Blackberry loy- alists can stop mourning the end of QWERTY keyboards. BlackBerry promised another generation of devices, modernised and yet not losing sight of whatever faithful users have loved all these years. And it delivered. The jury is very far out on whether these new devices have come too late and are compelling enough, but here they are regardless. Two ‘Q’ smartphones give consumers a choice of expensive and a-little-less-expensive. The Q10 weighs in at a price of Rs 44,990. And when your head stops spinning, take in the fact that the Q5 cost Rs 24,990. I cannot pretend to understand BlackBerry’s pricing strategy but this much is clear that the company is segmenting its potential buyers into the young and the restless on one hand and the Type A hyper-connected professional on the other. And they believe the price is right. What both segments have in common is their need for a smartphone centred on communication more than anything else. Of course, all phones are about communication, but today your smartphone is your fitness trainer, your toy, your French teacher and a lot more and communication is just one item on the agenda. Not so the BlackBerry phones for which the focus is staying in touch. With the new BlackBerry 10 (now on 10.1) devices, Z10, Q10 and Q5 so far, the BlackBerry Hub is the very heart of the phone, created as it is to be the repository for all mail, messages, social communication, etc. You can send mail from the Hub as easily as you can tweet from it. Both the Q smartphones have full QWERTY keyboards that have shed their smiles to become straight and neat. And although I’ve never been a full-time BlackBerry user, I have to say the keyboards are truly well-made. The Q10’s has metal frets prominent between keys and the Q5’s doesn’t. The keys are small but remarkably well spaced in a style that’s still familiar to BB users. Keys are slightly sloped in the direction in which our finger is expected to travel. They even make the same press-and-let-go sound. For some reason, the Q5’s keyboard feels a little better to use and there are some murmurs about whether the Q5 will actually overshadow its more powerful sibling. Both devices have the distinct BlackBerry look, unlike the all-touch Z10. But I suppose anything with that keyboard will. Old users will notice that some of the keys they used earlier have gone, including the BB key and the call receive and reject buttons. Those functions have now shifted to touch. Speed dialing isn’t easy either and may call for a future fix. But there are lots of quick shortcuts one can use on the keyboard, specially with the browser, giving those who want to use touch as little as possible some relief. The phones are very nice to hold in the hand and have really hit that sweet spot in ergonomics that makes them neither too big nor painfully small. The two Qs are almost the same size, with the Q5 being a little taller. Both also feel quite premium, though that’s always a subjective view. A single swipe-up brings alive the remaining 60 per cent of the phone — the touch screen — and they feel adequate on both devices. They are smooth and fluid for basic tasks, but also for video chat which you can initiate so easily from BBM. I did not test out on games. The cameras on neither phone are out of the ordinary. On the Q10, we have an 8MP and a 2MP. The Q5’s 5MP and 2MP cameras are make-do. The Q10 is in matte finish black and in white, while the Q5 is in black, white, and a very attractive red. Micromax Canvas 4Micromax Canvas 4Micromax’s proposition has so far been to offer better value for money than Samsung does. Micromax reinforced the perception by following the same design language as Samsung. When the Canvas series smartphones debuted, they made large Note-sized phones affordable. With the Canvas 4, the plot has changed somewhat. It’s still Samsung-like, complete with gimmicks, but at around Rs 18,000 it’s no longer shockingly inexpensive. It’s also not a dramatic upgrade over the Canvas HD but the price certainly is. The Canvas 4 seems better built than previous editions. It has a blindlingly bright blue-white 720 x 1280, 5-inch HD IPS display. You have to blow on it to unlock the device and it’s surprisingly sensitive while executing this party trick. You can also shake to unlock. The screen is crisp enough and has pretty good viewing angles. Colours are quite nice too. Micromax has put in lots of updates to apps and features, all running on Android 4.2.1 and doing a pretty smooth job of it too. I no longer have previous Canvases for comparison, but I do feel there’s significant fluidity over them on the Canvas 4. Powering it is a MediaTek 1.2GHz quad core processor with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. There’s a microSD slot and 2 sim slots inside, along with the removable 2,000 mAh battery. The 13MP primary camera has a lot of features and you can now use it to take 360 degree images. The quality is average, but poor in low light. The 5MP rear facing camera is also on the average side, despite the increase in megapixels. The Canvas 4 is still a phone that gives you a lot for its price, but the scenario has changed since the first Canvas launch and there are more options today. It’s worth considering at a lower price.mala.bhargava@gmail.com(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 09-09-2013)
