Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li>After Brazil and Middle East, <keyword id="3749909" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bytedance">ByteDance</keyword> shuts down Vigo Video in India to focus on other businesses. </li><li>It will be not functional in India from October 31, 2020. </li></ul>After Brazil and Middle East, ByteDance has decided to shut down its video blogging app Vigo Video in India. In a statement released on Vigo Video’s blog, it said, “Moving forward we have decided to focus energy and resources on other businesses. Until October 31, users and creators are being given time to manage the transition.” Users on Vigo Video will be informed about the app shutting via in-app notifications with detailed instruction on downloading their personal data or deleting their account permanently, including videos, personal information, chat history and favorite list. Meanwhile, users can export their content onto TikTok.

ByteDance shuts down Vigo Video in India to focus on other businesses

<ul><li>Indian government has banned over 250 <keyword id="6022999" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="chinese-apps">Chinese apps</keyword> over the last year, due to the geopolitical crisis with the neighbouring country.</li><li>The ban on Chinese apps impacted the short video segment the most, as it found itself in a void with the absence of top two players in the segment.</li><li>While many alternatives have emerged to give a tough competition to <keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="TikTok">TikTok</keyword>, any real competition to PUBG still does not exist.</li></ul>You can now find Vassundhara Pandita, a former TikTok creator, entertaining about 4.5 million users on <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>’s Sharechat-owned Moj app. Just like her, thousands of Indian creators have set their camps on different short video apps that came into existence in the past one year, after the government of India decided to ban <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/checkout-the-name-of-the-chinese-banned-apps-in-india/articleshow/76696132.cms">59 Chinese apps</a> on this day (June 29). The banned apps not only included TikTok, the biggest short video platform in the world with a user base of 200+ million in India alone, but its alternatives Likee and Vigo as well. Vigo was owned by TikTok’s Chinese parent ByteDance that was supposed to be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/advertising/ad-tech/news/bytedance-shuts-down-vigo-video-in-india-to-focus-on-other-businesses/articleshow/76382018.cms">shut by October 2020</a> to direct users towards TikTok, but all these efforts were futile. This is how TikTok creators’ hunt began to find the perfect Indian alternative that would help them continue entertaining millions of users and keep the flow of income running. But the first priority on the list was to redirect their followers to other social media platforms, most popularly <keyword id="819905" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Instagram">Instagram</keyword>. “I had to make short videos on my TikTok and YouTube [channels] to direct my followers to my Instagram handle,” says Vassundhara, who had more than five million followers on TikTok and goes by the username ‘@__vassundhara__’ on Instagram. As expected, Vassundhara and many other creators did lose their followers in this reshuffle, but thankfully finding the next stage turned out to be a little simpler. <h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:6pt;">Indian digital businesses fill up TikTok void</h2> Well established digital businesses were already on to finding their way to dominate the Indian short video platform, which was suddenly left with a void with the exit of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/slideshows/top-ten-most-downloaded-apps-in-india/slidelist/72977234.cms">top two players </a>-- TikTok and Likee From Sharechat to Dailyhunt, MXPlayer, Gaana, Zee5, you name it and they were already set to launch their Made-In-India offering. A few months later, even YouTube and Instagram decided to grab on to this opportunity and launch their respective hypershots entertainment offering in India. So, the competition was on and it was a pretty hot one. But Indian platforms did fairly well for themselves in this highly competitive market. Just like TikTok, many of these Indian alternatives have set a monetisation practice in place for these creators. Each creator on these platforms, with a specific number of followers and reach, is paid a certain undisclosed amount. Besides this, they are also allowed to take any paid promotional partnerships in their personal capacity without having to share their income with the platforms. There are only three shortcomings to the Indian alternatives at the moment. First, the limited market compared to TikTok that had its presence across the globe. Second, the limited market is further divided among the rival brands. Third, the not-so-great technological innovation and user-experience. While Instagram may have these problems figured out by integrating Reels into their image and video app. However, it is not a great offering in terms of the monetisation aspect. It was much easier for a content to blow up on TikTok, given its artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. It also offered more in-depth insights into the audience. On the other hand, it is much more difficult to blow up content on Instagram. “Instagram has its plus points, but it's not offering much payout to influencers at the moment… Also Instagram, I think, is focusing on a more lavish life and a glamorous one with money. Unlike TikTok, we see only one or two videos from the rural parts of India on Instagram. Moj and other Indian apps, and even TikTok for instance, push such contents as well,” Vassundhara added. However, the Indian alternatives have replaced TikTok in the eyes of content creators at least. “If TikTok comes back to India, creators will still take some time to move to the platform. As you know, a lot of controversies have happened around TikTok in India like the <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/carryminati-amir-siddiqui-youtube-vs-tiktok-6411239/">YouTube roast </a>or questions over its Chinese origin. People will take some time to understand this. By the time, creators will start going back to Moj or any other platform that may establish dominance,” Vassundhara said, adding the platform offers fair income to the creators from their end. Notably, TikTok may to make a comeback to the Indian market soon, as it has <a href="https://theprint.in/tech/tiktok-definitely-hopeful-india-ban-will-be-lifted-in-talks-with-govt-to-resume-operations/683916/">reportedly</a> started discussions with the government once again. <h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:6pt;">India Yet To Find PUBG’s Alternative</h2>The Indian government’s attack on Chinese apps took down close to over 250 apps in the last one year. This also includes South Korean online multiplayer battle royale game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG). PUBG had more than 175 million installations from India alone which accounted for 24% of the total installations worldwide. The ban on the online multiplayer battle royale game came due to its partnership with China-based Tencent Games. Tencent was PUBG Mobile’s licensed publisher in India. The duo ended their partnership in September 2020, and PUBG is now set to make a<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/battlegrounds-mobile-india-is-now-official-check-out-launch-date-downloads-and-more/articleshow/82427206.cms"> comeback</a> in India in a new avatar ‘BattleGrounds Mobile India’. The launch of BattleGrounds Mobile India may be subject to scrutiny as well, after a <a href="https://in.ign.com/battlegrounds-mobile-india/161110/news/battlegrounds-mobile-india-china-server-data-sharing-meity-government-meenakashi-lekhi">IGN India</a> report highlighted that the app was sending user data to China. Despite the spike in India’s e-sports segment over the last one year due to PUBG ban and Covid-19, there haven't been any direct replacements to PUBG Mobile India. Many users simply switched to the web version of the app, which was not banned. For PUBG Mobile India, Bengaluru-based nCore Games did come up with the one alternative -- Fearless And United Guards (FAUG) in September 2020. The company launched the beta version of the app earlier this week (June 27), but is yet to <a href="https://in.ign.com/fau-g-android/161446/feature/faug-team-deathmatch-map-gameplay-story-weapons-future-ncore-games">impress the Indian audience</a>. <h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:6pt;">What other segments were disrupted due to the ban of Chinese apps?</h2> The ban on Chinese apps also promoted the Made-In-India sentiment that pushed users towards many Indian alternatives. For instance <keyword id="3518161" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="koo">Koo</keyword> and Tooter were the first to arrive as the alternatives to US-based microblogging website Twitter. While Tooter was lost in the crowd, Koo has managed to set itself to a better start, at least. The one-year-old app already has about a third (<a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/will-double-headcount-lot-of-headroom-for-growing-user-base-koo-121050900174_1.html#:~:text=Koo%20has%20about%2060%20lakh,base%20and%20burgeoning%20Internet%20adoption.">6 million</a>) of Twitter's 17 million users in India. It has also raised about<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/indias-micro-blogging-app-koo-raises-30-million-by-tiger-global/articleshow/82965589.cms"> $34 million</a> to date from marquee investors like Tiger Global Management, Accel, Kalaari Capital, and more. The platform is set to accelerate even further amidst Indian government’s ongoing tussle with Twitter. It has also made an<a href="https://qz.com/africa/2024107/nigerian-government-moves-to-indian-app-koo-after-twitter-ban/"> entry</a> into Nigeria after the Nigerian government banned Twitter last week. Even Indian ministers have<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/it-minister-ravi-shankar-prasad-praises-koo-indias-alternative-to-twitter-950088.html"> praised</a> the app on many occasions. China-based document scanning and file storage app CamScanner, which found its biggest market in India with 100 million users, was also banned on June 29, last year. Since then, the app has been shadowed by another new popular option, Gurugram-based alternative Kaagaz Scanner. Launched in March 2020, the platform has over 5 million downloads and 1.7 million plus monthly active users. The platform has raised $575,000 last year from former <keyword id="6354512" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Infosys">Infosys</keyword> vice-chairman Kris Gopalakrishnan’s Axilor Ventures, Better Capital and Pravega Ventures. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/news/china-will-not-buy-iron-copper-aluminum-zinc-and-some-other-commodities-from-foreign-countries/articleshow/83565216.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">China has decided to take global commodity bulls by their horns ⁠— to protect the profit margins of its small businesses</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/soccers-most-expensive-young-player-missed-a-decisive-penalty-that-saw-reigning-world-champion-france-crash-out-of-euro-2020/articleshow/83940298.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Soccer's most expensive young player missed a decisive penalty that saw reigning world champion France crash out of Euro 2020</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/coinbase-ceo-brian-armstrong-says-the-goal-is-for-the-crypto-exchange-to-list-every-asset-that-is-legally-possible/articleshow/83937379.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong says the goal is for the crypto exchange to list every asset that is legally possible</a>

