Xiaomi Redmi S2 leak shows Redmi Note 5 Pro-inspired design: Details here

The India-bound budget-centric smartphone is reported to sport dual rear cameras and feature face-unlock mechanism. Here are all the details you need to have for the upcoming Xiaomi smartphone.

Technology News : Touted as the Redmi S2, the budget-centric smartphone is reported to sport dual rear cameras and feature the face-unlock mechanism, according to a report by online technology-based forum XDA-developers.

Now, the phone’s purported image renders, shared by a Czech-based online publication SvetAndroida, show Redmi S2’s front and back views. Based on renders, the phone would sport a tall 18:9 aspect ratio screen on the front and dual cameras on the back, along with a fingerprint scanner. The phone’s back seems identical to the Redmi Note 5 Pro, which was launched in India on February 14. However, the dual antenna lines on top and bottom have a different design and, therefore, the phone seems to bring some design element changes too.

In terms of specifications and features, the report in XDA hinted that the Xiaomi Redmi S2 would sport an 18:9 aspect ratio screen of HD+ (1440×720) resolution. It would be powered by a Qualcomm MSM 8953 system-on-chip (SoC), which is a Snapdragon 625 processor. In terms of storage, the phone would have a 16GB variant, though other storage models are also likely, and there would be a microSD card slot for storage extension. As for memory, the phone would likely come in 2GB and 3GB RAM variants.

Talking of imaging, the phone would have a dual-camera set-up on the back, which will either have the 12-megapixel primary sensor of Sony IMX486 or OmniVision OV12A10, and the 5MP Samsung S5K5E8 as the secondary sensor. On the front, there would be a 5MP Samsung S5K5E8 sensor.

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 would have a 3,080mAh battery and boot Android Oreo 8.1 out-of-the-box.

Based on most of the specifications and features, the Xiaomi Redmi S2 seems like a mixture of the Redmi 5 and Redmi Note 5 (Redmi 5 Plus) with added dual cameras on the back. While most of the specifications, such as HD+ screen and storage and RAM variants put it in line with the Redmi 5, the Snapdragon 625 processor would give the Redmi S2 a huge boost in terms of processing power.

Read more about  → Xiaomi Redmi S2

Karnataka Elections 2018 : Every region is different, holds a key to power

Ahead of the Karnataka polls 2018, Aditi Phadnis looks at where the major political parties stand in different regions of the state. Catch latest updates on Karnataka assembly elections 2018.

Coastal Karnataka (19 seats)

Districts: Dakshina Kannada, Udupi (South Canara) and Uttara Kannada (North Canara)

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 » In the 2013 election, because of the split in the vote of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) between the Karnataka Janata Pakshe of B S Yeddyurappa and the BJP, the Congress was able to drive home its advantage.

This time, on the surface it appears that all the factions in the BJP are together and want to establish a BJP government in Bengaluru. With the Janata Dal (Secular) having only a marginal presence in this area, in the 2018 assembly election it will be a straight fight between the two national parties.

Old Mysore (61 seats)

Districts: Mysuru, Mandya , Hassan, Chamarajnagar, Ramanagaram, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru

This is the area owing allegiance to the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore and is politically dominated by the Vokkaliga community. Dalits are present here in large numbers as well. Among Vokkaligas, immediate recall is for JD( S) founder, former Prime Minister, and former chief minister HD Deve Gowda, who belongs to Hassan. Politically influential, the BJP is not a traditional force in this region — it is dominated by the Congress and the JD(S). In 2013 the JD(S) got 40 seats in the assembly —the largest chunk of this came from this region.

Having said that, the BJP did badly in this region in the 2013 assembly election but reported victories with a large margin in the Lok Sabha elections less than a year later, possibly because of Narendra Modi’s image. Will that work this time ?

Bangalore (28 seats)

Districts: Bengaluru rural and urban

Bengaluru is a cosmopolitan city with a sizeable population of educated middle class who have origins in other state but have now made Karnataka their home. This vote bloc also leans towards the BJP. There is also an important migrant population — largely Tamil-speaking but also Malayalam- and Telugu-speaking — that is part of the Bengaluru electorate.

There are some rural enclaves attached to what is primarily an urban voting region. Issues like delivery of services, state of the physical infrastructure, corruption, land mafia and its connections with political leaders are all hotly contested issues.

But then, with its traditional vote bank and that of the minorities and more, the Congress is also a major player and not a mere pushover in this region.

→ Karnataka Elections 2018

Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi slams PM Narendra Modi over corruption, new US visa rules

Hitting out at PM Modi on the graft issue, Gandhi accused him of supporting mining baron Reddy brothers and changing CBI into “Central Bureau of Illegal Mining.”

Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for levelling corruption allegations against the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had given tickets to eight tainted candidates for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly election.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, back in Karnataka for the seventh leg of his poll campaign, questioned the prime minister’s authority to speak on corruption while being surrounded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders accused of financial wrongdoing.

“Modiji comes here and speaks about corruption. When (fugitive diamantaire) Nirav Modi, whom Narendra Modi knows very well…knows by the first name, runs away with Rs 300 billion, he does not utter a word.

“When he (Modi) stands on a stage, on his one side is Yeddyurappa, who has spent time in jail, on the other side there are four others, who have been to jail, and Modiji speaks about corruption,” he told a gathering during a road-show.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often targeted the Siddaramaiah-led Congress regime in Karnataka over alleged corruption, calling it a “10 per cent commission government”.

Rahul Gandhi slams PM Narendra Modi government over new US visa rules:

Rahul Gandhi also attacked Modi government’s foreign policy and said “new US visa rules is a huge setback for India”.

“New US visa Rules, huge setback for India. There are some things a hug can buy. For visas, you’re on your own,” tweeted Gandhi, attaching a Times of India story with a headline “Startup visas, work permits for spouses of H-1B visa holders to go”.

“Foreign policy by Narendra Modi, foreword by Donald Trump,” he added.

Google Gmail now gets smarter with security, productivity and AI features

The updated email client is currently rolling out in batches. But you can try the new look by going in the settings (click on clog icon on top right) and selecting ‘Try the new Gmail’ option.

Technology News : Search engine and technology giant Google on April 25 started pushing out a new Gmail web client with redesigned features and new upgrades centred on productivity, security and ease of use. The updated email client is currently rolling out in batches. But, you can try the new look by going to the settings (click on clog icon on top right) and selecting ‘Try the new Gmail’ option. You can also move back to the old client, if you find the new look confusing, by going to the setting again and selecting ‘Go back to classic Gmail’.

Here are the new features in the updated Gmail web client:

Gmail Security Features

• In the new email client, Google has introduced a new confidential mode, which enables creating expiration dates or revoking previously sent messages, thereby helping protect sensitive content in emails. Additionally, the new email client could also require additional authentication via text message to view an email, it is now possible to protect data even if a recipient’s email account has been hacked.
• Google has also designed the new Gmail web client with built-in information rights management (IRM) controls. These controls allow you to remove the option to forward, copy, download or print messages. This helps reduce the risk of confidential information being accidentally shared with the wrong people. However, the feature is still in a testing phase and the rollout will begin to consumer Gmail users and a limited number of G-Suite customers in the coming weeks, followed by a broader rollout to all users later.
• The new Gmail web client also features redesigned security warnings with a bigger and bolder outlook to keep you informed when it comes to potentially risky email.

Artificial Intelligence for quick replies and easy follow-ups

• Google has integrated some AI-powered features in Gmail, such as nudging, smart reply and high-priority notifications. Targeted to improve productivity, these features proactively remind you to follow up on or respond to messages, without making any distractions.

Productivity features

• The redesigned Gmail web client now makes it easier to view, download or share attachments without opening the email threads. The attachments are now visible on the front-end and you can see and click attachments in your inbox before ever opening a thread. You can also do things like RSVP to a meeting invite, archive an email thread, delete an email, mark email as read and snooze an email without opening them. The new tools are enabled to show as soon as you hover over messages and, therefore, require no clicks.

G Suite integration

• The redesigned Gmail web client now features other G Suite apps such as calendar, keep, tasks, etc, on the right side in the action bar. These apps enable you to make quick reference, create or edit calendar invites, capture ideas or manage to-dos without leaving your inbox.

Toyota shifting to petrol-only fuel strategy; no diesel version of Yaris

The narrowing gap between petrol and diesel prices, an uncertainty around the future treatment of vehicles and low resale price of diesel cars are some of the apparent reasons for the strategy shift.

Technology News : Japanese car maker Toyota is making a shift to a petrol-only strategy for its non-SUV future vehicles in India. The Yaris sedan, which will be launched next month, will have a petrol only option. This marks a shift from Toyota’s earlier approach where it rolled out both diesel and petrol variants for smaller cars like the Etios sedan and Liva hatchback.

“We have been monitoring this segment for some time now. In the past three years, there has been a rise in customer sales of petrol variants. Traditionally, customers like a diesel engine on bigger vehicles like SUV, MPV as higher torque is required to enjoy and handle bigger cars,” said N Raja, Deputy Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, the Indian arm of Toyota.

Indian car buyers have shown an increasing preference for petrol cars and the share of diesel variant in new car sales has fallen to 23 per cent from almost 50 per cent in FY13. The narrowing gap between petrol and diesel prices, an uncertainty around the future treatment and low resale price of diesel cars are apparent reasons for the shift. In case of SUVs, however, the bulk of the sales come from diesel variants.

