New tech on the block: EdTech, gadgets, manufacturing, Web3, agtech, cloud, video management & EV

The Tech Panda takes a look at recent business launches.

EdTech: Career lifecycle management startup launches DNA based self-discovery product in India

GENLEAP, an EdTech startup focussed on end-to-end career lifestyle management, launched ‘GenDiscover’, a first of its kind DNA led self-discovery product. Through this flagship product, GENLEAP aims to help students, parents and professionals looking to make career related decisions make informed choices using the combined power of three proven sciences – genetics (your dna), psychometrics, and cognitive astromancy.

Sachin Sandhir, Founder and CEO, GENLEAP, said, “With GenDiscover, our goal is to channelise individuals towards careers and jobs more aligned to their inherent and current personality and other traits. This will help increase productivity in the workplace and lead to more fulfilled professional lives.”

Nimish Gupta, Founder and Co-CEO of GENLEAP further explained, “At GENLEAP, we leverage advanced technologies to power our assessments, juxtaposed with the individual’s current interests and professional disposition. Our users could be at any stage of their lives – from early school goers to mid and senior professionals. Our unique model is backed by proven sciences and credible partners and we are looking at a future where this could be integrated in career management and skilling platforms across schools, institutions and organizations so that it is accessible to all.”

The Why

Students and professionals often end up with wrong career choices which adds up to the issue of employability. GENLEAP aims to change a billion lives and help create a work-ready India with students and professionals that are skilled not just relevant to the demand of reinvented workplaces and ecosystems but also in alignment to their aptitude and innate talents.

Features

• Can be ordered via the online B2C platform
• Caters to the entire career journey, right from self-discovery to skilling and employability, while addressing student needs such as course selection, test preparation, scholarships and prospective employee connect.
• Provides complete assessment through what it calls a combination of ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ and combines genomic testing to determine the genetic predisposition and inherent traits of an individual, with psychometrics to capture the impact of environment on personality
• Considers empirical evidence of cognitive astromancy to decode natal strengths
• A data driven approach transforms insights from all of these three pillars to provide a holistic assessment to students and professionals, guide them to a career path and help them upskill and re-skill in areas aligned to their personality and strengths
• Comes with an insights / video counselling session conducted by certified coaches who are able to demystify the results and give personalised guidance

Gadgets: Series of LED, QLEDs Smart TVs with next generation picture quality and Krakatoa inbuilt speakers

SCAPE TV, one of India’s fastest growing Bangalore-based Smart TV startup, launched a series of its three ‘Made in India’ variants which includes Regular IPS Smart TVs, OLED and QLEDs. To provide high end premium quality to the Indian customers, the company is manufacturing the units in India and offering aesthetically pleasing features at an affordable range.

The Regular IPS Smart TVs will be available in 32-inch, 40-inch, UHD 43-inch, UHD 50- inch and UHD 65-inch wherein QLED TVs offers 4k metal series which includes 50 Inch, 55 Inch, 65 inch, 75 inch and 86 inches size options and OLED TV will be available in 65-inch model only. Scape is accessible in 9 states and through 500+ retailers, with manufacturing units in Bangalore and Faridabad.

Yadhu Krishnan, CEO of SCAPE TV said, “We started this organization in 2020 with an aim to become a young, dynamic, technology-oriented Indian startup who introduces luxury and high end quality premium consumer products which gives a strong competition to top brands in the same price range. With the new line up launch, we are a proud Indian company which offers the extreme viewing experience and luxury feel to every Indian and are on the way to capture 6-8% market share in the Indian market by December 2022.”

The Why

Scape TVs have sold more than 9000 TV units and have generated a revenue of 9 crores. The startup has tied up with a major retail chain in south India and is looking at a sales of INR100 crore by the end of 2022.

Features

• The TV models will be available in 3 different variants- Regular-based Smart TV, OLED and QLED.
• The brand has also launched 65 inches model under OLED TV priced at INR 1,29,990
• The Scape T.V is working on the ideology of Made-in-India
• Scape T.V is here to provide the utmost quality and luxury with an aesthetically pleasing product.
• Regular Smart TV starting from INR 13990, QLED from INR 45990

Precision component manufacturing: Innovative solution for firefighting

WIKA India (WIKA Instruments India Pvt. Ltd)—a wholly-owned subsidiary of WIKA Global (WIKA Alexander Wiegand SE & Co. KG, Germany), has recently launched the model FSFD– the fire sprinkler flow detector model, designed to detect the water flow in wet pipe sprinkler.

Gaurav Bawa, Managing Director and Vice President of WIKA India mentioned, “The new model FSFD has been designed to detect the water flow in wet sprinkler systems once the sprinkler has been triggered. We hope to make this product easy to use and applicable to both industrial and domestic segments. WIKA India is dedicated to bring the best for the Indian customers and this is one of the first products out. There will be others in the pipeline.”

The Why

WIKA, a specialist in precision component manufacturing associated to pressure, temperature, level, flow, and force for critical industrial applications, has launched this indigenous solution for safety industry like firefighting. The product approved by UL and FM is aimed to provide complete solutions to building sites and construction projects.

