EPFOA reports issues with application processing after implementing new EPFO system

The e-commerce platform Flipkart has started its Freedom Sale, which features special offers on Apple iPhone devices. Discounts apply to models ranging from iPhone 15 to iPhone 17.

During this sale, users can purchase the iPhone 17 Pro Max with a discount of 16,000 rupees. Previously, this device was released last September for 1,49,999 rupees. Currently, it is listed on Flipkart for 1,41,999 rupees, and an additional saving of up to 8,000 rupees is possible by using bank offers, totaling a benefit of 16,000 rupees for users.

Furthermore, various bank discounts are available for the iPhone 17 Pro Max to increase savings. Buyers can also reduce the cost by trading in their old devices; the estimated value of the old phone depends on its condition.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is equipped with a 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen-to-body ratio reaches 90.7 percent. Ceramic Shield 2 is used to protect the screen, and an anti-glare coating has been applied. The device features Apple's A19 (3nm) chipset, as well as an Apple GPU.

The camera system of the iPhone 17 Pro Max includes a triple rear configuration. All three sensors have a resolution of 48 megapixels. Components include an ultra-wide-angle lens and a periscope telephoto lens, as well as an 18-megapixel multi-aspect resolution camera.

The weekly Lateral Sparks quiz from YourStory tests knowledge across various fields, business acumen, and the ability to think outside the box. This 244th edition features case studies faced by entrepreneurs during the startup creation process.

Participants are asked to review situations and decide how they would act in the place of these innovators. At the end of the quiz, the real solutions adopted by the entrepreneurs and inventors themselves are revealed.

Additionally, readers are encouraged to check out the YourStory book reviews section, which compiles insights from over 355 publications on creativity and entrepreneurship, as well as the weekend PhotoSparks section dedicated to artistic creativity.

As consumers increasingly turn to AI platforms instead of search engines, brands are observing a decline in organic visibility. This raises the question of how companies can effectively optimize their strategies for AI recommendations, rather than just traditional search engines.

There is a growth in the new electric vehicle market, but the resale market for such cars is developing slower due to issues with battery condition verification. A way to solve this problem needs to be found.

Lack of information regarding product availability and delivery delays in the construction and residential renovation sector lead to reduced productivity, project deadline failures, and labor downtime. Solutions must be developed to eliminate these complexities.

There is an issue with transmitting satellite data, which has to wait for a pass over a ground station to broadcast information, causing delays and losses. Furthermore, ground stations are expensive and scarce to build.

Many companies use solar energy but face increased demand at the end of the day, forcing them to use diesel generators. A more economical and efficient solution for managing this energy transition needs to be found.

Siddhartha Vanvani founded DareAISearch, which helps brands find customers, get mentioned, and be recommended on various AI-based search platforms. This platform integrates analytics, intelligence, and AI search deployment into a single space.

Vanvani notes that 'we are witnessing the biggest shift in digital discovery since the popularization of Google web search.' He emphasizes that AI platforms are increasingly shaping consumer decisions by recommending reliable options, not just the most popular brands.

The startup TrusTerra, founded by Tanvir Singh, Saurabh Arora, Madhu Reddy, and Chanakya Agarwal, developed the core product TruEV Score. This rating assesses battery condition, range stability, and remaining useful life of the vehicle, thereby helping buyers make decisions.

The platform collects vehicle data, battery diagnostics, and analytics to form the score. TrusTerra also has the TerraBid auction marketplace for certified dealers, based on battery ratings, and has attracted funding from Finvolve and India Accelerator.

Fixxly, created by Shezan Bhojani and Sachith Varma, builds a digital procurement system for the construction and interior design sectors. It allows contractors, specialists, interior designers, and homeowners to receive building materials on demand.

The Fixxly system uses a network of AI-managed local darkstores to fulfill orders, matching real-time availability, proximity, and demand, allowing materials to be delivered in minutes instead of days, solving the problem of fragmented distribution of building materials.

Satlabs Space Systems, founded by Saisree Eega and Sooraj Gopakumar, operates accessible relay systems so that spacecraft do not have to wait for a pass over a ground station. These systems, called 'floating ground stations,' transmit data to relay satellites, which then forward it.

This solution is useful for areas such as defense, agriculture, disaster response, marine energy, and connected industrial devices. Satlabs has also received funding from Finvolve and India Accelerator.

VoltSeal, founded by Mudit Narain and Abhijeet Pandey, positions batteries as the missing link between renewable generation and reliable power supply. The company installs lithium-iron-phosphate battery systems directly at the meter, on the customer's side.

Each installation is accompanied by software that determines the optimal time for battery charging and discharging. The company has attracted investments from Theia Ventures, Rainmatter, Momentum Capital, and Social Alpha.

YourStory also released the collection 'Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups' as a motivational guide for innovators.

The design team described the site of the HOURS Commercial Building, located in a narrow alley less than six meters wide. This plot faces the Daehyeon Elementary School to the south and is near the Hwimun High School and Samseong Station to the north. This unique location favors uses such as educational facilities or corporate offices that prioritize parking over street visibility.

The open facade provided by the adjacent school is considered an advantage but necessitates careful management of both visual privacy and noise levels. The client desired a building that was highly functional and flexible, capable of meeting local demand while respecting the existing context.

From the outset, the project approach focused on renovation rather than new construction, with the clear objective of reducing costs, decreasing execution time, and minimizing any negative impact on the neighborhood.

The architectural team at See Architects identified three central challenges in the undertaking. The first was maximizing marketable area: this was achieved by adding two floors vertically through increasing the utilization coefficient, without altering the projections of the existing floors, which avoided high expenses for updating fire safety systems. The new upper floors were designed with a ceiling height exceeding four meters, and the original pilotis structure was maintained to ensure spaces for up to eleven vehicles, raising the utilization coefficient to 230%.

The second challenge was visibility. Since the old building was less than three meters from the lot line, there was a risk of being obscured by future neighboring developments. To resolve this robustly, See Architects extended a concrete portico, accentuating vertical and horizontal lines, to the exact limit of the land. This new space created between the portico and the building functioned as an intermediate zone between the architecture and the city, also acting as a psychological and visual barrier relative to the school located to the south.

The third point addressed was efficiency. By limiting the demolition of primary structural components, both the timeline and cost of the work were reduced by less than half compared to a complete reconstruction. The decision for renovation was strategic. Exposed concrete finishing was applied to the portico elements, while gray ceramic bricks covered the surfaces of the pre-existing building. This material distinction helps make the structural logic legible and differentiates the building from the surrounding residential environment, which is made of red bricks.

Initially, the planned portico was a freestanding vertical wall set two meters away from the facade. However, during the licensing process, regulatory authorities expressed concern about the unauthorized enclosure of this intermediate space. The See Architects team managed to turn this limitation into an opportunity: the portico was redesigned to start integrated with the facade on the lower levels and progress gradually on each floor. Thus, what was merely a vertical element began to resemble a three-dimensional urban sculpture, viewed as a rhythmic front grid and a distinct volumetric presence.