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Sunday 13 January 2019

Signify launches Interact IoT platform, will deliver insights, benefits and new services to customers


There is lot of exciting things happening this last week in tech space, thanks to CES 2019, however there is another less talked about development happened last week. First Philips Lighting will be now known as Signify (this was due to some legal reasons). Second, Signify also launched its IoT platform for connected lighting systems named as Interact.

Mr. Sumit Joshi, CEO Signify Innovations Limited
Interact will enable its professional customers to unlock the full potential of connected lighting for the IoT. The platform delivers new insights to help customers drive operational efficiencies and take more effective decisions. It also supports the company’s strategy to deliver new data-enabled services as value expands from lighting products and systems to services.

Signify has already installed 29 million connected light points worldwide and plans for every new LED product it produces to be connectable by 2020. This growing number of connected light points, sensors and devices, as well as systems, can collect large volumes of data for which Interact was designed to handle. The highly secure, scalable cloud-based Interact platform uses sophisticated and modern data management and data processing capabilities, including machine learning, to bring sense to all manner of data – creating data-enabled services for customers that will deliver benefits beyond illumination. It also offers a growing suite of licensed open application program interfaces (APIs) which will foster innovation from third-party developers, development partners and customers, enabling various data enabled services to be developed.

A typical example of such a service is occupancy data from different buildings, combined and analyzed to help managers to understand and predict how people use office space. Such insights can help deliver savings by optimizing the use of existing office space and support better designed, more efficient buildings.

In addition, data from authorized third-parties can also be analyzed by Interact. For example, for a municipal authority, news articles and social media posts, reacting to a new lighting installation on a bridge, can be analyzed and data sent to a social impact app dashboard that summarizes the public sentiment.

Launching the platform, Sumit Padmakar Joshi, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Signify Innovations India Limited (Previously known as Philips Lighting India Limited) said, “First, we led the way in energy efficient LED lighting, then in connecting lighting to deliver operational benefits for our customers. Now that light points are smart enough to collect data on their performance and the environment around them, we are tapping into that intelligence. By analyzing the data from our connected lights, devices and systems, our goal is to create safer cities, energy efficient buildings and industries and smarter retail stores in the country. We are confident that this platform will deliver immense value for our professional lighting customers in India”.


Interact connected lighting systems
These connected lighting systems, offering a unified user experience, feature applications that address industry-specific verticals. Available now are:

·       Interact Office – enables you to turn your office into a smart sustainable workspace with software that allows you to increase building efficiency and employee productivity.
·       Interact City – helps improve street lighting, safety, reduce energy consumption, improve efficiency and support your sustainability goals and beautify the urban landscape across roads.
·       Interact Retail - enables customers to group, zone and schedule connected lighting to create stopping power in stores. It also supports in-store location-based marketing services to increase shopper engagement and indoor navigation to improve staff productivity.
·       Interact Landmark – aids in managing and triggering light shows with dynamic architectural lighting to help increase tourism, regenerate downtown areas, and stimulate commerce.
·       Interact Pro - an intuitive cloud-based software for small and medium enterprises that automates lighting and allows management via the Interact Pro dashboard.
·       Interact Sports – aids in monitoring, managing and coordinating across all lighting infrastructure from a single dashboard from pitch lighting, entertainment light shows, hospitality areas and exterior architectural lighting.


Signify became the new company name of Philips Lighting as of May 16, 2018. The legal name of Signify has been adopted in India from 2nd January, 2019.


Monday 19 November 2018

eBay Reveals 2018 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals: Eight Days of Incredible Savings on Top Brands at the Best Prices