One year of Chinese apps ban — Indian alternatives take over TikTok

<ul><li>The <keyword id="6354416" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Army">Indian Army</keyword> has banned 89 apps that it believes could be used to leak information to foreign intelligence agencies. </li><li>The <keyword id="9542035" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="list-of-banned-apps">list of banned apps</keyword> includes 15 dating apps like Tinder, OkCupid, Bumble and TrulyMadly. </li><li>The Indian Army has also banned “all Tencent gaming apps”. </li></ul>The Indian Army has 89 apps including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and a slew of dating apps that could be used to target Indian army personnel. The news comes in after the central government banned 59 Chinese apps nationwide that were allegedly prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="70187434" title="Indian Army officers in a flurry to leave WhatsApp groups after announcement of spot-checks" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The list of apps banned by the Indian Army also includes news apps — News Dog and Daily Hunt — video conferencing tool Zoom, True Caller, Hungama, Hike and Reddit. Here’s the full list of apps banned by the Indian Army: <ol><li>WeChat </li><li>QQ </li><li>Kikoo </li><li>Voo </li><li>Nimbuzz </li><li>Helo </li><li>Qzone </li><li>ShareChat </li><li>Viber </li><li>Line </li><li>IMO </li><li>Snow </li><li>To Tok </li><li>Hike </li><li>TikTok </li><li>Like </li><li>eSamosa </li><li>Kwali </li><li>Shareit </li><li>Xender </li><li>Zapya </li><li>UC Browser </li><li>UC Browser Mini </li><li>LiveMe </li><li>BigoLive </li><li>Zoom </li><li>Fast Films </li><li>Vmate </li><li>Uplive </li><li>Vigo Video </li><li>Cam Scanner </li><li>Beauty Plus </li><li>True Caller </li><li>PUBG </li><li>NONO Live </li><li>Clash of Kings </li><li>All Tencent gaming apps </li><li>Mobile Legends </li><li>Club Factory </li><li>AliExpress </li><li>Chinabrands </li><li>Gearbest </li><li>Banggood </li><li>MiniInTheBox </li><li>TinyDeal </li><li>Dhhgate </li><li>LightinTheBox </li><li>DX </li><li>EricDress </li><li>Zaful </li><li>Tbdress </li><li>Modility </li><li>Rosegal </li><li>Shein </li><li>Romwe </li><li>Tinder </li><li>TrulyMadly </li><li>Happn </li><li>Aisle </li><li>Coffee Meets Bagel </li><li>Woo </li><li>OkCupid </li><li>Hinge </li><li>Badoo </li><li>Azar </li><li>Bumble </li><li>Tantan </li><li>Elite Singles </li><li>Tagged </li><li>Couch Surfing </li><li>360 Security </li><li>Facebook </li><li>Baidu </li><li>Instagram </li><li>Ello </li><li>Snapchat </li><li>Daily Hunt </li><li>News Dog </li><li>Pratilipi </li><li>Heal of Y </li><li>POPXO </li><li>Vokal </li><li>Hungama </li><li>Songs.pk </li><li>Yelp </li><li>Tumblr </li><li>Reddit </li><li>FriendsFeed </li><li>Private Blogs </li></ol>SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/elyments-dips-to-3-5-stars-on-google-play-store-heres-what-analysts-believe-indias-new-social-network-needs-in-order-to-be-successful/articleshow/76845819.cms">Elyments dips to 3.5 stars on Google Play Store — Here's what analysts believe India's new social network needs in order to be successful</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/intel-will-speed-up-mukesh-ambanis-5g-run-power-him-with-ai-and-possibly-a-jio-laptop/articleshow/76780290.cms">Intel will speed up Mukesh Ambani’s 5G run, power him with AI and possibly a Jio laptop⁠— all in return for massive amount of data</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/pm-modi-addresses-indian-army-on-india-china-border-the-enemies-of-india-have-seen-your-fire-and-fury/articleshow/76767887.cms">PM Modi addresses Indian Army on India-China border — ‘The enemies of India have seen your fire and fury’</a>

