Ravi Shastri Appointed Director of Team India for ODI Series vs England; Dhoni Captaincy Safe

Ravi Shastri will assist Team India chief coach Duncan Fletcher during the five-match ODI series against England starting on August 25. BCCI also includes Sanjay Bangar in support staff.

Ravi Shastri will be Team India director for the five ODIs vs England starting on August 25.

© AFP

Reacting to India's shocking Test rout in England, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has decided to appoint former India captain Ravi Shastri to oversee and guide Team India during the forthcoming One-day International matches against England. Duncan Fletcher will continue as head coach while Shastri will be the overall in-charge of cricket affairs. The first ODI will be played in Bristol on August 25. The series ends with a one-off T20 international in Birmingham on September 7.  ('Duncan Fletcher Needs Help')
The BCCI also ruled out axing Mahendra Singh Dhoni as captain. Dhoni's Test captaincy has been under the scanner for his poor overseas record. In 2011, India lost eight Tests on-the-trot in England and Australia. India's next Test series will be at home against the West Indies in October-November this year.
Former Australian batsman and NDTV expert Dean Jones welcomed Shastri's appointment. "Ravi will have to make a fair assessment on how the players are reacting to Duncan Fletcher. The players must enjoy playing for India. That's important," said Jones. Shastri, who played 80 Tests and 150 one-dayers matches between 1981 and 1992, temporarily coached the Indian team during the 2007 tour of Bangladesh. (Dhoni Saved India Further Humiliation: Gavaskar)
In its continuing efforts to re-energise the support to Mahendra Singh Dhoni's beleaguered team, the BCCI has given a break to the bowling coach Joe Dawes and fielding coach Trevor Penney for the one-day series. The BCCI has appointed Sanjay Bangar, former Indian all-rounder, and former India fast bowler Bharat Arun as assistant coaches of the team. R. Sridhar will join the support team as the fielding coach for the one-day series.
Bangar was the coach of Indian Premier League team King's XI Punjab. Arun has worked with the Indian under-19 team in recent times. Bangar's work was praised after Kings XI made the IPL finals. Ahead of the England series, former India captain Rahul Dravid worked as a consultant with Team India. He came in on a request from Fletcher. (India Need to go Back to Basics: McGrath)
India lost the five-match Test series against England 3-1. The BCCI said in a statement on Tuesday that it was mulling the changes for over two weeks. According to the BCCI, the changes are only for the limited overs series. Fletcher's contract with the BCCI is till the end of the 2015 ICC World Cup.
When Fletcher replaced Gary Kirsten following the 2011 World Cup, the Zimbabwean came with a fabulous track record and CV. He was the main man in masterminding a turnaround in the fortunes of the England team. But his success with Team India, especially overseas, has been horrendous. Out of the 20 Tests India played abroad under Fletcher, Dhoni & Co. won two and lost 13.
"If India have to sack Duncan Fletcher, they must do it now. They can't do it closer to the World Cup. Australia did the same with Mickey Arthur and brought in Darren Lehmann before the Ashes," explained Jones.
Jones also backed Dhoni to retain the captaincy. "Tough situations bring out the best leaders. Dhoni must lead by example and the fact is there is no one to replace him. Virat Kohli is out of form so Dhoni is the best man now," the Aussie said.
Shastri's introduction may see a change in India's ODI fortunes - Team Dhoni won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013 beating England in the final - but how that will solve their travel illness in the longer format of the game remains to be seen. India travel to Australia at the end of this year. (Dhoni Proud to Wear India Cap: Laxman)

 

Latest Mi 3 Sale Sees 20,000 Smartphones Sold in 2.3 Seconds: Xiaomi

20,000 units of Xiaomi's Mi 3 available in its fifth flash sale via Flipkart were sold out in less than three seconds, 2.3 seconds to be precise, for the third time in a row - according to Xiaomi's Vice President, Hugo Barra, who announced the news on Twitter.