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You could call it the thrill of the hunt. The adrenaline rush of stalking wildlife in its own habitat is hard to match. A 100 years ago, the Indian maharaja’s weapons of choice while going out for a shoot were custom-built Westley Richards, Holland & Holland or Rigby rifles and shotguns. Today’s corporate maharajas no longer use guns for their shooting. The weapons they wield now are high-end Nikon and Canon DSLR cameras, equipped with the finest lenses money can buy. Businessworld caught up with two such current-generation ‘hunters’ to learn more about their passion. Burning BrightNavin Raheja, CMD of Raheja Developers, is a a self-confessed wildlife enthusiast and photographer. How did he begin? Was it love at first sight? “It was more like the scare of my life,” says Raheja, describing his first encounter with a tiger in the wild, at Corbett National Park over three decades ago. “We did not even get to see it, the roar was enough to make us motionless,” he says. But it was enough to create a connection. “I never forgot the roar. I wanted to come face to face with a creature that majestic. So I visited the park again and again. When I finally saw it, it was love at first sight.” Over the past few decades, Raheja has made more than 500 trips to various national parks across the country in search of the elusive tiger. “They aren’t elusive anymore. I know how to find them. They can sense that I’m a friend,” says Raheja.(BW Pic by Sanjay Sakaria)Around the time that his love affair with the big cat started, Raheja also found himself another passion — photography. “I bought a Pentax, 120 format, from a foreigner in the late 1970s and started experimenting with photography.” It wasn’t long before his two loves got introduced to each other. “Wildlife photography seemed like the obvious way to go.” While Raheja enjoys clicking all sorts of animals, he admits there is something magical about clicking the tiger. “I never get tired of clicking the tiger even though I have clicked several hundred pictures till date. The expression, the beauty and the sheer majesty of the creature makes it the perfect model.” Though Corbett continues to be his favourite shooting ground, he has been to several other parks such as Ranthambore, Rajaji, Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Dudhwa. Are all these parks different? “Yes. The topography plays a key role as does the character of the tigers,” explains Raheja. “You need to surprise the tigers in Corbett, while in Ranthambore, you can follow them and shoot. In Bandhavgarh, there are designated places where a tiger nearly always makes an appearance and you can shoot it.” And that is why shooting in Corbett becomes the most difficult of them all. Raheja says he needs a very silent vehicle when shooting in Corbett; he uses his Forester which he has remodelled with a vast sun roof. “Wherever regulations permit, I prefer to even drive on my own and not have anyone else in the vehicle as other people tend to shake the vehicle,” says Raheja who is a member of Project Tiger, a government initiative to safeguard tigers in India. Raheja now uses a Canon D7, Canon D5 Mark II, Nikon D200 and Nikon D800, among others. He uses a 2.8, 7800 mm lens and a 3.5-4.5, 7500 mm lens. “The 7500 is a slow lens, good for shooting in the day time when there is enough light.” He admits that improvements in the quality of cameras and the lenses over the years have helped wildlife photography. He adds that autofocus is a real boon for amateur photographers. “Animals do not give you time. They do not pose for you. They give you a fraction of a second to shoot. Autofocus, and the fact that you can shoot several frames per second, really helps.” So, what according to him makes for a good wildlife photographer? “Anticipation is vital in wildlife photography. You have to be familiar with the behaviour of the animal and keep the appropriate equipment ready. Anticipation takes you to the place where there is a probability. Getting a good shot is your luck.”FLIGHT OF FANCY: G. V. Prasad believes patience is truly a virtue when it comes to wildlife photography(BW Pic by Sanjay Sakaria)To Catch A Flying BirdFor G.V. Prasad, chairman and CEO of pharma major Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, bird watching and subsequently bird photography happened by chance. Nearly 10 years ago, Prasad was introduced to bird watching by a friend who is an ornithologist. “Birds are everywhere, but I wasn’t consciously watching them. Now that I do, I’m fascinated,” says Prasad who watches them not only at several parks in Hyderabad, including at the Icrisat (International Crop Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics) campus, but also at home. “I’m fortunate to stay in a very green area of Hyderabad where loads of birds can be spotted.” But how did he get into photography?