10 foods bad for your skin

10 Foods that are bad for your skin (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

With growing awareness, people have become more health as well as beauty conscious. In this aesthetic-loving age, it is very essential to let people know that what they consider 'aesthetic' is also related to their skin. 

Importantly, manifestations of your nutritional status as well as body's nutritional needs reflect on the skin's health.

That's why we have today Priya Jain, Dietician, P D Hinduja National Hospital & MRC, Mahim, Mumbai who is going yo share with us a list of 10 foods that can harm your skin.

Foods that disturb water balance
Dehydration causes drying of the skin. Wrinkling is a common side effect of lack of moisture in the skin. Dehydration and acne are interlinked because drying of skin and dead skin cells coming together cause acne.

Excess salt
Excess salt retains additional fluid in the body causing swelling and apuffy look to the skin. The skin texture is spoilt on prolonged salt abuse. Papads, pickles, salted foods, table salt, brined/canned food products are the potential sources of salt to the body.

Excess caffeine
Caffeine is a known stimulant which increase the cortisol production in the body and enhances the ageing process by thinning the skin. This dehydrates the skin and even leads to wrinkling. In addition, caffeine is a diuretic which further increases the risk of dehydration. So beware when you decide to go for an additional helping of coffee, tea or chocolates too!

Alcohol
Alcohol inhibits the Anti-Diuretic Hormone secretion thus causing dehydration. Furthermore, it also causes vasodilatation, which then leads to excess water loss through the skin. This is also known to be a contributing factor to acute phases of psoriasis as per the American Academy of Dermatology.

Foods with high glycemic load
These foods cause drastic fluctuations in the blood sugar. This leads to excess secretion of insulin and androgens during the high and low bouts respectivel. A major reason to contribute to surplus sebum production, enhanced skin cell division and aggregation of dead skin cells - leading to acne.

Excess sugar 
Not literally only sugar, but even jaggery and honey!

Aerated beverages 
Aerated drinks can be nightmarish for the skin. Exceptions are the so-called diet-cokes and the family. But their caffeine content makes them the villains for skin health.

Processed foods
Refined or processed foods like maida (refined flour) and its products, canned and sweetened fruits and juices are low in fiber content, thus increasing the glycemic load. Moreover the processed foods are often high in their salt/sodium content. As a by-product of processing, these also lose the nutrients of the parent food products important for skin health.

Foods that enhance free-radical production
Free radicals are known to disrupt the skin's structure by destroying collagen and elastin; the fibres that support the skin structure. They also cause damage at the cellular level by disturbing the DNA structure.

Red meat
Consumption of red meat, especially fat-laden parts can lead to inflammatory reactions. This is by the virtue of saturated fat content of meats. In excess, free radicals generated overpowers the anti-oxidation capacity of the free radical scavengers in the body.

Fried foods and hydrogenated fat
Excess heat application like during frying of foods and production of hydrogenated fat (margarine, vanaspati ghee) leads to oxidation of fatty acids and destruction of anti-oxidant nutrients like vitamin E, omega-3 fats present in the oils/fat. Generation of trans-fatty acids encourages free radical production by fueling the oxidation process. So next time you thing margarine is healthier to butter...you'll remember reading this!

Excess use of artificial sweeteners/colours/flavours
These chemicals lodge into our systems and are difficult to flush out of our body. Overuse and inability to flush them out in time could be the pre-cursor for free radical production.

Crash diets
Crash diets affect skin health through all the 3 mechanisms discussed before. Dehydration is a side effect of crash dieting. Studies suggest that consuming lot of water throughout this phase barely helps and this is because body doesn't retain water due to nutritional deprivation and lack of balanced meals.

Crash diets are known to cause dramatic fluctuations in blood sugar levels, no wonder acnes are so common amongst anorexics and bulemics. Skin requires antioxidant nutrients (Vitamins A, C, E, zinc, selenium, etc.) that scavenge the free radicals. The Journal of Investigative Dermatology (Feb, 2005) testifies that long term vitamins C and E intake is linked with reduced incidence of sunburns from exposure to UVB radiation. These antioxidant vitamins help protect against DNA damage by protecting the skin structure. Crash diets are known to cause nutrient deficiencies and thereby the lack of antioxidants too
.

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‘Journalists, anchors, sales professionals in-demand in the broadcasting industry’

Interview of the Day: ‘Journalists, anchors, sales professionals in-demand in the broadcasting industry’

Preet Dhupar, Chief Operating Officer – India Operations, BBC World News 

What is the most important thing one needs to keep in mind to make a career in the broadcasting industry?

