June 2020 - Page 2 of 5

Lamborghini Squadra Corse SCV12: The Italian’s newest stallion

This lockdown has bored most of us almost to death and we don’t have much to rejoice about. Luckily, a new hypercar has been teased to rejuvenate your spirits and make you smile again. If you are a Lamborghini collector and you are wondering which one to add to your collection next, this has to be exciting news for you. For track enthusiasts, this is even better news. The Italian luxury car manufacturer has unleashed its latest track-only weapon today. Called the Squadra Corse SCV12, it features the company’s most powerful V12 engine to date.

Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s GT motorsports expertise, using its racing experience has created the car with a clear track intent. Several aspects of the SCV12 have been developed particularly for the hypercar, with specific racing solutions devised by Squadra Corse engineers, including a new fully carbon fibre chassis that allows for a greater power-to-weight ratio as well as the best handling and circuit driving experience.

Since the SCV12 is a track-only car, it does not feature compulsory street elements such as lights. Instead, the engineers have optimized every component of the car to improve its performance. For instance, The SCV12’s front bonnet has a double air intake and a central rib directing airflow to the ram-air intake scoop located on the roof. It also has a prominent splitter at the front, lateral flicks and vertical fins on the side sills, while at the rear is a custom-built carbon fibre rear wing.

The SCV12 has completed its development program and is now ready to hit the track for its world première, scheduled for summer 2020. It will be assembled entirely within the Lamborghini Squadra Corse factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese, as a limited edition.

Customers will become members of a very exclusive club: they will participate in advanced driving programs at some of the world’s most prestigious circuits, with the technical assistance of Squadra Corse engineers and the special tutoring of Emanuele Pirro, five-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Lamborghini Squadra Corse Special Projects Consultant.

We cannot wait to check the car out at the first opportunity we get. Till then, all we can do is drool over its photos and wait with all eagerness!

Some of the Fascinating Predictions in Science Fiction That Came True

Do you believe everything that you read, hear or see? Is it even the right thing to do? Who would have imagined Issac Asimov’s description of robots will be a thing of future? In the video where Sophia interacts with CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin at a Future Investment Institute panel in Saudi Arabia, it was a giant leap in the field of robotics.

It is rightly said, humans are as creative as they can imagine. Perhaps the only thing that distinguishes us from other animals. What you see today was imagined by someone years ago. For example, the flying machines, tanks are some of the things imagined by the great inventor Leonardo Da-Vinci. You can find so many references to the same in his writings and designs.

If you read about a cyborg from the future or armies made of robots guarding our borders that is a plausible concept. Today, the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution has taken innovation to the next level but it will be unfair to not credit the writers/thinkers who imagined them at the first place.

Let us see some of the characters from the past that came out as an innovation in the present era.

1.K9 from Doctor Who and IBM Deep Blue

The brainchild of writers Bob Baker and Dave Martin K9 is the name of the fictional robotic dog in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first appearing in 1977.

The dog was smart enough to defeat his master in the game of chess. Back then it was something that no one had imagined that the same could be possible.

Fast forward to 1996, IBM’s supercomputer Deep Blue defeated champion Garry Kasparov and won its first game against world chess grandmaster. With Grandmaster Joel Benjamin as a part of the development team, Deep Blue was a part of the ChipTest project at Carnegie Mellon University. Its development began in 1985.

2.The Jetsons and Facebook Portal

Aired from September 23rd, 1962 to March 17th, 1963, Jetsons was way ahead of its time. With high-tech house gadgets, robotic household help and flying vehicles, it was all fictional back then. In an episode, there is the depiction of phone calls accompanied by an image in TV, something that we know as video calls today.

A similar device is available now that we know as Facebook Portal. It is a smart home device built for video calling and coupled with the voice control it is possible to check who’s at the front door, listen to music, watch the news and more.

