integration such a breeze. The UI is logically laid out and adapts to an operators workflow with ease. Their recent success only speaks to their ability to cater to today’s demands on handling meta-data. Their approach is particularly of value to the CTV industry with its focus on ACR and contextual advertising. I am excited to be working with an organization that focuses on bringing this cloud-redundant, dynamic OTT authoring platform to the media industry.” said Jacob, about joining the Board Of Directors at dcafé.

During Ralf’s tenure leading Verizon Digital Media Services (VDMS), he grew the company’s revenue by more than 300% and established VDMS’s CDN as the second-largest worldwide. The platform became the de-facto standard in the industry for OTA to OTT conversion and is being used by prime broadcasters – Disney, ESPN, ABC, Hulu, Fox, Sinclair, Hearst, Discovery, among others.

Vineet Dhawan, CEO, dcafé digital says, “upLynk’s success precedes its reputation with a coveted customer list. Our journey began by building dcafé for uplink, a platform founded by Ralf which simplified video workflow like never before. We leveraged this world-class streaming solution to deliver flawless experiences, and now to be able to work with the man himself is incredible. We couldn’t be more fortunate and excited to have him guide us.”

FIITJEE becomes Country’s 1st Coaching Institute to conduct National Level Proctored Online Test Successfully!

Amidst current restricted situation due to COVID-19, FIITJEE- India’s leading institute for Engineering Entrance Exam preparations has successfully conducted National Level Proctored Online Scholarship cum Admission Test (POSAT) and Proctored Online Scholarship Test (POST) on 2nd August 2020.

FIITJEE is the country’s First institute to conduct any test using Remote Proctoring Technology. It is yet another Achievement added to FIITJEE’s Success Story! More than 15000 students from different states, towns and even from villages appeared in the test without facing any language or technical challenge. Students from all corners of India appeared in the test. Students used Laptop, Desktop, tab and Smart mobile phone to appear in the test. Students who used mobile devices were also able to appear in the test successfully and smoothly. Even the test was conducted successfully in the low bandwidth area.

FIITJEE had set up a Large-Scale Help Centre that was available to provide instant support to students. The Entire process was conducted in a very professional manner. The support was well appreciated by students & parents.

Prior to the exam date, FIITJEE also provided a Mock Test for all the Registered Students so that they could practice and get the real experience of the proctored test. Students were allowed to appear thrice in the mock test.

It was a 3-tier Proctoring System wherein the First-tier was handled by Artificial Intelligence, the Second-tier by FIITJEE’s trained Live Online Proctor (Invigilator) and the Third-tier is Post Test proctoring by Examination Supervisor with the help of periodic Images Captured during the test, Video Recording and Click-by-click audit trail of the student.

Proctored Online Test was a replica of FIITJEE’s Offline Test where invigilation of the test was done through Live Online Proctor with the help of Artificial Intelligence. Students were supervised with the help of the camera and mic on their Laptop / Desktop / Mobile.

During the test, students’ all actions and activities were recorded and supervised remotely. Proctor got notified if any student was suspected of cheating through a detailed log of suspicious browser activity and audio-visual events that have been recorded during the exam. Proctor was allowed to send a warning to the student at any time through chat very much similar to offline invigilation.

The Proctored Online Scholarship Test (POST) was conducted for all FIITJEE Classroom Program students who have already taken admission during lockdown through Home Based Online Admission Tests. The Proctored Online Scholarship cum Admission Test (POSAT) was for Class VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI,XII and XII Pass students who wished to take admission in FIITJEE Classroom / Live Online Classroom Program.

At a Time When Covid-19 Cancelled Music Events, Flutin Unveils a Virtual Rap Competition

Over the past few months, the Covid-19 induced lockdowns in India and the globe and the safety concerns related to the pandemic has led to the postponement or cancellation of numerous high-ticket music events as well as local gigs, live concerts, etc., thus incurring massive losses and challenges for the live music industry. In our country, as the virus spread shows no signs of slowing down and many people remain confined to their homes till date, independent artists and musicians are now inclined to move online and/or find alternate (non-traditional) ways to showcase their talents.

