Dhoni does it again as Chennai beat Hyderabad by 5 wickets

MS Dhoni rejoices after hitting the winning shot for Chennai in their IPL 6 match against Hyderabad.

CHENNAI: It was that man MS Dhoni again for Chennai Super Kings . The CSK skipper played yet another blinder on an innings (67, 37 balls, 7x4, 4x6) to take his team home against Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Thursday night.



In what another tight finish, CSK needed 28 from the last two overs and 15 from the final one bowled by Ashish Reddy. Dhoni was equal to the task and took CSK past the post with two balls remaining as Reddy's lack of nerve proved costly for Sunrisers.

Michael Hussey gave CSK a fine start with a brisk 45 off 26 balls as his side chased 160 for victory. But leg-spinner Karan Sharma put the breaks on CSK by giving away just eight off his four overs. But Dhoni was there to make sure the target was reached.

Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan marked his return to competitive cricket with a cracking 63 not out (45b, 10x4) to help Sunrisers post a challenging 159-6. The left-handed opener played a lone hand following a top-order collapse to lift the visitors after they had opted to bat.

As luck would have it for SH, Dhawan was hit in the abdomen region by a Dwayne Bravo delivery that forced him to retire hurt on 44, just when he appeared to have set the platform (83-4 in 13.3 overs) for a solid finish.

Darren Sammy pulled his weight by using the long handle remarkably on his tournament debut to help the SH carry on the fight. Dhawan returned on the fall of the West Indian captain (116-6 in 17.2) and reached his fifty with two spanking boundaries off Bravo.

The SH innings was all about Dhawan and his calculated assault of the CSK attack and his spectacular finish with Ashish Reddy (36 not out, 16b), the pair putting on 43 runs in 16 balls for the unbroken seventh wicket.

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Skype finally coming to BlackBerry 10

BlackBerry said on Wednesday it plans to fill one of the biggest gaps in the app line-up on its new BlackBerry 10 devices with a long-awaited Skype application.Skype, which was acquired by Microsoft Corp in 2011, allows its users to communicate via voice, video or chat over the Internet, by-passing traditional telephone networks. The service has hundreds of millions of users across the globe.
The announcement comes a day after BlackBerry said its new Q10 will be available in Canada on May 1 , and in the United States before the end of May. The Q10 (Review I Pictures ), which comes with the physical keyboard that many of BlackBerry's core fan base cherish, is the second device powered by the company's new BB10 operating system (Review ).
Skype will be available on the Q10 on launch day. Users of the existing Z10 (Review I Pictures ) touchscreen device will have to wait a few weeks more to get Skype, after a software upgrade on the operating system, BlackBerry said.
A smaller app base than Apple's iOS and Google Inc's Android platforms has been one of the biggest criticisms of the new BlackBerry system. It has yet to offer some big-name apps like Netflix and Instagram.

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YouTube to get its funny on with Comedy Week

First comes Twitter's #ComedyFest. Then in May you can head to YouTube for your online chuckles.

The challenge posed by YouTube Comedy Week.

If you think you might need a good laugh or two come mid-May, you might want to keep YouTube in mind.
Google's Internet video subsidiary on Thursday announced the first-ever YouTube Comedy Week, scheduled for May 19 through May 25.
It will start out on the evening of the 19th with the global live-stream of an all-star comedy variety featuring a mix of stand-up, sketches, and musical performances. Then as the week unfolds, YouTube said, there will be dedicated programming that includes live performances, new episodes from popular YouTube comedy channels, and curated top 10 lists from comedy stars.
The comedians of YouTube Comedy Week will include Vince Vaughn, Rainn Wilson, Sarah Silverman, and Seth Rogen, along with The Onion, CollegeHumor, Epic Meal Time, and Funny or Die.
You can tune in to the hijinks at YouTube.com/Comedyweek or follow along on Twitter via #ComedyWeek.
And speaking of Twitter, the home of the 140-character quip will be holding its own online comedy fest next week at #ComedyFest.

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Facebook purchases Parse to promote mobile app development

With the buy, the social network unveils a new strategy in mobile: selling backend services to app developers.

Facebook has agreed to purchase Parse, a service that allows developers to build mobile applications for iOS, Android , Windows, and mobile web. The social network announced Thursday that it picked up the mobile-focused company for an undisclosed sum and said it plans to continue offering Parse's products and services. The deal is reported to be worth $85 million , according to TechCrunch.
"By making Parse a part of Facebook Platform, we want to enable developers to rapidly build apps that span mobile platforms and devices," Doug Purdy, Facebook's director of product management, said. "Parse makes this possible by allowing developers to work with native objects that provide backend services for data storage, notifications, user management, and more. This removes the need to manage servers and a complex infrastructure, so you can simply focus on building great user experiences."
Two-year-old Parse currently powers tens of thousands of mobile apps, including those of top brands, CEO Ilya Sukhar said in a blog post on the sale. Customers include the Food Network, Cisco, and Deloitte. The San Francisco-based company had raised roughly $7 million in funding from Ignition Partners, Google Ventures, SV Angel, Menlo Ventures, and other angel investors. The buy seems largely motivated by Facebook's continued interest in conquering mobile, an effort that recently culminated in the release of Facebook Home . Parse provides the social network with a new way to go about its mobile-first mission; it offers the company instant access to a pool of mobile developers who might be more motivated to weave Facebook hooks into their applications. Facebook also will, by continuing to sell and manage Parse's backend services, pick up an entirely new revenue stream and become a service provider of a different kind.
Parse offers a free plan for developers with smaller application audiences, but sells a paid service that starts at $199 per month.

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Yahoo Mail for Android review: Simple and reliable e-mail client for Android

The good: Yahoo Mail performs smoothly and comes with most of your basic e-mailing needs. It even offers formatting tools that aren't available in other mobile mail clients.
The bad: Doesn't let you perform any actions (delete, star, or mark as unread, for instance) from the search results screen.
The bottom line: Yahoo Mail is a reliable performer that makes it a snap to both read and fire off e-mails from your Yahoo account.

With Yahoo Mail for Android, you can quickly access your Yahoo e-mail account (or multiple accounts) right from your mobile device. Altogether, the app is clean, user-friendly, and it includes some bonuses that make it feel very much like its desktop counterpart.
The first thing you'll notice about Yahoo Mail for Android is how much it looks and feels like its browser-based big brother. It's mostly dressed in purple and all of the icons are pulled straight from the Yahoo Webmail site. But of course, all of this has been adapted for the mobile screen, as most of the app's controls are tucked neatly into a nifty navigation panel that slides out from the left. From this panel you can create new or access existing mail folders, switch accounts, and edit app settings. If you have Yahoo Messenger installed on your device, the panel also includes a shortcut that can take you there.
When it comes to performance, the Yahoo Mail app doesn't disappoint. Everything moves smoothly, and messages open and close without issue. Also, I found the app's push notifications to be reliable. That said, I was disappointed that I didn't see any options for different syncing intervals.
Composing messages with Yahoo Mail is a much richer experience than in other mobile e-mail apps, thanks to all the formatting tools that it offers. It lets you make text bold, italicized, or underlined, and it lets you change the size and color of text as well. There's even a button that lets you add Yahoo emoji to your messages. These formatting options, while they may seem insignificant, actually help set Yahoo Mail apart from the Gmail and Outlook.com apps.
On a tablet, the Yahoo Mail app is optimized to take advantage of the larger screen area. The left side of the screen is taken up by a narrow panel, which lists the messages in your inbox, while the rest of the screen acts as a dedicated preview pane. This makes it easy to quickly go through messages without having to repeatedly press the Back button. To get to your folders, though, you'll still have to access the sliding navigation panel on the left.

