Category: Apps

The Android mobile app and service is letting kids of all ages check on what Old Saint Nick is up to.

Christmas is creeping up fast and as Santa and his elves make last minute preparations, Google Assistant is allowing kids to check up on jolly old Saint Nick. The popular Santa Tracker has been worked into the artificial intelligence-powered digital personal assistant app. Kids of all ages can now say “Track Santa” or ask “Where is Santa” and find out the latest about Father Christmas.

At the moment, the Assistant is providing text answers to the question, though full maps are available.

For instance, when using the mobile app or desktop site instead of Google Assistant, a full map response is provided to the inquiry about Santa’s location. That said, the Assistant has a few additional lighthearted options, such as a number of different Santa-themed jokes.

The majority of the responses currently shared about Santa’s location have to do with the last minute preparations he is making with his elves. For instance, one reply from the Santa Tracker indicates that he just finished checking the weather reports for Christmas Eve.

The Google Assistant app is available for mobile devices based on the Android operating system.

Typically, the Assistant helps mobile device users to be able to conduct internet searches, to look through their pictures or complete a range of other basic tasks. However, for the holiday season, Google’s Santa tracking system has been integrated into the Assistant to allow users to find out when he might be flying near to their location.

That said, the holiday features aren’t just exclusive to people who celebrate Christmas during the holiday season. Google has also worked in a cute option meant for Jewish kids who are getting ready to celebrate Hanukkah, too. For instance, if you ask the Assistant to “spin the dreidel,” it provides a digital simulation of the spinning four-sided top. This can allow kids to play regardless of whether they happen to have an actual dreidel handy.

For mobile device users who have gadgets based on an operating system other than Android, the features Android users are enjoying with Google Assistant are still available. Google’s full Santa-tracking website is available for all smartphones, tablets and laptop/desktop users to be able to keep up with the very latest with the Jolly Old Elf.

As the Modi government forces a more cashless society, consumers have skipped plastic in favor of apps.

In India, Prime Minister Modi’s government suddenly eliminated two of the most commonly used monetary notes, providing a huge opportunity for the MobiKwik mobile wallet. As the country scrambles to ensure they have enough cash in their hands, mobile payments have become a fast alternative.

As a result, MobileKwik saw a sudden rush of new users, totaling 2 million in under 2 days.

The MobiKwik mobile wallet was already the largest in India. It saw the opportunity and rapidly launched a lighter version of its app, called the MobiKwik Lite. When it launched, it experienced more than 2 million downloads in less than the first two days. This trend is only expected to continue – though perhaps not as dramatically – as the nation continues its direction toward being cashless.

Without the old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, people rapidly looked to their smartphones to make sure they would have enough money to be able to make payments. The new MobiKwik Lite mobile app was designed to ensure that even the most basic smartphones and limited data connections would support it.

MobiKwik mobile wallet is determined to keep up with demand as more consumers download and sign on.

“We are committed to support the Government of India`s mission of a clean, cashless economy and launched MobiKwik Lite with an objective to help masses across the country go cashless,” said Upasana Taku, one of MobiKwik’s co-founders. Taku went on to say that “So far, we have registered over 20 lakh users and the number is growing significantly by the hour.” Taku pointed out that this high rate of new user sign-ups is a direct illustration that a product that is well timed and designed “resolves a real issue,” and will become a mainstream hit.

This mobile app, which is available in Hindi and English, also makes it possible for users to receive payment requests and send funds by way of SMS. This new lighter version of the MobiKwik mobile wallet is offering all users free bank transfers until March 31, 2017.