Google's SkyBender to deliver 5G internet from solar-powered drones

NEW DELHI: Internet giant Google is working at a spaceport in New Mexico to build and test solar-powered internet drones. According to the Guardian, project is codenamed as SkyBender.

Project SkyBender is using drones to experiment with millimetre-wave radio transmissions, and this technologies could underpin next generation 5G wireless internet access.

The SkyBender is technically part of Google's air balloon Wi-Fi project aimed at a similar goal of bringing remote parts of the world online.

The move is an attempt by the Google to compete with other social networking giants like Facebook to bring internet access to developing countries

Facebook to launch sports product during NFL championships

here's a new stadium in town. Actually, in every town.
It's on Facebook.
Facebook Sports Stadium will debut at the NFL's conference championship games and then the Super Bowl. After that, the social media giant's first sports product will cover most major events around the world.
With 1.55 billion users, an estimated 650 million of them sports fans, it seems a natural place to gather for the kind of passionate conversation that accompanies virtually every pass, tackle and kick.
"Sports is inherently social and has been since the beginning of time," Facebook's Dan Reed says. "Historically, to watch a sporting event, you root for or against, you're watching it in the context of a physical stadium, and interaction is as essential as what is happening on the field. Now, we can have that same interaction happening on a global scale through Facebook."
Last year, Facebook launched 'Trending Super Bowl', and more than 65 million people joined the conversation worldwide. That went so well that the social media giant decided to work on its first full-fledged sports product.
"We see the passion in the interactions. If you enter into this experience during a game, you will see a range of emotions, trash talk, memes going around," Reed said. "The same things happening in the stadium or a sports bar are happening on Facebook, and this allows people who are disconnected to interact as if they are watching together."
Users can conduct conversations with each other, get real-time stats, a live game clock, sanctioned photos and videos, team information and read commentary from media members.
"We think this complements the sporting experience,'' says product manager Steve Kafka. "It helps people build followings and get a wider audience. All the content already is on Facebook. They don't need to seek this out, we are taking folks connected with the game -- from the league, the teams, journalists -- and we put all that content and analysis in one place, and users can follow it during the game."
Facebook Sports Stadium features a live score and game clock at the very top of the page. Under the scoreboard are four tabs: Matchup, Friends, Experts and Stats.

'Matchup' provides a quick summary of what's happening in the game, with a scoring summary and the most recent plays. Users can like, comment and share every play. There also is a 'Live' indicator at the top where videos are uploaded about the game.
'Friends' is a feed of what users' Facebook friends are saying about the game. 'Experts' features commentary from verified pages, including journalists, athletes and celebrities talking about the game.
Next up for Facebook Sports Stadium after the conference championships and Super Bowl will be basketball, although Reed and Kafka weren't providing details yet. A good guess would be March Madness.
Then, the Summer Olympics in Brazil.
"We are going to make sure the product is ready for all the sporting experiences," Kafka says. "This is just the beginning of a long journey for us."

Xiaomi's upcoming Mi5 appears again in leaked images

Xiaomi's upcoming Mi5 smartphone has made its appearance again in leaked images on the web. Images alleged to be of Xiaomi Mi 5 have surfaced on Chinese social network Weibo.
The images which are likely of the black variant of the smartphone show an all-metal body. Also, the new images contradict the earlier leaked images which showed a fingerprint scanner below the display on the home button. The current images show it as located at the back below the rear camera.

Apple's Making An Electric Car: Tesla's Musk Calls It 'Open Secret'

One of the biggest automotive rumors of the past year or so has been Apple's reputed program to build an electric car.

Known as "Project Titan," the program is reported to involve hundreds of engineers, and some analysts say its goal is to produce a car as innovative as the iPod or iPhone.

Of course, Apple hasn't confirmed any car plans--and there is little hard evidence of "Project Titan's" existence.

But Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk considers the Apple electric car to be an open secret.

It is "obvious" that Apple will try to make a car of its own, Musk said in a recent interview with the BBC at Tesla's California design studio.

"It's pretty hard to hide something if you hire over a thousand engineers to do it," Musk said.

Back in September, it was reported that Apple was moving ahead with plans to triple the size of its car-development team--already rumored to be 600 strong.

Musk apparently doesn't view Apple as a threat, saying only that the Cupertino company will "expand the industry."

