Speaking to mediapersons here on Wednesday, Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi stated, "Users of the app will receive alert at least one hour before lightning strikes in that particular area, thus helping them move to safer places."
In fact the Odisha government has decided to collaborate with the US-based Earth Network to install lightning detection system in the State. A meeting in this regard was recently held under chairmanship of Chief Secretary AP Padhi, informed the SRC.
Users not having smartphones or internet facilities can get the info through SMSs, he said.
“A total of 61 people have lost their lives due to lightning between April and May 22 this year, "he said adding that 459 had died in Odisha during 2017-18.One can call up State Control room - 1070 and District Control room - 1077 to get help, the SRC mentioned.
Developed in house by the department of Systems, both the applications were launched by A K Jha, Chairman & Managing Director of MCL on the occasion of 26th Foundations Day of the company, MCL said in a release.
Appreciating the department of Systems of MCL for developing these applications, Jha said these android-based mobile applications would be beneficial for company's stakeholders.
Mobile Application for Bill Tracking System (BTS) has been developed with an objective to provide a tool to valued vendors/contractors through which they can view the status of bills submitted by them in MCL. This application provides real-time status of the bills which will result in bringing more transparency in the entire activity.
Similarly, the objective of mobile application for CSR is to provide some useful information related to the CSR activities completed/undergoing across several districts of Odisha. The CSR Information application contains head wise, schedule VII wise, area wise and district wise expenditure reports and major activities under CSR. It also contains information about the CSR policy, annual report and budget and expenditure details under CSR of MCL, it said.
On December 29, a letter from the Union Agriculture Ministry directed all State governments to ensure that farmers install a specially developed mobile application on their handsets to keep abreast of crop insurance services on a periodic basis.
“Crop Insurance mobile app can be used to calculate the Insurance Premium for notified crops based on the coverage area and loan amount in case of loanee farmer. It can also be used to get details of normal sum insured, extended sum insured, premium details and subsidy information of any notified crop in any notified area,” the letter read.
“Mobile First is one of the key principles of e-Kranti which says all electronic services should be delivered through numerous mobile channels like mobile apps, SMS, USSD and IVRS,” it further noted.
The Centre’s project, however is yet to take off in Odisha due to non-distribution of Android mobile phones, the app friendly devices.
“We have earmarked Rs 1.8 crore for mobiles which will be distributed among farmers during this financial year. Very soon we’ll set up technical committees at district and Block levels to teach basic knowledge regarding the app and other technicalities,” Cooperation minister Damodar Rout said.
This year, the State government has decided to distribute 25,000 mobiles among farmers of the State. Official sources said as many as 18,000 cell phones were distributed among farmers in 2013-14.
In Odisha, the free mobile distribution scheme was launched in 2013 aiming at ensuring that farmers get market and agriculture related information. The cell phones are distributed among selected leading farmers through Regulated Market Committees (RMCs).
Google informed the beta testers about ending the experimental app over an email, The Verge reported on Wednesday.
"As you know, 'Reply' was an experiment, and that experiment has now ended. While it might still work for the next few months, you may encounter bugs, or see that the suggestions aren't as good," the report quoted the search-engine giant as saying.
Apart from messaging apps, "Reply" was also supposed to roll out for other services including Calender and Maps to offer potential smart reply suggestions for appointments and commute estimates based on a user's current location and traffic conditions.
"The app's automated responses were often bland, leaned toward affirmative answers, or just simply parroted the noun from the message that was received. It also tended to offer 'I love you' as a default third response regardless of context," the report added.
Launched in February, the smart reply app was part of Google's "Area 120" division that incubates and tests new apps.
Google plans to take into consideration learnings noted in the process of testing "Reply" and incorporate them in other products like Gmail's Smart Compose and Smart Reply, the report said.
The disorder leads to an irregular, often rapid heart rate that commonly causes poor blood flow.
It is also behind 20-30 per cent of all strokes and raises the risk of premature death, but outlook improves dramatically with oral anticoagulation therapy.
