WhatsApp reportedly testing new voice-calling feature

WhatsApp reportedly testing new voice-calling feature

 Some WhatsApp users are claiming that they have the option of a new voice-calling feature in their WhatsApp mobile applications, sparking speculations that the company is testing the new feature as it prepares to join the league of other messaging apps that already have the calling feature.

According to Tech Crunch, one user has shared screenshots and video of the voice-calling feature in action, which he said was activated when someone who already had the feature called him.

The user posted screenshots and video to Reddit as proof following which other users also started posting screenshots showing a new tab for Calls right next to the tabs for Chats and Contacts.

He’s also based in India, which points to the possibility that users in that region may be the early testers for the new feature, the report added. 

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Anonymous 03:06  No comment

Google’s Android One website reveals operating system’s 5.1 update

Google’s Android One website reveals operating system’s 5.1 update

 Google’s Android One website has revealed the 5.1 update of the operating system for Android One smartphone platform today.

According to the Verge, Android’s latest version available for Nexus smartphones and tablets was 5.0.2.

Google has not yet commented on what is contained in Android 5.1 but a lot of changes have been reportedly seen on an Android One device that has been allegedly already updated.

According to a report, Android Police said that the update is only being released in Android One markets such as Indonesia.

However, there is no clear information on when the update will be available for other Android devices including Google’s Nexus line smartphones.

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Anonymous 03:01  No comment

Xiaomi’s MIUI 6 OS adds style and function to Android

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi launched its 2014 flagship, , and the device is set to on sale on Tuesday in the country for about $325.

While the phone isn’t exactly new, it does come with the latest version of MIUI, the company’s own flavor of Android. The Mi 4 is Xiaomi’s first device to get the update in English.

MIUI 6 isn’t just for the Mi 4 though; it will soon show up on other Xiaomi devices through 2015. We did a hands-on test of the Mi 4 last year, so this time around we’re looking at what’s new on the software side of things.

Home screen, themes and more

I like how MIUI is different enough to feel novel, yet familiar enough for any smartphone user to dive into. As with earlier versions of the OS, you can tap and hold the menu hardware button on the home screen and shake the device to neatly arrange your icons. MIUI 6 also lets you move and delete multiple apps at once, which works very well and makes a stronger case for doing away with the app drawer.

MIUI’s customization game is still going strong. Xiaomi VP Hugo Barra says there are now more than 8,000 themes available in the store, with over two billion downloads worldwide.

Tapping the menu hardware button brings up running apps as icons, but if you’d prefer larger app previews you can simply pinch out to see them.

Shiny happy icons

MIUI 6 has got a nice visual refresh, complete with colorful flat icons for default apps, and a range of motion effects and animations that make the OS feel subtly different from stock Android.

The cosmetic changes are definitely an improvement. Charming animations abound through the interface, from the volume control to the clock app to the running apps preview screen. Delete an app, and you’ll see the  icon burst into a cloud of dots, their colors drawn from the icon’s palette.

The status bar is also slimmer and sleeker, with updated icons and tighter typography that make for a more modern look while taking up less room.

n-built apps like Calculator, Calendar, Compass, Clock, Weather, Recorder and others have gotten a new look too. They’re pretty enough that I launch them every once in a while just to fiddle with them.

You’ll also notice nice little details in each. My favorite is the Compass, which uses the camera to become transparent when it senses you’re panning the device around to find an exact direction.

Better notification handling

MIUI 6 does a great job of accommodating power users’ demands while remaining easy to use, and the way it handles notifications is a great example of that balance. Essential apps that feature on a company-managed whitelist, such as messaging, email and calendar services, are allowed icon real estate on the status bar by default. Other apps, like games, music players and so on, are grouped automatically, so multiple notifications from them show as ellipses on the status bar.

Of course, you can adjust these settings to suit your preferences, but it’s nice to see an OS handling things smartly on its own. In addition, MIUI 6 uses less obtrusive floating notifications to display alerts when you’re running apps, and groups them on your lock screen so you can view them without having to fumble with your phone too much.