3.Rosie the Robot Maid from the Jetsons & Tin Cat from Tom and Jerry and iRobot Roomba

One of the criticisms that we commonly hear about AI is that it will take away manual jobs. And the first time we saw this was in Tom and Jerry, where Tom was replaced by a mechanised tin cat. Also, we were fascinated to see something like a robotic household help (Rosie the Robot Maid) in Jetsons. But, back then no one imagined that this can be the future!

iRobot Roomba is a robotic vacuum cleaner that can clean the house with zero human interference. Similar to iRobot Roomba there is Moley Robotic kitchen that can prepare any dish from scratch and then clean afterwards.

4. Star Trek’s Universal Translator and Google Assistant interpreter

Imagine being a polyglot! How cool that would be? Where you interact in the local language where you are visiting. Keeping the same concept in mind, Star Trek’s creators thought of a universal translator. If you think this to be a novel fascination, you should know that the idea was first mentioned in Murray Leinster’s 1945 novella “First Contact”.

However, Star Trek’s Universal Translator is not yet completely available as it operated by scanning brain-wave frequencies and using the results to translate them into words. Captain Kirk used a handheld translator to communicate with the Companion (the cloudlike entity that kept famed scientist Zefram Cochrane alive) in 2267.

But a part of it has been manifested in reality and is known as Google Assistant interpreter. Google Assistant’s interpreter mode can translate conversations in 27 languages.

Conclusion

A lot has been going on in the technology space in the last few decades. What felt like fiction is only a matter of time to be manifested in reality. So next time you have ideas like teleporting yourself to different location don’t undermine your imagination, maybe someone somewhere is working hard to make that dream come true.

5 Ways Technology Will Change The World in The Next 5 Years

The fact that technology has been evolving the world rapidly for the last ten years is no news. From growing social media platforms and new job profiles to tech in medicine and space, everything is backed and fronted by tech. With the current happenings, faster disruption can be expected. Let’s take a look at what all can tech enable for us in the next five years.

1.AI led manufacturing

Thanks to COVID-19, the growth in AI led operations will grow manifold. Most companies that are primarily into building products will soon focus on and make use of cloud-based technologies to transform and present product and process data from manufacturing lines. In the next five years, this abundant data and the algorithms analyzing and processing it will enable manufacturing lines to deliver better output and enhance product quality. This will lead to a reduction in waste by half. We can then enjoy products of a much higher quality, that are also produced much faster and are available at a lower monetary and environmental cost.

2. New Age Computing

The age of quantum computing will begin. Through simulation of complex chemical reactions, newer advancements in drug development can be expected. Quantum chemistry calculations will help in achieving materials of desired properties and design. Imagine having better catalysts for the automobile industry that can help in reduction of emissions. Quantum computers will be able to remove the ‘trial and error’ method that pharmaceutical companies apply right now, which is time consuming and costly. A shorter product development cycle and a heavy reduction in the costs for R&D can then be expected.

3. 5G for the global economy

What we notice now the most as we sit in our homes and work through video conferencing is that poor quality networks are a hindrance. As we know, 5G networks can easily resolve this issue. Moreover, 5G will also revolutionize telehealth, telesurgery and ER services. From smart factories to real-time monitoring, 5G private networks can make this possible.

Imagine having self-driving bots! 5G will not only help with speed but also cut mobility costs greatly.

4. Robots in retail

Robotics is not new and has already been a boon for many industriesHowever, there are so many sectors like grocery retail that haven’t been tapped yet. A new robotics application called ‘microfulfillment’ is going to change that. This uses robotics at a hyper local level which will bring about a massive change in this gigantic industry. Higher productivity will result in positive returns in the online grocery business. Microfulfillment centers are currently located and used in real estate at the store level. They are 5-10% more cost effective than a physical store. Imagine the possibilities! The next 5 years are going to only spell growth for retail if robotics is to be incorporated.

