Uber installing safety screens in 20k cars for safer rides

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Uber installing safety screens in 20k cars for safer rides

Ride-hailing major Uber on Wednesday announced the installation of safety screens or safety cockpit in 20,000 premier sedans for the safety of riders and drivers.

According to the company, they have already fitted them in 8,000 cars. The cost of installation is borne by Uber, and it comes free of cost to drivers.

The safety cockpit is an innovative and protective ceiling-to-floor transparent plastic screen installed between the passenger and the driver.

This enables social distancing within the confines of a car. Additionally, it acts as a safeguard to prevent droplet and aerosol transmission.

“After pioneering safety cockpits in the Indian market, Uber teams will continue to innovate the best possible product experience for all our drivers and riders,” Pavan Vaish, Head of Central Operations, Uber India and South Asia said in a statement.

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Uber has purchased safety supplies worth $50 million dollars globally.

According to the ride-hailing platform, Uber has sourced more than three million face masks, 1.2 million shower caps for Moto riders, 2,00,000 bottles of disinfectants, and 2,00,000 bottles of sanitizers for free distribution to all its driver-partners in India.

The company has recently launched a comprehensive set of safety measures, such as the ‘Go Online Checklist’ and a mandatory mask policy for both riders and drivers to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).

Meanwhile, Uber closed its Mumbai office last month as part of the global churning in the wake the ongoing Covid-19 disruption that has affected its business.

Uber India had in May announced to lay off around 600 full-time employees due to the impact of the coronavirus crisis.

Marc Marquez undergoes hand surgery after crashing in Jerez

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Marc Marquez undergoes hand surgery after crashing in Jerez

MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez recently underwent successful hand surgery after crashing at the season-opening race in Jerez.

There has been no return date announced yet for the eight-time world champion as a metal plate was inserted in his arm and he was directed to stay at the Barcelona hospital for a couple of days.

“His aim is to return to the 2020 World Championship as soon as possible with an expected date becoming clearer soon,” Marquez’s team Honda was quoted as saying in a statement.

After mounting an incredible comeback in the Spanish GP, Marquez suffered a high side at Turn 3 and came down heavily on his right arm on July 19.

As a result, he had suffered a transverse diaphyseal fracture to his right humerus. MotoGP medical staff had initially confirmed there was no other serious head or thoracic trauma.

“Everyone who races in the World Championship has the unfortunate possibility of getting injured and having to go to the operating room,” Repsol Honda team manager Alberto Puig had said earlier.

“Unfortunately, it was our turn and it was Marc (Marquez) who has had to undergo surgery. Marc will take some time to recover but we are happy with how everything has gone,” he added.

Eng vs WI: Dukes ball makers happy with performance of red cherry

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Eng vs WI: Dukes ball makers happy with performance of red cherry

Duke’s ball makers have expressed their satisfaction as to how the red cherry has behaved during the first two Tests of the ongoing three-match series between England and West Indies despite the ban on using saliva to shine the ball.

West Indies tour of England marked the resumption of international cricket which was on a standstill since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the West Indies won the first Test in Southampton by four wickets, England bagged the second Test in Manchester by 113 runs to level the series at 1-1.

“As I had predicted the Dukes ball will be fine because the ball needs proper construction, just putting saliva or wax or whatever it is, that does not automatically make the ball swing,” Dilip Jajodia, managing director of British Cricket Balls Ltd, which produces the Dukes balls used in England, told TimesofIndia.com.

“The ball won’t swing if it’s not the right shape and it will need all the assistance that it can get if it’s not adequate. I am confident that our ball is the right shape, it’s constructed properly, the quarter seams are closed, it’s seam stays prominent and the ball moves (in the air).

“Polishing it because it’s an English type finish with the grease and the lather, you saw Woakes (Chris) swinging the ball right up to the end. So that’s the message that needs to get into people’s minds that – if you want a ball for international cricket it should be hand-crafted, not machine-stitched, that’s the main thing,” Jajodia said.

Asked about the feedback from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) or the Cricket West Indies (CWI) or the players, Jajodia said: “There has been no feedback, no feedback means everything is OK. You only get comments when it’s bad news. I have been in this business for many years and my view is: No news is good news, otherwise there are just unnecessary comments.”

England and West Indies will now take on each other in the final Test beginning Friday at the Old Trafford.