The biggest week of the holiday shopping season is here, and the best deals are happening on eBay. Today, eBay is kicking off eight days of deals by revealing its top Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals -- with select offers launching right now!
Each day from Nov. 19 through Nov. 26, a new set of amazing deals will launch at 5 a.m. PT (8 a.m. ET) at eBay.com/deals and remain available while supplies last. With unbelievable savings and thousands of deals on toys, electronics, fashion, beauty, home products and more, shoppers can save up to 80% off all week long.
On Black Friday (Nov. 23) and Cyber Monday (Nov. 26), new deals will launch every hour between 3 a.m. and 6 p.m. PT (6 a.m. - 9 p.m. ET). eBay's Early Black Friday (Nov. 19-20), Mobile Wednesday (Nov. 21), Thanksgiving (Nov. 22) and Cyber Weekend (Nov. 23-25) deals will give shoppers eight days of savings on the most anticipated products of the holiday season.
That includes great gifts from Apple, Xbox, Nintendo, Dyson, KitchenAid and more. Whether holiday shoppers are looking for gifting inspiration, stocking stuffers or simply the best deal, they will find incredible prices and fast free shipping with eBay's Guaranteed Delivery on millions of items.
"On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, holiday shoppers want unbelievable prices on the most-wanted gifts and brands," said Scott Cutler, Senior Vice President, Americas. "Today, eBay customers can start saving big with our cyber deals. eBay's Guaranteed Delivery and Best Price Guarantee program ensure shoppers can find and save on everything this holiday season."
Eight Days of Deals Start Today 
Beginning today, shoppers can get an early start on Black Friday. eBay is kicking off its Cyber Week savings at www.eBay.com/deals, with free shipping included on all deals. eBay's Cyber Week Deal ad has revealed top Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals with some of the lowest prices of the season.