Do Ads 'Follow' You Around the Internet? New Tool Will Tell You Why

Have you recently seen an ad about depression online? It could be because you sent an email about being sad.Researchers have developed a new tool that unveils which data in a Web account, such as emails, searches, or viewed products, are being used to target which outputs, such as ads, recommended products, or prices.
Roxana Geambasu and Augustin Chaintreau, both assistant professors of computer science at Columbia Engineering, along with PhD student Mathias Lecuyer created the tool called XRay to understand how personal data is being used on Web services like Google, Amazon, Facebook and YouTube.
"Today we have a problem: the web is not transparent. We see XRay as an important first step in exposing how websites are using your personal data," said Geambasu.
We live in a "big data" world, where staggering amounts of personal data - our locations, search histories, emails, posts, photos, and more - are constantly being collected and analysed by many other Web services.
While harnessing big data can certainly improve our daily lives, these beneficial uses have also generated a big data frenzy, with Web services aggressively pursuing new ways to acquire and commercialise the information.
"It's critical, now more than ever, to reconcile our privacy needs with the exponential progress in leveraging this big data," said Chaintreau.
"If we leave it unchecked, big data's exciting potential could become a breeding ground for data abuses, privacy vulnerabilities, and unfair or deceptive business practices," Geambasu added.
Determined to provide checks and balances on data abuse, XRay is designed to be the first fine-grained, scalable personal data tracking system for the Web.
For example, one can use the XRay prototype to study why a user might be shown a specific ad in Gmail. Geambasu and Chaintreau found, for example, that a Gmail user who sees ads about various forms of spiritualism might have received them because he or she sent an email message about depression.
"The theoretical results were encouraging, but seemed too good to be true. So we tested XRay in actual situations, learning from experiments we ran on Gmail, Amazon, and YouTube, and refining the design multiple times.
"The final design surprised us: XRay succeeded in all the experiments we ran, and it matched our theoretical predictions in increasingly complex cases," researchers said.
The current XRay system works with Gmail, Amazon, and YouTube. However, XRay's core functions are service-agnostic and easy to instantiate for new services, and they can track data within and across services.
The key idea in XRay is to use black-box correlation of data inputs and outputs to detect data use.
To assess XRay's practical value, the researchers created an XRay-based demo service that continuously collects and diagnoses Gmail ads related to a set of topics, including various diseases, pregnancy, race, sexual orientation, divorce, debt, etc.

Sony Launches Xperia M2 Aqua 'Waterproof Smartphone for Everyone'

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Sony on Tuesday has introduced its first mid-range waterproof smartphone - the Sony Xperia M2 Aqua - with the tagline 'waterproof smartphone for everyone.' The company hasn't detailed the pricing as yet, but has said that the smartphone will be rolled-out in Autumn 2014 to several markets including Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America.The specifications on Sony Xperia M2 Aqua are same as the Xperia M2 and Xperia M2 Dual (which was launched at Rs. 21,990 in India), except that Sony has put in its improved waterproof technology with what Sony claims is the highest dust-proof and waterproof rating (IP65/68) in a smartphone. It is said to be able withstand immersion in up to 1 metre of water indefinitely. Previously, both flagship smartphones, Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z2 were IP55/58 certified devices.
"Xperia M2 Aqua is a significant milestone in our product portfolio as we bring yet another of our signature technologies to a new category of smartphones," said Calum MacDougall, Director of Xperia Marketing at Sony Mobile.
Just like the Sony Xperia M2, the Xperia M2 Aqua is a single-SIM supporting device and features a 4.8-inch qHD display with a resolution of 540x960 pixels. It packs a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor coupled with 1GB of RAM.
(Also see: Sony Xperia M2 Dual Review | Pictures)
The 8GB of inbuilt storage on Xperia M2 Aqua can be expanded with microSD card up to 32GB. The device boasts a similar 8-megapixel rear camera with flash and a 0.3-megapixel front facing camera.
It packs a 2300mAh battery and will be available in two colours - Black and White. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, GPS/ A-GPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, Wi-Fi, DLNA, and ANT+ for sports accessories. It also comes preloaded with Lifelog app for SmartBand SWR10. Notably, Sony has not announced a dual-SIM variant of the Xperia M2 Aqua yet.