“Change is the only constant” – anyone wanting to make a career in the broadcasting industry must make this a mantra. It is important to have the ability to adapt to change. Advancements in technology occur at a phenomenal speed and that has a direct impact on the industry, largely to do with how audience across genres wants to view content. And you have to have the ability to think quickly on your feet and adapt to the change if you want to remain relevant.

Which are most in-demand profiles in the Broadcasting industry?

There’s always demand for talent – specifically good journalists, anchors and also for advertising sales professionals.

According to you, what are three must-have skills for a candidate to work in this industry?

Besides professional competency required for the specific role, the ability to adapt to change is a must. Excellent communication skills are very important as is the ability to connect with people. Ability to think creatively and out of the box is another must have.

Since, the broadcasting industry works 24X7, how do you motivate your employees to work for long hours and maintain a healthy work-life balance?

To be able to cover a 24X7 operation, it is important to have work allocation in shifts and rotas. However, the nature of news business is such that it is not unusual for people to work beyond their contracted hours. When work is exciting and fulfilling, long hours and hectic travel schedules are less of a problem so the trick is to keep people engaged and excited about what they do. Their work is not just a job – it means something more valuable to them.

How do you attract the best of talent while facing stiff competition from domestic players?

Due to the size and diversity of the organisation globally, it has the capability to offer superior training and diverse work experience. As a professional, you get an opportunity to learn a lot and grow. Creativity is the life blood of the organisation and people come for an exciting and rewarding role.

In your business, employees are based at various locations, how do you manage employee development and engagement centrally?

Internal communications works very hard to ensure that leaders are in regular touch with people through the web and e-mail. The BBC intranet is regularly updated with news from around the world so that everyone feels included. We use all possible ways to ensure that people are engaged. Local management is responsible for employee development but there is also an oversight from London. Above all, what works is a very open culture where everyone feels valued and is encouraged to voice their opinions.

- See more at: http://content.timesjobs.com/?p=7834&fromsite=toi&utm_source=toi&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=toi-tj-whitelabel#sthash.MoTsol78.dpuf

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Indian man wearing dhoti stopped from travelling in Dubai Metro

Madhumati said that she tried her best to explain to the policeman that the dhoti was an Indian traditional dress, which covers the body fully but to no avail.

DUBAI: A 67-year-old Indian visitor was stopped from entering the Dubai Metro, apparently for wearing a traditional Indian dress - dhoti.


According to the victim's daughter Madhumati, a policeman stopped them near the punching gates of the Etisalat Metro Station on last Saturday and told her father that this dress was not allowed and he could not go on the metro wearing it.

"I pleaded with him to let us go... But the policeman wouldn't hear a word. It was really embarrassing and my father was really upset," she was quoted as saying by the Gulf News.

Madhumati said that she tried her best to explain to the policeman that the dhoti was an Indian traditional dress, which covers the body fully but to no avail.

She said her father, who is on a visit to Dubai, had travelled on the Metro wearing the same dress on various occasions but had never been stopped.

According to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), it has no official dress code or policy.

"What has happened is really surprising. There is no official restriction from the RTA and we have not given instructions on dress codes," saidRamadan Abdullah, director of operations at the RTA's rail agency.

"I think anything that covers the body and is respectable should be allowed. I believe it was a personal reaction on the part of the policeman and this matter will be investigated."

Abdullah urged the victim to approach the RTA with details of the incident which would help in the investigation.

Madhumati has lodged a formal complaint in the matter
.

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8,517 seats still vacant in engineering colleges in Gujarat

According to the Supreme Court guidelines, the admissions into professional courses should get over by August 15.

AHMEDABAD: Now, less than 10 days are left to the deadline for engineering, pharmacy, MBA, MCA and Bachelor of Architecture admissions and still there are many seats left to be filled by the admission committee. According to theSupreme Court guidelines, the admissions into professional courses should get over by August 15.

As many as 8,517 seats are still vacant in engineering colleges after three rounds of admission. There are also 8,371 seats vacant in diploma to degree quota of seats which are available in second year of engineering. The pharmacy admissions are yet to begin. There are about 5,000 seats in pharmacy courses all over the state.

The admission committee had written a letter to the technical department, requesting it to grant one more round of admissions for courses such as engineering and BArch. The committee was, however, told that it would in violation of the Supreme Court order that admissions should be over by August 1. The technical department, it seems, was not aware that the last date for admissions is August 15.

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Woman buys Apple phones online, pays $1200 for fruit

A 21-year-old Australian woman who was trying to buy Apple smartphones online was conned into paying $1,200 for two edible apples!