Heavy rains lash Delhi, low-lying areas waterlogged

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Heavy rains lash Delhi, low-lying areas waterlogged

Heavy monsoon rain and gusty winds lashed the national capital and neighboring areas on Wednesday, leading to waterlogging and traffic disruption in several areas.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of major traffic disruption on roads, increased chance of vehicle accidents and water accumulation in low lying areas and on roads. Traffic was affected at scores of places due to the waterlogging.

According to data with the Delhi’s Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, Palam observatory recorded a rainfall of 56.8 mm, while Ayanagar, Lodhi Road, Safdarjung, and Ridge observatory recorded 24.4 mm, 13.2 mm, 8.8 mm and 6.4 mm rainfall from 8.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m, Wednesday.

According to the weather bureau, rainfall below 15 mm is considered light, between 15 to 64.5 is moderate and above that as heavy.

On Sunday, the capital city had received 74.8 mm of rain in a span of around three hours. The Minto Bridge underpass, which was inundated on weekend, drowned vehicles and killed a 56-year-old driver of a mini truck, water-logged again on Wednesday after the heavy downpour.

“Traffic is affected under Minto Bridge due to waterlogging. Motorists are advised to use alternate routes,” the Delhi Traffic Police said, later tweeting that the underpass has opened up.

Delhiites took to Twitter to share pictures and videos of rainwater gushing through the roads and vehicles wading through the inundated streets.

The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Wednesday and green alert for the next two days. It has four color-coded warnings as per the intensity of any weather system — green, yellow, orange, and red. An orange alert is given to authorities to be prepared.

According to Delhi Government Minister Satyendar Jain, there are 1,400 pumps in the city. “If there is water-logging, it will clear out soon.”

RIL’s bull run continues, hits Rs 2,000/share for first time

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RIL’s bull run continues, hits Rs 2,000/share for first time

Shares of Reliance Industries (RIL) surged to a new high on Wednesday, as they crossed the Rs 2,000-mark for the first time.

RIL shares touched an all-time high of Rs 2,010 per share.

They are currently trading on the BSE at Rs 1,996, higher by Rs 24.15 or 1.22 percent from its previous close.

In the past three months, RIL’s stock price has grown around 48 percent.

The surge has been largely on the back of the investments coming in from global marquee investors into Jio Platforms.

Jio Platforms has received a total investment of Rs 1,52,056 crore in the past three months from financial and strategic investors, with Google being the latest investor to pitch in with Rs 33,737 crore.

On Wednesday, the company in a regulatory filing said that the meeting of its Board to consider and approve the standalone and consolidated financial results for the quarter ended June 30 will be held on Thursday, July 30, 2020, instead of July 24.

Serological survey to be conducted in Delhi every month

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Serological survey to be conducted in Delhi every month

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday said that the serological survey will now be conducted in the national capital every month.

On Tuesday, a serological survey conducted by the National Centre for Disease Control in collaboration with the Delhi Government revealed that 22.86 percent of people have the antibodies for the viral disease, while 77 percent of the population is still susceptible.

Addressing a press conference, Jain said, “Delhi government has decided to conduct serosurvey every month. It will be done from the first day of the month till the 5th of every month.”

The next survey will be conducted on August 1, Jain said, adding that more samples will be taken this time as compared to the last.

For the last exercise, survey teams were formed, blood samples were collected from selected individuals after taking written informed consent, and then their sera were tested for the IgG antibodies.

As many as 21,387 samples were collected during the survey. Out of the 11 districts, eight have seroprevalence of more than 20 percent. In the central, north-east, north, and Shahdara districts, the seroprevalence is 27 percent.

Delhi’s south-west area has 12.95 percent seroprevalence, the least in the city, followed by south and west Delhi at 18.61 percent and 19.13 percent, respectively.

1,500 Bengaluru city buses resume ops

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1,500 Bengaluru city buses resume ops

The Bengaluru City bus service resumed operations on Wednesday, an official said. However, the services will be available for only 14 hours a day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

As the recently imposed lockdown was lifted, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) resumed its services starting with 1,500 buses at 5 a.m. on all major traffic routes, excluding the containment zones. Depending on the pattern of passenger traffic, the BMTC will later think of increasing the number of services.