From the search results screen, you unfortunately cannot delete messages or perform any other actions.

What annoys me about Yahoo Mail is that when you conduct a search with the app, all of the controls next to the messages seem to disappear. This means you can't star or mark messages as unread, or even delete messages directly from the search screen. And since there aren't any check boxes next to search results, you certainly can't select multiple items to commit any bulk actions.
Overall, Yahoo Mail for Android is still a winner. It does everything you need it to, plus it offers some nice features like formatting, push notifications, and integrated Yahoo Messenger. If you have a Yahoo e-mail address and an Android device, then this app is a must.

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New Chrome extension can open Office docs

Following in the footsteps of Chrome OS, Google brings the ability to directly open MS Office files to its latest browser beta with an extension.

Google Sheets made a mess out of a fairly unsophisticated Excel spreadsheet, overwriting words, dropping a graphic altogether, and generally looking ugly. Google hopes that a new Chrome extension will help eliminate these problems.

Direct browser support for Microsoft Office documents is coming in fits and spurts to Chrome. Google's latest effort is a portly extension for Chrome beta.
If you're running Google Chrome Beta on Windows or Mac , you can now install the Chrome Office Viewer . It will allow you to open links to Office files directly in the browser, a feature that was first announced with the Chromebook Pixel .
However, you're limited right now to merely viewing the files. To edit, you'll have to upload the file to Google Drive, or open it in Microsoft Office or another compatible program. It's also worth noting that the extension is quite large, and at around 25 MB it's close to the same size as the browser installer itself.
Google engineer Jelte Liebrand wrote in the blog post announcing the extension that using it increases computer security by isolating the document in Chrome's sandbox . If it's malicious, it won't be able to spread the malware to your computer. The Chrome Office Viewer is compatible with Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations.
Google's quest to add comprehensive support for Office files to Chrome and Chrome OS has proved elusive, so far. The company purchased QuickOffice last year to provide more robust Office file support, but as my colleague Stephen Shankland reports, it's still painful to use them in Chrome nearly a year later. Chrome OS currently fares a bit better, he wrote, but is still not perfect.
If Google can successfully integrate Office file support in Chrome and Chrome OS, it would go a long way towards bolstering the company's argument that the browser-based operating system that powers Chromebooks and Chromeboxes are worthy competitors to computers running Windows, Mac, and Linux.

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What iTunes needs next

Apple's venerable iTunes Store has been around for 10 years, but here's what it needs to make it through another 10.

The iTunes Store is 10 years old -- and iTunes, even older -- and it often feels like it.
Apple has certainly gone through some efforts to make iTunes look and feel different, but it's the load that iTunes bears that's the real problem. Once upon a time, iTunes was made to work with an iPod . The setup was simple; the software was good. It held MP3s and acted as the bridge.
Then a music store was added. Then, videos. And audiobooks. Now, apps. What started as a simple software-to-hardware relationship became the necessary portal for all software on and off an iPod, or the far-more-advanced iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad . iTunes handled document side-loading and software backups.
iTunes has officially hit overload.
Today, it's not that iTunes doesn't work; it just doesn't do anything extremely well. In fact, I avoid it when possible . iTunes 11 made good strides in cleaning up the older look of the software and decluttering things, but the fundamental role of iTunes -- and what it does -- remains largely the same.
Can iTunes win my love back...and yours, too? The key lies in iTunes smartly addressing what music- and media-playing feels like in 2013: mobile, cloud-based, and multidevice. iTunes needs to be simple, lean, and helpful. And it needs to do things on a computer that might not seem all that exciting but are important for media libraries we care about: heavy lifting.

iTunes should just be for music and media
iPods, iPhones, and iPads used to need iTunes to set up and install all files. That's no longer true: iOS devices can now be set up and used without ever coming in contact with iTunes on a computer (although, for getting photos and videos on and off, you'll probably still want that computer). Yet, iTunes remains burdened, perhaps overloaded, with the job of syncing and locally backing up these iGadgets.
On your iPhone or iPad, the iTunes Store and App Store are separate. So it should be on Macs and PCs, too. Managing apps, documents, and backups is enough of a job for a standalone piece of software, especially since many homes now have a fair handful of iOS devices to deal with. I don't care whether iOS device management gets folded into the Mac App Store, or becomes a third standalone application -- it just needs to go somewhere else.
This would let iTunes take a breather and just focus on tunes. And media.
iTunes in the future: Cloud first, local second
But iTunes, as a media-management software, needs to be savvier, too. There's another reason I stopped using iTunes to manage my iOS music: you're restricted to syncing with one computer's library, and getting new music away from your computer becomes a huge pain.
Whether you're streaming via an app like Pandora or Spotify, or using a third-party cloud music service like Amazon Cloud Player, getting files on and off your device happens on your phone; nothing else is required. To expect anything else is absurd in 2013, especially with how powerful smartphones and tablets have become.
iTunes Match, Apple's own cloud music-streaming and download service, solves some of these issues. But not all of them. I've switched to iTunes Match and stream songs directly from my cloud library, but iTunes Match costs money to subscribe: $25 a year. That's not a lot, but unlike iCloud, there's no starter-pack "free" option.
iTunes Match has clear advantages: it works more fluidly across computers that have a shared Apple ID, as opposed to iTunes' one-music-library-syncing philosophy on local music. This is the way it should be. If you want to find purchased music, you now have to dig into submenus on your iOS app to find that music and redownload it.
iTunes Match-like easy-to-browse cloud music delivery should be free for any purchased iTunes media, with a charge for the matching service and any content you upload yourself.