MELBOURNE: A 21-year-old Australian woman who was trying to buy Apple smartphones online was conned into paying $1,200 for two edible apples!

The woman, who has not been named, had posted an ad on website Gumtree asking to buy two Apple smartphones.

She was soon contacted by another woman who said she had 'two Apples' for sale.

They met at a McDonald's restaurant where the woman handed over the money for what she thought were two new smartphone boxes. The buyer did not check inside the boxes and on arriving home found they contained real apples.

Senior Constable Jess Hopkin of the Crime Prevention Unit in Upper Mt Gravatt, near Brisbane, warned people to be careful when buying things online, according to 'Herald Sun'.

"If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. It's really just common sense," said Hopkin.

Gumtree spokeswoman Niki Hennessy said the company took the safety and security of its users seriously.

"We are continually improving processes and user education to make Gumtree the safest possible platform for buying and selling," she said.

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Samsung flip phone with dual touchscreens leaked

It seems Samsung is giving flip phones a second chance with its upcoming Android-powered Galaxy Folder.

NEW DELHI: Flip phones went out of favour even among non-business users when touchscreen smartphones arrived. However, it seems Samsung is inclined give these handsets a second chance with its allegedly upcoming Android-powered Galaxy Folder smartphone.

The phone had been leaked previously but dismissed from most quarters as an abandoned prototype. However, a recently leaked photo and accompanied specifications suggest that the South Korean manufacturer is still actively developing this handset.

According to a report by tech websiteGSMInsider, the upcoming Android-running flip phone by Samsung will be sold by the name Galaxy Golden, though it is being developed under the codename Galaxy Folder. It will feature two touchscreens, one on the front and the other on the back of the top panel, while the alphanumeric keypad will reside below it.

The two AMOLEDtouchscreens of the phone will measure 3.67-inch in size and have resolution of 800x480p. The handset is rumoured to run on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system and pack a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor under the hood, backed by 2GB RAM. It is also said to have two cameras and 4G connectivity.

Rumours say that the Galaxy Golden will initially be marketed only in South Korea and may hit other countries with the same name later.

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IT hiring could come down by 17% this fiscal: Nasscom

Rising automation and low attrition in IT sector may act as a dampener for job seekers, with Nasscom expecting hiring to decline by up to 17%.

NEW DELHI: Rising automation and low attrition in IT sector may act as a dampener for job seekers with industry body Nasscomexpecting hiring to decline by up to 17 per cent to 1,50,000 in the current fiscal.

The 108-billion dollar Indian IT-ITeS sector provides employment to about 3 million professionals.

"I think we will have net additions of 150,000-180,000 this year. Last year it was about 180,000," Nasscom President Som Mittal said when asked about the hiring environment.

Explaining the decline, he added: "It might be less than last year, as it is getting non-linear and lower-end jobs are getting automated. The profile is changing and we need more Domain experts."

Attrition levels have also come down to around 14-15 per cent against the industry average of 20 per cent earlier.

Mittal also said that campus hiring may fall significantly due to change in hiring patterns.

"Campus hiring may be 60 per cent of what it was last year," he said, adding that now employers are focusing more on soft skills and leadership qualities than on technical skills.

According to an analysis, three years back 80 per cent focus was on technical skills "but now only 40 per cent focus is on technical skills and the rest is on soft skills and Domain," Mittal said.

Hiring by India's four largest IT companies dropped by over 60 per cent in the April-June quarter of this year.

The top four IT services exporters made net additions of about 4,100 to their workforce during the quarter this year, against around 10,900 in the year-ago period.

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Dislike Adobe subscriptions? Xara updates its design suite

Xara Designer Pro X9, which bundles the company's tools for image editing, illustration, Web design, and layout, now is available, and customers don't need a subscription.

Xara Design Pro X9's illustration tools can be used to create complicated vector art.

(Credit: Xara)

Creative types alienated by Adobe Systems' Creative Cloud subscription program have a new alternative for some of their work: new image-editing, illustration, and layout software from Xara.
Last week, the U.K. company released the new version 9 of Xara Page & Layout Designer, and this week, it released the ninth version of its flagship product, Xara Designer Pro X9. The former is geared for page design tasks for which people might use Adobe InDesign, and the latter bundles that layout tool with the company's other newer version 9 products, Xara Photo & Graphic Designer X9 for illustration and photo editing and Xara Web Designer 9 for Web site design.

Xara Design Pro X9's photo-editing tools now include a healing brush to clear up blemishes.