List of 89 apps banned for Indian Army soldiers

<ul><li>The government of India has banned 59 <keyword id="6022999" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="chinese-apps">Chinese apps</keyword> that it has found to be prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India.</li><li>The banned <keyword id="6354741" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Apps">apps</keyword> include TikTok, ShareIt, UC Browser and Club Factory.</li><li>Experts believe that the Indian government is within its rights to ban apps which spread misinformation under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act 2000.</li></ul>The Indian government has banned 59 Chinese apps claiming that the apps are prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order. "The Ministry of Information Technology, invoking its power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act and in view of the emergent nature of threats has decided to block 59 apps,” the government <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1635206">said</a> in its official notification. The banned Chinese apps include TikTok, ShareIt, UC Browser, WeChat, Club Factory and more. While banning the Chinese apps, the Ministry of Information Technology said that it has received complaints and reports of these apps “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India”. <keyword id="9486253" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="list-of-chinese-apps">List of Chinese apps</keyword> banned in India <ol><li>TikTok</li><li>ShareIt</li><li>Kwai</li><li>UC Browser</li><li>Baidu Map</li><li>Shein</li><li>Clash of Kings</li><li>DU Battery Saver</li><li>Helo</li><li>Likee</li><li>YouCam makeup</li><li>Mi Community</li><li>CM Browser</li><li>Virus Cleaner</li><li>APUS Browser</li><li>ROMWE</li><li>Club Factory</li><li>Newsdog</li><li>Beauty Plus</li><li>WeChat</li><li>UC News</li><li>QQ Mail</li><li>Weibo</li><li>Xender</li><li>QQ Music</li><li>QQ Newsfeed</li><li>Bigo Live</li><li>SelfieCity</li><li>Mail Master</li><li>Parallel Space</li><li>Mi Video Call</li><li>WeSync</li><li>ES File Explorer</li><li>Viva Video – QU Video Inc</li><li>Meitu</li><li>Vigo Video</li><li>New Video Status</li><li>DU Recorder</li><li>Vault-hide</li><li>Cache Cleaner – DU App Studio</li><li>DU Cleaner</li><li>DU Browser</li><li>Hago Play With New Friends</li><li>CamScanner</li><li>Clean Master – Cheetah Mobile</li><li>Wonder Camera</li><li>Photo Wonder</li><li>QQ Player</li><li>We Meet</li><li>Sweet Selfie</li><li>Baidu Translate</li><li>VMate</li><li>QQ International</li><li>QQ Security Center</li><li>QQ Launcher</li><li>U Video</li><li>V fly Status Video</li><li>Mobile Legends</li><li>DU Privacy</li></ol>ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/chinese-app-alternatives-here-are-the-alternatives-to-top-chinese-apps/tiktok-/slidelist/76463292.cms">Chinese app alternatives - Here are the alternatives to top Chinese apps</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/checkout-the-top-10-indian-apps-in-2020/slidelist/76632903.cms">Here are the top 10 Indian apps in 2020</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/four-types-of-chinese-apps-making-big-money-in-india-experts-believe-at-least-three-should-be-done-away-with/articleshow/76681232.cms">Four types of Chinese apps making big money in India — experts believe at least three should be done away with</a>

List of 59 Chinese apps banned in India by Indian government

<ul><li>Popular apps TikTok, ShareIt, UC Browser and Club Factory are amongst the 59 <keyword id="9481075" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="chinese-apps-banned">Chinese apps banned</keyword> by the Indian government.</li><li> The government cited national security concerns and added that these apps are prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India.</li><li> Experts believe that the Indian government is within its rights to ban apps which spread misinformation under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act 2000.</li></ul>TikTok, ShareIt, UC Browser, Club Factory are among the 59 <keyword id="6022999" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="chinese-apps">Chinese apps</keyword> banned by the Indian government, as tensions between both the countries escalate. "The Ministry of Information Technology, invoking its power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act and in view of the emergent nature of threats has decided to block 59 apps,” the government <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1635206">said</a> in its official notification. “They are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order,” the government further added. The notification further said that the Ministry of Information Technology has received complaints and reports of these apps “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India”. Interestingly enough, Indian government created its official account on TikTok called @MyGovIndia, which is <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mygovindia?lang=en">no longer available</a>. Naveen Tewari, Founder and CEO, InMobi Group said, "This is the digital aatmanirbhar moment that most Indians have been rooting for. As the number one top video app on the Google Play Store, Roposo is very well positioned to lead this movement. Roposo will continue to build on the trust and love that 55 million Indian users have placed in us." Also read: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/checkout-the-top-10-popular-chinese-apps-in-india-in-2020/slidelist/76253572.cms">Here are the top 10 popular Chinese apps in India in 2020</a> List of Chinese apps banned in India <ol><li>TikTok</li><li>ShareIt</li><li>Kwai</li><li>UC Browser</li><li>Baidu Map</li><li>Shein</li><li>Clash of Kings</li><li>DU Battery Saver</li><li>Helo</li><li>Likee</li><li>YouCam makeup</li><li>Mi Community</li><li>CM Browser</li><li>Virus Cleaner</li><li>APUS Browser</li><li>ROMWE</li><li>Club Factory</li><li>Newsdog</li><li>Beauty Plus</li><li>WeChat</li><li>UC News</li><li>QQ Mail</li><li>Weibo</li><li>Xender</li><li>QQ Music</li><li>QQ Newsfeed</li><li>Bigo Live</li><li>SelfieCity</li><li>Mail Master</li><li>Parallel Space</li><li>Mi Video Call</li><li>WeSync</li><li>ES File Explorer</li><li>Viva Video – QU Video Inc</li><li>Meitu</li><li>Vigo Video</li><li>New Video Status</li><li>DU Recorder</li><li>Vault-hide</li><li>Cache Cleaner – DU App Studio</li><li>DU Cleaner</li><li>DU Browser</li><li>Hago Play With New Friends</li><li>CamScanner</li><li>Clean Master – Cheetah Mobile</li><li>Wonder Camera</li><li>Photo Wonder</li><li>QQ Player</li><li>We Meet</li><li>Sweet Selfie</li><li>Baidu Translate</li><li>VMate</li><li>QQ International</li><li>QQ Security Center</li><li>QQ Launcher</li><li>U Video</li><li>V fly Status Video</li><li>Mobile Legends</li><li>DU Privacy</li></ol>Blaise Fernandes, director at Mumbai-based thinktank Gateway House, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/four-types-of-chinese-apps-making-big-money-in-india-experts-believe-at-least-three-should-be-done-away-with/articleshow/76681232.cms">believes</a> the Indian government is within its rights to ban apps that spread misinformation under Section 69A of the IT Act 2000. He explains that there are four types of Chinese apps – economic apps, vanity apps, nuisance apps and ones used for spreading Chinese propaganda. Of these four, he believes at least three can be banned. "As far as the legality of the ban is concerned, we must look at section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 which empowers the central government to restrict public access of information on a computer source. This ban will prevent access to the internet for these apps within India’s territorial limits, and ban the downloads of the app on apple store, and google play store. Now, as we examine the list of the apps that were released by the order, it is crucial to understand the basis for such ban. National security remains primary and crucial, but there needs to be consistent application of the law to ensure uniformity in government actions. " said Kazim Rizvi, Founder, tech policy think tank The Dialogue. The ongoing India-China border tensions have led to an increase in the anti-China sentiment in the country, with people calling for boycott of Chinese goods. The 59 Chinese apps which have been banned will likely no longer be available for download in the Google Play store and Apple app store in India. Further, reports <a href="https://twitter.com/shukla_tarun/status/1277628942850027526">suggest</a> that the government could also issue an order to internet service providers in India to block host servers used by these Chinese apps. This will prevent users who already have these apps installed from using them, essentially rendering them useless. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/chinese-app-alternatives-here-are-the-alternatives-to-top-chinese-apps/tiktok-/slidelist/76463292.cms">Chinese app alternatives - Here are the alternatives to top Chinese apps</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/checkout-the-top-10-indian-apps-in-2020/slidelist/76632903.cms">Here are the top 10 Indian apps in 2020</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/four-types-of-chinese-apps-making-big-money-in-india-experts-believe-at-least-three-should-be-done-away-with/articleshow/76681232.cms">Four types of Chinese apps making big money in India — experts believe at least three should be done away with</a>

TikTok, ShareIt, UC Browser, Club Factory among 59 Chinese apps banned by the Indian government