Source : thenextweb 

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Unknown 07:13  2 comments

Pakistan's fourth Khushab nuclear reactor now operational

Pakistan's fourth Khushab nuclear reactor now operational

Washington, Jan 17 (IANS) US-based Institute for Science and International Security has said that Pakistan's fourth heavy water reactor at Khushab nuclear site, which allows it to build a larger number of miniaturised plutonium-based nuclear weapons, is now operational.

The reactor is a part of Pakistan's programme to increase the production of weapons-grade plutonium.

"A recently purchased Digital Globe high resolution satellite image dated Jan 15, 2015 shows that Khushab's fourth reactor's external construction is complete and has become operational," David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini of the institute said in a statement Friday.

"This assessment is based on the presence of a very specific signature, steam is venting from the reactor's cooling system," the statement said.

Albright and his co-author said Pakistan's Khushab nuclear site, located 200 km south of Islamabad, is dedicated to the production of plutonium for nuclear weapons.

"Its expansion appears to be part of an effort to increase the production of weapons-grade plutonium, allowing Pakistan to build a larger number of miniaturized plutonium-based nuclear weapons that can complement its existing highly enriched uranium nuclear weapons," the statement said.

"Originally, the site consisted of a heavy water production plant and an estimated 50 megawatt thermal (MWth) heavy water reactor, both of which became operational in the 1990s. However, Pakistan initiated the construction of a second heavy water reactor between the years 2000 and 2002, a third one in 2006, and a fourth one in 2011," it added.

Noting that Pakistan has never provided public information regarding any of the Khushab reactors, Albright and Kelleher-Vergantini said therefore the power output can only be estimated.

The Institute for Science and International Security estimates the power of the original heavy water reactor to be about 50 MWth while reactors Two, Three and Four are believed to generate double or more the power of the first one, and are thus capable of producing more than double the amount of weapons-grade plutonium per year.

A technical consultant to the US-based institute with years of experience in heavy water reactors assessed that the power of these newer heavy water reactors is likely to be more than the first one and over time, their power could be further increased.

The Dec 2014 and Jan 2015 imagery also shows that the third Khushab reactor is also operational, since steam is venting from the cooling system.

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Unknown 08:35  No comment

Can PM Narendra Modi work his magic on Indian science?

Can PM Narendra Modi work his magic on Indian science? 

Prime ministers' speeches are seldom discussed beyond a day or two, and their addresses at the annual Science Congress are discussed still less. Successive prime ministers have waxed eloquent many times at the Science Congress, praising Indian scientists and promising better funding for their research. But without any specific proposals and follow-up action, their speeches and ideas were forgotten quickly, to be remembered and forgotten again in the next Science Congress. This year, however, seems to be different.

At the Science Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not promise to increase funding for science. Instead he listed the main challenges for the country — water, energy, healthcare... — and talked about how they should determine our national priorities in science. He spoke of international collaboration in science and how he was personally involved in developing them. He also hinted, in generous terms, of what he intended to do for Indian science. "This is the best speech I have heard from a prime minister at the Science Congress," says T Ramasami, former secretary at the Department of Science and Technology (DST). 

Many scientists now sense a real opportunity to communicate what they want to the prime minister, and expect quick measures from him to invigorate research in India. They are hoping Modi will rapidly address their biggest pain point in doing research: excessive control from finance departments. Specifically, the scientific community is excited by Modi's articulation of their most serious problem, in words that could not have been more eloquent: "We want our scientists and researchers to explore the mysteries of science, not of government procedures." 

This statement was the result of communication from scientific departments and leading scientists about how badly bureaucratic control is stifling science, and how the problem has rapidly deteriorated in recent times. Modi has been meeting scientists on and off, privately in his office and on the sidelines of public functions. Although he has focussed on economic matters most of the time, his mind reportedly has not gone away completely from science and technology. To many scientists in the country, it seemed that Modi was keenly aware of what needed to be done to energise Indian science: de-bureaucratise, stimulate demand for scientists, and bring in the youth. "I was awestruck by his speech," says National Research Professor RA Mashelkar. 