5.Virtual and Physical spaces

The importance of tech in communication has been so apparent in times of Covid-19. The lockdown forced us to get in touch with our colleagues, friends and family with the help of video conferencing because of which we were able to understand that virtual can very much be the new physical. The progress of communicating like this is only going to increase with AI technology. The very thin line between physical space and virtual space is now blurred and will remain so. From global events to world conferences, everything will have a digitized format to it. In such a scenario, data privacy will have to be given top priority. Data control and security will have to be worked on if this has to be made a norm and a reality in the next five years.

With so much advancement in tech in the near future, we can only hope for our lives to get simpler, better and more productive. How all of this will together impact our overall lifestyle is not clear. Everything has its pros and cons and we aren’t really thinking about the bad side yet. With all these, perks, should we?

Luxury Cars that adorn Indian Roads

Luxury cars in India have always been considered to be elite. Hence, though Indian automobile market is open to a plethora of cars from global car brands, some manufacturers prefer to focus on the niche and elite crowd and offer some premium models. Each manufacturer offers multiple models across different segments and customers have a lot to choose from, but luxury models are not an everyday sight on Indian roads.These are not only expensive to buy, they’re also difficult to drive. Their sheer power combined with unmatched luxury automatically place their owners a notch above the rest. Here are some of the best luxury cars that adorn Indian roads:

1.AMG C 43 Coupe

Mercedes-Benz, who specializes in ultra-luxury cars, is offering the C 43 Coupe. It is not an ordinary C-Class though, as it has been specially tuned by the German manufacturer’s special division, Mercedes-AMG. Its lower ride height, frameless doors and sloping roofline differentiate it from the ordinary, while its four exhaust tips give the car a mean look. The immense power of its twin-turbocharged engine is commanded by five driving modes, while the car itself commands a steep price tag of Rs 75 lakh (ex-showroom).

2.BMW Z4 M40i

German car manufacturer BMW has made the Z4 with only one motive: to give the owner as much fun as possible. Armed with a powerful engine, it is offered as a two-door convertible sports car. This means you can look rich, go fast and have an open rooftop! It also has 10 loudspeakers, giving any music enthusiast an unforgettable experience. Its ex-showroom price tag of Rs 78.9 lakh also means that you will not see another model similar to yours anytime soon.

3.Jaguar XJ50

Jaguar’s recent addition to its lineup was the luxury sedan XJ50. However, it is not just another car, but a celebration of 50 years of the XJ being on sale in the international market. The British carmaker has retained its signature XJ styling, but has amped up the luxury parameter considerably. Packed with premium features, the car offers the thrill of high-speed with the comfort of safety. Combined with an ex-showroom price tag of Rs 1.12 crore, the XJ50 will surely give the owner an experience that money can’t buy.

4.Porsche 911 Carrera S

Among the fastest cars sold in India, the Porsche 911 Carrera S offers an unparalleled experience to its owner. Its exclusivity and rarity mean it’s a paparazzi magnet, with every other motorist redder than the car with jealousy. It has an immersive Bose sound system, though the rumble of its beastly engine can still be faintly heard. An authentic two-door coupe, the car has an ex-showroom price tag well above Rs 2 crore, ensuring that it will only be with the truly luxurious!

Driving any of these cars on the road will not only ensure a wide berth on the road from other vehicles, but also luxury unlike any other. Each manufacturer of these cars has put special effort and technology in their making and this makes the models exclusive to their owner.

Get Ready for Swasth – The Free Telemedicine App

This is one much needed step from the tech world towards fighting the spread of Covid-19 in India. Around 100 leading private hospitals, tech companies and health-tech startups have together planned to launch this free telemedicine consultation app named ‘Swasth.

Infosys co-founder, Kris Gopalakrishnan is spearheading this initiative along with Apollo Hospital’s Shobhana Kamineni,Manipal Group’s Ranjan Pai, iSPIRT’s Sharad Sharma, former Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation executive Nachiket Mor and Subrata Mitra from Accel. All of them have come together to help the country reduce the spread of the contagious pandemic that has brought everyone’s life to an abrupt halt.

Other partners in the mission to launch the Swasth App include the startups Medlife and 1MG and Care.Fit along with e-commerce platforms like Udaan and Flipkart.