iTunes needs to be a better file-management program
iTunes works, except when it doesn't. Syncing my entire 15,000-song music library with iTunes Match took a while, but now it's all available to me at a moment's notice...mostly. There are songs with missing parts, mislabeled tracks, and other oddities, and some tracks remain grayed out, not having uploaded at all. Some of these problems were errors in my music library, but the problem with iTunes Match is that it doesn't let you easily discover and fix problems. It's not a viewable "locker" like Amazon Cloud Player and Google Music are. What this means is, I leave my broken music alone, because it's too annoying to fix.
Amazon and Google have cloud-based services, but they don't do a phenomenal job of managing actual music and media files on a computer. iTunes has an advantage there, but iTunes as an actual program for file management leaves a lot to be desired. iTunes doesn't help clean your library easily. Duplicate tracks can be spotted, but eliminating them isn't as effortless as with certain third-party solutions. Errors with song files aren't identified and fixed. For someone like me, with a decade of digital music accumulated, iTunes should be more helpful with keeping my cabinets organized.
There's value in this type of unsexy service. We have to keep our media somewhere, and having a local backup is a very smart idea. If computers are like trucks, iTunes on a computer should be more of an inventory/database service than a killer music player. Sure, we might play music on a computer via iTunes, but those days are diminishing. Music is becoming the domain of mobile devices. Music playback on a personal computer is a secondary service.
Most people I know don't go to iTunes that often on their computers. iTunes needs to be more of a storage facility than a music player, and be an excellent, clearly organized one that syncs and backs up from the cloud.
Make free streaming content easier to find
Apple has had a trend lately of offering some awfully good free streaming content. David Bowie and Justin Timberlake, among others, streamed their full albums on iTunes weeks before release. You had to browse the iTunes Store and play from the artist page, however, which most people didn't even realize.
Instead, why not have a pop-out pane that can show the music-du-jour that's free to stream? Maybe that's the eventual aim for an iRadio service, but rather than the failed music-discovery approach of Ping, offering clear and valuable music content that's easy to find feels like an obvious win for all involved.
Keep being simple
A lot of improvements were made to iTunes 11: a cleaner design and stripped-down look is the right direction. But the back-end functions of iTunes need to be strong. And from here on in, the cloud matters more for media playback than ever before. Apple's philosophy of simplicity is the right one. Maybe it's just a different set of features that need to be emphasized.
iTunes should be a service that works even when we're not using it on our computers. Even if not seen, it should be heard.

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Today`s Quotes

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.

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Bright, budget-friendly Nokia Asha 210 (hands-on)

As a member of the Asha family, which is the company's line of inexpensive phones aimed at emerging markets, the 210 will not be heading to the U.S. Rather, it will launch in Q2 in parts of Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia for about $72 (before tax and subsidies). It will come in single- and dual-SIM models as well.
Nokia is also partnering with three social networking and messaging apps, and bringing them onto the Asha 210. Depending on where you are, the device will sport a shortcut key for either Facebook, Weibo, or WhatsApp.
Design
The handset is compact and has a sleek, minimalistic aesthetic that's similar to the Lumia. Save for the top of the phone (which houses a 3.5mm AV jack and Micro-USB port for charging), and a door on the left edge for the optional second SIM slot, its edges remain largely unblemished. It has a polycarbonate construction and a thin, severely bricklike shape. I especially welcome its smooth, almost chalky feel as well.
The Asha 210 measures 4.39 inches tall, 2.36 inches wide, and 0.46 inch thick. At 3.43 ounces, it's lightweight and fits well in the hand. It comes in four other colors besides yellow: white, cyan, magenta, and black.

The Nokia Asha 210 sports a 2-megapixel camera and a polycarbonate construction.

The front includes a 2.4-inch QVGA screen, with a 320x240-pixel resolution. So, while it won't display crisp HD video, text and menu icons still looked clear and easy to read when I handled it. Below the display are two selection keys, two buttons to make and end a call, a center navigation key, a shortcut camera button on the right, and a hot key on the left that will launch a certain social networking service (more on that later).
The four-row QWERTY keyboard lights up when in use and is textured for easy typing. In addition, the space bar doubles as a Wi-Fi launch button when long pressed. During my time with the device, I found the keyboard to be a bit cramped. However, save for a few typos and missed letters, the buttons are easy to press and again, I love the keyboard's chalky texture.
On the rear is a camera lens that lacks a flash. Below it is a wide speaker grill. With the help of a small indent up top, the back plate is easy to take off. Once removed, you can gain access to the primary SIM card slot, the microSD card slot that's expandable up to 32GB, and the battery.

The boldly bright Nokia Asha 210 (pictures)

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Features
One of the center selling points of the Asha 210 that Nokia is pushing is its connectivity to certain social networking and messaging services. Using its Wi-Fi or 2G capabilities, users can access these apps with the aforementioned shortcut key that's left of the center navigational button.
For Europe and Latin America, the handset will feature a physical button to launch Facebook (no, not Home, just regular Facebook). The 210 in China will have Weibo, a mobile messaging and micro-blogging service, and India, the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia (more specifically, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia), will get WhatsApp, another mobile messaging application. As mentioned in its review, WhatsApp is free to download, but after one year of using it, customers will have to pay a 99-cent subscription fee. Fortunately on this phone, that yearly fee is waived.

This version of the 210 features a launch key for the mobile messaging app, WhatsApp.

The 2-megapixel camera has some editing options, including a 4x digital zoom. The device is powered by a 1,110mAh battery, which has a reported talk-time of 12 hours and a standby time of 24 days.
It runs the minimalistic and user-friendly Series 40 Asha interface and includes Nokia's cloud-based Xpress Internet browser. Other features include 64MB of flash memory and Bluetooth 2.1.
Outlook
Though the Asha line isn't bound for the U.S., the 210's $72 price tag makes it reasonably affordable in developing markets. It also sports the bare tech necessities, such as a camera and Internet connectivity, and its dual-SIM capabilities adds onto its global appeal. Most importantly, however, is its ties with demographic-specific social media services. Pushing apps like Facebook and WhatsApp elevates the handset to a younger, Internet-connected customer base, and keeps it relevant in today's market.

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Windows 8 touch ultrabooks see price cuts at Microsoft Store

Touch ultrabooks are coming down from their rarefied pricing tiers at the Micorosft Store.

The Acer Aspire S7 has received high marks from CNET Reviews -- with a lofty price tag to match. But its price recently dropped more than $300 at the Microsoft Store.

(Credit: Microsoft)

Touch ultrabooks are seeing decent price cuts at the Microsoft Store, making these expensive models a bit more affordable.
Touch-screen laptops are generally priced significantly higher than non-touch models, as the screens have been expensive to procure.
The well-received Acer Aspire S7 has seen one of the steepest discounts, falling to $1,299 from $1,649.
The S7 features a 256GB solid-state drive, a 13.3-inch 1,920x1,080 resolution display, and a 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U processor.
Next up, Sony's Vaio T Series 13 has been reduced to $999 from $1,299. That 13.3-inch touch model packs a 256GB solid-state drive, 8GB of memory, and a 2GHz Core i7-3537U processor.

And the lower-end Vaio T Series (SVT13136CYS) model has been cut to $799 from $899.
Hewlett-Packard's Pavilion TouchSmart Sleekbook (15-b154nr) is now $599, reduced from $699.
HP's Spectre XT TouchSmart (15-4011nr) ultrabook has also seen a modest cut to $1,249 from $1,349. (See CNET's Spectre XT TouchSmart review.)
The Spectre XT boasts a 1,920x1,080 resolution 15.6-inch touch display, 8GB of memory, and a 1.9GHz Core i7-3517U chip.
The Microsoft Store has also been reducing prices on tablets with some now priced as low as $399.