The novel app measures the heart rhythm using inputs of symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath or fatigue.
It is to be used by holding the left index finger in front of the smartphone camera for one minute.
The app also automatically generates a report, along with a copy of the rhythm traces as well as an interpretation, the researchers said.
"Most people have a smartphone with a camera which is all they need to detect atrial fibrillation. This is a low-cost way to screen thousands of people for a condition which is becoming more prevalent and can have serious consequences unless treated," said principal investigator Pieter Vandervoort, Professor at the University of Hasselt, Belgium.
In the study, the participants were instructed to use their own smartphone to measure their heart rhythm twice a day for one week.
The average age of the screened population was 50 years and 58 per cent were male.
A total of 9,889 (80 per cent) participants had regular (sinus) rhythm, 136 (1.1 per cent) had atrial fibrillation, 2,111 (17 per cent) had other irregular rhythms, and 191 (2 per cent) had measurements of insufficient quality for analysis.
"This technology has real potential to find people with previously unknown atrial fibrillation so they can be treated," Vandervoort noted.
The results were presented at the ESC Congress 2018, the annual conference of the European Society of Cardiology in Munich.
The finding published in the journal IEEE Access, suggests that the novel method can extend the battery life of smartphones for up to an hour each day.
"The built-in multi-window feature released with the new Android Operating System allows users to have multiple windows and files open at the same time similar to a laptop, but this results in unnecessary energy drain," said co-author Kshirasagar Naik, professor at the University of Waterloo.
"We have developed an app which users can install on their devices and use to reduce the brightness of non-critical applications," Naik added.
For the study, the app was evaluated in an experiment involving 200 smartphone users, who downloaded the software on their devices and used it while they had multiple windows opened.
The researchers found that when the energy saving technique was used it extended their battery life by 10 to 25 per cent.
"What happens now is that you put the phone on a charger for the night and when you leave home the next day the battery is at 100 per cent, but there is a lot of behind the scenes computation and communication going on, and it drains the battery," said Naik.
"By midday charge is reduced to 30 per cent. So, you need to charge the battery many times in a day, and from the user's perspective that is a big pain."
Due to the excess energy consumption, the phone becomes warmer and warmer while the frequent charging reduces the life of the battery. So, batteries that are meant to last for three years may have to be replaced in two years, the researchers noted.
Aptly named "FoodSwitch", the app can help users scan a packaged food's barcode, quickly see its nutritional rating and identify similar foods that are healthier.
"FoodSwitch is unique in that users don't have to hunt for healthier alternatives. They're all listed in the app," Mark Huffman, Associate Professor at Northwestern University in the US said in a statement released by the university.
Unlike other nutrition apps, FoodSwitch also asks users to crowdsource information on new and changing foods within a country's food supply to update the app's 268,000-product database in real time.
The app provides a simple "Health Star Rating" that scores each food between 0.5 stars of unhealthy to 5 stars of the healthiest.
The scoring is based on a scientific algorithm that weighs the impact of different nutrients on health.
The app also provides a breakdown of the food's fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt in grams and gives a percentage of an adult's daily intake for each, which is shown as red, yellow and green lights.
When a food gets few stars or multiple red lights, consumers can see it's high in fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt.
Users also can compare multiple products in the same category, such as regular and fat-free salad dressing, to quickly determine which product is healthier.
"That's when you should take a step back and say, 'Maybe, I shouldn't be eating this. What else is out there?'" Huffman said.
FoodSwitch has launched successfully in many countries, including India, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, China, South Africa and Hong Kong, and is available in Apple and Google Play stores.
Image source: News.com.au
The new feature would offer users the option to set a daily time limit as well as a link to manage their Facebook notifications, TechCrunch reported late on Friday.
"We're always working on new ways to help make sure people's time on Facebook is time well spent," a Facebook spokesperson was quoted as saying by TechCrunch.
Previously, companies such as Apple and Google have rolled out features to keep a tab on the time people spent on their computers and smartphones.