When I try romantic films, 'Chennai Express' is the result: Rohit Shetty

Filmmaker Rohit Shetty talks about romantic films and box office business

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Varinder Chawla

Mumbai: Rohit Shetty says his idea of a romantic film is Chennai Express, adding that as a filmmaker his priority is to make a film that entertains the masses and recovers money.
When asked why he doesn't make full-fledged romantic film, Rohit said, "When I try to make a romantic film, it turns out to be a Chennai Express."
Released last year, the film starring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone was basically a romantic comedy, but it had the Rohit Shetty element in the form of high-octane action scenes, an art that the director has mastered over the years. People accepted it and it became one of the highest grossers of 2013.
"It depends on many aspects. What happens with my films is that it is always a big budget film with a lot of money pumped in. I need to recover that money because I cannot make somebody sell his house because of my film."
"I cannot cheat the audience ever. That makes no sense! This is my audience, I cater to them and I know how to make films for them," he added.
From 'Golmaal' franchise to 'Singham' series, the director has always churned out massy films with core commercial elements infused in it, especially action and drama.
Is box office business your priority?
"When you make a film, you want your money to be recovered, unlike earlier times when a film doing well was not counted by how much it earned (at the box office), but on the basis of how many days it ran in theatres," he said.
"Now we say the film has earned Rs 100 crore or Rs 150 crore or Rs 200 crore. Business is definitely important because otherwise, you won't survive," added the director who has hit the jackpot once again with his recent release Singham Returns.

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Team India Test Defeat vs England Will be Swept Under the Carpet: Sunil Gavaskar

Indian team cut a sorry figure after series capitulation in England

© AP

Sunil Gavaskar said India will need to take some firm decisions after crashing to their second successive innings defeat, losing the five-Test series 3-1 against England at The Oval on Sunday. (India's jelly-like resistance embarrassing: Sunil Gavaskar)
Batting in their second innings after conceding a 338-run to England, India were shot out for 94 in 29.2 overs, after losing eight wickets in a session. Gavaskar, who had defended the Indian team, citing inexperience and youth, was less forgiving on Sunday, and urged the powers-that-be to take some tough calls. (James Anderson elated after 'happy ending' to English Summer)
"Even two days back, I was defending the team. But you see them today, they have made the same mistakes over and over again. It means the team is not learning. Do they care about it? I don't know. Most of these players have played in South Africa, New Zealand and England. How much of a rope do you give a young player. I think somewhere down the line some firm decisions have to be taken. I don't know if they will be taken," Gavaskar told NDTV after India's innings and 244-run defeat. (Alastair Cook lauds England's character in series win)
Gavaskar said teams remain successful because of their ability to take tough decisions when they are down in the dumps: "One of the reasons why Australia have clawed back to the top spot is that they take tough calls and that is the need of the hour for India." (India lost confidence, says MS Dhoni)
Gavaskar for his part suggested that India stopped playing Test cricket altogether for while. He said the A squads should be sent overseas for two month long tours to prepare young players for the challenges of top drawer cricket
 However, Gavaskar did not remain too optimistic about any changes in the setup, despite a hat-trick of embarrassing defeats. The coach Duncan Fletcher has drawn the ire of former cricketers and the media in the past, but the BCCI responded by extending his contract till the 2015 World Cup in Australia. The former England coach has done precious little as India continue to hit new lows in every overseas tour. (Livid Dhoni slams batsmen, ducks questions on captaincy)
"Nothing is going to change. Certainly nothing is going to change till the end of the World Cup. So there really is no point talking about it," said Gavaskar.
Gavaskar's main fear was that this series defeat could soon be forgotten and no remedial actions would be taken. India next play England in an ODI series and a one-off T20 to mark the end of the tour on September 7. If the world champions do well in the limited overs matches, the horror and shame of the Test routing could soon be emotions of the past.
"If we do well in the one-dayers which follow in a week's time, the Test series will be forgotten and that is the tragedy of Indian cricket. The tragedy of Indian cricket is  that a lot of the Test defeats are swept under the carpet. At the end of the day, however well you do in limited overs cricket, it is Test cricket that defines you as a cricketer, defines your place in the history of the game.
"If you are going to have all the Test wins and all the Test losses swept under the carpet, then you are not going to make any progress," Gavaskar said.
Gavaskar said he was demoralised to see India crash to one defeat after another after the highs of Lord's and blamed lack of application and intent from the team. Will India wake up and listen or will the young players continue to dazzle at cash-rich T20 tournaments at home, before their next date with the horrors of Test cricket abroad?