(Credit: Xara)

The software, though available for Windows only, can be bought through a perpetual license. Xara Designer Pro X9 costs $299 or $99 for an upgrade. Xara also offers a $100 discount to attract Adobe customers. Xara Page & Layout Designer 9 costs $90, though there's a promotional price of $70 for an introductory period.
Adobe's shift to subscription-only sales for its new Creative Cloud products has angered some customers, though the Creative Cloud subscriptions are growing and Adobe said it won't backtrack. Adobe's move has spurred competitors into new efforts to woo disgruntled Adobe customers.
Xara Designers doesn't match the product breadth or market penetration of Adobe's older Creative Suite line or its new Creative Cloud products, which cost $50 per month to use and includes software such as After Effects and Premiere Pro for video editing. But Xara's tools do handle some of what Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and DreamWeaver can do.
New in Xara Designer Pro v9 are a number of features, including the following:

Xara Design Pro X9's Web design tool comes with a variety of pre-made Web site templates.

(Credit: Xara)

• A photo healing brush to remove blemishes and scratches, and a "magic erase" tool lets people wipe out even large features in photos;
• A background erase tool designed to make it easier to select foreground subjects;
• Eleven new photo filters with effects such as pencil-sketch and sepia tone;
• Multicolumn text layouts and page-flow support so overflow text can automatically fill new text boxes on new pages;
• The ability to export layouts as formatted Web pages.
• Beta support for importing files stored in Microsoft Word's .docx format;
• Support for newer HTML and CSS standards for Web page creation, including photo slideshow effects using JavaScript and CSS animations;
• Support for Google's free Web fonts in Web page publication;
• The ability to create Web pages that automatically display in high-resolution versions for Apple Retina display products;
• New Web page themes, page layout templates, and logo designs;
• And 64-bit Windows support for projects that require more memory. The 32-bit version still is available, but it's limited to 2GB to 3GB of memory.

Text can be set to flow from one text box to another with Xara Design Pro X9's updated layout tools.

(Credit: Xara)

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Microsoft details hardware requirements for Windows 8 devices

New Bluetooth, audio, and TPM requirements, some of which take effect in 2014 and 2015, are coming for Windows 8.1 (and beyond) devices.

Microsoft and Intel executives detailed some of the new hardware requirements for Windows 8 clients that will be introduced in 2014 and 2015 during a session at this week's Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference.

During a session for Microsoft reseller partners titled "How to talk to customers about Windows devices," Microsoft executives talked about some of the new hardware features that Windows 8.1 and subsequent releases will support.
As we've been hearing at various Microsoft conferences over the past couple months, Microsoft is working closely with OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) on making sure new touch-enabled, lighter, thinner, faster devices with longer battery life, support for "modern" security, connectivity, and new sensors will be coming to market. Starting later this year, these machines will make use of the new features Microsoft is building into Windows 8.1, including support for NFC and biometric authentication; new portrait-mode enhancements; and InstantGo (the renamed and updated Connected Standby capability) to allow devices to turn on instantly and keep apps up to date.
(A related aside: "Precision Touchpads" also are now available for Windows 8.1 Certification. Precisions Touchpads are required on all ARM-based systems and are optional for x86/x64, according to Microsoft documentation.)
There will be new, additional requirements for Windows devices seeking Microsoft certification coming in the next couple of years, group manager Lee Sabow told session attendees.
In January 2014, certified Windows systems will be required to support Bluetooth on all devices with Wi-Fi. Front-facing 720p Webcams will be required for systems with integrated displays (tablets, notebooks, and all-in-ones). And higher-fidelity audio requirements for speakers and microphones will be on the list, too, Sabow said, to help partners who want to "upsell" Lync, Microsoft's unified communications technology.
In January 2015, TPM 2.0 will be required on all certified Windows devices, Sabow said. TPM, or Trusted Platform Module, is a spec and implementation for a cryptoprocessor.
Microsoft updated its Windows 8 certification documentation in late June to reflect these additional Windows 8.1, 2014 and 2015 requirements.
During the WPC session on Windows devices, Microsoft executives reiterated the company's goal of Windows 8.1 becoming the No. 1 tablet in the business/enterprise space. From the context of the remarks, it sounded as though Microsoft meant all Windows 8.1 tablets combined -- not just its own Surfaces -- would figure in here.
Microsoft has its work cut out for it with improving OEM traction around Windows 8. As Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner admitted during his keynote speech at WPC, the partner ecosystem was about 18 to 24 months behind Microsoft with Windows 8, resulting in a lack of devices ready to take advantage of touch and some of the other new features in the operating system at the time it was launched in October 2012.
As far as the rest of the "How to talk to customers session," there wasn't a whole lot else that was new. The speakers acknowledged that while some current and potential customers are no longer confused by the differences between Core-based, Atom-based, and ARM-based Windows 8/Windows RT devices, many still don't know the differences.
Executives suggested that partners ask "three hard questions" when trying to help users figure out which PCs and devices to buy: 1) What the business needs; 2) What IT requires; and 3) What do users want. Partners should try to help customers define what they need from a "commercial device," potentially defining them along the "primary PC," "companion PC," "executive PC," and "specialized PC" lines, the speakers said.