What is Swasth all about?

Free teleconsultation with a network of more than 2000 certified doctors.
Users will be able to look for availability of resources like beds, labs and home quarantine equipment and aid via the app.

When will Swasth be available for download?

24th June

Which languages is the app available in?

English, Hindi and Gujarati. However, it will soon be available in around 25 languages.

Is Swasth app free to use?

Although the app is free but a nominal fee may be charged for it’s services in order to cover additional operational costs.

The app has raised a funding of 10 Crore from ACT (entrepreneurs and investors in the startup community) and will go for further fund-raising opportunities by tapping into CSR funds of large organisations. More doctors can be expected being added to the app in the coming months. There is a network of doctors that will be offering their services free of cost.

As of now the main goal of Swasth is to provide telemedicine solutions for the masses. Later, the app plans to become a bigger network that can become part of our lifestyle.

Swasth currently being registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act which makes the app a not-for-profit organisation.

The functionality of the app helps in a proper exchange of data. The owner of the data being the patient and this data being accessed by only the hospital which the patient goes to. To be precise, it’s an open network with an addition of the ‘consent’ aspect. This can be utilized well way after the pandemic crisis is over as there’s no data breach while it also allows you to network freel and meet your telemedicine needs.

All in all, Swasth app does seem to be promising in not just what it has to offer right now but also in the long term. It allows the masses to seek the help and care they need and at the time they need without worrying about their data being leaked. We hope Swasth app truly helps our country stay Swasth because it’s time to open the gates to businesses, work and other leisure activities again; after all the show must go on!

Car Brands That Redefine Luxury

Automobiles have long been a symbol of wealth, with even the simplest of cars being the objects of pride. Over the years, the industry has evolved from limited and niche brands to full-blown luxurious pieces of art. While cars became available to the public and hence lost their exclusivity, car brands rose to make their products even fancier, even better and even costlier.

Luxury cars have always been kept apart from the general category, as a castle separates the king from his people. They have also been called special names– ‘auto di lusso’ in Italy or ‘voiture de luxe’ in France, both meaning luxury cars. The Germans call them Oberklasse which directly means “upper class”.

Many car brands across the world manufacture models across multiple segments. Automobile giants like Volkswagen and General Motors even have plants worldwide. In order to segregate the luxurious cars from the mass-produced models, many car brands often choose to sell their luxuries under a different banner. This has led to Toyota forming Lexus and Nissan forming Infiniti, among others. Even popular brands like Citroen, Ford and Geely have DS, Lincoln and Volvo respectively.

However, car brands have always competed to extend their luxuries to as many segments as possible, creating further division in luxury cars.

There are entry-level luxury cars, also known as Premium compacts. These became popular in the mid-2000s after European manufacturers introduced a cheaper alternative to their bigger luxury cars. Some models in this category are the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz GLA, BMW X2, Lexus CT2000h and the Volvo C30. These cars might be smaller than their executive siblings, but they’re at par in luxury.
Then come the compact luxury cars that are also smaller than their executive siblings and can also be called compact executive cars. It includes Alfa Romeo’s Giulia, Tesla’s Model 3 and the Infiniti Q50, among others.
The Executives are bigger than the prior two and act as a gateway to ultra-luxury. Executive car is a British term for an automobile larger than a large family car. Jaguar XF and Volvo S90 are some examples in this segment.
Germany’s Oberklasse segment and Europe’s F-segment are reserved for full-size luxury sedans. Most of them are flagship models of the company and feature the newest technology that the car brands have to offer. Also called luxury saloon or luxury limousine, these include the BMW 7 Series, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the Lexus LS and the Porsche Panamera, among others.
The Ultra-luxury segment is reserved for the elite, with all cars costing well above the Rs 10 crore mark. Here car brands offer models that will focus primarily on offering as much luxury as possible,making almost each piece unique to its owner. Names like the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Maybach 57 and the Bentley Arnage are enough to tell people one thing: You got deep pockets.