"This self-policing could be important since both iOS and Android are launching their own screen time monitoring dashboards that reveal which apps are dominating your attention and can alert you or lock you out of apps when you hit your time limit," the report added.
According to the report, Facebook claimed that the feature is in development, although it would not say when or even if it would be launching for all users.
When the app is in Sleep Mode, kids cannot send or receive messages or video calls, play with the creative camera or receive notifications.
If they try to open the app, they'll see a message telling them that it's in sleep mode and to come back later.
"Parents told us they would like controls that make the app inaccessible at a certain time, like during dinner, homework time or bedtime. We took this feedback to heart and built a feature that gives that level of control to parents," Tarunya Govindarajan, Product Manager at Facebook, said in a blog post late Friday.
With Sleep Mode, parents can set a designated off time and each day at the designated time, the app will "go to sleep" and not be accessible to kids during those hours.
The mode is controlled from the Parent Control centre in the parent's Facebook account and the "off times" can be changed at any time.
This is how it works.
Go to the Messenger Kids controls in the main Facebook app. Tap on the child's name, and then on Sleep Mode in the App Controls' section.
"Set the times you want the app to turn off for your child. You can set different times for weekdays versus weekends. Once you set the limits, the child will not be able to use the app during those hours," Govindarajan wrote.
Parents can access all of their controls from the Messenger Kids controls in the main Facebook app.
"In addition to Sleep Mode, parents can add and remove contacts, delete the child's account, or create a new account right from the control panel," the post added.
Since its launch in December 2017, Messenger Kids is facing widespread criticism for encouraging children to join social media.
Child health experts the world over have written to Facebook to withdraw the app designed specifically for children under the age of 13.
British Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt in December warned the social media giant to stay away from his children.
"Facebook told me they would come back with ideas to PREVENT underage use of their product, but instead they are actively targeting younger children. Stay away from my kids please Facebook and act responsibly!" Hunt had posted on Twitter.
Facebook has been testing this feature since last year and after responding to feedback and adding more partners, the company rolled it out in the US on iOS, Android and desktop.
"Today, we're taking the time out of finding what you want to eat by officially launching the ability to order food for pick-up or delivery, directly on Facebook," Alex Himel, Vice President of Local, wrote in a blog late on Friday.
"People already go to Facebook to figure out what to eat by reading about nearby restaurants, and seeing what their friends say about them. So, we're making it even easier," Himel added.
Facebook combines options from several food ordering services so users do not have to search through multiple places to find what they are looking for.
From local spots to national chains, Facebook would connect a user with old favourites and new discoveries and order food by checking the ratings by friends.
Users can browse restaurants nearby by visiting the 'Order Food' section in the 'Explore' menu. Browse for food options and select 'Start Order' for takeout or delivery services.
According to a report in TechCrunch, Twitter's iTunes App Store page no longer notes compatibility with the Apple Watch.
With the rollout of the Twitter for iOS (version 7.8) iOS app, the Apple Watch app was removed, the report noted.
"@Twitter killed Twitter for Apple Watch without saying anything. Why are you so determined to ruin your service for me, @jack?" one Apple Watch user tweeted.
A Twitter spokesperson told TechCrunch: "We heard from people that notifications were the most helpful part of the Apple Watch Twitter experience. With this, we are focusing on supporting more robust, media-rich notifications.
"We are committed to providing the very best Twitter experience on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Apple Watch, and we'll continue to iterate and improve our apps across all platforms."
Not just Twitter, Google has also quit Apple Watch platform in the recent past.
"Google pulled support for Google Maps on the Apple Watch earlier this year, and retailers including Amazon and eBay did the same," the report said.
A dedicated WhatsApp button showed up in the Facebook app of some users on the Android platform, which acted like a shortcut to open the chat app, The Next Web reported late on Friday.
The new button, which can be found in the menu area of the app, is currently available to a few users on the Android version of the app, but might be available to some iOS users too.
There has not been any formal announcement by the social media giant and it is unclear whether it will become available to all Facebook users.