eBay's Cyber Savings include:
"Early Black Friday" Preview Sale (Monday, Nov. 19 - Tuesday, Nov. 20)
  • Philips Viva 2 Turbostar Low-Fat Multi-Cooker Airfryer 2.0 (1425 Watt) | 78% off ($54.95)
  • Cuisinart 5-in-1 Griddle With Waffle Plates (GR-4N) | 66% off ($50.49)
  • Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine (BES870XL) | 52% off ($449.99)
  • Xbox One X 1TB Console - NBA 2K19 Bundle + Assassin's Creed Odyssey | Too Low to Show, Unlock Deal
  • Xbox One X 1TB NBA 2K19 Console Bundle | Too Low to Show, Unlock Deal
  • Super Mario Party Nintendo Switch Video Game | 20% off ($47.99)
  • Bose Solo 5 (eBay exclusive) | 60% off ($99.95)
  • Bose On-Ear Wireless Headphones | 50% off ($89.95)
  • Wonder Workshop's Dash STEM Coding Robot With Sketch Kit Bundle | 21% off ($149.99)
  • Learning Resources Botley the Coding Robot Bundle | 26% off ($80.99)
  • Nautica Women's Reversible Packable Puffer Jacket | 65% off ($52.99)
  • Hunter Women's Original Short Mid-Calf Rubber Rain Boot | 43% off ($79.99)
  • Men's Superdry Hooded SD-Windtrekker Eclipse (Navy) | 55% off ($43.99)
  • Citizen Eco-Drive Blue Angels Chronograph Men's Watch | 59% off ($279.99)
Mobile Wednesday (Wednesday, Nov. 21)Mobile-Only Deals
  • 30% off Dell
    • Spotlight Deal: Dell XPS 13 9370 FHD Laptop (7-8550U- 256GB SSD- 8GB Memory) | 17% off ($1199.99)
  • 20% off adidas
    • Spotlight Deal: adidas Men's EQT Support 93/17 Shoes | 64% off ($69.99)
  • 15% off Hoover
    • Spotlight Deal: Hoover Cruise Cordless Ultra-Light Stick Vacuum, BH52210 | 57% off ($79.99)
 Mobile and eBay.com Deals
  • Samsonite Pivot 3pc. Hardside Luggage Set | 72% off ($199.99)
  • Apple 13.3" MacBook Air | Retina Display 256GB (2018, Space Gray, MRE92LL/A) | $109.01 off ($1289.99)
  • Milwaukee M12 12V Cordless Li-Ion Drill & Impact Driver Combo Kit (2494-22B0) | 61% off ($109)
  • Crayola Arts & Crafts Creative Paint Glue Paper Kids Gift | 31% off ($13.99)
  • Sphero R2-D2 App-Enabled Droid | 70% off $29.99)
  • VERSACE Yellow Diamond Women's 3.0 oz Perfume | 68% off ($30.06)
  • Nautica Classic 3.3 oz / 3.4 oz Men's Cologne | 81% off ($9.99)
  • JBL REFLECT CONTOUR Wireless Headphones In Ear Headphones | 70% off ($29.99)
  • JBL XTREME Splashproof Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker | 56% off ($129.99)
Thanksgiving (Thursday, Nov. 22)
  • Arlo Security System 3 Wire-Free HD Cameras | 45% off ($219.99)
  • Xbox One X 1TB |Too Low to Show, Unlock Deal
  • Dyson V7 Animal + HEPA vacuum | 66% off (169.99)
  • Nest Indoor Camera | 35% off ($129)
  • Nest Gen 3 Smart Thermostat | 28% off ($179)
  • LG 32" QHD Gaming Monitor (32GK650F-B) | 39% off ($334.99)
  • Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer | 45% off ($219)
Black Friday (Friday, Nov. 23)
  • Samsung 40" Class LED Smart 4K UHD TV with HDR (NU7100 Series - 2160p) | 53% off
  • Samsung 82" Smart QLED 4K Ultra HD TV | 40% off
  • Google Home Hub with Google Assistant | 34% off ($99)
  • Apple 13.3" MacBook Air 128GB with Retina Display | $100 off ($1099.99)
  • L.O.L. Surprise! Glitter Series Limited Edition 2-Pack | 50% off ($24.99)
  • Nerf Rival Prometheus MXVII-20K | 20% off ($159.99)
  • Red Dead Redemption 2 + Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 - Xbox One |41% off ($69.99)
  • Nintendo Switch 32GB Console with Neon Blue and Neon Red Joy-Con | Too Low to Show, Unlock Deal
  • Xbox One S 1TB Minecraft Bundle with HP 27" Monitor | 34% off ($329.99)
  • Alienware 17 R5 VR Ready 17.3"Gaming Notebook (i7-8750H 8GB RAM, 256GB, SSD 1TB HDD) | 23% off ($1369.99)
  • Jabra Elite 65t True Wireless Earbuds | 47% off ($89.99)
  • Harman Kardon INVOKE Voice Activated Wireless Home Speaker with Cortana | 75% off ($49.95)
  • Michael Kors Jet Set Travel Medium Carryall Tote (Vanilla MK Stripe Ballet Pink) | 66% off ($99.99)
  • Porter-Cable 6 Gallon Oil-Free Pancake Compressor | 62% off ($59)
  • Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Desk Purifier, Heater & Fan (HP01) | 62% off ($169.99)
  • The North Face Men's Denali Jacket | 15% off ($99.99)
  • Nikon D850 Digital SLR Camera Body | 43% off ($2429.99)
  • Canon 5D Mark IV DSLR Camera Body | 45% off ($1899.99)
Cyber Weekend (Saturday, Nov. 24 and Sunday, Nov. 25)
  • KitchenAid Pro Plus Professional 5-Qt Stand Mixer (RKV25G0X) | 48% off ($179.99)
  • Travelers Club 30-inch Rolling Duffle | 76% off ($23.99)
  • Microsoft 8th Gen Surface Pro (6 i5 8gb 128GB SSD) + Platinum Type Cover + Office 365 Personal + Mobile Mouse bundle | 13% off ($799.99)
  • Essie Nail Polish | 33% off ($5.99)
  • My Little Pony Toy Talking & Singing Twilight Sparkle | 51% off ($62.99)
  • Men's Ultra-Light Weight Puffer Jacket | 50% off ($24.99)
  • LG 65" OLED 4K HDR Smart TV | 47% off
  • ASICS Men's GEL-Flux 5 Running Shoes | 65% off ($27.99)
Cyber Monday (Monday, Nov. 26)
  • Apple 13.3" MacBook Air 128GB | 25% off ($749.99)
  • Xbox One X 1TB Fallout 76 Bundle | Too Low to Show, Unlock Deal
  • DJI Mavic Pro Drone with 4K HD Camera | 24% off ($599.99)
  • DEWALT 20V MAX XR Li-Ion 1/2 in. Impact Wrench with Detent Pin Anvil | 43% off ($199)
  • Farm to Table Kitchen with Lights and Sounds by KidKraft | 20% off ($159.99)
  • Sonos One Voice-Controlled Wireless Smart Speaker | 12% off ($174)
  • Google Home Mini Smart Light Starter Kit (Chalk) | 43% off ($31)
  • Dyson V6 Motorhead Pro Cordless Vacuum | New | 62% off ($189.99)
  • Eternity by Calvin Klein Women's 3-Piece Gift Set | 70% off ($47.23)
  • Marshall Woburn Bluetooth Speaker | 61% off ($229)
No Blackout Dates: 110% Best Price GuaranteeHoliday shoppers are guaranteed the best prices of the season with no blackout dates, even on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. eBay's Best Price Guarantee program beats the price on 150,000 deals, as eBay offers 110 percent of the price difference of eligible2 competitors' prices.
Fast, Free, Guaranteed DeliveryeBay's Guaranteed Delivery is available on more than 100 million listings, ensuring they arrive in three days or less. Even better, millions of these items ship for free.
To shop all of eBay's deals, visit eBay.com/deals and follow @eBay on social.
eBay By the Numbers
  • eBay has 177 million active buyers worldwide
  • eBay has 1.1 billion listings
  • 71% of items ship for free in U.S., UK and DE
  • 80% of all merchandise sold on eBay is new, and our wide selection keeps growing
  • 89% of items sold on eBay are Buy It Now – no bidding necessary
  • 64% of the eBay platform involves a mobile touchpoint
  • 429 million downloads of eBay Inc. apps across the globe