These are the car brands that will help you redefine luxury. Each car falling under this segment has not only been manufactured to carry its passengers, it has been made to set standards of luxury and style.

Time To Believe in Karma | Editor’s Note June ’20

This is our second issue from home, amidst these gloomy times when suddenly every email, phone or WhatsApp starts with “How are you?” in a meaningful way. If you have never believed in God or are a staunch atheist, it’s time for you to do some good karma, just like Sonu Sood sending thousands of migrant laborers back and like a real ‘hero’ standing there in person to waive them and thankfully not contracting COVID-19 himself. This explains a few things.

He did not want us to abuse the climate and get to a point where global warming is alarming.

He did not want the rich and crony capitalist to become very powerful, almost like an oligarch, and get a feeling of invincibility. Covid-19 has come out as the greatest equalizer, it doesn’t spare anyone.

He wanted all of us to reflect and not run 9-6 with extra hours in travel, or worse, fly to another city for a 30 minute meeting, which today is just a zoom call away.

He wanted us to emphasize that only essentials matter in life, just like the stone age. Air to breathe, food grains to eat, water to drink. We can add the internet to this tech age as an essential and may be single malt every now and then too.

He wanted us to spend time with our loved ones, which we take for granted, converse with the kids and enjoy the simple pleasures.

He wanted to stop such massive urbanization and mass exodus to cities. Now the migrants have gone back and almost 50% will not return and some fine gentlemen like billionaire Sridhar Vembu of Zoho, who spearheaded a new movement with Zoho schools, has set up his corporate office in a small village 650 km off Chennai. This, after living in the sophisticated Silicon Valley for decades. He is our God or the Superpower or the almighty or the creator up there.

The fight is on, with the invincible COVID-19, with our physical neighbours at the borders, with the falling economy, joblessness and total chaos. The real winners are those who can find their real purpose in life and if the whole world starts believing in karma then the #WorldHasChanged for the better.

That was my spiritual side because I consider myself blessed to be nestled in my complex apartment along with the people who matter in life having all amenities including ice-creams and single malt delivered to my doorstep unlike many unfortunate ones who are fighting for the daily means of livelihood. During this lockdown, I held many roundtable webinars with industry heads and the conversations are laid out in pages ahead. All of them were universally and reciprocally enjoying this downtime with family while working more from home sharing some other great insights into the new world order.

Now coming to Rakul Preet Singh, the actress who I have known for a long time and seen her rise to fame with a whooping 14.1 million fans on the gram. We did this whole shoot at her home with the smartphone camera without the frills of hair, make up, lights, any ace photographers and rounded up with an interview via a video call. Her strong hesitance to shoot was soon overcome by her sportiness and some rounds of convincing.

We devised a strategy, the magazine’s in-house stylist, Simran had sourced her clothes before the lockdown which helped us tremendously and we delivered that alongside the new Moto Razr to her house to be taken in after surface quarantine of 24 hours. Since Mumbai skies decided to turn gloomy, we sent across a ring light which we use in the office for YouTube videos which was Armageddon and what you see in the cover and the pages ahead, is a result of that.

Enjoy the issue and stay safe and start believing in karma or Sonu Sood or both.

Also Read:
Unlockdown 1.0 – The 3 Cs – China, COVID & Cure!

Electric Cars: The Luxurious Future

Electric cars have gained global recognition over the years, due to the rapid depletion of fossil fuels and the ever-rising demand of personal cars. While it has become important for manufacturers to look for an alternate power source, they’re also looking at adding luxury to the segment.

Electric cars are considered to be the future of the automobile industry, mainly due to their practically unlimited potential. When Mahindra came up with REVA-I for the Indian market, it went quite unnoticed because of its small, diminutive structure, cramped and awkward seating position, and an all-electric drive. This was the first stint of an electric car operating in India. However, the international market is seeing a flooding of electric car across multiple segments, with luxury cars getting special attention.