“In view of the orders of the government, BMTC will operate its services from Wednesday to the general public,” said an official of the road transport corporation, making it clear that no passenger will be allowed to board any bus without a face mask.

“Mandatory use of facemask as per government notification for covering mouth and nose. Passengers without facemask are not allowed,” he said.

Similarly, in the event of all the seats in a bus getting occupied, additional passengers will not be allowed to embark, all the while maintaining social distancing will be mandatory while boarding as well as alighting.

“If all the seats are occupied on the bus, passengers shall not board the bus and wait for the next bus. Passengers suffering from fever and other ailments should refrain from traveling,” said the official.

With 1,714 infections on Tuesday, Bengaluru continues to report the highest number of cases in the southern state, raising its tally to 34,943 cases, out of which 26,746 are active.

In a positive development, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation’s (KSRTC) Chikkaballapura Division Controller V. Basavaraju personally went to receive employees who recovered from COVID at Morarji Desai Residential Hostel COVID Care Centre (CCC) in Mastenahalli of Chintamani Taluk.

The road transport corporation has also arranged a bus to ferry the discharged employees to their respective hometowns from Chintamani bus depot.

However, KSRTC did not reveal how many employees were discharged.

On Tuesday, Karnataka reported 3,649 new COVID-19 cases, leading to its tally breaching the 70,000 marks.

NSDC partners Airtel Payments Bank on skilling rural youth

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NSDC partners Airtel Payments Bank on skilling rural youth

Airtel Payments Bank on Wednesday announced a partnership with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to skill youth in rural India and enable them to find employment opportunities within the financial services industry.

The partnership aims to combine NSDC’s experience, training infrastructure, and wide network with Airtel Payment Bank’s industry insights to design and conduct targeted skill development programs for rural youth.

The programs will be tailored for imparting knowledge and skills for entry-level jobs such as Business Correspondent, Field Sales Executive, etc. among others within the financial services sector.

There will be a strong focus on the adoption of digital tools to drive online banking and digital financial services given the growing penetration of affordable smartphones and 4G networks in the country, Airtel Payments Bank said.

“Through our strategic partnership with Airtel Payments Bank, we aim at imparting the youth with knowledge and training that render financial and banking services more accessible to rural and semi-urban India,” Manish Kumar, MD & CEO, NSDC, said in a statement.

Airtel Payments Bank and NSDC said they will leverage their industry linkages and help the participants in finding suitable jobs.

The partnership will also encourage skill trainees to become entrepreneurs, such as distributors/resellers of financial services, thereby creating employment opportunities for people in their local geographies.

Further, Airtel Payments Bank will also conduct an awareness drive at NSDC’s training centers.

Under this drive, the bank will organize sessions highlighting the importance of digital banking, its benefits, and also provide hand-on digital banking experience during these sessions.

This collaboration will also extend to Eskil India, NSDC’s digital skilling initiative.

Special learning modules will be built to create awareness about digital financial service and will be introduced on the platform, the two organizations said.

It is business as usual for Chinese mobile brands in India

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It is business as usual for Chinese mobile brands in India

While social media and its troll armies are brutal most of the time, it is also a blessing in disguise for those who wish to just let bad feelings vanish quickly so that things can be brought back on track. This is exactly what happened with Chinese smartphone brands who are now witnessing business as usual in India after a turbulent anti-China sentiment rally in past days.

With the military aggression by China over the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which left 20 Indian soldiers killed last month, the consumer sentiment ran high amid growing chorus for boycotting Chinese goods in the country.

The anti-China sentiments are still out there but when it comes to the mobile industry, in the absence of any equal or superior alternatives, Indians have no choice but to make a beeline for the affordable, premium and feature-packed Chinese devices which Indian MILK (Micromax, Intex, Lava, and Karbonn) brands cannot match.

The sales are coming back to normal, the Chinese brand CEOs are more mellowed and now focused on the job at hand, the numbers are moving north again and fresh launches are making headlines once again.

Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman of the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), told IANS recently that people will make a beeline for smartphones as they “realize the great value of it now” so the demand “will stay healthy for the entry-level and premium phones” as the country unlocks.

According to Faisal Kawoosa, Founder & Chief Analyst of market intelligence firm techARC, the anger against Chinese brands was more social media-centric than on the actual ground.