The feature was first reported by Facebook user Arvind Iyer, who said the new shortcut appeared after he switched the app's language setting to Danish.
The company has previously chosen Denmark for other limited rollouts like its standalone video-sharing app "Bonfire", the report added.
Facebook is also working on a new feature called "Instant Videos" that downloads Facebook videos while connected with Wi-Fi to help the users save their data.
The "Instant Videos" would be similar to Facebook's hosted content format -- "Instant Articles" that loads faster than mobile websites.
Using the new brain-computer interface application, developed by Gernot Muller-Putz, scientist at Austria's Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), people can compose music and transfer onto a musical score by wearing an electrode-equipped cap that measures their brain waves.
Such systems are utilised to help users do things such as writing text.
The interface works when users select from the various options, such as letters or notes, pauses, chords, which flash by one after the other on a computer screen. They can also stipulate tone length and pitch.
As these things are selected, they appear as notations on a separate music-composing programme. Once the piece is completed, it can then be played back through that software, the researchers said.
"Some 20 years ago, the idea of composing a piece of music using the power of the mind was unimaginable. Now we can do it, and at the same time have tens of new, different ideas which are in part, once again, a long way from becoming reality," Muller-Putz said.
"We still need a bit more time before it is mature enough for daily applications. The brain-computer interface community is working in many directions at high pressure," Muller-Putz added.
For the study, described in the journal PLOS ONE, the team successfully tested on 18 healthy test subjects, all of whom had some basic musical and compositional knowledge, since they all played musical instruments.
"After a short training session, all of them could start composing and seeing their melodies on the score and then play them," Muller-Putz said.
A duty doctor at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital said Mishra was transferred to the recovery room of the emergency department where he was being monitored.
"He (Mishra) was brought to the recovery room five minutes after he was admitted to the emergency department. His condition is stable. We are monitoring him," the duty doctor told IANS.
Mishra, who has been on hunger strike since Wednesday, fainted while making a presentation on the irregularities in the financial transactions of the Aam Aadmi Party.
The in-app charges occurred from purchases made by kids when playing with freemium apps.
A US federal court in 2016 ruled that Amazon had failed to "clearly inform parents that free apps may still include in-app purchases, and did not provide enough notice and password requirements to prevent unwanted charges."
According to a report in Verge on Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimated that parents were charged upwards of $70 million between November 2011 and May 2016.
According to the FTC, Amazon will begin is refund programme "shortly".
In November 2016, Amazon had requested a US district court that it would make refunds in form of gift cards, but the request was rejected.
It is, therefore, expected that the company will refund affected customers money back directly to their debit or credit card, or through paper checks.
New Delhi: A group of students at IIT Roorkee have developed a mobile application -- Dhadkan -- for monitoring the health of people suffering from heart ailments and provide them with medical assistance in case of emergency.
The application developed by Computational Biology group at IIT-Roorkee can automatically send notification to both the doctor and the patient, in case of any drastic changes in patients health data indicating the possibility of an imminent heart attack.
Explaining how the app works, Sharma said it collects patients data (at any desired interval) including blood pressure, heart rate, and weight, and transmits it to the authorised care-giver (a doctor, nurse or paramedic) who is linked to the patient during initial registration.
"It also provides for two-way communication between doctors and patients. In addition, patients can send ECG report(s) to the doctor (if needed). The app not only eliminates the need for manual monitoring of each patient by the doctor but also helps them in proactively recommending precautionary action during the treatment period," he said.
Image source: PTI
That's with the help of a new mobile app that MasterCard has come up with, CNET.com reported. The app uses facial recognition to verify your identity.
After downloading the app, you pay for things by simply looking at your phone and blinking once.
The blink prevents thieves from showing the app a picture of your face in an attempt to fool it. Alternatively, the app can read your fingerprint.
The app doesn't send either your fingerprint or a picture of your face to MasterCard. Instead, it converts the image into code and sends it to MasterCard.
MasterCard says it's secure, but any transmitted data is potentially vulnerable. By contrast, Apple's Touch ID fingerprint verification, for example, happens entirely on your iPhone and no data is transmitted.