New Delhi, June 18 (IANS) Intelligence agencies in India have red flagged about 52 China-linked mobile applications, including TikTok, UC browser, Xender and SHAREit, over concerns related to safety and privacy of users, according to a media report. The government needs to either block access to these apps or advise people to stop their use, according to the intel inputs, said the Hindustan Times report on Wednesday, citing sources. The report comes amid growing chorus from Indian activists to boycott Chinese products due to the border tensions between the two countries in Ladakh. The recommendations of the intel agencies have backing of the National Security Council Secretariat which determined that certain China-linked applications could be detrimental to the country's security, said the report citing an unnamed government official. The apps which came under the radar of the Indian agencies include TikTok, Vault-Hide, Vigo Video, Weibo, WeChat, SHAREit, UC News, UC Browser, BeautyPlus, Helo, LIKE, Kwai, ROMWE, SHEIN, NewsDog, Photo Wonder, APUS Browser, VivaVideo- QU Video Inc, Perfect Corp, CM Browser, and Virus Cleaner (Hi Security Lab). Also in the list of Chinese apps is Mi Community, DU recorder, YouCam Makeup, Mi Store, 360 Security, DU Battery Saver, DU Browser, DU Cleaner, DU Privacy, Clean Master -- Cheetah, CacheClear DU apps studio, Baidu Translate, Baidu Map, Wonder Camera, ES File Explorer, QQ International, QQ Launcher, QQ Security Centre, QQ Player, QQ Music, QQ Mail, QQ NewsFeed, WeSync, SelfieCity, Clash of Kings, Mail Master, Mi Video call-Xiaomi, and Parallel Space, among others. Discussions on the recommendations are currently ongoing as the evaluation of security risk requires examination of each app, said the report. --IANS gb/kr

Over 50 China-linked mobile apps red flagged by Indian intelligence

<a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/india/">Indian</a> courts and political parties are calling for Chinese company ByteDance's most popular mobile app <a href="https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3001893/how-short-video-app-tiktok-became-first-chinese-made-app-take">TikTok</a> to be banned. On Tuesday, The Economic Times newspaper reported that India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had asked Google and Apple to pull video social media platform <keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="TikTok">TikTok</keyword> from its mobile application stores. The South China Morning Post was unable to independently verify the report. The news follows an order of the <keyword id="6360667" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="madras-high-court">Madras High Court</keyword>, located in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, on April 3 that banned TikTok over concerns about children using the app being vulnerable to exploitation by sexual predators. TikTok is rated 12+ on the Apple app store and has a "teen maturity" rating on Google Play, but United States-based Common Sense Media, which reviews tech products for families, recommends that children be at least 16 years old to use the app. In February, the US Federal Trade Commission <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/2187990/chinese-owned-video-sharing-tiktok-app-pay-us57-million-fine-settle">fined TikTok US$5.7 million</a>, the largest such sum in a child privacy case, for illegally collecting personal information from children under the age of 13. Meanwhile, the Delhi state unit of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) complained to the country's Election Commission on March 29 that ByteDance, which it identified as a Chinese company, was "interfering in the Indian election process through its social media applications". The BJP cited Facebook's takedown of 11,000 advertisements from another of the company's apps - Helo - for violation of its rules concerning transparency in political spending. Helo's adverts featured doctored images of politicians accompanied by sensationalised text. In a statement, ByteDance said it was committed to respecting local laws and regulations and maintaining a safe and positive in-app experience for its users in India. "We have faith in the Indian judicial system and we are optimistic about an outcome that would be well received by over 120 million month active users in India, who continue using TikTok to showcase their creativity and capture moments that matter in their everyday lives," the company said. ByteDance denied that its Helo platform has been sharing any political adverts, saying the company had promised India's Election Commission it would abide by the country's code of conduct. "We are not serving any paid political advertisements during this election period and are not proactively onboarding any political figures or parties on our platform." Out of all adverts generated from Helo since its launch last June, ads related to politics amounted to "less than 0.1 per cent", said the company. ByteDance is the world's largest internet start-up - valued at US$75 billion in its latest funding round, knocking US-based Uber, valued at US$72 billion, into second place. According to mobile app intelligence company Sensor Tower, 88.6 million of TikTok's 188 million new users in the first quarter of 2019 were from India - a more than eightfold year-on-year increase. By comparison, just 13.1 million new TikTok users over the same time period were based in the US. TikTok was also the third most downloaded app in the world during the first quarter of 2019. As of Tuesday, it was the second most popular free Android app in the Google Play store in India, while Helo was ranked 11th. ByteDance also offers short video product Vigo Video to Indian users. Helo, launched in June, is a social media platform created with Indian small towns and rural areas in mind - offering content in 14 languages. It is currently the subject of a legal case filed by the makers of ShareChat, which describes itself as the largest "Indian-language social media platform" and ranks seventh on Google Play store in India. "We believe Helo is a copycat app of ours," said Berges Y Malu, head of ShareChat's public policy team. ByteDance denies the allegation and the case is still being heard by the Delhi High Court. A representative for Helo said that the number of original adverts cited by the BJP in its complaint to the Election Commission that <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/facebook">Facebook</a> had found problematic amounted to 770, with translations across multiple languages increasing that number to 11,000. The app, which has brought entertainers, journalists and news organisations on board by providing them verified handles, has decided not to do the same for politicians and political entities. The representative said the idea was to promote entertainment-related content. Helo has not placed adverts featuring political content since the Indian electoral process began. "Out of all the ads that have been generated from Helo since we launched in June 2018, unique ads citing political mentions amount to less than 0.1 per cent. These ads were all generated prior to the declaration of general elections by the Election Commission of India and the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct," said Helo in a statement. The first major call to ban TikTok in India was made in February by the Tamil Nadu government, citing obscenity as the reason. However, responses from politicians indicated that they were already annoyed at the political content being generated by the app's users, who had posted lip-synched videos to political speeches. "I will be the happiest if TikTok is banned. They mock someone like me most on that platform. The app may have been designed to make people happy, but it is often crossing the limits of decency," said Tamilisai Soundararajan, who heads the BJP - the party of Prime Minister <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/narendra-modi">Narendra Modi</a> - in Tamil Nadu state. After Tamil Nadu banned TikTok on April 3, the app's makers appealed to the Supreme Court of India, which refused to suspend the ban immediately but will hear the matter again on April 22. Meanwhile, the Madras High Court on Tuesday appointed an independent counsel to assist with the case as the app's lawyers appeared before it to appeal. The lawyers told the court that TikTok had removed 6 million videos based on a review of its Indian users; the court responded by saying that the ban will remain in place for now. In a statement, TikTok said it welcomed the decision of the Madras High Court to appoint an independent counsel. "We have faith in the Indian judicial system and we are optimistic about an outcome that would be well received by over 120 million monthly active users in India, who continue using TikTok to showcase their creativity and capture moments that matter in their everyday lives," it said. ByteDance did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This article originally appeared on the <a href="http://www.scmp.com">South China Morning Post (SCMP)</a>, the leading news media reporting on China and Asia. For more stories, please download our <a href="https://go.onelink.me/3586748601?pid=3rdpartycontentexchange">mobile app</a>, follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/scmpnews">Twitter</a>, and like us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/scmp">Facebook</a>. Copyright (c) 2019. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Indian politicians accuse China-made app Helo of election interference and call for TikTok to be banned