“It was a natural progression. You start by observing the birds and other wildlife and then you start clicking them.” Prasad believes in learning by doing. “I’m not the kind to read manuals to learn photography. You just keep clicking till you get the right shot. You learn on the fly,” says Prasad while confessing that it took several bad shots to finally get that one good picture. “Here and there a friend would make a suggestion, sometimes a photography guide or a fellow photographer would give advice on speed, red eye correction, etc. You incorporate these but finally you get the hang of all the settings only by clicking, and clicking a lot.” At least once every two months, Prasad goes on a bird-watching trip. He is a member of the Bird Watching Society of Andhra Pradesh, but accompanies the team only 2-3 times a year. “Owing to time constraints, I can’t travel with them frequently. But I try to make individual trips with a friend who is also a bird watcher.” Prasad’s last trip was to Botswana in August 2012. “It’s a paradise for both wildlife watchers and photographers. There’s just so much wildlife there that you cannot but help take good pictures.” Prasad acknowledges that a good photograph is not only about skill but also luck. “Some of the best shots are a combination of patience and luck. You have to be at the right place at the right time.” Of course, the right equipment is important, too. Prasad himself uses a Canon 5D Mark III. He has a 2.8, 300 mm prime lens and uses a 2x extender. “You need to have a decent camera with a big lens as birds are generally small and very far away. They tend to disappear when you go closer.” Also, a lens with a big aperture is always useful. In order to capture a bird in flight you need a fast camera that supports really high shutter speeds. (BW Pic by Sanjay Sakaria)While early morning is one of the best times for bird watching, the light is poor and so it’s difficult to get good shots then. For photography, 8-8.30 in the morning, when the light is good, is a much better time. “Patience is truly a virtue when it comes to wildlife photography. You can spend your entire day waiting in a park and just when you decide to leave you may spot a rare bird or a shy animal.” Prasad’s advice to other amateur wildlife photographers is to be patient and not be intimidated by the camera. “Often, when you spot a bird, you don’t have enough time to change the settings of your camera. You click, you learn, and you are better prepared the next time.” smitatripathi@bworldmail.comTwitter: @smita bw(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 09-09-2013)
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At first sight, it didn’t appear threatening. Almost like a puffed up cushion. So far, so good, I thought to myself. It was a lazy Sunday morning and while most people were still planning their day, I was at FitnessFirst, a state-of-the-art gym that I visit every once in a while to check out the latest trends in fitness. The puffed up cushion was actually the Bosu ball, short for Both Sides Utilised, a fitness training device to make an already tough day at the gym tougher. It’s amazing the consistency with which fitness enthusiasts in their zest to make the world a fitter place keep coming up with new tools! The Bosu ball was invented in 1999 by one such devotee — David Weck. It consists of an inflated rubber hemisphere attached to a rigid platform. It almost looks like a stability ball (another one of those devices) cut in half and gets its name from the fact that it can be positioned in two ways. But the non-threatening, almost likeable appearance of the Bosu ball is meant to lull you into a false sense of comfort — as I found out soon enough. What it does actually is make exercise extra challenging. With a platform on one side and a rubber dome on the other, the tool adds instability to your workouts, forcing you to use your core to remain steady. Even a simple exercise like a lunge puts more pressure on your thighs and calves as you put one foot on the unstable rubber dome. “Use the dome-side up for cardio, lower body strength or core moves,” says Prandeep Bordoloi, my extremely fit trainer as he jumps up and down on the Bosu ball, landing perfectly each time. I give it a shot. I jump and land on the squishy dome…well almost. My foot slips and I land on my backside on the polished wooden floor. Oh well, may be I ought to start with stepping up and down and start jumping only after I’ve got my balance right, I say wearily. “That’s where the Bosu ball is going to help you,” says Prandeep as he sees me rubbing my back gingerly. The