vHive Releases Autonomous Drone Solution for Complex Cell Tower Inspection

Hive, the developer of a cloud-based software solution that enables enterprises to deploy autonomous drone hives to digitize their field operations and assets, announced today the enhancement of its fully automated workflow for cell tower inspection using drones to also support guy wire towers.

"Millions of cell towers worldwide require ongoing inspection and surveying as part of their ongoing operations," said vHive CTO Tomer Daniel. "vHive's solution has already enabled telecom companies to perform thousands of autonomous tower surveys.  vHive now addresses the complexities of autonomously surveying guy towers. Our ability to intelligently orchestrate one or many drones to acquire data on complex structures such as cell towers, bridges and cranes has enabled us to provide ground breaking solutions to unmet industry needs."

"vHive enables enterprises to scale their drone operations," said vHive CEO Yariv Geller. "vHive's solution uniquely empowers field technicians to fly autonomous, off-the-shelf drones, generating data in a fraction of the time and cost required by human operators. vHive enables true enterprise scale while enhancing employee safety."

vHive provides solutions to companies in a variety of industries ranging from telecom towers, to rail, bridges and civil engineering. vHive enables tower companies and mobile network operators to gain intelligence on their infrastructure by capturing field data in minimal time and generating 2D and 3D tower models to visualize, analyze and share. Safely handling the complexity of autonomous flight and data acquisition in a guy wire tower environment further enhances the company's solution for the telecom industry, enabling customers to address a variety of asset types that they need to digitize.

Hive's solution will be demonstrated at TowerXchange Asia in Singaporebetween December 4-5th.

Expedia's Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sale Offers for the First Time Up To 50 Percent Off Flights and 90 Percent Off Hotels in the Expedia App

