Hotstar brings premiere of 'Game of Thrones' minutes after US telecast, sets right tone for campaign "Torrent Morghulis"

Winter has finally arrived for GOT fans on Sunday night when the premiere episode of pen-ultimate season was aired originally on HBO in US. For those who have somehow missed the GOT train, GOT stands for 'Game of Thrones' a series which is arguably most watched, downloaded, admired series of all time. We just can't stop admiring G R R Martin's brilliance in spinning up a world with 7 kingdoms, a new language known as High Valyrian. When we say that the show is most viewed in the world it also means that it is also one of the most pirated series which worries its creators a lot.

Hotstar, India’s leading video-on-demand platform, and the exclusive online destination for award-winning HBO content in India, launched the highly anticipated premiere of Game of Thrones Season 7 on Monday, 17 July. The first episode of the new season was available for audiences to view within minutes of its US telecast, under the Hotstar Premium service.

In response to the burgeoning audience for international content in India, Hotstar has partnered with the world’s largest studios, like HBO, Disney and Showtime, to bring the most celebrated international movies and shows to India.

Taking a humorous lens to this, Hotstar has launched a bold marketing campaign, intended to upend the behavior of illegal downloading. Titled ‘Torrents Morghulis’, a play on ‘Valar Morghulis’, as fans of the show will instantly recognize, the theme translates to ‘All Torrents Must Die’. The campaign lightheartedly highlights the trouble people put themselves through for finding and downloading illegal content, and how redundant these pains are in the current day and age where shows are readily available, at the user’s fingertips.

Leading with the promise of ‘Minutes after America, hours before Russia’, the campaign takes Torrents head on with 4 TV commercials, an outdoor campaign in key cities, and high impact digital activation. The films features two characters, one, who still labours through the process of procuring his content illegally, and another, who’s got a Hotstar Premium subscription and is able to enjoy the Game of Thrones experience the way it is meant to be – available to watch with the world, ad-free, unbeeped and unblurred.

Based on George R.R. Martin's best-selling 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, Game of Thrones has run for six extremely acclaimed seasons and holds the record for the highest Emmy wins for any Primetime TV show. Watch Game of ThronesSeason 7 immediately after the US telecast, Monday 17^th July onwards, on Hotstar - http://www.hotstar.com/tv/game-of-thrones/8184

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Drop Shipping Emerging To Ease Out E-Commerce Startups: All You Need to Know

Have you ever thought of doing an E-Commerce business, are you low on budget and are you tensed with all the operations you have to take into consideration? Don’t worry at all, the newly emerging concept of drop shipping is going to ease out your way tremendously. So now you might be thinking what does drop shipping stands for, isn’t it?

To make this precise and short, Drop Shipping is a method where you take orders from your customers and delegate it to the manufacturers who then will be completely liable for the dispatch and delivery of the product on your behalf. In this arrangement, the end customer will never come to know where the products are being sourced from and who is actually selling. All you have to do is to form an online store using dropshipping websites like Oberlo and extract products you wish to sell from vivid online stores available on Oberlo to your store and start selling right way.

Though Drop Shipping can be a blessing in disguise, it has its own pros and cons which eventually should be taken care before planning to start a Drop Shipping E-commerce start-up.

Pros

• Non Maintenance of Physical Inventory
  Drop Shipping eliminates your part in which you need to maintain a physical stock hence reducing costs involved in warehousing right away.
• Low Startup Costs
  Due to the pointer no. 1 start-up costs here are eliminated to the fullest or reduced to a very high extent.
• A variety of options for products
  With such an arrangement the options for products available are vivid and manufacturers are also in large quantities for a single product line.
• Emphasis on selling
  By using Drop Shipping at your disposal you can totally eliminate the need to concentrate on operations and totally devote your time to marketing and selling the products.
• Quick and Easy Setup
  Setting up such store online is very convenient and even easy for a novice to understand & operate. Drop Shipping can be started instantly within a few minutes of setting up your stores.
• Time-Saving
  The entire process of Drop Shipping is totally time-saving as various factors like operations, inventory handling, shipments are taken care by the third party hence letting you concentrate totally on marketing & selling products.
• Elimination of middlemen
  Drop Shipping eliminates the middlemen where you actually buy products from the manufacturers and they then ship the same to your customers.
• Exploring new markets
  With Drop shipping on board, you can easily explore new products and international destinations easily without indulging into R & D initially.
• Flexible Working Hours
  Since no physical inventory is maintained and no paper work is required, you can work as and when required. Totally flexible upon your availability and requirements.