Bosu ball helps improve your strength and balance which is important for preventing injuries, he explains. The Bosu ball requires you to maintain your centre of gravity over a surface that is constantly changing. I find just standing on it a challenge as my body moves and shifts in and out of balance. “To keep yourself in place you have to constantly engage the stabiliser muscles in your upper and lower body,” says Prandeep even as I perch perilously atop the dome. I realise that concentration helps. My body is more aligned and balanced if I concentrate hard. It’s a bit like holding a yoga pose, the minute you stop concentrating on your breathing, you lose control of the pose. I’m still coming to terms with the squishy side, when Prandeep flips it over. “You can use the platform side for upper body exercises, like push-ups or more core moves, like planks,” he explains, again giving a perfect demonstration. He makes me do the forearm plank which targets the core, glutes, shoulders and the lower body. I place the Bosu ball dome-side down and then hold it with both arms (shoulder-width apart), with my forearms and upper arms at 90 degrees. Then I slowly raise my hips so that my body is in a straight line from head to heel. I’ve done the same exercise previously on a flat surface and have found it tough. But doing it while managing an unstable surface is more difficult and, therefore, more effective, he informs me. Thirty minutes on the Bosu ball is equivalent to 45 minutes in the gym, doing a series of exercises such as walking on the treadmill, cycling and doing weights. That’s the other thing. Everybody is in a hurry nowadays so any device which helps you save time becomes popular. A Bosu ball workout is good for the core, glutes, quadriceps, balance and strength, explains Prandeep. And to drive home his point, he asks me to do the Superman pose. I’m intrigued. Will I start flying like the Man of Steel, I joke. Unlikely, he says with a smile. But with regular exercise and holding on to the pose longer, I’ll become a whole lot fitter and stronger. The Bosu ball is put dome-side up and I sit on it with my knees bent and hands on the sphere. Then I slowly lift my right arm and left leg straight (parallel to the ground) to do the Superman flying pose. Hold for 30-60 seconds and then switch to the other arm and leg. After three sets, I’m near collapse; thankfully, Prandeep calls it a day. Is the Bosu ball worth it? I think so. Will I be using it regularly? I hope so, but going by my track record, it’s unlikely. smitatripathi(at)bworldmail(dot)in Twitter: (at)smitabw(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 12-08-2013)
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Bollywood movies are not just about entertainment. If you watch closely, you’ll notice that these movies inspire us in many ways. Believe it or not, one can definitely learn a lot from them. For example- How to dress for office? You can actually do something productive with these movies. Let your wardrobe be inspired by all the corporate looks that are shown in movies. Upgrade your corporate wardrobe and wear different styles to your office everyday which look elegant. In this article you’ll find some alluring actresses in their corporate attires ranging from western to traditional in different movies. You will also learn how they do the pairing to complete their look.
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Salman Khan and Eid have become a Jodi since the film Wanted released in 2009, making hefty collections at the Box Office for the Hindi film industry.
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Google Assistant is a fairly intelligent piece of software. It is a virtual assistant developed by Google that is primarily available on mobile and smart home devices. Unlike Google Now, the Google Assistant can engage in two-way conversations. With the help of Assistant one can search the Internet, schedule events and alarms, adjust hardware settings on the user's device, and show information from the user's Google account. Google has also announced that the Assistant will be able to identify objects and gather visual information through the device's camera, and support purchasing products and sending money, as well as identifying songs.
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Anand Piramal is the Executive Director, Piramal Group, and the future son-in-law of India's billionaire Mukesh Ambani. He is the founder of the real estate business of the Piramal group, a global business conglomerate valued at $10 billion. Prior to that, he had also founded Piramal Swasthaya, a rural healthcare initiative.
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The biggest T20 extravaganza is back. The fans will be witnessing some high quality cricket across the country for around 2 months. Here are some changes in the IPL 2018 that you need to know:
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