It's official! Expedia.com® for the first time is offering up to 50 percent off flights in addition to amazing hotel coupons including an extra 75 percent off online and 90 percent off redeemable in the Expedia App, plus more great discounts on packages and activities during its annual Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale.
"Black Friday and Cyber Monday have historically been more for big retailers selling packaged goods, and not necessarily a big moment in time to sell travel," says Aaron Price, head of marketing for Brand Expedia. "We know consumers are increasingly interested in spending money on experiences over material goods, which is likely why we've seen a rise in travel offerings during this key time. Each year we have gotten stronger and stronger at delivering amazing travel deals to meet that demand, and this year we've worked hard to source more than five times as many deals from our travel partners as we've had in years past."
Consumers take advantage of Black Friday discounts to get away ASAP
While some travelers are booking spring break or summer travel for the following year, the majority are treating themselves to near-term trips during a very busy and sometimes expensive season. Based on 2017 data from Expedia's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale, here's what travelers leveraged the deals to book1:
  • End-of-year travel: In 2017, more than half of the flights booked during Black Friday weekend were for trips that took place before the end of the year.
  • Holiday trips: About 1 in 5 of the trips booked during Black Friday weekend 2017 were for travel during the Christmas and New Year's Eve timeframe (Dec. 21, 2017 – Jan. 1, 2018)
  • Last-minute getaways: More than a quarter of the hotel nights booked during Black Friday weekend 2017 were for last-minute travel (between 5 and 14 days out).
  • Winter sun & city fun: Top destinations booked by US travelers during Black Friday weekend 2017 include OrlandoLas VegasNew YorkCancun and San Diego.
"What this tells us is that U.S. travelers are taking advantage of these amazing deals on flights, hotel and packages to get away ASAP. The top destinations provide even more color, showing travelers are taking trips to the theme parks in Orlando, seeking out holiday sun in Cancun and southern California, and treating themselves to a weekend of entertainment in Vegas," says Price.
Expedia's Black Friday and Cyber Monday Travel Deals
Expedia's biggest travel sale of the year officially kicks off Friday, November 23 at 9:00 a.m. PST and runs through 11:59 p.m. PST on Cyber Monday. These coupons are available for a limited time while supplies last, so customers need to act fast! And even if you miss a coupon, there are still amazing deals all over the site for hotels, activities, cruises, car rentals and vacation packages.
  • Black Friday
    • Coupon 1: $100 off $200 flights
    • Coupon 2: 75% off standalone hotels
    • Coupon 3: $500 off $1,000 vacation packages
    • Coupon 4: $25 off $50 activities  
    • Coupon 5: 10% off standalone hotels
  • Cyber Monday – Most Cyber Monday coupons are available for a limited time while supplies last, however there are three amazing coupons that will refresh every hour from 9 a.m. PST to 3 p.m. PST. So, if you miss out on one, you can keep coming back.
    • Coupon 1: $100 off $200 flights – this coupon will refresh every hour from 9 a.m. PST to 3 p.m. PST
    • Coupon 2: 90% off in the Expedia App – this coupon will refresh every hour from 9 a.m. PST to 3 p.m. PST
    • Coupon 3: 50% off standalone hotels – this coupon will refresh every hour from 9 a.m. PST to 3 p.m. PST
    • Coupon 4: 10% off standalone hotels
    • Coupon 5: $100 off $1,000 vacation packages
    • Coupon 6: $100 off $200 activities  
Travelers can access all of the amazing Black Friday and Cyber Monday travel deals by visiting the sale homepage and on the award-winning Expedia app, which is available for download on iOS and Android devices for free in the App Store and Google Play. For more information on how to redeem desktop and mobile coupons, visit the Expedia Viewfinder blog.

Amazon today introduced Alexa Skill Blueprints in India, a new way to create your own personalized skills and responses for Alexa

Amazon today introduced Alexa Skill Blueprints in India, a new way to create your own personalised skills and responses for Alexa. Using a set of easy-to-use templates anyone can create customised experiences for Alexa within minutes just by filling in the blanks. Whether it’s your own answer to the question “Alexa, who makes the best Rajma Chawal in the world?” or a skill that helps you surprise parents with a personalised story narrated by Alexa, “Alexa, open My Dad's Story.” Alexa Skill Blueprints allow you to build experiences into Alexa that are personalised to you and help make Alexa even more useful around your home. The skills you create are specially designed for you and your family, and will only appear on the devices registered to your Amazon account.

“Alexa Skill Blueprints are a new way for you to customise your Alexa experience. Personalised skills and responses make Alexa even more knowledgeable, delivering a delightful experience that is unique to you and your family,” said Dilip R.S., Country Manager for Alexa Skills, Amazon India. “You don’t need experience to build skills or coding to get started. At home we created our family trivia skill in a matter of minutes, and Alexa is keeping everyone entertained in a totally new and personal way.”