In the current scenario when things like ‘social distancing’ and ‘stay-at-home’ are gradually becoming a norm for us, music streaming and discovery platform Flutin has come up with a first-of-its-kind virtual talent hunt show titled ‘HomeStars Rapchik’ for the aspiring rap artists of India. Rapchik is designed as an entirely online event, wherein budding rap artists, regardless of their age, gender, or language, etc., are allowed to submit their entries and participate from the comfort of their homes. The show, which aims to find the “next big rap icons of our country”, is offering a total cash prize of up to ₹1 lakh for the top 3 contestants; besides, the winner of the show will be provided with an opportunity to release their own track/rap composition produced by and supported by Flutin.

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Notably, the show features an esteemed jury panel consisting renowned names from India’s music industry; while “Prince of Bhangra” Sukhbir Singh and Rajiee M Shinde, music & infotainment industry veteran and CXO, Flutin are named as the Grand Masters, Rapstar RCR aka Rohit Kumar Chaudhary and Singer & Musical Artist Misty Bharadwaj will be the other two judges on the show. All episodes of HomeStars Rapchik will be streamed on Flutin’s mobile app, website, and social media channels for the viewers/audience to watch live.

Speaking about their latest virtual event, Mr. Vishu Gupta, Founder & CEO, Flutin says, “We are excited to present a golden opportunity for all the Desi rappers in the country to make the most of their careers, even during these difficult pandemic times. At Flutin, we always appreciate the true talent and push our limits to give deserving platforms as well as rewards to the musical superstars of tomorrow. This is why through this edition of HomeStars Rapchik, not only are we promoting the rapping talents of all our participants and helping them to get exposure while staying at homes, moreover, we will be also attempting to provide everything that the best and most promising artists need in order to realize their true potential and touch incredible levels of recognition and success.”

Popular Punjabi musician and ‘mahaguru’ of the show, Mr. Sukhbir Singh says, “Following the rise of the Hip-Hop culture in our country in recent years, rapping has become quite a phenomenon and amateur rappers are nowadays very keen to express themselves. To this end, I believe that HomeStars Rapchik will be a path-breaking show for emerging Indian rappers. As a jury member, I am extremely proud to be a part of this virtual talent hunt which is no less exciting or competitive than any physical show; our endeavour will be to bring out the best talents in their country and give an amazing head-start to their rap music careers.”

Amongst the 1500+ entries received from individual performers across the country, the jury members of HomeStars Rapchik have already screened and shortlisted 15 artists who will feature on the first episode of the show to be broadcasted on 22nd August. A total of five episodes will be held during the course of the show, and there will be eliminations based on online public voting after the end of each episode. In the concluding episode, i.e. Finale scheduled to be held on 26th September, the top 3 contestants will battle it out amongst themselves to win the crown of “India ka sabse rapchik rapper”. Thereafter, the final winner announcements will be made on October 1st and the winner, runner-up and 2nd runner up of the show will be rewarded with cash prizes of Rs. 50k, 35k, and 15k respectively.

HomeStars, as a platform, came to being few months back, soon after the countrywide lockdown was announced by the Government in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak. Under the banner of HomeStars, Flutin has already successfully completed HomeStars Season 1 — a virtual singing competition, and in the near future, they have plans to come up with more shows in music, comedy, poetry, and various other virtual platforms for performing arts enthusiasts.

Providing Relief to the Transgender Community

Reaching out to marginalized communities

The transgender community has been one of the worst-hit sections of society due to the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. All sources of income have been blocked and most are unable to access support being provided by the government due to lack of formal documentation and identification. While executing COVID relief in Delhi with the aid of Wishes and Blessings Relief Vans, the Wishes and Blessings team realized that there was no aid reaching the transgender community residing in Ajmeri Gate, Delhi. The team took it upon themselves to ensure that all their basic needs and requirements were met.