He said Tesla will still aspire to make the "most compelling electric vehicles," while also working with other companies to help them build electric cars as well.

This "more the merrier" attitude seems typical of Musk and other executives pushing electric cars.

At a conference in Detroit last week, Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said he welcomed more electric-car competition, arguing that greater numbers will force governments to increase support and build more charging infrastructure.

Whether an Apple product will be a part of an expanded electric-car contingent is still unclear.

The company is reportedly aiming for a "ship date" of 2019, but that doesn't necessarily mean the car will go on sale at that point.

In Apple parlance, "ship date" can merely refer to when engineers sign off on the main features of a product, not when it is ready for sale.

Over the past few months, Apple has reportedly ramped up hirings of people with automotive andbattery experience.

MORE: Apple Wanted To Use BMW i3 As Basis For Its Own Electric Car: Report (Jul 2015)

Last summer, it also appeared to lay the groundwork for testing of an autonomous prototype.

Apple representatives reportedly met with officials from California's Department of Motor Vehicles to discuss that topic, and examined a testing facility near San Francisco.

More recently, Apple moved to trademark certain automotive web domains, including "apple.car" and "apple.auto."

Electric cars: Mechanics with no specialist training 'risk death when tinkering with the vehicles'

Mechanics trying to fix electric cars could end up killing themselves or their customers unless the Government takes action to prevent unqualified cowboys from servicing the new vehicles, the motor industry has warned.

In the next few weeks, the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) will launch a campaign to persuade Whitehall that new regulations are required to ensure mechanics are properly trained to work with electric motors.

Apple fans in a frenzy over electric car rumours

Ecars can contain circuits running at more than three times the 230 volts found in the mains supply, posing a real risk of electrocution and fire unless properly handled.

Steve Nash, the IMI’s chief executive, said there was a pressing need to set up a licensing system for electric car mechanics to ensure they were properly trained.

“Sooner or later somebody is going to attempt to do something they shouldn’t do and they are going to fry themselves. That will either be the person working on it who gets a 600- or 700-volt shock or it might be a member of the public exposed to a fire risk,” he said.

“It’s that serious. It’s not scaremongering. It’s real.”

There are about 180,000 car mechanics working in the country, of whom only 40,000 are on the IMI’s professional register. The remaining 140,000 are likely to have been trained but could potentially include people who have decided they have a talent for fixing cars, despite lacking real knowledge.

There are about 45,000 electric cars on the roads and 1,000 people trained to fix them.

However the IMI said it now expected the switch to electric cars to happen far more quickly than forecast. A recent survey found that half of 1,000 people looking to buy a new car were considering an electric or hybrid model.

Mr Nash said that once electric cars started to take over from petrol vehicles – and the work for traditional car mechanics began to dwindle – “the temptation to have a go becomes greater”.

“We need people who are at least qualified to the level where they know how to make the car safe before even trying the routine things like working on the brakes,” he said. “There is the very real risk that someone might say, ‘Well, I’ll have a go.’

“They [electric motors] are potentially lethal if people don’t know what they should do on them.”

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL Dual SIM Review

Microsoft debuted its Windows 10 Mobile OS with the launch of two Lumia devices in India late last month. The company is going with a top-down approach by first introducing the best it has to offer with the Lumia 950 XL Dual SIM and Lumia 950 Dual SIM and follow that up with more affordable variants across different price segments.

More than the devices though, Microsoft's real aim is to showcase its newest Windows 10 Mobile OS, which it hopes will resonate with consumers who are (hopefully) already using Windows 10 on their desktops and ultimately, coax developers into making more universal apps for the platform.

(Also see: Microsoft Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL - 7 New Features)

Today, we'll be taking a closer look at how this platform as evolved in its third attempt with the Lumia 950 XL Dual SIM. This phone is the Nexus 6P (Review | Pictures) or the iPhone 6S Plus of the Windows world and serves as a template for hardware partners to model their own creations on. Priced at par with the top-end Android offerings, let's see if Microsoft's finally able to crack the balance between top-of-the-line hardware and functional software.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III Confirmed as the Biggest Success of 2015

The "Call of Duty" video game installment released in November went on to rule the market, becoming the top-selling title last year at retail outlets, according to industry tracker NPD Group.