“There are two factors why the anti-China sentiments did not convert into an impactful movement. First, in the growth segment of Rs 15,000-Rs 35,000, you don’t have non-Chinese options other than Samsung. If anyone was looking for a smartphone, four out of five times, he or she would have no choice but to buy a Chinese brand,” Kawoosa told IANS.

“Second factor is that right now, nine out of 10 buyers are looking for a smartphone out of an emergency. There could be reasons like phones completely conked off or looking for a device to let kids attend online classes etc,” he added.

The stark truth is that the mobile supply chain has deep roots in China and Indian brands have nowhere to be seen and just an eLocal key liye Vocal’ call is not sufficient unless things start moving on the ground.

Not just Chinese brands, the fluid market situation has also allowed non-Chinese brands like Samsung, Apple, Nokia, Asus, and others to realign their strategies and regain the lost market share in the face of fierce Chinese competition.

According to Counterpoint Research, Chinese smartphone brands captured 72 percent of the India market in 2019, compared to 60 percent a year ago.

In the second quarter (April-June) that was heavily impacted by the lockdowns, Xiaomi led with 31 percent overall market share, shipping 5.3 million smartphone units, according to market research firm Canalys.

Vivo maintained the second position, shipping 3.7 million units, and grew its market share to 21.3 percent from 19.9 percent in Q1. Samsung was third, with 2.9 million smartphones being shipped to the country.

Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint, said that the anti-Chinese sentiments are there but due to lack of options, the sales of all brands are now improving.

“We have seen several fresh launches from Chinese OEMs in the last few days, be it Xiaomi, Realme, Vivo, and now OnePLus with its affordable premium Nord’ brand. The momentum is returning after a severely impacted second quarter and the demand is now stabilizing,” Pathak told IANS.

What about the eLocal ke liye Vocal’ call?

“I think we have to take a more rationale call. Let us first see how much value addition can be achieved within India and encourage all players in the game to go for local procurement in such cases. This way at least whatever is available in India can be consumed reducing the dependency on non-local products,” explained Kawoosa.

The country should not project eLocal ke liye Vocal’ as something which is against any country or brand.

“Rather, we must encourage the creation of a system where even non-local companies contribute significantly. We cannot simply discount the infrastructure, expertise, and experience China has built over the years in electronics manufacturing. Even for the eVocal ke liye Local’ call, we will have to have deeper ties with the Chinese manufacturing ecosystem,” Kawoosa elaborated.

NASA’s ‘robot hotel’ attached to space station

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NASA’s ‘robot hotel’ attached to space station

Two NASA astronauts have installed a tools storage unit, dubbed robot hotel, to the outside of the International Space Station, freeing up living space inside the station.

The “robot hotel”, officially called the Robotic Tool Stowage (RiTS), was attached to the station’s Mobile Base System (MBS) during a spacewalk conducted by NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Chris Cassidy on Tuesday.

The MBS is a moveable platform that provides power to the external robots, NASA said.

This special location allows RiTS to traverse around the station alongside a robot that will use the tools it stores.

“RiTS provides thermal and physical protection for tools stored on the outside of the station, not only freeing up room onboard but also allowing the Canadian Space Agency’s Dextre robot to access them more quickly,” said RiTS Hardware Manager Mark Neuman.

The first step in the RiTS installation process involved preparing the unit inside the space station.

The astronauts unpacked RiTS’ occupants from storage — two units of a tool called the Robotic External Leak Locator (RELL) — and affixed them inside RiTS’ aluminum housing.

The installation required the astronauts to mechanically attach RiTS to an available worksite socket then mate two electrical cables to unused power outlets on the MBS.

The power connection was critical to enabling heaters within RiTS that keep the RELL tools from getting too cold.

Apart from installing the robot hotel, the two NASA astronauts completed a number of other tasks designed to upgrade the International Space Station systems.

This was the 10th spacewalk for each astronaut.

Market geared up to aid India achieve $5tn economy mark: SEBI Chairman

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Market geared up to aid India achieve $5tn economy mark: SEBI Chairman

India’s equity market is geared up to aid the country to achieve the $5 trillion economy mark, SEBI Chairman Ajay Tyagi said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the Ficci’s 17th Annual Capital Market Conference ‘CAPAM2020’, Tyagi said the equity market systems are well geared up to take on the current challenges.

The theme of the conference is ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat: Role of Capital Market’.

