The image of a daffodil in a botany textbook can instantly transport you to 1802 — when William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy walked on the shore of Ullswater in the Lake District and spotted the flowers waving in the wind. Two years later, he wrote I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud — one of the most widely-read poems in the English language.

The beauty of poetry lies in this intersectionality; a poem sometimes translates into a tangible memory. And when poems are performed, this memory grows stronger, thus reducing the time it takes to relate to text, because action and emotion matter. But the divide between performance poetry and the written word is evident. The former isn't taken as seriously and the latter seems too overwhelming.That's why a new publishing initiative has promised to tackle that.

Nirav Mehta and Ishmeet Nagpal

Dentist-turned-social activist Ishmeet Nagpal, 30, and tech analyst Nirav Mehta, 28, who also co-founded the popular city-based book club Broke Bibliophiles - Bombay Chapter, conceptualised the idea of Nirvana Publishers this year to give space to diverse voices in poetry. "The bigger publication houses have started publishing fewer books on poetry and short stories. We feel it's absolutely necessary for these voices to be heard and read in the mainstream media. Every novel begins with a short story," Mehta tells us, and Nagpal concurs. "Most young artists find the publication process daunting. We want to curate and handhold such poets and storytellers to bring forward as many perspectives as possible."

A Broke Bibliophiles meetup at Powai Lake

They also aim to blur the divide between various formats of poetry, and the first step in doing so is through a soft launch this weekend at a Bandra venue where city spoken-word poets — many of whom are part of the book club — including Aekta Khubchandani, Amina Arif, Damini Kane, Manisha Lakhe and mid-day journalist Aastha Atray-Banan will perform pieces themed around empathy.

A meet-up involves book discussions and sometimes even features authors

"There is a revolution underway in the spoken word arena, but it is limited to pockets in the metro cities. To increase the reach, it would be great to have some of these voices in a publication that people sitting anywhere in the world can experience," they say, adding that they will initially start with accepting submissions in English and delve into more languages and translations after learning what their audience appreciates.

Their initiative as of now remains self-funded as the two juggle day jobs. But Mehta says that they are open to funding, as and when an angel investor turns up.

Aekta Khubchandani and Amina Arif

Although Nirvana hasn't put out an open call for submissions, as they will formally begin in April, people are free to send pitches. At the end of the day, the goal is to stay approachable. "There are so many rigid rules that dictate what constitutes page literature and what is classified as spoken word or performance-oriented writing. Of course, what may be a great performance piece might not translate just as beautifully on page and vice-versa, but what if it can?" they question. And we wonder if Wordsworth would do a good job.

ON March 3, 6 pm to 9 pm
AT The Pioneer Hall, next to Corona Garden, St John Baptist Road, Mount Mary Steps, Bandra West.
CALL 7021454630
Email nirvana.publishers@gmail.com
FREE

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Most of us youngsters are the poster children for all of the woke world's "isms". So, it may appear that we are championing the cause of environmentalism. While this might be true to some extent, Preeti Patel has a different story to tell.

"The majority of our sustained volunteers are in their 40s and seldom do we have young people attending our workshops," laments Patel, a catering officer with the Mumbai Port Trust (MPT) who founded Urban Leaves in 2009, an initiative that seeks to create awareness on food safety-related issues.

Freshly plucked veggies

Twenty years ago, in order to recycle waste generated at the central kitchen of the MPT, which caters to the organisation's departmental canteens, Patel started a small garden on the cookhouse's rooftop. "When I saw it flourish into a beautiful forest, I thought of taking the initiative outside MPT and to those who wanted to learn," she recalls while speaking about an upcoming workshop titled Vegetable Diversity and Seed-Saving Techniques, which the group will host.

Patel and her team conduct talks and workshops in order to fuel their endeavour of acquainting the uninitiated with the myriad issues the country is facing in the agricultural sector. The loss of homegrown seeds and depletion of desi varieties of veggies, Patel tells us, is a primary concern, aggravated by the supremacy of MNCs. "A local seed reaps the best harvest, in terms of plant health. However, their circulation is less vis-a-vis the supply of genetically modified variants, which is what the government is trying to push into our food systems and the MNCs are controlling," she points out, explaining why seed saving is the need of the hour. "It is our wealth and the traditional knowledge of saving your own seeds can be empowering," she shares.

But what is seed saving? How to save a them? Which seeds to save and what is the best time to do so? These are questions that newbies are likely to struggle with. So, on Sunday, Patel is hoping to assist enthusiasts and encourage them to participate in community farming by having these questions answered. The workshop will be conducted by Deepika Kundaji who has worked in organic farming at the Pebble Garden, a farm in Auroville, for 30 years.

AT St Andrew's College, St Dominic Road, Bandra West
ON March 10, 9 am to 1.30 pm
LOG ON TO urbanleaves.org
COST Rs 1,200

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Breaking a leg to commercial tunes blaring out of speakers at a crowded club might be fun for some. But a cosy setting with a close group of friends huddled around a table, sipping on cold beer, sounds more like the kind of night the time-strapped and hard-working Mumbaikar might opt for when looking to unwind.

A glimpse from a Beer Tales session

It is this milieu that Effingut, which debuted in the city last year, is trying to emulate. "Our outlet in Bandra is more of a sit-down place where there's no loud music, so you can have real conversations. We thought, 'What do people do when they meet up at a friend's place?' They sit and talk, and typically it's about things like Game of Thrones, or the latest Marvel movie. And that's when we decided to launch this programme," says Sanika Kelkar, who helms marketing for the brewery, speaking about Beer Tales, a weekly interactive session.

Sanika Kelkar

At these events, Kelkar explains, what transpires is a casual chat with attendees discussing everything ranging from contorted Game of Thrones theories to the best songs by Coldplay. "We have got a great response. In fact, the idea to host a meet-up themed around Friends came from our patrons," Kelkar shares, adding, "To keep the enthusiasm going we have giveaways, like beer, DVDs and cool merchandise. We are hoping to organise larger events and meet and greet sessions, too, but we want to keep the essence of these get-togethers casual."

At: Effingut, Linking Road, Bandra West.
On: Every Tuesday, 8 pm to 11 pm
Call: 8657449223

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Aamir Khan had a customary cake-cutting ceremony with the media at his Bandra home, holding a press conference. On his birthday, the actor, who turned 54 today, made an announcement of his next film titled Laal Singh Chadda. Aamir's next release is a remake of Hollywood film Forest Gump (1994). The film starred Tom Hanks and Robin Wright and was based on a novel of the same name.

Following this, Aamir Khan will take off for North Ireland to attend the ongoing Belfast Film Festival. He will be in conversation with Nasreen Munni Kabir on 16th to discuss his body of work.

Check out the pictures of Aamir Khan's 54th birthday celebrations here. (All pictures/Shadab Khan, Yogen Shah)

Aamir Khan's 54th birthday celebration

Aamir Khan was accompanied by his wife Kiran Rao.

Aamir Khan cuts his birthday cake

Fans across the nation have been pouring in wishes for Aamir by posting the actor's pictures, which also saw a strong social trend with the #HappyBirthdayAamirKhan.

Aamir Khan and wife Kiran Rao at his 54th birthday celebrations with media persons

Kiran Rao clicked while feeding the birthday cake to Aamir Khan

Known as Mr Perfectionist of the industry, Aamir Khan for Bollywood has over the years created an image that many look up to. From making films that address the pertinent issues of the society, to speaking his mind on raging issues even off camera, Aamir Khan has always been the one with a calculative brain and has used his position to impart a change in the society.

On the professional front, Aamir Khan likes to explore with the character he plays and the actor likes to surprise his fans with new characters. To experiment with roles, Aamir grows his hair and beard before every film. This also gives him the flexibility to play with multiple looks in one film. We wonder, what Aamir Khan's look would be in Laal Singh Chadda!

Here's wishing a very happy birthday to Aamir Khan!

Also Read: Aamir Khan is a family man, these picture-perfect frames are proof!

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The ace shuttler Saina Nehwal's biopic has faced several hiccups ever since the makers announced the film in 2017. Shraddha Kapoor, who was the first choice, has now backed out from the project due to her hectic schedule. Parineeti Chopra has been already approached to replace the Baaghi actress, and she has given it a nod.

On playing Saina Nehwal, Parineeti Chopra says, "I was dying to do a sports-based film. Its a part of my personality as an actor that I have never explored, and I am so happy that I get to portray a strong and powerful girl like Saina! She has put our country on the world map and I excited to put in all the training and hard work that comes with learning the game of Badminton and portraying Saina on screen."

"We want to wrap Saina by this year end for an early 2020 release, so going ahead with the project is a decision made by mutual consent. We are glad Parineeti has come on board for the film. Saina has made every Indian proud and we can't wait to take her story to the world in the year of the Olympics," says producer Bhushan Kumar.

Shraddha Kapoor, who had even started shooting for the biopic, had earlier said that she had been practising for the role for many months and during the process, she realised how hard it was for Saina to achieve the success. "I clocked 40 classes of badminton in preparation for this biopic. It's a really tough sport, but I am enjoying myself. To get an insight into the life of a sportsperson is fascinating. Saina's journey itself is so interesting right from her misses to her injuries and victories," Shraddha said in an old statement. Unfortunately, Kapoor is no more part of the film.

Bhushan Kumar also made an official announcement through Twitter.

Delighted to welcome @ParineetiChopra on board for the Saina Nehwal biopic!

#AmoleGupte @NSaina @deepabhatia11 @sujay_jairaj @TSeries pic.twitter.com/dl7MP820Ov

— Bhushan Kumar (@itsBhushanKumar) March 15, 2019

Finally, the film, which has not yet seen the light of the day has landed in the Kesari actress' kitty.