మార్కెట్లో అసుస్ జెన్‌ఫోన్ 5.. 5 బెస్ట్ డీల్స్

వ్యక్తిగత కంప్యూటర్ల తయారీ రంగంలో అంతర్జాతీయంగా తనకంటూ ప్రత్యేకమైన గుర్తింపును సొంతం చేసుకున్న అసుస్ (Asus) ఇటీవల ఇండియన్ మార్కెట్లో తన జెన్‌ఫోన్ సిరీస్ నుంచి మూడు స్మార్ట్‌ఫోన్‌లను మార్కెట్లో విడుదల చేసింది. జెన్‌ఫోన్ 6, జెన్‌ఫోన్ 5, జెన్‌ఫోన్ 4 వేరియంట్‌లలో విడుదలైన ఈ మూడు ఫోన్‌లను మొదటి నాలుగు రోజుల అమ్మకాల్లో భాగంగా 40,000 యూనిట్‌ల వరకు అసుస్ విక్రయించగలిగింది. కొద్దిరోజుల సుధీర్ఘ విరామం తరువాత అసుస్ జెన్‌ఫోన్ 5 ప్రముఖ రిటైలర్ ఫ్లిప్‌కార్ట్ వద్ద రూ.10,000 అత్యుత్తమ ధర పై లభ్యమవుతోంది. మీరు ఎంపిక చేసుకోబోయే స్మార్ట్‌ఫోన్ ఇంకా ట్యాబ్లెట్ పీసీకి సంబంధించిన ధరలను ఇక్కడ క్లిక్‌చేసి చూసుకోండి. వివిధ మోడళ్ల స్మార్ట్‌ఫోన్‌లకు సంబంధించిన ఫోటో గ్యాలరీల కోసం క్లిక్ చేయండి. అసుస్ జెన్‌ఫోన్ 5 ఫీచర్లు: 5 అంగుళాల కెపాసిటివ్ మల్టీటచ్ డిస్‌ప్లే (రిసల్యూషన్ 1280 x 720పిక్సల్స్), కార్నింగ్ గొరిల్లా గ్లాస్ ప్రొటెక్షన్‌తో, 2గిగాహెట్జ్ డ్యూయల్ కోర్ ఇంటెల్ ఆటమ్ జెడ్2580 ప్రాసెసర్, 1జీబి ర్యామ్, ఆండ్రాయిడ్ 4.3 జెల్లీబీన్ ఆపరేటింగ్ సిస్టం (ఆండ్రాయిడ్ కిట్‌క్యాట్ అప్‌గ్రేడబుల్), జెన్ యూజర్ ఇంటర్‌ఫేస్, డ్యూయల్ సిమ్ కనెక్టువిటీ, 8 మెగా పిక్సల్ రేర్ కెమెరా (ఎల్ఈడి ఫ్లాష్ సౌకర్యంతో), 2 మెగా పిక్సల్ ఫ్రంట్ ఫేసింగ్ కెమెరా, ఇంటర్నల్ మెమెరీ వేరియంట్స్ (8జీబి, 16జీబి), మైక్రోఎస్డీ కార్డ్‌స్లాట్ ద్వారా ఫోన్ మెమరీని 64జీబి వరకు విస్తరించుకునే సౌలభ్యత, కనెక్టువిటీ ఫీచర్లు (3జీ, వై-ఫై, బ్లూటూత్, జీపీఎస్), 2100 ఎమ్ఏహెచ్ బ్యాటరీ.

Trai Drops Plans to Impose Extra Fees on WhatsApp, Skype: Report

In a victory for network neutrality, fair play and common sense, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has decided not to entertain demands from cellular service providers to impose revenue-sharing rules on apps and services which allow users to route calls and messages via the Internet. The proposal would have affected users of several popular apps including WhatsApp, Skype, Viber, Hike, WeChat, and Facebook Messenger

As reported by the Economic Times, Trai has now rejected the idea and even cancelled plans to hold a consultation on the matter. According to the report, Trai feels that revenue losses can be offset by growth in the usage of data services and that there is no need to intervene at this time. 

The proposal was made by mobile service providers earlier this month on the basis that they were suffering a loss of revenue due to declining use of cellular voice and SMS services. The move sparked widespread criticism and was seen as a grab for money, since the carriers already charge for Internet connectivity and it should not matter what users do with their services.

The demand for a "level playing field" with free apps, would have actually created a distinction between types of data sent and received by users, in effect restricting usage of apps and services, and giving operators control over what users do with their Internet connections.

Several consumers raised objections to the very idea of imposing fees on specific apps, pointing out that Internet services are already overpriced and are way too slow, by global standards. Such rules would also have set dangerous precedents as to who can potentially claim compensation for loss of revenue from any new player or service provider that disrupts their revenue model in the future.

Trai had held a seminar titled "Regulatory Framework for OTT Services" on August 5, during which various industry stakeholders had put forward their viewpoints. This would have been the first step in a consultation process, which has now reportedly been called off.