After fundraising and executing due diligence, a relief drive was held on 20th August. Ration and essential supplies were distributed to 100 families belonging to the transgender community to fill the gap that was created by the crisis. The President of the Delhi Chapter, (name withheld for privacy) said, “Due to the lockdown we completely lost all sources of income. We would visit weddings to give our blessings, but since that has stopped, we have nowhere to turn. We would also sustain ourselves by begging but that is no longer helping us. These past 5 months have been very difficult. Today, I am so happy. We got enough ration to sustain ourselves. Blessings to everyone who has helped us today!”

Commenting on the drive, Founder and President of Wishes and Blessings, Dr. Geetanjali Chopra said, “Wishes and Blessings believe in extending a helping hand to all communities irrespective of caste, class, age and gender. We have always laid special emphasis on reaching out to those who are marginalized including Commercial Sex Workers and members of the transgender community. While there are many organizations doing good work to reach out to those who have been impacted by the lockdown, very often these communities are left ignored. We feel blessed that we could reach out to these beneficiaries and provide them with the means to sustain themselves until they are able to resume a normal life.”

The organization aims to continue relief drives until their beneficiaries are assured of their security.

The Wishes and Blessings COVID Relief Project
Wishes and Blessings is determined to reach out to all those who have been harshly affected by the lockdown and aims to share the load with the government and other organizations working on the field and launched the Wishes and Blessings COVID Relief Project on day 1 of the lockdown itself (25th March 2020).

The organization has converted its daycare centres into shelter homes to ensure that the homeless have a safe space to stay till the lockdown is lifted. Hygiene supplies have been procured to safeguard the health of all.

A larger part of their efforts is providing nutritional aid in the form of cooked meals and ration kits. At the project’s peak, the organization served 45,000 meals/ day and distributed ration kits to over 8,000 families across 7 states- Assam, Delhi, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

NASSCOM CoE drives Enterprise & Startup Collaboration through Manufacturing Innovation Challenge 2020

NASSCOM Centre of Excellence IoT& AI, an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), and the Gujarat government organised a Manufacturing Innovation Challenge 2020 (MIC2020) from 15th July 2020 to 21st August 2020. The objective of this challenge was to build a first of a kind platform for enterprise and start-up collaboration to solve key challenges manufacturing industry is facing today. MIC2020 received an overwhelming response as 88 matured startups from across the country registered for the challenges and they went through a rigorous screening process of four rounds.

NASSCOM CoE in conjunction with JK Lakshmi Cements Ltd, Bayer CropScience, and Tata Chemicals Ltd nominated three use cases i.e. Workers Health and Safety, Solution to Promote Safety of Workers in Large Plants; Predictive maintenance of high-value assets; and 360° Virtual Tour of plant for which startups were encouraged to solve any of the challenges by submitting a proposal. IIT Gandhinagar was the Research Partner and Gujarat Electronics & Software Industries Association (GESIA) was the Outreach partner. Twelve top startups presented to Jury that had representation from senior leaders from industry, academia and government.

In an online award ceremony, AirVlabs – Kesh Kesavadas and Chinmay Sengupta, Alluvium – Suraj Rajan and Siri Chandana Medehal, Chistats – Rahul Lahane and Yogesh Karpate were announced as winners of the three challenges. These start-ups will now get an opportunity to work on a remunerative Proof of Concept with companies who nominated their use cases. In addition, start-ups will also get one-year membership to the NASSCOM CoE Acceleration Program.

Speaking on the occasion, Saurabh Gaur, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, said, “In current times, the significance of self-reliance is at an all-time high. Even the Government of India is cognizant of this and made the clarion call for an AatmaNirbharBharat. India has high calibre potential to drive incremental change using technology, and the time is now to build capabilities that will bolster self-reliance and innovation. This requires a collaborative effort – of enterprises, startups, policymakers – to identify the right problems and solution providers. The Manufacturing Innovation Challenge 2020 is a perfect example of this cross-collaboration to further innovation & build self-reliance.”

