NEERAJ CHOPRA WINS ASIAD GOLD WITH WORLD-CLASS SHOW

Neeraj Chopra

Neeraj Chopra wins javelin gold with a national record to boot


Neeraj Chopra is like some homespun Greek legend. A young, wild-haired Apollo borrowing Athena’s spear and infusing it with Zeus’s thunderbolt wrath. Running in with the weapon of choice, gaining propulsion to lunge in the air and crash onto the floor in that most unusual of follow-throughs, Neeraj strode upon the Asian Games athletics programme in the only way he can as the spear soared and soared in the humid Jakarta air.

He added yet another feather to his burgeoning young career with a thumping win in the men’s javelin – his 88.06m far and wide beyond the second-placed 82.22m by China’s Liu Qizhen, and Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, who took bronze. It was the sixth best throw of the season, bettering the national record he himself set earlier this year – 87.43m at the Doha Diamond League in May. On Monday, it seemed so effortless, so easy, almost as if he were flinging toothpicks into the air and they were landing where he wanted them to. Yet, we knew of the magnitude of the 20-year-old’s effort when he still missed the Games record by a mere 1.09m, set by Liu’s countryman, Zhao Qinggang with his 89.15m at the 2014 Incheon Games.


Neeraj, who burst onto the athletics scene with a U-20 World Championship gold in 2016, was in emulation mode on Monday. He became the first Indian athlete to win a gold in the Commonwealth and Asian Games in the same year since the great Milkha Singh in 1958 (400m gold in Cardiff and Tokyo). Also, India had last finished on the javelin podium way back at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, when Gurtej Singh won a bronze for the nation. “Of all the medals that I have won so far, this one takes the cake,” said the Panipat boy later. “I had a good outing and I am happy with it. I was expecting to set an Asian Games record, but it did not happen. I will stake take it,” he added.

Including Neeraj, Indians featured in seven athletics finals at the GBK Main stadium on Monday, and ended up finishing with three more silver in track and field. Dharun Ayyasamy set a new national mark in men’s 400m hurdles, veteran Sudha Singh (women’s 3000m steeplechase) and daughter of a daily wage earner, Neena Varakil (women’s long jump), also finished second to add to India’s medal tally long before the hinterland legend was capping the day with his powerful javelin bolts. It was India’s second gold in the Asian Games here after Tajinderpal Singh Toor’s in shot put two days earlier.

The 21-year-old Dharun, a thirdyear college student, pushed himself hard to settle for silver in the 400m hurdles where Qatar’s Abderrrahman Samba finished first with a Games record timing of 47.66 sec. Dharun’s feat at 48.96 was better than thirdplaced Takatoshi Abe of Japan (49.12). The man from Tamil Nadu bettered the 11-year-old national mark of Joseph Abraham set at the World Championships in Osaka in 2007.

Steeplechaser Sudha, winner of the gold in the 2010 Asian Games, came out with a silver here, but she had no qualms. Sudha had a slow start to the race and finished with a timing of 9:40.03, behind Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi (9:36.52). The bronze was won by Thi Oanh Nguyen of Vietnam (9:43.83). “I had a slow first one km, but I was faster thereafter. In Incheon (Asian Games), I had a better timing but had no medals to show for my effort. My target here was to win a medal and the timing was incidental,” she said.

The 32-year-old said that her critics had written her off due to her age, but she was happy to prove them wrong with the silver. She also said that she will be in fray for the 2020 Olympics. “If I am performing, I should keep competing,” she said.

Neena shone in the evening in the long jump even when she finished behind gold medal winner Thi Thu Thao Bui of Vietnam who jumped to a distance of 6.55m, her season best. Neena was a close second with 6.51 while Xioaling Xu of Chian took the bronze at 6.50. The girl from Kerala had deliberately delayed her arrival in Jakarta in order to avoid the “misfortune” she had to endure in Gold Coast in April.

Among other Indians in the final, Anu Raghavan and Jauna Murmu came fourth and sixth respectively in women’s 400m hurdles, while Shivpal Singh had just one throw out of six due to an elbow injury to finish 8th in men’s javelin. Nayana James failed to qualify for final and finished 10th in women’s long jump. Chinta came 11th in women’s 3000m steeplechase, Santosh Kumar finished 5th in men’s 400m hurdles. Shaker Lal Swami came 8th in men’s 3000m steeplechase, while Chethan Balasubramanya was 8th in men’s high jump.

Do penguins mate for life? Not according to these paternity tests

Roto and Copper, two Gentoo penguins at Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Utah, cared for three children together, taking turns feeding them. They’re a social pair, just like Coco and Gossamer, a neighbouring penguin couple that raised their own chicks.

Or did they?


We tend to think of penguins as monogamous, with social bonds formed between two parents for life. But researchers discovered that penguins in captivity, like some species in the wild, sometimes stray. After sampling the DNA of 19 Gentoo penguins at the aquarium, they revealed last month in ‘ZooBiology’ that Roto is the father of two chicks believed to be Gossamer’s offspring.

The story sounds like a daytime TV talk show, climaxing with a surprise paternity test result. But for zoo animals, it’s important. These penguins are set to be part of a programme pairing the most genetically diverse animals from different facilities, like people in a matchmaking service, to ensure a healthy penguin population in case this species ever goes extinct.

For this penguin dating service to work, documenting familial lineages is critical to avoiding inbreeding.

Of eight offspring they tested, two had a biological father that wasn’t their social father. Another female had been mating with two different males — even though the males were in stable social pairs.