The Yaris does not have a diesel option globally but the company would have considered one for India had the demand for diesel cars been strong enough. Toyota has made investments of Rs 11 billion in a local diesel engine manufacturing unit that can produce more than 100,000 diesel engines a year. This unit was inaugurated in June 2016. “We will evaluate diesel options in Yaris on the basis of changing customer needs and favorable policy,” said Raja.

Diesel engine technology has been at the receiving end of bans from policy-makers and courts in recent years. A ban on sales of diesel vehicles (2,000cc and above) in the NCR, imposed by the Supreme Court in December 2015, had negatively impacted Toyota more than any other car maker. The ban, which hit sales of its bestsellers Innova and Fortuner, was lifted in August 2016 after imposition of a cess of one per cent.

→ Toyota Yaris

Kim Jong-Un to visit South Korea: What to expect when the two leaders meet

Kim’s decision to meet on Moon’s side of the military demarcation line – making him the first North Korean leader to set foot in South Korea – reflects new confidence in his country’s bargaining power.

International News : When Kim Jong Un crosses the border dividing the two Koreas to shake hands with southern counterpart Moon Jae-in on Friday, his footsteps will be laden with symbolism.

Kim’s decision to meet on Moon’s side of the military demarcation line – making him the first North Korean leader to set foot in South Korea – reflects new confidence in his country’s bargaining power. He’s showing that he feels secure enough to leave his isolated capital after developing a nuclear arsenal capable of threatening Moon’s protectors in Washington, as well as Seoul.

“This is major,” said David Kang, director of the Korean Studies Institute at the University of Southern California. “He is losing all the optics that others accuse him of – wanting to pretend that he is at the center of the world and that whoever is visiting is a dignitary coming to kowtow.”

The venue – at the “Truce Village” of Panmunjom where the armistice was signed – is only one change from the previous inter-Korean summits in 2000 and 2007 that were held in Pyongyang. This meeting is intended to facilitate negotiations over Kim’s nuclear weapons program, rather than reward their results.

Kim Jong Un is expected to cross the border around 9:30 a.m., Seoul time, when he’ll be welcomed by Moon and an honor guard, Soutisorea said Thursday. The pair are expected to begin their summit around 10:30 a.m. and announce any agreements in the afternoon before jointly attending a banquet.

The event will set up a historic meeting between the North Korean leader and US President Donald Trump some time by early June. The unprecedented encounter, which observers say could either finally resolve the 68-year-old Korean War or create conditions for a new one, has infused every gesture and remark between Kim and Moon with gravity.

In recent weeks, Kim, whose government has often derided the South Koreans as US “vassals,’’ has emphasized reconciliation and flexibility. On Friday, he extended his freeze on nuclear weapons testing as part of a shift toward greater emphasis on the economy.

The moves have raised expectations that the two sides could announce some breakthrough, such as declaring an end to their enduring war. That could open the door for formal peace talks and a security guarantee from the US – a crucial step to convincing Kim to disarm.

Apple iPad 2018 Review: An education-centric tablet with stylus, AR support

The latest iteration of the iPad, at least outwardly, is a dead ringer for its predecessor from last year. The biggest change, however, is support for the stylus.

Technology News : Last week, I was reminded of my high school days, to be precise, one particular class. As a student of the biosciences, I had bitter-sweet memories of biology practical classes which involved dissection. On the one hand, my teacher praised me for my tissue slides (who called me a natural with the scalpel — no doubt influenced by my father’s rather pre-eminent reputation as a surgeon in our small town); but on the other, as an animal lover, I was sad at the loss of lives the classes led to — of the frogs and lab mice.

And last week, I dissected a frog, without the scruples and the messy bits. And for that, I had to thank the latest Apple iPad (from Rs 28,000). Oh, and in place of a scalpel, I used the Apple Pencil (Rs 7,600). The app that let me do this was Froggipedia, which also supports augmented reality (AR), and using which I could place a frog on my dining table, much to the dismay of my wife!

The latest iteration of the Apple iPad 2018, at least outwardly, is a dead ringer for its predecessor from last year. The biggest change, however, is support for the stylus (one can also use one’s finger). Also, it is powered by a zippier processor, which was in evidence when I played games such as Thumper: Pocket Edition and Asphalt 8: Airborne.

In many other respects, though, it remains the same — such as the screen and the connectors; that is, this iPad misses the TrueTone and TrueMotion screen, the Smart Connector and the speakers its elder sibling the iPad Pro sports. This means the 2018 iPad’s screen wouldn’t colour tones; the lower refresh rate means the stylus is a tad less responsive, but you’ll understand that only if you’re a professional artist; only Bluetooth keyboards can be connected to the iPad; and this one’s not as loud as its elder sibling.