“NASSCOM CoE is building an ecosystem for manufacturing companies to work with technology companies and innovative start-ups to drive adoption of Industry 4.0 solutions. MIC 2020 was launched to accelerate this mission and received an exceptional response. This challenge created value for everyone as it helped enterprises find the best solution partner and start-ups got an opportunity to work with their dream companies. The success of this program has motivated us to run these challenges every quarter and we look forward to getting similar support in all our future initiatives”, Amit Saluja, Sr. Director & Vertical Head, Manufacturing, Gandhinagar, NASSCOM CoE.

Vinita Singhania, Managing Director, JK Lakshmi Cement “We are delighted to be a part of such an initiative from NASSCOM CoE. Manufacturing Innovation Challenge has helped us connect with top-class start-ups who can be of big help in creating our future innovations. We encourage other manufacturing companies also to leverage this platform as a means to make your plant smarter and safer with digital. We believe that the use of digital technology like AI, IoT, AR etc for manufacturing processes optimize sustainable development i.e. productive maintenance, reduced cost and saves time.”

Platforms like MIC can be a great potential to accelerate to kick-start a Digital Transformation journey in the country’s formidable industries. In the current situation when companies are doing best to maximize the capacity utilization, such initiatives can be of great support for them to embrace digital technologies to increase productivity, efficiency and create a safe work environment for workers.

Research and development specialists win major nuclear decommissioning contract

A RENOWNED UK-based research and development company is part of a consortium which has won a major nuclear decommissioning contract.

Createc will provide research and development support to the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) as part of an ENVISION consortium of companies led by NUVIA.

The consortium will support the NDA as part of a four-year-contract working on its Direct Research Portfolio (DRP) Framework.

The ENVISION consortium will focus on integrated waste management, site remediation and decommissioning to help shape and underpin the NDA’s overall UK decommissioning strategy, deliver innovation across the NDA estate, and develop vital technical expertise for the future of the UK Nuclear Industry.

The ENVISION consortium is a diverse team of innovative SMEs, internationally recognised nuclear consultancies, and world-renowned Research and Development companies.

Led by NUVIA, the consortium comprises Createc, Lucideon, TUV Nord UK, NucAdvisor, Cognition Land and Water, Empresarios Agrupados and CIEMAT.

Adrian Davis-Johnston, Head of Research, Development and Innovation at NUVIA and the Contract Manager for the ENVISION consortium said: “This is an excellent opportunity for NUVIA, and its partners within ENVISION, to play a significant role in the delivery of research and development projects which have the potential to deliver the NDA’s mission and to make integrated waste management, site remediation and decommissioning safer, faster and at a lower cost to the UK taxpayer.”

David Clark, Operations Director for Createc, said: “At Createc we recognise that the best innovations are born out of collaboration.

“Createc seeks to build relationships with those around them so we can pool knowledge about a domain and develop better solutions.

“Createc aims to bring this culture to the DRP and build collaborations to solve challenges.”

Createc leads technological innovation by combining creative applications of emerging sensor technology and algorithms with a focus on commercial success and an entrepreneurial spirit to make research and development a self-sustaining activity.

Createc, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in June 2020, is defined by a speciality rather than a market, focussing on developing solutions for customers using imaging, sensing and robotics.

Createc provides solutions to a range of industries, including the civil nuclear, oil and gas, construction, engineering, medical, aerospace, rail, defence and security sectors.

The Cumbrian company has long-standing specialist expertise in nuclear decommissioning, including in the development of sensors for the characterisation of redundant nuclear facilities.

The Createc team is a diverse mix of technical experts from fields such as Computer Vision, Robotics, Nuclear Measurement and Optics, with an agile engineering team which can efficiently build prototype systems and develop them into full products.

Createc, which has expanded to employ 29 people, is the only business in Cumbria, and one of only four in the North-West, which holds two different Queen’s Awards, having received the award for both International Trade and Innovation.

Createc has also won awards for innovation from The Institution for Engineering and Technology (IET), The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).

5 Technologies Easing Down Human Efforts

The ongoing pandemic has successfully brought out the mysophobia in all of us. Cleaning and sanitizing have become the most significant task of the day and the absence of the house help has only made managing tasks more difficult. And, on top of that, there is WFH. Juggling work and simultaneously completing household chores is a major inconvenience. Fortunately, the advent of technology has brought to us some gadgets that can finish your household chores for you in the blink of an eye.