Eric Domyan, a biology professor at Utah Valley University who led the testing, wasn’t surprised. “It’s very rare to find monogamy in any species where there’s 100% fidelity to one’s mate. I expected that to be the case with penguins as well.”

Sitting for long can affect memory too

It Reduces Blood Flow To Brain, Clouds Thinking


Sitting for hours without moving can slow the flow of blood to our brains, according to a cautionary new study of office workers, a finding that could have implications for long-term brain health. But getting up and strolling for just two minutes every half-hour seems to stave off this decline in brain blood flow and may even increase it.

Delivering blood to our brains is one of those automatic internal processes that is essential for life and cognition. Brain cells need the oxygen and nutrients that blood contains, and several large arteries constantly shuttle blood up to our skulls.


Past studies in people and animals indicate that slight, shortterm drops in brain blood flow can temporarily cloud thinking and memory, while longer-term declines are linked to higher risks for some neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia. Other research has shown that uninterrupted sitting dampens blood flow to various parts of the body. Most of those studies looked at the legs, which are affected the most by our postures, upright or not. Stay seated for several hours, and blood flow within the legs can slacken.

So for the new study, which was published in ‘Journal of Applied Physiology’, researchers at Liverpool John Moores University in England gathered 15 healthy, adult, male and female office workers. They spent four hours sitting at a desk and reading or working at a computer.

They never rose unless they had to visit the bathroom, which was close by. Scientists tracked the blood flow to their brains just before and during each walking break, as well as immediately after the four hours were over.

As they had expected, brain blood flow dropped when people sat for four continuous hours. The decline was small but noticeable by the end of the session.

But brain blood flow rose slightly when the four hours included frequent, two-minute walking breaks, scientists found.

Sophie Carter, who led the study says to stroll down the hall, take the stairs to visit a restroom a floor above or below your own, or complete a few easy laps around your office. Your brain just might thank you years from now, when you’re no longer tied to that office chair. 

Investment schemes with lockin period are ideal for kids

Parents should choose investment schemes having a lock-in period, so that come what may, they cannot dip into the corpus meant for children's future

answers:

I am 32 year-old and a father of three year-old girl. My wife is a home-maker and my monthly salary is Rs 60,000. After debiting all the expense, I save around Rs 25,000 to 30,000 monthly. I am thinking to invest some amount for my child's future. How should I go about it?




One of the major financial goals for parents is to provide a sizeable corpus for the higher education of their children. Disciplined investing through mutual funds can help them achieve this goal. The education cost inflation is much higher than the other ones. Any investment made, to meet this has to be in an appropriate asset class, which can help tide over this inflation. Assuming a current cost of Rs 10 lakhs for any professional course, over the next 15 years, this is likely to go up to approximately Rs 42 lakhs, considering an average inflation rate of 10 per cent per annum.

One of the appropriate categories of mutual funds for this goal is Children Gift Funds category (Now known as Equity Oriented Hybrid Funds). Some of the mutual fund houses are having these schemes, with a track record of almost 15 to 20 years, with a range of returns between 11 per cent to 15 per cent annualised over their respective tenures. Going forward, if one can take even a conservative 9 per cent to 10 per cent return over the next 15 years it will go a long way in helping the children at the time of their education.

Some of these also offer an additional facility of locking these investments until the children attain the age of 18. If the purpose of this investment is specifically for meeting their education cost, it really makes sense to opt for this lock -in, so that, come what may, the parents cannot dip in to this corpus. I would really recommend you to invest some amount monthly to these children schemes with a lock-in option.

Having said that, the ideal way to start any investment plan is by classifying the needs or goals. For child future plan, we need money on regular intervals, and one can classify those needs as short, medium and long term. Once this is set, you can accordingly choose the investment plan. However, you should start investing now to enjoy the good returns down the line

WHAT IS THE IDEAL NUMBER OF MUTUAL FUND SCHEMES ONE SHOULD HAVE IN HIS/HER PORTFOLIO?

Convention wisdom says that you should not put all your eggs in one basket. Your investment portfolio should be well-diversified, but holding too many funds means there’s a risk some may overlap. Diversification saves you from poor performance of a set of investments. If a particular company or sector does worse than the markets in general, then having only a small part of your money exposed to it helps. An average investor may not need more than two or three mutual fund schemes to meet his/her various financial goals. However, those with large investments may invest in a maximum of up to six schemes. Investing in too many schemes may make tracking them difficult.

Invest in mutual funds for your child’s future

Investing for your children through equity mutual funds will help you build a sound corpus for their education and future


Saving for their children’s future is every parent’s priority. And with increasing costs of education, it is imperative for parents to begin saving as soon as the child is born. Since a child gets several years before he/she needs a large chunk of money for higher education or marriage, parents should look at systematic investment plan (SIP) in equity funds for building a large corpus.

Depending upon your income and factoring in your monthly expenses, you should be able to arrive at an amount suitable for investing in mutual funds for your child. SIP is the best way to invest in the same.


Here is a step-by-step guide on the average expenditure expected and why parents must start saving:

WHEN TO INVEST?

It is said that the earlier you invest, the better returns you gain. When investing short-term, it is advised to invest in debt and balanced funds. For instance, if you are saving for your child’s schooling, and plan to hold on to the funds for 3-5 years, investing in debt and balanced funds could give you a return of 7-8 per cent.

When investing in equity mutual funds, especially keeping a child’s higher education in mind, one must hold on to their investments for at least 10-15 years.

