No respite as fuel prices rise again, petrol crosses Rs 90-mark in Mumbai

In Mumbai, the petrol price has touched Rs 90.08 per litre, while diesel is being retailed at Rs 78.58 per litre

In no respite to the citizens, fuel prices in the country touched new heights on Monday morning, especially in Mumbai, as the petrol price in the metropolitan city crossed Rs 90-run mark.

In Mumbai, the petrol price has touched Rs 90.08 per litre, while diesel is being retailed at Rs 78.58 per litre.

Meanwhile, the prices of petrol and diesel in New Delhi are Rs.82.72 per litre and Rs.74.02 per litre respectively.

Keeping the people's suffering in mind, the West Bengal government on September 11 reduced the excise on petrol and diesel by Re 1 per litre each last week. Similarly, the Karnataka government had also announced that the Petrol and Diesel pricesacross the state would be cheaper by Rs 2 per litre each, following the reduction in cess on these fuels. As per India's pricing mechanism, the domestic fuel prices depend upon the international fuel prices on a 15-day average and the value of the Indian rupee.

Fuel prices have been witnessing a steep rise since the past few weeks. While the Opposition has blamed the Union government for not doing enough to keep a check on prices, the latter has maintained that global crude oil prices and other international factors are causing a hike in prices of petroleum products.

However, Department of Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg on Friday said that discussions are taking place with the United States regarding the reduction of oil imports from Iran.

Garg had also said that if needed, discussions will be held on trading of oil in terms of the Indian Rupee.

Article Source : Business Standard

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 review: Slate will impress multimedia enthusiasts

With a mammoth 10.5-inch screen, quad speakers with Dolby Atmos support, and a 7,700 mAh battery, the Galaxy Tab A 10.5 tablet is a multimedia powerhouse

South Korean electronics giant Samsung is among a few companies that continue to focus on tablets to fill the gap between smartphones and notebooks. Tablets provide a convenience of a smartphone in a big form factor with a huge screen estate. These devices, when connected with a keyboard and mouse, also double up as a trimmed-down version of notebooks. However, with Windows-based mobile notebooks and Chromebooks redefining the computing space, the use case for tablets has moved from productivity to entertainment or as a device at the centre of connected space, also known as internet of things (IoT). The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 seems to pack both of these.

The tablet is a fairly big device that puts it close to a notebook. It sports a mammoth 10.5-inch screen with huge bezels around. That is a plus, considering that you need some space to rest your thumbs while holding the device. The screen boasts a 1920 x 1200 resolution in a 16:10 aspect ratio which makes it compatible with most content and apps. The screen is bright and has ample contrast. However, it looks dull in comparison with OLED, which offers an impeccable colour rendition and deep blacks and is best suited for multimedia consumption. The screen also shows a shift in colours when looked at from angles, and that makes it less suitable for watching video content with a bunch of friends. The lack of S-Pen support also diminishes the overall utility of the otherwise large display panel.

The tablet's weight – more than 500 g – makes it difficult to operate using one hand. However, the weight is evenly distributed to helps in day-to-day operations. Thanks to a rubberised back, the tablet feels safe to hold and does not slip unnecessarily. However, a tiny bulging camera module on the back makes it uneven on flat surfaces like table.

Speaking of innards, the tablet is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 system-on-chip (SoC), mated with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The SoC is not a powerhouse. It is an entry-level octacore processor that barely manages to run power-intensive tasks. Surprisingly, it does not deter the tablet’s multimedia prowess and manages to run 1080p videos smoothly. The tablet runs smoothly and shows no lags in normal circumstances. However, things turn difficult when power-intensive or graphic-intensive apps like Asphalt 9 and PUBG are loaded. These games run on this device at the lowest possible graphics setting, and show stutters, becoming unplayable. This, however, does not come as a surprise, considering that the tablet makes no promise for gaming capabilities. It pitches its multimedia capability and that performs fairly.

Speaking of multimedia capabilities, the tablet features quad speakers (two on the bottom and two on the top) powered by Dolby Atmos for an immersive sound experience. The speakers are not loud but offer a good spatial output for a surround sound experience. Interestingly, these speakers automatically adjust left and right channels based on screen orientation, making them quite useful.

Article Source: Business Standard

Vivo V11 Pro review: Feature-rich smartphone with good camera, battery life

Priced at Rs 25,990, the Vivo V11 Pro is has rich features in the midrange smartphone segment. It is also among the first smartphone to have a tiny notch display

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo started its journey with devices tuned to deliver best-in-class audio capabilities. With fast-changing dynamics of the smartphone game, the company soon shifted its focus to imaging by integrating higher megapixel cameras in its devices. Now, at a time when the specification race has saturated and the mobile phone game has moved to features, Vivo is seemingly taking the lead in shaping the future of smartphones — the Vivo Nex, with a three-side all-screen front and motorised pop-up camera is an example.

While the Vivo Nex seems to be a concept phone setting the benchmark for future smartphones, a Business Standard review of the recently launched Vivo V11 Prorevealed that the new device fits just perfectly as a smartphone filling the gap during thr transition. The Vivo V11 Pro features a modern design with glass body, a tall stance due to its 19.5:9 aspect ratio screen with a tiny notch on top (called Halo FullView), and respectable specifications.