With such wonderful advantages, it's quite possible to have a few disadvantages as well. Let’s just discuss the same below.

Cons of Drop Shipping Services

• Reliable & efficient Shipper
  It is not always possible that your manufacturer isn’t serving various others like you which ultimately goes against the manufacturer where he or she may prioritize others for the same products being sold by you.
• Mistakes are obvious
  Since your manufacturers who would be your shipper as well serves a number of others as well, 100 percent efficiency in completely shipping the products with 100 percent accuracy is something never seen anywhere. When the shippers are managing a lot of orders at the same time mistakes are ought to happen.
• Delayed Shipping
  Actual shipping from the date ordered may vary between 1 to 30 days since the majority of the products are international based and customers may not choose you if your estimated delivery time is anywhere more than 10 days or even less sometimes.
• Products may vary
  When you actually let customers buy from your online store and shippers to the rest, actual product ordered and shipped will vary with color, size or even type. This is a huge cause of worry when orders are in large numbers with your shippers.
• High Competition
  Drop Shipping cannot assure you cheap products since your products might be sold by the manufacturer at various other online places as well. Making the market more competitive altogether. Large stocking retailers get better deals than you since they are buying a huge quantity which eventually will attract the manufacturer.
• Self-branding is not possible
  If you tend to attract customer with branding and better packaging, it's totally not possible since you are not packing and shipping hence the quality of products and packaging cannot be assured at the shippers level.
• Customer Satisfaction is a big headache
  Just imagine a scenario where your store shows the product is in stock but until you fulfill all the formalities your manufacturer might go out of stock and might take a bit of time to get the same in stock again which eventually results in order cancellation and you might lose a reliable and loyal customer.
• Shipping charges may vary for your customer
  Since you are not buying products from one location and the shipping charges for various products bought from your store might vary. In this case, customers tend to not look at your products and go on to select some other who may possibly rest them with better shipping deals.

Conclusion:

Now that you have gone through the probable pros and cons of choosing Drop Shipping, we are sure you can ascertain the results of the same in the case being used for a new E-Commerce start-up. Safe playing and with a lot of R&D you can literally make Drop Shipping a boon for you and your business else, it may cause worries and prove a big nightmare which might go against your brand name as well. This method may yield you with huge sales and profit but at the same time can become a cause for your worry if not implemented properly. Hence make sure you do your research and talk to a few who already are into the same. Probably a Drop Shipper who discontinued might guide you and give exact pros and cons which will be helpful to your new startup. All the best, please leave your comments below in case you need further clarifications on the above topic.

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ASUS Zenfone AR launched in India for Rs 49,999/- , with impressive tech embedded in it.

ASUS has announced launch of ASUS Zenfone AR the world's first Tango and Daydream enabled phone which opens a new dimension for use of smartphones. The phone is a result of co-operation of ASUS with Google's Tango and Daydream team, and Qualcomm which improvised its Snapdragon 820 series to come up with Snapdragon 821 enabling smoother and Accurate AR , VR experience.

The device comes with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB internal storage to support resource extensive applications which makes sense with AR focused tech in the phone.

ASUS Zenfone AR

The device in itself is a tech marvel considering the fact that we have a finished end consumer product and not any prototype. ASUS has stood apart from the crowd on many occasions be it the first phone with 4 GB RAM or first phone with a 3x optical zoom. But what we liked most about Zenfone AR is that it packs so much in its compact body. Unlike Zenfone Zoom which was too bulky to be used as a primary phone, the Zenfone AR is quite compact with just 4.8mm thickness on edges and less than 8mm thick at its thickest point. 