Milagrow RoboNano – The Personal Companion:
Perfect for offering companionship, RoboNano is a personal assistant robot equipped with Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service for smart homes. This intelligent, cloud-enabled robot features voice assistance, smart home control and remote surveillance capabilities, delivering centralized management and security to households around the world. RoboNano stands tall at 85 cm and comes with over 50 sensors to avoid objects in its way, recognize voices and know when someone enters the room. Additionally, the humanoid can order pizza, request a car, track fitness stats, control the TV and play music from today’s leading streaming providers. It pairs with smart home devices from the world’s most popular connected home brands, enabling families to control lights, thermostats and home appliances. RoboNano also allows families to live-stream video and control it from anywhere in the world. When the family is away, the robot can monitor the house using object detection sensors and sounds an alarm if an intruder is discovered.

iRobot Roomba i7 Plus:
Are you working from home? Is work from home eating up all your time for household chores? iRobot has an amazing solution for all your woos! Roomba i7 Plus, the smart robo-vaccum cleaner from iRobot is your one-stop solution for all your cleaning problems. It not only cleans up after you, but after itself as well- automatically empties the bin into a disposable bag that holds 30 bins of dirt, dust, and hair, so you don’t have to think about vacuuming for weeks at a time. This high performance; Wi-Fi® connected robotic device seamlessly navigates throughout your house, including hard-to-reach, under-couch, and below-bed areas and helps you keep up with the everyday mess. And the best part? You can easily control it from any remote location through your iRobot Home App.

MicroGO’s GoFresh™- Fruits and Vegetable Disinfectant:
Isn’t it so tiresome and irritating when you have to clean all your fruits and vegetables by hand? But what is the other alternative then? Thanks to GoFresh™ by MicroGO The vegetable and fruit disinfectant based on patented Tubulet™ technology, cleans the vegetables and fruits using Chlorine Dioxide and is approved by FDA.

Netgear Orbi RBS 20 AC2200 Tri-Band Wi-Fi Coverage Orbi Whole Home Satellite:
It’s almost close to six months that we are all working from home and honestly, it is here to stay. But are you tired of sitting in one place and working? The Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi system will now make it easier for you. No matter in which corner of the house are you in, you will get uninterrupted internet connectivity thus increasing your productivity. Also, don’t worry for the décor of your room, the system is sleek and has a modern design for convenient placement at home.

CIPLA Plast Shoe Sanitizing Door Mat:
We often forget to give attention to our shoes which we wear outside of the house and they are one of the primary sources through which germs enter our house. Our best friend, the ever-changing technology has found out a solution to this problem as well. With CIPLA Plast’s Shoe Sanitizing Doormat, germs are completely forbidden in your house. This shoetizer Shoetizer is easy to use. All you have to do is simply step on the wet side and then dry side to remove any excess solution.

Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Shaheed Path, Lucknow hosted its third Dr. Rajaram Jaipuria Memorial Debate

21st August, UP: Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Lucknow, hosted the third “Dr. Rajaram Jaipuria Memorial Debate”, online, on 21st August 2020 at 10:00 am.

Mr. Shishir Jaipuria, the Chairman of Seth Anandram Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions, was the Chief Guest for the day. Mr. Vinod Malhotra, the Advisor and Mr. Harish Sanduja, Director Schools, Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions were the Guests of Honor.

The debate witnessed overwhelming participation from schools across the country. Thirteen schools from Lucknow and other cities participated in the debate. Some of the schools were Wynberg Allen Mussourie, Venkateshwara School Delhi, Navrachna Vidyalaya, Baroda and other schools from Ghaziabad, Kanpur and Lucknow. The topic of this year’s debate was “Education today is only training the head and not the heart.” The topic was shared with the speakers on the 19th of August.

The debate was judged by an esteemed panel from across the globe. It was an invigorating round of debate with a lot of profound points made by the students. Seth Anandram Jaipura School, Kanpur was the winning school while City Montessori School, Lucknow was the runner up.