One shold invest at regular intervals. In most Indian families, the child is given money during milestones in their life. Financial planners suggest that rather than spending such funds, all monetary gifts that the child receives should be invested in the child's name, preferably in equity mutual funds. Investing those funds in a good mutual fund would be a wise decision for the longterm financial benefit. This is because an occasional inflow in those funds, over several years, is almost sure to leave a large corpus when the child grows up.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLAN

The core of your investment portfolio should ideally be relatively lower risk diversified equity funds with smaller investments made into various small and midcap funds. If you have a moderate to aggressive risk appetite, you should be investing mostly midcap schemes and smallcap schemes. To invest money for an extremely short term, you can invest in liquid funds. When in doubt, it is advised to speak to experts from the field and get clarity. The ground rule here is to understand your long-term goal, decide on a fixed amount to be invested, and do so diligently in a plan that suits your end goal.

CALCULATE RIGHT

Education is getting expensive by the day. While saving for their children, parents must factor in various expenses right from childhood — tuition fees, school fees, material and travel costs, etc. Then, one must factor in costs of general living, marriage, etc. While calculating the cost of education, especially higher education, it’s important to remember that in India, the long term average annual inflation rate for education cost is about 8-10 per cent. For instance, if your child may pursue medicine, the current average cost is set at Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 75 lakhs. In the next 10-12 years, this may cross 1.5 crores. Hence, keeping this in mind, it is advised to invest a fixed amount in equity mutual funds on a monthly basis.

There are online calculators which could give you an estimate about these costs and the amount that is required to be invested. It is always better to identify goals, quantify them to get their future value, and putting together an investment plan to achieve each goal.

START INVESTING FROM THE TIME OF ITS BIRTH

Read on to know the steps for investing in equity mutual funds to secure your child’s future
Murli Krishnamurthy

On the birt h of a child, a wave of joy and celebration runs through the family. The parents dream of a great future for the child and think of what all they can do to make its life on earth a lot easier than what it was for them. While there are many ways to secure such needs like children’s insurance policies, government’s small savings schemes, PPF, and more, the most efficient and remunerative would be the managing of the financial plan for the child through the equity mutual fund route. This is because empirical evidence suggests that a fixed interest bearing security would certainly return less than a good diversified equity scheme as the period of investment envisaged is normally more than 10 years plus.

While there are scores of schemes specifically for children, they are all essentially equity or balanced funds with restrictive exit loads to ensure that there is no premature encashment of the units before the period for which they have been sought. But the fact that the investor parent is thinking about the child’s future needs is itself a basic guarantee that he or she would go through the full course, unless there is something extraordinary that crops up. In such cases, even exit loads are no deterrent.


The right time to start investing for the child is probably at the time of its birth itself. While gifts that come in from grandparents and well-wishers at the time of birthdays or any other occasions can be safely invested in a lump sum either in a liquid fund at times when markets are very high (as it is now) to be transferred into a diversified equity fund in a staggered manner, or it can be invested in a lump sum if the market levels are reasonable.

The parents must also start a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) soon after birth, and where possible go in for plans with a free insurance cover thrown in by the fund houses. While planning for the child, the tenure of the investment is to be considered in buckets, such as school joining fee at five years, higher education fee bucket at 18 years, and marriage at say 25 years. Thus, for the shorter tenure of the bucket, it would be prudent to go in for a well-diversified large cap fund. For the medium term, one could go in for a mid-cap fund and for the longer duration of 25 years, a riskier small-cap fund would be apt.

How this brother-sister duo windsurfed their way to the Asian Games 2018

While 20-year-old Dayne Coelho was the youngest ever national champion, his sister Katya 18, was the first Indian girl to represent India in windsurfing at the Youth Olympics in 2014. Now, the brother sister duo has broken all odds again to qualify for the Asian Games together this year. Ahead of the games which will be held from August 18 to September 2 in Jakarta, the siblings from Goa tell us what it took to get there.

THE BEGINNINGS


“For as long as I can remember, I was always fascinated by the sea. I took a liking to windsurfing when I was around 7. I remember it like it was yesterday. I saw my dad blasting down the coastline – just him on his rig, with nothing but the wind to power it,” says Dayne of his father and coach, Donald Coehlo, who is a national champion himself. It was no different for Katya, who started windsurfing when she was

12.

FROM YOUTH OLYMPICS TO THE ASIAN GAMES

In 2014, Katya qualified for the Youth Olympics, but Dayne did not, despite him training more seriously and for longer hours than his sister. “I was heartbroken. I stopped windsurfing for a while,” says Dayne, adding, “We all went to China to support her. The opening ceremony of the Youth Olympics was so magical. I knew that evening that I was on the wrong side of the stadium, and that my place was down there, among the greats.”

About her experience at the Youth Olympics, Katya says, “The competition was hard because I was racing against the best from all around the world.” She also faced a disastrous setback during the race, when her sail tore midway through.

After the Youth Olympics, Katya decided to take a break, so that her father could focus on coaching her brother, who she felt was more passionate about windsurfing.

WE ARE FAMILY

“About six months ago, we received an email stating that this time, they would be accepting a team (one boy, one girl) from each country. Though we were sceptical about taking part in the games, we still decided to give it a shot and went to Chennai for the first selection round. The top four from here were sent to Jakarta, where the second selection trial was held. We thought we wouldn’t make it, but we did,” says Katya.

The siblings consider their parents their pillar of strength. “We are a close knit family. My parents always make it a point to come for every competition. They are here with us in Jakarta, along with my little sister,” she says..