Blockbuster sales of "Call of Duty: Black Ops III" pushed overall sales for the franchise past 250 million copies, video game publisher Activision said Thursday in a blog post.

"Thanks to the community's continued support, 'Black Ops III' was the top-selling game of 2015 worldwide," Activision communications manager Scott Lowe said in the post.

Activision proclaimed "Call of Duty: Black Ops III" the top-selling title of 2015 globally "by a wide margin in both units and dollars."

The game racked up more than $550 million (roughly Rs. 3,728 crores) in sales in the three days after its release on November 6, according to California-based Activision Publishing, a subsidiary ofActivision Blizzard.

Overall video game sales last year tallied $13.1 billion (roughly Rs. 88,806 crores), essentially unchanged from the prior year and driven by titles tailored for new-generation PlayStation 4 and Xbox coneonsoles, according to figures released by NPD.

Black Ops III is the 12th game in the series, testimony to its longevity and ability to reinvent itself, all the while earning it a loyal following of tens of millions of fans.

The latest mission in the first-person shooter franchise sends players into a "dark and twisted future."

This time the action is set in the year 2065. Climate change has spawned fierce competition over scarce resources. Highly effective anti-aircraft systems mean fighting takes place on the ground, often in covert or "black" operations.

"Black Ops III" was created by Treyarch studio and published by Activision.

The second-selling video game last year was Madden NFL 16, a US football-themed title published by Electronic Arts.

Rounding out the top-five list by sales at stores were, in descending order, "Fallout 4," "Star Wars: Battlefront" and "Grand Theft Auto V," according to NPD.

Coolpad Note 3 Lite With 3GB RAM, Fingerprint Sensor Launched at Rs. 6,999

Chinese firm Coolpad has launched a new smartphone in India on Friday, the Coolpad Note 3 Lite. Priced at Rs. 6,999, the smartphone will be exclusively available via Amazon India with the flash sale method, with the first sale scheduled at 2pm IST on January 28. Registrations begin Friday at 5pm IST.

The Coolpad Note 3 Lite is the basic version of the Coolpad Note 3 (Review), which was launched in India in October last year at Rs. 8,999. 

The dual-SIM dual-4G Coolpad Note 3 Lite runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop skinned with Cool UI 6.0, and features a 5-inch IPS display with an HD (720x1280) resolution. It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6735 SoC, coupled with 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM - which can be considered the highlight of the device at this price point. Another highlight is its fingerprint sensor, placed on the back panel below the camera module.

The Coolpad Note 3 Lite bears a 13-megapixel rear camera with and f/2.0 aperture and LED flash, apart from a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The smartphone comes with 16GB of inbuilt storage that's expandable via microSD card (up to 64GB). Connectivity options include 4G (with support for Indian LTE bands), Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, and Micro-USB (with OTG).

The Note 3 Lite runs on a 2500mAh non-removable battery that's rated to deliver up to 10 hours of talk-time, and up to 200 hours of standby time. It features an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, and digital compass.

The company added that VoLTE (voice over LTE) functionality would also be made available, though did not specify the timeline for release. An Android 6.0 Marshmallow update for the Coolpad Note 3 Lite was also said to be in the pipeline. Coolpad added it had partnered with HCL for after sales service in India.

Meet the robotic cat for the elderly

"He feels like a real cat," says Jim McGucken as I place Alan on his lap.

"I can feel the movements inside."

Jim's a resident at Lake Park, a care home for the elderly in the city of Oakland, California.

And Alan is the name I've given to a robotic "companion pet", developed by toy maker Hasbro, that I've been looking after and talking to when no-one's around, allegedly.

It's the first product in the Joy For All range, an initiative that Hasbro says is about going beyond play and into areas that combat bigger problems. In this case, it's loneliness.

The robocat is designed to mimic a real animal. It miaows, semi-convincingly, and it purrs, very convincingly. It's fluffy and nice to stroke, although the rigidness of Alan's electronic innards spoils any illusion that he is real.

But even with those flaws, it works. When you switch it on, you instinctively say "hello!" - and from that point onwards, it's no longer a gadget. It's a cat.

"Feeling the purr is really nice," says Miriam Beames, who tells me that her beloved cat - Yum-Yum - died a year ago.