Notice the Geyser and Shower shown on big screen is added using AR

Smartphones have changed the way we look at our phones and use them in our day to day life, this transition has come in last 10 years. But today with launch of Zenfone AR, I truly believe that it is going to add more dimensions to mobile usage. We recently discussed about different usecases of using an AR enabled phone.

TriCam System

The device packs in 3 camera on rear with the primary being 23 MP sensor for capturing vivid details. The other two sensors are there to sense depth and motion. The launch event also had live demo of the AR capabilities of the smart phone where in we were shown the future of buying a car with the BMW app , where in user can Augment the car on the phone in real environment and inspect and customize various features as if done in a physical car. Another demo was done by Pune based Renewate demoed their app, which was again very cool as using this app you can plan the interiors, furniture, fittings of your house by using AR.

The Asus ZenFone AR has a 5.7-inch WQHD (2K) (1440 x 2560) display. This large size and high resolution screen makes it ideal for VR apps and games when used with Daydream View, immersing users in incredible VR worlds that appear detailed and lifelike. Super AMOLED technology enables deep blacks and high contrast, further enhancing image quality and 3D effects.

With ZenFone AR and Daydream View, users can explore new worlds with apps like Street View and Fantastic Beasts, kick back in a personal VR cinema with YouTube VR and Netflix, and get in the game with Gunjack 2, Need for Speed and more.

ZenFone AR is designed with the latest, top-of-the-line components to provide high-quality AR and VR experiences. This cutting-edge hardware also makes ZenFone AR one of the most powerful smartphones available.

ZenFone AR features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor that has been specially optimized for the demanding, real-time calculations of AR. ASUS worked closely with Qualcomm Technologies and Google engineers to help develop methods for efficiently distributing computer-vision workloads, as well as rapidly processing movement and positioning instructions with Tango to deliver smooth, immersive, and compelling AR experiences. It also features the desktop-class Qualcomm Adreno 530 graphics-processing unit (GPU) to deliver supercharged graphics performance and handle the graphical demands of Tango and Daydream applications with ease.

ZenFone AR is the world's first smartphone with 8GB of RAM, enabling it to handle the demands of AR and VR with ease. It also helps with heavy multitasking, allowing users to keep dozens of apps open simultaneously, and instantly switch among them. ZenFone AR also includes 128GB of fast UFS 2.0 storage, enabling users to store a large library of apps, games, videos, photos, and music, and open them quickly.

ZenFone AR is backed by a 3,300mAh battery pack with Quick Charge 3.0 - fastest, most efficient charging technology by Qualcomm to date. This technology enables 60% battery charge in only 45 mins.

 Flipkart is offering INR 2500/- off on Google Daydream View VR Headset along with purchase of ZenFone AR. Additionally, the consumer can avail no cost EMI offer upto 9 months. Every Jio and Zenfone AT user will get up to 100GB additional 4G data and complimentary Jio Prime membership. The user can avail the additional 4G data in the form of one additional 10GB data voucher per recharge or Rs 309 or above, for a maximum of 10 recharges till March’18. This data is over and above the benefits of the pack.

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Broadband for transportation is closer to reality, Hyperloop One tests full systems Hyperloop test in vaccum environment, 70mph and 5.3 seconds of Maglev

Hyperloop One today announced the successful completion of the world’s first full systems Hyperloop test in a vacuum environment. This test was Phase 1 of a multi-Phase program and was privately conducted on May 12, 2017 at the company’s test track, “DevLoop,” in the Nevada Desert. The vehicle coasted above the first portion of the track for 5.3 seconds using magnetic levitation and reached nearly 2Gs of acceleration, while achieving the Phase 1 target speed of 70mph. The company is now entering the next campaign of testing, which will target speeds of 250 mph.

Hyperloop One

“Hyperloop One has accomplished what no one has done before by successfully testing the first full scale Hyperloop system. By achieving full vacuum, we essentially invented our own sky in a tube, as if you’re flying at 200,000 feet in the air,” said Shervin Pishevar, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Hyperloop One. “For the first time in over 100 years, a new mode of transportation has been introduced. Hyperloop is real, and it’s here now.”