What next? “After I’m done with the Asian Games, I’m going to take some time off to relax, rest and enjoy! Not for long, of course, as I am going to start my campaign to try and qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics! Before that, we may also have the National Games in March,” says Dayne.

KNOW YOUR RUDRAKSHA

Founder of Rudralife

Tanay Seetha is the founder of Rudralife, a researchbased organisation, and a source for Genuine Lab tested Rudraksha. He answers all your questions related to Rudraksha and how these beads can have a positive impact on the one wearing it.

I have heard that women shouldn’t wear Rudraksha but Lord Shiva and Rudraksha fascinate me. I am a banker. Please advice? — Srishti Singh


Rest assured that our scriptures do not restrict women or people of any caste, religion or age from wearing Rudraksha. Non-vegetarians can also wear Rudraksha. A nine mukhi Rudraksha is good for working women and a 12 mukhi Rudraksha is ideal for bankers. You can wear both, too.

I am a senior executive in a multinational company. I want to succeed even further for my family’s sake, too. Can Rudraksha help me with this? — Monish Mehta

For people who are ambitious and have a desire to reach the peak in their field, Siddhamala (1 to 14 mukhi Rudraksha) is the combination that can help them. It is also good for peace and prosperity in the family.

I am suffering from acidity and blood pressure. I have heard that Rudraksha can help in Blood Pressure. Is that true? — S. Ramanamurthy

1 Water therapy and Swasthya Bandh are combinations, which can help you with this. Visit our website to know more.

How does one know which Rudraksha to wear as there are several varieties? — Anil Agarwal

Panel experts at Rudralife analyse your date of birth and purpose, and advise you based on astronumerology.

Where: Rudralife, 901, Shri Krishna, New Link Road, Opposite Laxmi Industrial Estate, Andheri (W) Call: +91 97112 82479 E-mail: enquiry@rudralife.com www.rudralife.com(*Subject discussed is based on the expert’s understanding of the said field)

Some Invitation Cards for Saraswati Puja

MAJOR GENERAL VIKRAM DOGRA,

‘My next challenge is to cycle around the world – a 22,000-km ride’
MAJOR GENERAL VIKRAM DOGRA,
59, THE ONLY SERVING INDIAN ARMY OFFICER AND ONLY GENERAL IN THE WORLD TO HOLD THE IRONMAN TITLE

That Army personnel are fitter than the average Joe is no state secret. But Major General Vikram Dogra of 17 Poona Horse Regiment takes his penchant for fitness a notch higher. What makes the 59-year-old stand out from his colleagues is that he is the only serving Indian Army officer and the only General in the world to have finished the prestigious and challenging Ironman Triathlon. The Delhi-based army officer finished Ironman Austria last month, becoming the oldest Indian to finish what is arguably the toughest single-day sporting event in the world. The Ironman Triathlon requires participants to finish three legs — swimming for 3.8 km, cycling for 180 km, and running for 42 km — within 17 hours.

‘AGE IS JUST A NUMBER’


Growing up in an Army household, Dogra says he was always into fitness. “My father was in the Army and he was posted in Udhampur, J&K, where I was born. Thereafter, we went all over the country just like Army kids do, but I was always into fitness as a youngster,” he recounts. However, his tryst with triathlons began only recently. He tells us, “About five years ago, there was a triathlon held in Delhi in the sprint category, which is the smallest distance category in triathlons. I participated in it and that ignited my desire to do the ultimate triathlon — the Ironman.” He might have started competing in triathlons in his 50s, but he argues that it wasn’t a late start. “I think age is just a number. Whenever you feel the desire to start, you can. I was committed towards it and there was a lot of perseverance involved,” he says.

‘MY FAMILY SUPPORTED ME’

The Ironman Triathlon is known not just for its exacting distances, but also for the intensive and exhaustive preparations one needs in order to simply compete, let alone finish. Being a senior Army officer, Major General Dogra says it was quite challenging for him to balance work and training. He shares, “I used to get back from office, change, and go for a run, starting at 7 pm to about 10 pm. I would cycle only on weekends because that required five to six hours of uninterrupted time.”

Luckily, he says, he had his family’s support. He tells us, “If your family is not supporting you, it’s a challenge for you to make time for the activity and your family. I used to start cycling at 2 am, but my wife and children supported me.” And, Dogra reveals that his colleagues and superiors got to know about the Ironman journey only after he had completed the event. “I did not inform the Army because it was a personal goal. So, they got to know only after the event was over. They tweeted about it and there have been numerous accolades from them,” he says.

A COMPETITION WITH SELF

While he regularly competes with (and beats) men in triathlons who are half his age, Dogra says that it does nothing to him apart from making him feel young at heart. His true competition — in his own words — is with himself. “It feels good, of course, to always feel young. But really, it’s not a competition with others. You are competing with your own self. When I went in for it, I wasn’t trying to beat anybody’s time. I was hoping to finish within 14-15 hours, which I did. But now in hindsight, I feel I could have shaved off at least an hour of my time. Hopefully, I can go in for another Ironman where I would be able to do that,” he sums up.

Treating sports-related injuries

Dr Yajuvendra Gawai is an Orthopaedic and Arthroscopy Surgeon and Sports Medicine specialist practising in Mumbai. He trained in Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy in USA at NYU and SUNY in New York for over three years. He was involved in the care of professional American football and hockey teams like The New York Rangers and Sabres of NHL and the Buffalo Bills in NFL and also The Alvin Ailey Contemporary Dance Theatre in NYC. He is currently attached to hospitals across Mumbai and is associated with many marathons in the city. He gives his views on the concept of sports medicine.