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BSNL announces roaming plans with free incoming calls

Following rivals, state-run BSNL Wednesday said it has launched special plans offering customers free incoming calls and cheaper rates for outgoing calls and SMS while roaming in the country.Other mobile operators have announced such schemes in order to comply with directions by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India last month to give consumers the option of discounted roaming plans.
BSNL is offering two special tariff vouchers for roaming wherein customers will get unlimited free incoming calls for Rs. 5 a day and Rs. 69 for 30 days. Outgoing local and national calls will be charged at 1.5 paise per second.
In addition, BSNL has launched two Roaming Tariff Plans (RTP) for post-paid customers for Rs. 145 and Rs. 625 which come with services such as free calls and SMS.
It has also launched RTPs for Rs. 149 and Rs. 825, which include free unlimited incoming calls for a month.
For pre-paid customers, BSNL has announced an RTP for Rs. 405 and free roaming RTP for Rs. 705.

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Micromax Canvas 4 is bearing the brunt of heightened expectations

Micromax has come a long way already in its relatively short, yet incredibly successful journey. The company first came to the limelight selling dual-SIM feature phones, sensing a gap in the market that was ruled at the time by single-SIM offerings from Nokia. Micromax was perhaps the first company to realise India's thirst for dual-SIM phones, and positioned itself to service this demand at prices that undercut established players by a substantial margin.
By the time Nokia began to fight back with dual-SIM feature phones of its own, Micromax was the dominant player in the segment, and already eyeing its next move. The rise of Android and an entire ecosystem of manufacturers that was getting setup in China around Google's operating system, gave the company the ideal platform to chase its next big opportunity - budget smartphones that ran Android.
Months after Nokia made its move into the dual-SIM feature phone segment, Micromax launched its first Android-based smartphone, the Micromax A60. Even as the company launched various other Android smartphones, it struggled to shed the tag of 'cheap Chinese imports' tag for a very long time. This made the company realise that if it wanted to take on the big boys of the smartphone world, marketing was as important as the products themselves. Enter the Canvas series.
With the launch of its Canvas series, Micromax tried to position itself as an 'aspirational' brand with European models and foreign locales driving home the point that it was 'cool' to have a Micromax phone. Of course, the company stepped up its game on the product side as well, first, with the Canvas 2, and then, the phone that signalled to everyone that Micromax had well and truly arrived, the Canvas HD.
Micromax Canvas HD received universally positive reviews from the press as well as end users for being a great value-for-money offering, undercutting the sales of Samsung's big bet for the mid-range segment, the Galaxy Grand. With reports of the Canvas HD being sold at a 'premium' across the country, helped no doubt by the limited quantities that were imported, Micromax seemed to have achieved its objective of becoming an aspirational brand, at least for those on a budget.
Riding high on the success of Canvas HD, Micromax started promoting of its new flagship, the Canvas 4. The first promo aired during the high profile India vs. Pakistan clash in the ICC Champions Trophy, indicating how seriously the company now took marketing, and, indeed, how far the company had come from its initial days. The relentless promos, on TV as well as online, only heightened interest, and indeed, expectations, from the Canvas 4.
Micromax Canvas 4, while a decent phone on paper, has definitely failed to live up to people's expectations fuelled largely by Micromax's own marketing efforts. If Micromax had quietly released the Canvas 4, it would've probably been seen as exactly what it is - an incremental upgrade to the Canvas HD. However, after all the pre-launch hype, there was no way the phone could've been received rationally, or delivered everything that people wanted, from a full-HD display to a built-in microwave (okay, one of them is made up).
From someone that could come in from the left field and surprise the big boys, Micromax has become a company whose every move will now be watched and dissected (at least within India, if not elsewhere) similar to what the likes of Samsung and Apple go through on a daily basis. Micromax's next big challenge lies in how it reacts to these heightened expectations.