"For various reasons, I've thought I couldn't get another one yet."

The cat reacts to interaction via a series of fairly simplistic sensors across its body. A stroke of Alan's back will make him purr, a tickle of the cheeks will provoke a miaow. If it gets dark, you'll hear Alan yawn and nod off. The movements aren't predictable, adding to its lifelikeness.

"We don't think this is a replacement for a pet," says Ted Fischer, vice-president of business development for Hasbro. And, incidentally, a man who is allergic to cats.

"What we've tried to create is this interactive companion which is familiar and has characteristics and is lifelike."

As the world's population ages, the business opportunity for Hasbro is enormous.

"We're excited to make a commitment to this category. We're going to watch how this goes and learn a lot."

Is That You, Rosie? Humanoid Atlas Robot Takes on Household Cleaning Tasks

Fans of "The Jetsons" may see shades of the robotic maid Rosie as this Atlas humanoid robot attempts various cleaning tasks. The video, from robotics company IHMC, is shown at 20x speed so you don't have to wait for the slow-moving bot to get into position.

But just because Atlas can do it doesn't mean it's easy. Someone has to control its movements, double-check its hand positions when picking something up, and make sure it doesn't fall over while trying to retrieve a bit of trash from the floor.

John Carff, who was operating the robot for much of this video, told IEEE Spectrum that it takes "a lot of patience and out-of-the-box thinking" to make a humanoid robot do things like this — and you only have to watch this compilation of robots falling down at the DARPA Robotics Challenge to see how easily they can fail.

U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Microsoft Appeal Over Xbox Lawsuit

The Supreme Court will decide whether Microsoft Corp. must face a class-action lawsuit by disgruntled Xbox 360 owners who say the video-game console has a design defect that scratches game disks. The justices agreed Friday to hear an appeal from Microsoft arguing that individual claims by the plaintiffs had previously been thrown out.

Microsoft has sold more than 80 million Xbox 360 consoles and says only 0.4 percent of owners report disk scratching. The company says any damage is the result of consumer misuse and not a product defect.

A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in 2012, ruling there were not enough complaints to justify a class action. But a federal appeals court reversed, saying it could go forward.

Electric Cars Aren't Enough. Tesla Is Now Going Vegan

Tesla, the all-electric-car company, has just unveiled an SUV model that's not only environmentally friendly — it's also vegan.The Tesla Model X, with its double-hinged falcon wing doors, looks like something from the future — and it just might be. The world's first all-electric four-by-four SUV can hit 60mph in 3.2 seconds, a top speed of 155 mph and drive 250 miles per change. And now you can get the seven-seater with faux-leather seats.

When you think of luxury cars, you often think leather seats and that "new car smell" but what if you have plenty of money to spend, but don't want it lined with animal skin? It's a problem that plagues vegans.

For decades, leather-free options in the car industry have been limited at best. Generally speaking, buyers looking to avoid the use of animal products in their cars would have to settle for basic models with cloth seats and plastic steering wheels, but as they add options like better engines, heated seats or upgraded speakers, they're often forced to choose leather seats.But now, Tesla's "Ultra White" interior option, currently only offered in the new Model X SUV, comes available with a fully vegan interior — including synthetic leather seats, steering wheel and gear shift — giving that streamlined luxury look of leather.

The company reportedly created the new interior option, in part, after receiving criticism from potential customers who felt the company's eco-friendly stance on limiting emissions made no sense when the cars included animal products.

Livestock around the world account for about 14.5 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Critics argued that Tesla's continued use of leather would be perpetuating the need for more livestock, which would release more gas.

Many people might not know that animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, is a shareholder of Tesla Motors. At the company's annual meeting in June last year, PETA urged Tesla to offer vegan leather for the interiors of its vehicles, with CEO Elon Musk stating that he would "absolutely" consider it.

"By offering a 100 percent leather-free car, Tesla is pushing its eco-friendly business even further into the future," PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a statement. "PETA can now point to Tesla as a source for top-quality vehicles whose cruelty-free seats are as kind to the environment as its engines are."

Tesla is taking reservations for the Model X with a $5,000 deposit. The estimated base price is $80,000. Delivery is set to begin at the end of 2016. 

UK will lead in zero emission cars, says supplier Rexel

This was the ambitious target agreed at the International Climate Conference in Paris before Christmas.