What is sports medicine?


When someone talks about sports medicine, the image of a physio with his kit rushing to the aid of an injured athlete on the field of play flashes before the eyes of most people. This however, is only the partial truth; sports medicine much like sports itself is a multi speciality team effort. It involves not only treatment but also prevention of sports related injuries and medical problems.

Is one sports medicine specialist qualified for treating all sports-related medical problems?

No, like mentioned earlier, sports medicine is a team effort. A good sports medicine centre should ideally include a sports physician, an orthopaedic and arthroscopy surgeon, a team of physiotherapists, sports nutritionists, sports psychologists, all trained and experienced in treating sports injuries and medical problems of athletes. Also, proper training goes a long way in the prevention of sports injuries and recovery and hence, athletic trainers and the coaches, too, play a pivotal role in sports medicine. Also, a well equipped rehab centre and diagnostic facilities as well as a surgical centre with modern facilities are desirable to provide comprehensive sports medicine services under one roof. We have developed a similar team and infrastructure at the Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital in Mumbai.

How are sports injuries treated?

Management of any ailment starts with proper assessment and diagnosis followed by treatment. It maybe in the form of rest and immobilisation and cross training to rehabilitation and physiotherapy or interventions like injections and sometimes surgery. Most importantly, good coordination between the team of sports medicine specialists is essential and a hallmark of an effective and efficient sports medicine centre.

What is arthroscopic surgery?

Arthroscopy or key hole surgery is a technique used to do surgery in a minimally invasive fashion with the use of an endoscope. It shortens the recovery period from surgery. Though it started as a modality to treat ligament and joint injuries in athletes, its use has been broadened to manage a variety of other joint ailments in the elderly population as well.

Who needs the services of a sports medicine specialist?

Everyone from a professional athlete to a weekend warrior to a recreational sportsman with serious or niggling injuries. Even if you are not injured but planning to take up some sport seriously (like even running or gymming etc.), a thorough musculoskeletal as well as cardiac evaluation is strongly recommended, especially after the age of 30. It will go a long way in preventing sports related medical problems and injuries.

Call: 81085 55055/ 9322874474.

www.shoulderkneesurgeon.com (*Procedures given are based on the expert’s understanding of the said field)

SCRATCH BENEATH THE SURFACE

On Tuesday, Microsoft announced the availability of its Surface Laptop and Surface Book 2 in India. Savio D’Souza and Ashutosh Desai... ...to give you an idea of what you can expect
MICROSOFT SURFACE LAPTOP

The Surface Laptop boasts of a sturdy aluminium build, tipping the scales at just 1.25kg—and with just the right amount of heft at the bottom—to allow you to open the lid with a single hand without toppling it over. The opened lid reveals a 13.5-inch 10-point ‘multitouch’ screen display that’s protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3.


The laptop comes with a full-sized backlit keyboard—that dims off when not in use but lights up as you touch its keys. You also get a large glass touchpad that supports multitouch gestures.

The surrounding area is covered with premium Alcantara—a durable and stain-resistant micro-fibre material—that provides a luxe feel under your palms when typing. The entire look and feel of this machine screams premium.

On the left side of the keyboard, you get a single USB 3.0 slot, a Mini DisplayPort to connect up to two 4K UHD screens, and a 3.5mm stereo headphone/mic jack. On the right side, you get Microsoft’s Surface Connect magnetic port for charging.

Press the power button, and the Windows logo appears on the screen in a second, while the laptop is ready to use within the next

12. The Surface Laptop is equipped with a 720p HD camera that runs Windows’ proprietary ‘Hello’ face sign-in technology. If you have set this up, the camera recognises you in a couple of seconds, and the entire process—from the time you touch the power button till Hello logs you in takes about 15 seconds.

On the downside the Hello face sign-in will need to be configured multiple times, under different light conditions, to work flawlessly. Also, if you wear spectacles to configure Hello, you will also need to use “Improve recognition” in the Windows Hello Sign-in options for it to recognise you without them. As failsafe, during set up, you are prompted to set a PIN to login to the machine.

USER EXPERIENCE

The Surface Laptop is arguably the best business laptop we have reviewed yet. Its spiffy bootup allows you to send a quick email from the airport lounge minutes before you board your flight or begin a presentation in a boardroom with zero delays.

Its keyboard—with three-levels of backlit brightness—allows you to work in darkened rooms, and you get just the right amount of haptic feedback for comfortable touch typing.

Touchscreen capabilities add an extra level of natural interaction with the device like swiping from the right side of the screen to see notifications.

Its bright screen—with a contrast ratio of 1500:1—is capable of sharp and vibrant visuals that are visible even in sunlight, while its HD camera works well for video calls when coupled with its dual-mics for clear voice pick-up.

The pièce de résistance of the Surface Laptop, however, is its proprietary Omnisonic stereo speakers that are backed by Dolby Audio. Given this notebook’s slim design, Microsoft has hidden these under the keyboard. This piece of audio equipment is by far the best we have experienced in any laptop. When seated in front of the machine, you get clear left and right channel separation and it is even capable of spatial sound that makes it seem like there are additional speakers at the back of the screen. Overall, the multimedia capabilities of the Surface laptop are best in class; ideal for watching movies and even making multimedia presentations to clients on the laptop itself.

The Surface Laptop is available with two operating system variants: All personal purchases run Windows S. This is a streamlined version of the OS that only runs apps from the Windows Store to ensure a more secure, fast and stable user experience. On the other hand, this means users will not be able to install third-party programs like iTunes, the Chrome browser and or even Adobe Photoshop. Laptops purchased by businesses for commercial use, however, will get Windows 10 Pro.