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Unknown 08:12  No comment

Twitter to acquire Indian startup ZipDial: Report

Twitter to acquire Indian startup ZipDial: Report

Twitter is in talks to acquire Zipdial, Tech Crunch reports. While not sure whether the deal has been closed or is in the process of getting closed, the publication is citing multiple sources with knowledge of talks taking place between the two companies. There could be a possibility of another company (Facebook?) also interested in acquiring ZipDial. The size of the deal is estimated to be between $30-40 million.

ZipDial offers unique marketing solution where consumers give missed calls to a number to engage with an advertising brand. It already claims to have over 500 clients for whom it has done over 7,000 campaigns resulting in over 900 million engagements.

ZipDial is no stranger to either Twitter or Facebook. It had partnered with Twitter in India earlier enabling non-Twitter subscribers to get tweets from celebrities over SMS on their mobile phones. Users had to give a missed call to a particular number that would be associated with a specific celebrity. The beauty of the solution was that it cost the user nothing to receive tweets and would work on any mobile phone even if it didn’t have data connectivity. This could be of importance to Twitter, which is trying to engage with users who are not logged in to Twitter.

With Facebook, ZipDial had created a new ad format where users could click it to give a missed call and engage with the brand either over SMS or voice call back. ZipDial claims that ad format increased the reach of one of its clients by 16 times.

ZipDial was founded by Valerie Wagoner (CEO) in February 2010. Prior to ZipDial, Wagoner was the Head – Strategic Initiatives at mCheck where she targeted the unbanked users. She also had a two-year stint at eBay and short stints at startups SayNow (which was acquired by Google) and Ning (which was acquired by Glam Media).

Wagoner co-founded ZipDial along with Amiya Pathak (COO), who had earlier stints at Ketera and Zapak; and Sanjay Swami (Chairman), who was earlier the CEO of mChek mobile and currently a partner at AngelPrime.

ZipDial would be the third Bangalore-based startup to be acquired by a global Internet company in the last one year. In January, last year Facebook Acquired startup Little Eye Labs in a deal pegged between $10-12 million. In September, Yahoo acquired Book pad for $8.3 million.

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Unknown 07:34  No comment

Flipkart aims to create 10,000 ‘millionaires’ in 2015

Flipkart aims to create 10,000 ‘millionaires’ in 2015

E-commerce major Flipkart today said it aims to help over 10,000 sellers generate business worth Rs 10 lakh through its platform this year.

“In 2014, Flipkart helped over 2,000 sellers become millionaires through Flipkart sales. December 2014 alone saw over 500 sellers doing an average business of Rs 10 lakh each, while 50 sellers did an average of Rs 1 crore each,” Flipkart said in a statement.

With a year on year growth of close to 30 per cent, apparels and consumer electronics categories have the most number of sellers who have crossed the millionaire mark followed by sellers of home decor, jewellery, handicrafts and large appliances.

Nearly 60 per cent of millionaire sellers came from metros (Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore) and the rest from the non-metros, it said.

“2015 projections estimate that the numbers from the latter will double,” the statement added.

Flipkart said it is taking several steps like hosting workshops/sessions and SME training programmes, offering working capital assistance and providing marketing support services like packaging and cataloguing to sellers with the aim to help sellers create and expand their brands.

Flipkart will continue its efforts to better the Indian marketplace ecosystem, so that sellers from even the most remote parts of the nation can benefit from this business model, Flipkart SVP Marketplace Ankit Nagori said.

“We are confident that 2015 will see more sellers join the e-commerce ecosystem, thus creating at least 10,000 more millionaires within the Flipkart marketplace, especially from the tier II and III cities in India,” Nagori said.

Last year, Flipkart partnered with government bodies like Federation of Indian Micro and Small and Medium Enterprises (FISME), Director General Employment and Training (DGET) and National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) to help Indian MSMEs leverage the online marketplace platform.