In this historic moment, Hyperloop One tested all the system’s components, including its highly efficient motor, vehicle suspension, magnetic levitation, electromagnetic braking, vacuum pumping system and more, proving the full system’s components operate successfully as a single integrated unit in a vacuum. Nearly 200 engineers, fabricators, welders, etc. dedicated thousands of hours to make this test successful.

In addition to announcing the private test, Hyperloop One also unveiled the prototype of its Pod that will work within the integrated system. Using electromagnetic propulsion and magnetic levitation, the Pod will transport passengers and cargo inside the tube. Hyperloop One’s Pod is the only vehicle in the world that, with the company’s proprietary linear electric motor, achieves autonomous high-speed propulsion and levitation in a controlled low-pressure environment. Made of structural aluminum and a lightweight carbon fiber, the shell measures 28 feet long.

Hyperloop One will continue to run tests at DevLoop in the coming months to validate its next-generation components and software. The next phase of testing will showcase the Pod gliding along a longer track at faster speeds.

“Our team is the only team that is actually making Hyperloop happen, and we’ve spent more time testing a Hyperloop system than anyone in the world,” said Josh Giegel, co-founder and President of Engineering of Hyperloop One. “To make Hyperloop a reality, we built and tested the actual hardware, gathering valuable insight along the way. Now that we’ve tested our Hyperloop system, we know it works, and we’re ready to deploy it to the rest of the world.”

“Hyperloop One will move people and things faster than at any other time in the world,” continued Pishevar. “With Hyperloop One, the world will be cleaner, safer and faster. It’s going to make the world a lot more efficient and will impact the ways our cities work, where we live and where we work. We’ll be able to move between cities as if cities themselves are metro stops.”

To view the historical test and never-before-seen b-roll from DevLoop, click here. 

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Simplilearn to offer bounce back scholarships for IT professionals in India

IT engineers know very well that the industry they work in is very demanding in terms of work they do and the technology in trend. One day you might be working on something in which you feel you are the expert and you have made a permanent position in your organization, the other day you may get to hear that what you do is no longer required or some other technology is replacing your work. Amidst all this there are other global parameters which affect the profitability of the company and in name of cost cutting one may never know when they will be shown the pink slips. The thought of getting laid off itself is very scary, however one has to rise again and prepare one's self to enter the industry once again in full glory.

I have seen folks who have faced this real time, Snapdeal had laid off a good number of engineers earlier this year, there were confirmed reports from Cognizant as well. My previous employer has asked its employees in my city to either leave or get transfer to another city. In another case Anand Mahindra, Executive Chairman Mahindra group has apologized over the way an employee was asked to resign immediately which the employee recorded and uploaded online.

No one can predict what's going to happen in future, but the least one can do is to prepare themselves for their own benefit. As its really difficult to start preparing after you are hit with such scenario. To assist professionals impacted by the recent job cuts in India, professional training company Simplilearn (https://www.simplilearn.com/), has announced the launch of Bounce Back Scholarships (https://www.simplilearn.com/lp-BB_Scholarships.html). The company will offer free access to online self-paced courses in the most sought after domains to help IT professionals build skills in new technologies and prepare for jobs of the future.

“Our goal at Simplilearn is to help professionals and enterprises adapt to the changing digital economy through the right delivery of upskilling programs.  Automation and newer technologies are forcing enterprises to re-look at their business and hiring strategies. The current environment has also led to enterprises looking for talent skilled in digital technologies. We hope the Bounce Back Scholarships will enable individuals to map their skill sets with these newer jobs and take charge of their careers.” said Krishna Kumar, Founder and CEO, Simplilearn.

The company is offering merit-based scholarships on all the courses that are delivered via online self-learning modules, excluding masters programs and courses covering examination fees. The last date to apply is August 31, 2017.

So if you are one of those who got laid off in recent chaos, use this as an opportunity to add more weightage in your resume and upgrade yourself with the current technologies. All the best. Happy Learning.

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