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Nokia Lumia 1020 with 41-megapixel camera, Windows Phone 8 officially unveiled

Finland's Nokia unveiled its latest smartphone Thursday with a powerful 41-megapixel camera touted as offering "more detail than the eye can see."
In unveiling the new device in New York, Nokia said its Lumia 1020 smartphone "is able to produce some of the sharpest images possible by any digital camera."
The Windows-powered phone has six physical lenses and optical image stabilization, and can handle sound pressure levels six times louder than conventional smartphone microphones, the company said.
"We want to take people on a journey from capturing pictures to recording and sharing their lives," said Stephen Elop, president and chief executive.
"The Nokia Lumia 1020 will bring new meaning to pictures and continues to strengthen Nokia's leadership in imaging."
The phone, which will be sold in the US market this month and in Europe and China in the coming weeks, features a new photo application designed for professional quality images.
Using a feature called dual capture, the phone 1020 simultaneously takes a high resolution 38 megapixel image for editing opportunities, and a five-megapixel picture that is easy to share on social networks, Nokia said.
Nokia has seen its past glory fade under pressure of competition from Apple and Asian mobile phone makers.
Microsoft and Nokia joined forces about two years ago in an alliance aimed at making inroads with handsets powered by Windows Phone software.
Windows, boosted by the Windows Phone 8 introduced last year, boosted its US market share to 5.6 percent from 3.8 percent, according to a recent Kantar Worldpanel ComTech survey.

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Bharti Airtel approaches Telecom Ministry to discuss roaming penalty issue

Bharti Airtel has approached the Telecom Ministry to discuss the issue of Rs. 650 crore penalty which the Department of Telecom is likely to impose on the company for allegedly violating roaming norms, sources said.

The company in a letter to Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal has sought a meeting to present its case, sources added.

"We understand from the media reports that the DoT may impose an aggregate penalty of Rs. 650 crore on our company for offering service namely Subscriber Local Dialing in 13 service areas," the company said in the letter.

"There has been no violation and that we are in full compliance of the licence terms an early opportunity of personal hearing is given to us to represent our case before any final decision is taken by DoT on this issue," Airtel's Joint Managing Director and CEO, Gopal Vittal said in the letter.

The company did not immediately respond to a query seeking comments on the matter.

Sibal is learnt to have approved levying of Rs. 650 crore penalty on Bharti Airtel for violating roaming norms in 13 service areas between 2003 and 2005.

The company claimed that DoT has made made no effective communication in this regard with it since 2005.

"As a result of delay we are likely to be seriously affected in our ability to produce or lead evidence which may also be no longer in existence to establish our case," the letter said.

An internal committee of Department of Telecom had found Bharti Airtel routing national and international calls as local calls (SLD) under a scheme till 2005 despite being told to stop it in 2003, causing loss to the government exchequer and state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL), sources said.

The operator had not stopped the service at least up to June 2005 even after specific directions from the DoT was issued on June 20, 2003, they added.

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Google may implement Internet-beaming balloons in India

Internet search giant Google may implement its prestigious 'Project Loon', which is a balloon-mounted Internet access service, in various countries including India.

"We are doing a pilot project in New Zealand and going to see how it works. Once we get satisfactory results, we will be in a position to implement it in other countries as well," Google's Managing Director, Global Channel Sales, Todd Towe told reporters.

"Interestingly, while we are still in the pilot phase, we have been getting multiple queries from different countries including India, which are interested in implementing the project," Towe said.

However, he said, there is no time-frame to launch the project in India.

'Project Loon' balloons, which carry Internet signal antennas float in the stratosphere, at a height twice as high as air planes.

They are carried around the earth by winds and can be steered by rising or lowering them to a particular altitude, with winds moving in the desired direction.

Customers may connect to Google's balloon network using a special Internet antenna attached to their building. The signal bounces from balloon to balloon, onto the Internet and back to the earth.

A 'Project Loon' pilot project began on June 15 at the 40th parallel South, which is a circle of latitude, that is 40 degrees south of the earth's equatorial plane, when 30 balloons launched from New Zealand's South Island beamed Internet signals to a small group of pilot testers.

The experience of these pilot testers will be used to refine the technology and shape the next phase of 'Project Loon', Google had said earlier.

Speaking about the company's Premier Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Partner Programme, Rowe said within 10 months of its launch, the model has gained significant momentum in India.

"We have partnered with 16 medium sized companies, with over 3,000 sales people who have been trained to help SMEs gain from digital advertising. In the next one year, we are looking to significantly increase our presence in South India by doubling our partners and add another 3,000 sales force though these partners," Rowe said.