The new biometric methods for verifying your identity could replace passwords or PIN codes. MasterCard currently asks for a password to verify purchases with its SecureCode system.
It's not clear when the app will be available to customers. The company is reportedly also experimenting with voice recognition and even a method of verifying your identity by reading your heartbeat.
The app called Aashiqui allows users to set a background "cover" image for their profiles and choose two profile photos.
The posts (users and their group of friends) made via the app including status updates, photos, check-ins and the music they are currently listening to are seen in a straightforward, reverse-chronological timeline.
Also, there is an option which lets users update their statuses in two different ways: Users can either update a status the traditional way, or they can use a photo from Aashiqui's gallery.
Gurnam Sunny, CEO of Aashiqui, said: "It was my dream to make social networking more interesting and unique. Through Aashiqui App you can do everything you do on Facebook but we have managed to add several unique features."
The hashtag feature is also available and clicking on hashtags will take the user to feeds of public posts that contain the same hashtag.
There is also an instant messenger option for group chats. The app can be downloaded from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
The News app, which was launched at Apple's world wide developers conference (WWDC) in San Francisco, will give an innovative reading experience with the use of pictures, infographics and custom fonts and layouts.
It will be available to users with the release of iOS 9 in September-November.
According to Apple, the News app will allow users to follow over a million topics and pull relevant stories based on specific interests that can be easily shared or saved for later, without compromising on privacy.
"News seamlessly delivers the articles you want to read in a beautiful and uncluttered format, while respecting your privacy, because Apple doesn't share your personal data," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of internet software and services.
"We already have nearly 20 publishers representing more than 50 titles joining us, including Conde Nast, ESPN, The New York Times, Hearst, Time Inc., CNN and Bloomberg."
According to Bob Sauerberg, president of Conde Nast, all premium content deserves a premium mobile experience and "the News app delivers that".
"News offers an environment that combines the rich, immersive design of our photography, artwork and editorial expertise with the interactivity and dynamism of digital media."
The app is called "Ego" and it's intended to be used only for selfies. It's a free app in the App Store, abc11.com reported.
People take selfies everywhere these days, from the fancy restaurant to a leisurely walk in the evening.
"That's human nature, you want to show people what you're doing, cool things, and there isn't always a photographer around to capture those moments," app creator Sam Waters, a Duke University graduate, was quoted as saying.
Waters said people have so many selfies they haven't posted because they feel embarrassed to post them on social media. So, Waters created an app just for selfies.
"You're not trying to be vain about it, you're just showing great moments that are happening in your life in a really convenient way," Waters said.
You create a username and one word to describe yourself, and then start posting. You have a feed and people can see what you post, and they 'Boost your Ego' if they like your picture.
"On Ego, you can create a portfolio of these images and create a storybook of your life."
Waters says there will be no more shame in taking selfies, or embarrassment in posting them to social media.
The researchers have developed the app to fill the time gap we spend waiting for a friend or co-worker to respond while we are chatting on GChat.
WaitChatter, a Chrome extension for GChat, generates interactive foreign language vocabulary exercises, so you can make the most of your time as a conversation partner is typing out a response.
Carrie Cai, a PhD student at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, discovered that the average person spends up to 15 minutes a day waiting for replies, in other words about an hour and a half a week.
"But what if you could do something constructive with those moments like, say, learn a language? That's precisely what the new app provides," Cai said in MIT Technology Review.
And what makes the system effective is that it detects when you are waiting for an instant message.
"This integrated approach, which we call 'wait-learning', is far less likely to be perceived as time consuming or intrusive compared to using a separate learning app," Cai said.
Another key differentiator is that WaitChatter is embedded right within the chatbox.
With most other micro-learning apps, like Duolingo, users may feel as if they have to make a significant extra effort or set aside time to study up.
With WaitChatter, they don't have to close a window or even switch apps, since it's incorporated into the programme they are already using.