He acknowledged that the country is passing through a difficult, stressful, and challenging time due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Besides, Tyagi called for the development of the country’s corporate bond market.

Terming the segment as critical, he pointed out that some initiatives in this regard have been taken, however, more reforms are required.

US inches closer to banning TikTok from federal devices

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US inches closer to banning TikTok from federal devices

The possibility of the US following India in banning TikTok became stronger after a proposal to bar the downloading of the short video-sharing platform on government-issued devices got the backing of the US House of Representatives.

Republican Ken Buck offered the proposal to bar TikTok from federal devices as part of a $741 billion defense policy bill, according to a report in Politico on Monday.

The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 by a vote of 295 to 125 on Tuesday.

There is no guarantee yet that the ban will become an act as the Senate is expected to pass its version of the bill later this week and thereafter the two chambers will sort out their differences before sending it for the President’s signature.

But the Donald Trump administration has already voiced its concerns about TikTok and even hinted that it was considering banning the app.

Earlier, on June 29, India banned 59 Chinese apps which also included the video-sharing app owned by Chinese unicorn ByteDance.

The app came under the scanner of security services over fears of it sharing user data with the Chinese government.

TikTok has denied the allegations.

Covid-19: Odisha reports biggest single-day spike of 1,078 cases

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Covid-19: Odisha reports biggest single-day spike of 1,078 cases

Odisha reported its highest single-day spike of 1,078 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the state’s total such cases to 19,835, the Health Department said on Wednesday.

It is for the first time that positive cases in a day have breached the 1K-mark in the state.

The number of active cases in the state rose to 6,387, with 13,309 recoveries.

The Covid-19 death toll increased to 108 as five more casualties were reported in the last 24 hours — three in Ganjam district, one in Gajapati, and one in Kandhamal.

Of the new cases, 721 were reported from quarantine centers and 357 are local contacts. Ganjam reported 371 cases, followed by Khordha (121), Rayagada (96), Malkangiri (66), and Cuttack (57).

Contact tracing and followup action are underway, said the department.

Oil companies hold Diesel, petrol price rise

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Oil companies hold Diesel, petrol price rise

Oil marketing companies decided to keep the pump prices of petroleum products petrol and diesel unchanged on Wednesday.

Accordingly, diesel continues to be priced at Rs 81.64 per liter in the capital, while petrol has maintained steady levels at Rs 80.43 a liter.

Oil companies had raised diesel prices marginally by 12 paise on Monday while keeping petrol prices unchanged. On Tuesday as well there was no change in the retail price of the two petroleum products.

Petrol prices had maintained the same level of Rs 80.43 a liter since June 29 when it’s pump price rose marginally by 5 paise over previous days price.

An unexpected rise in diesel prices despite slower demand has put the transport sector at a big disadvantage as rising fuel cost has further shrunk its margins.

With the hikes in diesel prices, the gap between the two auto fuels has further widened in the national capital. Last month, diesel prices overtook that of petrol in the national capital, in an unprecedented development.

Along with the Capital, petrol and diesel prices also remained unchanged in other metro cities as well.

Oil companies began a daily revision of the two auto fuels from a June 7 after keeping the price unchanged for the last 82 days during Covid-19 related lockdown. Since then petrol and diesel prices have increased by Rs 9.5-Rs 12 per liter respectively.

Nitric oxide treatment may slow progression of Covid-19

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Nitric oxide treatment may slow progression of Covid-19

Researchers now claim that nitric oxide treatment can be pivotal in the world’s fight against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.

Nitric oxide is an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory molecule with key roles in pulmonary vascular function in the context of viral infections and other pulmonary diseases.

In SARS-CoV-1 infection, which led to the outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in 2003, nitric oxide inhibited viral replication by cytotoxic reactions through intermediates such as peroxynitrite, the study, published in the journal Nitric Oxide, reported.

“Nitric oxide plays key roles in maintaining normal vascular function and regulating inflammatory cascades that contribute to acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS),” said study researcher Adam Friedman from George Washington University in the US.

“Interventions that are protective against ALI and ARDS can play a critical role for patients and health systems during the pandemic,” Friedman added.

According to the researchers, coronaviruses are RNA viruses that primarily infect birds or livestock but can mutate to be highly infectious and lethal in humans.

There is currently no registered treatment or vaccine for Covid-19.