HP's 15.6-inch Spectre XT TouchSmart is now $1,249.

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First Firefox OS phones now shipping worldwide

GeeksPhone, the Spanish manufacturer that's making the first Firefox OS phones for developers, has started accepting orders for its two phones, Keon and Peak. The company is shipping the phones, worldwide.

While Keon is available at a price of $119 (approximately Rs. 6,445), the Peak smartphone has been priced at $194 (approximately Rs. 10,500). At the time of writing this post, the phones are no longer in stock. We're not sure if the company plans to replenish stocks in the coming days but this indicates that there's a good developer interest in Mozilla's Firefox Mobile OS as it took only a few hours for the stocks to finish.

The Keon is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1Ghz processor, has 512MB RAM and features 4GB of internal memory. It features a 4.3-inch qHD IPS screen, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front camera.

The Peak is powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and sports a 4.3-inch qHD IPS screen. It also features an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front camera.

The phones were first unveiled in January.

It's worth pointing out that these phones are targeted at developers who are working on apps for the Firefox OS and might not offer full functionality as Firefox OS is still evolving. The consumer devices running Firefox OS are expected to launch by summer in Brazil, Colombia, Hungary, Mexico, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Spain and Venezuela. Mozilla plans to reach 11 more markets by the end of the year, and the US in 2014.

Mozilla had first previewed the Firefox Mobile OS in February during the Mobile World Congress. With Firefox OS, the foundation aims to offer entry-level devices and plans to bring mobile web content directly to users with web apps. Phone makers that plan to make Firefox phones include Huawei and ZTE of China, LG of Korea and Sony. All the phones will run on chips supplied by Qualcomm.

Keon specifications

• Screen 3.5-inch HVGA Multitouch
• CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 7225AB 1Ghz
• Camera 3-megapixel
• 4 GB (Internal storage) and 512 MB (RAM).
• MicroSD, Wifi N, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, Radio FM, Light & Prox. Sensor, G-Sensor, GPS, MicroUSB
• UMTS 2100/1900/900 (3G HSPA)
• GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (2G EDGE)
• Battery 1580 mAh

Peak specifications

• Screen 4.3-inch qHD IPS Multitouch
• CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 8225 1.2Ghz dual-core
• Camera 8 MP (back) + 2 MP (front)
• 4 GB (Internal storage) and 512 MB (RAM)
• MicroSD, Wifi N, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, Radio FM, Light & Prox. Sensor, G-Sensor, GPS, MicroUSB, Flash (camera)
• UMTS 2100/1900/900 (3G HSPA)
• GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (2G EDGE)
• Battery 1800 mAh

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Purported pictures of cheaper iPhone's plastic rear shell surface

Case manufacturer Tactus has shared purported pictures of the rear shell of Apple's much rumored lower-cost iPhone. The rear shell is White in colour and appears to have been made from plastic polycarbonate. This could also open the possibility of the phone coming in multiple colours, as reported earlier. The case maker also informs that the device will be available in Black, White, Blue, Red and Yellow colours, citing the ' factory producing this secretive project' as a source.

Posting an image of the shell on its blog, Tactus informs that the actual phone might be around 9mm thick, 120mm in height and around 62-65mm in width, making it both taller and wider than the iPhone 4 and 4S.

It's difficult to verify the credibility of the image of the case. Accessory makers have produced mock-up cases in the past that have at times turned out to be accurate.

The case maker goes on to report that the budget iPhone will be powered by an A5 processor similar to the iPad Mini with a 32nm diecast and that it will have a 3.5-inch retina screen, like the iPhone 4S. The phone is expected to sport a 5-megapixel rear camera.

It even mentions that the budget iPhone would go on sale October 15th for $300. However, we'd take it with a grain of salt as an accessory maker or anyone part of Apple's supply chain is unlikely to have accurate information of Apple's exact device plans.

Just a few days back KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo came out with a new research report that said that the Phone 5S, low-cost iPhone and iPad mini 2 will begin shipments later than its previous expectation. He had also confirmed a plastic shell for the budget iPhone and had said that Apple was finding it difficult to keep the plastic shell of the low-cost iPhone as thin as it would like.

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Byond launches Phablet PI with 5.3-inch qHD display for Rs. 10,999

Indian handset maker Byond Technologies has launched Phablet PI in India. The Byond Phablet PI packs in 5.3-inch qHD (540x960 pixels) IPS capacitive touchscreen display. It is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor along with 1GB of RAM.The phablet offers 4GB of internal storage, which can be expanded by up to 32GB through a microSD card. It runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). There is a 2,000mAh battery on-board, which as per the company gives three to five hours of talk time and 200 hours of standby time. Byond Phablet PI features an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. Just like the other Byond phablets, this one too, is dual-SIM offering.
Byond Phablet PI carries a retail tag of Rs. 10,999 and will be available in White and Navy Blue colour options. To sweeten the deal, the company is also offering a free screen-guard and a cover along with the purchase of this phablet
A couple of months back, Byond had launched Byond Phablet PII in the market for Rs. 14,999. This phablet sports a 5.7-inch multi-touch HD IPS capacitive display with a 720x1280 pixel resolution running on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean. The device features an 8-megapixel rear camera and a front facing camera for video calling as well.
Under the hood, the Phablet PII is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor alongside 1GB RAM. There is 4GB of internal storage that can be expanded by an additional 32GB via microSD. It comes with a 2,500 mAh battery claiming 100 hours of stand-by time.
As a device manufacturer, Byond seems to be expanding quite aggressively into multiple device domains. The company offers various tablets under its Mi-Book Series, which are priced between Rs. 3,999 and Rs. 12,499. In the smartphone space, the company is offering five Android smartphones that are priced between Rs. 3,499 to Rs. 11,499.

Mobiles launched in April 2013
Byond Phablet PI specifications

• 5.3-inch qHD (540 x 960 pixels) IPS capacitive touchscreen display
• 1GHz dual-core processor
• 1GB RAM
• 4GB internal storage, can be expandable by up to 32GB
• 8-megapixel rear camera
• 1.3-megapixel front camera
• Dual SIM (GSM + GSM) with Dual Standby
• 2,000 mAh battery
• Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean)
• 150X78.6X9.7mm
• 188 grams

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Zen Mobile launches 5-inch Ultraphone 701HD with quad-core processor for Rs. 11,999

Indian handset maker, Zen Mobile has launched Zen Ultrafone 701 HD, a 5-inch budget Android smartphone that's powered by a quad-core processor for Rs. 11,999.

The Zen Ultrafone 701 HD is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6589 processor and has 1GB of RAM. The dual-SIM phone  features a 5-inch display that has a resolution of 720x1280 pixels. The launch was first reported by FoneArena.

The smartphone runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean an comes with some pre-embeded apps including Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. It sports an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a BSI sensor, and a 3.2-megapixel front facing shooter. The phone offers 4GB internal storage capacity that can be expanded to 32GB via microSD card. It has a 2,000mAh battery and supports 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Pre-orders for the phone have already begun on Snapdeal which is also offering a flip cover, a back panel and a screen guard with the phone, free of charge.