WaitChatter has been tested in two languages: French and Spanish.
In a two-week pilot study, WaitChatter users learned an average of four words per day. The system pulls words from both a built-in list and from the user's ongoing chat conversations.
For example, people discussing their pets might be quizzed on terms about animals, while those chatting about an upcoming Starbucks date will learn words for "coffee" and "tea".
The recipient of the "gift" tells the app named Trace how long they want the walk to last and receives step-by-step directions that eventually reveal the hidden shape on a map.
Thus Trace forces walkers to relinquish control, go where the app directs them and in some cases experience travelling through a city quite differently than they are used to.
"For some people it was a delight to find that slowing down allowed them to meet new people or see familiar sites in their neighbourhood in new ways, but at the same time giving up that control was a stress for other folks who had a routine, " said project lead Daniela Rosner.
The researchers noted that unlike other apps that allow you to share a fixed route that you may have already run or biked, Trace allows a person to begin walking the route from any point in the city.
The walker can also make the shape bigger or smaller by specifying how long the walk should last.
The free app, available from Google and iTunes, was designed to explore how geographic information system (GIS) mapping technology shapes how we experience the simple act of walking.
"Our goal for this research wasn't necessarily to produce the next new app for walking, though we hope people will use and enjoy it," Rosner noted.
"It was to use the tool to start asking questions about what we expect from our GIS routing tools and about the role that technology can play in our walks," Rosner said.
The Solar Cell app provides sun-protection advice based on UV (ultraviolet) Index forecasts and personal information from the users. It also alerts users to apply or reapply sunscreen.
"The Solar Cell mobile app seemed to promote sun protection practices," the authors noted.
The researchers conducted a clinical trial to evaluate the mobile app by collecting data from a volunteer sample of 202 adults.
Of the 96 participants assigned to use the mobile app, 74 individuals (77 percent) used it.
The authors found that participants in the group that received the app used wide-brimmed hats more at the seven-week follow-up than control participants who did not receive the app (23.8 percent vs. 17.4 percent).
Women who used the app also reported more use of all sun protection (such as sunscreen, protective clothing and shade) combined than men (46.4 percent vs. 43.3 percent).
The Solar Cell app was developed by Klein Buendel Inc under a contract with the National Cancer Institute.
The study was published online in the journal JAMA Dermatology.
Smartphone and tablet users can experience the excitement of standing on the launch pad beneath NASA's massive new rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), the US space agency said in a statement.
Users can even launch the SLS from the top of their desk or off the floor, following the flight path with their phones.
Point the device up to see to the top of the rocket, or hold level to see the details of the solid rocket boosters and engines.
No matter where the user is, opening the scene viewer portion of the app shows what the device's camera would see if it were at the launch pad with the huge SLS rocket setting up for liftoff.
Take a look at the scene from a catwalk on the mobile launcher, too.
"As soon as I saw that scene viewer, I think that is when we all knew we had something that people would enjoy and would be pulled into. It gives people the perspective of being at the launch pad," said Andres Adorno, NASA's project manager for the app.
Called NASA 3DV, the inventive app shows viewers 3D models of the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System, the fixtures of NASA's push to send astronauts on deep space exploration missions to an asteroid and eventually Mars.
"It gives a true feeling of the things being built that are to come in the future," Adorno noted.
The app is available for iOS devices now and an Android-based version is already in the works.
Biofeedback is the process of gaining greater awareness of many physiological functions of one's own body, commercially by using electronic or other instruments, and with a goal of being able to manipulate the body's systems at will.
The ‘PanicMechanic' app can work at any time and in any location and is meant to be used as a supplement to professional clinical care.
‘PanicMechanic' uses the camera on a cell phone to measure the body's panic response, using an approach similar to photoplethysmography.
"Activating the app, then holding your finger against the flash can give you an objective measure of your reaction to stress," said Ryan McGinnis, Assistant Professor at the University of Vermont in the US, and a co-developer of the app.