Microsoft gives consumers the option to shift from S to Pro whenever they like. They would need to open Microsoft Store from their device for the free upgrade. Though, once they upgrade, there is no option of going back to Windows 10 S.

That said, both versions of the OS come with BitLocker encryption system to secure your data in case of theft. This system uses the laptop’s integrated TPM (Trusted Platform Module) crypto-processor that protects the keys used to encrypt your computer’s contents.

When it comes to battery, the Surface Laptop gives you about nine to 10 hours on a full charge, and the brick on its power adapter also comes with an extra one-amp USB port that lets you juice your smartphone simultaneously.

You get Bluetooth connectivity, as well as support for dual-band Wi-Fi, which means it will also be able to connect on the lesscrowded 5GHz wireless band wherever available.

As far as accessories are concerned, you might want to consider the Surface Dock (₹19,999) that connects to the laptop via its USB port to allow for (2x) mini DisplayPorts, (1x) Gigabit Ethernet, (4x) USB 3.0 and (1x) audio-out ports.

The Surface Laptop also supports the Microsoft Surface Pen (₹8,499) that allows you to use the stylus to annotate images, scribble notes and even draw directly on the touchscreen in compatible apps and programs, but this accessory is better suited for the Microsoft Surface Book 2.

IN CONCLUSION…

The Surface Laptop is one of the best business laptops there is. Its lightweight but sturdy build make it a trusty road warrior, and it packs in more features than you can shake a stick at. With prices starting at ₹86,999, this device—with its tight security features—sits comfortably in direct competition with premium Windows and Mac-based ultrabooks and is well worthy of serious consideration.

MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK 2

If the Surface Laptop is targeted at travelling executives, the Surface Book 2—available in 15- and 13.5-inch variants—is aimed at professionals who need a high-end computer for applications in the field of engineering, graphics design, data analysis and coding. Its touch display can be detached from the keyboard and used as a tablet. You can also dock the display, with its screen facing outward, for presentations, to watch movies and answer video calls.

The tablet part of the device sports the power and volume control buttons, a 3.5mm stereo port for headphones and a magnetic Surface Connect charging port. Whereas the base keyboard unit is equipped with a charging port, two USB ports, an SDXC memory card reader, and a USB Type-C port that can be also used to link to a secondary display.

The tablet connects with the keyboard via proprietary connectors and magnets along its lower edge. The connection is solid and the hinge is sturdy enough to prevent the screen from wobbling while you type. A Detach button on the keyboard lets you undock the display safely.

The entire unit—display and keyboard—are fabricated out of high-grade, lightweight magnesium, with ceramic being used as a thermal insulator in its hinge. Notably, the lower-end models with the Core i3 processor and integrated graphics sport a fanless design. While the higher-end larger display devices that are equipped with discrete graphics, include a fan each in the display and keyboard. Here, the Nvidia GPU is housed in the keyboard with a vent close to the hinge.

Despite packing in the processor, memory, SSD, battery, a noiseless fan and stereo speakers, the 15.6-inch model’s tablet sports a slim 8mm profile and weighs just 1.9kg with the keyboard. This is half a kilo lighter than a regular laptop with the same hardware specifications. You also get a 5MP front camera for video calls, an 8MP rear camera, and Windows Hello face unlock.

Like with the Surface Laptop, you get a soft-touch full-sized back-lit keyboard and a glass trackpad. The latter supports up to four-finger gestures, which can be configured to scroll, multitask, control volume level, activate Cortana and more.

USER EXPERIENCE

The Surface Book 2’s touchscreen renders punchy colours and crisp text. It runs on Windows 10 Pro that lets you switch between two colour profiles: Enhanced or sRGB – and you also get a “night light” mode with a blue light filter to cut screen glare.

The 15-inch model, which comes with a discrete Nvidia GPU in the keyboard, can run the current crop of PC games like PUBG, Far Cry 5, Fortnite and Asphalt 9 Legends without any hiccups at high resolution, but with ‘medium’ graphics quality settings. You can also connect a wireless Xbox game controller to this device. The integrated Intel GPU on the 13-inch model is also capable of handling these games, but at much lower resolutions and quality settings. The stereo speakers on the Surface Book 2 add to the experience with quality sound – and these also work well for clear internet video calls.

Clearly the 15-inch version is suited for graphics-intensive work, 3D modelling and high-resolution illustrations. If portability is your priority, but you also need a dedicated graphics card for design, then consider the 13-incher with the Nvidia GTX 1050 GPU. Both versions come with enough processing muscle to handle encoding and editing audio and video files.

Artists can pair the Surface Book 2 with the Microsoft Surface Pen. It is powered by a single, replaceable AAAA battery and has a clickable button that works as an eraser. This button can be configured to take a screenshot and launch the Screen Sketch tool, open the Windows Ink Workspace, Sticky Notes and more. While the Pen works out of the box, it needs to be paired via Bluetooth to gain access to its shortcut settings.

A built-in magnet lets you stick it to the side of the Surface Book 2. It feels just like a regular writing instrument and the nib moves smoothly over the screen almost as naturally as pen on paper. There is no visible lag and compatible apps like Sketchpad (Free) and Sketchable (Paid) even recognise strokes when the Pen is tilted to shade areas on the screen.

The Surface Book 2 is capable of 13-14 hours of use on a full battery. When used only in tablet mode, you get 5-7 hours of use. You can adjust battery life settings from the taskbar itself and get a status for the batteries in the tablet and the keyboard.