Tesla’s range of fully electric cars have paved the way for other manufacturers since 2003. The Model S, Model 3 and Model X are some of the most iconic models from the company, while Elon Musk recently confirmed that Tesla’s five-seater Model Y is set to be relaunched as a seven-seater version this year.

Probably early Q4

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 21, 2020

The company is also the manufacturer of the Tesla Roadster, which is the quickest car in the world. Its latest addition, the Cybertruck promises to revolutionize the world of pickup trucks, merging it with the luxury segment.

Though Tesla is widely regarded as the pioneer and most successful electric car manufacturer, it hasn’t dissuaded other manufacturers from trying. Jaguar became the first mainstream manufacturer to break Tesla’s monopoly at high-end luxury SUVs. The Jaguar I-Pace, whose base models sells for Rs 50 lakh while the top trim demands Rs 61 lakh, offers outstanding performance coupled with unmatched luxury. Hyundai too tried their failsafe i20 chassis, giving it the name Hyundai Kona. Indian brands were not to be left out either, with giants like Tata and Mahindra coming up with a fleet of EVs of their own.

Along with Indian conglomerates, international manufacturers have also invested their resources in the research and development of fully electric cars. Porsche’s first-ever electric car, the Taycan is a four-door grand tourer that borrows the looks of a Panamera, but is a whole another deal in terms of performance. Even after being the first electric car of the company, it gets a befitting price range of Rs 1.1 crore to Rs 1.4 crore for the Turbo S version. BMW also has its share of EVs, among them being the two-door sports car, the i8. It gets an additional flair of luxury with butterfly doors.

Not to be left behind, Aston Martin has also declared its entrance in the electric car market. With an all-electric Rapide sedan that is ready for production, the company is looking to redefine electric performance and luxury. While it has not been officially announced yet, it is expected to make its way to the Indian market post launch.

On one hand while IC engines are the best option for cars at the moment, the possibility of a completely electric future of automobiles in India does not seem bleak anymore. Coupled with the ambitious plans to make India an all-electric nation by 2030, we might be looking at the next revolution in automotive history.

How AI is changing the BFSI Sector – An Analysis of Trends America’s Top Banks | AI for Banks and Fintech

In this article, Read about the growing dependence of tech talent to revolutionize AI for Banks and Fintech. While companies like Facebook, Google and Microsoft continue to be the forebearer of cutting-edge technologies, the rise and rise of artificial intelligence in the BFSI sector is showing how this has become everyone’s favourite child. This is true even for traditional businesses, that thrived decades without slightest of technological reforms.

Reasons are many. However, the most common one is that, that emergence of AI in the BFSI range from automation and potential to cut jobs to startup acquisitions. In this article read about how top banks and other financial institutions have analysed the applications of AI in their regular day to day operations.

C-suite executives are eager to leverage AI for automating risk management processes, such as fraud detection and regulatory compliance. Following are the part of the bigger picture.

What applications are used by big shots like JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo?
What is the scope of penetration of AI tools by customers and employees in these organizations
What is the common thread that binds innovation in AI in companies like these and what does that mean for the future of banking?
How much has been invested in AI and emerging tech innovation across leading US banks?

In this article, let’s delve deeper into the implementation of AI by the seven leading commercial banks in the U.S. as ranked by the Federal Reserve. Since a lot of businesses are dependent on a flawless financial infrastructure, we will also see how this paradigm shift will also impact business and commerce.

If you are to see the prioritization of AI applications by the seven leading US commercial banks to better serve their customers, improve performance and increase revenue, the trend has multiplied in the past few years. For the industry’s leading giants, the future of finance will be heavily influenced by emerging fintech and AI applications.

Read about Elon Musk and his relation with AI

Banks Will Have Trouble Acquiring AI Talent

According to a report, there is an interesting trend that fancied our attention. Only larger US banks seem to have the resources to build robust AI applications for addressing business problems. This may reflect the tremendous difficulty of obtaining and retaining machine learning and AI talent.