"Panic takes hold and you feel like you're out of control of your body. By showing someone their patterns of physiological arousal, it helps them gain a sense of mastery over their panic response," said one of the app's developers, Ellen McGinnis.
Also Read: India Fights Coronavirus: Govt Unveils Aarogya Setu COVID-19 Tracker App
The app also works because it gives the panic sufferer something to do during an episode.
In addition to displaying an objective measure of the body's panic response, the app also asks, in a sequence of screens, "how much sleep and exercise you've had, what you ate, what your anxiety level is, and if you've consumed drugs or alcohol," she said.
The screens both occupy the panic sufferer and serve a useful purpose, providing data on behaviours and triggers associated with the attack that could be avoided in the future.
The app also predicts how long the panic attack will last, based on past attacks.
That's key, Ellen McGinnis said, because one of the most frightening aspects of a panic attack is that "it seems like it will never end."
PanicMechanic employs machine learning to make sure the data gathered by the user on the heart is accurate.
Also Read: IIT Alumni Develop Drone With Infrared Camera For Thermal Screening To Combat COVID-19
"Our beta testing showed that people can't always put their finger on their cell phone in free-living settings and get an accurate reading of their heart rate," Ryan McGinnis said.
PanicMechanic helps panic attack sufferers learn to understand their panic attacks. When they do that, working in partnership with their therapist, they've gone a long way toward stopping them," Ellen McGinnis noted.
(IANS)
Girish Vaisyaraj, a student of Electronics and Telecommunications at National Institute of Technology, Rourkela took 22 days to develop the mobile app and the idea came to his mind after knowing about the difficulties that people faced with no access to essentials amid the COVID-19 lockdown in his hometown Koraput.
In an exclusive interview to Odishatv.in, Girish, who does research work in the field of artificial intelligence spoke on how he built the e-commerce App "GoGrocy" to provide essentials to people in small towns.
"The idea came to my mind a few days before lockdown was declared by our prime minister. In such times, the worst sufferers are people staying in small towns like Jeypore and Sunabeda where there is either no access or limited access to essentials. So, I decided to start providing home delivery service of essentials by initially contacting some local vendors who agreed to collaborate," said Girish.
While it took 22 days to develop the app, he started to deliver goods by taking orders on WhatsApp from March 26. Girish himself started delivering goods to people and later appointed one person who assisted him.
"Many local residents in Jeypore started to place orders through WhatsApp. There are elderly people whose children are staying in foreign countries. Such people need assistance, so, I have added medicines apart from groceries in the item list that can be ordered through the app. However, for medicines, prescription is mandatory," said Girish.
Girish said, in future he is planning to collaborate with companies so that more products can be added to the list of deliverables so that the app becomes one-stop destination to get all products.
"The core idea is to provide digital space in semi-urban and rural areas and generate employment opportunity for the youth especially in places like Koraput," added Girish.
Though, there were challenges initially in getting permission to go to places for delivery, now things have become much better, he says.
Girish is currently working on a few other projects related to tackling COVID-19 and on artificial intelligence which may turn out to be groundbreaking.
Recently, Bhrugu Baxipatra, State general secretary of Odisha BJP took to Twitter and praised Girish for his achievement.
"Kudos to V Girish, a pre-final year student of NIT Rourkela, who has built an E-commerce App #GoGrocy to provide groceries to people in small towns. He himself is delivering the essentials in #Jeypore by following #SocialDistancing norms & wearing masks," Baxipatra tweeted.
Kudos to V Girish, a pre-final year student of NIT Rourkela, who has built an E-commerce App #GoGrocy to provide groceries to people in small towns.
He himself is delivering the essentials in #Jeypore by following #SocialDistancing norms & wearing masks.https://t.co/EEVVAFpuYJ pic.twitter.com/IaM9dvDt2B
— Bhrugu Baxipatra (@BhruguBJP) May 6, 2020
Speaking about the app, a user Binay Kumar Pattnaik said, "It's a great initiative. The app is friendly and easy to navigate. Please support these young guys and I suggest you guys please use this app and stay home stay safe in this lockdown."