IN CONCLUSION…

The 13-inch Surface Book 2 presents a viable alternative to the Surface Laptop, especially for those who are looking for a hybrid laptop-tablet combo. The 15-inch variant is more suited for those in the creative field and who need a powerful computer for design, illustration, 3D modeling, video encoding, etc.

Note: The reviews are based on the configurations mentioned above. However, prices for the Surface Laptop start from Rs 86,999 with the top-end model costing ₹2,33,999. The Surface Book 2 starts at ₹1,37,999 (for the 13.5-inch model) and goes up to ₹2,58,999 (for the 15-inch version with Nvidia discrete graphics).

Wearables for well-being is the next big thing in tech

From a stress-detecting patch to AI that mimics the human brain, the technology of the future is geared towards health solutions


Intelligence in wearable electronics

A team of US researchers has developed an ‘artificial synapse’ that does not process information like a digital computer but rather mimics the way the human brain completes tasks. The discovery can lead to energy-efficient AI devices. The graphene-based neural networks can be employed in flexible and wearable electronics to enable computation at the ‘edge of the internet’ — places where computing devices such as sensors contact the physical world.


“By empowering even a rudimentary level of intelligence in wearable electronics and sensors, we can track our health with smart sensors, provide timely diagnostics, regulate and optimise the manufacturing process,” say the researchers.

Wearable AR for autistic people

Google Glass can rekindle the hopes of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) globally, including in India. According to Ned Sahin, founder and CEO of Brain Power, a US-based science-driven company, Augmented Reality (AR)-powered wearable computers can help those with ASD gain confidence, clarity, understanding, social integration and self-sufficiency.

Detect stress level from sweat

Scientists have developed a waterproof wearable patch, which when applied directly to the skin, absorbs sweat and within seconds assesses how much cortisol — the stress hormone — a person is producing. “This offers a novel approach for the early detection of various diseases and evaluation of sports performance,” says lead author, Onur Parlak from Stanford University, US.

Quit smoking with wearable tech

Using wearable sensor technology, researchers have developed an automatic alert system that may help people to quit smoking by sending video messages. A smartphone app automatically texts 20 to 120-second video messages to smokers when the sensors detect specific arm and body motions associated with smoking. According to the researchers, the mobile alert system that they are testing may be the first that combines an existing online platform with mindfulness training and a personalised plan to quit smoking.

Solar supercapacitor for wearable sensors

A team of scientists led by an Indian-origin professor has developed a new solar-powered supercapacitor that could help make future wearable technologies lighter and more energy-efficient. The research could take the wearable systems for health monitoring to remote parts of the world where solar power is often the most reliable source of energy.

Preventing falls in older adults

Falls are a common cause of injury in older adults and can create health problems. A recent study under NIH’s Women’s Health Initiative to predict an individual’s risk of falling made 67 participants, all over the age of 60, wear a small device with motion sensors that measured their walking patterns for one week. They found that data extracted from the devices could accurately predict the participants’ risk of falling, as measured by physical examinations of unsteadiness in standing and walking.

Car That Runs On Air, Goes Upto 40 KM/Hour, Designed By Students In Egypt

The students say their vehicle can hit 40 kilometres an hour and last 30 kilometres before needing to be refuelled, and it only costs about 18,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,008.40) to build.

Car That Runs On Air, Goes Upto 40 KM/Hour, Designed By Students In Egypt
Mahmoud Yasser said the operational cost of the vehicle will be "almost nothing" (Reuters)

CAIRO: A group of Egyptian students has designed a vehicle they say will battle rising energy prices and promote clean energy by running on nothing but air.
The undergraduate students, who built the vehicle as part of their graduation project from Helwan University just outside Cairo, are rolling out a prototype one-person vehicle that runs on compressed oxygen.

The go-kart-like vehicle comes as Egypt pushes ahead with painful economic reforms that include deep cuts to energy subsidies, measures tied to a three-year $12 billion IMF loan programme it began in late 2016.

The students say their vehicle can hit 40 kilometres an hour and last 30 kilometres before needing to be refuelled, and it only costs about 18,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,008.40) to build.

"The operational cost of the vehicle... will be almost nothing. You are basically using compressed air. You are not paying for fuel and also you do not need cooling," said Mahmoud Yasser, a student who helped design it.

4 COMMENTS
The team is now looking to raise funding to expand the project and mass produce the vehicles. They believe they can eventually get the vehicles to top 100 kilometres an hour and run for 100 kilometres before needing to come up for air.

Massive Independence Day deal! This Rs 44,990 smartphone offered for just Rs 1,947

Festivals are probably the best time to buy a new smartphone these days! Almost all the e-commerce players offer lucrative deals and discounts on mobile phones during the festive season.

Festivals are probably the best time to buy a new smartphone these days! Almost all the e-commerce players offer lucrative deals and discounts on mobile phones during the festive season. To celebrate India’s 72nd Independence Day, smartphone manufacturer Vivo is doing something similar. As part of Independence Day celebrations on August 15, Chinese phone maker Vivo is selling its flagship phone model – Vivo Nex costing Rs 44,990 for just Rs 1,947.

Yes, you read it right! The phone will be available at just Rs 1,947 via an online flash sale. The Independence day offer will be available from August 7 to 9 (beginning on August 6 midnight). The offer will be available on the web portal of Vivo – shop.vivo.com/in.

Commemorating India’s 72nd year of independence, the company is also giving a wide range offers like discounts, coupon deals and cashback offers on a select range of Vivo smartphones and accessories during the sale.