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For Celeste Cordo, growing up in Bandra was a lot about figuring out the right harmonies and vocal arrangements in her choir. But, when the neighbourhood children's choir became defunct about a decade ago, Celeste, now 60, decided to start her own music education avenue with Gleehive, spearheaded by a children's choir. "She wanted to start her own choir for the neighbourhood kids to learn and appreciate music," says Dawn Cordo, her 30-year-old daughter. And they will be bringing some of the magic and sense of belonging that comes with being part of a choir to Mumbaikars at their annual concert, The Gleehive Buzz, tomorrow.

It's their teaching style that makes this concert a tad different from others. "Our classes are not academically driven and we don't have any certification. So, it's not just meant for people who can sing, but anyone who appreciates music," says Dawn, who completed her degree in music education from Berkley College of Music and decided to come back to start an education programme, besides singing backing vocals in studios and doing vocal arrangements for artistic projects.

Dawn Cordo

The evening will go on to show their growth from being just a choir, as there will also be small instrumental ensembles with students playing string and woodwind instruments. The kids, aged between five and 15, will show their dancing skills as well as play different characters on stage. "The music won't just be classical or jazz, but also include songs from musicals like The Ugly Duckling. The theme is markets from around the world because we wanted to show that life is like a marketplace where you meet people from varied cultures, you get things and you lose things, and even when there's a disagreement, we always approach one another with kindness and love," adds Dawn.

The performers also include kids with autism and ADHD, who, Dawn says, have only benefited from pursuing their musical interests. "Music is therapeutic. There's a student who communicates better because of the feeling of being included. It's also important for kids who aren't exposed to those with special needs to mingle with them," shares Dawn.

ON March 20, 7 pm to 8.30 pm
AT St Andrew's Auditorium, St Dominic Road, Bandra West 
CALL 26410926 (for passes)

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An engineering graduate, Navin Noronha is also an openly gay stand-up comedian, who uses his humour to acquaint people with the struggles of the LGBTQ community. Watch him at his comedy special, The Good Child, which covers humorous takes on what it's like to grow up queer in India. From stories about coming out and online dating, to tackling family and gay relationships, Noronha will cover it all.

ON March 22, 8.30 pm
AT The Habitat, Khar West 
LOG ON TO bookmyshow.com
ENTRY Rs 250

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It is the festival of colours and most of the people are celebrating their day of happiness with family and friends. Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor's son, Taimur Ali Khan, who is already a social media sensation, was spotted celebrating Holi with the paparazzi, whom time and again, he is seen waving and smiling at! 

A video shared by one of Taimur's fan club, where the tiny tot is seen playing with the water gun at his Bandra residence, has become a wave on the net. Take a look!

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Tim is playing with pichkaris 😂😍❤ðŸÂÂ’™ðŸÂÂ’šðŸÂÂ’›ðŸÂÂÂ’ÂÂÂœ 📹- @viralbhayani #taimuralikhan

A post shared by Taimur Ali Khan (@taimuralikhanworld) onMar 20, 2019 at 11:05pm PDT

Taimur, in his house, is seen in a playful mode while spreading joy with his smile and spraying water from the balcony.

Meanwhile, Soha Ali Khan, sister of Saif Ali Khan, also shared a colourful pretty picture of Inaaya Naumi Kemmu on Instagram. Soha captioned the image: "Happy holi!!! [sic]"

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Happy holi!!! ❣

A post shared by Soha (@sakpataudi) onMar 20, 2019 at 11:25pm PDT

Isn't she looking adorably cute? 

Kareena Kapoor Khan, who is married to actor Saif Ali Khan, has time and again expressed concern over the growing paparazzi culture in India. She wondered how people could be so interested in her two-year-old son Taimur's life.

Also Read: Taimur Ali Khan is also a bookworm just like papa Saif Ali Khan; see photos

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Do you know what Chandler Bing does for a living? If the answer is yes, and you think you can do better than Rachel and Monica did in a quiz in Season 4 episode 12, head to this Friends-themed meet-up in Bandra West. Conducted by quiz organising company Ace of Pubs, who recently hosted similar events themed around the Game of Thrones and The Office, the aim is to take you on a trip down memory lane with some fun games.

"The questions will be around iconic moments from the show and we'll have 10 to 15 teams of three to eight people. Just sign up with your friends online," says Hardik Jain from the gaming company. While you'll get something from the menu on the house for each right answer, including their special line of craft beer, they also have movie tickets and Friends merchandise up for grabs.

ON March 26, 8 pm
AT Effingut, Ganga Jamna Sangam Building, Linking Road, Bandra West 
CALL 71179491
LOG ON TO https://bit.ly/2UaR7aS
FREE

Two decades ago, drinking wine was restricted to snooty pseudo-intellectuals who turned the experience into flavour profiles of tannins and acids, melons and mango, and grape varieties that we could barely pronounce.

We now sip in times when the pourer, who once intimidated us with technical terms, explains the story of the vineyard, the grape and body with passion in layman’s terms.

When we stepped into 266 Wine and Bar Room, we were quickly reminded of the Kala Ghoda Wine Bar that recently opened in the much-loved backroom of Kala Ghoda Café. The space is done up in hues of light blue and grey, with light fixtures adding a warm, amber glow from low-wattage tungsten bulbs. We settle into blue sofas, preferring the comfort to the high stools that may turn tricky after a few glasses.

266 Charcuterie and Cheese Board

The 266 Charcuterie and Cheese Board (Rs 675) is an indulgence with brie, camembert, cheddar, strawberries, walnuts, olives and chicken and pork cold cuts. Between nibbles and sips, we realise this is a space we’d love to hang out at for conversations or even some alone time.

The platter beautifully compliments the wines. The thirstier one among us has signed up for an old world red wine flight (Rs 1,800) that takes her from an Italian pinot noir by Folonari, which is crisp and medium-bodied, to a full-bodied French syrah by Domaine Gayda, a Spanish Monastrell and finally, a fresh Italian Umani Ronchi of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Of the lot, the syrah’s peppery, fruity notes get the highest applause.

World maps should have been taught according to wine regions of the world, we think, as we enjoy the joyride through this mini trip across some of the world’s finest wine counties. On the other hand, we sip a honeyed South African Chenin blanc by Tall Horse (Rs 850) which is tart-y, fruity and light on the palate.

Tomato stew with prawns and Malabari paratha

The food at this wine bar draws our attention too. We take a risk and order the tomato stew with prawns (Rs 575) that comes with a side of flaky, buttery Malabari paratha (Rs 60). It’s a great example of wine pairing with Indian food. The broth is sweet, tangy and cuts the acidity of the wine. With the cheese board now reduced to crumbs of brie and cheddar, we settle for a dark chocolate and olive oil mousse (Rs 425) that gives our spirited sojourn a bittersweet (pun not intended) end.

AT 266 Wine and Bar Room, next to Shopper’s Stop, Linking Road, Bandra West
TIME 4 pm to 12 am
CALL 8879101350

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266 Wine and Bar Room didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals

Varun Dhawan, who is currently promoting his upcoming movie Kalank, was spotted at a popular studio in Juhu, Mumbai. While on his way, the actor bumped into Sunny Deol, and he couldn't stop fanboying after meeting the Gadar actor.

Sunny Deol with Varun Dhawan/picture courtesy: Satej Shinde

Varun Dhawan was elated on meeting Sunny. The actor greeted Sunny Deol and was pleased to share this moment when they bumped into each other.

Sunny Deol, who is currently shooting for Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, which is his son, Karan's, Bollywood debut, also had a small conversation with his fan. 

On the professional front, Varun Dhawan will be next seen in Karan Johar's multi-starrer period drama, Kalank and Remo D'Souza's Street Dancer 3D.

Talking about Kalank, the film has a star-studded cast comprising Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditya Roy Kapur, and Sanjay Dutt, this period drama set in 1940s India, is definitely going to take you on an unforgettable journey.

The first look posters of the three men of Kalank came out on March 7 and the leading ladies' first looks were revealed on International Women's Day (March 8). The film was originally conceptualised about 15 years ago by the late Yash Johar and his son Karan Johar, who has bankrolled the film. Abhishek Varman has helmed the period drama that releases on April 17 this year.

Also Read: Kalank is the highest viewed teaser in Bollywood in 24hrs!

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Why would anyone name their café and juice bar after Thanos? Our company for the evening questions, diving into telling us more about the Marvel Comics supervillain.

This powerful villain who has stood up to many heroes belonging to the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Fantastic Four, and X-Men series, greets us in a larger-than-life sculpture. We spot a child pick up Thor's axe to pose for a picture.

The 20-seater is packing on a Sunday evening, and we are game to wait it out, stepping up onto the comfortable grey stools as we tune into more of Thanos' exploits.

When the automatic glass doors open into the spaceship-like interiors, the Bollywood buff in us jokes that it reminds us of Shakal's den sans the sharks. The space is done up in grey, with a burst of pop in orange chairs; Captain America stares back at us from the wall outside the washroom, and there's a galaxy drawn on the walls and larger table tops. Our table top for two holds up a fist. The space décor is exciting, and we order a veg burger (Rs 229), chicken salami and egg sandwich (Rs 349) and khow suey (Rs 299). The menu, interestingly also has dedicated keto, all-day breakfast and waffle sections, which we skip for another day.

Veg cheese burger

The burger comes with a fat aloo patty marinated with herbs, and a crusty coat the crunch of which we can hear with every bite. The side of potato wedges are fresh from the fryer and the coleslaw is creamy with slender strands of salad. Their salami sandwich is homestyle, as is the filling. For a change, we like the simple treatment that gives us what we asked for — a juicy salami strip and well-done eggs.