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Unknown 06:44  No comment

Zomato enters US with a big bang

Zomato, the restaurant search application, today made its biggest acquisition ever by lapping up the Seattle-based restaurant search guide Urbanspoon for an undisclosed amount in an all-cash deal. Reports, however, have pegged the deal at around $60 million (Rs 373 crore ). The acquisition marks Zomato’s entry into the United States and also establishes its presence in Australia and Canada, while adding to its already dominant position in United Kingdom and New Zealand. The company has pretty much spent its entire last round of funding on this acquisition as Zomato  expects to derive at least 60% of its traffic from the US as a result of this deal and boost its restaurant listings to one million. In other words, Zomato today is one step closer to achieving its vision of becoming the ‘Google of Food’. 

In November, Zomato had raised $60 million in a fresh round of funding at a pre-money valuation of $600 million from existing investors Info Edge (India) and Sequoia while adding Vy Capital as a new investor. While the company has an advertisement-driven revenue model, it has added the table-booking feature and online food ordering may also be on the cards.

This is Zomato’s sixth acquisition in as many months, and the biggest one. Zomato has recently acquired local dominant restaurant search players in New Zealand, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Italy.

Post the acquisition, Zomato will be present in 22 countries across the world, while its restaurant coverage will increase from about 300000 restaurants to more than 1 million restaurants across the globe.

“Our US entry has been in the cards for a while now, and we’re delighted to be doing so by welcoming Urbanspoon into Zomato. They have a strong presence in the US and the UK, and they also dominate restaurant search in Australia and Canada. Urbanspoon has a huge following, and is home to legions of people who are as passionate about food as we are. We will soon be integrating the two products to bring the best of both products to our users in the United States as well as the rest of the world," said Zomato Founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal.

Zomato’s traffic will more than double from about 35 million visits per months to more than 80 million visits per month, probably making it the largest restaurant search company in the world. But Urbanspoon's acquisition could also be the acid test for Zomato as it prepares to take on its biggest competitor Yelp, which had 139 million unique monthly visitors during the third quarter of 2014.

"The biggest challenge and most fun part of this move, however, is the fight we’re going to be picking with Yelp. In the market they have dominated for so long. After all, like Mark Twain famously said, it isn’t the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog," Said Goyal in a blog post.  But while Zomato has focused on expanding in the restaurant listing space alone, Yelp has expanded to include numerous categories including health, medical, beauty, spas, home services etc and has a current market cap of around $4 billion.  Zomato on the other hand has raised more than $113 million, over multiple rounds of funding from investors including Vy Capital, Info Edge and Sequoia Capital and is valued at around $660 million.

The first task for Goyal will be to work closely over the coming months to integrate Urbanspoon into Zomato. In due course of time, all Urbanspoon traffic will move to Zomato.com, and all Urbanspoon app users will be able to use the Zomato app. Urbanspoon has built vast legions of faithful followers over the years, and Zomato will need to work extra hard to ensure that the finished product is one that users and merchants alike will love and enjoy using, said Goyal.

“Zomato has experienced phenomenal growth in recent years, and our customer bases complement each other’s perfectly,” said Keela Robison, Urbanspoon CEO. “Zomato’s significant investments in people and technology will bring Urbanspoon customers, restaurant owners, and food bloggers a number of new capabilities and features. We’re excited to combine our strengths to accelerate growth.”

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Unknown 06:30  No comment

India Rank Decreasing in Innovation Index : CSIR

India Rank Decreasing in Innovation Index : CSIR 


Mumbai: R.A. Mashelkar, one of the top Indian scientists in the country right now has said that the country is lagging in innovative ideas. His assertion comes merely days after the Indian Science Congress became a laughing stock across the world when absurd claims were made by many during the otherwise very respectable science body in the country. The country has fallen 10 ranks down from being No. 66 in 2013 to No. 76 now, revealed eminent Indian scientist and former CSIR director general Raghunath Anant Mashelkar. Dr Mashelkar disclosed this while delivering a lecture on 'Reinventing India as an Innovation Nation' on Monday at International Management Institute Kolkata. 

