India’s coal demand is rising—even as it pushes hard for solar | Fast Company

August 8, 2024August 7, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS 4 MINUTE READ India Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the midst of a months-long reelection campaign this April when he took to social media to trumpet a “remarkable feat!” and a “historic milestone” for his country: crossing 1 billion metric tons of coal and lignite production. It was proof, Modi said, of India’s “commitment to ensuring a vibrant coal sector.”

A month later, for the third year in a row, his government ordered some coal plants to run at full capacity to meet high electricity demand during the increasingly hot summer months.

Even though India has been significantly increasing its renewable energy capacity in recent years, when demand for electricity surges, it still goes back to its most trusted source of power: coal.

Uber now lets users in India book three trips at once | TechCrunch

July 30, 2024July 29, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Uber is rolling out concurrent rides in India, a feature that allows users to book up to three trips for any of their contacts, TechCrunch has exclusively learned and confirmed with the company.

The concurrent rides feature is the latest example of Uber developing products that will capture more customers, including those who don’t have the app or even a smartphone. In India, Uber even allows concurrent ride users to pay drivers directly with cash or via the app.

Uber quietly launched the concurrent rides last year in several global markets, including the United States. An Uber spokesperson confirmed the new feature is now available in India and will be rolled out in the country in a phased manner. The spokesperson would not confirm the exact details of the cities in which it is currently available.

The Archies: Why an American comic book evokes nostalgia in Indians | BBC News

September 25, 2023September 24, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

“Yoohoo, Archiekins!”

If this catchphrase sounds familiar, you’ve probably read the long-established American comic, Archie Comics, which was also hugely popular in India.

The comic is back in the news, with Netflix set to launch The Archies, a musical adapted from the comic, later this year. The coming-of-age film is based in 1960s India and explores teenage themes of love, heartbreak and rebellion through the lens of the Anglo-Indian community. The trailer has already been viewed over 800,000 times on YouTube.

The news of the film has sparked a lot of conversation among fans of the comic.

India’s central bank wants to ban cryptocurrencies, government says | TechCrunch

July 20, 2022July 18, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

India’s central bank wants to ban cryptocurrencies, the government told the parliament on Monday, raising more uncertainty about the future of the nascent virtual digital asset in the world’s second largest internet market.

Nirmala Sitharaman, the minister of finance in India, said Monday that the Reserve Bank of India has expressed concerns about the “destabilising effect of cryptocurrencies on the monetary and fiscal stability of a country” and has recommended “for framing of legislation on this sector,” she said.

“RBI is of the view that cryptocurrencies should be prohibited,” she added.

YouTube and WhatsApp inch closer to half a billion users in India | TechCrunch

January 12, 2021January 11, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

WhatsApp has enjoyed unrivaled reach in India for years. By mid-2019, the Facebook-owned app had amassed over 400 million users in the country. Its closest app rival at the time was YouTube, which, according to the company’s own statement and data from mobile insight firm App Annie, had about 260 million users in India then.

Things have changed dramatically since.

In the month of December, YouTube had 425 million monthly active users on Android phones and tablets in India, according to App Annie, the data of which an industry executive shared with TechCrunch. In comparison, WhatsApp had 422 million monthly active users on Android in India last month.

Dutch Research In Self-Healing Materials Could One Day Eliminate India’s Pothole Problems | Indiatimes.com

May 12, 2017May 12, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It’s no secret that potholes are a huge pain in India. While we may grumble that it’s because of cheap building materials or inefficient labor, the truth is that roads just naturally decay over time. But now, a team of scientists from the Netherlands believe they have the answer to prevent potholes from even forming

YouTube Go is finally here, kind of | Mashable

February 9, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It seems Google is all prepared to release its anticipated data-conscious YouTube Go app to the public.

An early version of YouTube Go hit the Google Play Store Wednesday. The app, as promised by Google last year, is light (less than 10MB in size) and features an option to share files using Wi-Fi Direct protocol.

The 20 Most Viral Ads of 2016 | Adweek

December 5, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Christmas, the Olympics/Paralympics and OK Go.

Those are three reliable buckets for great advertising, and they all show up in Unruly’s new list of the most shared ads of 2016. The top spot on this year’s list goes to a Christmas spot; No. 2 was made for the Paralympics; and OK Go put two videos on the list, including one at No. 5.

Ads from 10 different countries appearing on this list, Unruly says—the U.K., U.S., Denmark, Egypt, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Norway, the Philippines and Indonesia. The average runtime for the top 20 videos is 2:49

Apple growth strategy hits major roadblock in India | Business Insider

May 3, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The Indian government has rejected a request by Apple to import and sell refurbished iPhones in the country, Bloomberg reports.

It’s a major setback to Apple’s India strategy, a major component of which was reusing old iPhones as a low-cost option in addition to selling new iPhones, which are too expensive for many Indians.

Indian smartphone companies opposed Apple’s application, according to Bloomberg.

How India’s ‘Garden City’ Is Igniting the Entrepreneurial Spirit | Inc.com

August 31, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Often referred to as the “Silicon Plateau,” Bangalore holds many nicknames.

The green, sprawling capital city of Karnataka, a state in the southwestern region of India, is situated beneath a towering, 2,600-foot tall rock formation called the Mysore Plateau, which is bounded by the Sahyadri mountains and the sloping Kaveri river.

Over the past few years, Bangalore has earned the mantle of India’s “Silicon Valley.”

Although historically an outsourcing hub, the city is becoming its own technology business center. In 1909, the first Indian Institute of Science was established in Bangalore, and today it counts 3,500 students. The school’s most renowned education centers for climate change, neuroscience, and engineering have spurred more interdisciplinary research.

Today, Bangalore ranks as the 15th hottest startup ecosystem in the world, according to a recent report from Crunchbase and research firm Compass. The metropolis counts around 4,900 active startups, with nearly $2.3 billion in company investments last year.

A wide range of startup activity is happening in Bangalore. Internet penetration throughout India, especially, presents many opportunities for digital entrepreneurs. The country’s current population is a staggering 1.3 billion, and a July report from the Internet and Mobile Association of India projects that the country will count 500 million Internet users by 2017.