The absence of a specific treatment and the high mortality rate of the virus dictate an urgent need for therapeutics that may control the replication and rapid spread of the virus.

For the results, the research team reviewed data from between 1993 and 2020 on the pathogenesis of coronaviruses and the use of nitric oxide as a treatment for respiratory illness.

The authors highlighted the potential for inhaled nitric oxide contributing to better clinical outcomes and alleviating the rapidly rising strain on health care capacity due to Covid-19.

As groups continue to publish more results with their respective nitric oxide platforms, the team recommends that dosing and protocol variations should be examined in evaluating the studies.

“With the emergence of Covid-19 as a pandemic with the ability to overwhelm the body and our health care infrastructure, patients have a pressing need for effective agents that can slow the disease in their bodies and in their communities,” Friedman said.

The authors suggest that if nitric oxide’s efficacy is illustrated for Covid-19, its use as a treatment can be pivotal in the fight against the pandemic.

Spotify launches video podcasts support

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Spotify launches video podcasts support

Swedish audio streaming giant Spotify has introduced support for video podcasts, which means that users can now watch video podcasts directly in the Spotify app on mobile and desktop.

Podcast listeners will be able to watch a small number of podcasts on video in all markets where Spotify already has Podcasts rolled out, reports GSMArena.

The ability to stream video podcasts will be available to both premium and free tier users.

Users can minimize the app or lock their phones without having to stop listening to the podcast, as the audio will continue playing in the background. However, users will still be able to download the audio version of the podcast locally to stream it offline.

In May, Spotify announced an exclusive licensing deal with Joe Rogan, one of the world’s most popular podcasters. As part of that deal, he’ll also be taking his video show over to Spotify which is slated to arrive on the platform starting September 1.

The list of podcasts that support video includes Book of Basketball 2.0, Fantasy Footballers, The Misfits Podcast, H3 Podcast, The Morning Toast, Higher Learning with Van Lathan And Rachel Lindsay, and The Rooster Teeth Podcast.

Spotify has over 286 million users globally, including 130 million paid subscribers and Archie Comics has sold over 2 billion copies worldwide since it was founded in 1939.

Microsoft introduces ‘Customer Voice’ service in Dynamics 365

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Microsoft introduces ‘Customer Voice’ service in Dynamics 365

In a bid to help organizations listen, understand, and respond to customers quickly in social distancing times, Microsoft has introduced a Customer Voice service in Dynamics 365.

Customer Voice is an enterprise-grade feedback management solution to capture and incorporate real-time feedback into a unified view of customers and drive action in the moments that matter.

According to the company, Customer Voice brings out-of-the-box integration into everyday applications and workflows, and? ready-to-use templates to enable a fast response to customers’ needs at the right time, and in the right place.

“For retailers, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Connected Store will soon offer store traffic and curbside queue as features, increasing shopper safety as stores reopen in accordance with regulations,” the company said during its virtual ‘Inspire 2020′ event on Tuesday.

These capabilities will help retailers remain below capacity limits and design stores so customers can maintain a safe distance, as well as helps to improve the curbside order experience by signaling the arrival of vehicles as they approach the store.

The company also announced new capabilities for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Fraud Protection as digital transaction volumes have skyrocketed during the crisis and, along with it, a surge in fraud.

“We are announcing new capabilities for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Fraud Protection to help protect retailers, public sector entities, credit issuers, and their customers,” said Alysa Taylor, Corporate Vice President, Business Applications & Industry.

Account Protection will help protect online revenue and reputation by counteracting fraudulent account access, fake account creation, and account takeover, and safeguarding user accounts from abuse and fraud.

“Innovation across Dynamics 365 applications including Customer Voice, Connected Store, and Fraud Protection are focused on making sure we’re helping customers weather the current crisis while also setting them up for future agility and resilience,” said Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President, One Commercial Partner.

India nears 12L-mark as recovery rate improves to 63%

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India nears 12L-mark as recovery rate improves to 63%

India on Wednesday reported 37,724 fresh Covid-19 cases in 24 hours with the tally barely 7,000 short of the 12-lakh-mark, as the Union Health Ministry data revealed total coronavirus cases at 11,92,915.

With 648 fresh deaths the toll touched 28,732, and the recovery rate stood at 63.12 percent with as many as 7,53,050 cured, which is almost twice the number of active patients at 4,11,133.