The real heroes, however, are the apps. With Apple tweaking its iWork suite to support the Pencil, I realised one could easily annotate stuff in Pages, just like proofing a page. I wish Word comes out with this feature soon. Besides, the iPad also doubles up as a teleprompter — a godsend in these days of videos and vlogs.

Read full review → Apple iPad 2018 Review

Karnataka Elections 2018 : Will Siddaramaiah stay as CM? Congress high-command to decide

The senior Congress leader alleged that such rumours were being constructed to deliberately create a rift in the party.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 » Senior Congress Party leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday stated that the party high command would decide the chief ministerial candidate in poll-bound Karnataka.

Speaking to ANI, Kharge said he was hopeful of incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah being chosen as the party’s candidate.

“Ahead of the elections in Karnataka, all preparations are being done under the supervision of Siddaramaiah itself. He is the current chief minister, and therefore, there is no question of another candidate being chosen. He is serving his duties well, and I am hopeful that he will be elected at the chief ministerial candidate by the high command, including party president Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Kharge sparked reports that Siddaramaiah might not be the Congress’ automatic choice for chief minister of Karnataka if the party came to power for a second consecutive term in the state.

Responding to this, the senior Congress leader alleged that such rumours were being constructed to deliberately create a rift in the party.

“I have heard from media outlets that some people highlighting certain reservations I have about Siddaramaiah being the chief ministerial candidate. However, such reports are not to be believed. There is a group of people trying to create a rift in the party, but this is not in good taste,” he said.

On a related note, Karnataka will go to polls on May 12 to elect representatives to the 225-member state assembly.

The results will be out on May 15.

→ Karnataka Elections 2018

Karnataka Elections 2018 : Congress taunts Narendra Modi for protecting the ‘Bellary Gang’

Congress media in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala also accused the BJP of betraying Kannadigas and protecting the Reddy brothers.

 

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 »The ruling Congress on Tuesday taunted the Narendra Modi government for letting off Karnataka’s infamous Reddy mining brothers and fielding three of them for the May 12 state assembly elections.

“The Modi government has become the benefactor, protector, defender of the Bellary Gang (Reddy brothers) for denuding Kannadigas of their rich natural resources through its puppet CBI,” Congress media in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

Terming the iron ore mining scam in the state biggest, Surjewala said the then anti-graft watchdog Justice Santosh Hegde exposed the unholy nexus of BJP’s chief ministerial face B.S, Yeddyurappa with the Reddy brothers.

“The state Lokayukta’s report of July 27, 2011, led to the removal of Yeddyurappa as the BJP’s first Chief Minister in the south on July 31, 2011. No wonder Yeddyurappa and Reddy brothers are jailbirds,” noted Surjewala.

Accusing the BJP of betraying Kannadigas and protecting the Reddy brothers, the party official said iron ore valued at Rs 350 billion was mined, extracted and sold to domestic and export markets illegally, as revealed in the probe report.

On return to power after the May 2013 assembly elections, the Congress government asked the CBI on November 18, 2013 to probe into the brazen loot of iron-ore and siphoning off Rs 350 billion by sale and export of iron ore through 9 seaports such as Karwar and New Mangaluru Port Trust on the west coast, in coastal Karnataka, Panaji and Murmagoa in Goa, Ennor and Chennai in Tamil Nadu and Krishna Pattanam; Vishakhapatnam and Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.

“Undeterred by the conspiracy to protect the Bellary Gang and put a lid on the illegal iron-ore mining scam”, our government has shown the courage of conviction to prosecute and punish the looters of precious natural resources of Karnataka,” added the party official.

→ Karnataka Elections 2018

India's job reality on board Indian Railway: 255 applicants for 1 post!

Indian Railways receives 23 million applications for 90,000 advertised jobs.

Latest News : The Indian Railways has received more than 23 million applications for nearly 90,000 jobs it had advertised for earlier this year, the ministry said today. Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) published two fresh notifications - on February 3 and February 10 - for a total of 89,409 vacancies.

Till now, it has received 4.756 million applications for 26,502 vacancies of assistant loco-pilots and technicians, and another 19 million for 62,907 vacancies of Level-1 (erstwhile Group 'D') posts. This takes the total number of applications received for 89,409 posts to a whopping 23.7 million. The railways will conduct the world's largest computer-based recruitment exam within hours, which earlier took around two months to complete, the ministry said in a statement.

It said the online process will save an estimated 10 lakh trees. There will also be a provision for a 'mock test' before the actual examination to provide applicants with an opportunity to familiarise with the improved computer-based testing process.

"Online Application System has saved the candidates from worries and uncertainties about postal delays or non-delivery of their applications. They are sure of submission of their applications and get SMS and email alerts at various stages of recruitment. 
Computer-based examination gives the candidates the flexibility of toggling between the languages of questions and revisiting and revising their answers, if required," the ministry said.