Scientific validation of traditional knowledge

He said the public debate over BT brinjal was largely misplaced and skirted a rational approach. On the other hand, Mashelkar said, scientific validation of traditional knowledge like ayurvedic medicines was the key to reinventing innovations – bringing the past into the future.

Mashelkar, who backed creation of a digital library for India traditional knowledge, felt that Global Innovation Index needed to take note of business process innovations as one of the intrinsic elements of the aggregation. “Think about open heart surgery, made 20 times cheaper by Narayana Hrudayalaya through innovation in the processes”, he said. He felt there are many other areas where India excelled in innovating businesses processes, which increased their affordability many fold.

India would not have slipped in the global innovation scale from the 64th place in 2012 to 76th in 2014 had there been cognition of the business process innovation element.

Mashelkar said for corporation investment in R&D and innovation was an opportunity to stay competitive.​

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Unknown 08:51  1 comment

Godrej Consumer acquires South Africa's firm Frika Hair

Godrej Consumer acquires South Africa's firm Frika Hair

New Delhi: FMCG major Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) on Tuesday said it has fully acquired South Africa's hair extensions firm Frika Hair (Pty) Ltd for an undisclosed sum in order to consolidate its position in the South African market.

In a BSE filing, GCPL said, "It has entered into an agreement with Frika Hair (Pty) Ltd for the acquisition of 100 percent equity stake in its hair extensions business in South Africa."

Commenting on the acquisition, GCPL Managing Director Vivek Gambhir said, "This acquisition reflects our continued commitment to scaling up our presence in Africa and providing African consumers with a wide range of superior quality products at affordable prices."

He added, "We remain very excited by the tremendous potential of the African market and look forward to further building our business."

GCPL's Africa business currently has annualised revenues of USD 200 million.

The company has been acquiring brands, specially in the African continent, mostly targeting local firms in emerging markets.

It acquired 51 percent stake in Darling South Africa in September 2011 and in Darling Mozambique in October 2011.

Darling Group Holdings operates in 14 countries across Africa, selling hair extension products under brand names like 'Darling' and 'Amigos'.

Besides having stake in Darling Group, GCPL had also acquired South Africa's Kinky Group in 2008 and hair colour brand Rapidol in September 2006.

Kinky offers a variety of products, including hair, hair-braids, hair pieces, wigs and wefted pieces.

The Mumbai-based firm had also acquired Nigeria's personal care brand Tura for an undisclosed sum in 2010.

Tura's product range includes soaps, moisturising lotions and skin-toning creams.

GCPL shares were trading 1.47 percent down at Rs 955.50 apiece during afternoon session on the BSE.

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Unknown 08:40  No comment

Financial Express Maruti Suzuki hikes vehicle prices by up to Rs 31600

Financial Express Maruti Suzuki hikes vehicle prices by up to Rs 31600

New Delhi: Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, the country’s top carmaker by volume, will increase car prices by 4% following the government’s decision to halt tax breaks to auto makers beyond 31 December, a company executive told Reuters on Tuesday. A tax break was first granted in February last year to revive sluggish car sales and later extended until the end of 2014. Auto makers had been hoping the concession, amounting to 3-6% of the price of a car before the imposition of all duties, to continue in the new year. “Whatever excise duty hike has happened from the government’s side we are passing that on to customers,” said R.S. Kalsi, executive director at Maruti, which is majority owned by Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp. The company was planning to increase prices this year to offset rising input costs, but Kalsi said the decision has been deferred because higher excise duty rates have already pushed up prices and another hike would further impact the market.

