TecQ is our weekly round-up of the top technology stories.
1. Banks & Mobile Numbers Get Aadhaar Reprieve But E-Wallets Unlucky
Most of you were probably relieved to hear that the Supreme Court extended the deadline for people in India to link their bank accounts and mobile numbers with Aadhaar. But luck has deserted prepaid wallet players like Paytm, MobiKwik and banking institutions like HDFC and ICICI, which have similar apps.
Many people thought they could delay getting their know your customer (KYC) process done for these apps, but it seems like the story hasn’t panned out in that fashion.
And why is that? Well, firstly, the guidelines for KYC of prepaid wallets was first floated in 2017, by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), with a deadline of 31 December 2017 for users to comply.
Read the full story here.
2. Amazon Music, Google Play Music or Gaana? The ‘Paisa Wasool’ App
Only a few years ago, you would be busy on weekends compiling your playlist by downloading song from websites like beemp3, songs.pk or even mp3skull. Right?
Over the years the number of Indian visitors on these sites has seen a radical drop, all because of the introduction of satellite radio and a considerable number of music streaming apps.
Apps like Saavn, Google Play Music, Gaana and Wynk have been flourishing in the Indian market for a long time. Access to cheap data plans has given people the option to stream music rather than store it in their smartphones.
But, is the app really good enough to compete with the existing music streaming apps in terms of music library and quality? Also, is it a ‘paisa wasool’ investment? Read the comparison here to find out.
3. Xiaomi Mi TV 4 & Mi TV 4A – How Different are These Two TVs?
Xiaomi has launched a slew of televisions under its Mi TV range for the Indian market over the past few weeks. These televisions are positioned as affordable Smart TVs that support internet, and let you access content from your standard TVs set top box.
The Mi TV range starts from Rs 13,999 and goes up to Rs 40,000, for which you can choose between a 32-inch HD model, 43-inch Full-HD variant and the high-end 55-inch sized television that supports 4K or Ultra-high definition resolution.
It’s more than evident that everyone wants one of these, but which out of the Mi TV 4 and Mi TV 4A should you buy? Read here to make the decision for yourself.
4. Samsung Galaxy S9+ Hands-On Review: Price, Features and More
Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are now available in the market, and you can get one of them from either online or offline shops with prices starting at Rs 57,900. We have been using the Galaxy S9+, the first Galaxy S phone to pack dual rear cameras, for a week now.
So we decided to share our experience of the latest Samsung Galaxy flagship and how it fares. Read here to see if the Galaxy S9+ is the flagship phone to buy.
5. Smart Address, Plus Codes & Voice: New Ways to Use Google Maps
Google Maps has introduced a slew of features in India, and it hopes it will help users find addresses that aren’t registered on its ecosystem. The search giant has also opened-up Plus Codes in the Indian market that lets you convert long format addresses into alpha-numeric codes.
Google hosting a Maps-centric event in India doesn’t happen very often, but with the Billion Users division working proactively on features that cater to the country, Maps was next on their agenda, it seems.
Plus Codes aren’t very different from what we’ve seen with the likes of MapMyIndia and India-based Zippr, which also deals in codes for addresses.
Read the full story here.
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