LG to Bring G3's UX Features to Its Entry and Mid-Level Devices

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LG on Tuesday announced that it will be bringing the recently introduced UX features from its G3 flagship to most of its entry and mid-level smartphones and tablets launched in the second half of this year, in an effort to provide a 'consistent and uniform user experience across its entire mobile product lineup.'Boasting of the acclaim and awards the G3's UX has won, LG in a statement detailed which of the features introduced in the flagship smartphone will make it to the company's entry and mid-level smartphones, starting with a standardised camera app that with a simplified layout will only show the most frequently used menus.
The new camera app for entry-level and mid-level LG smartphones will also bring the Touch & Shoot (one-touch to shoot), Gesture Shot (a gesture starts off a 3-second timer), and Clean View (clutter-free preview) features the LG G3 (Review I Pictures) offers.
Another LG G3 UX feature that will be standardised is the Smart Keyboard, which the company claims reduces input error by up to 75 percent by analysing and adapting to typing habits. Other features of the Smart Keyboard include easy resizing and key customisation, word suggestions, and cursor repositioning directly from the keyboard. The company recently introduced other Smart Keyboard features, such as Bilingual Word Suggestion, and Real-time Path Input.
Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company, explained the move, saying, "With the basic principles of the G3's UX features rooted in making complex technologies simple and convenient, our goal was to provide consumers with a user experience they genuinely need and want. Standardizing these features across our entry- and mid-tier mobile products is just a natural extension of our desire to make every LG device feel premium and unique."

Rani Mukerji's Next Project Not Under Yash Raj Films Banner

A still from the upcoming film Mardaani featuring Rani

Actress Rani Mukerji, now married to Yash Raj Films (YRF) honcho Aditya Chopra, says that her next film will be outside her home banner.

Her forthcoming release Mardaani, directed by Pradeep Sarkar, has been produced by YRF.

So, when asked whether she would star only in films for her home banner, Rani said: "No, not at all. My next film will be outside the YRF banner."

The actress, however, says that she wants to stick to acting and has no plans to be involved creatively with the production house.(Also Read: Rani can't take orders from Aditya)

"There are many capable people who take care of everything. Adi (Aditya) is at the helm and I don't think he requires anybody else. I don't want to produce or direct a film," she said.

For the time being, Rani is busy promoting Mardaani. The raw and gritty film will see her playing Shivani Shivaji Roy, an officer of the Mumbai Crime Branch unit, when it releases on August 22.

Chinese Troops Entered Ladakh With 'This is Our Territory' Flags, Stayed 24 Hours: Sources

File photo of Indian soldiers along the India-China border

New Delhi:  The Indian Army has denied reports that Chinese troops have entered deep into Indian territory in Depsang, the same area in Ladakh where they had pitched tents in April last year, leading to a tense three-week stand-off.

Following are the Top 10 Updates to this story:

1. An Army spokesperson denied a report by wire service Press Trust of India or PTI that the Chinese troops had entered 25 to 30 km into Indian territory and pitched tents. "No incursion or encroachment of Indian Territory by China has taken place along the India-China border," the spokesperson told PTI on email.
2. He, however, said that because there is a difference in the way the two countries perceive the disputed border called the Line of Actual Control or LAC, "transgressions do occur" from time to time. India, he said, regularly takes up any transgression with China through established mechanisms such as flag meetings, border personnel meetings and normal diplomatic channels.
3. Sources said Chinese troops had indeed entered Indian territory in the Burtse area of north Ladakh on Sunday and were there for about 24 hours before returning. The area is at an altitude of 17,000 feet.
4. PTI reported that an Indian patrol noticed the People's Liberation Army (PLA) personnel 25 to 30 km inside the LAC on Sunday. Adhering to newly-drafted Standard Operating Procedures, the Indian troops returned to their base.
5. When they checked again on Monday, the Chinese soldiers were sitting on the ground, holding flags that read "This is Chinese territory, go back", PTI said.
6. A Quick Reaction Team that had accompanied the Indian team failed to make any headway with the Chinese, who refused to budge from their position, the agency reported. It said the Indian troops finally returned to their base and informed senior officers.
7. The Burtse area, which is adjacent to Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), forms part of the huge Depsang plains which India says is its territory. But the Chinese dispute this. The area includes an air field which was operationalised by the Indian Air Force last year for a short while.
8. In April last year, the stand-off over the Chinese troops pitching tents for 21 days here led to diplomatic tension. The Chinese returned only after four flag meetings between the two sides.
9. To deal with such incidents, India and China signed the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement or BDCA in October last year.
10. In July this year, General Bikram Singh became the first Indian Army chief to visit China in nine years. 2014 is the Year of Friendly Exchanges between China and India.