Chinese short-video-making app <keyword id="6762469" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="tiktok" source="Orion">TikTok</keyword>'s parent company <keyword id="3749909" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bytedance" source="Orion">ByteDance</keyword> allegedly made fake accounts with content taken from <keyword id="819905" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="instagram" source="Orion">Instagram</keyword>, <keyword id="6358096" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="snapchat" source="Orion">Snapchat</keyword> and other social media platforms, a new report has claimed. According to BuzzFeed News, the company then posted those fake accounts on popular mobile app <keyword id="13546520" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="flipagram" source="Orion">Flipagram</keyword> to grow further. "The China-based company scraped public accounts and then duplicated them on Flipagram, a predecessor to TikTok, according to four former employees and documents viewed by BuzzFeed News," the report said late on Monday. Founded in 2013, Flipagram allowed users to create and share short videos as something of a TikTok precursor. ByteDance allegedly took videos, usernames, pictures and more from the social media platforms and uploaded them to the app without users' consent or knowledge. Internal documents reviewed by BuzzFeed News indicate that the scraping was seen as a "growth hack" for the company. According to the former employee, the team's goal was to "scrape more than 10,000 videos a day in the highest priority countries". The scraped content was used to train ByteDance's powerful "For You" personalisation algorithm on the US-based content. "Today, the 'For You' algorithm powers both TikTok and its Chinese equivalent, Douyin," the report noted. The report also said that ByteDance was scraping and uploading content from Musical.ly, which would later become TikTok as ByteDance acquired the company in 2017. In a statement, a ByteDance spokesperson said: "ByteDance acquired Flipagram in 2017 and operated it, and subsequently Vigo, for a short time. Flipagram and Vigo ceased operations years ago and aren't connected to any current ByteDance products." Short video-making platform TikTok has crossed one billion monthly active users around the world. It has overtaken Facebook as the most downloaded social media app in the world. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/business-insider-india-presents-money-insider-your-guide-to-financial-freedom/articleshow/90643990.cms">Business Insider India presents Money Insider – your guide to financial freedom</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/how-to-set-up-and-use-my-eyes-only-feature-to-hide-your-pictures-on-snapchat/articleshow/90642072.cms">How to set up and use My Eyes Only feature to hide your pictures on Snapchat</a>

TikTok's parent ByteDance made fake accounts scraping content from Instagram, Snapchat and other platforms, claims report

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11955998" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bytedance" source="Orion">ByteDance</keyword> used content from other platforms to create fake accounts on <keyword id="13548877" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="flipagram" source="Orion">Flipagram</keyword>, BuzzFeed reported.</li><li>They began the practice in 2017 to train its personalization algorithm for US users.</li></ul><keyword id="11894125" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tiktok" source="Orion">TikTok</keyword>'s parent ByteDance took large amounts of content from <keyword id="11892996" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="instagram" source="Orion">Instagram</keyword> and <keyword id="11899277" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="snapchat" source="Orion">Snapchat</keyword> without their knowledge or consent and published them via fake accounts to TikTok's predecessor, Flipagram, in 2017, <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/emilybakerwhite/bytedance-scraped-fake-accounts-instagram-snapchat">BuzzFeed News</a> reported Monday, citing information from four former employees who spoke to the outlet. ByteDance used the scraped content to train its algorithm that recommends content to US users based on their interests, they said. The algorithm would ultimately be used by TikTok and its Chinese equivalent, Douyin.The approach was part of Beijing-based ByteDance's "growth hack" strategy to expand its struggling Flipagram platform, BuzzFeed said. ByteDance acquired the video app in January 2017 and renamed it Vigo. It ultimately shut down the service in late 2020, according to <a href="https://www.vigovideo.net/press/">TechNode</a> and a cached <a href="https://www.vigovideo.net/press/">version</a> of Vigo's announcement on its official website.But before shuttering Flipagram, Bytedance used data from Instagram, Snapchat, and Musical.ly to populate its site in a bid to entice users, according to the former Bytedance employees who spoke to BuzzFeed.According to those employees, Bytedance first created fake accounts and populated them with short videos from its Chinese apps that were "not too Chinese." But when that strategy failed to attract new users, ByteDance started taking short-form videos, usernames, profile pictures, and profile descriptions from Instagram, Snapchat, and Musical.ly.ByteDance did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.According to BuzzFeed, the China-based engineering team that was in charge of "growth hacking" Flipagram scraped more than 10,000 videos a day, BuzzFeed said. Sources told the outlet that ByteDance used the content to finetune its "For You" algorithm to cater to US users' preferences.ByteDance's tactics didn't go unnoticed, however. Some <a href="https://twitter.com/mateusasato/status/912785679968485376?s=20&amp;t=Iwow-4YbpxYJ5HckmZ5PyA">Instagram</a> users complained that their content appeared on Flipagram without their knowledge or content. (Ironically, other users complained that they were unable to <a href="https://twitter.com/tiekaknight/status/681670005042339840">upload Instagram</a> photos to their Flipagram accounts.) Some worried they were being impersonated, while others expressed concern that their children's content was published on an app that they were unfamiliar with, they told BuzzFeed. ByteDance previously found itself in legal trouble for infringing intellectual property rights. Last year, Chinese social media and gaming giant Tencent <a href="https://www.techinasia.com/tencent-sues-douyin-126m-copyright-issue">launched</a> a series of lawsuits in China against ByteDance's Douyin for copyright infringement.

TikTok's parent ByteDance reportedly took Instagram and Snapchat content without consent to train its personalization algorithm and to pursue growth at any cost: report

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="3749909" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Bytedance">ByteDance</keyword>, the parent company of short-video app <keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TikTok">TikTok</keyword>, generated $5.6 billion in <keyword id="45663" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Revenue">revenue</keyword> for the first-quarter of 2020, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bytedance-results-idUSKBN23O114?taid=5ee9d48987586b0001d20abf&amp;utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amp;utm_medium=trueAnthem&amp;utm_source=twitterurce=twitter">Reuters reports</a>.</li><li>This figure represents 130% growth in revenue year-over-year for the China-based company, which is now reportedly worth <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-20/tiktok-owner-s-value-surpasses-100-billion-in-private-markets">more than $100 billion</a>.</li><li>ByteDance's rolodex of social platforms are wildly popular, but they've seen even greater growth this year as people stay home more and practice social distancing.</li><li>In <keyword id="9084005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="q1-2020">Q1 2020</keyword>, TikTok set a record for the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-app-2-billion-downloads-record-setting-q1-sensor-tower-2020-4">most downloads any app has ever had</a> in a single quarter.</li></ul>The Chinese startup behind TikTok and other popular social networking apps reportedly generated $5.6 billion in revenue in the first three months of 2020.ByteDance's first-quarter figure represents a 130% growth in revenue year-over-year, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bytedance-results-idUSKBN23O114?taid=5ee9d48987586b0001d20abf&amp;utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amp;utm_medium=trueAnthem&amp;utm_source=twitterurce=twitter">according to Reuters</a>. The China-based company was most recently valued at $100 billion, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-20/tiktok-owner-s-value-surpasses-100-billion-in-private-markets">Bloomberg reported</a>, increasing its lead as the most valuable private startup in the world.Amid the coronavirus outbreak, ByteDance was able to buck slowdowns across industries in digital advertising. Instead, ByteDance's apps — including hits outside of the US like Jinri Toutiao, Douyin, and Vigo Video — have benefited from a global uptick in use of social platforms, as millions were placed under lockdown and spent more time indoors. According to app performance tracker App Annie, six of the 10 most popular apps on <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>'s iOS App Store in January 2020 were owned by ByteDance.Meanwhile, TikTok accrued 315 million installs in Q1 2020, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-app-2-billion-downloads-record-setting-q1-sensor-tower-2020-4">setting a record for</a> the most downloads any app has ever had in a single quarter. The app has continued its success as the go-to launchpad for Generation Z memes and internet culture, and recently surpassed 2 billion all-time global downloads across iOS and Android devices.Looking ahead, ByteDance has reportedly set a 2020 revenue goal of about 200 billion yuan, around $28.2 billion. That revenue figure is $11.2 billion more than <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bytedance-reportedly-hit-3-billion-net-profit-2020-5">ByteDance generated in 2019</a>, when the company saw $17 billion in revenue and $3 billion in net profit. The company <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/30/tiktok-owner-bytedances-first-half-revenue-better-than-expected-at-over-7-billion-sources.html">generated at least $7 billion in revenue</a> in just the first-half of last year, meaning ByteDance could be on the trajectory for robust growth through the rest of 2020.The positive outlook for revenue could be helpful if ByteDance is still considering plans to go public on the Hong Kong stock exchange, as <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/7c1f223e-f721-11e9-9ef3-eca8fc8f2d65">outlets have previously reported</a>. An analyst <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-20/tiktok-owner-s-value-surpasses-100-billion-in-private-markets">told Bloomberg</a> in May the company could IPO at a valuation between $150 billion and $180 billion.

