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DataWind launches ‘VidyaTab-Punjabi’ in India
MUMBAI: DataWind, Inc. has yet again come up with a new innovative product – VidyaTab-Punjabi. The leader in delivering Internet access to emerging markets, Datawind, has partnered with Vismaad Inc., the leading developer of educational and animated Punjabi content to launch the first ever Punjabi education Tablet. The Tablet was launched in the presence of Canada’s Minister of Small Business and Tourism and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons Bardish Chagger, and High Commissioner for Canada to India Nadir Patel.
The affordable VidyaTab-Punjabi is a calling-tab with dual-SIMs and it integrates a 7 inch touchscreen with 800*480 screen resolution, featuring front and rear facing cameras with the Android operating system running on a Dual Core A7 processor, has 512MB RAM and 4GB flash memory. In addition, the tablet offers features like Wi-fi Hotspot, Wi-fi Direct, Bluetooth, GPS among others.
DataWind president & CEO Suneet Singh Tuli said, “Alarming studies have predicted the extinction of the Punjabi language in the next few decades. To help preserve and grow the adoption of this rich and beautiful language, today we’ve launched the first ever Punjabi education Tablet – VidyaTab-Punjabi. This tablet will not only be useful for students who know Punjabi language and Gurumukhi script, but those not familiar with the language can also learn a lot about Punjabi culture and language while making use of over 100 learning Apps preinstalled with the Tablet, at an affordable price. All the Apps have been developed by VISMAAD.”
VidyaTab-Punjabi has over 100 learning featuresthat teach Punjabi languageand Gurumukhi script, as well as all other educational quotients that enhance the knowledge base of students. Apps are high on entertainment quotient with attractive custom graphics and authentic Punjabi voice – overs for proven highly effective vicarious learning. The application has been developed by VISMAAD which includes:Form and Diction of Punjabi alphabets, Word formation, Gurumukhi vowel signs, Sentence Making, Improving Punjabi vocabulary, Basic Punjabi grammar besides other uses.
Vismaad Inc. CEO Sukhwinder Singh stated, “Datawind, with its affordable tablets and bundled free-internet browsing was our natural choice of partner as we looked to extend the reach of our apps.”
The Tablet has host of other features like Videos: Educational videos based on History, folk stories and contemporary issues in classical cartoon animations are not only fun to watch but great educators as well.For the fun lovers there are Games: The tab includes first ever role play and interactive games in Punjabi language. Games are not only fun to play but also help learn Punjabi better.Another important feature on VidyaTab-Punjabi is – Rhymes and Simple songs: This section includes Punjabi rhymes and super simple songs, which have been a great hit on social media. These rhymes help pre-school kids and beginners on Punjabi learning, understand basic concepts of Punjabi alphabets and counting, daily chores, rich cultural ethos and idioms. Then there are Quizzes & Activity Sheets: A large repertoire of quizzes and Activity sheets custom has been created by VISMAAD for the first time ever for Punjabi learning.
VidyaTab-Punjabi also features Reading Club,which is the first ever online tool for Punjabi reading. This includes over 30+ educational/ moral stories with multiple reading options. Attractive illustrations and soothing Punjabi voice over helps the reader understand and grasp Punjabi words and diction. Tuli added, “One of the important features of reading club is enabling the reader to click any word to understand correct pronunciation and play voice over from that point with just a tap on keyboard.”
As with all of Datawind’s flagship products, the VidyaTab-Punjabi includes 12 months of unlimited free browsing on the UbiSurfer browser. Covered by 18 U.S. and international patents, DataWind’s web delivery platform delivers a fast and affordable route to internet over all mobile networks. DataWind’s back-end cloud servers compress and accelerate the delivery of web content by factors of 10x to 30x to render a fast and rich desktop-like web experience on any mobile network.
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Uber launches hotel bookings feature in partnership with Expedia
From hotel bookings to room service at your door, the ride-hailing giant is making its boldest push yet into everyday life
CALIFORNIA: Uber is done being just a taxi app. At its annual GO-GET product event, the world’s leading mobility and delivery platform unveiled a sweeping set of new features designed to plant itself at the centre of how people travel, eat and shop, hotel bookings included.
The headline move is a partnership with Expedia Group that lets Uber users in the United States book hotels directly within the Uber app, with access to a catalogue that will eventually grow to more than 700,000 properties worldwide. Uber One members get 10 per cent back in Uber One credits on all hotel bookings and savings of at least 20 per cent on a rolling list of more than 10,000 hotels globally. Vacation rentals from Vrbo, Expedia Group’s home-rental brand, will be added later this year. The partnership is expected to expand beyond the United States. From June, Uber rides will also be integrated directly into the Expedia app, with push notifications sent to travellers ahead of hotel check-in to book discounted Uber rides for the duration of their stay.
Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive of Uber, framed the expansion in terms of the modern condition. “Uber is becoming an app for everything, helping people go, get, and now travel all in one place,” he said. “We’re all living through a moment of real cognitive overload: too many apps, too many decisions, too much noise. At the end of the day, our job is to help people reclaim their time, spending less of it managing the logistics of life and more of it actually living.”
Ariane Gorin, chief executive of Expedia Group, struck a similarly ambitious note. “Travel should feel effortless, and this partnership gets us one step closer to offering a seamless traveller experience,” she said. “By connecting our two-sided marketplace with Uber, we’re bringing Uber rides directly into the Expedia app and Expedia Group’s lodging inventory into the Uber app through our Rapid API technology. Together, we’re helping travellers spend less time planning and more time enjoying the journey.”
Beyond hotels, the product announcements come thick and fast. Travel Mode, available within both the Uber and Uber Eats apps, offers curated recommendations on local favourites, tourist destinations, OpenTable restaurant reservations and on-demand delivery to hotel rooms. Uber One International means the membership programme now works globally, allowing members to earn credits on rides abroad that can be redeemed once back home. A new Shop for Me feature lets users request items from any store, even those not listed on the app. Eats for the Way allows riders in select cities booking an Uber Black or Uber Black SUV to have a drink or snack waiting for them in the car. Voice Bookings, powered by artificial intelligence, lets users book a ride conversationally, without touching their phone. And a redesigned One Search bar consolidates results for places, food and items across the entire Uber platform in a single query.
Uber has now logged more than 72 billion trips since it launched in 2010. The question it is now answering is what comes after the ride. The answer, apparently, is everything else. Whether users want a hotel in Paris, a coffee in the back of a car or a snake plant from the local garden centre, Uber would very much like to be the one to provide it. The app economy’s land grab has a new front-runner.
NOTE: The image used is AI generated and only for representational purposes.