The ministry said there will be no interviews in the RRB examinations and a system of uploading answer keys has been introduced to enhance transparency and fairness.

"In Computer Based Tests (CBTs), candidates are shown their question paper, answer booklets along-with correct answer keys. They are also given an opportunity to raise objection regarding the correctness of question and answer keys if any," the ministry added.

→ Railway Recruitment 2018

Asaram Rape Case Verdict Today : Centre learns Ram Rahim lesson; 10 points

With the Asaram rape case verdict due in Jodhpur today, the Centre has asked Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana to beef up security and maintain law and order. 

Breaking News : A Jodhpur court will on Wednesday pronounce its verdict in the Asaram rape case, inside the premises of the Central Jail in Jodhpur, amid tight security to avoid a repeat of the violent protests and arson seen when another self-styled godman, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, had earlier been sent to jail in a rape case. The case relates to the alleged rape of a teenager by the self-styled godman in 2013.

The Jodhpur Court has dismissed a petition seeking the entry of media persons into the Central Jail of Jodhpur to cover the Asaram rape case judgment. Security has also been beefed up outside the victim's residence. And, apprehending trouble, the Union home ministry has issued an advisory to Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana to step up security, directing them to ensure no violence takes place after the judgment.

The three states were also told to deploy additional forces at sensitive places. Apart from these states, the police in Delhi are also on a high. A senior police official said the department was keeping a close watch on Delhi's boundaries and inside the city areas.

At that time the alleged rape took place, the girl had been studying at Asaram’s ashram in Chhindwara, in Madhya Pradesh. She had alleged that Asaram called her to his ashram in Manai area near Jodhpur and raped her on the night of August 15, 2013. Asaram has denied the rape charges.
Final arguments in the Asaram case had been completed by the special court for SC/ST cases on April 7 and the court had kept the order reserved for April 25. Asaram has been under judicial custody since September 2, 2013. Apart from him, the charge-sheet in the case names four other co-accused -- Shiva, Shilpi, Sharad, and Prakash. In another rape case involving Asaram in Surat, Gujarat, the Supreme Court earlier this month, gave five weeks' time to the prosecution to complete the trial.

Catch live updates from the Asaram Case Verdict

 

Karnataka Elections 2018 : BJP workers protest against Amit Shah; top developments

Yeddyurappa announced his son will not be contesting from Varuna seat against Siddaramaiah’s son Yathendra in Karnataka elections 2018.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 : The BJP on Monday released the fourth list of seven candidates for the May 12 elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly. According to a list finalised by BJP’s Central Election Committee, G R Pravin Patil will contest from Bhadravati while Jaggesh will be party’s candidate from Yeshvanthapura.

The party has fielded Lallesh Reddy from B T M. Layout assembly constituency, H Lilavathi from Ramanagaram, Nandini Gowda Kanakapura, H K Suresh from Belur and J Preetham Gow from Hassan. With this, the BJP has announced 220 candidates leaving names of four candidates.

Earlier today, Yeddyurappa at a rally in Mysuru announced that his son will not be contesting from Varuna seat against Siddaramaiah’s son Yathendra, as projected earlier. Following the announcement, BJP workers created ruckus throwing chairs around. Yeddyurappa himself requested workers to calm down.

Yeddyurappa further expressed confidence on winning the election and said, “I am going to be Chief Minister, it is as certain as the existence of sun and moon. I’m going to spend one day in each constituency to ensure my party’s victory.” Varuna was being seen as the battleground for the sons of Yeddyurappa and Siddaramaiah. The party had earlier released announced 72, 82, and 59 candidates respectively in three lists.

The elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly will take place in a single phase on May 12 while counting of votes will begin on May 15.

→ Karnataka Elections 2018

Toronto Van Attack: 10 killed, 15 injured in vehicle crash; driver nabbed

In Toronto tragedy at least 10 people killed and 16 others injured after van plowed into pedestrians in Toronto’s northern suburbs. Incident took place about 29 km from the city centre.

International News : Monday afternoon turned into a horror story when a rented van ploughed into a crowd in Yonge and Finch in the Toronto city. The death toll has now risen to 10, according to the local police. Ten of the victims were taken to Sunnybrook hospital’s trauma centre and the authorities are in the process to identify the deceased.

After the tragic incident, the Toronto police arrested the driver in a dramatic confrontation. A viral video on social media showed that the driver was shouting “kill me,” at the police. The police can be heard telling the man to get down on the ground. The man responds: “I have a gun in my pocket.” The police threatened the driver by saying that if he does not get on the ground, they will shoot. Then the man was taken into custody by Toronto Police.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed condolences for the victims and their families. In a statement, he said, “We are monitoring this situation closely, and will continue working with our law enforcement partners around the country to ensure the safety and security of all Canadians.” He also praised the police for their quick and impromptu reaction to the incident.