Orange and celery juice

The khow suey tastes more like a pasta-based dish, and we have no qualms about being snooty about the fact that no one does a Burmese khow suey better than Joss by restaurateur Farrokh Khambata. This one comes in a bowl held by red claws, and sides of fried basil, fried cashew nuts and full peanuts which we prefer chopped, but no garlic shreds. The noodles are overcooked and the curry needs more depth; overall, the dish fails to come together. To wash all this down, we've picked a healthy orange and celery juice (Rs 269) that comes wearing a fruit slice hat on the rim.

House of Thanos is charming for its offbeat ambience, and a comfort menu that makes room for your keto and other diet demands. Still thinking about the name, we conclude: That's the thing about comics fanatics, right? You never know whose side you are on.

AT House of Thanos, 7/8, Rizvi Mahal Building, Near Bhabha Hospital, Waterfield Road, Linking Road, Bandra West
TIME 9 am to midnight
CALL 8879362686

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House of Thanos didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals

Mumbai-based Prajakta Koli may be one of the country's most popular digital personalities, with over three million subscribers to her YouTube channel MostlySane, but she has still not forgotten the very first YouTube FanFest that was held in 2014.

"It was an intimate amphitheatre [at Bandra fort] with around 300 to 500 people. And now we're expecting a crowd of 15,000 to 20,000 coming this weekend," she tells us, referring to the upcoming edition of the festival that bridges the gap between video personalities and their fans — getting both parties at one venue. The Mumbai edition will be held at JioGarden.

Creators walk the red carpet, there's a meet-and-greet for fans who have managed to grab the limited tickets, but most importantly, the event is live-streamed for fans across the globe. This year's line-up features Koli along with Internet personalities Lilly Singh, Amanda Cerny, Gaurav Chaudhary aka Technical Guruji and Bhuvan Bam.

Lilly Singh and Prajakta Koli 

"It's crazy. More than the festival, I've seen creators evolve with every fest... it's like you can't map where this is going to get in the next few years," Koli says. After winning multiple awards in the past three months, she will now collaborate with Singh for the fest. "When I started doing videos four years ago, I wished that I could meet her, and I did twice. Luckily, she doesn't remember the first time, when I was working as a radio intern and I had gone to interview her," she recalls, proceeding to talk about Singh's upcoming late-night show, which will make her the only woman and LGBTQ person to host such a show on a major network. "It's setting the bar high for creators; imagine if a Superwoman vlog can have such an impact all over the world,
what will a late-night show do?"

Koli maintains that the festival will bring in lots of surprises, and popular vlogger Nikunj Lotia aka Be YouNick concurs.

Amanda Cerny does comedy sketches

"The biggest takeaway is going to be the great experience. This shall be my third appearance at the YTFF, but nothing can be compared to the feeling I had the first time, when I hadn't even performed," he says, stressing on three key points that added to the success of his channel — a great script, perseverance and copious amounts of chai. "If I were to start afresh today, I'd spend less time worrying about technical nuances and focus on producing better scripts," he shares.

So, if you're a budding creator, you can forget about the pressure of having to go out this weekend and tune into your screen instead.

ON March 30, 6.45 pm to 9.15 pm
LOG ON TO www.youtubefanfest.com

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She's a Kapoor. And she's not a part of Bollywood. But since her return from a music school in LA last year, Tulsi Kapoor is making all the right noises with her bluesy-rock compositions, unfiltered lyrics and raw, intimate vocals.

She picked up the keys at the age of four, and moved on to formal piano classes at 15, before picking up the guitar, African percussion instruments and the harmonica. She's now learning the flute from her mother. And contrary to popular belief, she didn't grow up listening to just Bollywood, a genre she appreciates. "My grandfather, Shammi Kapoor, was trained in Hindustani classical and used to sing as hobby. So, I was exposed to a lot of jazz and blues as a kid thanks to him, and my father [Aditya Raj Kapoor] who loves The Beatles and mom [Priti Kapoor]who played a lot of ABBA," says Kapoor. Her travels to the Middle East and the US also introduced her to Portuguese music and Bossa Nova, which find their way in her compositions.

"My music has been influenced by blues and rock, and instrumental music. It's an extension of my personality, emotions and straightforwardness. My lyrics are simple and relatable, and I always appreciate a good hook," she explains.

Shammi Kapoor and Tulsi Kapoor

The centrepiece of her gig will be the track Bloom, which she will perform tonight for the first time. The lyrics talk about rape and abuse, and chart the story of a young girl who falls into wrong hands, only to further fall into the trap of the temporary comforter, who further abuses the trust she places. "We need to understand that rape is about power not sex. It's about dominance of something people can't handle. Some are vindictive cases by those who were abused when they were young, and carry their injuries. It's a pattern that society needs to recognise," she shares.

Adding that she believes that it's an artiste's responsibility to cause social change for the better, she will be using the influence that her last name provides her with, to talk about things that are taboo. "It's crucial that we power through that discomfort about such topics if we want things to change," she concludes.

This gig will be a tribute to her grandfather, who encouraged her to pursue her dream of becoming a musician and was her pillar of strength. She is currently teaching music in the city and working on releasing her debut album Bloom at the end of the year.

ON March 29, 7.30 pm onwards
AT The Integral Space, 14, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel.
LOG ON TO insider.in
Cost Rs 400

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In what can be termed as an important discovery from Mumbai, a new jumping spider species has been discovered from Aarey Milk Colony once again highlighting the fact that the area has a rich biodiversity and the need of the hour is to protect the forested patch in the area. The species has been named after Senior IFS officer Sunil Limaye the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest APCCF; Wildlife who during his tenure as the Chief Conservator of Forest of SGNP had started the Mumbaikars for SGNP project.

Senior IFS Officer Sunil Limaye

The study was carried out by a team of arachnologists including Rajesh Sanap, Archaeologist Dr. John Caleb T.D and Biologist Anuradha Joagalekar. With the new discovery of jumping spider from Aarey, Wildlife Lovers and green activists have once again demanded that the Aarey Milk Colony forest needs to be protected from unplanned development and illegal encroachments that are eating into the green space of the one the most important green space of Mumbai.

According to Sanap who has discovered several species from Aarey, the jumping spider family (Salticidae) is the most diverse spider family, with their world fauna consisting of 6126 described species. These tiny creatures can be easily recognised by their lager anterior median eyes. They are diurnal hunters and possess brilliant vision and swift reflexes. In India, there are about 256 species of jumping spiders known till date. In fact, the total diversity of jumping spiders represented from India is greatly understated compared with that from other regions. For example, countries like Australia, Brazil, and China are represented by a diversity of more than 450 species each. There is, therefore, a great diversity in India still waiting to be uncovered, which needs to be discovered and conserved before it is lost forever.

Rajesh Sanap

"The new species belongs to the hisponine jumping spider genus Jerzego, which was established by Maddison in 2014. The genus currently comprises three described species in the world. Of these, only one species is known from the Indian subcontinent (India and Sri Lanka). Two other species are known from Southeast Asia from Sumatra and Borneo. All three species were described based either on immature females or both males and females, but no details of their natural history were reported. Jerzego sunillimaye is the first ever species of this genus whose taxonomic details, mating behavior and egg development have been documented. The observations are supported by excellent digital images of the spider in life," said Archaeologist Sanap.

Species: 'Jerzego sunillimaye'

The researcher, after carefully studying its feature form photographs and published papers and discussing with experts, arrived to a conclusion that this is the new species. :

"Initially, species identification was challenging since we had data on females only. So we planned another survey and found two males. After a comprehensive examination, we notice that the morphology of this species closely resembled that of a Southeast Asian species, J. corticicola, which was described from Borneo in 2014. Hence, we placed this species tentatively under the same genus. Jerzego sunillimaye can be easily distinguished from other known species by the larger body size (Females, 10.30 mm) and a different colour pattern on the abdomen. A transverse crescent-shaped golden–yellow stripe is present in the posterior half of the abdomen. The males (5.52 mm) can be readily distinguished by their unique genitalia (palps) with a flattened and twisted embolus. " added Sanap.

Archaeologist Dr. John Caleb T.D

"It should be noted that the new species Jerzego sunillimaye was found for the first time in 2016 during a survey in the unique, eco-sensitive, dry-deciduous habitat of Aarey Milk Colony in Mumbai. The research was carried out for almost 3 years to understand the natural history of this species. Within this period, we reported some interesting observations, which have never been documented before."

In this research, the researchers explored different habitats such as grasslands and rocky and forested patches to find out the habitat these tiny spiders preferred. These spiders were found in areas covered with a thick canopy, largely dominated by trees, such as Mangifera indica, Adenanthera sp., Acacia auriculiformis, and Anacardium occidentale. The forest floor was covered with dry leaf litter, and the habitat was shared by other jumping spiders such as Hasarius sp., Stenaelurillus sp., Langelurillus sp., and Langona sp. Several males and females of various life stages were observed throughout the years. Specifically, in monsoon, females were observed guarding their egg sacs, while males were observed wandering under the rocks. There were variations in vegetation cover in the landscape during summer and monsoon. In winter and summer, spiders were mostly found on the underside of rocks, in dry leaf litter, or sometimes under tree barks close to the ground; most sub-adults were ground dwelling. The sub-adults of the species appeared like ants. Interestingly, four to five sub-adults were observed in close proximity with small brown ants of the genus Crematogaster. Two to three adult females with egg sacs were observed under rock surfaces and were surrounded by small black ants of the genus Paratrechina. However, there is no evidence to suggest a mimetic relationship with these ants and further behavioral studies are warranted.