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Unknown 08:35  No comment

Honda hikes prices across its segment, Amaze, Brio, City to cost more

Honda hikes prices across its segment, Amaze, Brio, City to cost more

Leading car manufacturer Honda has reportedly increased the prices of several of its vehicles, taking into consideration the decision of the government of rollback of excise duty concession. The rise in the price is also attributed to offset the rise in the input costs. Entry level car Brio's price has been hiked by Rs. 15,000 to Rs 18,000 and it will now cost between Rs 4.21 lakh and Rs 6.30 lakh (all prices ex- showroom Delhi). Prices of compact sedan Amaze have been hiked in the range of 19,000 to Rs 26,000 and it will now be available for Rs 5.18 lakh to Rs 7.78 lakh. Petrol version of sedan would see a price rise in the range of Rs 19,000-Rs 23,000 while diesel powered models would get expensive by Rs 23,000- Rs 26,000. Honda's flagship brand Honda City will be available in the range of Rs 7.53 lakh and Rs 11.53 lakh, thereby getting more expensive than the current ones by about Rs. 37,000 to Rs 48,000. The company also hiked the price of SUV CR-V by Rs. 60,000. Although the price of its newest offering Mobilio remains unchanged now, the price rise across the various segments would definitely hit Mobilio as well. Fresh after its win in the Lok Sabha elections in June, the Narendra Modi government had extended the excise duty concession by six months to December 31. Earlier in Feb, the UPA government, in its interim budget had decided to cut excise duty on cars, SUVs, two-wheelers, capital goods (heavy machinery) and consumer durables. The industry was expecting that the government would continue with the concessions even in the new year, but the government this time seems firm that the concessions will be withdrawn to the pre-interim budget level of the UPA. It is estimated that the loss to the exchequer due to reduction in excise duty is almost Rs. 700 crore a month.

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Unknown 04:20  No comment

Hyundai ix25 Scores Perfect 5 on China NCAP Test

The Hyundai ix25 compact SUV was put through its paces by the China New Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP) and emerged with a strong performance. The car received 5 out of 5 stars from the Chinese authority following a 4-crash tests including the side impact, crash and whiplash, 100 percent overlap front crash and 40 percent overlap front crash.

The 100 percent frontal crash was performed with the car moving at 50kmph. The ix25 scored 15.89 points out of a possible 18 on this test. The side impact test uses a deformable object moving at 50kmph programmed to hit the car at the centre of its side face. Though the unit used for the tests seems to be a base variant and doesn’t sport side airbags, the car managed to get a perfect 18 out of 18. The 40 percent frontal crash puts the car through a front on crash without its complete front fascia being affected. Moving at a speed of 64kmph, which is in line with what the global NCAP prescribes, the ix25 scored a good 14.11 points on 18. The crash and whiplash tests are used to gauge how the driver’s seat safety system works at 15.65 kmph. Again, the ix25 proved its mettle by getting a perfect score on this test.

The Hyundai ix25 has been eagerly anticipated in India ever since it was first unveiled at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show. Compact SUVs have been selling at a brisk pace in the Indian car market. This coupled with the fact that Hyundai has been hitting all the right notes in India of late makes the ix25 an exciting prospect. The car has been spotted testing on Indian roads which is a sign that we can expect it to launch here this year.

In India the car could be powered by the same 1.6 litre petrol and diesel powerplants currently on board the Verna. With safety slowly becoming a talking point in the country, the ix25’s solid performance on these crash tests are just the kind of good press Hyundai would have been hoping for.

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Unknown 04:07  No comment

Toyota likely to offer airbags for all models of the Innova

Japanese carmaker Toyota has been a popular choice among car buying lot in the country. The brand that stands out in terms of quality has offered airbags as a standard feature in its line-up in the country. Among the current lot, the Etios Liva hatchback and Etios sedan have already received airbags as standard equipment. This time around the feature shall make its way to the Innova MPV as well. As per reports, the base trim shall get only the driver's side airbags as standard equipment.

Toyota has not spoken in much detail about the pricing aspect for now, but it likely that the company may hike the prices by about Rs. 45,000. Currently, only Volkswagen has been the only brand that delivers airbags as a standard feature in its cars in India and the Toyota's new decision can indeed further strengthen the competition between the two. As for the upcoming facelift trim of Innova, you can also expect the vehicle to receive upgraded rear AC vents and other cosmetic changes.

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Unknown 04:03  No comment

Bookings open for Datsun Go+ MPV

Pay Rs 11000, book the new Datsun Go+ from Nissan

Bookings for the upcoming Go+ MPV from Datsun will open from the 3rd 2015 for a sum of Rs. 11,000. The booking amount is completely refundable and the first 100 people to book the Datsun Go+ will be eligible for a free ‘Welcome Pack’ from Datsun. Bookings for the Go+ can be made at any Nissan showroom across India.

The new Datsun Go+ is a compact MPV that measures in under 4 meters in length and is powered by a 1.2 litre petrol engine which makes it eligible for excise duty applicable for small cars despite the fact that it is offered with seven seats. This by default will make the Go+ India’s most affordable seven seater passenger vehicle.

The Go+ shares a lot with the Go hatchback from Datsun, even the engine power output remains the same as that of the hatchback. The difference comes of course in the area of dimensions, where the bigger Go+ is more practical. The third row seat can be folded to make way for a 347 litre boot as compared to the Go hatchback’s 265 litre boot.

“We are happy to offer our latest product Datsun GO+, a segment-creating Compact MPV to customers in India. The Datsun GO+ is our second product in the market after the Datsun GO and reiterates our commitment to India. The Datsun brand stands for affordable mobility and the Datsun GO+ is a product for those families who prefer abigger vehicle for both in-city and long distance travel for work as well as leisure. We opened pre-bookings today for customers who would like to be the early ones to own the new Datsun,” said, Guillaume Sicard, President – Nissan India Operations. Prices of the Datsun Go+ MPV are expected to hover in the range of Rs. 3.80 lakh to Rs. 4.80 lakh. The Datsun Go+ will have no direct competition in the Indian automobile market when it is launched here”

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Unknown 03:59  No comment

Honda Cars hikes vehicle prices by up to Rs 60,000

Honda Cars hikes vehicle prices by up to Rs 60,000  

Honda Cars India today increased prices of its vehicles by up to Rs 60,000 following the expiry of reduced excise duty concessions and also to offset rising input costs.   The company has raised the prices of its entry level car Brio in the range of Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000 and it will now cost between Rs 4.21 lakh and Rs 6.30 lakh (all prices ex- showroom Delhi). Prices of compact sedan Amaze have been hiked in the range of 19,000 to Rs 26,000 and it will now be available for Rs 5.18 lakh to Rs 7.78 lakh. The prices of petrol version of the compact sedan have been increased in the range of Rs 19,000-Rs 23,000 while diesel powered models would get expensive by Rs 23,000- Rs 26,000, the company said.

Honda's flagship mid-sized sedan City will be dearer by up to Rs 48,000. The prices of petrol variants of the car have gone up by Rs 33,000 to Rs 46,000, while the diesel variants have become expensive in the range of Rs 37,000 to Rs 48,000. The model is now priced between Rs 7.53 lakh and Rs 11.53 lakh. The company has also hiked the price of its premium sports utility vehicle CR-V by 60,000 and will now be available between Rs 20.85 lakh and Rs 24.96 lakh. An official of Honda Cars India said the company is still working on the quantum of price hike for its multi purpose vehicle Mobilio. The move follows the government not extending excise duty concessions given to the auto industry and consumer durables sectors after the expiry on December 31, 2014. The government had extended the excise duty concessions by 6 months in June continuing the previous UPA government's decision to cut excise duty on cars, SUVs, two-wheelers and consumer durables in the interim Budget in February, 2014. The excise duty on small cars, scooters, motorcycles and commercial vehicles was reduced to 8 percent from 12 percent previously. For SUVs, it was cut to 24 percent from 30 percent; for mid-sized cars,  to 20 percent from 24 percent and to 24 percent for large cars, from 27 percent. In December, Maruti Suzuki India said it would hike prices of its models in the range of 2-4 percent from this month, while Tata Motors and Mahindra and Mahindra had also announced plans to increase prices in the range of 1-2 percent citing higher input costs. German luxury car maker BMW also said it would raise product prices in India by up to 5 percent with effect from the first week of January. General Motors India had also announced a price hike by up to Rs 20,000 from January in order to partially offset rising input costs.