The UK has also signed up to the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Alliance, for promoting the wider international uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles. Members include the UK, Germany, Holland, Norway and a number of states in the USA and Canada.

According Steve Everard from renewable specialist, Rexel UK, in the third quarter of 2015 there were approximately 46,000 electric vehicle (EV) registrations in the UK, representing an increase of 18% on Q2.

“The argument for EV is conclusive, and with the Government’s latest commitment giving a signal of the onus on EV to come, we’re confident that the UK will continue to lead the way in full scale adoption,” said Everard.

Everard also believes that charging technology continues to improve and infrastructure expand, which is addressing the issue of ‘range anxiety’.

To qualify as ultra-low emission in the UK, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles states a vehicle must produce 75g/km or less of CO2, which currently only plug-in electric vehicles adhere to.

“Although wider uptake of EVs across the EU is encouraging, the UK has undoubtedly been the biggest growth market in recent years," said Everard.

Rexel UK is a distributor of electrical installation supplies.

Self-organised photo-resist boosts lithography

Self-assembling polymers could boost the resolution of lithography, according to modelling at the University of Chicago and US Argonne National Laboratory. Belgian research lab IMEC is testing the theory.Block copolymers will self-assemble when coated onto a patterned surface.

The trick is to pre-pattern the surface well enough so that the lowest energy state for the polymer is the desired accurate pattern. In this way, a less-than-perfect pre-pattern can become an excellent polymer pattern.

However, block copolymers can get stuck in mid-level energy 'meta-stable' states that have the wrong pattern (see diagram).

Researchers Juan de Pablo and Paul Nealey set out to find a way to encourage incorrect meta-stable states to climb their local energy barriers and drop into the correct pattern.

"What we have done in this work is predict the path these molecules must follow to find defect-free states and designed a process that delivers industry-standard nano-circuitry that can be scaled down to smaller densities without defects," said de Pablo of the University of Chicago's and Argonne's Institute for Molecular Engineering.

Using the Mira and Fusion supercomputers, the team ran molecular simulations of self-assembling polymers and created  algorithms to calculate where barriers to structural rearrangement would arise. Then they modelled how temperature, solvents and applied fields would affect the situations. The result was a way to predict the pathways of molecular rearrangement necessary to move from meta-stable to stable state.

Now de Pablo and Nealey are testing the theory at Belgian semiconductor lab IMEC, which has commercial-grade fabs and characterisation equipment.

Finding a defect in a 100cm² area is like finding a needle in hay stack, and there are only a few places in the world where one has access to the necessary equipment to do so," said de Pablo.

The work is described in 'Molecular pathways for defect annihilation in directed self-assembly', a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Tinder making users less committing to relationships: Experts

popular dating apps are making their users less able to commit in relationships, experts have warned.

While the use of apps such as Tinder and Bumble has surged in recent years, there is growing concern that contemporary online dating has reduced the ability of users to devote themselves to one partner due to the shopping-like experience it creates.

"The thing with online dating and Tinder in particular is that it's making people less likely to commit," said journalist and Tinder user Siam Goorwich on Radio 4's The Long View programme.

"Users always think there's something better out there, so even in the early stages of relationships, people are still going on Tinder and still looking for new partners or a better partner."

On the same programme, dating scholar Zoe Strimpol compared modern dating apps with shopping. "When you buy something, it's novel and when you're done with it you dispose of it," she said.

"There's been widespread concern that web apps like Tinder have fostered that exact kind of disposability."

With the ability to flick through a stream of other potential matches at the tip of our finger tips, the sentiment that 'the grass is always greener' rings true, with nothing to stop users from scanning Tinder, even in the early days of a relationship, to check there isn't a better option out there.

Charly Lester, who runs the UK dating awards, believes that users are beginning to recognize this. "People are getting more selective again," she said.

"Tinder has given people a broad range of choices and now people are trying to pare back those choices with more niche dating apps."

But Goorwich is less optimistic about online dating, and believes that to win romance back, dating needs to start off-screen.

"My ideal would be to meet someone, shock horror, in real life, where you can make a real connection with them," she said on the programme.

"I feel quite wary of dating sites and I think a lot of people are feeling the same. We've given them a go, they haven't worked."