Anuradha Joglekar

Speaking to mid-day Biologist Anuradha Joglekar said, "Aarey Milk Colony has constantly been in the limelight for the discovery of several new species of spiders and scorpions. The vegetation structure is particularly undisturbed and is home to several interesting species. Aarey Milk Colony is also home to other enigmatic jumping spiders such as Langelurillus onyx and Langelurillus lacteus, both described in 2017. Piranthus decoruswas also recorded for the first time in 122 years from the same location. More studies pertaining to their complete biology, habits, and interactions with other species are yet to be carried out. Moreover, their conservation status has not been assessed yet because of lack of information on their population status, distribution, ecology, and biology."

Spiders are microhabitat specialists and are highly sensitive to minuscule changes in their immediate environment. Habitat loss due to anthropogenic activities (encroachment and degradation of forests) is the main concern. The recent discovery of several new species from this region adds to the pressing need for conservation of this particular region, which may harbor much more undiscovered life.

Jumping spider. Pic/Rajesh Sanap

About IFS Officer Sunil Limaye:

Senior IFS Officer Sunil Limaye was a former Director and Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) of Sanjay Gandhi National Park(SGNP) and has been involved in the conservation of urban biodiversity in Mumbai and the neighboring areas. He is also the same officer who started the Mumbaikars for SGNP project in SGNP along with Biologist and Leopard Expert Dr. Vidya Athreya. The MfSGNP project which has seen involvement and participation of various stakeholders like people staying on the periphery of the park, BMC officers/Police officers /Schools has been a successful model which is being replicated in other states including Uttarakhand /UP too. As a part of the project, awareness sessions among various stakeholders related to Human-Leopard interactions are being done on the periphery of the park and people are being taught the measures that they should take to prevent man-animal conflicts.

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Here's an awareness session that seems like the best fit for those of you who are spontaneous shoppers, ever-keen to go on sprees. Donate your old jeans to Dwij that has partnered with a co-working space in the city and see your discarded clothes turn into functional and spunky bags, mats and jewellery.

Founded a year ago with the sole aim of taking care of textile waste, they work with all kinds of fabric that's beyond use. "This workshop will focus on denim, because it's sturdy and discarded frequently when styles change, and not because of wear and tear," says Soumya Kalluri, founder of Dwij.

The products are made at the workshop in Bhandup

After the denim is washed, it will be taken to the workshop where it will be customised according to the 10 to 15 templates they have. Their trained team of six workers, including two women from MHADA colony in Kanjurmarg, bring the product together, instead of it being used to clean up industrial waste and then burnt or buried.

Soumya Kalluri

"There is so much textile waste, along with labour abuse. The fashion industry is glamorous, so people tend to look only at the pretty side, not what happens behind the scene. With this talk, we hope to spread awareness about how we are indirectly polluting the environment because until everyone around knows what the problem is, they can't be part of the solution. We want people to think about why they are buying a product the next time they step out to shop," explains Kalluri, a resident of Vikhroli. They will also be giving tips on how you
can make simple products using clothes you want to get rid of at home.

ON April 2, 11 am to 3 pm
AT 603 The Co-Working Space, 603 Makhija Arcade, 35th Road, Bandra West.
CALL 9920207026
LOG ON TO eventbrite.com
FREE

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A leopard entered a society in Marol, Andheri. He was caught after almost two hours.

There was a big crowd at Vijay Nagar near Marol Marushi. People were waiting with sticks in their hands.

CCTV footage of the leopard

In the CCTV footage, the wild animal was seen running around the premises of Woodland Apartment near Police camp.

The SGNP leopard rescue team and Thane team reached the spot immediately while Dr Shailesh Pethe, Deputy Conservator of Forest Dr Jitendra Ramgaonkar, Range Forest Officer Santosh Kank were preparing the strategy.

Also read: Decomposed body of leopard found at Sanjay Gandhi National Park

The forest officers were able to nab the leopard after two hours. He was taken away in a van. The Powai team, MIDC police and fire brigade were also involved in the rescue operation.

In February this year, a leopard was spotted in the basement of Korum Mall in Thane.

Also read: Mumbai: Leopard numbers increase in Sanjay Gandhi National Park

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Parineeti Chopra was clicked by the paparazzi at her gym in Khar, Mumbai. The Kesari actress was looking fab in burgundy active-wear, and this oversized t-shirt, paired with yoga pants which are a must-have for your wardrobe. She chose a perfect fit gym clothing to enhance curves, and we totally loved it.

Parineeti Chopra/All pictures/Yogen Shah

Burgundy top: Get a similar look like Parineeti Chopra and make the heads turn in the gym. Buy Ap'pulse Women's Zip Hi Neck Tshirt at the discounted price of Rs 499 only. Shop here.

Burgundy yoga pants: It is not just one top that you can pair your workout gear with! Buy your Stretchable High Waist Track Yoga Pant at the discounted price of Rs 599 only. Shop here.

Janhvi Kapoor's gym wardrobe

Janhvi Kapoor was also snapped at her gym in Khar, Mumbai. The actress sported a blue coloured tank-top, which she paired with black yoga shorts for her workout session.

Blue top: You can buy a similar blue top for your workout, and sweat it out in style at your gym. Pick your Women's Cotton Round Neck T-Shirt in blue at the discounted price of Rs 299 only. Shop here. 

Black yoga shorts: Get the Avaatar Women's Cotton Yoga Shorts at the discounted price of Rs 250 only. Shop here.

Also Read: Khushi and Shanaya Kapoor twinning will make you want to twin with your sister

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Bandra got its first outlet of The Wine Table in May last year. What does it offer? MRP Wine bar by glass & bottle and Wine education/training/food pairing with wines, etc. From imported - Ren, Beaujolais villages, Peppoli, Cono Sur, Torres, Salbach, Masi masianco, Robert Mondavi to domestic - Amaris reserve, Fratelli MS red, Fratelli Sangiovese, Moksh sauvignon blanc, M reserve, Raaya rose, the outlets offer all things wine.

Tignanello Italian, priced at Rs 20,000, is the most expensive buy. We walk in at 6 pm to douse our red craving, and a bite but the kitchen opens only at 7 pm. We order a Sileni pinot noir (Rs 630) and a Mokksh ren (Rs 396), a flagship brand of the store. The Sileni from New Zealand is light and perfumed and perfect for the rather early indulgence. The ren merlot is medium bodied, woody and deeper on the palate.

While our server gives us back stories of wines and vineyards, we’ll surely go back to try some whites next.

AT: Darvesh Royale Building, Perry Road, Pali Hill, Bandra West
CALL: +91 9167007667
TIMINGS: 10 am to 12.30 am
NOTE: The Wine Table didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for its meals

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Yami Gautam moved to Mumbai a few years ago to pursue her dream career to be an actor. She has achieved that dream of hers in a fast-paced city of Mumbai finding many successes to her credit. The year 2019 has begun on a high for the actress who's January release, Uri became a blockbuster success. The actress is soon going to be seen in various projects, announcements of which are soon to happen.

It's been said Mumbai is a city of dreams, also it is famously known it's a city that never sleeps. After having lived in suburbs of Mumbai these years, Yami Gautam took to the not so easy task to find herself her dream home in Mumbai. The URI actress has just moved into her new house from western suburbs to Bandra.

Yami Gautam hails from Chandigarh where she lived during her education and growing up years and originally was born in Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh. Whenever she is not shooting she packs her bag to live with her family in Chandigarh and Himachal. But she always dreamt of a good spacious home of her choice in Mumbai. Due to her busy work schedule and constantly travelling across the world for work she was unable to find the home sooner. She will be now he spending time to design the interiors on her new cosy abode.

Speaking about it, the source said, "Yami was in a hunt for a new house for some time now. She was peculiarly looking for something specific. Having lived for a considerable time in western suburbs, she was looking at several options and finally narrowed down at a house in Bandra. She's just moved into the apartment and will be working to putting the house together for the next few weeks as per her likes. Her sister Surilie too would be moving in with her. The house suits the likes of Yami's sensibilities of a pretty but operational functional house and that's how she plans to do it up too."

Also read: Yami Gautam visits her hometown in Himachal

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It's time for some pocket-friendly shopping. Summer has already hit the bay, and people are busy working out to get the beach body right. But, is your body summer ready? If not, it is the right time to hit the gym and get rid of those extra kilos right away!

Malaika Arora was clicked at her gym in Bandra, Mumbai, and the actresses were sporting some easy-breezy gym gears for their workout session. Here's how you can get Malaika Arora's gym look at the affordable price. 

Malaika Arora's shades of grey:

Grey t-shirt: You can buy Fleximaa Women's Cotton Round Neck T-Shirt Plain t-shirt at the discounted price of Rs 249 only. Shop here.

Grey shorts: Get your yoga shorts and keep the workout going with a comfortable pair of gym gears. One shorts might just not be enough for you to keep the pace going. Get two pair of yoga pants at a discounted price of Rs 299 only. Shop here. 

Sports shoes: You can buy Staylo sports shoes to run, walk, training yourself for yoga marathon for women. Get your pair of similar shoes at the discounted price of Rs 419 only. Shop here.

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As part of its commitment to support the local community and its responsibility as a conscientiousness citizen, Growel’s 101 Mall in Kandivali hosted a blood donation campaign at the mall premises. The blood donation drive was organised in association with Rotary Club of Mumbai, Borivali East and was hosted to help children suffering from Thalassemia. People who suffer from Thalassemia need regular blood transfusions to treat Anaemia and other symptoms.

