Chess in Guj flourishing: Anand World champion hopes to see such enthusiasm across the country

Chess in Guj flourishing: Anand

World champion hopes to see such enthusiasm across the country

Every time world champion Viswanathan Anand comes to Ahmedabad, he carries back good memories. On Monday, he witnessed IWM Dhyani Dave entering the Limca Record books after she played simultaneously with 150 players at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. The record-breaking event was part of Swami Vivekanand Women Chess Festival held in the state capital. “It is always a pleasure to come to Ahmedabad. My first visit to city in the 80s coincided with my national title. During my last visit in 2010, I saw a new world record being created when more than 20,000 players played the game at a single venue. And today, two more wonderful records have been set,” said the wizard, referring to Dhyani’s feat and 4,000 women playing the 64-square game under one roof. Anand also praised the Gujarat government for promoting chess. “I am excited to see 4,000 girls playing together. I feel chess community in Gujarat is lucky to have such promoters. I hope we will have such enthusiasm across the country,” said Anand. This was Anand’s first visit to Gujarat after winning his fifth world title. Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay, WGM Swati Ghate, IWM Bhagyashree Thipsay and nine-year-old Asian champion Ankita Agarwal and local boy IM Ankit Rajpara were felicitated at the function. Speaking at the event, senior BJP leader LK Advani said that he was fortunate to be present on the occasion. He also said that budding players should draw inspiration from Olympic medal winners like Saina Nehwal and MC Mary Kom. “I was surprised to know that Mary is a mother of two kids. This means, we have immense talent and potential to conquer the world,” he said.

Sushil, Yogeshwar honoured

Sushil, Yogeshwar honoured

Chennai: Olympic heroes, wrestlers Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt were honoured with cash prizes at a function on Monday for their medal winning feats at the London Games.
Kumar, who bagged a silver medal, and bronze medallist Dutt were presented with a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and Rs five lakhs respectively by Velammal Educational Group.
Kumar, who became the first Indian to win back-to-back individual medals in the Olympics, in his interaction with the students said he had never allowed success or failure to affect him.
Dutt said that by winning a medal at the London Olympics, his childhood dream had been fulfilled.
Coach Yashvir Singh, who was awarded Rs five lakh cash prize, said India has got great scope in wrestling.
“I am satisfied with what my wards have achieved. If they maintain their focus, there is no reason why they cannot better their performance at 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics”, he said.

Tech queries

I recently purchased a Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone for my daughter, which has a built-in web browser. I was informed that she can view web pages on the phone just like on a desktop or laptop if she installs a suitable browser on it. Could you please suggest a good web browser which will work well with the Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS that is preinstalled on her phone and the procedure to do it. I have unlimited WiFi Internet in my house.


By default, the Galaxy S3 comes with the Google Chrome browser, and that is a wonderful application. If you are looking for an alternate experience, you can look at the Dolphin browser, which is being touted as the fastest, easiest and the most fun browser in the virtual world.
Alternatively you can also try the Opera Mini, which not only improves speeds but also makes browsing simpler. Both the browsers can be setup through the 'Play store' icon on the phone. You will need to sign up for the Play store using your Gmail i-d and follow the instructions.

If you just want to set up the phone to connect to the WiFi, that is a different matter. Google Chrome is sufficient for it, you just need to set up the phone's WiFi.

I have a Samsung Champ Mega Cam (C3303i), on which I want to download apps. Please tell me how to do it. If not apps at least the Angry Birds game.


I am sorry, but the Samsung Champ Phone C3303 uses a proprietary operating system, and does not permit apps to be installed. Only the Samsung service centre can install applications on it --- if any are available. In any case, Angry Birds is not available for that platform.

That’s what Serena Williams’s rivals, including defending champion Sam Stosur and favourite Maria Sharapova, think of her as the Wimbledon and Olympic champion begins her quest for a fourth US Open title

That’s what Serena Williams’s rivals, including defending champion Sam Stosur and favourite Maria Sharapova, think of her as the Wimbledon and Olympic champion begins her quest for a fourth US Open title

New York: With seven different champions in the last seven grand slam tournaments, it is nearly inconceivable that Serena Williams would be seen as the overwhelming choice to win the US Open.
But after her Wimbledon and Olympic triumphs, many of her rivals seem to think the year’s final Grand Slam is hers to lose. “Serena is probably the favourite coming in given her recent form,” said Australian Samantha Stosur, the defending champion. “No matter who you are, I don’t think you can really deny that.” The US Open began on Monday at Flushing Meadows and Williams is seeded fourth, behind Victoria Azarenka, Agnieszka Radwanska and 2006 champion Maria Sharapova, who won this year’s French Open.
Kim Clijsters, a three-time US Open champion is playing in the last tournament of her career, also tipped her hat to Williams. “Serena is the best ever just because physically she just stands out,” Clijsters said. “When she’s in good shape she just stands out tremendously. I mean, she’s fast, she’s strong, she has a very good eye, as well. It’s the combination. What we have seen over the last ew months is the best player ever.”
Williams lost in the round of 16 at the Australian Open, was bounced in her first match at the French before returning to the form that has seen her claim 14 Grand Slam championships. The three-time US Open champion is taking her status as the favourite in stride. “You’ve got to embrace it whether you’re the favourite or the one to beat or whether you are not,” she said. “And I embrace it. In Wimbledon I wasn’t the favourite. I embraced that. Hopefully I can propel and do my best here.”
Top-ranked Azarenka, who won the Australian Open earlier this year by beating Sharapova in the final, bristled at the talk Williams was the one to beat. “When I go in the tournament I’m trying to think of just the girl or my opponent who I play today, you know, that particular day,” said the 6-foot-tall (1.83 m) Azarenka, who will face Russian Alexandra Panova in the opening round. “Because the tournament is really long anything can happen on any day. You cannot feel great throughout the two weeks and play perfectly every match. You just have to take it really one moment at a time and don’t think what’s going to happen later or who’s the favourite or not. I never even think about that.”
Sharapova, a four-time Grand Slam champion, admitted Williams ‘gained a tremendous amount of confidence at Wimbledon’ before striking gold at the London Games. “When she got to the Olympics with every match she just improved,” said Sharapova. “She took that confidence and she played just really great physical tennis, served extremely well. Who knows? Of course she’s the favourite because she won those two big events back to back. But everybody is still in the draw here. It starts from the first round on, and that’s why everybody is here.”
Barring an upset based on the seeding, Williams would play Radwanska in one semifinal, while Azarenka could take on Sharapova in the other. Williams, who last won the US Open in 2008, said it was difficult to compare winning the Olympics as a member of the United States team with a victory at Flushing Meadows. “The Olympics is a totally different thing because you’re playing for your country and you’re rooting on your team mates and stuff like that,” she said. “So it’s just super, super cool. It’s like Olympics is almost more fun. Whereas you really want to win but if you don’t then you want the USA to win. Now here it’s back to being a one-person sport.”