Fisher-Price wants to teach toddlers how to code with Code-A-Pillar

You will soon be able to check if your Lumia can get Windows 10

Microsoft had earlier planned the Windows 10 Mobile upgrade for old Lumia devices in December, though later officially confirmed that the update has been delayed until ‘early 2016’. Now it seems that the upgrades are finally ready to hit phones, as the Redmond giant has launched an internal beta for the Windows 10 Mobile Upgrade Advisor app.
With the tool, users can essentially find out whether their old Lumia device is eligible for upgrade to the latest Windows 10. The app is still in its beta phase which means its not yet available for everyone, though it appears it’ll be rolling out soon for all users.
To get the Windows 10 Mobile update when it arrives, Windows Phone 8.1 users need to have the Lumia Denim update (version 8.10.14219.341, or higher) to be eligible for the upgrade. In addition, they would require 8GB of internal storage with 1.5 GB of free space.
Meanwhile, other reports suggest that Windows 10 Mobile OTA update has already started rolling out in Poland to a handful of Lumia 640 users on T-Mobile. The upgrade bumps the OS to Build 10.0.10586.29, though Microsoft is yet to officially confirm the update. Regardless, these are signs that Windows 10 Mobile update to old Lumia phones is certainly gaining momentum.
Its also worth pointing out that French carrier Bouygues Telecom has confirmed it’ll be pushing the update to select Lumia devices next week, which include the Lumia 635/640/640 XL, Lumia 730/735, Lumia 830, Lumia 930, Lumia 1520, and Lumia 532/535/540/636/638.

Woman faces jail for tagging her sister-in-law on Facebook

A woman in the US was given a one year jail sentence for violating a restraining order after she tagged her victim -- her sister-in-law -- on a Facebook post that called her “stupid”, a media report said.

Maria Gonzalez, who was not allowed to contact Maribel Calderon, was charged with second-degree criminal contempt, after Acting Westchester County Supreme Court Justice Susan Capeci ruled the Facebook post Gonzalez tagged Caldron in can be considered as an electronic communication, Cnet.com reported on Friday.

Gonzalez’s attorney argued that the protection order did not specifically exclude communication via Facebook. However Judge Capeci disagreed, saying the phrase in the protection order that read “by electronic or any other means” was sufficient to cover any Facebook communication.

The ruling may lead Gonzalez to spend a year in jail.

Gonzalez’s court-appointed attorney Kim Frohlinger told the New York Post that she would not appeal the ruling.

“You and your family are sad...You guys have to come stronger than that!! I’m way over you guys but I guess not in ya agenda,” Gonzalez reportedly wrote in her Facebook post.

Asus Zenwatch 2 review: The good looking inexpensive Android Wear watch

It has almost been a week since we started using the new Asus Zenwatch 2 and frankly we have little to complain. The Asus Zenwatch 2 is priced at Rs 11,999 and is the company's answer to the budget smartwatch segment. Let's find out how Asus has improved the newer model and if it earns enough points to justify its price tag.

Display and design
The Asus Zenwatch 2 is available in two variants, for him and her versions, and keeping to the trend the men's one has a larger display compared to the women's edition. The design of this smartwatch is not very fresh, however is desirable. The body is made up of brushed metal and has a thick bezel, because of which it might look a little bulky on thin wrists. The straps are made of rubber and can be removed quickly by pulling the small pin that attaches it to the watch (for a quick wash).

The men's watch has a 1.63-inch display, while the women's one has a 1.45-inch screen. Both the AMOLED displays support 278ppi. We have been using the men's version that has a resolution of 320x320 pixels. The curved Gorilla glass on the Asus Zenwatch 2 adds to the show and screen safety.

We quite liked the display, barring its ability in the direct sun. The screen washes out a bit at lower brightness levels under bright light. The Asus Zenwatch 2 comes with a lot of watchfaces that have been custom made by the company. Another aspect of this smartwatch is that the screen does not go totally dark when in standby, but keeps displaying the time. This is both good and bad, while one would want to know the time at most times (without pressing a button), however this might not go down well with fellow movie watchers in a dark theatre.

Asus Zenwatch 2 is protected by IP67 water resistant tech. In simple terms, it means that this watch is water and dust resistant. So if you are the one who works out or sweats a lot, or are prone to work in dusty areas, this smartwatch is right for you.