TikTok's parent company reportedly saw $5.6 billion in revenue during the first three months of 2020

(Eds: Adding more details) New Delhi, July 1 () State-owned BSNL on Wednesday cancelled a multi-crore tender for 4G telecom network upgrade after the government asked the firm not to use any Chinese equipment. The move comes against the backdrop of a growing clamour against Chinese goods and services after the violent clash at border with China. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) on Wednesday issued a notice for cancellation of the 4G tender. A source privy to the development told that a new tender will be floated which will have emphasis on preference to Make in India. BSNL Chairman could not be reached for comments. "Tender for planning, engineering, supply, installation, testing, commissioning and annual maintenance of 4G mobile network in north, east, west and south zones of BSNL and Delhi and Mumbai LSA of MTNL (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd) on turnkey basis...issued on March 23, 2020 is hereby cancelled," BSNL notice said. The notice for cancellation has been "issued with the approval of competent authority", it added. Meanwhile sources said that government had earlier directed BSNL not to use Chinese equipment in 4G upgrade, and implementation of the direction meant that the company has to issue a new tender. Keeping in view the developing Indian capacity and in-house technology, a new tender will be floated, the source said adding this will have emphasis on preference to Make in India. Nearly a fortnight ago, the telecom department had asked state-owned BSNL and MTNL to shun the use of Chinese telecom equipment in their 4G upgrade, underlining a hardening of stance in the backdrop of tensions at the India-China border. On June 29, India banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including hugely popular TikTok and UC Browser, saying they were prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and security of the country. The ban, which came in the backdrop of current stand-off along the border in Ladakh with Chinese troops, is also applicable for WeChat and Bigo Live. The list of apps that have been banned also include Helo, Likee, CamScanner, Vigo Video, Mi Video Call – Xiaomi, Clash of Kings as well as e-commerce platforms Club Factory and Shein. This marks the largest sweep against the Chinese technology companies. The Information Technology Ministry statement had cited many complaints received from various sources, including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for "stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users' data in an unauthorised manner to servers which have locations outside India". MBI MKJ MKJ

