Facebook working on new cryptocurrency for WhatsApp; Your smartphones are getting smarter

Saturday December 22, 2018 , 3 min Read

Facebook is now working on a cryptocurrency that can be used on WhatsApp payments! Facebook is building a cryptocurrency pegged to the US dollar to minimise volatility, or a 'stablecoin' and is reportedly testing it internally. The first market it is looking to launch is? India! While cryptocurrencies may be banned in India and going through a regulatory crisis, but they continue to incite debate and spur innovation to beat existing policy. Let's see how Facebook fares.

How did smartphones change in 2018

In 2018, we saw a dramatic rise in triple and quad cameras, fast charging phones, in-screen fingerprint scanners, edge to edge display, and welcomed the notch! Reports suggest that India will have “337 million people, or more than a quarter of the population” using a smartphone by the end of 2018. That number is estimated to reach 491 million by the end of 2022. Considering this, smartphone manufacturers still have a massive market to rule. What else do you want your smartphone to do?

Portea raises Rs 25 crore

The health-tech platform based in Bengaluru has secured venture debt of Rs 25 crore in a round led by Alteria Capital. This comes after Portea raised an equity funding of $26 million in November, last year. With offers ranging from physiotherapy, doctor consultations, new-mother-and-baby care to diabetic care, across four segments - primary care, chronic disease management, elder care and post-operative care, so far, the home healthcare startup co-founded by Meena Ganesh, has served 16 cities.

Early-stage investor Mohit Gulati on his new fund ITI GO

For 29-year-old Mohit Gulati, an early stage investor and one of India’s youngest angel investors, it’s a new beginning again. Having successfully co-founded Altius Ventures and angel network Oliphans, this time around, though, Mohit is gearing up for better and deeper partnerships with his new fund ITI GO. “With ITI GO, I am in a larger setup with a lot of fire and muscle power to create the changes I had set out to make,” he says.

Madras High Court suspends ban on online sale of medicines

In a relief to online pharmacy players, a division bench of Justice P Rajamanickam and Justice M Satyanarayana of the Madras High Court suspended the single-judge order on banning the online sale of certain drugs and cosmetics. The decision is, however, temporary until the court gives its final verdict on the matter. In the meantime, a regulatory framework is being put in place by the government.

All about GameGarage: How this startup is converting spaces into laser tag arenas

Laser tag is next-level awesome – ask Barney Stinson. While the game has been gaining incredible popularity in India, the logistics surrounding it could be a tad bit difficult. Identifying this pain point and offering an incredible solution in return is a bootstrapped Mumbai-based startup, called GameGarage, that conceptualises new-age games which can be played in real-life arenas using inflatable obstacles, light effects and music.

Lifestyle habits contributing to a loss in productivity of $3.5 B

Research and advisory firm RedSeer Consulting reveals that health and lifestyle habits of employees result in productivity loss worth $3.5 billion (Rs 24,000 crore) to the IT sector in Bengaluru every year, which is around 7 percent the IT sector’s total revenue ($50 billion) in the city. This productivity loss is attributed to five key risk factors: Physical Inactivity, Emotional & Mental Health, Physical Health, Poor Diet and Substance Abuse.