Jaspreet Bindra, CEO, Getit Infomedia, one of the largest Premier SME Partners of Google India said that it had entered into a strategic alliance with Google India, though its SME programme to increase Getit's presence in the country.

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Airtel ties up with Google to offer free search, Google+ and Gmail services

Bharti Airtel on Wednesday said it has partnered with Google to launch a service 'Free Zone', wherein subscribers will be able to access Google services such as Gmail, Google+ and Google search on their mobile phones without any data cost.

The users, however, have to pay for advanced services such as attachment downloads, the company said in a statement.

"Free Zone powered by Google, will give Airtel mobile customers access to mobile web search and feature phone friendly versions of Gmail and Google+ in India. The first page of a website linked from search results is provided at no data cost," Airtel said.

The company added when users leave the Free Zone to navigate deeper into a website or download an attachment they are informed about the data charges and given the option to purchase an appropriate data package.

"In this market, where feature phones predominate, our association with Google to bring Free Zone to India will encourage millions of users to discover the power of mobile Internet for the very first time and leverage the amazing world of information search, email and social collaboration at no incremental cost," Bharti Airtel Chief Marketing Officer (Consumer Business) N Rajaram said.

Users can have unlimited access to Gmail from their mobile browser but if they click on a link or attachment within the email they are directed to a page where they can purchase a data package.

In the same way, subscribers can search Internet and access the first page of websites from the results for free.

If they click further into a website after that, they are directed to a page where they can purchase a data package, it added.

"The mobile Internet user base is growing really fast in India. We hope this initiative will encourage more Indians to experience the value of the Internet and gain from it," Google India VP and Managing Director Rajan Anandan said.

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Videocon A55HD with 5-inch display, Android 4.2 launched for Rs. 13,499

Videocon Mobiles has launched A55HD smartphone in the Indian market for Rs. 13,499. Videocon A55HD packs in 1.2GHz quad-core processor along with 1GB of RAM.

The latest flagship smartphone from Videocon deploys a 5-inch screen with a resolution of 720X1280 pixels. It has a pixel density of 295ppi. Videocon has adopted one-glass solution (OGS) technology for the display of this smartphone. Internally. the smartphone Videocon A55HD comes with 4GB internal storage, which can be expanded by up to 32GB with microSD card.

For camera, there is an 8-megapixel rear camera with auto focus and 3.2-megapixel front shooter. The rear camera of the smartphone is also capable of shooting up to 40 continuous shots in the burst mode.

Videocon A55HD is a dual-SIM smartphone with dual standby. It runs on Android 4.2.1 (Jelly Bean) and comes loaded with a 2,000mAh battery. Connectivity options on the smartphone include 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and GPS/A-GPS. Videocon A55HD also comes with 'Flip To Silent' and 'Face Detection' feature.

To entice the consumers, the company is offering free protective pouch along with this smartphone.

Commenting on the launch, Khalid Zamir, Head Product Planning and Development, Videocon Mobile Phones Division, said, "The launch of Videocon A55HD heralds a new milestone, as with this device we bring to our customers best-in-class technological innovations that we are offering at a compelling price. The A55HD brings the best of 'high definition' technology, processing speed, camera quality and many more features relevant to the upwardly mobile, technology savvy and brand-conscious user."

Videocon A55HD key specifications

• 5-inch display with 720X1280pixels and OGS technology
• 1.2GHz quad-core processor
• 1GB RAM
• 4GB of Internal storage, expandable by up to 32GB
• 8-megapixel rear camera with LED Flash
• 3.2-megapixel front-facing camera
• 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS/aGPS
• 2,000mAh battery
• Android 4.2.1 (Jelly Bean)

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Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 Preview released

Along with the Windows 8.1 Preview, Microsoft has also introduced Internet Explorer 11 (IE 11) Preview that, according to Microsoft, offers better touch performance, faster page load times and a continuous browsing experience across users' Windows devices.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 Preview is part of the Windows 8.1 Preview release and is optimised for touch-screen devices as it uses the graphics processor of the device to process gestures such as panning, zooming, and swiping. It decodes images through the graphics processor while the CPU is used for processing dynamic page content of a webpage. The browser supports swipe gestures for going forward and back, complete with page prediction and pre-rendering for better visual feedback.

The browser now allows users to open up to 100 tabs at a given time. Microsoft says that it's using a technology to allow independent tab suspension for efficient use of memory and battery, and faster switching. It will manage content within tabs depending on the usage to achieve this. The browser supports Windows 8.1's side by side mode allowing users to browse two websites on different instances of the browser on one screen. One can also now run non-legacy Modern apps side by side in snap mode with IE 11.