BSNL cancels 4G tender after DoT directs it not to use Chinese telecom gear

<div class="image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="The Economist" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/52d97814ecad045a04769270-960/20140118_srd005_2.jpg"></a><keyword id="425741" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="The-Economist">The Economist</keyword></div></div> OH NO, NOT another accelerator, you may think. But this one is different. On the tables are not just the obligatory laptops and smartphones but circuit boards, cables, screwdrivers and a few items which look only vaguely familiar. One resembles a very old mobile phone with an oddly shaped knob attached to it. Another, a set of small blocks with switches and buttons, calls to mind a disassembled mixer in a recording studio. Yet another might be the microphone of a computer headset, but is mounted on a pair of glasses.
Even more surprisingly, the home of <a href="http://haxlr8r.com/" target="_blank">Haxlr8r</a> (pronounced "Hackcelerator") is not some co-working space in London or San Francisco but the 10th floor of an office building in Shenzhen. The city in the Pearl River Delta, close to Hong Kong, is the world capital of electronics: most of the planet's digital devices are assembled in factories in and around the city.
Haxlr8r is living proof that, as Karl Popper once said, history repeats itself, but never in the same way. Just as with software services, new technology makes it ever easier to build new types of devices, most of them connected to the internet. The difference is that making hardware remains, well, hard-which is why Haxlr8r is in Shenzhen. That way its teams may avoid the fate of a first generation of hardware startups, mostly based in America. They put their ideas up on Kickstarter and Indiegogo, the leading crowdfunding services, but then endured months of delay or never got as far as manufacturing their devices.
The technologies that allowed software services to be developed more cheaply and quickly were cloud computing, social networks and any number of digital services called application programming interfaces (APIs). For hardware the list includes all of the above plus 3D printers, sensors and microcontrollers which bridge the analogue and the digital worlds. The platform for most connected devices is smartphones. All these elements can be combined in countless ways, creating a Cambrian explosion not just in software but in physical electronic devices too.
When the latest batch of founders arrived at Haxlr8r in August, new wireless chips based on a standard called Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) had just become widely available. These are cheaper and less power-hungry than the previous generation, and startups do not have to ask Apple for permission to use them to tether their devices to the iPhone (and pay for it). Most teams at Haxlr8r went on to use BLE chips in their contraptions.
The old mobile phone with the knob is actually a wireless tuning device called <a href="http://roadietuner.com/" target="_blank">Roadie</a>-and an example of how technology, personal interest and culture can come together in surprising ways. Bassam Jalgha and Hassane Slaibi are the founders of Beirut's first hackerspace, a clubhouse for tinkerers. But they are also musicians and know how difficult it is to tune a lute, a popular instrument in Lebanon. So when they came to Shenzhen, they set out to build something that makes it easy to tune string instruments. A smartphone app listens to the sound and tells the motor in the tuning device whether to tighten or loosen a string.
The blocks, called <a href="http://www.palettegear.com/" target="_blank">Palette</a>, are indeed the components for a mixer of sorts and are meant to be assembled by designers and photographers who need a physical interface for repetitive tasks on a computer. The microphone, dubbed <a href="http://wearvigo.com/" target="_blank">Vigo</a>, is a "drowsiness meter": the tip contains a sensor that measures how often a user blinks-a sign of how tired he is, and whether he should stop driving or get a cup of coffee.
Yet most of the value of such devices is not so much in the design but in the software and services that are part of the package. Roadie comes with a smartphone app, Palette, with a program that runs on a PC. Vigo will show the user on a website how his attention fluctuates over time. Such offerings not only make products harder to copy but might allow their makers to earn additional money from subscriptions.
Makers and shakers
When Cyril Ebersweiler and Sean O'Sullivan, two venture capitalists, set up Haxlr8r in September 2011, they chose Shenzhen for a good reason. The district of Futian, the accelerator's home, has dozens of shopping malls for electronics. The biggest is the Seg market. The bottom floor is reserved for screws, cables and chips, and as you go higher up the products become more finished: circuit boards, networking equipment, personal computers. The sixth floor offers LEDs in all shapes and sizes, from super-thin Christmas garlands to super-bright lamps.
Shenzhen is also packed with all kinds of suppliers and service providers that can make life easier for hardware startups. Having a new circuit board made there takes days, not weeks as it does in America, reports Eszter Ozsvald of <a href="http://www.notchdevice.com/" target="_blank">Notch</a>, another Haxlr8r startup. Her company is developing small motion trackers. And had <a href="http://wearpoint.com/" target="_blank">Wearpoint</a> not gone to <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>, it would probably never have found the track pad it needs for its remote control for Google Glass, a head-mounted display.
Being in Shenzhen also allows founders to look at lots of factories, which proved handy for<a href="http://%20www.everpurse.com/" target="_blank">Everpurse</a>, a company that sells fancy handbags with a built-in smartphone charger. "If the workers are not happy, they may leak your intellectual property," says Dan Salcedo, the firm's co-founder.
If a factory passes muster, other Haxlr8r startups often go on to use it too. Howard Hunt, the boss of <a href="http://www.thedustcloud.com/" target="_blank">DustCloud</a>, had scouted out a factory to make casings for prototypes of his Dusters, gun-shaped devices for playing open-air laser tag. When he went to pick them up and pay (cash) in early October, the founders of Notch and Wearpoint came along to see whether the factory could also work for them. The meeting showed that people from different cultural backgrounds can communicate perfectly well with a minimum of translation. Each time the Western founders asked a question, the Chinese owner of the factory fetched another plastic sample that met with approval.
Silvia Lindtner of the University of California, Irvine, and Fudan University in Shanghai, who follows the startup scene in China, is not surprised. The two sides complement each other, she says. The founders of hardware startups, often steeped in the open-source culture, partner with factories rooted in the Chinese culture of shanzhai, which translates as "mountain stronghold". It used to mean pirated electronic goods but now stands for open-source manufacturing.
Haxlr8r is not the only model for plugging into Shenzhen's extraordinary manufacturing platform. Another is <a href="http://www.seeedstudio.com/" target="_blank">Seeed Studio</a>, a contract manufacturer for makers, as the world's ever-growing crowd of tinkerers is called. "Haxlr8r is for backpackers who want to do things themselves," explains Eric Pan, who founded Seeed in 2008. "We on the other hand offer guided tours. And you don't even have to come here."
Having worked for about 200 makers last year, Seeed is now one of the world's biggest manufacturers of open-source hardware. When a maker asks Seeed to build a circuit board, the firm keeps a copy of the design which can then be used without charge by other customers. Most factories in Shenzhen work for big customers and have long assembly lines where workers perform only one task. But makers typically want just a few items and are willing to pay more, so Mr Pan has split his employees into self-organizing teams.
Whereas Seeed is a Chinese creation,<a href="http://www.pchintl.com/" target="_blank">PCH International</a> is a Western take on Shenzhen. Also based in the city, it started out as a sourcing company with a reputation for being the fastest supplier of parts to electronics makers. Liam Casey, who founded the company in 1996, had criss-crossed the Pearl River Delta, gathering knowledge about supply lines. PCH later added packaging, logistics and manufacturing to its portfolio. Today the firm, which had revenues of $1 billion in 2013, is an "end-to-end platform, a sort of Amazon Web Services for electronics manufacturing", in the words of Mr Casey. He has even started an accelerator, Highway1, which is based in San Francisco, to generate more things to make for his platform.
Some firms prefer to go it alone, like <a href="http://www.zoundindustries.com/" target="_blank">Zound Industries</a>, a Swedish maker of fashionable headphones, including brands such as Urbanears and Molami. Back in 2008, when production in Shenzhen did not get off the ground because factories failed to deliver, Zound sent one of the founders, who hired a couple of experienced hands to work with manufacturers. Today the firm has 18 employees in the Chinese city and uses five factories which have so far produced nearly 8m headphones.
For the moment Haxlr8r's latest batch of startups can only dream of such success. In November they had their demo day, held in San Francisco and marking the beginning of their "Kickstarter" campaigns, which essentially consist of a video presenting the project and asking for money. Investors can be surprisingly generous, even for rather odd projects.<a href="http://www.petcube.net/" target="_blank">Petcube</a> managed to raise more than $250,000 for a small, internet-connected metal box with a video camera, microphone and laser pointer inside that lets owners watch their pets from afar and play with them by controlling the laser pointer.
The Kickstarter campaign is only the beginning of a long journey. Founders must get their products certified, find distributors, organize production and avoid getting sued for infringing other people's intellectual property. "Hardware is really hard," says Amanda Williams, whose company,<a href="http://www.fabule.com/" target="_blank">Fabule</a>, was part of Haxlr8r's previous batch. She is back in Shenzhen dealing with manufacturers of the firm's first product, a programmable lamp.
Some of the contraptions may seem a shade frivolous, but Haxlr8r's startups also included<a href="http://www.babybe.org/" target="_blank">Babybe</a>, an "emotional prosthetic" designed to help prematurely born babies to catch up. It transmits the mother's heartbeat, breathing pattern and even her voice to a mattress in the infant's incubator.
With startups you never know what you will get. But the platforms, the accelerators and the ecosystems that allow them to develop are already emerging in other industries, too.