Performance
The Asus Zenwatch 2 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 1.2GHz processor along with 512MB RAM. It can store up to 4GB data and has a 6-Axis (A+G) with Sensor-hub, which is an improvement over its predecessor. The watch recognizes voice commands with the help of an in-built microphone. For connectivity the Asus Zenwatch 2 has Wi-Fi plus Bluetooth 4.1.

As far as endurance is concerned, the Asus Zenwatch 2 has a 400mAh battery that will last 2 days under normal circumstances. But, when pushed to its limits, the fully charged battery can last 15 hours with Bluetooth turned on

Thanks to the quick processor, we found the response of the Asus Zenwatch 2 to be quite snappy. On the not-so-bright-side, it does take its own time to boot up. The pedometer is accurate and shows a steady pattern without any inconsistency. The watch lacks a heart rate monitor, which is a prevalent feature in most android wears, now.

Another good feature we would like to talk about is that this watch vibrates and lights up on receiving a notification. Users can send a reply using the Asus Zenwatch 2 MIC by dictating to it.

Verdict
The Asus Zenwatch 2 justifies its price of Rs 11,999 well. It excelled in areas such as battery life, premium looks and performance. When compared to its competitors such as the MOTO 360 (Second Gen) this smartwatch is running neck to neck as far as performance is concerned, but wins big in the price department. Overall a great package for the price.

Automaton Table - CT Fine Furniture by Craig Thibodeau

Startups usher in a new economic freedom

Would you resign from a job in Amazon in America and dare to build its rival in India? Would you opt out of an assured placement with a Fortune 100 company and start a social entreprenuership venture straight out of college? Would you give up a job with a crore-plus salary to try out a business idea even though you are over 40 and have school-going kids? Most middle-class Indians would not have done any of these until as late as the mid-1990s. Today they feel free to make such choices—free from the stigma of a potential failure, free from the parental pressure to 'settle down' in life, free to try making their own economic destiny.

First generation entrepreneurs aren't new to India. India's number one private company was founded by a first generation entrepreneur, Dhirubhai Ambani. India's most admired IT company, Infosys, was set up by seven middleclass ex-employees who had no family wealth or political contact. But in the world's second most populous country, such examples were rare. Entrepreneurship was a dream to be had and forgotten. Today, Indians are free to have the dream—and live it.

Three changes have ushered in this freedom. First is the rising value and falling price of experiment. Traditionally in India, experience was valued much higher than experiment. Partly because the cost of experiment was high—both in terms of money and stigma of failure. The internet reduced the monetary cost of experiment, as was evident from the first wave of dotcom companies formed in the early 1990s. Mobile phones have dramatically brought the cost down further and accelerated the speed of success. Founded less than a decade ago, Flipkart's $15 billion valuation is higher than the market capitalisation of one of India's oldest companies—Tata Motors.

The second big change is how failure is seen in society and among investors. Though India is still far more risk averse than America, more and more young Indians are seeing failure as a learning and not as an ending. By now, there is a long list of 'succeeded in the second attempt' entrepreneurs in country.

Top Comment

In my opinion after Modi govt has come to power the people have started taking steps to start the new ventures 

Another big change is in the thinking of what's a business and who's an owner. Startups change their business model and products significantly during the period of experiment. Founders of some of the biggest startups have no hesitation in reducing their stake to less than 50% to ensure that their idea—and the business—blooms, even if they no longer have 'control'.

The world has noticed the changes. That's why among the emerging economies, investors feel most comfortable with Indian entrepreneurs economy. Even more than China. Some of the biggest global investors -- US public investors, sovereign wealth managers and pension funds -- are beginning to take Indian startups seriously.

It is in this context that today's 'Startup India' initiative of the government has to be seen. Can it speed up the pace of change? Can it ensure that Indian banks that keep writing off millions on bad loans to big companies start funding business ideas on campuses? Can it help Indian business ideas find Indian funding? Government can't guarantee every entrepreneurial dream turns into a reality. But it can ensure that a good business idea is nurtured into a great business instead of getting killed because of the absence of basics like uninterrupted power, reliable mobile network, seed capital and clean and responsive administration. Thousands of startups will be looking forward for such an assurance today.