Indian Telcos Want to Suppress WhatsApp Even if Consumers Suffer

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) apparently wants to try wringing money out of messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, Skype and WeChat on behalf of itself and mobile service providers who feel that they have the right to be compensated for revenues lost when people use such apps instead of making phone calls and sending SMS messages.
This is the same sort of logic that leads certain countries and municipalities to impose taxes on home solar panels because local coal-fired power plants are losing business.
One issue here is that service providers are banding together to try to extract more money than they already get because they sense an easy target. Another is that they're trying to use a neutral government agency to "regulate" their own competition. More importantly, the ideal of network neutrality is now under threat, because certain services might be burdened with some sort of tax or fee just for the privilege of being able to conduct business as usual.
Trai's plans are similar to recent moves by Internet service providers in the USA to lobby for the ability to set up Internet "fast lanes" and charge those companies able (if not willing) to pay more for priority (read: non-degraded) consumer experiences. Web startups and smaller companies would have a tough time surviving if they had to pay ISPs in order for consumers to be able to use them - regardless of the fact that ISPs are already being paid fees by users who should be able to use their bandwidth quotas in any way they like.
There's no question that handing service providers the ability to throttle certain services is bad for everyone involved - Internet users, entrepreneurs, and the tech economy as a whole. We need to be even more concerned that these service providers are trying to put themselves in a position of power over their competitors. Yes, long-distance telephony revenue has fallen thanks to VoIP, and people send fewer SMS messages because free Web messengers are available. So what? Business landscapes change all the time.
Everyone needs to adapt, not cling to the past. Cellular operators are not expected to compensate landline phone companies for the reduced usage of public pay-phones. Besides, the operators don't provide 2G/ 3G connectivity for free; there are monthly charges as well as data usage charges, and they aren't particularly fast, reliable or cheap.
Internet service providers and mobile operators create and maintain the pipes through which data flows, and they are paid not only by subscribers but also by content delivery networks which are widely used throughout the industry. The kind of data flowing through these pipes, its origins, destinations and relative proportions, are of no concern to them. They cannot be allowed to pick and choose who or what should get privileged carriage based on their own competitive interests.
Messenger apps have not replaced SMS entirely. People chat more via WhatsApp than they ever would have over SMS alone. There is no question of creating a "level playing field", as the mobile operators seem to be couching their argument. In fact by creating privileged levels of access to data transmission services they are actively creating a non-level field and stifling new innovations and developments that are of benefit to billions of people around the world.
If this proposal fails, there will be more complaints about messaging apps in order to demand "regulations" (and inevitably, scare tactics such as invoking the bogeys of terrorism, piracy, national security threats, pornography and who-knows-what-else will be used). It's now up to the Trai to ensure that ordinary users are not harmed and that the Indian tech business environment is not compromised by misguided policies.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G With Android 4.4 KitKat and Snapdragon 400 Launched

Xiaomi has launched the 4G-LTE variant of its 5.5-inch phablet, the Redmi Note, in China. It's been priced at CNY 999 (approximately Rs. 9,900).
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G has single-SIM support and runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with the MIUI v5 skin on top. It features a similar 5.5-inch (720x1280 pixels) IPS-LCD display just like the existing Redmi Note.
The new Redmi Note 4G runs on a quad-core 1.6GHz Snapdragon 400 CPU coupled with the 2GB of RAM, instead of the 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MTK6592 SoC of the 3G-only variant.
The new variant also sports the same 13-megapixel rear autofocus camera with LED flash, as well as a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera. The Redmi Note 4G comes with 8GB of built-in storage along with microSD card expandability (up to 64GB).
Connectivity options on the Redmi Note 4G include China-specific TDD-LTE support (1900/ 2300 / 2600MHz) along with GPRS/ EDGE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Micro-USB with OTG, and GPS/ A-GPS. Notably, the LTE-bands mentioned are not supported in all countries. The Redmi Note 4G features a 3100mAh battery.
Last month, along with the Xiaomi Mi 3 flagship launch in India, the Chinese smartphone and tablet manufacturer had launched the Redmi Note and Redmi 1S in India, priced at Rs. 9,999 and Rs. 6,999 respectively.
As for availability, both smartphones by Xiaomi were said to be 'coming soon' to the Indian market, with the Redmi 1S scheduled for an early August arrival, and Redmi Note for a late August entry into the Indian market.
The dual-SIM (Micro-SIM) Xiaomi Redmi 1S features a 4.7-inch (720x1280 pixel) IPS-LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protection. It runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with MIUI v5 skinned on top, and has no mention of an Android 4.4 KitKat upgrade.

Best Smartphones Under Rs. 15,000: August 2014

A lot can change in just a month, especially in the hyper-competitive Indian smartphone market. Thanks to bold new launches and aggressive price cuts, not a single model on our list of recommended phones from last month has made it to this month's edition. This is fantastic news for buyers, since you can now get a whole lot more for your money.

Best overall: Xiaomi Mi 3 - Rs. 13,999
There's no doubt about it, a Chinese invasion is on in full swing and Xiaomi has a weapon that can bring us all to our knees - killer pricing. The Xiaomi Mi 3 (Review | Pics) brings the features and performance of a Rs. 30,000 device to the sub-Rs. 15,000 price bracket. It isn't perfect by any means, but it has no deal-breaking faults. The only problem you might have is getting your hands on one - Flipkart replenishes its stocks weekly but the Mi 3 is sold out in a matter of seconds each time.

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Facebook Made a Minor Change to Its Website: Can You Spot It?

by NDTV Correspondent, August 01, 2014

 

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A rather minor change has been made to the desktop interface of Facebook, one that most users might not even notice until it is pointed out to them. Go ahead, have a look, and see if you can spot it before we enlighten you.
Couldn't find it? We don't blame you, the change is so minute that eagle-eyed observers will kick themselves when they spot it - the globe-shaped notification icon (seen below) in the top pane now revolves to show the region users are logging in from.

Previously, the icon used to only show the Americas section of the globe. But now, if you are logging in from Asia, Africa, or Europe, you'll see a view of the Eastern Hemisphere instead. While the change is minor, it certainly adds a nice touch of personalisation, however smaller, with users clicking on a globe showing approximate region to see their notifications.

Notably, Facebook did not make an announcement about the change to the globe notification icon, and probably will not either. It is also not precisely known when the social networking giant rolled-out the minor update to users.
However, the Facebook team told Tech in Asia, "This is just one small example of how we're always working to personalise people's Facebook experience."

However, as noted elsewhere, the change is not very new, and was spotted as a feature in testing two years ago. It seems Facebook has finally woken up to rolling it out.

Is the change to the globe notification icon visible in your region? Do you feel it adds a nice touch of personalisation, or do you not care what the icon looks like - as long as it shows your notifications when clicked? Let us know via the comments section below.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 3 Neo Receive Price Cuts in India

Samsung has officially slashed prices of two Galaxy smartphones in India - the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 3 Neo.Both the smartphones are now available with the new prices via the company's official India online store. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (Review | Pictures) is now priced at Rs. 40,698, down from the previous price tag of Rs. 47,990. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo (Review | Pictures), on the other hand, is now priced at Rs. 29,570, down from its earlier price of Rs. 33,990.
Notably, the South Korean giant is also teasing the new price cuts for the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 3 Neo smartphones in India via newspaper and TV advertisements.
In April, the Galaxy Note 3 Neo received an official price drop to Rs. 33,990, down from the smartphone's launch price of Rs. 38,990.
Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 3 in India at Rs. 49,900 last year, while the Galaxy Note 3 Neo went on sale in January.
Samsung is famous for quietly slashing prices of its devices as the company officially slashed the price of the Galaxy S4 (Review | Pictures) and Galaxy S4 Mini in May. Last month, the company slashed the price of its Gear Fit fitness band to Rs. 12,100, down from its launch price of Rs. 15,450
Prior to this, Samsung, in an attempt to dismiss reports about a possible price cut in the Galaxy S5, had to clarify by issuing an email statement to the media that said, "reports claiming Samsung Electronics has revised prices of Galaxy S5 (Review | Pictures) are false and baseless" and the Galaxy S5 "continues to be priced at Rs. 51,500."

