Line Corporation, the Japanese subsidiary of South Korean internet company Naver Corporation, has entered into a ‘capital alliance’ with investment management firm Folio, which will see its service integrated into the Line messaging app. Following a Line investment in Folio, the pair will work to implement the service on the Line app – which now […]
India downloaded more apps than the US in 2017, a new report by app analytics provider App Annie has revealed. Riding on increased smartphone penetration and dirt-cheap 4G data access, India accounted for nearly 58 billion of the world’s 175 billion app downloads in 2017. Only China, the world’s largest internet market, is ahead with […]
Big Bazaar, one of the leading hypermarket chains from Future Group, has for the first time created a mobile game to promote its mega property, ‘Big Bazaar Sabse Saste 5 Din’. Designed and executed by L & K Saatchi & Saatchi, Big Bazaar’s ‘Deal Skyfall – Sabse Saste 5 Din’ game is set to transform […]
AR (augmented reality) technology company Blippar has teamed up with Unilever’s Magnum ice cream brand and Mindshare to launch its first Asia-Pacific campaign using its AR digital placement (ARDP) unit. The ‘Make My Magnum’ experience allows users to create their own personalised Magnums—by selecting from a list of 18 toppings—on their smartphones using Blippar’s ARDP. […]
Mobile messaging service Hike just launched Total, a new service that lets Android users in India make payments to businesses and transfer money, read news, book train tickets, and chat with their contacts on the platform – all without mobile data. The company, which claims 100 million users on its platform, has been working for […]
Southeast Asian ride-hailing firm Grab today said it has acquired Bengaluru-based payments startup iKaaz to strengthen its payments platform. Grab, which competes with the likes of US-based Uber, said the “rich functionality of iKaaz mobile payments platform and its experienced leadership team will accelerate feature development and partner integration of GrabPay (its payments platform)”. It, […]
BMW has acquired Parkmobile, an app that provides guidance and services for those looking for parking in North America, including on-street and garage parking payments and spot reservation. BMW Group had already held a minority investment in the company, and owned its Parkmobile Group Europe affiliate, but today it increased its holdings to reach majority […]
Lyft has finally opened up Concierge to businesses and organizations of all sizes. The program allows members to hail rides for other people, giving companies a way to offer that extra touch of service to customers, especially those who can’t call for a ride themselves due to one thing or another. Concierge launched in 2016 […]
As cars grow more connected and more dependent on software, cybersecurity is becoming a more important issue for automakers. The occasional public scares involving so-called “car hackings” are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this complex problem. Hoping to turn said problem into a new business opportunity, BlackBerry CEO John Chen […]