In a brief press conference, Mark Saunders, Toronto police chief, said that the incident “definitely looks deliberate”. However, the police could not identify any motivation behind the incident. There is nothing which will suggest that the incident is a terror attack, police said. The investigation is ongoing. The driver is not associated with any known terrorist organisations, said police.

Eye-witnesses share their horrific experience to press. Some of them said that driver swerved from side to side, on and off the pavement, in an apparent attempt to hit pedestrians before crumbling them to death. Christian Ali said he saw three people lying in the street. “There was a lot of blood flowing,” he told the Guardian.

Tribute to Toronto tragedy: The game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins opened with tributes to victims of the fatal incident. An impromptu memorial had already been set up less than 50m from one of the victims.

Read Full Updates on → Toronto Van Attack

OnePlus 6 to have glass design, nanotech coating: Details here

The OnePlus 6 will depart from the present trend of an aluminium build in favour of a glass body but retain the horizontal lines and curved design, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed in a blog post.

Technology News : OnePlus is gearing up to unveil the fifth iteration of its flagship smartphone, called the OnePlus 6. The smartphone will make a departure from the current trend of an aluminium build in favour of a glass body, but it would retain horizontal lines and curved design, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed in a blog post.

Little has so far been officially said about the notch screen-based OnePlus 6, except that the phone will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC) and have a 256GB storage variant paired with 8GB of RAM. But OnePlus has been teasing the features of the smartphone in the form of tweets and as part of other social media promotion activities – ingress protection (IP) rating for water and dust resistance, for example.

Now, talking about the design of the OnePlus 6, Pete Lau wrote a long blog explaining OnePlus’ approach to adopting new industrial designs. In the post, the CEO explained the rationale for the company’s move from a sandstone design in the OnePlus 1 to an aluminium design in the OnePlus 3, and now the glass design for the upcoming OnePlus 6. Lau also shared that the new glass build would contain five printed layers of Nanotech coating, which would give the device a stronger impression of depth.

The smartphone is expected to sport a dual-camera set-up on the back, utilising 16-megapixel and 20MP sensors placed vertically at the upper centre, instead of the horizontal set-up found in the current generation. The cameras on the back are followed by a rectangular shaped fingerprint sensor placed just below the camera unit. As for the front, the selfie camera is reported to feature a 20MP sensor of f/2.0 aperture size.

Nothing much has been officially confirmed, except that the OnePlus 6 would be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC) and the top-end variant would get an 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. However, the recent wireless certification also hints at the 64GB and 128GB internal storage variants with 6GB and 8GB RAM configurations.

As for the price, the OnePlus 6 would be the costliest smartphone from the stable of the Chinese smartphone maker. The OnePlus 6 with 64GB internal storage is reportedly going to cost between Rs 33,999 and Rs 36,999, while the 128GB storage variant may cost between Rs 38,999 and Rs 42,999, and the premium variant with 256GB storage between Rs 44,999 and Rs 48,999.

→ Oneplus 6 Features ←

Jessica Lal Murder Case: Sister Sabrina forgives convict Manu Sharma

Currently serving a life imprisonment in Delhi's Tihar jail, Manu Sharma, convicted for murdering Jessica Lal 19 years ago, has been commended for his charitable work and moved to an open jail.

 

Breaking News : Almost 19 years after Jessica Lal was on April 29, 1999, shot dead at a private party hosted at a South Delhi pub, her sister Sabrina Lal has said that she holds no grudge against convict Manu Sharma, lodged at Delhi's Tihar jail for over 15 years now. Sabrina has said she has no objection to the release of the prime accused, Siddhartha Vashishtha, better known as Manu Sharma. She said she had forgiven the man who killed her sister and won't object if he was released.

Manu Sharma is currently serving life imprisonment in Tihar jail for shoting dead Delhi-based model Jessica, who was serving as a celebrity bartender at the pub that night, when she refused him a drink.
In a letter to the welfare office of Central Tihar Jail, Sabrina Lal has said that she has been informed about Manu Sharma’s charitable work during his stay in Tihar jail which has been helping inmates. Sharma has been shifted to open-jail on grounds of good conduct.

According to a report in The Hindu, Manu Sharma works with his non-profit organisation, which works for the rehabilitation of prisoners and their children. He helps inmates’ children get education by providing fees, uniforms, books and stationery. Sabrina is forgiving the convict Manu Sharma, as she "believes in the Christian philosophy of forgiveness, just like her mother".