In a statement, Vivo said, “To commemorate India’s 72nd Independence, the company is also giving away Vivo accessories such as earphones, and USB charging cables at just Rs 72 with additional cashback offers. The flash sale for both the smartphones and accessories will commence at 12 noon for all three days and will last till stocks last.”

About Vivo Nex:

The smartphone phone comes with a 6.59-inch full HD+ bezel-less display with an in-display fingerprint sensor and powerful internal hardware including a Snapdragon 845 processor. The Vivo Nex comes with 8 GB RAM, 128 GB on-board storage, 12+5-megapixel dual camera setup on the rear and an 8-megapixel front camera.

This smartphone is running on Vivo’s FunTouch OS 4.0 based on Android 8.1 Oreo. The smartphone has a power capacity of 4,000 mAh battery with type-C charging.

Beware: Manufacturing, selling of Non-ISI two-wheeler Helmets now a criminal offence

ISI HELMETS IN INDIA: Selling or manufacturing of non-ISI helmets can now land you in jail with a hefty fine of Rs 2 lakh. Here's why this rule will change the entire two-wheeler helmet manufacturing industry.

As notified by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, manufacturing, storing and selling of two-wheeler helmets that are not ISI (Indian Standard Institute) certified can now lead to arrest without any warrant. In the next two months, anyone found to be selling or manufacturing non-ISI helmets in India is subjected to two years of jail time and/or a fine of Rs 2 lakh. Subsequent offences would attract a higher fine.

Two Wheeler Helmet Manufacturers Association has hailed this a move by the Government of India saying Non-ISI marked helmets is like selling fake medicine and just like these fake medicines are harmful and poisonous so are the non-ISI fake helmets.

Commenting on this development, Mr. Rajeev Kapur, President, Two Wheeler Helmet Manufacturers Association and MD, Steelbird said “This move is highly appreciated by the government and this decision would act as a masterstroke and help in doing away with sale, manufacture, storage and use of NON-ISI marked helmets.”

Even the leading international brands who were exporting helmets to India as per European and US standard will now have to adhere to ISI standards. They will not be able to sell otherwise. This notification gives the manufacturers 2 months notice to adhere to ISI standards and for dealers to quickly liquidate their stocks.

Those using the non-ISI helmets should switch to ISI helmets in India as it is dangerous and can lead to fatal injuries. As per the Motor Vehicle Act, each and every two wheeler rider must use ISI marked helmet only and this notice will further act as reinforcement. This move will further streamline the two-wheeler helmet manufacturing industry and only those with quality and safe helmet shell and manufacturing technique will be able to sell and succeed in India.

Also read: No more heavy, sweaty helmets! How new ISI regulations will improve helmet comfort

The new two-wheeler helmets under the mandatory certification regime will be lighter and airier for the comfort of bike riders. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has just introduced a new norm for motorcycle helmets in India. According to the new standard, the maximum weight of the helmet should be 1.2 kg as opposed to 1.5 kg presently and every manufacturer has to comply with these norms mandatorily. The new rule will come into effect starting 15th January 2019 and hence, the manufacturers have close to six months to comply with the new norms.

Hero XPulse 200 India launch

Hero XPulse 200 India launch timeline revealed: Reasons behind Impulse successor’s late arrival
Hero MotoCorp is prepping up for the launch of three products namely Xtreme 200R, Duet 125 and Maestro Edge 125 after which the arrival of XPulse 200 will follow. The price of the motorcycle is expected to be close to Rs 1 lakh (ex-showroom).

Hero XPulse 200 India launch

The new Hero XPulse 200 was showcased in India for the first time at Auto Expo 2018. Enthusiasts across the country were hoping that the bike will be launched at the biennial event but Hero MotoCorp chose to save things for a later date. Now, it has been over five months and there is no sign of the entry-level ADV hitting the market. Recently, a report on Bikewale has suggested that the new Hero XPulse 200 will be launched in India in December this year. The report states that Hero MotoCorp is currently busy in the process of launching the Xtreme 200R across the country. The prices of the Hero Xtreme 200R have already been revealed earlier as Rs 88,000 (ex-showroom) and the company's official website for India is currently showing the price for only four states namely Assam, Mizoram, Tripura and West Bengal. Additionally, the company is focussing on the launch of Duet 125 and Maestro Edge 125 scooters in India. All these factors combined, the launch of the Hero Xtreme 200R has been pushed ahead.

Watch our Royal Enfield Himalayan video review here:


Hero XPulse 200 gets the same engine that powers the Xtreme 200R. The power and torque outputs of this engine stand at 18 bhp and 17 Nm. The transmission is a five-speed unit. Notable features on the Hero Xtreme 200R include LED headlamp, fully digital instrument cluster that displays the distance to empty range and gets a gear position indicator as well. The concept bike that was showcased at the Auto Expo 2018 was fitted with knuckle guards and a crash guard to protect the engine and these bits are expected to be retained on the final model as well.

The bike also gets USB charging support and navigation assist to prove beneficial to the rider in case of long distance touring. Once launched, the new Hero XPulse 200 will be the most affordable adventure tourer bike on sale in India. There will be no competition for the XPulse in particular as it will be the only motorcycle of such sorts in the price point nearing Rs 1 lakh. However, the bike can give a threat to the Royal Enfield Himalayan that is currently priced at Rs 1.68 lakh (ex-showroom) and has lesser features compared to the XPulse.

Swagat samarambh patrika

swagat samarambh in marathi