Andriod phone maker Samsung finally launched its digital payment application “Samsung Pay” in India on Wednesday. This is to meet the needs of Indians as they tend to shift slowly to various online payments mode after the demonetization act hit India.
Samsung had granted access to its select users and also tAndriod phone maker Samsung finally launched its digital payment application “Samsung Pay” in India on Wednesday. This is to meet the needs of Indians as they tend to shift slowlyhe users of their Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy A5, Galaxy A7 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ can register to get early access.
Watch the video here:
Senior Vice President of Samsung India Electronics Pvt.,Ltd., Asim Warsi spoke about Samsung’s latest app and how the Indian unit worked almost for a year to customize Samsung Pay for the Indian market which also includes transactions through debit cards and mobile wallets for the first time.
Account holders of Axis Bank, HDFC, ICICI, SBI, and Standard Chartered Banks can avail this service of Samsung Pay. American Express and Citibank will be soon added to this list.
It is both NFC (Near Field Communication) as well as MST ( Magnetic Secure Transmission) compatible. Therefore, it works with any card swiping or reading machine, where the card in the phone just needs to be waved over the terminal.
How to get access to this?
A user must link their bank account and card to the Samsung Pay app on any of the above said Samsung smartphones. After it is done, payments can be made by firing up the app on the phone and bringing the smartphone close to the NFC- enabled point-of-sale (POS) machine. Once the vendor has entered the amount to be payable on the POS machine, this payment will be authenticated through the user’s fingerprint or a 4-digit PIN entered on the Samsung Pay app.
However, a lot of Samsung’s low end phones will not be compatible with the app.
Hypergro.ai, a Bengaluru-based marketing technology startup, has raised Rs 7 crore in seed funding led by Silverneedle Ventures, with participation from Huddle, TDV Partners, HME Ventures, Dholakia Ventures, FiiRE, and angel investors. Founded in 2022 by Rituraj Biswas, Neha Soman, Abhijeet Kumar, and Arijit Mukhopadhyay, the company aims to revolutionize digital marketing by addressing challenges like high Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) and low Return on Ad Spend (ROAS).
The startup leverages AI to create hyper-personalized video ads using user-generated content (UGC). The fresh capital will be used to enhance Hypergro.ai’s AI capabilities, expand operations, and build a specialized team focusing on data analysis, predictive algorithms, and automation.
Since its inception, Hypergro.ai has collaborated with over 70 brands, including several from Shark Tank India. The company’s innovative approach has led to its selection for Google’s Startups Accelerator: AI First (India) program in July 2024, providing access to critical training, mentorship, and state-of-the-art AI tools.
Hypergro.ai’s platform now supports a community of over 300,000 creators across India and has partnered with more than 100 brands, significantly enhancing its AI model’s accuracy and improving revenue generation for clients. As it continues to expand and refine its AI-powered marketing solutions, Hypergro.ai is set to transform the digital advertising landscape, offering businesses more effective and efficient customer acquisition and engagement strategies.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is facing fresh legal challenges over allegations that it used copyrighted materials without permission to train its artificial intelligence models, including its LLaMA series. This lawsuit adds to the growing scrutiny of AI companies’ data sourcing methods.
The Allegations
Authors such as Sarah Silverman and Michael Chabon claim Meta trained its AI models on datasets containing their copyrighted works without authorization. Plaintiffs argue this constitutes copyright infringement, while Meta defends its actions under the “fair use” doctrine, asserting that the training process is transformative and legally permissible.
Internal Discussions Raise Concerns
Court documents reveal internal chats among Meta employees discussing the use of copyrighted materials. One researcher suggested acquiring books without permission, stating, “ask forgiveness, not for permission.” These discussions highlight potential awareness within Meta of the legal risks involved.
Fair Use Debate
Meta maintains that its use of copyrighted texts to train LLaMA models is transformative and falls under fair use. The company compares this practice to Google’s precedent in Authors Guild v. Google, where copying books for search tools was deemed fair use. However, critics argue that training AI for commercial purposes does not meet fair use criteria.
Broader Implications
This lawsuit reflects wider concerns about how AI developers source training data, often relying on publicly accessible yet potentially copyrighted materials. As litigation against companies like Meta, OpenAI, and Google increases, clearer regulations may be necessary to balance innovation with intellectual property rights.
The outcome of this case could significantly impact both AI development practices and copyright enforcement in the tech industry.
Flipkart has joined hands with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to enhance the accessibility of NCERT textbooks for students across India, particularly those in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. This strategic partnership aims to bridge the gap in access to quality education by leveraging Flipkart’s extensive reach and logistics network.
Key Benefits of the Partnership
Enhanced Accessibility: With this collaboration, students in remote areas can now order NCERT textbooks online and have them delivered directly to their doorstep. This initiative is particularly beneficial for families in regions where physical bookstores may be limited or non-existent.
Affordability: Flipkart’s platform will offer competitive prices on NCERT textbooks, making them more affordable for students and parents. Discounts and promotions may also be available, further reducing the financial burden on families.
Convenience: The partnership provides a seamless online shopping experience for parents and students alike. With an easy-to-navigate platform, users can quickly find and purchase the textbooks they need without the hassle of traveling to physical stores.
Alignment with Government Initiatives
This initiative aligns with the Indian government’s vision of promoting digital learning and making education more inclusive. By providing easy access to essential textbooks, Flipkart and NCERT are working together to empower students and contribute to the nation’s educational growth. This partnership supports the government’s broader goals of enhancing educational resources through technology and ensuring that quality learning materials are available to all students, regardless of their location.
Additional Context
The partnership comes at a time when there is a growing emphasis on digital education in India, especially following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The shift towards online learning has highlighted the need for accessible educational resources. By collaborating with NCERT, Flipkart is not only expanding its product offerings but also playing a vital role in supporting educational equity across the country.
Authorized Sellers
Flipkart will work with authorized sellers designated by NCERT to ensure that students can easily purchase authentic NCERT textbooks through its platform. This collaboration guarantees that all textbooks are genuine and meet the quality standards set by NCERT.
Conclusion
The partnership between Flipkart and NCERT represents a significant step towards improving textbook accessibility for students in India. By leveraging technology and e-commerce capabilities, this collaboration aims to make quality educational resources more widely available, particularly in underserved regions. As both organizations work together to enhance educational outcomes, they are contributing to a more equitable learning environment that empowers students across the nation.