Back in January, Zen Mobile had launched Zen Ultraphone U4 that featured a 4.3-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen and 512MB internal storage, expandable by another 32GB via microSD card. The Android 2.3 Gingerbread-running phone is powered by a 1GHz processor.


Mobiles launched in April 2013

Zen Ultraphone 701 HD specifications

• 5-inch screen with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels
• 1.2GHz processor
• 1GB RAM
• 4GB internal storage, expandable by 32GB via MicroSD card
• 8-megapixel rear camera
• 3.2-megapixel front camera
• 3G,Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• Dual-SIM (3G+2G)
• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
• 2,000mAh battery

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Apple CEO Tim Cook on the idea of a 5-inch iPhone

While everyone's been waiting with bated breath to know Apple's view on large screen phones, the Cupertino headquartered company doesn't look too keen on the idea, at least in the short term.

During Apple's second-quarter earnings conference call, CEO Time Cook, while answering a question on the company's view on a 5-inch phone, mentioned that the company doesn't want to cut corners in areas related to the quality, power consumption, portability, and compatibility with apps.

Responding to a question by Ben A. Reitzes of Barclays Capital, Cook said, "My view continues to be that iPhone 5 has the absolute best display in the industry. And we always strive to create the very best display for our customers. And some customers value large screen size, others value also other factors such as resolution, colour quality, white balance, brightness, reflectivity, screen longevity, power consumption, portability, compatibility with apps and many things."

"Our competitors had made some significant trade-offs in many of these areas in order to ship a larger display, we would not ship a larger display iPhone while these trade-offs exist," he added.

Cook's answer talks about a lot of different user experience elements. While phone makers like Samsung have reduced the screen resolution of their large phones with their screen size, in the past, they also had to include batteries with larger capacities. Of course, app compatibility would also be an issue as developers would have to optimise their apps for different screen resolutions and sizes.

It's worth pointing out that Cook did not dismiss the idea of a 5-inch phone altogether but hinted that Apple would only bring a large screen phone to the market if it's able to take care of the elements that go into creating a good user experience.

Cook also announced that Apple has a lot in store in terms of new products in fall and across 2014. So the earlier rumours pointing to a delayed iPhone 5S and iPad mini next generation launching in fall, may have, in a way, been corroborated.

 "I'm just saying we've got some really great stuff coming in the fall and across all of 2014," Cook added.

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10 Best And Free Online Games

Bangalore: Games pull us in to their enchanting world, repleted with action, puzzle, drama and fun. People once hooked on; carries that obsession into their veins to explore what’s in store for them while going from one challenge to the next offered by the game. While Sony’s PS3 and Microsoft’s Xbox cost a bomb, there are a myriad numbers of free online games now available on web, but only a bunch of them succeeded in drawing game frenzy crowd. Read on to know 10 best and free online games that will keep you hooked on for hours, as compiled by The Independent.

#10 Wonderputt

Genre: Sports
Publisher: Damp Gnat
Developer: Damp Gnat

Wonderputt is an adventure golfing game but with cows, toads, ski slopes, torpedoes and a sprinkle of alien abductions for good measure. The game features 18 Adventure Golf holes, each with their own unique animations and novel features from bouncing balls, hovering and banking to teleporting, water skimming and burping out of toads. You should play it to appreciate the graphics as much as the game itself.

#9 Planetside 2

Genre: Persistent Online Shooter
Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment
Developer: Sony Online Entertainment

Building off of the groundbreaking original, PlanetSide 2 is a free-to-play, massive multiplayer online first person shooter (MMOFPS) that delivers truly epic, massive combat on a scale never before seen in stunning, breathtaking details. Harnessing the power of SOE's next generation Forgelight engine, in PlanetSide 2 battles persist when thousands of players align with one of three unique Empires in intense land, air and vehicle gameplay. Also in PlanetSide 2, the fight for territory is more than a victory, it’s simply survival.

Across the continents of Auraxis, thousands of players come together in enormous battles to win control of critical territories and key resources for their Empire. With an extensive skill tree and free-form class-based system, players are able to customize their soldiers, weapons and vehicles to match their play-style, as well as the needs of their squad, outfit or Empire. Battles can last for days or weeks, so players need to build alliances and specialized combat outfits to take on long-term strategic and tactical initiatives. With aircraft and ground vehicles, as well as infantry combats, the battles are larger and more intense than ever before.

#8 Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso

Genre: Adventure
Publisher: Juniper Games
Developer: Juniper Games

Play as Ed and join in his struggles to avoid Mr. Smoozles, who's been turned completely nutso by the evil Goragons- dark creatures from another dimension, who are intent on destroying reality.

Will Ed defeat the Goragons, free his friends, restore Mr. Smoozles' mind and bring the world back to normal? And the biggest challenge – will Ed save his valuable collection of Geeks Monthly? Well, of course he will - but only with your help!

Based on the online comic Mr. Smoozles, this was the first indie game released by the award- winning writer and developer Steve Ince. It was originally a paid-for game, but Ince decided to release it for free in 2011.

#7 Slender: The Arrival

Genre: Adventure
Publisher: Parsec Productions
Developer: Blue Isle Studios

Experience the fear all over again. Slender: The Arrival is the official re-imagining of the original release that once again will engage players with the same terrifying gameplay, while adding a complete gaming experience that the fans have been asking for.

The artful indie horror game involves wandering around a forest collecting pages armed only with a flashlight, while avoiding the "Slender Man" who is perpetually chasing you through the fog. This is a game about survival -- use your instincts to get out alive. The Arrival pushes gamers further over the edge past what they experienced in the first game with more levels and improved visuals as well as an engaging storyline.

#6 Drifting Afternoon

Genre: Jumping
Publisher: Ferryhalim.com
Developer: Orisinal

Although it looks pretty windy out there, your intrepid little orange kitten has no trouble keeping up with your mouse as you guide him around the screen. Click somewhere, and he'll jump in the direction of your cursor. Those are the only controls that you need to learn! The object is simply to help him leap from one brightly colored bubble to another as they float by. Each time you make a successful jump, the amount of points you earn increases. Falling to the ground resets the chain. If you jump over one or more bubbles and land successfully on another, you'll get a bonus. Just keep an eye on your time, and keep an eye out for special bubbles that can grant you a small time extension!

#5 Yeti Sports

Genre: Sports
Publisher: yetisports.org
Developer: yetisports.org

The super addictive Yeti sports collection is a true Olympiad of online mini-games, which can also be downloaded as an app. The set includes, Albatross Overload, Scrat Jump, Penguin Run, Penguin Throw and many other fun games.  Almost all of them involve throwing a penguin as far as you can.