The team from Rotary Club brought their blood donation van which was parked at the mall waiting for volunteers to contribute to the noble cause. A team of around 95 members including doctors and other supporting crew was present at the venue. The activity was held from 10 am till 5 pm. The team approached visitors who were present in the mall to volunteer for the blood donation activity and received a good response with over 100 people donating blood. A total of 26,000 ml blood was donated.

A team of doctors and volunteers together collected 26,000 ml blood as part of the blood donation drive at a mall in Kandivli

Speaking about the activity, Vikas Shetty, Mall Head, Growel’s101 Mall said, "We are pleased to have made our little contribution by organising this blood donation activity in our premises for thalassemia children. Sometimes, regular blood transfusion is the only option for some patients to survive, but the cost of blood is unaffordable for many. Replacing blood donors for obtaining blood is an option. But often parents have difficulty to find a blood donor for their child. So, we wanted to urge people to donate blood for children with thalassemia."

He praised Rotary Club for having done a great job by organising the drive in the mall. “As a responsible organisation, it is our duty to support the community and those in need. We are proud to host such an event at our premises, which highlights a noble cause towards an important contribution to reduce one of the major causes of death due to non-availability of blood,” he added.

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Chunky Panday held a house party at his Bandra residence, and it was attended by his close family and friends. But Malaika Arora-Arjun Kapoor walking in together has already taken the internet by storm. The duo was clicked entering the party in the same car, and they were seen shying away from the camera when clicked by the paparazzi. 

Arjun Kapoor and Malaika Arora/picture courtesy: Yogen Shah

Arjun and Malaika were spotted twinning, and the duo shared the same colour of love, blue. While Arjun Kapoor was seen wearing a blue t-shirt, paired with blue denim, Malaika too looked pretty in a blue outfit. 

Malaika Arora just came back from her beachy vacations, and it is said that the actress was celebrating her bachelorette with the girl gang. In fact, Arjun Kapoor also accompanied the lady love to the Maldives. 

Arjun Kapoor and Malaika Arora are said to tie the knot soon. Though the details are yet to be out, the couple is not going to exchange the vows on April 19. Malaika-Arjun-marriage has been the talk of the town ever since they were spotted walking hand-in-hand at the Milan airport, where they were out to celebrate Malaika's 45th birthday overseas. 

In a media interaction, Arjun Kapoor, neither confirming nor denying, said - "One can pick how much information to share in the public domain".

Arjun was quoted saying, "It's your choice how much you put out there or yourself and your availability. Today, you have a lot of control over how much you want people to know about your life. Speculation and gossip is a part of it. I am not the first actor or the last. Our entire tribe is immune to it... because it is the nature of the business."

Also Read: Malaika Arora shares her piece of mind on Instagram; see photo

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If you are in the mood for some jokes or just want to take a break from mundane life, then this stand-up comedy act is for you. Featuring two boys and girls Shaad Shafi and Joel D'souza, and Sumaira Shaikh and Urooj Ashfaq respectively, the evening will see the four crack some of their favourite jokes and also try out new material.

ON April 27, 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm
AT The Habitat, 1st and 4th, Hotel Unicontinental, road number 3, Khar West
CALL 9833358490
LOG ON TO insider.in
Cost Rs 200

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The trailer of Student Of The Year 2 was launched today. The movie, which stars Tiger Shroff as the lead actor, marks the Bollywood debut of two pretty ladies - Ananya Panday (daughter of actor Chunky Pandey) and Tara Sutaria. While Tara is playing the character of Mia, Ananya is playing the role of Shreya in the 'SOTY' sequel.

While Tiger Shroff was seen doing his usual best - dance, action and power-pact dialogue deliveries, Tara and Ananya looked fresh and promising, throughout the trailer.

Check out Student Of The Year 2's trailer:

The first instalment of the movie, which released in 2012, marked the debut of actors Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra in Bollywood. The film was directed by Karan Johar. SOTY2 has been directed by Punit Malhotra and produced by Karan Johar.

Director Shashank Khaitan, who has worked with Dharma Productions with films such has Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Dhadak, took to Twitter, and wrote: "Go Puneet... let the high school games begin ... again ... @iTIGERSHROFF #TaraSutaria #AnanyaPandey @karanjohar @DharmaMovies".

Varun Dhawan also tweeted the trailer and wrote alongside: "Here’s wishing all the new student #tara #ananya and the tiger of our industry @iTIGERSHROFF congratulations on getting into st Teresa. Great job Punit #SOTY2Trailer"

Alia Bhatt wished the team luck and wrote: All the best guys!!!! Looking like soo much fun... @iTIGERSHROFF #AnanyaPanday #TaraSutaria.

Deanne Panday commented on Ananya Panday's Instagram post saying, "So proud of you Ani."

Bhavana Pandey, was all praises for her daughter, after watching the trailer. She wrote, "Fab" on Ananya's Instagram post.

While Warda Nadiadwala commented "Ananya... Kickass", Neelam Kothari wrote "All the Best"

Student Of The Year 2 is slated to hit the screens on May 12.

Also Read: Here's everything you need to know about Student of The Year 2

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If you appreciate great sound — which is rich, heavy and laidback yet energetic — an event that will be held at Bandra's Corona Garden will give you reason to look forward to the weekend. Celebrating World Record Day today, a music conglomerate has organised a vinyl record sale with mo­re than 2,000 titles on discount, including albums by Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and Linkin Park.

Listeners will be able to enjoy a series of acoustic sessions by city-based musicians Nikhil D'Souza, Mali (Maalavika), Tejas, Aarifah and Ramya Pothuri. The day-long affair will end with a special showcase by Kadak Apple Records, where each singer will perform an original composition, accompanied by the rest of the musicians. There will also be an indoor electronic stage that revolves around the 45" vinyl record culture, where DJs Zokhuma (Arman Menzies), ENG (Kunal Lodhia) and Pinnacle will be playing records.

"The simplicity of playing a vinyl record and enjoying the rich, warm sound makes the experience personal and extraordinary. It's the only physical format of music that has seen a rise in demand. The maximum sales take place in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru via online stores," says Jay Mehta, digital head business, Sony Music, organisers of the event.

Aarifah

For 26-year-old Mumbai multi-instrumentalist Aarifah, the introduction to vinyl records happened recently, not unusual for millennials. "A bandmate introduced me to vinyls at a record shop in Mahim. I got to learn the mechanics first hand, which was pretty cool," the Dadar resident tells us. She will be performing her unreleased acoustic originals, which are lyrically-heavy and melancholic. These are also songs she plans to record and release later this year. The musician will be performing her single, Resilient. "This one is about heartache and being resilient through that. The focus is to keep my lyrics as honest as possible," she says, adding that listeners can look forward to a mellow vibe with lots of harmonies as the quartet (Tejas, Mali, Aarifah and Ramya) conclude the concert together.

ON Today 13, 2 pm onwards
AT Corona Garden, St John Baptist Road, Bandra West.
LOG ON TO (to RSVP) insider.in
FREE

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It is easy to feel like a tourist in your own city. We know we feel that way when we reach Ranwar village on Bandra's Chapel Road — because we're wandering around staring at house numbers, until we finally find number 43. The space is called Cohostel — a hostel for backpackers that's around six months old.

The managers Ashu and Shekhar welcome us in, through a passage where doors on either side are named after Bandra's villages — Malla, Waroda, Ranwar, Boran, Pali, and others. "Our visitors are always curious when they observe the name plate, and ask us about Bandra's history. Some of the villages aren't even seen anymore but we thought it was important to at least put it out there," Ashu tells us. But there's a space beyond the standard dorm rooms, too. A rooftop area that plays host to comedy gigs by new collectives such as The Squibhouse Comedy that will host one called Knocktale Night tonight.

Managers Ashu (extreme left) and Shekhar (extreme right) interact with tourists

"Other venues tend to be more professional so they charge for the entry, equipment, etc. Our events are complimentary for the guests and for outsiders, we have a small cover fee for pizza and soft drinks. The comedians are also from small groups and we give an opportunity to anyone who wants to showcase their talents. It's an intimate setting," he says, while a backpacker from Iceland enters the room to check out.
Prashant Nihalani, who helms the hostel with his father and partner, tells us that the idea was to create a social space with cheap accommodation. "The rooftop setting is so fluid that when we host a movie screening, we just move the chairs by the kitchen to create a theatre setting. We wanted this to feel like home and not intimidate anyone as even travellers want to make friends." In addition to stand-up and screenings, the venue will continue to host storytelling and poetry performances.

The doors of each room are named after Bandra's villages — Malla, Pali and Boran among others. Pics/Atul Kamble

For comedians like Prasad Mathkar, who will perform tonight along with nine others, the hostel provides a diverse audience that you wouldn't get to meet at other mainstream venues. "It is fun to perform for an international audience. You have to try to get where they are from and tailor your set accordingly. This is the fourth time that I'm performing here and the audience has always been very receptive because they treat this like their own homes," he shares.

Prasad Mathkar

For Rs 800 a night, visitors get stay and breakfast, but they are free to order what they like or cook in the kitchen on the rooftop. Books and magazines are also stacked in a shelf and the managers, who have moved to the city from Varanasi, interact with guests as if they've known them for a long time — and that's perhaps what it means to be home away from home.

ON Tonight, 7.30 pm to 10 pm
AT Cohostel, 43, Chapel Road, Ranwar village, Bandra West.
CALL 9856564545
LOG ON TO www.eventshigh.com
Cost Rs 200

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Coolpad 'Note 6'. Pic courtesy/Twitter

Chinese handset maker Coolpad launched 'Note 6', an offline exclusive product in India on Tuesday. Two of the most notable features of Note 6 are 5.5-inch HD display and 8MP+5MP dual front cameras. The company in a statement said that smartphone will be available from Tuesday in 32GB and 64GB internal storage variants with 4GB RAM for Rs 8,999 and Rs 9,999 respectively.

Note 6 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 chipset, backed by 4,070 mAh battery and runs on Android 7.1 Nougat Operating System (OS). "Coolpad 'Note 6' will offer a great value for money smartphone for Indian customers," said Syed Tajuddin, CEO, Coolpad India.

"We are also planning to introduce more aggressive offline devices in the next few months to expand in the offline market through our retails partners and multi-brand outlets," Tajuddin added.

Coolpad "Note 6" will be available at over 300 multi-brand stores across eight states including Delhi-NCR, Telangana and Maharashtra.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

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Representational picture

San Francisco: Global wearable brand Fitbit has announced to use Google's new Cloud Healthcare API to help the company integrate further into the healthcare system, such as by connecting user data with electronic medical records (EMR). Combining Fitbit data with EMRs can provide patients and clinicians a more comprehensive view of the patient profile, leading to more personalised care, the company said in a statement late Monday.

"Working with Google gives us an opportunity to transform how we scale our business, allowing us to reach more people around the world faster, while also enhancing the experience we offer to our users and the healthcare system," said James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit.

"This collaboration will accelerate the pace of innovation to define the next generation of healthcare and wearables," he added.

The companies will also look to help better manage chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension by using services such as Fitbit's recently acquired "Twine Health".

Using Google's Cloud Healthcare API, "Twine" can make it easier for clinicians and patients to collaborate on care, helping lead to better health outcomes and positive returns for employers, health plans and hospitals.

"At Google, our vision is to transform the way health information is organised and made useful. By enabling Fitbit to connect and manage key health and fitness data using our Google Cloud Healthcare API, we are getting one step closer to this goal," said Gregory Moore Vice President, Healthcare, Google Cloud.

"Together, we have the opportunity to deliver up-to-date information to providers, enhancing their ability to follow and manage the health of their patients and guide their treatment," he added.

Google Cloud will provide Fitbit with next-generation cloud services and engineering support, allowing Fitbit to scale faster.

Fitbit products are carried in over 45,000 retail stores and in 86 countries.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

San Francisco: Facebook-owned WhatsApp is rolling out its "Restrict Group" for all iOS, Android and Windows Phone users -- a feature that gives the group administrator powers to restrict other members from sending text messages, photographs, videos, GIFs, documents or voice messages in case the admin thinks so.

According to WABetaInfo, a popular fan site that tests new WhatsApp features early, you need to update your WhatsApp version to the 2.18.132 Android update in order to remotely receive the activation of the feature.

The "Restrict Group" feature, first spotted in last December, adds "Privacy settings" in the group.

"All participants can normally edit the group description, icon and subject, but finally the administrator can restrict this feature today, preventing no-administrators to modify the group description," the website said.

This action can be managed in the Admin Settings, a new option located in Group Info that's visible to the administrator only.

In Admin Settings, the administrator can restrict who can change the group info.

Administrators can keep sharing media and chatting as normal as they restrict other members.

Once restricted, other members will simply have to read their messages and will not be able to respond.

They will have to use the "Message Admin" button to post a message or share media to the group. The message will need to be approved by the administrator before going through to the rest of the group.

In October, reports said administrators on WhatsApp groups will soon be able to choose if other participants can modify the subject of the group, its icon and its description.

With over 1.5 billion monthly active users, WhatsApp is available in more than 50 different languages around the world and in 10 Indian languages.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Representational picture

San Francisco: To help small and large businesses reach out to 1.3 billion people who use Messenger every month, Facebook has launched an Augmented Reality (AR) tool for them. With this tool, the businesses can leverage the "Camera Effects Platform" to easily integrate AR into their Messenger experience, bringing the virtual and physical worlds one step closer together.

"When a person interacts with your business in Messenger, you can prompt them to open the camera, which will be pre-populated with filters and AR effects that are specific to your brand," David Marcus, Vice President of Messaging Products, said in a blog post on Tuesday.

From there, people can share the image or video to their story or in a group or one-to conversation or they can simply save it to their camera roll.

"To date, there are over 300,000 active bots on Messenger, and over 8 billion messages are exchanged between people and businesses each month -- that's 4 times the amount of messages exchanged since just last year," Marcus informed as Facebook began its annual two-day F8 Developers' Conference in San Jose on Tuesday.

"Today, there are 200,000 developers actively building experiences, forging connections between people and the brands they love and bringing real value to their everyday lives," the post added.

To begin with, ASUS, Kia, Nike and Sephora will launch AR effects for their Messenger experiences.

Facebook also announced that buyers and sellers in its Marketplace will be able to communicate across languages with "M Translations".

"Now when people connected through Marketplace receive a message in a language that is different from their default language in Messenger, M will ask them if they want to translate the message.

"This will help drive commerce between buyers and sellers despite language barriers. At launch, translations from English to Spanish (and vice-versa) will be available in Marketplace conversations taking place in the US," the post further said.

Facebook will gradually roll out "M suggestions for translations" in additional languages and countries.

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If your grandparents are struggling with isolation, showing them how to use Facebook may help as researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have found that social networking sites offer tools and activities that may help older adults feel more empowered and less lonely.

Facebook and similar social networking sites could play a critical role in easing isolation and making them feel like they are part of a large community, said the study published in the journal New Media and Society.

"This is important, especially for older adults who might be aging in place, because they have mobility constraints that limit their ability to socialize," said study co-author S. Shyam Sundar, Professor at the Pennsylvania State University in the US.

For the study, the researchers recruited more than 200 participants who were 60 years and older and used Facebook for at least a year.

The researchers "friended" the participants on Facebook so they could count the number of times they used the various tools in the site during the past year.

The participants were also asked to respond to a questionnaire that captured the gratifications they obtained from Facebook.

Older adults who posted a lot of personal stories on Facebook felt a higher sense of community, and the more they customised their profiles, the more in control they felt, Sundar said.

The researchers also suggested that commenting on and responding to them gave older users a feeling of social interaction.

Sundar added that using social media is not a uniform experience that is either all bad, or all good, but offers multiple functions for diverse users.

Older adults are increasingly adopting social media, in general, and are a growing number of Facebook's total membership, said Eun Hwa Jung from National University of Singapore who worked with Sundar.

Facebook is considered the most popular social network among older adults, the researchers added.

The researcher also emphasised that developers of social media networks should consider the needs of this growing group of users.

For example, they should create features that enhance the identity of older adults while simultaneously protecting their privacy.

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Xiaomi India on Wednesday announced the launch of "Mi Music" and "Mi Video" to offer value-added Internet services in India.

"With the launch of these two apps 'Mi Music' and 'Mi Video', we hope to serve millions of Xiaomi smartphone users with a better user experience through enhanced Internet services," Manu Jain, Vice President, Xiaomi and Managing Director, Xiaomi India, said in a statement.

"Mi Music" is a pre-installed music app which offers an integrated music streaming service along with the ability to store offline music and has nearly seven million daily active users in India, the statement said.

"Mi Video" is a pre-installed video app that provides integrated video streaming across platforms.

"Mi Video" content is currently powered by Hungama Play, SonyLiv and Voot. It offers more than 500,000 hours of content with nearly 80 per cent free content, the statement added.

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More than a quarter of India's population or 337 million people would use a smartphone in 2018 -- a 16 per cent growth which is the highest rate of any country in the world -- market research company eMarketer said on Thursday.

Since its last forecast, eMarketer increased its estimate for the smartphone audience in India by more than 31 million people.

This uptick is thanks to the growth in smartphone usage in urban areas, where affordable smartphones are becoming widely available, the research firm said in a statement.

"India still faces technological challenges that are holding back mass smartphone adoption. "Mobile Internet speeds are among the slowest in the world, around two-thirds of the population still lives in rural areas and feature phones are by no means obsolete," said Chris Bendtsen, Senior Forecasting Analyst, eMarketer.

Advertisers can still be optimistic about the future.

"Smartphones are getting cheaper, mobile data prices have fallen and urbanisation continues. Over the next four years, as speeds and rural reach improve, eMarketer expects the smartphone audience to reach close to half a billion users," Bendtsen noted.

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iVOOMi on Thursday launched its first health band, 'FitMe', in India at Rs 1,999. The fitness band sports a 90mAh battery, scratch-proof display heart rate monitor, sleep monitor, running mode, vibration reminder, pedometer, GPS and other features, the Chinese electronics company said in a statement

"The 'FitMe' health band is sleek, smart, dust-proof and water resistant and features a display of 128x32 pixels resolution that makes it crystal clear from all viewing angles," said iVOOMi India CEO Ashwin Bhandari.

With "IP67," the watch remains water-resistant for 30 minutes, has auto-sync for "Smart Me OS 2.0" and is capable of OTA (Over the Air Software) updates.

"FitMe" is chargeable without a USB cable; the display can be directly connected to any USB port to charge the device. The health band on available on Flipkart and 

Available on Flipkart, the health band comes with a six-month warranty.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

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Popular image and video-sharing platform, Instagram, on Thursday, announced new ways to share content on 'Stories', connect with friends over videos, and discover new interests on 'Explore'. The platform also announced measures to protect Instagrammers from bullies.

Here are the changes:

Sharing to Stories

From a sticker of one's new favourite song on Spotify to action shots from GoPro, it's now easy to share what one is up to or how they are feeling by posting directly to Instagram Stories from other apps. More apps will be adding the sharing to Stories feature soon.

Just tap the share button in the Spotify or GoPro app and the content is pulled directly into the Instagram camera. From there one can edit and add to their story or send it via Direct. One does not need to connect their Instagram account to other apps in order to share to Stories.

Camera effects platform for Instagram

Face filters, text styles and stickers help turn casual moments into experiences one can't wait to share. Instagram is now unlocking the ability for third parties to design unique, interactive camera experiences for their followers.

That means that one can turn any video into an NBA dunkcam or add a cloud of hearts and Pomeranians to fluff up their photo.

Further, more fun creative effects from one's favourite accounts are coming soon, including Ariana Grande, Baby Ariel, Liza Koshy, Vogue, and Buzzfeed.

Video Chat

More than 100 million Instagrammers watch or share on Live every day. But the community sometimes also wants to experience real-time video in a smaller group.

In the coming weeks, Instagram will bring video chat to its platform and give friends a new way to spend time together - even when they aren't actually together.

To start a video chat, simply tap the new camera icon at the top of a Direct thread.

One can chat one-on-one or with a small group ¿ and they can keep the conversation going for as long as they like. Further, one can also minimise the video and continue the chat while doing other things on Instagram.

Video chat is testing now and will roll out globally soon.

The New Explore

People come to Explore every day to discover new ideas, people, and experiences. And now the redesigned Explore makes discovery even easier.

It will still be personalised, but the content will now be organised into topic channels so that one can browse across their interests and go deeper into any area they like.

The new Explore will be rolling out over the coming weeks.

Further, Instagram will filter bullying comments intended to harass or upset people on the platform.

In 2017, Instagram had announced an offensive comment filter, which would automatically hide toxic and divisive comments, particularly those aimed at at-risk groups.

This new filter hides comments containing attacks on a person's appearance or character, as well as threats to a person's well-being or health.

The bullying filter is on for the global community and can be disabled in the Comment Controls center in the app.

The new filter will also alert Instagram to repeated problems so that the company can take action.

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Instagram has introduced a feature that allows users to make payments. The Facebook-owned photo-sharing app will now allow users to add their credit or debit card with their profile and set up a security pin. They can make purchases within the photo-sharing service and make payments without having to leave the site, Cnet reported.

Payments is the next big thing for tech giants who are looking at retaining users in the form of customers by offering them a one-stop destination for all their needs, including social, photos, and now e-commerce. The new native payments feature is currently available through limited partners and businesses on Instagram.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from ANI)

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New Delhi: Fasten your seat-belts - and log on. You may soon be able to call people up, send office emails, check Facebook as well as watch instant videos while air-borne, according to a proposal approved by the Telecom Commission allowing air travellers in India to access in-flight mobile and internet services.

Passengers, used to being told by the crew to switch of all electronic devices, have been wondering how the system would work. PTI answers some frequently asked questions.

What is in-flight internet technology?
In-flight connectivity systems primarily use two kinds of technology. In the first, an onboard antenna picks up signals from the nearest tower on the ground. The connection will remain seamless up to a certain altitude unless the plane passes over an area without ground towers.

In the second scenario, satellites beam signals directly to antennas installed on the airline. This is more effective when the airline is passing over a water body compared with ATG (air-to-ground)-based networks which use satellites to beam the signal first to a transmitter on the ground and then to the antennas on the airline.

What happens next?
The data is transmitted to a personal electronic device such as a smartphone or a laptop through an onboard router, which is connected to the plane's antenna. The antenna transmits the signals, through satellites, to a ground station, which redirects the traffic to a billing server that calculates the data consumption.

In case the internet services through onboard WiFi are permitted to be used only in flight/airplane mode, the plane's antenna will link to terrestrial Internet services provided by telecom service providers. When the aircraft has climbed to 3,000 metres, normally five minutes after take-off, the antenna will switch to satellite-based services. This will ensure continuity in the Internet services to passengers and prevent cross-interference between terrestrial and satellite networks. The airlines may depend on the services of either foreign satellites or ISRO's indigenous GPS-aided geo-augmented navigation system (GAGAN) for the purpose.

GAGAN was jointly developed by ISRO and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) with a view to assisting aircraft in accurate landing. The GAGAN signal is being broadcast through two Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites - GSAT8 and GSAT10.

What are the challenges?
For the technology to function, airlines and service providers will have to put a server on the flight along with the equipment to convert satellite signals into data packets. They will also have to add the equipment to re-orient the antenna to face the satellite so the reception quality is not affected.

Interruptions, when the airline moves from the range of one satellite to another, are bound to happen. In general, in-flight WiFi is expected to be slower than on the ground. However, latest technologies may change that scenario.

Will users have to pay more?
Airline passengers may have to bear the initial cost of installing antennae on aircraft. It would be easier for airlines to have the equipment installed on the new aircraft rather than taking planes out of service for retrofitting. The additional costs could find a way into ticket fares, unless the airlines, despite rising jet fuel prices, decide to bear the costs themselves.The high cost of installing equipment for full-service carriers could discourage low-cost carriers.  Foreign airlines that service Indian airports or use Indian airspace may offer in-flight connectivity much before domestic carriers do so because some of them are already providing such services globally.

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As data security concerns on Facebook and WhatsApp loom large, Twitter is reportedly working on a 'Secret' encrypted messages feature which could make the microblogging platform safer for sensitive communications.

With this feature, Twitter is expected to roll out options about encrypted messaging like starting a secret conversation and viewing both sides of the conversation for encryption keys to verify a secure connection, TechCrunch reported on Monday.

The encrypted Direct Message (DM) option was first spotted inside Twitter for APK that contains codes for unreleased features that companies are testing.

Instant messaging app WhatsApp uses "end-to-end encryption" in all conversations. This can be opted into Messenger.

End-to-end encrypted messages are secured with a lock and only the sender and recipient have the special key needed to unlock and read them.

For added protection, every message sent has its own unique lock and key. No one can intercept the communications.

Last week, WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum quit reportedly "after clashing with its parent, Facebook, over the popular messaging service's strategy and Facebook's attempts to use its personal data and weaken its encryption".

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Representational picture

Washington: Twitter is reportedly testing a new feature on its Android app that makes messaging secure with end-to-end encryption.

Called 'Secret Conversation', the feature is expected to be available in the conversation info section in direct messaging of the Twitter app on Android, Mashable reports.

As users seek more security, end-to-end encryption has become a new mandate for messaging apps. The technology makes it difficult for snoopers to access or intercept messages which are exchanged between two parties.

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden had asked Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey for such a feature on the platform a year ago. It remains to be seen when the end-to-end encryption is officially rolled out.

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Popular photo and video sharing app, Instagram, rolled out an interesting "call-to-action buttons" for businesses on Wednesday. With the help of this feature, Instagram users can now book tickets, order food, make appointments and reservations from the app itself. 

With "Instagram Direct" and by adding these buttons to their profile, businesses would help customers connect with the third-party partners from the platform.

"Starting today, businesses will have a better way to manage their messages. Users will be able to see important new customer messages in the main 'Direct' inbox, instead of in the pending folder," the company said in a blog post.

"Users will also be able to star and filter conversations to come back to messages they would want to follow up on. Additionally, in the coming weeks we'll begin testing quick replies so that you can easily respond to common questions," the company said.

According to Instagram, over 200 million users visit a business profile every day and over 150 million people have conversations with businesses through Instagram's "Direct" every month. The Facebook-owned app plans to expand this list to cover partners across all countries aiming to help businesses have more opportunities to connect and communicate with their customers.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

Digital Transformation with 5G – 2nd 5G India 2018 International Conference & Exhibition. The conference will be held on May 17 and 18, 2018 at The Leela, Mumbai

Bharat Exhibitions is organising the 2nd edition of the 5G India 2018 International Conference and Exhibition, bringing together India’s telecom industry leaders, policymakers and telecom analysts to discuss how 5G will enable the future ushering in a new India. The conference to be held on May 17 and 18 at The Leela, Mumbai will focus on issues and opportunities related to the deployment of 5G and high-speed digital applications that will drive cross-industry applications and spur digital transformation and connectivity to catalyze growth.

With 5G promising to bring about a sea change in the digital ecosystem by servicing more industries through one architecture, the conference will address the tremendous growth that promises to take place in the next few years to revolutionize the Indian Data market and help India to emerge as a qualitative internet market as against a quantitative one. Leading experts will speak about the challenges and opportunities that operators and technology providers will face in the transformation of mobile broadband to 5G.

The event will witness the 5G Demo by various organization (BSNL, Reliance Jio, Intel, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Bombay). The conference will include sessions and panel discussions on what will it take for India to emerge as one amongst the leaders in standardization for 5G technologies and applications, enabling the positive use of Artificial Intelligence for all, global perspectives on 5G, preparing for 5G, trends and drivers shaping 5G, spectrum and technology for 5G and a CXO Round Table on Digital Transformation with 5G.

Shri Manoj Sinha, Hon’ble Minister of Communications (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Railways, Govt. of India will be the Chief Guest, Smt. Aruna Sundararajan, IAS, Chairman, TC & Secretary (Telecom), Department of Telecommunications, Govt. of India and Mr. Malcolm Johnson, Deputy Secretary-General, ITU will be the Guests of Honour, Introductory Address by Mr. Adrian Scrase, CTO, ETSI and Keynote will be deliver by Shri Anupam Shrivastava, Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. 5G India 2018 International Conference and Exhibition is being supported by the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Govt. of India and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Govt. of India. With Broadband India Forum as the Knowledge Partner, the conference is also being supported by the industry associations including 3GPP, TSDSI, CEWiT India, COAI and TAIPA.