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Unknown 03:37  No comment

Hollywood heartthrob Richard Gere meets PM Narendra Modi

The picture of the two was posted on Twitter by the official twitter handle of PMO.

New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charm has held everyone captive ever since he took oath as the 15th Prime Minister of India. 

We all know that be it a commoner, a celebrity, or any imminent international personality, when it comes to our PM, none can escape his aura.

After Bollywood celebs like Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, and the likes who have rubbed their shoulders with the man of the moment, it was Hollywood actor Richard Gere's turn to meet the PM.

The `Pretty Woman` actor is the latest celebrity visitor who called on the PM on January 5.

Gere, who is also the chairman of Gere Foundation and Global Envoy of International Buddhist Confederation, has time and again spoken about the close connection he feels with India and is a frequent visitor.

Mr. Richard Gere met Prime Minister @narendramodi. pic.twitter.com/SwXUHBGGbr

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) January 5, 2015

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Unknown 02:35  No comment

Xiaomi Redmi 2 to come 

Xiaomi unveils 'faster, better' Redmi 2

NEW DELHI: Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi has launched a low-cost TD-LTE smartphone Redmi 2, the successor of Redmi 1S. The smartphone will go on sale on January 15 in China and cost 699 yuan (approximately $110). 

While Redmi 2 shares a few features with its predecessor, it has a few upgrades apart from the 4G-capability. The new model is powered by the 64-bit 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, while Redmi 1S comes with the 1.6GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 chipset. 

The front camera gets a resolution bump, from 1.6MP in Redmi 1S to 2MP in Redmi 2. The battery is also slightly beefier at 2,200mAh in the new smartphone, up from 2,000mAh of Redmi 1S. Xiaomi's Redmi 2 smartphone also supports QuickCharge 1.0 technology for faster battery charging. 

Xiaomi will be preloading the Android 4.4-based MIUI 6.0 software with Redmi 2, while the Redmi 1S runs on the Android 4.3-based MIUI 5.0 custom skin. The new model is thinner (9.2mm) and lighter (134gram) than its predecessor (9.9mm and 158gram). 

The remaining features of Redmi 2 are same as that of its older sibling, including the 5-inch HD screen with DragonTrail glass, 8GB internal storage, 32GB microSD card, 1GB RAM and connectivity options.

Xiaomi which clocked 60 million sales in 2014 has reportedly unveiled its newest entry-level phone, the Redmi 2.

The new device shares most of the features with the original model like, the 4.7-inch screen and the 1280 x 720 display however, it also sports a few welcomed changes from its antecedent including, a 64-bit Qualcomm 410 quad-core processor and a dual 4G SIM support too, reported Tech Crunch.

The new Redmi features an eight megapixel rear camera, improved two megapixel front camera, 1GB RAM and 8GB on-device storage. It runs on Xiaomi's own MIUI version of Android and provides a few more options to its color-loving customers like, "lime green" and "powder yellow."

The phone will be priced at 699 CNY, which is around $112 dollars and will hit stores on January 9. However, there's no word on when it will be released outside of China but it will make its way to India, Indonesia and Xiaomi's other overseas markets soon.

The company's flagship Mi devices although garner all the attention but the Redmi family, priced below $150, is its biggest seller. Xiaomi revealed that it had sold 18 million Redmi smartphones 3.56 million Redmi Note phablets in July last year. The Redmi devices alone accounted for one-third of total sales at the time.

CEO Lei Jun confirmed Xiaomi's plans to expand sales into more countries and added that the company had just raised $1.1 billion to spread its business. Turkey, Mexico, Russia and Southeast Asia are thought to be in its plans, the report said. 

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