Prince Pipes Launches Cable fit Cable Ducting Pipes

Prince Pipes and Fittings Limited (PPFL), one of India’s largest integrated piping solutions&multi polymer manufacturers, today announced that the company has launched a product Cable fit that finds growing usage in cable ducting / wiring needs in infrastructure projects.

With a 30 year legacy in manufacturing high-quality piping systems for plumbing, bore-well, agriculture, sewage and industrial applications, Prince Pipes continues to actively serve industry needs in fast-growing plumbing, irrigation, storage and sewerage segments.

On the launch of Cablefit, Mr. ParagChheda, Executive Director, said“Infrastructure in India is seeing new avenues. With multiple innovations taking place across sectors, wiring is an integral part of several sectors and cable ducting becomes an essential investment in protecting wires across applications. Cablefit products are a valuable addition to our product range and are an extension of our array of offerings that our customers and associates can utilize based on customized needs and specifications.”

Cablefit:

Cable ducting is used for routing of electrical cables for power distribution and for protection of cables from direct exposure of sunlight and accumulation of moisture. Cable ducts are available in various sizes and manufactured using Hi-tech machines resulting in excellent finished products.

Key features and advantages: Cablefit products are lightweight and easy to assemble and transport. Their smooth internal surface makes it easy to pull cables through the pipes; they bring optimal mechanical and physical properties. The tough outer surface makes it easy to resist high impact; they are low maintenance and long-lasting products; they come with built-in space capacity for future expansion and they also reduce cable over cable damage.

Cablefit finds extensive applications in Railways, Power Plants, Port & Airports, Highways, Bridges, Flyovers, Crossings, Telecom and Optical fibre networks, etc. to name a few areas.

Helpyyy’s unmatched features will cater to your every need; will open new employment opportunities in Bhopal

Every other day we come across various technologies that support us in our day to day life. 27-year-old NS Raghuvanshi, born in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, loves to help people who are in need. In this age, where we are adopting various inventions to make our life a little more comfortable, Mr. Raghuvanshi came up with an innovative technology that will help people in their daily needs. He created a unique application, Helpyyy that will help you with your transportation problems with just one click. Helpyyy not only gives you a great user-friendly interface but also helps in keeping your belongings like a purse, mobile, watch safe for you. Furthermore, Helpyyy will open new employment opportunities for drivers.

Helpyyy is equipped with unmatched features

Helpyyy has all types of heavy, non-heavy vehicles available for immediate services. This includes two-wheelers, three-wheelers, loading auto, LCV, MCV, and HCV. Now if you have to book a ride, shift your home or office goods from one place to another, pick up an order from the shop, or want to make safe delivery of your essentials, you can book a ride in just 15 minutes following a simple process. Also, you can live track and book a ride ahead of your schedule.

How does Helpyyy work?

You have to book your rides 10 to 15 minutes in advance. Afterwards, you have to fill the information regarding the item you want to pick or drop. Meanwhile, the app will also give you the details of your fare. In case you are booking a ride for someone else, then you have to fill their information. Once the ride is booked, you will get all the necessary details including the driver’s name, contact number, etc.

Attractive employment opportunities for drivers

There is heavy demand for drivers for bikes, LCV, MCV, HCV, autos, loading autos, and P&M services. In such a situation, Helpyyy, which is going to be launched in September, is not only offering you a good employment service but, you can also ensure your future security in the terms of employment. While other transport service providers usually keep a large share of the daily earnings of drivers to themselves, Helpyyy reserves a large amount for its drivers. Helpyyy gives its drivers 90 per cent of each fare which will give them financial security.

How to be a Helpyyy partner?

It is very easy to earn your livelihood by being a Helpyyy partner. To be a partner, you have to share some important documents like driving license, RC of your vehicle, Insurance, and police verification certificates. You have to click on this link https://bit.ly/3iVDtkP and fill your details. For more information on Helpyyy, install https://bit.ly/3hfgSiN.