Here are today’s Top 5 News & Events from Around the World. Take a look!
#5
Estonia to Go Completely Digital and End Bureaucracy, Will It Work?
Estonia is a small Baltic country but with a big ambition. It’s going completely digital to end the trouble of bureaucracy. The citizens of the country no more need to visit the government offices and stand in line to register birth certificates, from prescriptions to driving licenses everything is possible if you have an internet connection. Estonia’s grand plan shows the future of how governments across the world will look like. Still, it’s too soon to predict as the country with not more than 1.3 million people, Estonia can afford to go online with its services with fewer hurdles. But the prospects seem promising as it reduces the cost and increases the efficiency of government service delivery.
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#4
E-commerce Companies Can’t Sell Own Products After India Bans It, Will It Affect Online Sales?
After the petition filed by All India Online Vendors Association (AIOVA) in October with Competition Commission of India (CIC) citing that e-commerce companies favor their own vendors, the government has issued an order stating that from 1 Feb 2019, companies such as Amazon and Flipkart will no longer sell products of companies in which they have ownership. Sellers have alleged, for example, Amazon favors Cloudtail in which it has a stake. Through these vendors, Amazon provides higher discounts and creates an unfriendly business opportunity for other sellers on the platform. Also, the cashback that the customers received will no longer depend on whether the product was purchased from an affiliate or not.
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#3
Apple iPhone XR is the Lone Contender Against Android Phones, What About iPhone XS?
Despite the recent reports of Apple’s latest iPhone models not doing great in the smartphone industry, research conducted by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) paints a different story altogether. iPhone XR accounted for 32% of all iPhone sales and was the main contender for switching Android users. iPhone XS was able to beat iPhone XR by a margin of 3% when it comes to sales, but it stayed within the existing iPhone users. When it comes to gaining a new territory Apple should thank iPhone XR.
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#2
Snapchat Launches Lenses for Dogs, Good news for Pet lovers
Snapchat has launched dog lenses after launching cat lenses back in October. Lenses add animation to selfies and will add new interest for the animal lover users of Snapchat, which is trying to save its market share from other social media giants. Snapchat has recorded a drop in active users for the last two quarters. With the launch of dog lenses, it can hope to regain its share in the industry.
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#1
Stainless Steel Spaceship from SpaceX, Is It for Real?
Elon Musk tweeted “Stainless Steel Starship,” which might become a reality soon. It isn’t a full-fledged spacecraft but a part of the test vehicle. But the tweet from Elon has sparked a debate online. Whether or not it will become a real spacecraft is a matter open for debate. Till then we can only speculate.
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