An umbrella information portal collating official data on employment, industry, health, GST and trade is in the works, as the government plans to put out timely, credible and user-friendly official data through a single window. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is developing a digital repository of all official statistics in the country, […]
CSCs to open 700 new centres for Aadhaar services
After the government administered digital kiosks in far flung areas of the country were stopped from providing Aadhaar enrolment and updation services following a security issue, the Common Service Centers (CSC) are gearing up to open a new center in district – close to 700 centres by next year — to restart services around the […]
CSC to open 700 centres to push Aadhaar enrolment
Common Service Centres, the government-run digital kiosks, are set to open one new centre in each district — close to 700 centres by next year — to restart Aadhaar enrolment and updation services, a top government official told ET. The centres, mostly in far flung areas, were stopped from providing the services after a security […]
The rise of sexbots and artificial human beings
Looks like technology is triggering an orgasmic growth for the $30 billion sex-tech or human-machine intimacy industry. Leading the charge are sexbots or wire-attached, silicon-based artificial human beings, which are designed to be ideal companions in and out of bed. A range of offerings are in the market already and it will only get better. […]
End of cash is near, cashless currencies are in vogue
The case against cash is clear — expensive to print, difficult to track, prone to theft and an enabler of corruption. Western economies, notably the Nordic countries, have come to depend less and less on cash for transactions. In the UK, cash is used for only 30% of transactions while South Korea plans to phase […]
Spotify to suspend political advertising in 2020
Spotify said on Friday it would pause selling political advertisements on its music streaming platform in early 2020. The world’s most popular paid music streaming service, with nearly 141 million users tuning into its ad-supported platform in October, said the pause would extend to Spotify original and exclusive podcasts as well. The move, which was […]
Google faces backlash for removing cryptocurrency videos from YouTube
US-based technology behemoth Google has faced backlash from the cryptocurrency trading community for removing — and later reinstating — hundreds of cryptocurrency videos from its video-sharing platform YouTube in the last three days, and for suspending a cryptocurrency wallet application from its Android marketplace, Google Play, last week. Traders, startup founders and enthusiasts questioned Google’s […]
Mobile internet restored in Kargil after 145 days
The administration of the newly formed Union Territory of Ladakh on Friday resumed mobile Internet services in Kargil district 145 days after the passage of J&K Reorganisation Bill on August 5. The residents of Kargil welcomed the government’s decision but questioned the four month long Internet ban in this border town, where no untoward incident […]
New year parties may give latest Bollywood hits a miss
Partygoing types hoping to welcome 2020 to the accompaniment of Lamberghini, Saki Saki or even Aankh Maare could end up being disappointed. Many Indian clubs and hotels may not be playing the latest Bollywood chartbusters because party organisers grouse that up to four different agencies need to be paid for performance rights and that the […]
Temasek-backed fitness app ClassPass eyes $1 billion valuation in new funding round
Fitness subscription app ClassPass is seeking to raise $285 million in a new funding round, which could push the Temasek and Alphabet backed startup’s valuation to over $1 billion. The company will issue 22.7 million ‘Series E’ shares as part of the funding round, according to a securities filing obtained by Reuters from analytics firm […]