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Showing posts from October, 2018

New technology must create more jobs than it destroys, says Mukesh Ambani

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Business Standard : Reliance Industries (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Tuesday said it is a major task to ensure that new technologies create more employment opportunities compared to the amount of job losses they cause. Speaking at MobiCom 2018 here, he also said that he is optimistic about technological disruption creating more opportunities despite all the apprehension. A major task is "to ensure that new and disruptive technologies create more employment opportunities than they take away," Ambani said. Although he expressed optimism regarding employment opportunities, he said there is apprehension in the society regarding the same and these apprehensions may delay the process of digital transformation. "These very apprehensions could resist or delay digital transformation of our societies. That would be a mistake," he noted. ALSO READ : After years of global success, Mukesh Ambani's RIL faces oil shock at homeAmbani emphasised that g

Mark Zuckerberg is betting the future of Facebook on video, Instagram

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Business Standard : Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg is betting the company’s future on video and disappearing posts called "stories," not the company’s famous news feed. Investors are buying into the vision for now. The newer products may make less money and steal user attention from the mainstream of photos, comments and lucrative ads on the social network, Zuckerberg warned. Marketers aren’t totally comfortable with the new formats yet, and 2019 will be another year of significant investment, he added on a conference call with analysts Tuesday. Still, the CEO said the opportunity will be bigger than the news feed over time. Chief Financial Officer David Wehner also calmed concern about costs next year and quarterly earnings from the company suggested its business is holding up in the wake of scandals and privacy breaches. Facebook shares rose 3.9 percent in pre-market trading, after closing at $146.22 in New York . Earlier this year, the c

Vegan diet linked to reduced Type-2 diabetes risk: Study

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Business Standard : A vegan diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and seeds, with few animal products, is linked to a significantly lower risk of developing Type-2 diabetes. The study explored that vegan diet is associated with improved psychological well-being in addition to reduction in the risk factors for Type-2 diabetes , and heart diseases . For the study, researchers from the University of London, examined 433 people aged mid-50s, on average. Results of the study, published in the journal BMJ, showed that while quality of life -- both physical and emotional -- improved significantly, depressive symptoms and nerve pain (neuropathic pain) also improved in people on plant-based diet. In addition to a sharp fall of blood glucose levels in those who cut out or ate very few animal products, these participants also lost nearly twice as much weight. The fall in blood fats -- a risk factor for cardiovascular disease -- was also greater in those on plant-base

Young men more likely to die in summer: Study

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Business Standard : A recent research has found that young men are more likely to die in the summer season . The study pertains to the young men living in the US and was published in eLife. The trend is just one of several highlighted in an analysis spanning nearly four decades, which will help inform public health strategies to reduce deaths now and in the future. Robbie Parks, lead author of the study said, "It is well established that death rates vary throughout the year, but there is limited information on how this seasonality varies by local climate and how it has changed over time for different diseases and at different ages. In this study, we set out to comprehensively characterise the patterns of death over different time periods and geographical areas to understand when and where death rates are at their highest and lowest." The study used data on 85,854,176 deaths in the US between 1980 and 2016 from the vital registration. It was analysed using a tec

Akshay looks ruthless in new 2.0 poster

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Business Standard : For numerous reasons, fans have been eagerly waiting for sci-fi film '2.0' and one amongst them is definitely the unsettling avatar of Akshay Kumar . The 'Gold' star on Wednesday treated the audience with another poster of one of the most anticipated films of 2018. With the date of the trailer launch approaching soon, the actor shared his look on social media. He wrote alongside, "The FIFTH FORCE is coming...Humans beware!!!#2Point0Trailer in 3 days! @2Point0movie @DharmaMovies @LycaProductions #2Point0 #2Point0TrailerOnNov3" Akshay, who plays the antagonist in the film, had released the teaser of the film earlier in September. The trailer of the Rajinikanth starrer will be out on November 3. Directed by S. Shankar, '2.0' - the sequel to superstar Rajinikanth 's Enthiran - also stars Amy Jackson, who plays a droid in the film. The 'Padman' actor plays the role of an antagonist, a scientist who become

Huawei to launch wireless charging in India with its Mate 20 Pro next month

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Business Standard : Chinese tech giant Huawei Consumer Business Group on Tuesday announced it was ready to bring its wireless charging capabilities with the launch of premium Mate 20 Pro smartphone in India next month. The wireless charger is developed on the Qi standard for universal compatibility, thus, allowing it to identify smartphones, earbuds and other devices and adjust output power automatically to charge them safely. With a 10-minute 15W wireless charging session, the wireless charger tops up the battery 12 per cent, while a 30-minute charge gives the battery 31 per cent juice, the company said in a statement. "With the launch of the flagship Mate 20 Pro slated next month, wireless reverse charging is also a feature that the device is capable of, thus, enabling users to take maximum advantage of the large battery inside the device to charge other Qi-enabled devices," the company added. The Mate 20 Pro would be the first device from Huawei's stabl

Health, fitness top priority for me, my family: Kareena

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Business Standard : Actress Kareena Kapoor Khan , who has taken to exercising indoors to battle the rising levels of air pollution, says health and fitness is of utmost importance to her and her family. "I am very aware of my surroundings and the environment we live in. Being a mother, I am extremely particular about having a clean home and mindful of the dust and indoor air pollution we are subjecting ourselves to in our daily lives. Health and fitness is of top priority for me and my family," Kareena said in a statement to IANS. The actress endorses Honeywell, which offers indoor air purification solutions. The brand has come up with a 'Healthy Sleep' campaign, which draws attention to the fact that even while sleeping, we inhale the polluted air which is full of germs, dust and PM2.5 particles, which is why sound sleep alone is not always a healthy one. Promoting the thought that a healthy sleep is more important than a 'good night's sleep&