Tech giants (Amazon, Google, and Facebook) are more generous than their financial counterparts. With their reputation for innovation and higher profit-per-employee ratios, allowing them to shower top talent with higher salaries and excellent perks, it’s increasingly difficult for mid-sized banks to hire talent to drive innovation. It’s unlikely that even behemoths like JPMorgan Chase or Wells Fargo will be able to compete well against the tech giants in the AI talent war of the next decade.

Banking Chatbots Are Hype

Trends in AI like “Chatbots” and “conversational interfaces” inspire enthusiasm and excitement in the banking world. However, they make up roughly 13.5% of the product offerings in banking. It is way less than expected, given that they make up nearly 39% of the AI use-cases across the top 100 banks.

Customer-facing functions like Customer Service, Wealth Management, Marketing, and Sales made up only 25%. In contrast, risk-related Functions including Online Fraud and Cybersecurity, Compliance, Risk Management, and Financing and Loans made up 56%. Banks are understating their use of AI for other use-cases, most banks are investing in AI for compliance and risk monitoring more than any other business area.

Internal Document Search – Contract Intelligence (COiN) and Predictive Analytics – Emerging Opportunities Engine by JPMorgan Chase

JPMorgan Chase increased its technology budget to $11.4 billion in 2019. In 2017, JPMorgan Chase designed a chatbot (COiN) to analyze legal documents and extract important data points and clauses thereby automating the process and reducing human intervention that typically takes 360,000 hours for 12000 contracts.

These Two Tech Startups Are Revolutionizing Yoga : International Yoga Day

Today is International Yoga Day. In today’s world, Yoga has become easily available to all by means of videos and apps. Technology has made it easier for everyone to practice yoga in the comfort of their homes. Yoga is known to relax the body and the mind. In today’s times when stress is at its peak, yoga can greatly help relieve tension and keep the fitness levels up. If you’re looking at making yoga a part of your lifestyle then here’s what these start-ups have on offer.

Wellnesys (YogiFi)

Image for representation purposes only

YogiFi is a smart yoga mat that connects all its users with a virtual instructor by using AI and a mobile app. It has pressure sensors that guide you and also provide real-time feedback on the posture, balance and flexibility after every session. Try this out in this International Yoga Day.

Muralidhar Somisetty, the founder and CEO of Wellnesys, suffered from a severe spinal injury and that is when he thought of creating YogiFi. Yoga helped him get better and also reversed the condition for him.

Retail price of YogiFi :

$199 (15,000 INR approx)

Although this seems to be on a higher side, the founder says it is in fact better than spending a monthly fee upwards of 2000 INR. Also, you enjoy so many benefits like strength and flexibility monitoring that you wouldn’t if you were to attend a Yoga class.

While it does sound promising, reviews from users will shed some light on how well it performs and if it is here to stay. We do feel this is a good solution, considering the fact that stress levels are high and on the rise. Moreover, since people will now become more used to staying indoors, this seems to be a perfect way to keep your mind and body fit.

Top 5 Apps for your WFM – Workout From Home

Parjanya Creative (Prayoga app)

Image for representation purpose only

Prayoga app was founded by Krishnaprasad Jagadish. He is also the co-founder of Parjanya Creative. The app makes use of machine learning and Apple’s ARKit body tracking tech to analyse the users’ poses. Prayoga is exclusively available on iOS and it gives real-time feedback to it’s users.

According to Jagdish, yoga isn’t only about performing the poses but also about performing them correctly. Yoga is only effective if the pose is correct and that’s what the aim of Prayogya is.

The main USP of Prayoga app is that all the asanas are available as high quality 3D models. This is important to learn the poses correctly. Jagadish consulted a lot of Yoga teachers before making the app.

Both of these startups have put in a lot of hard work in order to give the best experience to the apps’ users and we’re sure they will greatly help people adapt to a lifestyle that focuses on physical fitness and mental well-being. As for how people will adapt to the change in the way they practice yoga, time will tell us that. Until then we will try these out for sure.