Why Southern China Is The Best Place In The World For A Hardware Innovator

Stephen Brashear / Stringer / Getty Images<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/sbux-Quote">Starbucks</a> is facing backlash from its baristas who say that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-north-star-agenda-causes-barista-backlash-2017-5">they're overworked, understaffed, and underpaid. </a>While the coffee giant has recently launched an initiative to improve customer service and better support in-store staff, many baristas say that Starbucks has refused to address underlying issues. They say that they're more strained than ever due to an uptick in orders coming from the coffee giant's mobile app and drive-thru, as well as an ever-changing menu of hard-to-make drinks. Business Insider spoke with a dozen current and former Starbucks workers under the condition of anonymity in an attempt to get to the bottom of what in-store employees think Starbucks needs to fix. Starbucks says they are talking with partners, the company's term for retail employees, to improve work conditions. "Over the years, one of the strengths of our business has continued to be the connection we have with our partners," a Starbucks spokesperson told Business Insider. "We know we are not perfect, but we are regularly engaged in discussions with the over 160,000 partners who wear the green apron in the U.S and continuously work to make their experience even better and more valuable. We know when we exceed the expectations of our people, they - in turn - exceed the expectations of our customers. To us, every voice matters."Here's what Starbucks workers believe the company needs to fix, in their own words. <h2>"It's frowned upon if I stop to have a conversation with a regular." </h2>REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiA staff serves beverages at a Starbucks coffee shop in Seoul, South Korea, in this March 7, 2016, file photo."They'd rather us be machines. They are, whether they like it or not, a fast food chain with lousy food that I am required to push on people.When I started in 2010, we had partners who had been there for 8+ years. The customers were like family. We had seen their children grow. Now it's frowned upon if I stop to have a conversation with a regular I haven't seen in a while. ...It has kept me alive, to be perfectly honest, to know that so many people have been touched by conversations with me. And it has sapped just about every last ounce of my energy to know that I am now a hindrance to the [S]tarbucks (corporate America) agenda." - Current Starbucks employee of seven years ("I think a key differentiator for Starbucks is that emotional connection our partners have to what we stand for, and the fact that we are in the business of human connection," CEO Kevin Johnson told Business Insider in an interview in March.)<h2>"We're running around like crazy."</h2>"I don't know how many times I've heard that we're the most important part of the company… I almost wish they would read that same letter they read to us, to the board, so they could know why they need to change the pay scale. If we're the most important part of the company, and our connection is that important, [they shouldn't be] paying as little as they can get away with paying. ..."Managers say… we need to do a better job at connecting. Obviously, we're not connecting because we have mobile here, and we have drive through here, and we're running around like crazy." - Current Starbucks employee of more than five years working in Florida(Starbucks has said that the company is working to provide better solutions for mobile ordering, and that mobile should not prevent workers from establishing an "emotional connection" with customers.) <h2>"It's a cult that pays $9 per hour."</h2>Dan R. Krauss/Getty Images"At first, you watch all these videos about how wonderfully you're treated and all the great benefits, your manager will tell you that your store is like another home, your partners are your family, and you should always feel comfortable there. First Taste, the initial coffee tasting, definitely makes you feel like you're valued and welcomed. It all also feels genuine and unique when you're going through it.The problem is that it's not unique. Managers literally have a guide on how to onboard new hires in such a way that they learn to love the brand and feel valued. The First Taste experience is not a unique experience between you and your store manager - it is a carefully detailed and structured activity with a checklist and steps the manager follows, given to them by corporate.Every single thing you experience that makes you love the company is designed to manipulate you into doing so. It's not a company, it's a cult that pays $9 per hour." - Former Starbucks employee, who recently left the company after working in Florida for roughly a year<h2>"My team wants to be able to afford rent and groceries."</h2>"The company tries to sell the total pay package to partners, but that does not speak to the younger generation which is what most of our teams primarily consist of. My team wants to be able to afford rent and groceries.The company offers free college, which at a base level is an amazing benefit, but I can guaran-damn-tee you that if you had asked partners if they could have the option for higher pay or the college achievement program, somewhere around 90% of all partners would have asked for increased pay." - Current Starbucks employee(According to Glassdoor data, baristas are paid $9.50 an hour on average. Starbucks emphasizes that the chain offers benefits beyond hourly pay, including college tuition assistance, 401(k) matching, and the ability to purchase Starbucks stock through the Bean Stock program.)<h2>"The stress is overwhelming."</h2>Stefan Wermuth/Reuters A barista prepares a drink at Starbucks' Vigo Street branch in Mayfair, central London."It's exhausting being the only one on the floor and having to do register and hot bar and customer support while you've got a medium-volume drive-thru and your [drive-thru] person is taking orders, paying people out AND running cold bar.Nothing gets cleaned. Nothing gets stocked. We're getting screamed at by customers for not being fast enough so we try to go fast and we mess up the money or we mess up the drinks and then we get yelled at for messing up the money and messing up the drinks. It's all incredibly tiresome. Just ONE more person on the floor in the afternoons and evenings would be incredible. ..."There is no customer connection when we're as busy AND understaffed as we are. Again, put another person on the floor and we can talk. I've had people call the store to complain that we seemed rushed and upset. The stress is overwhelming. A four-hour shift is too exhausting at this point because there's nobody to help us." - Current Starbucks employee (A representative from Starbucks said staffing concerns were overblown and that regional leaders haven't seen a need to make changes.)<h2>"Starbucks demands that we do several tasks at once."</h2>"Most stores are understaffed and I believe that's the way corporate wants it. Store managers would rather be shorthanded rather than pay a penny of overtime. ...As far as connecting with customers, what do they want? Do they want to ring as many customers through as fast as possible (yes!) or do they want us to chat (yes!). Impossible to do both at the same time.[Customers] want their latte 30 seconds ago and they're irate when they have to wait or wait while we're making small talk. The glares we get are not friendly ones. Starbucks demands that we do several tasks at once so how can it be expected to 'connect with customers.' When I'm making drinks I barely make eye contact with customers when handing off drinks, I'm just calling names out." - Current Starbucks employee from Illinois<h2>"It's hard to tell the truth."</h2>AP Photo/Ted S. Warren"Starbucks has this website called 'partner perspectives.' [I]t's basically a website where they survey their partners about their experiences.I and so many other baristas don't feel secure in our [roles] enough to tell them how we actually feel because it is not anonymous. You have to log in with your partner numbers and name and it's just hard to tell the truth when you don't know how they could retaliate." - Current Starbucks employee(Starbucks executives say that they encourage in-store workers' feedback through a number of platforms.)<h2>"Starbucks has a tendency to use people up and spit them out."</h2>"Even four years ago, the corporate mantra at Starbucks was heading in the path your <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-north-star-agenda-causes-barista-backlash-2017-5">recent article</a> was touching on. 'The customer is always right, even when they are obviously wrong.' ...Stores were being slowly, carefully de-staffed, creating real problems during peak business hours. Customers would comment on the hurried, frantic pace behind the counter, and managers were instructed to respond with a cheery retort and then berate the staff to work faster with less space, more products, and smaller time windows. Timing devices were added to the drive-thru lanes so that everybody could see how long it was taking orders to move out of the window. ...For all the bluster and braggadocio, Starbucks has a tendency to use people up and spit them out. Fair compensation, appropriate staffing, and true cooperate support would be wise problems to fix BEFORE attacking other problems that have been solely created by those three shortcomings." - Former Starbucks employee who worked for the company for three and a half years in Kansas <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zetime-smart-watch-hybrid-analogue-and-smart-watches-clock-hands-touch-2017-5">This smart watch has mechanical clock hands</a></h3> Please enable Javascript to watch this video

You Searched For "vigo video app" and got 13 results

ByteDance shuts down Vigo Video in India to focus on other businesses

BI India Partner

One year of Chinese apps ban — Indian alternatives take over TikTok

Kritti Bhalla

List of 89 apps banned for Indian Army soldiers

Prabhjote Gill

List of 59 Chinese apps banned in India by Indian government

Rounak Jain

TikTok, ShareIt, UC Browser, Club Factory among 59 Chinese apps banned by the Indian government

Rounak Jain

Over 50 China-linked mobile apps red flagged by Indian intelligence

IANS

Indian politicians accuse China-made app Helo of election interference and call for TikTok to be banned

SCMP

TikTok's parent ByteDance made fake accounts scraping content from Instagram, Snapchat and other platforms, claims report

IANS

TikTok's parent ByteDance reportedly took Instagram and Snapchat content without consent to train its personalization algorithm and to pursue growth at any cost: report

Weilun Soon

TikTok's parent company reportedly saw $5.6 billion in revenue during the first three months of 2020

Paige Leskin

BSNL cancels 4G tender after DoT directs it not to use Chinese telecom gear

PTI

Why Southern China Is The Best Place In The World For A Hardware Innovator

The Economist

Starbucks baristas reveal what they think the company needs to fix

Kate Taylor

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides