Samsung Galaxy S4 first impressions

Samsung has launched its flagship phone, the Galaxy S4, in the Indian market. We were able to experience the phone for a brief period on the sidelines of the Samsung India launch event.

The phone is available in two colours - Black Mist and White Frost. The first thing that you notice when you pick up the phone is that it doesn't feel bulky. For a device that has a 5-inch screen, the Galaxy S4 feels more like a phone and less like a phablet since its dimensions similar are to the Galaxy S III. It's pretty lightweight.

You see a power button on the right side of the phone, volume rocker on the left, a 3.5mm headset jack and Infrared receiver on the top and Micro-USB at the bottom. The SIM card, microSD card slot, and battery are accessible when you remove the back cover.

The front of the phone still features a physical Home button and two capacitive touch buttons for Menu and Back controls. The different sensors, front camera, notification light and earpiece grill sit above the screen.

The back features the 13-megapixel camera, with the LED flash right below it. The back (of the Black coloured model) still has that pseudo matte finish on the glossy plastic surface that attracts fingerprints. The White coloured model doesn't have the pseudo matte finish and instead sports a different dotted pattern which we found a little better. The Indian version doesn't feature the Galaxy S4 branding at the back. There's a small speaker outlet towards the bottom. Overall, the phone looks better than the Galaxy S III as it features a narrow body and thin bezel but doesn't feel alluring when compared to the like of the iPhone 5 and HTC One due to the use of polycarbonate (read plastic) materials.


The Galaxy S4's display is gorgeous with the HD screen rendering sharp images and text, although the colours are still a little saturated and look far from natural. Navigating through  phone's menus and home screens is a smooth experience thanks to all the power under the hood.

We also got to experience some of Samsung's motion control and hand gestures. The Smart Pause gesture works well while watching videos and pauses them when you're looking away. We also tried the Air View gesture that lets you explore content on the screen without actually touching it. We found that this worked partially- we were able to hover over a video playback timeline and preview upcoming content through it but the mode didn't work for previewing images in the gallery. The other Air Gesture that lets you browse content when you wave your hand over the screen also works partially. We were able to browse through photos in the gallery in landscape mode with the gesture but it doesn't work as well in the portrait mode. Smart scroll also works intermittently letting you scroll through webpages when you tilt the screen. To be honest, the average user will end up spending more time trying to get these features to work than actually getting the task done.

The WatchOn TV remote software did not have India under the list of supported countries but one can manually configure individual devices to use the phone as a remote control. Samsung also offers content through its Music and Video hubs. The usual TouchWiz bells and whistles including the multi-window and pop up play are also present in the Galaxy S4. At times you really get overwhelmed with the number of settings, menus and controls that are present in this phone which might be a bad thing for new smartphone users. Samsung offers the option to hide advanced settings for newbies though.

Overall, the smart features are gimmicky and a lot of users will perhaps forget about them after the initial honeymoon period with the phone. They're mainly for salesmen to demonstrate in order to pull potential customers. Having said that, it's still one of the most feature rich Android smartphones available today. We'll have more with our review of the Samsung Galaxy S4 very soon.

Read More

Get a free month of Hulu Plus

New subscribers can enjoy a month of unlimited TV and movie streaming. With commercials, yeah, but don't let that stop you.

Try Hulu Plus free for a month. If you like TV like I like TV, you might just like it.

Recently my media-center PC died (well, the hard drive -- when you start seeing boot-screen messages about "imminent hard drive failure," believe them!). All those episodes of "Community" and "Once Upon a Time" I'd DVR'd for later viewing -- gone.
Hulu Plus to the rescue! Yeah, you have to sit through commercial breaks (albeit way shorter ones than during regular broadcasts), but it's still the best (and cheapest) way to watch first-run TV shows.
A typical Hulu Plus trial lasts just seven days, but for a limited time, StackSocial is offering a free Hulu Plus trial for one month. The big caveat: It's for new subscribers only.
The other caveat, if you can call it that, is the need to provide a credit card. You won't be charged until the start of the second month, though obviously you can cancel before that happens (and to its credit, Hulu makes canceling a breeze).
I'll admit that I used to consider Hulu Plus a bad deal, largely because of those insipid commercials. (Netflix and DVRs have totally spoiled me.) But now I regard it as a must-have addition to any cord-cutter's arsenal, especially if you want to watch, on demand, the aforementioned first-run shows. Last night's "Community," for example? You can stream it (in HD) right now. On Amazon or iTunes, it would cost you $2.99. For that one episode.
Hulu Plus costs $7.99 per month for unlimited episodes. Of everything. (Well, not everything, but plenty of good stuff, IMHO.) There are gaps in the collection, sure, but that's true of Netflix as well. Eight bucks -- tell me you don't spend that on a day's lunch.
Anyway, don't take my word. Give it a try for a month and see what you think. No like? No harm done (and no money spent). Note that unless you have a particularly smart smart TV, you'll need some kind of box if you want to enjoy Hulu on your big screen: Apple TV, game console, Roku box, etc. It works on most tablets and smartphones, too.
Your weekend is all set. Time for some binge-watching!
Bonus deal: Now here's something interesting. Lenovo has the refurbished IdeaPad N585 15.6-inch laptop for $161.07 shipped when you apply coupon code DOORBUSTERS. (You may have to scroll down or even click through to a second page to find one in stock.) These are "scratch & dent" items, meaning they may have, well scratches and/or dents, but you still get a one-year warranty! The N585 is probably a little slow for Windows 8 (included), but slap on Linux and you're golden. Update: All the $161 IdeaPads appear to be gone. Unsurprisingly.
Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.

Read More

Intel confirms 'Haswell' chip intro at Computex

The countdown to the chipmaker's next-generation mainstream processor has begun.

3,337,200,000,000,000 nanoseconds means Intel's next-generation mainstream processor is due to arrive on June 3 in the U.S.

It's official. Intel's fourth-generation core "Haswell" processor will arrive on June 3. Expect a crush of desktops, laptops, convertibles, detachables, and tablets to ensue.
"In approximately 3,337,200,000,000,000 nanoseconds, Intel will reveal all there is to know about the highly anticipated 4th generation Intel Core processor family," Intel said in a statement Friday.
That's June 3 in the U.S. and June 4 in Taiwan, where it will be rolled out at Computex.
Haswell is mostly about better battery life and, to a lesser extent, about improved graphics performance. So, expect, for instance, Haswell laptops that last longer -- maybe a lot longer if other power-saving technologies are also used -- than today's latest and greatest offerings.

Here's a quad-core Haswell diagram showing a large graphics engine. What Intel describes as 'configurations with large graphics and large cache.'

The first Haswell processors out of the chute are expected to be the quad-core variety aimed at high-end laptops. But don't be surprised if more quad-core chips seep into mainstream 13-inch and 14-inch laptops too due to Haswell's improved power efficiency.
At the other end of the spectrum will be a new variety of ultra-power-efficient Haswell chips that should allow PC makers -- and Apple if it so chooses -- to offer newfangled ultrathin designs with good performance.
And, of course, touch will be a big factor because of Windows 8 -- with Windows 8.1 to follow in the second half.
But it's not just a Windows world anymore. Intel told CNET that Android laptops are on the way. While many of them will tap Intel's Atom chip, new designs that run Google's Chrome OS -- like the Chromebook Pixel -- will adopt Haswell.

With Haswell expect more high-performance detachable tablets like Lenovo's Helix. Microsoft's Surface Pro will almost certainly tap Haswell too.

Read More

Samsung Galaxy S4 shootout versus HTC One, iPhone 5

Samsung may have loaded up its 13-megapixel smartphone shooter with playful settings, but it didn't skimp on raw image prowess.

The Samsung Galaxy S4's camera goes for gold.

Samsung has absolutely stuffed its Galaxy S4's 13-megapixel camera with settings and modes, but non of that matters if the phone's image quality can't stand up to the hype.
And so, this smartphone shootout, between the Galaxy S4's top Android rival, the HTC One, and another beacon of smartphone photographic excellence, the iPhone 5.

One important thing to note is that all three phones have very different sensors. The Galaxy S4 hosts a 13-megapixel camera, and the iPhone 5 has an 8-megapixel shooter.
For its part, the HTC One has a camera it calls "ultrapixels," which is actually a 4-megapixel camera. Although there aren't a lot of other specific details available, it's pretty clear that each smartphone camera has different focal lengths.
A note on my methodology: I took all photos at the same time and from the same vantage point. In most cases, I used the camera's automatic mode, and kept flash in auto mode as well. I want to show how well the cameras handled the common scenarios I set up without any special adjustments. If you're more photographically inclined, you'll be able to tease out even better images using manual settings and other modes.
Most pictures are resized and cropped; I'll point out if they're crops from full-resolution images. When it came time to evaluate the photos, I called on CNET camera editor Josh Goldman to review them with me. Down the line, Josh plans to put the Galaxy S4 camera through his usual battery of camera tests in New York. For now, though, I hope you enjoy this San Francisco shootout.

Arrow up

A very cool, colorful, and tucked-away statue stacks up arrows (or are they pixelated people?) in a towering arrangement.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
Josh and I thought that Samsung's Galaxy S4 colors look the most accurate, if a little cool. The image is also the most evenly exposed. HTC's One overexposes the shot, with blown-out yellow, and a lot of lost highlight detail in the background and in the reflection of the glass door on the left. However, you can see the seam on the black statue most clearly in the HTC One's shot. For its part, the iPhone underexposes the image a bit, but the rounded-out colors are a little more pleasing.

Ebb and flow

I shot these pictures of a fountain fixture in a nearby plaza.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
The Galaxy S4 loses this round. Its camera didn't seem to know where to focus, so it chose the steadiest thing around: the block of rock within the fountain. HTC's One is the clear winner, likely leaning on fast shutter speed to successfully freeze the running water. Of all three pictures, this image is also the most focused across the entire plane, but as before, the One blew out the detail in the water's the splash. The iPhone 5, meanwhile, fits right in between the two.
We also noticed that the HTC One's color is off, tending toward blue. You see that replicated in many images throughout this test.

Fountain close-up

Here's the cropped, full-resolution portion at the focal point in the water's stream.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
Up close, the One's dominance in this shot is even more crystal clear, though Josh notes that the water's definition is oversharpened and "crunchy."

Strictly forbidden

Don't park here. They really mean it.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
All three cameras did a nice job capturing this image, but the Galaxy S4 has the advantage for its most accurate color representation and lowest levels of noise. The One was our least favorite, losing a lot of background detail. The red was a little little rusty as well, a symptom of the camera's overall blue cast. Of the pictures, the iPhone 5's saturated red makes for a more lively image.

Signage, up close

These photos are full-resolution crops of the original, and all different sizes.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
The artifacts around the lettering are strongest in the HTC One and iPhone 5 pictures, which you can see in slightly jagged edges there. Colors are a little more accurate on the GS4, and while there's still noise, there's less of it.

Heads up

There's quite a lot of texture in this is clay noggin. I focused on the mouth, such as it is.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
This one's an interesting shot because it looks so different across the board. The S4's image is my favorite overall, once again blessed with the most even exposure of the three. You can see the clay detail and also some definition in the background street scene. The One's statue looks the brightest in the dueling light, but it's hopelessly overexposed, which you can tell when you take in the blown-out tree leaves, strip of white street, barely yellow meter, and color-striped taxi.
Although the iPhone produced the darkest image, it's the only one where you can see the actual road and the best taxi cab detail. There's more shadow detail as well. This may be the most technically proficient picture of the three, but my vote goes to the Galaxy S4 in this round.

Sweet ride

What better way to see how the phone cameras handle color than this awesome scooter?
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
All three of these photos look pretty nice. Samsung and iPhone produce rich, vibrant reds (the One once again is blued). If you look closely at the front of the Vespa, you'll notice that the HTC phone and, to a lesser extent, the iPhone, wash out the surface. For another example, fix your eyes on the mount just to the left of the handlebar area on the right.

Portrait

I took these photos indoors at dusk in a room with artificial lighting, focusing on her nose. I took multiple shots with each camera, and used automatic mode, so the camera algorithms could decide to use flash or not.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
I'm still not sure what happened here. None of the three photos turned out as expected, which is to say, in focus. In fact, all three images look pretty terrible. The Galaxy S4 fired its flash, which filled in the picture but also made the subject look sallow.
The HTC One never focused and never attempted to use flash; it's the blurriest of the bunch, and this is (believe it or not), the best of the three shots I took. While the iPhone 5 picture is noisy, it's arguably better-looking than the GS3 picture, because it makes use of natural light. I think this one's a toss-up for me, but if I were sharing one of them over e-mail or through a social network, I'd choose the GS4.

On the rocks

I shot this cocktail without any flash in a very low-lit indoor environment.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
Oh, Samsung, what have you done? The GS4 camera clearly picked the wrong light source to focus on, creating an inky low-light image, while the HTC One's picture actually came out strong enough to tell that you're looking at a beverage in a glass. Strange highlights and a floating blue window put a hitch in the One's victory dance, but you get the general idea. The iPhone 5 takes this round with the best colors, evenness, and detail.

It's all textual

A single, flickering candle illuminated this drink menu, taken indoors with the flash off. I focused on the large "R" and kept this cropped image at full resolution. These images represent the best of three shots per camera.
Galaxy S4

 

HTC One

 

iPhone 5

 

The verdict:
This is one of those photo setups that's pure stress test, though few would likely recreate this exact scene. Once again, Samsung's Galaxy S4 completely wiped out, which leaves the bout for the top low-light prize for this full-resolution crop between the iPhone 5 and HTC One. The One his the technically better shot when you account for the highest amount of detail and least amount of color noise. The iPhone 5 image contains a tremendous helping of noise, but I think that if you were to take a photo of a menu like this in its entirety, the iPhone's picture would be the easiest to read.

Final assessment

Josh and I both agree that the HTC One's camera is the weakest of the three. Its color reproduction is cooler and adds a blue cast to shades. It also overexposes more shots and conveys the least amount of detail. However, the One's low-light performance was pretty good, and in many instances, we'd be happy using a picture from the One in casual photo-sharing situations.
When it comes to the out-and-out winner, the tussle between the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S4 grows murkier. In well-lit photos, the choice for the "better" camera is a coin toss. The iPhone's slight underexposure captures the most detail across a scene, but the GS4 camera produced a lot of the photos we liked best.

The HTC One's camera in action (pictures)

1-2 of 6

Scroll Left Scroll Right

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

If there's one thing that tips in the iPhone's all-around favor, it's low-light performance -- and in this, the Galaxy phone's automatic mode miserably failed. The iPhone has always had a terrific track record with consistently good shots that don't require you to dig through settings first, and it's proven that again here against the GS4.
Still, Samsung deserved kudos for a job well done with the Galaxy S4's camera, including tools like automatic burst mode and settings like panorama and HDR, among more fanciful creations

Read More

'Wintel' on the wane: Intel goes Google

Intel has been synonymous with Windows PCs seemingly forever. But it's trying to change that in a hurry. Enter Google.

A sign of things to come? A $99 Craig Android 'Netbook' powered by Intel.

The fact that Microsoft and Intel no longer rule the personal computing world isn't news. But what happens next is.
I'll start with a flashback from the early '90s. I remember attending the launch of Windows 3.1 when I lived in Japan. Kazuhiko Nishi, former friend and business partner of Bill Gates, made a statement that foretold the fate of the Japanese PC industry as well as the global PC market.
I'm paraphrasing, but he said Microsoft was the chassis and Intel the engine of the personal computer. The point, of course, was that the two companies controlled the Windows PC and, as a consequence, controlled the digital computing world.
That was then. Today, Intel needs to be the engine powering the non-Windows world. That's where the explosive growth is.
So Intel is turning to Google. I've been hearing from sources at Intel for a long time that Android is the future. And Intel said as much to CNET this week.

Expect to see Intel-based Android laptops and hybrids priced between, let's say, $200 to $500 in the coming months. (Likely, at first, from companies such as erstwhile Netbook vendors Asus and Acer.)
But those aren't the only newfangled devices you'll see. Intel's Communications Group is also pushing hard into Android phones. The Lenovo K900 and Motorola RAZR I, and phonelike devices such as the Asus FonePad, come to mind. Intel will continue to expand this business in developing countries.
And Intel-powered Android tablets are also in the cards. If you don't think that's possible, just look at all of the Intel-Android tablets being sold in China.
Then there's the Chromebook. Intel is inside most of these, including the Chromebook Pixel, Acer C7, and HP Pavilion Chromebook.
The question, of course, is how successful Intel can be when it's not calling the shots with Microsoft.
I'll be watching carefully in the next 12 months. Will consumers?

Read More

Today`s quotes

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”

Read More

Workplace stress can double your risk of heart disease

Healthy employees exposed to stress at work are at twice the risk of cardiovascular disease, a new German study has warned.
Scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen in Germany evaluated data from a population-based cohort study and found that healthy workers exposed to stress at work displayed significantly elevated inflammatory parameters and faced twice the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
The study was based on a long-term observation of more than 950 people as part of the population-based cohort study MONICA/KORA.
The work was conducted by Dr Rebecca Emeny as part of the Mental Health working group headed by Professor Karl-Heinz Ladwig, Institute of Epidemiology II at the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen (HMGU).
Data was analysed from questionnaires on psychological stress at work and concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers in the blood.
More than half of the participants in the study stated that they experienced psychological strain and stress at work.
Scientists found a clear association between stress and elevated concentrations of CRP (C-reactive protein), which is an inflammatory marker, and were thus able to demonstrate a stress-related inflammatory reaction in the body.
Moreover, job stress led to harmful psychological effects such as depression and sleep disturbances as well as to unhealthy behaviour, for example, physical inactivity.
Doing sports regularly, for at least one hour per week, significantly reduced inflammatory activity. However, the differences in terms of health risks between people who suffered from work stress and those who did not still remained.

Read More

“Even a moderate increase in happiness at work improves the bottom line by 20%”

  Alexander Kjerulf AKA The Chief Happiness Officer is the founder of Woohoo inc and one of the world’s leading experts on happiness at work

How important is happiness at workplace?
Happiness at work is the most important success factor for businesses, and has a huge impact on the bottom line. One study showed that even a moderate increase in happiness at work improved the bottom line by 20%. Another study showed that the happiest companies are three times as profitable as regular businesses.
Also happiness at work is one of the main sources of happiness in life, so it also has a huge effect on employees. In fact, being unhappy at work can not only make you unhappy in life, it can also make you sick and ultimately kill you.
What are the ways and means by which employees can be happy at work?
Most people and companies get it wrong. They think that happiness at work comes from salaries, raises, bonuses, pension plans and perks. It takes two things to make us happy at work:

• Results
• Relationships

Let’s take a closer look at these two. Firstly, results. We all want to get results. We all want to make a difference, know that our work is important, get appreciation and do work that we can be proud of.
One of our deepest psychological needs is the need to control our environment. If we’re placed in a situation where we have no control and where nothing we do matters, we feel terrible. On the other hand, we love to make a difference. Accomplishment feels great. As Franklin. D. Roosevelt put it: “Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.”
Some managers don’t realise this about their people. They think employees must be pressured into performing. That when they are left alone, they choose to do nothing. In fact, the reverse is true and when given half a chance, they will work their hearts out to accomplish great results. Especially, meaningful results.
And secondly, there are relationships at work. When you ask people what makes them happy at work, they consistently rate these things highest:

• Nice co-workers.
• A good manager.
• Good communication.
• Fun and a sense of humor in the workplace.

Each of these is a sign of good relations, including care and indeed love – simple signs that people like each other and communicate well. These good relations don’t have to stop with co-workers and managers, but can also apply to customers, suppliers, shareholders, and the company’s wider community.
And relationships at work matter so much because we will be spending a lot of time with people at work. When you think about it, you’ll be spending more of your waking hours with them, than with your friends and family combined.
So this is the secret to happiness at work: Results and relationships – doing great work together with great people.
Do you believe employers should do their part to keep their employees happy? What are some of the possible strategies they could implement to create a happy workplace?
The company has a responsibility to be good workplace and executives must make happiness a strategic priority.  Managers need to realise that happiness at work is the most important driver of productivity. So, managers need to realise that their most important job is to make sure that their employees have results and relationships and are happy at work.
They can do simple things like praising people who do good work. They must make sure to connect with and understand their employees, so they feel understood and valued. They must give employees the tools and resources they need to do a good job.
Otherwise they will end up creating a very unhappy and unsuccessful workplace.
Are there some things that employees must be careful about while trying to be happy at work?
I’ve spoken in India several times and there are two things I’ve noticed about Indian workplaces, that I think needs to be changed before they can become really happy. One is that there seems to a very authoritarian culture – the boss’ word is law and the structure is very hierarchical. Also, in some places at least, low-level employees are treated quite rudely or badly. This is bad for employee happiness. It is important to treat every employee, regardless of status or position, with respect.
Also, I’ve noticed that Indian workplaces look to the US for clues on management. Well let me tell you something: The American management style doesn’t even work that well in America. And considering how rich the Indian culture is, I would much rather see Indian workplaces look there for inspiration than to the USA.
Finally, I think the huge advantage you have in India is that there is already in Indian culture and society a desire to be happy, at least in private life. I would love to see more Indians take that desire into the workplace.

Read More

Try Ayurveda for hair loss

Try Ayurveda for hair fall

For thousands of years, men and women of all countries and races have shared the tragedy of pre-mature hair loss.

According to Ayurveda , the hair is derived either as a by-product or produced as a breakdown product of Asthi (bone tissue). Any disturbance in this tissue metabolism, which very much depends on the digestive fire, can affect the health of the hair. To a certain extent, the quality of hair depends on the body constitution.

The reason for hair loss is a subject that no two doctors, seem to agree on and everyone seems to have their own opinion on the subject. The major causes of hairfall are hormonal, nutritional deficiencies and complication to other diseases and medications. Hormone related hair fall may also result from an increased sensitivity of hair follicles to male hormones or due to greater number of male hormone receptors attached to hair follicles. This is the component that is inherited through the genes — termed as Pitta constitution.

According to Ayurveda, excess of Pitta dosha in the body is increased by hot climatic conditions, excessive intake of spicy, salty and sour food, hot and sharp food, tea, coffee, alcohol, meats and excessive smoking. Eating too much fried, oily, greasy, and acidic foods also aggravates Pitta. Pitta balancing herbs (Eg: Shatavari —Asparagus) and vegetables which improves the quality of Asthi dhathu (Eg: bitter vegetables) are effective in treating hair fall.

There are a number of other causes for hair fall like acute illness, high stress, and thyroid imbalance, certain drugs, sudden weight loss and high fever.

The first step is to locate the root cause in your diet or lifestyle that may be increasing the Pitta dosha. Once you locate it, try to give up or at least reduce the diet, habit, or activity responsible for increasing Pitta. Internal use of Ayurvedic medicines like Thikthakam kashayam, Thikthakam ghritham as per medical advice are effective to correct the metabolism. Ayurvedic general tonics like Narasimha rasayanam, Chyavana prasam are effective for improving hair growth. In alopecia, due to systemic diseases, treatment of the same is also required.

General recommendations and tips to maintain the results are some of the following:
- A high protein and an iron rich diet is recommended for hair loss. An adequate intake of raw vegetables, fresh fruits, salads, green leafy vegetables should be included in the diet on a regular basis. - Use a natural shampoo to clean the hair. Amla (embilica officinalis), Shikakai (Acacia concinna) are very good for washing the hair. - Oiling and massaging of scalp is very beneficial for stopping the hair loss. Use coconut oil at least three times in a week. Certain medicated oils like Neelibhringadi oil, Kunthala kanthi oil, Kanjunnyadi oil are very useful. Put oil on the scalp, and massage gently in the roots of the hair.

Read More

7 Foods that help burn fat in summer

Foods that help burn fat

Forget fancy diets, the top flab busters can be found in your own kitchen.

Summer is here and if you have been feeling wistful over not being able to wear your bikini, it's not too late. A magazine quoted dietician Dr Carrie Ruxton as saying, "Metabolism is what converts food into energy. A slow rate means calories are more likely to be converted into fat." While exercise helps, and so does portion control, here are those foods that act as the the biggest metabolism boosters.

Apples: These are said to be nutrient-rich and contain enough fibre to keep the digestion healthy. A tip? Eating an apple just 20 minutes before your meal will make you eat lesser calories in your main meal.

Turkey: This is regarded as a good alternative to chicken as it is lower in calories and higher in proteins and nutrients. It's said that 5 ounces of turkey contains just 175 calories and 10 grams of fat.

Broccoli: Adding more broccoli to your diet can help you lose that weight as it is a low-calorie food that can help you fill up quickly. A single cup of steamed broccoli gives you about twice the amount of vitamins C and K you need in a day. It also is a very good source of vitamins B6 and B2, phosphorus, magnesium, protein and omega-3 fatty acids.

Almonds: Almonds can speed up metabolism like no other. They are also associated with with reducing cholesterol and lowering blood sugar.

Peppers: Bell peppers are great for weight loss. They can fill out any dish without adding the calories and have a small amount of fat burning capsaicin in them.

Pulses: Legumes or pulses like soya beans and kidney beans have key nutrients like iron, vitamins of B group and dietary fiber. Pulses help maintain regular bowel movement because the texture of the fibre helps it move through the digestive system quickly.

Green tea: Is another substance that can be added to the diet that can increase the metabolic rate. Green tea has EGCG in its composition. This substance helps to increase the body and the rate that the nervous system functions. It in turn increases the metabolism.

Read More

Airtel, Microsoft announce combo offer

Bharti Airtel and Microsoft announced a partnership, wherein consumers in the country can get discounts on purchase of Xbox games and Airtel high speed broadband connection.

NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel and Microsoft announced a partnership, wherein consumers in the country can get discounts on purchase of Xbox games and Airtel high speed broadband connection.

As part of this combo offer, consumers buying an 'Xbox 360 4GB Kinect' console or taking a new Airtel high speed broadband connection can save up to Rs 15,500, a joint statement by the two comapnies said.

This combo includes 10 Xbox 360 games, 12-month free Xbox LIVE gold membership and up to Rs 4,888 offer on the existing or new Airtel broadband connection, it said.

The Xbox is a video game console manufactured by Microsoft.

The promotional offer is valid till June 30, 2013 and is available across Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai, it added.

"Consumers can now enjoy a smooth Xbox LIVE entertainment experience which includes the best multi-player action that Xbox is so well known for on an Airtel broadband," Microsoft Corporation India Business Group Lead (Interactive Entertainment Business) Anshu Mor said.

"We are confident that our-tie up with Microsoft... deliver a much-awaited and enhanced experience for gaming lovers," Bharti Airtel CEO (Homes and Office) Najib Khan said.

Read More