With Internet Explorer 11, users can also opt to always see tabs and address bar. These UI elements were hidden in the previous version till the user right-clicked or pull down a menu using gestures.
 
One of the major features of the new browser is support for syncing tabs or windows across multiple devices. Users can sign-in with their SkyDrive user credentials on one device, and resume browsing on another. This feature is already offered by Apple's Safari browser via iCloud and Google's Chrome browser through Google account sync.

The browser also allows users to put their Favourites in different folders with custom tile pictures. Live site tiles can also be build, so users can pin a website as a tile on their Start screen that can dynamically pull data and offer updated content.

The update also brings some under the hood changes including support for hardware accelerated 3D web graphics with support for WebGL. It also supports plug-in free HTML5 video and the latest standards for closed captioning, adaptive streaming, wherein the quality of the video is adjusted depending on the available bandwidth, and rights management.

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Sony Xperia Z Ultra smartphone with 6.4-inch screen announced

After numerous leaks and rumours, Sony has officially announced the Xperia Z Ultra, a smartphone/ phablet that features a 6.4-inch display. 

The phone's design is based on Sony's OmniBalance philosophy in line with the design of the Xperia Z and Xperia Tablet Z. The phone sports a slim profile with a thickness of 6.5mm and weighs 212 grams. Sony says that the width of the phone is comparable to that of a Passport. It comes in Black, White and Purple colours. 

The Xperia Z Ultra is powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and has 2GB of RAM. It offers 16GB of internal storage expandable up to 64GB via microSD card. 

The Xperia Z Ultra's screen has a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels and is the first smartphone display that integrates Sony's Triluminos technology, which the company introduced at CES with its Bravia televisions. Sony claims that through the technology the display reproduces a greater range of rich, natural colours to deliver true, natural shades. The technology also includes X-Reality for mobile, Sony's intelligent super resolution display technology which as per the company, analyses each image and reproduces lacking pixels to optimise quality for the sharpest videos.  

The phone sports an 8-megapixel Exmor RS rear camera and a 2-megapixel front facing camera. It has a 3000 mAh battery. The phone includes 4G LTE, NFC, and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity options.

Just like the Xperia Z, the Xperia Z ultra is also dust and water proof and comes with IP55 and IP58 certification. It even allows users to take photos underwater. 

Another interesting feature of the Xperia Z Ultra is its handwriting recognition functionality. The phone's screen is compatible with any pencil and selected stylus or pen with tip diameter over 1mm. 

The Xperia Z Ultra comes with new and updated Sony Media Applications including new apps for Walkman, Movies and Album. 

The phone will launch globally from Q3 2013, but the exact timing of availability will vary depending on the market. Pricing has not been disclosed, yet.

 

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Microsoft Windows 8.1 Preview now available for download

At its Build developers conference, Microsoft announced that it has made the preview version of Windows 8.1, the update to its Windows 8 desktop operating system, available to the public for download.

As the word 'preview' suggests, this build is sort of a final beta and might contain some bugs so Microsoft recommends that you should only install it if you're comfortable with troubleshooting your PC. The company also warns that you might lose some functionality or encounter errors as the software is still in development stage. Also, the final version of Windows 8.1 could feature more changes.

To download the new OS, you need to visit the Windows 8.1 Preview page and download a small program. It's worth pointing out you will not be able to 'uninstall' Windows 8.1 Preview and will need to perform a fresh install if you wish to go back to Windows 8.

After executing the downloaded program, the PC will prompt you to restart and will give you an option to download the Windows 8.1 update from the Windows Store. You'll just need to follow the instructions to download and install the update.

Microsoft also lists some devices that are not compatible with the Preview, yet.

It says, "Some tablets and PCs running newer 32-bit Atom processors require updates to their graphics drivers before they can run the Windows 8.1 Preview. Those tablets and PCs include the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2, ASUS VivoTab TF810C, HP Envy X2, HP ElitePad 900, Samsung ATIV Smart PC, and Fujitsu ARROWS Tab. We are working closely with Intel and OEM partners to deliver updated drivers that will allow you to install the Windows 8.1 Preview as soon as possible."

The Windows 8.1 update features a couple of new improvements including a new Start tip that offers Start menu like functionality, desktop wallpapers for Start screen, updated search, automatic app updates, new multitasking experience, a revamped Store, better PC settings and a new version of Internet Explorer, among other changes.

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