With plenary sessions, technical tracks in an innovative show formats and international case studies, the agenda will include visionary presentations from 30+ speakers across the globe including Mr. Klaus Pendl, First Counsellor – ICT, Delegation of the European Union to India, Mr. Sebastien Soriano, Chairman, ARCEP France, Mr. Daniel Brower, Vice President, Program, Deutsche Telekom, Mr. Julius Knapp, CTO, FCC USA and Dr. Wu Yong, Senior Standards Expert, 3GPP as well as Senior Spokesperson from BSNL, INTEL, Google, Savitri Telecom Services, Syniverse, Keysight Technologies, UTStarcom, Cambium Networks, CSG International, Rohde & Schwarz, Commscope, Infineon and Siae Microelettronica.

About Bharat Exhibitions

In a world where technology is erasing borders, it is indeed ironical that professionals find it increasingly difficult to maintain peer to peer contact on regular basis. Bharat Exhibitions fills in this space by managing and hosting some of India’s premier Telecom & IT events. We own niche and prestigious conference properties in the new generation technology arena such as 100 Smart Cities India, Cloud & Network Virtualisation India, 5G India, Data Centre India, Broadband Tech India, Smart-Sustainable Cities Technology & Innovation Summit, Cyber Security India, SMC Technology India and Telecom CXO Summit. We have a simple mission: Establish & deliver contacts that create value for your business.

For further details, please visit http://www.bharatexhibitions.com

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As part of its redesigning spree, Google has provided a surprise makeover to its Drive.

The Google Drive now appears to take major inspiration from the recently redesigned Gmail app. There are no new features, but the appearance has been tweaked to match with other Google products.

To begin with, the Drive interface background has been changed from gray to white for a neater look. The boxes and icons have also been given rounded corners and a taller appearance than before, Engadget reports.

In addition to that, the Drive logo is now placed prominently on the top left corner of the interface. The icons have also been shuffled a bit.

The latest changes to Google Drive will start reflecting in some time as the company is gradually rolling out the redesign.

Telecommunications service provider Ericsson on Thursday introduced a new category of radio products called Street Macro in India to enable a smooth evolution from 4G to 5G.

Street Macro is a new site type that addresses the need for operators to grow in cities with limited available radio locations.

The company also launched new radio products that support "Massive MIMO" technology to simplify use for wider 5G adoption.

"Operators today are looking at ways and means to increase network capacity, especially in urban areas. Ericsson's Street Macro adds a new layer in the network layer to boost capacity enabling service providers to cater to the growing demands of data users," Nitin Bansal, Managing Director, Ericsson India, told reporters here.

According to Ericsson's new economic study of enhanced mobile broadband, evolution to 5G will enable 10 times lower cost per gigabyte than current 4G networks.

To help operators capture growth opportunities presented by new 5G use cases, Ericsson has expanded its 5G Core System offering with new capabilities to support 5G New Radio (NR) standard and also enhanced its Distributed Cloud solution.

The announcement came on the sidelines of Ericsson's annual technology roadshow in India, where the company recreated a "Do Zone" to showcase the highlights from Mobile World Congress 2018.

To date Ericsson has signed 39 memorandums of understanding with service providers for trials, the company said.

YouTube has begun rolling out support for high dynamic range (HDR) video content for iPhone X, the media reported.

For iOS users, YouTube videos in HDR can be viewed on the iPhone X, but the feature does not yet appear to be working on the latest iPad Pro models, MacRumors reported late on Thursday.

HDR videos provide a broader range of colours and also supports quality video playback on a variety of screen sizes. YouTube has platforms like "The HDR Channel" that provides HDR videos for iOS.

Apple debuted HDR support last year with the "Super Retina" display in the iPhone X, which became the first HDR OLED display incorporated into one of Apple's smartphones, the report added.

On the iTunes Movies Store on Apple TV 4K, select films also support 4K, HDR10, and "Dolby Vision" when paired with compatible 4K television sets, the report added.

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In a bid to deliver transparency in technology and stay ahead of ethical pitfalls, Google has said that its Artificial Intelligence (AI) calling system "Duplex" would now identify itself while making appointments.

Following the launch of the "Duplex" system, which lets AI mimic a human voice to make appointments and book tables, among other functions, a widespread outcry over the ethical dilemmas were raised by tech critics.

Google clarified to The Verge that the experimental system would have a "disclosure built-in" that means that whenever Duplex gets involved in some type of verbal communication with a human at the other end, it would identify that the human is talking to an AI.

"We understand and value the discussion around Google Duplex, as we have said from the beginning, transparency in the technology is important," a Google spokesperson was quoted as saying.

"We are designing this feature with disclosure built-in, and we will make sure the system is appropriately identified. What we showed at I/O was an early technology demo, and we look forward to incorporating feedback as we develop this into a product," the spokesperson added.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai introduced Duplex earlier this week in the company's annual developer's conference Google I/O and demonstrated how the AI system could book an appointment at a salon and a table at a restaurant.

In the demo, the Google Assistant sounded like a human. It used Google DeepMind's new WaveNet audio-generation technique and other advances in Natural Language Processing (NLP) to replicate human speech patterns.

However, tech critics raised questions on the morality of the technology saying it was developed without proper oversight or regulation.

According to tech critic Zeynep Tufekci, the demo was "horrifying" and the initial positive audience reaction at I/O was evidence that "Silicon Valley is ethically lost, rudderless and has not learned a thing".

Google had originally said in a blog post written by engineers Yaniv Leviathan and Yossi Matias that "it's important to us that users and businesses have a good experience with this service and transparency is a key part of that".

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Aiming to disrupt India's mid-segment smartphone market, Samsung is set to launch four new smartphones -- two each in Galaxy "A" and Galaxy "J" series -- this month.

The upcoming Galaxy A6 and Galaxy A6+ smartphones could be priced between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000 while the devices in Galaxy "J" series could cost customers Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000, industry sources told IANS on Friday.

Two of the four smartphones in the upcoming line-up would come with dual camera set-up, the sources added.

All of them will be made at the company's Noida facility. The smartphones will feature Samsung's super AMOLED "Infinity Display" -- bezel-less screen that creates an immersive viewing experience.

Notably, Samsung's flagship smartphones such as Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S9 series feature the "Infinity Display". Now, with the upcoming devices, the display feature would be introduced at lower price points in the Indian market.

The South Korean giant first introduced the "Infinity Display" in Galaxy S8 series in 2017.

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After drawing criticism from users worldwide about its controversial redesign, audio-video sharing platform Snapchat has rolled out another app redesign for iOS users.

In the new design, snaps and chats are aligned chronologically and "Stories" from friends have been moved back to the right-hand side of the camera screen.

Snapchat has added a separate "Subscriptions" feature to keep "Stories" from popular creators and publishers in the loop while letting the other "Stories" be separated, The Verge reported late on Thursday.

"We are currently rolling out an update to address this by sorting communication by recency and moving 'Stories' from friends to the right side of the application, while maintaining the structural changes we have made around separating friends from creators and sorting friends' 'Stories' by relationships," Evan Spiegel, CEO, Snapchat had said earlier this month, in the company's first quarter earnings call.

Snapchat was testing a new design in April that would move the user's "friends' stories" alongside the "celebrity content" in the "Discover" section again to ensure that the user's feed would not be dominated by the "celebrity content".

There is no word yet on when the update would be available on Android.

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Baidu Facemoji Keyboard. Pic courtesy/YouTube

Chinese tech company Baidu, populary known as China's Google, on Monday said that its third party app "Facemoji Keyboard," has reached over 30 million downloads since its launch.

The keyboard, that is slowly gaining popularity in India, comes with emojis, GIFs, stickers and emoticons, and supports over 100 languages, out of which 22 are Indian dialects, Baidu said in a statement.

The "customisable" keyboard features voice-recognition for easy speech-to-text functionalities and themes designed for special occasions.

With "Facemoji Keyboard," Baidu expects to achieve a three times growth by the end of this year.

"Facemoji Keyboard" was first launched in Japan under the name "Simeji" in 2008.

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While digital technology often receives brickbats from the health-conscious, a 76-year-old man in Hong Kong now wants anyone with a heart problem to wear an Apple Watch after it helped him get a new lease of life by sending an alert about his elevated heart rate.

Gaston D'Aquino, a semi-retired diamond trader, was sitting in a church in April when he spotted an alarm on his timepiece telling him that his heart rate was too high, tech website Phone Arena reported on Sunday.

Although D'Aquino was feeling fine, he skipped Easter lunch with his family to go to the hospital.

That decision proved to be life-saving as a battery of tests performed on him later revealed that two of his three main coronary arteries were completely blocked, and the other was 90 per cent blocked, according to the report originally published by the South China Morning Post on Friday.

The doctors at the hospital lauded the Apple Watch for its accurate readings.

On the advice of the doctors, D'Aquino later had an angioplasty, in which tiny balloons are temporarily inserted into clogged arteries and inflated to open them.

He was sent home the following day. "It went well and I'm feeling much, much better," he told South China Morning Post.

D'Aquino, who is a self-professed Apple fan, then wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook informing him how the Apple Watch helped save his life.

In his email to Cook, D'Aquino recounted his story, noting that "this was the first time that my watch alert had ever gone off, but I was not feeling anything, no dizziness or pain" and "in short, I was a walking time bomb".

He told Cook how he got "a new lease on life" after the operation and also requested him to keep "promoting the use of the Apple Watch for anyone with cardiac problems".

Cook wrote back to D'Aquino saying how happy he was to learn about his story.

"Gaston, I'm so glad you sought medical attention and you're fine now. I appreciate you taking the time to share your story. It inspires us to keep pushing. Best, Tim," Cook was quoted as saying.

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