Features

• The flow switch is fitted with a pneumatic time delay mechanism that can be set from 0 … 70 seconds via an adjustment dial to avoid false alarms during water surges.
• Two sets of microswitches activate the control panel and the local audible warnings.
• The tamper-proof screws on the cover prevents any unauthorized access to the switch point setting.
• The design is suitable for indoor and outdoor applications and equipped with error-free installation instructions.
• The FSFD flow switch is suitable for both industrial and residential applications, where signalling the local hooters and control panel upon sprinkler activation is needed.
• Since the FSFD flow switch is designed to be fitted for pipe sizes between 2” to 8″ in various pipe schedules, the product provides a complete solution for construction projects.

Web3: A new multi-platform entertainment franchise built on NEAR

Actress, producer, and Web3 innovator Mila Kunis and superhero creator Sharad Devarajan launched Armored Kingdom Media Inc., a new multi-platform, global entertainment universe spanning a Web3 trading card game, digital comics, animation and film. To commemorate the launch, a limited-edition Issue #0 comic book NFT was available for free, for 7 days at ArmoredKingdom.com.

Devarajan is the Founder of Graphic India, one of Asia’s leading comic, animation and creative studios, which will develop and produce the visual universe of Armored Kingdom across the various media platforms. The Company will also help bring the property to the rising Asian and Indian web3 gaming community. Graphic India has previously launched some of the biggest NFT drops based on Indian-themed content, leading the regional Web3 character entertainment and metaverse movement.

This will be the first comic and game championed by Kunis, an avid TCG/MMO gamer, who has previously launched a number of projects in the Web3 animation space. “I lost a good part of my youth to gaming, from World of WarCraft to Settlers of Catan. The moment I dove into Web3, I saw the opportunity to create an immersive universe where blockchain technology deepens the gaming experience and makes it more personal and immersive for every fan. Armored Kingdom will allow gamers to relate to their characters and gear in a revolutionary way, and we can’t wait to share more of that with you very soon” said Kunis.

The Why

Founded with Lindsey McInerney and Lisa Sterbakov, Armored Kingdom is built on NEAR – a carbon-neutral, community-driven blockchain. The sci-fi / fantasy universe, developed by creator Hugh Sterbakov and writer / game designer Brian Turner heralds a new evolution of media franchise, blending technology and narrative worldbuilding to create an immersive universe, reinventing the relationship between fans and fantasy.

Features

• A five-issue series of both digital and physical comics will be the first asset launched in the collection, bringing people inside the world of Armored Kingdom and setting the stage for the digital card game launching later this year.
• The mythology of Armored Kingdom chronicled in the digital comics will be further explored in the trading card game, which will be phase two for the franchise.

Agtech: Pilot study to double farmers’ income using technology interventions

For the benefit of the farmers, Noida based Agritech company, Leads Connect Services launched the Seamless Digital Implementation & Ground Monitoring Platform for Delivering End-to-End AgriTech Analytics Services to Farmers (SIGMAA) pilot study in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. The SIGMAA study aims to identify and develop regions for high-value and high-quality crops such as Basmati rice, wheat, and mustard. An additional objective is to double the farmers’ income using sustainable farm practices and technological interventions. The study will be conducted for 4 seasons, starting from Kharif 2022–23 (June 2022) and ending in Rabi 2023-2024 (April 2024).

The study was launched in Tulia village of Bareilly by Shri. Santosh Gangwar, Member of Parliament. At the launch of SIGMAA, the farmers of Tulia and Jogither villages were advised on the usage of sustainable farm practices and technological interventions. A demonstration of Kisaan drones and fertilizer sprays was also conducted to make the farmers aware on the usage.

Navneet Ravikar, Chairman & Managing Director, Leads Connect Services, commented, “The organisation is looking forward to SIGMAA because of its ground-level impact. There is a real need to decipher the influence of local field conditions on agricultural productivity. With this study, we’ll build a digital platform that can take in real-time scenarios and use predictive analytics to support farmers from sowing to selling. Capitalising on stage-wise data to reduce crop risk, and improve farm management practices, we’ll provide farm inputs, send alerts and share advisories on how to enhance yield, effectively doubling income for farmers.”

The Why

Leads Connect chose Bareilly to conduct the pilot study for its potential to be a market linkage hub as the city is not only in proximity to the commercial nodal centres of India but also a thriving urban cluster itself, an indispensable requirement for building a sustainable value chain. For the pilot study, 150 farmers will be on-boarded from these two 2 villages of Bareilly, using a field app and platform.

After calculating the Agricultural Credit Score (ACS) for each farm and farmer, seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides will be distributed based on expert advisory. The study would also utilise a technology-based crop suitability analysis report to determine the best crop for the region. During the crop cycle, real-time monitoring will be conducted in situ and through the one-stop digital platform. Satellite & IOT/UAV will be leveraged for continuous data collection. The learnings from the study will be used to develop and implement models across Uttar Pradesh.

Features

• The study will be able to give farmers crucial information about which crop and its variety are most suitable for sowing with just a click.
• They’ll have access to real-time agronomic intelligence, forecasting, and support throughout the crop cycle to drastically improve yield.
• They’re giving Drone Analytics as a Service (DraaS) to farmers to assess crop health, fertiliser/pesticide spraying, and crop loss.
• The pilot solves one of the hardest challenges for farmers: market linkages.

Cloud: New malware protection for uploaded files

Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the cloud company unveiled Malware Protection, which shields web applications and APIs from malicious uploads. The solution expands Akamai’s web application and API protection (WAAP), detecting and blocking malware at the edge, preventing it from reaching targeted systems where it can detonate and spread.

The Why

“Business processes across a variety of industries have shifted to web applications and users are uploading far more files than before,” said Patrick Sullivan, CTO, Security Strategy for Akamai. “With Malware Protection, Akamai is helping customers to easily reduce risk resulting from files uploaded via Web Apps right at the Edge. This addresses a growing concern among Akamai customers and provides added assurance that their online assets are protected.”

Features

• Addresses the growing problem of malware embedded in files uploaded to web applications such as travel and hospitality, financial sites, customer portals and content management systems
• Provides a modern approach to protection, inspecting files uploaded to applications and APIs on the Akamai Intelligent Edge network, detecting and blocking malware at the edge.
• Because the malware scanning engine is hosted completely on the Akamai Intelligent Edge, there is nothing for customers to install and no changes in application code are required. This makes it easier to deploy and maintain than alternative approaches, such as Internet Content Adaptation Protocol (ICAP)-integrated solutions.
• Because malware is blocked at the edge, Malware Protection also provides a better security outcome, isolating threats from targeted origins.

Video management: Software upgrade to manage incidents directly in VMS & connect video footage with incidents as they unfold

Milestone Systems introduced new XProtect Incident Manager. In the latest product update of its video management software, Milestone introduces several new features and capabilities.

With the introduction of the XProtect Incident Manager in 2022 R2, users will be able to manage incidents directly in their VMS and connect video footage with incidents as they unfold.

In the latest product update of Milestone System’s XProtect 2022 R2 video management software, Milestone introduces several new features and capabilities.

The Why

With the new release of Milestone XProtect 2022 R2, the Essential+ version of XProtect will replace the previous version in AWS Marketplace. Users will now be able to have all XProtect 2022 R2 product variants on AWS for optimized storage and transmission. The 2022 R2 version will be added to the previous version in AWS Marketplace, beginning July 5.

Features

• Managing and monitoring incidents with the click of one button, offering the Essential+ version of XProtect on AWS Marketplace starting on July 5, and improving license plate recognition to include style recognition.
• The new XProtect Incident Manager enables users to capture any live feed with a single click.
• When the incident is over, users can stop the capture and start filling in incident details.
• Incident types are fully configurable, allowing users to define incident types and details for reporting.
• Configuration options include free text, drop-downlists, dates and time fields, and several other options.
• Previously recorded footage can also be added to an incident to strengthen the evidence.

EV: Solution for ISO 26262-compliant EV motor control applications

Extending the world’s broadest line of inductive position sensors into the EV motor control market, Microchip Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: MCHP) announced the LX34070 IC that has been purpose-built for EV motor control applications. It includes differential outputs, fast sample rates and features that make it functional-safety-ready for ISO 26262 compliance in the Automotive Safety Integrity Level–C (ASIL–C) classification.

“The LX34070 inductive position sensor enables lighter, smaller, more reliable motor control solutions that meet stringent safety requirements, reduce overall system costs, and can operate seamlessly and precisely in the noisy environment of an automobile’s DC motors, high currents and solenoids,” said Fanie Duvenhage, vice president of Microchip’s mixed signal and linear analog business unit.

“Designers can use the LX34070 to further streamline EV motor control designs by pairing it with other functional-safety-ready Microchip devices including our 8-bit AVR® and PIC® microcontrollers, our 32-bit microcontrollers, and our dsPIC® digital signal controllers.”

The Why

Developers of motor control systems are rapidly replacing Hall Effect position sensors and older magnetic resolver solutions with inductive alternatives that eliminate expensive magnets and other heavy transformer-based structures so they can be integrated onto simple, compact printed circuit boards (PCBs).

The LX34070 inductive position sensor solution offers numerous advantages compared to magnetic resolvers and Linear Voltage Differential Transducers (LVDTs), at a fraction of the cost.

Features

• By using PCB traces rather than transformer-based magnetic windings and coil structures, the LX34070 device has negligible size and mass compared to alternatives that weigh as much as a pound.
• Accuracy is improved since the LX34070 does not depend on magnet strength, and the device improves robustness by actively rejecting stray magnetic fields.
• Designers have flexibility over where they can place the thin, lightweight PCB-based LX34070 solution in their EV motor control designs.
• PCB-based inductive position sensors use a primary coil to generate an AC magnetic field that couples with two secondary coils. A small metal target object disturbs the magnetic field so that each secondary coil receives a different voltage whose ratio is used to calculate absolute position.