Manu Sharma may seek an early release from the prison on the basis of “excellent work, discipline and conduct”. The son of the former Indian National Congress minister Vinod Sharma was sentenced by the Delhi high court in December 2006. In February 2011, the Supreme Court of India upheld the High Court verdict.

In January 2017, the Delhi High Court had extended the parole of convict Manu Sharma to pursue his LLB course and also for his marriage registration. Sharma had been given parole six times since September 2009 to pursue a Bachelor's in Law course from Annamalai University, Chennai. Sharma was granted paroles despite police objections on the basis of furnishing a bond of Rs 50,000 with two sureties of the like amount and not to try to meet any witnesses or family of the deceased in the case.

Read Full Article → Jessica Lal Murder Case

From 2016 to 2018, life of a Rs 2,000 note; All you need to know

The supply of Rs 2,000 notes has also been reduced substantially since April 2017.

Latest News : For a long time, the government and the Reserve Bank of India were silent on the supply and printing of Rs 2,000 notes. Without clarifying when the printing of Rs 2,000 notes were discontinued, the government recently said supply of these notes in the system were adequate. Business Standard takes a look at the journey of the high-value currency note that was introduced in November 2016 when the government had announced demonetisation of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

2016

• August: RBI’s printing press Bhartiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited starts printing Rs 2,000 notes
• November: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes; Rs 2,000 notes are soon supplied in the market
• December: Rs 2,000 notes worth Rs 3,216 billion pumped into the system till December-end; about 58 per cent of the total notes supplied after demonetisation

2017

• March: Rs 2,000 notes amounting to Rs 7,008 billion printed till March 31; RBI’s annual report says Rs 6,570 billion worth notes of Rs 2,000 were in circulation (about 50% in value)
• December: The government says Rs 2,000 notes worth Rs 7,309 billion printed till December 15, indicates no new Rs 2,000 note printed for a while

2018

• February: Minister of State for Finance Pon Radhakrishnan tells Lok Sabha only small denomination currency notes being printed at present.
• On April 17, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Garg said Rs 2,000 notes worth Rs 6,750 billion in the system “sufficient” so printing of Rs 2,000 has been halted “since a few days”

Also Read About  → Cash Crunch in India

Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro price slashed on Amazon: Know price, specs, features

Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro was launched in India exclusively on e-commerce portal Amazon India at Rs 27,990; the smartphone is now retailing at Rs 21,990. Check Samsung C7 Pro specifications and features.

Technology News : Samsung has reduced the price of its midrange smartphone Galaxy C7 Pro, launched last year in India at Rs 27,990, exclusively on Amazon India. The smartphone is now retailing at Rs 21,990 on the e-commerce portal.

The Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro is the younger sibling of the Galaxy C9 Pro, another midrange flagship smartphone. The camera-centric smartphone sports midrange specifications and features. Being a Galaxy C-series device, it aimed at the value-for-money proposition. However, priced under Rs 30,000, the phone rivals the OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 5 – both sporting top-notch innards and considered premium flagships.

Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro Specifications: Talking of specifications, the Galaxy C7 Pro is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 system-on-chip (SoC), which is an octa-core processor with a maximum frequency of 2.2GHz. The processor is no powerhouse. However, it is not too bad, given that the Galaxy C7 Pro is a mid-range device with high ambitions; the processor is good for day-to-day tasks and still holds some power to process a few heavy-duty jobs.

The Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro offers 64 GB of internal memory and 4 GB of RAM. And, if you find 64 GB of internal memory less for your data, there is also the option of extending the memory to up to 256 GB using a microSD card.

Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro Design: In terms of design, The Galaxy C7 Pro features a metallic body, with a 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass that covers almost the entire front. On the front, the side bezels around the display are almost negligible, but the top and bottom bezels are too big – even odd. The huge top and bottom bezels do bring down the overall design quotient of the device.
On the back, the Galaxy C7 Pro sports a primary camera module assisted with dual-tone flash, and the ‘Samsung’ label in the middle of the smartphone. Interesting to note on the back of the device is how the company has worked on the antenna lines to integrate them in the design, making them part of the overall aesthetics. The camera rim protrudes from the body but does not damage the design tone of the handset.

Also Know About → Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo

Sikh woman on Pak pilgrimage converts to Islam, marries Lahore man

She has applied for an extension of visa, citing "threats of assassination" to her life in India, before Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.

Latest News : A Sikh woman pilgrim from Punjab's Hoshiarpur district has reportedly converted to Islam and married a Lahore-based Pakistan national, reports reaching her family in Punjab have indicated.

Kiran Bala, daughter of Manohar Lal, wrote to the Pakistan Foreign Office that her visa should be extended as she married one Mohammad Azam, a resident of Lahore, during a ceremony held at Jamia Naeemia seminary in Lahore on April 16, The Express Tribune reported.