Police bust rave party in Panchgani Arrest 13, mostly farmers and fertilizer dealers, and five bar girls from Mumbai

Police bust rave party in Panchgani

Arrest 13, mostly farmers and fertilizer dealers, and five bar girls from Mumbai

The Panchgani police claimed they bust a rave party around midnight on Saturday and have arrested 18 people, including five bar girls. The party was being held at a lodge in Gureghar village, around seven kilometres from the hill station, on the road to Mahabaleshwar. Titled ‘Enjoy party,’ it was hosted by 38-year-old Anil Babu Dhole, a resident of Malewadi village in Solapur. The Shri Balaji Lodge, where the party was held, is owned by Shankar Hogade Most of the suspects are traders of fertilizers and farmers from Thane, Solapur, Pandarpur, Mumbai and Akluj. The police claim to have seized India-made foreign liquor bottles, a DJ machine, music systems and disco lights. The raid went on till early Sunday after which the revellers were formally arrested. They were produced before the court in Mahabaleshwar on Monday which remanded them in police custody for three days. The arrested people include party host Dhole, a resident of Lokmanyanagar in Thane Rahul Ramakant Khanna, 32, Umesh Bhagwan Suryawanshi, 38, from Gandhi Chowk in Akluj, Dasharat Ganpat Bhoite, 40, from Phaltan, Surendra Arjun Bhosale, 41, from Satara, Sudhir Mohan Kashid, 38, from Barshi, Aktar Dhastagir Patvegar, 32, and Rangrao Rajaram Kadam, 45, both from Pandharpur, and Vishal Ramkant Bhakare, 35. Assistant police inspector Rajendra Dokade, who is investigating the case, said, “We received a tip off that the partying crowd was playing loud music and creating public nuisance. When we reached the lodge around Saturday midnight, we found some people in compromising positions.” Dokade added that most of the 12 arrested were farmers and fertiliser dealers and that five bar girls had been summoned from Mumbai for entertainment.

7 Best Laptops for College Students

Laptops are as essential as textbooks and school ID. Now college life is not just about assignments and projects it may also include extra-curricular activities like social networking, posting photos, video chatting, gaming and listening to music. Well laptops for students also need to provide better performance with good battery life. Check out the best laptops.

1. Acer Aspire 5349-2635

The Acer Aspire 5349-2635 is has a good quality plastic body and is textured with silver gray finish. The laptop is powered with 1.6 GHz Intel Celeron B815 Dual-Core processor, 4 GB of RAM, Intel HD Graphics card and runs on Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. It comes with 15.6 inch LED backlight widescreen display with 1366x768 pixels of resolution, Dual-Layer DVD drive, 320 GB of SATA hard disk.

Other specifications includes multi gesture touchpad, built in webcam, microphone, stereo speaker, connectivity options like three USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA, RJ-45 network port, Wi-Fi, Ethernet LAN, card reader and security lock slot. Price: 24,901 onwards.

2. Dell Inspiron 14z

Dell Inspiron 14z is concentrating on style with thin and light computing. The laptop uses the latest second generation Intel Core i3 and i5 processors with several options and has 14 inch 720p HD resolution screens as well.

It also has an onboard graphic processor and comes with pre-installed on Window 7 operating system. The 14z  has an integrated SRS surround sound HD audio card for better media performance with music and video playback. The laptop also has Intel Wireless Display tech inside and HDMI outputs for displaying video to a bigger screen.

It is available in Diamond Black or Fire Red colors and has sleek keyboards with touchpad which features multi touch for pinch zoom or scroll up or down. The 14z has a 14 inch screen with the same resolution and up to 8GB of RAM, 750GB of HDD space and has a tray-loading DVD player.

3. HP Folio 13

HP Folio 13 is one of the well designed ultrabook out there in the market. It may not the lightest and the thinnest in the market, but it offers value-for-money in all proportions. The best thing about this ultrabook is its wonderful keyboard and satisfying battery life. It also makes you happy with nice connectivity options like HDMI and an Ethernet port.

HP Folio 13 runs on Intel Core i5 processor with Intel HD Graphics 3000 and comes with 4GB of DDR3 RAM and 128GB SSD. The device sports a 13.3-inch 1366x768 LED-backlit display, a wide and comfortable Backlit chiclet keyboard, 1 USB 2.0 port and 1 USB 3.0 port.

The device do have some downside, it is bit heavier than other ultrabooks, that 13.3-inch screen is not that bright even if the brightness is set maximum and the colors that appear on the screen doesn’t seems to be that pleasing.

4. Lenovo IdeaPad U310

The Lenovo IdeaPad U310 is one of the best performance ultrabooks in the market. The device is powered by 3rd Gen 2.6 GHz Intel Core i5 CPU, Intel GMA HD Graphics 4000 graphic processing unit, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD + 32 GB SSD storage and runs on Windows 7 OS.

It comes with a 13.3-inch laptop which has a HD LED screen with 1366 x 768 pixels of resolution. It also features a 1.0 MP HD camera which can also record videos at 720p resolution, keyboard and touch pad with multi touch feature. The keyboard features island-style AccuType keyboard which provides a comfortable typing experience.

At the right hand side it houses a USB 2.0 port, a headphone and microphone jack and AC adapter jack for power supply. On the left hand side it has SD card, pair of USB 3.0 port, HDMI and Ethernet. The device is available for around 52,856.

5. Lenovo IdeaPad Y480

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y480 offers powerful performance with multimedia features for entertainment, gaming and more. The IdeaPad Y480 is optimized for high definition entertainment and ideal for gaming.

The device is powered with Quad-Core 3610QM chipset with Intel Core i7 at a clock speed at 2.3 GHz, 8 GB of DDR3 SD-RAM, Nvidia GeForce G650M or GTX660M graphic card and come with pre installed Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit operating system.

It sports glossy 14 inch screen at a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels with good viewing angles. It also features Dolby Home Theater v4 for full impact surround sound with premium JBL speakers, Blu-ray optical drive with writer, integrated with 720p HD webcam and has OneKey Theater 2.0 which optimizes audio-visual in just one touch of a button.

For connectivity it comes with gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, HDMI output, USB 3.0 and also comes with Lenovo Energy Management which helps to improve battery power efficiency. 

6. Sony VAIO E15 (SVE15116FXS)

Sony has always been known to produce style and substance in the same gadget. They have done the same with the VAIO E15. The laptop has a 15.5 inch screen with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. The laptop comes powered with an Intel third generation Core i5 processor which will give powerful power as well as productivity.

It comes with a full sized keypad with back-lit chiclet keys. Though the keys are comfortable to work on the back light does prove to be distracting at times.  The touchpad is extremely smooth and responsive. Though the battery life proves to be a letdown as it gives the user a very short battery back time.

The 1.3-megapixel web cam comes with gesture controls but they aren’t very useful. The VAIO E15 is equipped with a 750GB hard drive. On the whole this is indeed a good buy keeping in mind the price as well its features.

7. Apple MacBook Air  

The new MacBook Air in both the 13-inch and 11-inch formats, are incredibly thin and light, even to someone used to working with very small laptops.

The 11-inch Air feels speedy enough, closer to a full-size laptop than most Dual-Core 11-inch premium Netbook. That makes sense, as the Core 2 Duo/Nvidia 320M combo is similar to what you'd find in the current $999 white MacBook (although this is a ULV version of the Core 2 Duo in this case).

It's especially interesting to compare this with the 11-inch Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T-68U118, which has a low-voltage Intel Core i7 CPU for $899. The Acer was faster in our Photoshop and iTunes tests, but slower than the Air in our multitasking test. Though it's not as fast as a non-ULV laptop, the MacBook Air is about as good as you're going to find in this 11-inch arena.

List of the coolest goodies that the world of technology has to offer today

THIS IS the best of the best of 2012. Yes, it’s still early days, and there’s lots of new stuff slated for mindnumbing ‘hype and buzz’ releases over the next few months. But this is a list of the best goodies that the world of technology has to offer today. It’s going to be tough to beat this list. We’ll revisit this list at the end of the year – but most of what is here should be able to ward off the competition coming up.

MERIDIAN DSP 7200 

The first true digital speaker that delivers stunning purity of sound and comes in a array of colours

 

GOOGLE NEXUS 7 

When you take top-of-the-line hardware and software and package it into a $199 tablet, you’ve pretty much destroyed the competition

 

HP SPECTREXT 

A super-thin body, great horsepower and a price that finally makes the original idea behind an

Ultrabook come true

 

SENNHEISER RS220

Relationship savers and pure music delivery all in one – these ear cans deliver sound so authentic – most high end speakers quiver in fear

iPHONE 4S

The super phone’s sales have gone down a wee bit but that’s only because the iPhone 5 is around the corner

BELKIN N750

A wireless router that will take your Internet connection to every corner of your home – blazing fast full coverage with no blind spots at all

LG 72LM9500

It’s a huge 72 inches of pure LED goodness, with smart TV features and 3D that doesn’t need klunky 3D glasses
 

 

APPLE iPAD 3

In the new iPad or the iPad 3, it is the retina display that takes this tablet into a whole different league

 

MACBOOK AIR 13

The king of the hill in thin and light but this time Apple adds an unheard-of feature to the Air range – they’ve made them value for money, and the 13-inch is the best of the lot

 

 

NOKIA LUMIA 610

The phone that kickstarted the entire ‘Windows-on-aphone-can-sell’ revolution. This one is unbeatable on price and features

ACER-S3 ULTRABOOK

The looks of an Ultrabook and the features of a Tablet with ‘Instant on’

 

SAMSUNG GALAXY SIII

A gamble that worked – combining great hardware and human usability features that make life simpler. Sales of 12 million and counting

 

SONOS PLAY5

Idiot-proof wireless music in every room in your house controlled by any device in your pocket – it doesn’t get better than this

 

D-LINK DIR857

The streaming media emperor – if you want allhouse HD movies, music and pictures – then this is pretty much all you need
 

 

Is Tech Making Us Stupid?

Our gadgets auto-complete, remember for us, and think for us. What’s to become of our brains?

THE ABOVE statements have been pouring in from scientific studies across the world. This is their essential premise: that multitasking between emails, Facebook, Twitter, TV, mobile phones, tablets and gaming consoles have made us perpetually distracted and a scatter-brained race. Not only is the new era of information technology making us less creative and more muddled – it’s put into place a permanent change in the way our brain maps information, how it retains it, which parts are used how and even the size of the brain is going through a metamorphosis. Very scary, right? Wait, there’s more.
Hypertext (clickable links) has made sure that most of us cannot read a single paragraph without wandering off topic in a completely different direction. SHALLOW AND FRIED
The first news of this came when a series of articles and a book was released by Nicholas Carr. His argument was that ever since the advent of the Internet, we as a human race have been becoming more stupid. His book ( The Shallows: How the Internet Is Changing the Way We Think, Read and Remember) made some very compelling points. Taking himself to be the guinea pig, Carr said that over the last few years the way he read and absorbed books was completely changing. He said, “I was losing my own capacity for concentration and contemplation. Even when I was away from my computer, my mind seemed hungry for constant stimulation, for quick hits of information. I felt perpetually distracted.”
Carr’s theory found many followers. A huge number of them agreed and said that the way they were thinking, reading, absorbing and learning was becoming disjointed. Every part of knowledge assimilated was not absorbed into the brain but kept at an arm’s distance on a computer. Some of his findings were startling:
People who are continually distracted by emails, updates and other messages understand less than those who are able to concentrate on one thing.

People who juggle tasks are often less creative and productive than those who do one thing at a time.
As the number of links in an online document goes up, reading comprehension falls.
As more types of information are placed on a screen, we remember less of what we see.
The richness of our thoughts, memories and our personalities hinges on our ability to focus the mind and sustain concentration. When we’re constantly distracted and interrupted, our brains can’t forge the strong and expansive neural connections that give distinctiveness and depth to our thinking. When we have to juggle between mobiles, computer screens and emails, our thoughts become disjointed, our memories weak.
And while Carr was criticised for concentrating mainly on the written word, his books,

articles and conclusions struck a chord with tech users across the world.
 
THE DUMB-ASS GENERATION
Once this all-new thought process was introduced and accepted, the floodgates were open. Studies showed that people who were given a computer to solve a problem could not retain the problem-solving skills they had used a week earlier, while the same skills used without a computer were recalled by users even after six months. Another study showed that children introduced to computers started scoring lower grades. In fact, if you Google this subject right now, you will get thousands of articles and studies that prove with precision how technology is neurologically shaping us to become more stupid in the future.
The greatest scare that is out there is that the digital generation, children born in the last 10 years, will have reduced metal abilities as they grow up. They’ll be adults with brains that jump all over the place, ninnies with the memory retention of a goldfish, with brains that have shrunk to the size of a pea. They won’t be able to sit still for long, concentrate or come up with creative innovations and ideas. New thinking, innovation and creativity in this world as we know it is likely to die in the next 50 years!
What exactly is going on here? Wasn’t technology, the Net, Google and all other tools supposed to make us smarter? Wasn’t the fact that we now have reams of information supposed to kickstart a new creative and innovative process? Weren’t we going to be a smarter race due to technology? When did the process reverse?

THE SMART TRUTH

It hasn’t reversed. We aren’t becoming more stupid. Technology isn’t the villain here. Innovation and creativity won’t die a brutal death. We are just evolving as human beings always have. For years, the human brain and the way it functions has remained almost the same. The human brain today is very different from the time man was a hunter gatherer, but for many years since civilisation it has stagnated. This is the first hardcore reboot of the human mind in a very long time.
The change that seems to have got the critics in a knot, is actually us preparing for a brand new world. A world where the brain doesn’t need to process useless information. What is the use of your brain storing 40 mobile numbers? Whom does it help? Isn’t your mobile phone directory with 1,000 numbers, email addresses, birthday dates and notes about each person a far better and more efficient system to record numbers and dates? It’s freed up your mind to understand and remember better ways of retrieving that massive set of information. Your brain now knows better ways to search and use all that data you’ve kept. It’s the same with our new technique of ‘skimming’ information. Today we can scan a web page and make sense of 90 per cent of the content within the first five seconds. Only if it’s what we were looking for do we remain on the page – otherwise off we go to the next one till we find the exact and precise piece we were looking for. How is that bad? The ability to skim and reach a conclusion so quickly is proof the human brain evolving to the next level.

SEE THE BRIGHT SIDE
Then there’s the fact that information overload has a high threshold. Many have been able to make it to the other side as more evolved beings – with the ability to filter redundant information from the true hidden gems. In this way they get the best of both worlds – lots of information and high quality knowledge. Of course, the classic debate of the printed page versus the Internet page will continue. Who is to say that reading a page printed on paper slowly and with full concentration versus reading many pages on the Net by jumping to many pieces of content on the same subject is more superior?
Maybe the hyper jumping is triggering an all-new level of intelligence that will show its true colours in some years. A new intelligence that may give birth to innovation and inventions at an unprecedented scale.
Technology has always been painted a villain too soon. There’s that famous saying that technology always comes bearing great gifts with one hand and stabs you in the back with the other. This time it doesn’t apply. Technology and the information highway is the greatest gift to mankind. True solid proof of that will show up soon. But if it doesn’t happen, don’t blame me! After all this column is being written by somebody who uses technology and the Internet 16 hours a day. You can’t blame somebody who is progressively becoming more stupid every single day.

It’s time you got smart about getting yourself the perfect smartphone

THEY SAY the hardest thing you’ll have to do in life is find the perfect spouse. Nowadays though, it seems like choosing a smartphone is just as tough. With the former you can go on dates and test things out. But with the latter, considering the cost of phones these days, you’re going to buy one and be stuck with it for a while. So you want to make sure you choose the perfect phone. One that can handle calls and texts, but also offers value for money and more features than you’d ever use. And that’s where smartphones come in.
But first, a history lesson. The term ‘smartphone’ wasn’t as widespread five years ago as it is today. In 2007, Apple released the first iPhone, Nokia had their Symbian phones like the N95, and Google’s Android platform was just coming together. Not many people knew what a smartphone was. Some even bought those early phones without knowing what they were.

Even the very definition of ‘smartphone’ is a bit hazy. But the generally agreed feature is that it’s “a phone on which you can install apps”. By that definition, the smartphone scene is entirely different today. Everyone’s lusting after Apple’s iPhones, Google’s Android offerings are taking over the planet, and Nokia’s smartphones are now running exclusively on Microsoft’s new ‘Windows Phone’ platform.
Smartphones are still a lot more expensive than the average feature phone. As a result, only 18 per cent of the world’s cellphone users have smartphones today. Researchers like comScore are predicting that those numbers are going to rise dramatically very soon, with the number of smartphone owners expected to surpass feature phones in the US by the end of this year.
As smartphone prices get cheaper and cheaper, it’s only a matter of time before we’re all “over” restrictive feature phones. But I digress, this is about you and your next smartphone. Here’s a little advice on how to chose your next device. So what category do you fall into?

Thinking about getting one, but can’t afford the fancy ones?

I make an average amount of cash for a 20-something Indian, but thanks to Delhi’s insane rents, I have very little left for myself. So the very thought of spending R30,000 to R40,000 on a phone seems like a dis-tant dream. Especially since the phones I really want are all in that price range.
HTC ONE V This gets a thumbs up for its screen

In such cases, one must settle. Thankfully, there are some very decent smartphones under R15,000. Smartphones that I wouldn’t mind flaunting and walking around with. My favourite in the price range is the HTC One V, which I cannot recommend enough because of the screen. The Nokia Lumia 710 and the Sony Xperia U make up my top three. They all have decent build quality and will probably stand the test of time, while being affordable and not compromising on too much.

 

Thinking about getting one, but intimidated by the ‘extra’ features?

First of all, don’t be! Smartphones are meant to complement your daily life, not complicate it. Sure, many folks out there might be looking for a ‘simple’ phone for certain reasons, but I’d argue that there also exist very simple smartphones that can handle whatever you throw at it, and still give you more functionality.
iPHONE 4S This is an easy-to-use phone for newbies I remember when I first gave my dad his first smartphone – a Nokia N95. One year later, the only features he admitted to using regularly were making calls and checking messages (with occasional camera use or playing music). When I gave him an iPhone 3GS two years ago, all that changed. He installs apps, stalks me on Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare, streams music and videos and more. Your first smartphone has to be the right one for you, or you’ll not use much of it.

The one advantage some feature phones still boast is better battery life. Feature phones usually have a small-ish screen and no multitasking and very few apps, if at all, so there’s nothing really to ‘drain’ that battery. Smartphones, on the other hand, need more energy for all their functions, but they’re getting better at managing battery life too. If you stay away from hugescreen behemoths, battery life won’t be too much of an issue.
If you’re just venturing into the smartphone scene, I’d recommend the Nokia Lumia 800 and the iPhone 4/4S.

Already own one, and desperately want a better one?

 

If you already own a smartphone and aren’t too happy with it, there are tons of choices out there, but your big decisions will be based on price, features, brand or operating system. The main choice you have to make though, are whether to stick with the brand of phone you currently have. I have plenty of friends who bought an iPhone and are happy with it, as well as Nokia users who content with their Lumia Windows Phones too. With these folks, build quality and an easy -to-navigate user interface were top priority. If you’re thinking about getting a new iPhone, I’d highly advise waiting a month or two for the new iPhone to launch before making up your mind.
 

SONY EXPERIA S A great upgrade for those who are already smartphone fans Then, there’s all those fantastic Android smartphones from HTC, Sony, Samsung and some interesting ones from LG and Motorola that you can also take a quick look at. You have a smorgasbord of devices to choose from, but my favourites have to be

SAMSUNG GALAXY III
It’s not cheap but full of great goodies the HTC One X, the more affordable HTC One S, and the Sony Xperia S. Samsung’s Galaxy S III is also worth considering but build quality is a concern there and it’s one of the most expensive Android phones right now. At the end of the day, your smartphone is a device you’re going to probably use for at least a year, if not longer, and you’ll want it to fit into your lifestyle as quickly as possible. It’s going to stick with you through the day, you’ll work on it, play games on it, listen to music, browse the web, send emails and of course make a phone call or send a text message or two.
Make the right choice, and you’ll wonder how you ever survived without a smartphone!

Stuck with a BlackBerry and considering moving to a proper smartphone? 

I’m not a huge fan of BlackBerry phones. They’re a little “last decade”, in my opinion. And with apps like WhatsApp and Viber, BBM seem a little redundant, but I have some friends who still swear by theirs.
SONY EXPERIA PRO

I won’t recommend any of their current phones, not until their next generation BlackBerry 10 devices start coming out. But for a BlackBerry owner, so used to that QWERTY keyboard, the move can be rough, especially since there are so few QWERTY phones to choose from. I’ll recommend only two – the Samsung Galaxy Chat, and the Sony Xperia Pro, both running Android. Switching over though, will give you access to a whole range of apps that you never knew you were missing out on with your BlackBerry.

 

My top five recommendations to pull you into the world of virtual excellence

ANGRY BIRDS (iOS, Android MarketPlace, Blackberry Apps World, Nokia OVI Store): Undoubtedly the world’s most famous game, it’s a strategy puzzle in which players use a slingshot to launch birds at pigs stationed on or within various structures, with the intent of destroying all the pigs on the playing field.

ROBBERY BOB (iOS): Help Bob make off with bundles of loot to pay off a debt. It brings the world of cops and robbers to life.

KINECT SPORTS (Microsoft Xbox 360): Six sports simulations. Try virtual bowling, boxing, track & field, table tennis, beach volleyball and football by standing in front of the Kinect sensor and mimicking the actions from the real-life sports.

SPORTS CHAMPIONS (Sony PS3 Move): Sony’s version of virtual Olympics sports champions has modern and medieval sports like table tennis, gladiator duels, disc golf and bocce. The controllers have lifelike accuracy.

STREET FIGHTER IV (Arcade, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, iOS): The modern version of the coin-operated hit of the ’80s, players control various martial artists in a martial arts tournament spanning many continents and multiple opponents.

There was a time when gamers were considered outcasts; now you’re an outcast if you’ve never played AngryBirds. How did this happen?

There was a time when gamers were considered outcasts; now you’re an outcast if you’ve never played AngryBirds. How did this happen?

SELFISH! ANTI-SOCIAL! Abnormal! A few years ago, these were the very words that were heaped on anyone who said he or she liked gaming. Parents scolded and criticised, counsellors tried to highlight the dangers of gaming addiction and TV shows were full of pasty-faced gaming nerds who’d turned to violent crime. If you were a gamer in the ’80s and ’90s – you were basically dismissed as the “dude in the dungeon” with no future.
GAME ON erIV StreetFight- ON EVERY DEVICE Fast forward to the present. Gaming has made a U-turn. Everyone, from your five-year-old nephew to your 60-year-old grandmom seems to be thumb-bashing their touchscreen or keypad. Gaming is suddenly cool. What triggered this change? Let a longtime gamer hazard five guesses.
IT BECAME PORTABLE
From bulky cartridges and CDs to a little icon on your smartphone and Tablet, gaming’s portability has really helped make it a legitimate pastime for everyone. It now passes the time on a long road trip, gives you something to do before your dinner date arrives, lets you beat your thirdcousin’s high score without meeting in person, or simply helps wherever gaming pangs strike. No wonder it’s everywhere.
NO MORE NEXUS
Until recently, gaming was controlled by console brands and a few PC gamemakers. For most of the 2000s, Sony and Microsoft fought it out as sales of a console depended on the number exclusive titles it could boast. This made gamers a niche community. Today, a more consumer-friendly nexus has emerged. Smartphones and Tablets rule and several devices sell on the strength of their gaming capabilities. AngryBirds came free on Android after its success on the iOS platform. Many feel that this was a big reason for the rise in Android sales. The recent success of Amazing
Alex, which became the highest downloaded app on iOS in eight hours of its release, is just a buildup of what Farmville did for Facebook or Kinect for Microsoft.

GAMING GOT INDIE
In 2003, three students from Helsinki University of Technology won a mobile game development competition. They went on to set up Rovio Entertainment, gave the world AngryBirds and Amazing
Alex, and the rest is history. The rise and encouragement of independent developers has changed the rules of the game world. Developers in a garage-sized space are challenging the multi-million dollar oldtimers, by giving us Internet flash games and low cost apps. Big studio games had millions of dollars riding on them and thus games became unwieldy and too complicated. Independent developers brought back the idea of simple addictive gaming that everyone can get into.
THE RIGHT CHOICE, BABY
The Kinect holds the Guinness World Record for being the “fastest selling consumer electronics device” ever – eight million units in 60 days. Now that’s what I call changing the landscape. But motion is just a part of the big picture. Gamers, whether they’ve grown up on joysticks or have just bought a smartphone, can choose from hardcore, casual, motion, mobile and PC games. You’re spoilt for choice.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT
All of this has impacted us where it matters most – affordability. No more $300 consoles, no more $50 CD packs. Today’s big games are impulse purchases that cost less than a dollar. Gaming is hip, it’s cool! After being an outcast for years, I’m enjoying my newfound fame as a real ‘player’. The revenge of the gamer is now complete!

‘Looking forward to India playing in Pakistan soon’ Pakistan’s Twenty20 team skipper Mohammad Hafeez speaks to Rajesh Pansare on his plans for the World T20 and tips he has taken from Mahela Jayawardene. Excerpts:

‘Looking forward to India playing in Pakistan soon’

Pakistan’s Twenty20 team skipper Mohammad Hafeez speaks to Rajesh Pansare on his plans for the World T20 and tips he has taken from Mahela Jayawardene. Excerpts:

What is your take on various T20 league mushrooming around the world? The one good thing about T20 leagues is that it always helps local players. They get to play alongside international stars, which is good for their development. Like in Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the Sri Lankan Premier League (SLPL) has also seen some exciting young talent emerging like Wayamba United’s Akila Dananjaya and many others. Your team Wayamba have been the pace setters in the SLPL. Do you think the team may get a bit relaxed because of your scintillating run? The guys are taking every game seriously. The way they are coming up with strong performance is very special. I must give credit to skipper (Mahela) Jayawardene and coach Trevor Bayliss for the way they have handled the team. They have given the youngsters instruction to go out there, enjoy and express themselves. That has given us a lot of positive results. You might think a bit of laxity may creep in but that’s not the case with us. Now that you will be leading Pakistan at the World T20, are you taking any tips from Jayawardene? It is good to share the dressing room with some of the best in the world. Mahela is very supportive in the dressing room. I’m learning a lot from him, especially the way he deals with the youngsters. He has already shown what a great character he is at the international level. Are you using the SLPL as a dress rehearsal for the World T20? To be honest, the Pakistan team had a very busy schedule of late. We just had a series against Sri Lanka and there was no thought of coming back to Sri Lanka and play in the SLPL. But we realised that this will give us an opportunity to prepare for the World T20 as the two stadiums used for the tournament – Premadasa and Pallekele – will also be used for the world championship. That is the reason most players from Pakistan T20 squad are playing in the SLPL. SLPL and the series against Australia in the UAE will help us get back into the one-day mode and some out-of-form players can get back into the groove before World T20. I as the captain have made some plans on how our approach will be against each opposition and the team picked is the best we have. Do you feel it’s time India and Pakistan played more regularly? I can’t predict anything. Personally, I feel that Pakistan and India should play everywhere. There shouldn’t be any politics involved. I understand the boards — BCCI and PCB — are doing their best to get the situation back on track. A short series in December is a step in the right direction. We are also looking to India playing in Pakistan, because the people in my country love them a lot and really want to watch them in action. There hasn’t been any international cricket played in Pakistan for the last three years. How difficult it is for the player to stay away from home for such a long duration? This is the case with all international players. Once you are a regular in the team, you will always play away from home. For us, there is nothing such as home series as we have been playing away for the last three years. People of Pakistan are really missing the action. We are missing playing at home too. On the family front, it’s hard but whenever possible I try to take my family along with me. For instance, we will be leaving Sri Lanka and head to UAE for the Australia series and then we are back in Sri Lanka for the World T20. The schedule is so tight that we can’t go back to Pakistan.

FINAL CALL Two-time winners India lock horns with hosts and defending champions Australia in the title clash of the under-19 World Cup today

FINAL CALL

Two-time winners India lock horns with hosts and defending champions Australia in the title clash of the under-19 World Cup today

Townsville: India will face their sternest test in the pursuit of a third ICC Under-19 World Cup Trophy when they take on formidable defending champions Australia in what promises to be an exciting summit clash of the event here on Sunday. Patchy in batting with some of their top order batsmen not showing the desired consistency, the Indians will have to raise their game in conditions that have favoured the bowlers at the Tony Ireland Stadium here. India have not quite hit their straps despite the tournament drawing to a close now with not-too-impressive performances in Group C. The Indians followed up a defeat to the West Indies with expected wins against Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea. Superb bowling performances saw them defeat Pakistan in quarters and New Zeland in the semis but the side has failed to get consistent efforts from their batsmen, with Vijay Zol (150 runs) being India’s highest run-scorer. They have been much better with the ball though, with Kamal Passi (10 wickets) and Sandeep Sharma (8 wickets) leading their attack. The spin duo of Harmeet Singh and Baba Aparajith also proved their worth with economical spells in the nine-run win over New Zealand in the last-four stage. Batting first is often seen as an advantage in the 50-over format but four countries have pulled off successful run-chases with the side which bats first averaging just 213 runs at the venue. Only Australia’s Cameron Bancroft and Zimbabwe’s Malcolm Lake have scored centuries at the venue. But India have a successful history at the event, having won it in 2000 and 2008. A disappointing result in 2010 saw the team finish sixth, losing the quarterfinal to Pakistan. Skipper Unmukt Chand sounded confident of the team’s chances. He said: “I am very optimistic. We have played Australia in Australia and that too at the same venue. We are used to the conditions, and should do well,” said Chand, who has just 135 runs in the event. “The team has peaked at the right time. We did not start well in the competition, but the teamwork can be seen now. It is not that one or two players are carrying the side on their shoulders. Everybody is contributing,” added Chand.

Cycling may go into a decline Armstrong’s fall from grace affects not just him but the sport itself, says his cyclist buddy in interview

Cycling may go into a decline

Armstrong’s fall from grace affects not just him but the sport itself, says his cyclist buddy in interview

As news came in Friday, of Lance Armstrong being stripped of his Tour De France titles after refusing to clear himself of doping charges, his former Team Sky buddy, John-Lee Augustyn, could feel cycling itself going into a steep decline. Speaking to DNA, Augustyn lamented the fact that Armstrong’s fall from grace would leave the sport literally much poorer. “It’s not just about him. Actually, it’s quite sad for the sport which needs money and salaries for professionals. And it’s not at all good news for the sponsors who will stay away.” Augustyn agreed that this scandal would also obscure the moving story of Armstrong’s battle with testicular cancer. “I think surely now he’ll be remembered for the wrong reasons. That’s sad, because people still respect the way he battled cancer to return to the sport. I mean you really have to have a strong mind to do that.” As the past flashed through his mind, one incident stood out in particular for Augustyn. “We all enjoyed a good time together and shared jokes on tour. There was a very funny incident during the Giro (d’Italia). In Italian they say ‘die, die!’ which translated into English means ‘come on, come on!’ So he (Armstrong) kept on yelling, ‘I am dying, I am dying!’,” said Augustyn, aware of the tale’s poignancy in the current context.

सोने ३५,०००चा भाव दाखवू शकेल!

मौल्यवान धातू सोने लकाकी गमावत चालले असल्याची कबुली खुद्द
‘वर्ल्ड गोल्ड कौन्सिल’ने अलीकडेच दिली आहे. प्रत्यक्षात सोने खरेदी घटली असली तरी गुंतवणुकीचे ते आजही लोकप्रिय दालन आहे. म्हणूनच नजीकच्या काळात सोन्याच्या किमतीतील चढ-उताराचा हा तांत्रिक अंगाने घेतलेला वेध निश्चितच अनेकांसाठी उद्बोधक ठरेल.
‘अर्थ वृत्तान्त’च्या वाचकांसमोर सोन्याचे विश्लेषण ठेवत असताना काही मूळ मुद्दे मांडूनच पुढे जाणे योग्य ठरेल. तांत्रिक विश्लेषणात बाजारबाह्य कोणत्याही इतर गोष्टींना महत्त्व दिले जात नाही. म्हणजे मंदी, तुटीचा पाऊस, सणोत्सवाचा हंगाम वगैरे घटकांचा नव्हे तर फक्त बाजारभाव (Market Price) आणि खरेदी-विक्रीचा ओघ (Volume) या दोनच गोष्टींचा अशा विश्लेषणात विचार केला जातो. बाजारात, देशात व जगात घडणारी वा होऊ घातलेली प्रत्येक घटना बाजारभावात प्रतििबबित होत असते हे यामागील तत्त्व आहे.
प्रस्तुत लेखात आपण सोन्याच्या किंमतीतील चढ-उताराचे विश्लेषण करून नजीकच्या काळामधील किंमतीचा वेध घेणार आहोत. सोन्याच्या किंमतीचा विचार करता आपल्या लक्षात येईल की, २००४-०५ मध्ये रु. ५६०० ते रु. ६६००च्या दरम्यान असलेल्या सोन्याचा भाव मे २००६ ला रु. १०,७०० वर पोहोचला. २००८ पासून सुरु झालेल्या उसळीने रु. १३,४००- रु. १६,००० - रु. १८,३०० - रु. २२,८०० आणि रु. २९.४०० असे नवनवीन उच्चांक करीत जून २०१२ मध्ये सोन्याला रु. ३०,७०० पर्यंत नेऊन ठेवले. शेअर मार्केट शांत असल्याने आणि आपल्या समाजात असलेल्या सोन्याच्या आकर्षणामुळे सर्वानाच सोन्याची भुरळ पडलेली दिसत आहे. माझ्या तांत्रिक विश्लेषणाच्या कार्यक्रमात मी सतत सांगत असलेलं एक वाक्य इथे लिहिण्याचा मोह टाळता येत नाही. What looks obvious to the masses, is obviously wrong in the markets (बाजारामध्ये जे ‘आम’ लोकांना घडणार असे वाटते, ते कधीही घडत नसते). म्हणूनच ‘आम’ लोक पसे गमावतात आणि काही ‘खास’ लोक, जे ‘आम’ लोकांसारखा विचार करीत नाहीत, तेच पसा मिळवतात. ‘सोन्याचे भाव कधी खाली येऊच शकत नाहीत’ याला ‘आम’ माणसाकडे आज १०१ कारणे आहेत आणि गेल्या सात-आठ वर्षांत सोन्याचे भाव ५००% पेक्षाही जास्त वधारले आहेत ही वस्तुस्थिती आहे. तेव्हा आज काय स्थिती आहे आणि नजीकच्या भविष्यात काय घडणे शक्य आहे, याचा विचार तांत्रिक विश्लेषणाच्या अंगाने करणेच योग्य ठरेल.
तांत्रिक विश्लेषणानुसार सोबतचा सोन्याचा आलेख प्रामुख्याने पुढील गोष्टी दर्शवतो
* नजीकच्या काळाचा (एक ते तीन महिन्यांचा) विचार करता सोन्याने रु. २७,००० ते रु. ३२,००० अशी range प्रस्थापित केली असून, रु. ३१,५०० ते रु. ३२,००० पर्यंतची मजल शक्य आहे.
* त्यानंतर (तीन ते सहा महिन्यांचा) विचार करता रु. २९,००० ते रु. २७,००० पर्यंत खाली येऊन सोन्याचा भाव पुन्हा वधारून रु. ३५,००० पर्यंतची मजलही मारू शकेल. 
* अतिशय overbought झालेले सोने रु. २७,००० च्या खाली जाईल असे सध्या तरी दिसत नाही. तसे घडलेच तर रु. २३,००० ते रु. २१,००० दरम्यानचा भाव शक्य असून भरभरून सोने खरीदण्याची ती वेळ असेल हे मात्र निश्चित. 
* दीर्घकालीन (सहा महिने ते २४ महिने) विचार करता सोन्याचा भाव रु. ३८,००० ते रु. ४०,००० पर्यंतही जाणे अशक्य वाटत नाही, परंतु त्याआधी एका मोठय़ा correction ची शक्यता आहे.
* सात-आठ वर्षांत ५००% कमवण्याचा सुकाळ मात्र या पुढे असाच चालू राहील असे दिसत नाही.

US anti-doping agency strips Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and slaps him with a lifetime ban from cycling

END OF AN ERA

US anti-doping agency strips Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and slaps him with a lifetime ban from cycling

Los Angeles: The US anti-doping agency stripped cycling icon Lance Armstrong of his record seven Tour de France titles on Friday and slapped him with a lifetime ban from competition. Armstrong announced on Thursday that he was dropping his legal challenge against USADA over claims that he cheated and used performance-enhancing drugs to win cycling’s most prestigious race from 1999 to 2005. The 40-year-old, who battled to the top of his sport after beating life-threatening cancer, maintained his innocence but said he had grown weary of the fight and the strain it had put on his personal and professional life. “There comes a point in every man’s life when he has to say ‘enough is enough.’ For me, that time is now,” he said in a statement. USADA took his announcement as an admission of guilt and proceeded with severe sanctions against the former champion and global sporting icon that will forever tarnish his inspirational legacy. This may not be the end of the matter as the International Cycling Union, the sport’s governing body, has been fighting USADA for jurisdiction of the Armstrong case and could launch an appeal or fail to recognize the move. Prior to USADA’s punishment, Armstrong condemned the US anti-doping organization for what he called an “unconstitutional witch hunt” and said it had no right to strip him of his titles. “I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999,” he said. “The toll this has taken on my family, and my work for our foundation and on me leads me to where I am today — finished with this nonsense.” USADA maintains that Armstrong used banned substances, including the blood-booster EPO and steroids, as well as blood transfusions dating back to 1996, and said 10 of his former team-mates were ready to testify against him. Attention now turns to the UCI, based in Aigle, Switzerland, to see if cycling’s governing body will uphold USADA’s decision to strip Armstrong of his titles and ban him from competition. If the UCI confirms the move, it faces a potential headache of choosing the new winners, as a number of cyclists who finished behind the American have also been implicated in doping scandals. The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) John Fahey, however, gave his backing to the US agency. “He (Armstrong) can say what he likes. The only way we would have known what the substance was of those charges, what the evidence was, was to have the evidence tested and I’m disappointed that won’t occur,” he told ABC radio in Australia. —AFP

United hope to bounce back

United hope to bounce back

London: Ryan Giggs admits Manchester United must deliver an immediate response against Fulham on Saturday after opening their Premier League title challenge with a lacklustre defeat at Everton.
While champions Manchester City underlined their determination to hold onto the title with a come-from-behind win over Southampton and Chelsea, inspired by new signing Eden Hazard, swept to the top of the table with wins over Wigan and Reading, Alex Ferguson’s United are pointless thanks to their tepid display at Goodison Park.
Ferguson’s side allowed Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini to bully them into submission and United offered little in reponse, even when £24 million newboy Robin van Persie came on for his debut in the second half.
United can ill afford to fall six points behind City and Chelsea even at this early stage, but Giggs is confident the Everton defeat will serve as a wake-up call for his teammates.
“It wasn’t a nice feeling to lose the title last season — it never is, but it was the manner in which we lost it which was tough to take,” Giggs said. “I’m sure if we put that much effort in again and get that little bit of luck then we’ll go that extra step. The van Persie signing sends out a big message. And it’s great when a player comes out and says he wants to come to the club as well.”
Ferguson could hand van Persie his first start on Saturday, while Jonny Evans should return from injury to ease United’s defensive injury crisis. If United do see off Fulham at Old Trafford, it will give City’s trip to Liverpool 24 hours later even greater significance.
Meanwhile, Chelsea head into their home clash against Newcastle in buoyant mood after going top of the table for the first time in 21 months. After winning the Champions League and FA Cup double in May, Premier League success is boss Roberto Di Matteo’s top target this season.
Chelsea finished a disappointing sixth place last term and Blues defender Gary Cahill, a scorer in Wednesday’s 4-2 win over Reading, said: “The manager stressed before the Reading game that we haven’t been top of the league for a long time and, although it’s early, it’s nice to be sitting there.”