Being the third-worst hit country, India is now adding a lakh case every three days. On Monday, the country had crossed the 11-lakh mark.

The highest spike in cases was reported from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat. Maharashtra remained the worst-hit state, with 3,27,031 cases and 12,276 fatalities followed by Tamil Nadu with total 1,80,643 cases, and 2,626 deaths. Karnataka, the new hotspot state, crossed 71,000 cases.

With 1,349 new coronavirus cases and 27 deaths in the last 24 hours, the national capital now has a total tally of 1,25,096 cases and 3,690 deaths.

Gujarat has 50,379 cases, Uttar Pradesh (53,288), Rajasthan (31,373), Madhya Pradesh (24,095), West Bengal (47,030), Haryana (27,462), Andhra Pradesh (58,668), Telangana (47,705), Assam (25,382), Jammu and Kashmir (15,258), Kerala (13,994), Odisha (18,757) and Bihar (28,952).

There are overall above 14.8 million COVID cases in the world now after the virus was first reported in China’s Wuhan in December 2019, while the deaths have crossed 615,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Vidya brought great energy to set of Shakuntala Devi: Adi Chugh

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Vidya brought great energy to set of Shakuntala Devi: Adi Chugh

Actor Adi Chugh had a great time working with actress Vidya Balan on their upcoming film, Shakuntala Devi.

“Vidya ma’am got great energy on set, a lot of positivity. She is a very down-to-earth, kind, and sweet person. She is very developed in her craft. As soon as the director called for action, she transformed into her character and created magic. For me, it was like attending a masterclass, and watching and learning from somebody who you really respect and look up to. I was excited to work with her,” he told IANS.

Vidya essays the role of the late math wizard Shakuntala Devi. Adi will be seen as her friend.

“I’m a friend of hers who stays in the guest house where she stays while she’s in London,” he said.

The film will soon premiere on an OTT platform.

Adi has also shot for “Three Dots And A Dash” alongside Vinay Pathak.

The actor recently got back to work amidst the pandemic for a short film, and he recalled: “I was precautionary and prudent. There were a lot of measures taken on the set to make sure that we were abiding by the regulations of filming in a pandemic. We all had to travel in individual cars. London is comparatively in a lot less of a lockdown than India is. So it’s a lot easier. The rules of lockdown here (London) and social distancing have been more relaxed because the situation is not as worse as it was earlier.”

Talking about the short film, he shared: “The film is called ‘Espresso To Cappuccino’. The short film is about a man who falls in love with a girl who works like a coffee maker. Over time they start building a relationship and get closer.”

“One fine day when he goes to the cafe, he realizes that the girl he has been falling in love with has died. Heartbroken, he still goes to the cafe to have his cappuccino and remember her. As time passes, he sees a younger man at the same cafe falling for a younger girl who works there. He goes up to him and tells him that he shouldn’t wait and should tell her how he feels,” he added.

Journalist shot in Ghaziabad passes away

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Journalist shot in Ghaziabad passes away

Journalist Vikram Joshi, who was shot at by armed assailants near his residence in Vijay Nagar, Ghaziabad on June 20, passed away on Wednesday.

The scribe was attacked when he was returning from his sister’s house along with his two daughters on a motorbike on Monday night. He had suffered a bullet injury on his head after assailants opened fire at him near his residence.

The doctor of a private hospital monitoring Joshi said that the veins in the journalists’ head had got badly damaged due to the bullet injury.

The attack is believed to be the fallout of a complaint that Joshi had lodged at the Vijay Nagar police station on July 16. He had complained that some people were harassing his niece.

In the CCTV footage, the bike can be seen being intercepted by a group of men who surrounded the bike and started pulling and hitting the rider.

The two daughters of Vikram Joshi could be seen running away the moment the bike falls.

Nine people have been arrested in connection with the shooting incident.

Meanwhile, local beat in-charge Raghvendra was put on suspension with immediate effect for not taking swift action and ignoring the complaint filed by the family of the victim.

Joshi’s brother, Aniket Joshi had said, “A few men were harassing his niece a few days ago and my brother had opposed it and also filed a police complaint. A case was also registered following which he was shot at by those miscreants.”

The journalist’s family has accused the police of inaction as the complaint was lodged on July 16 after a scuffle between Joshi and the miscreants.

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