She went to Pakistan on her Indian passport with Pakistan visa valid till April 21. Her old father-in-law, Tarsem Singh, alleged on Thursday that his daughter-in-law could have fallen into the hands of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and may have been forced to convert and remarry there.
Kiran's father-in-law, Tarsem Singh spoke to ANI and said, "My daughter-in-law called and said that she has converted to Islam and got re-married in Pakistan. I want to request the Prime Minister, CM of Punjab to take her out of this situation. I suspect she might have fallen into the hands of ISI."

Around 1,700 Indian pilgrims had gone to Pakistan to visit Sikh shrines, including Panja Sahib Gurdwara near Lahore and Nankana Sahib -- the birth place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, on the occasion of Baisakhi on April 13.

Kiran Bala, 31, a widow, is the mother of three. She was living with her in-laws at their village house in Garhshankar sub-division of Punjab, around 90 km from Chandigarh.
The children are with their aged grandparents. Their father had passed away in 2013. "I had dropped my daughter-in-law with SGPC officials in Amritsar on April 10 for the pilgrimage in Pakistan. The 'jatha' is expected to return on April 21.

"I cannot believe what has happened. No one has contacted us officially from the SGPC and the foreign ministry. I want my daughter-in-law to be returned safely," Tarsem Singh, a Sikh religious preacher in his village, told the media.

Tarsem Singh alleged that Kiran Bala could be in touch with the Pakistani man (whom she has reportedly married) through social media. He alleged that she was using social media frequently on her mobile phone in the past one month.

The visit of the Indian pilgrims to Pakistan has been mired in controversies in the past one week with Pakistani agencies and officials denying permission to Indian embassy officials there from meeting the visiting delegation members.

Posters of Khalistan, a separate Sikh homeland, have also been put up at the places where the Indian delegation is visiting.

Motorola unveils Moto G6, G6 Plus and G6 Play: Know specs, features, price

Motorola has announced the Moto G6, G6 Plus and G6 Play smartphones. Though the devices in this Moto series share the design theme, each has different specifications, features and prices. Details here.

Technology News : Lenovo-backed smartphone manufacturer Motorola has unveiled the sixth-generation Moto G-series smartphones – the Moto G6, G6 Plus, and G6 Play. The trio of smartphones runs on Google Android Oreo 8.0 and sports 18:9 screens, a first for Motorola devices, along with a fingerprint scanner, LED flash on the front and free subscription to store high-quality photos and videos on Google Photos.

Though the Moto G6 series of smartphones share their design theme with one another, each is different in terms of specifications and features. Here is what the Moto G6, Moto G6 Plus and Moto G6 Play offer:

Moto G6

The Moto G6 is placed in between the premium Moto G6 Plus and Moto G6 Play. As a result, the device maintains balance between the two and comes with a mix bag of premium and cost effective features.
The phone features an all-glass design using the Gorilla Glass 3 on the front and back, sandwiching a metallic chassis in between. It sports a 5.7-inch IPS screen of fullHD+ resolution. The device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 system-on-chip (SoC), coupled with 3GB/4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of storage variants, respectively. In terms of imaging, the phone boasts dual cameras on the back -- 12-megapixel and 5MP – of f/1.8 aperture. There is an 8MP selfie camera on the front, coupled with LED flash. For multimedia enthusiasts, the phone features dual front-facing stereo speakers powered by Dolby audio.
The Moto G6 is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery. The phone comes bundled with a 15W TurboCharger in the box.

Moto G6 Plus

The Moto G6 Plus, as the name suggests, offers the most premium features in the Moto G6 family.
The phone sports a 5.9-inch IPS screen of fullHD+ resolution. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 SoC, paired with 4 GB or 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB and 128 GB of storage, respectively.
In terms of imaging, the phone sports a 12 MP and 5 MP dual camera on the back. The camera boasts Dual Pixel autofocus and is capable to record ultra-high-definition 4K videos. On the front, the phone sports an 8MP selfie camera with face filters feature and LED selfie flash.
The phone is powered by a 3,200 mAh battery and comes with a 15W TurboPower charger.

Moto G6 Play

The most affordable of the Moto G6 series, the Moto G6 Play sports a 5.7-inch HD+ screen. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC, paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The phone is powered by a 4,000 mAh battery, which can last up to 36 hours on a single charge – according to company’s claims. The phone also gets 15W TurboPower charger, similar to the one bundled with the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Plus.
In terms of camera, the phone features a single 13MP unit on the back and an 8MP selfie shooter on the front.
As for the availability, the Moto G6 family is currently moving to Europe and US, and there is no official confirmation around the India launch. As for the prices, the Moto G6, Moto G6 Plus and Moto G6 Play cost euro 250, euro 300 and euro 200, respectively.