#4 Numpty Physics

Genre: Puzzle
Publisher: numptyphisics.garage.maemo.org
Developer: numptyphisics.garage.maemo.org

Harness gravity with your crayon and set about creating blocks, ramps, levers, pulleys and whatever else you fancy to get the little red thing to the little yellow thing. Numpty Physics is a drawing puzzle game in the spirit and style of Crayon Physics using the same excellent Box2D engine. Numpty Physics includes a built-in editor so that you may build and submit your own levels. Use crayons to solve puzzles on a piece of paper and experiment with your own drawings that come to life according the rules of physics.

#3 Flow

Genre: Action
Publisher: interactive.usc. edu/projects/cloud/flowing
Developer: thatgamecompany (TGC)

In this free-flowing game, you dive deep into the space, eating and evolving, collecting up tiny morsels to help your creature become bigger and more complex. With an embedded design of DDA (Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment), players with differing skill levels can intuitively customize their game experience and enjoy the game at their own pace. Players can also customize the appearance of their organisms based on gameplay.

#2 Bumperball

Genre: Arcade Sports
Publisher: bumperball.com
Developer: bumperball.com

Available online as well as for iPad for free, this is a cool one-on-one soccer game but with a twist; the twist being that you’re in a bumping car. It is possibly the best one for the retro game geeks out there.

#1 Rebuild 2

Genre: Strategy
Publisher: armorgames.com

Reclaim a city from the zombie hordes while managing supplies, housing and morale. This strategy game is set in the aftermath and you need to survive with the resources you have, scope out new buildings to protect your population and avoid further attacks from the dreaded flesh eaters. Featuring new buildings, plotlines, characters, customizable survivors with skills and equipment, this game comes with an all new and improved art with mysteriously hidden endings to explore.

 

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10 things he’ll notice about you in 10 mins

Couple on date

Just the kind of drink you choose or the amount of cleavage you show can make a huge difference

1. Sunny smile: The way you smile can say a lot about the person you are. Make sure that if you are meeting a guy for the first time you are don't come across as someone who's eager to please him and therefore is laughing at all his jokes a tad too enthusiastically. At the same time don't appear too stern by keep a serious face.

2. Dress it up: What you wear is obviously one of the first things that a guy is likely to judge you on. Whether you are a tom boy or a girly girl... all is revealed by the way you dress and most guys will decide whether to make a move or back off just by looking at the way you dress.

3. Your drink: The best way to figure you out is by your drink. Your drink can demystify you within no time. Like if you are a woman between 21-24 having rum and coke, you may be thought to be someone who doesn't have an adventurous life.

4. Can you talk? Don't try to fake interests where you have none. So if the guy is talking about football and you have no clue about it, don't pretend to be an avid fan. Just tell him outright that this isn't your field of expertise.

5. Hair scare: Are Plain Janes associated with a bun? The kind of hairstyle you sport is definitely going to leave an impression. An out of the bed look is fine, but if your hair is downright messy then it can be a major turn off.

6. Watch your cleavage: Yes, if he is a man he is bound to check out your cleavage. So, be aware of what you are projecting yourself to be. A buttoned-up shirt is likely to give you a conservative look, while showing off too much may make you seem like an easy girl. So know what you are showing.

7. What's in your bag? If your bag resembles a haversack it's not going to be very appealing, you may not be high maintenance, but if you keep bringing out stuff it may give a guy an impression that you are a hoarder or high maintenance.

8. Glam it up or tone it down: You don't need to look like an made up doll if you are at a coffee shop, similarly don't look like you have had no time to even wash your face if you are at a party. Neither is appealing, and a guy is bound to notice.

9. Clean it up: We are talking about your skin here. Guys don't notice things like a blemish on your face. But a fake tan or just an unwashed face can be a turn off. It's okay to not put on any make up, but ensure that you look clean.

10. Hold yourself: The way you sit or stand or move tell a lot about you. Fidgeting too much in your seat is a clear indication of your nervousness, while sitting far too straight may make you seem a bit stressed. Relax, be calm and just be yourself.

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“2013 will see large number of hiring in the green energy sector”

Deepak Kaistha, MD, Planman Consultant

Which industry will be hiring the most in 2013? Why?
From the hiring point of view, 2013 is definitely going to be a ‘Green Year’ all together in which we shall see the green energy sector raising most of its hiring. Today, we live in an age where we see great environmental awareness, global carbon markets and green buildings, which eventually contributes into the generation of more green jobs. Hence in the employment chart, 2013 will contribute a lot in preserving and restoring environmental quality.
Which will be the top ten in-demand professions in 2013? Why?
Every profession has its own brand value through which the individuals create their own brand value. This helps a lot in creating a demand for the profession. So here are the top ten in-demand professions for 2013:
1) Management – It is said that a management degree is certainly equal to a job in hand that too with a very lucrative salary package. This saying is fair enough to preserve first position for management in terms of demand.
2) IT – Software Industry- Indian IT sector is at its boom. We see a great demand for the Indian IT and software professionals at very high pay scale all over the globe. This attracts a lot of people to opt for this profession.
3) C- A – There is a huge demand for the CA professionals due to the fact that every organisation needs to employ at least one CA to look after their accounts. This will generate a great demand for them as well in 2013.
4) Consultancy Firms – The reason behind why we see a great demand for consultants in 2013, is the fact that today we see a rising demand for them in almost every sector.
5) Doctors – After China, we are the second largest populated country. More people means more doctors to look after their health. This automatically generates a demand for this profession as well.
6) BANKING- We see a great number of foreign banks entering into the Indian markets, which is generating huge employment in the banking sector as well.
7) LAWYERS – Law is a very good profession. It can help you earn up to Rs 4 lakh even when you are fresher. So this profession has also manged to earn a demand for itself.
8) Aviation industry – This industry will be apt to be spotted at the 8^th position, as we had seen a great boom in the industry in the past years with ample job opportunities for the young talented minds of the country.
9) MARKETING/ADVERTISING – Marketing earns more and more customers for us in which advertising also plays an important role. Hence this industry serves ample of job opportunities.
10) REAL ESTATE – We see a great demand under this profession because it had given a great number of job opportunities before and earned itself a great demand as well.
What will be the strongest recruitment trend in 2013?
The growth rates do not show a good picture for 2013 although we see a slightly positive side for the employment industry. The strongest recruitment trend that we shall get to see in 2013 is the high growth in entry level jobs. A great importance will be given in appointing the right person at the right position and with the right salaries.
Which metro will offer maximum number of jobs?
This time we see an optimistic scenario in the small towns that will be offering more number of jobs than the larger metros. We are going to have 49% respondents in  Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru and 58% respondents in the Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities; thus creating a different scenario all together.
2013 will be the year of….
Good job opportunities for sure. The salary survey of World at Work states that India will have 10.3% of projected increase. The headcount in all the nine industry sectors is expected to grow during the first quarter of FY’13. IT & ITeS sector shows the most optimistic projection with 21% net employment. FMCG stands second in the list with the figure going to 19% further followed by infrastructure (18 per cent), retail (18 per cent) etc.

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Today`s Quotes

The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means.

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Maruti plans to step up hiring of women engineers in heading critical functions

Sheetal Dhiman, 32, had more than a passing role to play in how Maruti Suzuki’s new Alto responds when you step on the throttle. She and the team of male engineers she leads have a clear mandate — test vehicles and calibrate the engine management system. Sheetal was the only female employee in her department when she joined Maruti Suzuki five years ago.
She started leading her team two years ago. Mugdha Swarnkar, 27, a deputy manager in vehicle integration, has also been leading an all-male team for a year now. She has worked on the Ritz and was involved in body part designing for the new Alto CNG.
“Women do need to put in extra effort to outshine and prove that they are equally capable,” she says, quickly adding that she has never felt discriminated.
Sheetal and Mugdha’s rise to team leads in hardcore auto engineering is inspiration for several young women who want to join the profession. Their kind, though, is only a sprinkling yet in an otherwise male bastion.
“It takes 10 years to get to a senior managerial position, and we already have 10 women in such roles,” says SY Siddiqui, chief operating officer (administration), Maruti Suzuki. “Several women engineers have entered the company in recent years; many more will join this list of senior managers,” he adds.
At Maruti Suzuki, it is no longer uncommon to find women in roles such as engine and transmission design, development and testing, brakes and suspension design, engine and body electricals and styling, modelling and designing of the final product.
Maruti Plans to Step up Hiring of Women
For example, women account for about 13% of engineers in the electrical division, 9% of those working on braking and suspension and about 7% in powertrain engine testing.
India’s largest carmaker is now planning to increase the proportion of new women hires in engineering functions to 15% this fiscal from an average of 10% over the past three years.
The company has planned an increase of 33% in women engineering new hires over last year, compared with a 4% increase in total engineering new hires. Hiring women for R&D roles in a heavy engineering company has traditionally been a challenge. “We have broken that belief and positively enabled employment of women talent at Maruti Suzuki,” says Siddiqui.
“We are expanding our R&D team significantly and are looking to get the best possible talent-…more women are opting for these hardcore engineering functions (now) and they fit our requirement.”
Recruiting women, Siddiqui says, brings a certain balance and diversity in terms of population mix, versatility and value add. It has nothing to do with the labour unrest the company has faced recently.
Such new recruits also walk in with fire in their bellies. “I can prove that even girls can be efficient and effective testers,” says Deepti Mahra, a Graduate Engineer Trainee in the gasoline vehicles testing department.
Mahra, who has done her B-Tech in mechanical engineering from College Of Technology, Pantnagar, had been fascinated by automobiles since early childhood. So when it came to selecting a stream of study, mechanical engineering was the obvious choice.
Maruti hires over 95% of its Graduate Engineer Trainees from campuses such as National Institutes of Technology — including Kurukshetra, Hamirpur, Jalandhar, Jamshedpur, Durgapur, Jaipur, and Bhopal; BITS-Pilani, and Delhi College of Engineering (now Delhi Technological University). It recently also started hiring from women colleges such as Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology.
Traditional male-dominated streams such as mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering are now attracting more female students. But the numbers need to grow a lot more to bring real diversity on factory floors.
Says Sonam Motwani, who heads a 70-member student automobile team at IIT-Bombay: “People have a set image that doesn’t allow them to step into so-called male bastions. I was elected to head the team that builds racing cars for international formula students’ competition. The chief mechanical engineer in my team is also a woman. The IIT structure empowers this.”
There are seven women members on the team. Maruti Suzuki grooms women student engineers even when they are in college. It has adopted two women ITIs, one at Gurgaon and other at Jhajjar, Haryana.
Hiring women automobile engineers is a relatively recent phenomenon in India and even in the global auto hubs of the US and Europe, factory floors still remain male bastions. General Motors, Chrysler and Ford Motors, do have female auto engineers in senior management positions, but they are outnumbered by men.

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“There is a mismatch between implementation and strategic thinking in education”

  Dr. K S Badarinarayan, Principal of MVJCE, affiliated to the Visweshwaraiah Technological University

There is a skill gap between corporate requirements and what the student learns. What are the key concerns you have as an educationist?
At present, our education system is still following the traditional way of learning, change of approach is required to learn, unlearn and relearn. Learning should be practical, with emphasis on application rather than theory. This would help students remember concepts for life and apply the same in their work life. Students are more focused on passing their exams. The need to be industry ready is still lacking.
What do you think is the reason behind this?
There has been incredible growth in technology. Technology growth is outpacing the rate at which education can adapt. This had happened earlier in developed countries too, in the 40’s and 50’s, there was a big gap between industrial growth and the education adaptability rate.
In India, Cloud computing, data management are still not in the regular curriculum. A mismatch between implementation and strategic thinking is seen here in education. Leaders  (as in educationists) with foresight are the need of the hour.
What is your opinion about corporate-academia cooperation to make education requirement-specific has been noticed.
Typically education grows at a slower pace, the problem in India is more acute because technology itself is changing at a very fast rate. Yes, there should be collaboration between industry and institute on a continuous basis. But also, Academia should restructure their syllabus according to market requirements and deliver to their students and this in turn would make them industry ready.
 What is your take on skill development organisations and foundations?
At basic level, these foundations will nurture and train the students on their skills. They provide the basics of what is required by the industry. The students need to imbibe these skills, add value and enhance their performance level in the industry to be more competent.
I feel the finishing school concept can be introduced at university/college level, as their regular curriculum to strengthen the capabilities of students.
What steps is your institution taking to make your students better skilled and employable?
We are trying our best to minimise the skill gap. Following steps have been taken by us as an institution, to make our students better skilled and employable

• Comprehensive 200 hours of training program, spread over 4 years to train the students on communication skills, technical skills, aptitude skills and soft skills.
• Industry executives give lectures and insight into industry requirements.
• Students who have been placed in various industries, mentor the pre-final year students.
• Industrial visits and internships are very important to our institution.

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Are you replacing toothbrush every 3 months?

Are you replacing toothbrush every 3 months?

We have all along known the importance of dental hygiene, but could never whip up enthusiasm to pursue it religiously.

Blame it on the smattering of information available, we are left wondering from where to begin, and if one can ever do it the right way.

Aesthetic dentistry expert Dr Sushant Umre exchanges some invaluable notes on oral care.

Most appropriate way to brush your teeth
Proper brushing is essential for cleaning teeth and gums effectively. Use a toothbrush with soft, nylon, round-ended bristles that will not irritate teeth or damage gums.

Place bristles along the gumline at a 45-degree angle. Bristles should contact both the tooth surface and the gumline. Gently brush first, the outer tooth surface and then the inner surface of the tooth using a vibrating back and forth rolling motion.

Tilt brush vertically behind the front row of teeth. Make several up and down strokes using the front half of the brush. Place the brush against the biting surface of the teeth and use a gentle back and forth scrubbing motion. Brush the tongue from back to front to remove odour-producing bacteria.

You may want to supervise your children until they get the hang of these simple steps. Use a pea-sized dab toothpaste, preferably fluoride free if the child is below six years of age and take care that your child does not swallow the toothpaste.

The right tooth paste and toothbrush
Use a toothbrush with soft, nylon, round-ended bristles that will not irritate teeth or damage gums. One of the main things to look for in a toothbrush are its bristles. Most dentists recommend soft bristles, especially for those individuals who have sensitive teeth and gums. Both adults and children should use a toothbrush that has soft bristles. Toothbrushes with harder bristles are not more effective at removing plaque or stains.

Be sure to select a toothbrush head size that can easily fit into the mouth and is capable of brushing a row of teeth at a time. With this in mind, be sure to select a toothbrush with a very small head for a very young child.

Toothbrushes should be replaced about every three months or earlier if the bristles begin to look worn or frayed (bristles that fan out or spread is a sign that it is time to get a new toothbrush).

After consulting with your dentist or hygienist about your oral health's greatest needs, look for products within that category (for example, within the tartar control brands or within the desensitizing toothpaste brands). Always pick a toothpaste that contains fluoride. Fluoride toothpastes have been shown to prevent cavities, but in children under six years of age it can be avoided as they have a tendency to swallow it.

Early beginnings
Proper dental care can begin before an infant gets his/her first tooth. Soon after the baby gets the first tooth, make an appointment to see the dentist.

Rinsing mouth after eating
If you don't rinse your mouth after meals, particles of food remain in the mouth, collecting bacteria, which can cause bad breath. Food that collects between the teeth, on the tongue and around the gums can rot, leaving an unpleasant odour. Dentures that are not cleaned properly after meals can also harbor odour-causing bacteria and food particles.

Limit coffee, tea and alcohol. Caffeine products as coffee, tea and colas act as diuretics which in turn contribute to a dry mouth. Water is the best solution so drink plenty of liquids at least 8-12 glasses of fluid a day, unless advised otherwise by your doctor.

Tackling bad breath
Certain foods, such as garlic and onions, contribute to objectionable breath odour. Once the food is absorbed into the bloodstream, it is transferred to the lungs, where it is expelled. Brushing, flossing and mouthwash will only mask the odour temporarily. Odours continue until the body eliminates the food. Beware dieters, as you may develop unpleasant breath from infrequent eating.

Bad breath can also be caused by dry mouth (xerostomia), which occurs when the flow of saliva decreases. Saliva is necessary to cleanse the mouth and remove particles that may cause odour. A dry mouth may be caused by various medications, salivary gland problems or continuously breathing through the mouth. If you suffer from a dry mouth condition, your dentist may prescribe artificial saliva, or suggest using sugarless candy and increasing your fluid intake.

Tobacco products too can cause bad breath. If you use tobacco, ask your dentist for tips on kicking the habit.

If you think you have constant bad breath, keep a log of the foods you eat and medications you take. Some medications may play a role in creating mouth odours. Let your dentist know if you've had any surgery or illness since your last appointment.

Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste to remove food debris and plaque. Brush your tongue, too. Once a day, use floss or an interdental cleaner to clean between teeth.

Tooth jewellery, a good idea!
Tooth jewellery is an elegant compliment to standard jewellery. When placed on the tooth, the jewellery creates a distinctive expression of one's individuality. A range of glass crystals are available in nine different colours - diamond, rainbow, ruby, sapphire, emerald, emerald green, aquamarine, pink, sapphire light.

If somebody thinks he or she was better off without tooth jewellery, it can be easily removed without any side-effects on the dental tooth structure as the procedure is non-invasive. What's more, tooth jewellery can be fixed again at a later stage so there is no real disadvantage to having it done.

Dental reconstruction a fad with brides, models
One of the first things people notice about you is your smile. A healthy attractive smile can boost your confidence and enhance your personal and professional life and this is exactly what a blushing bride or aspiring model is looking for.

Until recently, most people were satisfied if their teeth were straight and free of stains, chips or other obvious imperfections. But in the last few years, the combination of Hollywood glamour and advances in cosmetic dentistry most people want their teeth to be perfectly uniform and dazzlingly white.

Cosmetic dentists have also pioneered a technique called computer imaging that allows them to perform virtual restorations on a computer screen. A patient who is thinking about having work done can see what the results will look like before he or she makes the decision to go forward. New composite resins, invisible fillings, porcelain veneers and high-strength resin cements are stronger, long-lasting and do not change colour over time which combined with new single sitting teeth whitening technology can give both women and men just the sparkling smile that they want.

Care for gums
Periodontal (gum) disease is an infection of the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth. It is a major cause of tooth loss in adults. Periodontal (gum) disease is caused by plaque, a sticky film of bacteria that constantly forms on the teeth. These bacteria create toxins that can damage the gums.

The good news is that you can help prevent periodontal disease by taking good care of your gums every day and having regular dental checkups. Here's how to keep your gums healthy:
- Brush your teeth well twice a day
- Clean between your teeth every day
- Eat a balanced diet
- Choose a variety of foods from the basic food groups, such as breads, cereals and other grain products; fruits; vegetables; meat, poultry and fish; and dairy products, such as milk, cheese and yogurt. Limit between-meal snacks
- See your dentist every few months

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IT companies cut intake of engineering talent

IT firms that have been the biggest employers of engineering talent are sharply reducing their intake on account of automation of lower-end processes, and a move to higher-end work.

BANGALORE: IT firms that have been the biggest employers of engineering talent are sharply reducing their intake on account of automation of lower-end processes, and a move to higher-end work.
The IT industry used to hire half or more of the approximately 5 lakh engineers that India produces each year, but that number is now sharply down, and is estimated to be significantly below 2 lakh last year. Though one reason for that is the slowdown in global IT demand, there is now a much more serious longer term reason for why the industry may not touch those hiring highs again.
Mundane, repetitive IT tasks are getting automated, just as it did in the traditional manufacturing sector. Equally, the major IT companies are all talking of moving to do more sophisticated and complex work that requires skilled engineers. "Technology and automation have been significantly minimizing the human intervention across industries and this would mean a reduction in fresher hiring in the country," said Saurabh Govil, senior vice president of human resources, at Wipro.
Fresher hiring, he said, would be muted going forward. "Previously, companies focused on investing on the supply (people) side. But now the focus is on innovation on the demand side (to create demand for IT). The focus is on managing demand and creating demand," Govil said. Infosys's new strategy that it calls 3.0 is entirely predicated on the assumption that their customers' requirements have become more sophisticated and they will have to be met primarily through products and platforms; and that requires few people to build and manage. The company's revenue per employee has shown clear signs of rising in recent years; it stood at $47,215 last year, compared to $44,473 in 2008-09.
HCL said it would not hire freshers this year; Wipro said fresher hiring would drastically come down. Wipro's gross employee utilization was as low as 64.9% in the last quarter. Infosys's was 70.9%; it says the ideal figure is between 78% and 82%.
Romi Malhotra, CEO of Linkage India, a global leadership development and employability solutions provider, said IT had become an old economy sector in terms of growth rate and hiring volumes. "Today, the industry has enough critical mass to hire from within. So we will see a whole lot of freshers moving into niches and specialization around mobility, cloud and gaming," he said.

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