Virtual Friendships Thrive as Personal Connects Fade

There was a time when Friendship Day meant hanging out with buddies and wearing colourful friendship bands. But now, connect virtually through forwarded messages, mobile app stickers or a simple post on a friend's social networking wall overshadows the personal touch and people's socialising skills.
Easy-to-access, affordable Internet and plethora of mobile apps with fun stickers expressing emotions have made many people connect with one another, but mostly on a superficial level, say experts.
"Friendship bands have become old fashioned. Now, there is WhatsApp, Instagram where you can post your photos with your friends. Virtual friends are more now," Nidhi Sharma, a stylist, told IANS.
While there was paucity of time earlier as well, technology is thought to have made people lazier and as a result, personal meetings have reduced - thus affecting the quality of friendship.
The dilemma is that people feel closer by connecting through apps, but they are actually drifting away.
"You have Internet on phone, work space and don't have to take out extra time to stay in touch with people. Now, people would rather use WhatsApp or do video chat or send pictures. You are becoming closer because of technology, but it has become more superficial," Harsheen K. Arora, a psychologist, told IANS.
(Also See: Selfies and Social Media Fail to Garner Young EU Votes: Survey)
Davistine Liddle, a 30-year-old online marketing professional, agrees that a busy schedule keeps him away from meeting his friends regularly and that technology helps to stay connected. But, yes, he misses that personal touch.
"I stopped buying gifts for friends after I finished school. Now, it's more about WhatsApp, Facebook and Hike messenger. The stickers are pretty interesting. People have become busy and all these sites and apps help to remember their birthdays or know what's happening in their lives.
"Personal meetings have reduced and I miss that, but most friends are working in different locations, so that gets tough," he said.
Consultant psychiatrist Rajiv Mehta describes the new friendship trend as "shallow".
"There are some who are active on social networking sites or mobile apps as they are following others blindly. They feel that everybody is doing so and should follow them. Lack of time and effort have also made people turn to virtual friends.
"So, close friendships are not there. Earlier friendship used to mean a lot. People used to take a decision on the basis of friendship. Now, it's becoming shallow," said Mehta.
Raman Suri, a life strategist and success coach, says people are now living in a "fancy land" and the fascination for social networking sites and apps is nothing more than an addiction.
"All these sites are designed in a way that people get addicted to them and they are living in a fancy land where they feel that if they send a friend request to a stranger and that stranger accepts, they become friends in reality. That doesn't happen," said Suri.
Suri says it's time for a reality check. "There are friends on social networking sites, but when you meet them in person you get different energy...We are living our life on autopilot mode. It is easier for robots to lead a virtual life rather than a realistic one," he added.
The virtual medium has affected people's confidence to socialise in the real world, Suri elaborates, saying, "People want to save time but the more time they spend on sites and apps the more they lose confidence of meeting people. It has now become a choice not to meet and rather send a message. It's all about living in the virtual world."
"For people who have a fear of public speaking, emotions help because you can express yourself by exchanging smileys but in person it gets difficult," Suri added.
(Also See: Boosting WhatsApp Adoption in US Remains a Challenge: Co-Founder)
The consequences are worse for the younger generation as for them expression of emotions and articulation of thoughts become tough, says Mehta.
"Children as young as 10 start using such sites and apps. They won't know how to communicate face-to-face. The older age group (above 25) has passed all that; so there's not much to worry," said Mehta.
Arora also warns children, especially teenagers, against over-indulgence in virtual friendship. "They don't have a sense of responsibility at that age. They may not understand or develop a trait of making real friends or having an emotional connect with someone," she said.
So, while technology does certainly help to bridge the gap, readers should try and maintain a balance and make sure to grab a cup of coffee with friends whenever there is time.

Jessica Biel on Way to Motherhood?

Jessica married Justin in 2012

Hollywood actress Jessica Biel is reportedly ready to start a family with husband and singer Justin Timberlake. (Also read: Justin Timberlake: I have the best wife in the world )

The Total Recall actress, who married the Not a Bad Thing hitmaker in October 2012, wants to get pregnant with their first child as quickly as possible.

"They've been trying to conceive for a couple of months now, and she told Justin she's going to see a fertility expert," a source told OK! magazine, reports contactmusic.com.

"She has no problem using technology, if that's what it will take to have a baby and stick this marriage out," the source added.

Justin often plans "romantic date nights" for his wife, who is said to have been hesitant to become a mother until recently as she wanted to focus on her career and enjoy being newlyweds.

Robert Pattinson Confused About The Rover

Actor Robert Pattinson says that he isn't convinced whether his new movie The Rover will receive the same response from the fans like his previous film franchise Twilight.

The 29-year-old's new film is dramatically different to the vampire franchise and the star concedes that he doesn't know whether his fans will enjoy it, reports contactmusic.com.

"I'm curious to know whether people who liked the Twilight movies will come and see things like The Rover."

"Hopefully they'll enjoy it. I try to do ambitious projects but I don't know if people are going to like them. You just try to do things which are challenging and hopefully people will appreciate that," he said.