Using Alexa Skill Blueprints is as easy as filling in the blanks. You can have fun customising responses to questions like “Alexa, what is the best city?" or “Alexa, who has the best sense of humor?” You can also use Skill Blueprints to create an interactive adventure story with your child as the lead character and rename the skill as desired, “Alexa, start Tina’s Story” or create a skill to relive hilarious family moments, “Alexa, open Family Jokes.” The skills and responses you create with Alexa Skill Blueprints will be available instantly on the devices associated with your account.

You can also share your personalised skill with family and friends to use on their own Alexa-enabled devices. Skills can be shared via email, text, WhatsApp, or social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Recipients will receive a direct link where they'll be able to see details about your skill and have the ability to enable it for use on their own account.

Getting Started with Alexa Skill Blueprints:
Creating your own Alexa skill and responses is simple. Just ask “Alexa, tell me about Alexa blueprints” and follow three easy steps:
1.       Select your blueprint template by visiting the Alexa Skill Blueprints website: blueprints.amazon.in. There you can browse through 30 Skill Blueprints across four categories including Fun & Games, Learning & Knowledge, At Home, and Storyteller.
2.       Unleash your creativity. Each blueprint comes with pre-filled content that can be used as-is or customised as you like.
3.       With just one click your skill will be available on all Alexa-enabled devices associated with your Amazon account.

There is no limit to the number of skills you can create. Need to add even more hilarious jokes to the “Family Jokes” skill? No problem, editing is simple on the Alexa Skill Blueprints website.

Alexa Skill Blueprints available at launch include:
Fun & Games
1.       Inspirations: Curate a list of your favorite motivational quotes.
2.       Roast: Roast your friends and family with lighthearted burns.
3.       First Letter: Play a game of categories starting with a certain letter.
4.       Family Jokes: Create a list of your favorite jokes for when you need a laugh.
5.       Trivia: Create a multiple choice trivia game on any topic.
6.       Couples Quiz: Play to find out which couple knows each other best.
7.       Birthday Trivia: Play to see who knows the birthday girl or boy best.
8.       Compliments: Flatter your favorites with a list of custom compliments.
9.       Family Trivia: Play together and brush up on your family history.
10.   World's Best Dad: Celebrate dad with a list of customised compliments.
11.   Interactive Story: Create a story and test your memory.
12.   Three Word Sort: Train your brain in this topsy-turvy sorting game
13.   World's Best Mom: Celebrate mom with a list of customised compliments.
14.   Five Item Rush: Score your friends in this wacky categories game

Learning & Knowledge
15.   Flash Cards: Study, test yourself, and master any subject by voice
16.   Facts: Keep a list of facts on your favorite topic, all in one place
17.   Quiz: Challenge yourself and others with a customisable quiz
18.   Listening Quiz: Listen and recall with this listening quiz skill.

At Home
19.   Custom Q&A: Customise responses to your questions
20.   Houseguest: Make your guests feel at home with quick access to important info
21.   Whose Turn: Figure out whose turn it is to do something by having Alexa choose for you.
22.   Task Chart: Schedule and track weekly chores for your entire household.
23.   Roommate: Help your roommates by providing them with all the important information they should know.
24.   Sidekick: Alexa always has your back with these supportive and funny responses.

Storyteller
25.   Adventure: Write an adventure story where your child is the hero
26.   Fairy Tale: Customise an interactive prince and princess-themed tale
27.   Sci-Fi: Create an interactive story with a far-out theme
28.   Fable: Create a short narrative with a moral of the story
29.   All About Dad: Surprise dad with a personalised story narrated by Alexa.
30.   All About Mom: Surprise mom with a personalised story narrated by Alexa.

Alexa Skill Blueprints is available now for customers in India. To get started with Alexa Skill Blueprints visit:http://blueprints.amazon.in/. For frequently asked questions: blueprints.amazon.in/help/frequently-asked-questions/.