Priyanka Chopra dances her heart out at her bridal shower

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Business Standard : Priyanka Chopra recently celebrated a fancy bridal shower with a group of friends and her mother ahead of tying the knot with fiance Nick Jonas . Priyanka looked a vision in a white strapless Marchesa dress, which she paired with a pair of nude Christian Louboutin pumps, a sleek diamond necklace around her neck. She chose to keep her hair open in loose waves which perfectly complimented the whole look. The soon-to-be bride kept her makeup minimal and was sparkling radiance in purple tone eyeshadow and nude lips. The 'Quantico' star, who has been breaking the internet with her fun bridal shower, recently took to her official Instagram account to treat her fans with some inside pictures from the grand bash. She posted a series of photos with a heartfelt caption, thanking her friends and family for the grand celebration. " Love , laughter and a room full of amazing ladies...and some special gentlemen (what a special surprise)! Thank

OnePlus 6T with in-display fingerprint goes official: Know price, specs

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Business Standard : Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus is gearing up to unveil the much-anticipated OnePlus 6T in New York today (October 29) at 8:30 PM. A successor to the OnePlus 6, this smartphone will launch in India on October 30 and go on sale from November 2 at select offline stores, besides online sale exclusively on Amazon India. Though the OnePlus 6T India launch is still a day away, Mukesh Ambani -owned telecommunication service provider Reliance Jio has already announced that the phone will be available at Reliance Digital stores as well. The phone’s price is still unknown, but Jio has announced it will be offering an instant cashback of Rs 5,400 in the form of 36 recharge vouchers of Rs 350 each. These could be redeemed on successive recharges of Rs 299 or more. In terms of upgrades, the OnePlus 6T would have a new screen format with a tiny notch on top (waterdrop), accommodating only the front camera. The earpiece and sensors would move to top bezel are

After years of global success, Mukesh Ambani's RIL faces oil shock at home

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Business Standard : Reliance Industries , currently India's second most valuable listed company, got rich by trading fuel across Asia, Africa and Europe while effectively ignoring its home market. Reliance's refineries processed crude from the nearby Middle East and sold fuel to fast-growing markets in North Asia including China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. That began to change when India's oil demand surged, overtaking Japan as the world's third-biggest consumer. Reliance took more interest in the country's retail fuel sector and has opened more than 1,300 service stations. This push into the domestic fuel market may stumble after India's government imposed cost controls on October 4 on gasoline and diesel prices to rein in recent record highs. Reliance's shares plunged 6.9 per cent on the day of the announcement and are down about 20 per cent since their record close on August 28. Mukesh Ambani The decline has pushed Reliance's m

Cottage cheese as late night snack can boost health

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Business Standard : Guilty about your late night snacking habit that leads to weight gain? Switching to a protein-filled snack like cottage cheese can help you to have a positive effect on muscle quality, metabolism and overall health, say researchers. In the study, Michael Ormsbee, Associate Professor at Florida State University (FSU), gave active young women in their early 20s samples of cottage cheese 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime. They found that consuming 30 grams of protein about 30 minutes before bed appears to have a positive effect on muscle quality, metabolism and overall health . And for those who have sworn off eating at night, there is no gain in body fat, revealed the findings published in the British Journal of Nutrition. "Until now we presumed that whole foods would act similarly to the data on supplemental protein but we had no real evidence," Ormsbee said. "This is important because it adds to the body of literature that indicat

Apple iPhone XR review: Price tag justifies absence of some premium goodies

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Business Standard : Unlike the earlier iPhones, the new range from the stable of Cupertino, US-based technology giant Apple is a mixed bag of premium and relatively affordable devices. While the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max fall in the former type, the iPhone XR is one of the latter. The two of the premium type are nearly identical but with different screen sizes, and the iPhone XR is of an altogether different breed. Carrying a starting price tag of Rs 76,900, the iPhone XR has traded off the OLED screen and dual-camera module which its premium siblings have for a LCD retina display and a single camera lens. Though there are several minor differences between the iPhone XR and the iPhone XS-series smartphones, the camera and the screen are the most prominent differentiators. Apple True, the iPhone XR looks like a trimmed-down version of the iPhone XS-series phone. But it has its own strengths, and it might be unfair to call it less capable. It is important to highlight that

Painkillers during pregnancy linked to early puberty in girls

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Women who are in the habit of popping up over-the-counter painkillers during pregnancy could increase the risk of their daughters entering puberty earlier than normal, warns a research. The study observed that girls whose mothers consumed paracetamol during pregnancy exhibited pubertal symptoms such as breasts, pimples, menstruation, hair growth in places and unpredictable mood swings, on average, three months earlier, than the normal. These symptoms were visible even more earlier if the mother took paracetemol for more than 12 weeks during pregnancy. "While entering puberty one-and-a-half to three months earlier may seem unimportant, when taken together with the frequent use of paracetamol during pregnancy, our findings ought to make people take notice," said Andreas Ernst, a post-doctoral student from Aarhus University in Denmark. "Our results are certainly not the decisive factor that should change current practice, but the perception of paracetamol as &