Vivo V11 Pro design, display and in-display fingerprint sensor

With almost every phone offering the same specifications in their respective segments, the industry focus has now shifted to design and display; these have become a key differentiating factor for new-age smartphones. In terms of design, the V11 Pro is a step forward, especially with its glass-metal-glass design that looks plush. The back of the smartphone is uniform with almost no obstructions, except for a vertical dual-camera module placed on the top-left corner. The glass on the back has a starry night design of a glittery blue hue at the bottom, and a glossy shade of black on the top. A caveat: The phone’s back looks like an enhanced version of the V9.

The front is dominated by a new format 6.41-inch superAMOLED screen of fullHD+ resolution, stretched in a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The screen boasts a new tiny notch screen area, accommodating just the front camera. Interestingly, the earpiece now sits under a thin bezel above the display, along with an infrared sensor on its right for the face-unlock mechanism. The new screen format gives the phone a tall look — that makes operating it using one hand somewhat difficult.

Being an AMOLED unit, the display is bright and looks vivid. It has a good saturation and contrast ratio. Sunlit legibility is satisfactory, but a fullHD+ resolution for such a big panel looks a bit pixelated, especially while reading text, playing games and watching videos. The lock screen supports the always-on mode to show notifications, time and date. However, unlike Samsung smartphones, there is no way you can interact or check notifications.

Article Source : Business Standard

Vitamin D may reduce cancer risk, breast cancer mortality

Apart from building healthy bones, vitamin D also may reduce cancer risk as well as BreastCancer mortality, especially in women with a lower body mass index.

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer in women worldwide and is the leading cause of death from cancer in women. Reproductive risk factors such as early onset of puberty, late menopause, later age at first pregnancy, never having been pregnant, obesity, and a family history have all been shown to be associated with breast cancer development.

The role of vitamin D concentration in the development of breast cancer, however, continues to be debated.

Researchers involved in the study concluded that postmenopausal women had an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency at the time of their breast cancer diagnoses, associated with higher rates of obesity than women of the same age group without cancer.

Similar studies also have previously demonstrated a relationship between vitamin D and breast cancer mortality. Women in the highest quartile of vitamin D concentrations, in fact, had a 50% lower death rate from breast cancer than those in the lower quartile, suggesting that vitamin D levels should be restored to a normal range in all women with breast cancer.

Apart from building healthy bones, vitamin D also may reduce cancer risk as well as breast cancer mortality, especially in women with a lower body mass index.

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer in women worldwide and is the leading cause of death from cancer in women. Reproductive risk factors such as early onset of puberty, late menopause, later age at first pregnancy, never having been pregnant, obesity, and a family history have all been shown to be associated with breast cancer development.

The role of vitamin D concentration in the development of breast cancer, however, continues to be debated.

Researchers involved in the study concluded that postmenopausal women had an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency at the time of their breast cancer diagnoses, associated with higher rates of obesity than women of the same age group without cancer.

Similar studies also have previously demonstrated a relationship between vitamin D and breast cancer mortality. Women in the highest quartile of vitamin D concentrations, in fact, had a 50% lower death rate from breast cancer than those in the lower quartile, suggesting that vitamin D levels should be restored to a normal range in all women with breast cancer.

Sony 'Master Series' A9F Bravia OLED TV launched in India for Rs 399,990

Sony 'Master Series' A9F Bravia OLED TVs comes with with features like Netflix calibrated mode, hands-free voice search and TV centre speaker mode to work with home theatre systems

Taking its popular Bravia OLED TV line-up to a new level, Sony India on Monday launched "A9F" under its "Master Series" with features like Netflix calibrated mode, hands-free voice search and TV centre speaker mode to work with home theatre systems.

Running Android TV 8.0 Oreo operating system (OS), the new television series -- "KD-55A9F" (55-inch) that costs Rs 399,990 while "KD-65A9F" (65-inch) is priced at Rs 559,990 -- will be available in India from September 20.

Equipped with "X1 Ultimate" picture processor and "pixel contrast booster" -- which is Sony's original panel controller for OLED -- the TVs would deliver 4K HDR picture quality and better contrast, the company said in a statement.

Sony has incorporated "single slate design" in its new TV offering with only one stand in the back to hold it up.

The TVs also come with "Acoustic Surface Audio+" technology to facilitate multi-dimensional sounds.

"The TVs would provide a faster, easier and more intuitive interface for the consumers to use," the company claimed.

Additionally, the TVs also come with multi-lingual support, accommodating 11 Indian languages and over 14 international dialects.

The "X1 Ultimate Picture Processor" can intelligently detect and analyse each object in the picture through Sony's new object-based super-resolution mechanism - pixel contrast booster- for exceptional accuracy and detail.

The object-based HDR remaster has been updated and allows each object to be remastered individually for better depth and accurate texture.

With this recent launch, Sony will continue to enhance its premium line-up in its Bravia TV range to cater the niche customers and chase more value and strong foothold, Sony India Managing Director Sunil Nayyar told Press Trust of India.

Besides, Sony would also continue to have its affordable range to cater the entry-level customers in 32-inch and 40-inch screen size as per its "twin strategy" in the segment.

Sony, which is strengthening its premium image here, would also enhance the domestic manufacturing of the TV units through its local partner.

"Our contribution of the premium sales is increasing rapidly.

Boat products review: Inexpensive phone accessories with quirky design

Boat is inexpensive, not cheap. It needs a bit of tweaking before taking on the audio biggies

Quirky is a characteristic of Boat, a comparatively new consumer electronics brand founded in 2016. Its designs have a generous use of bright colours -- red, pink, blue, fluorescent -- and the occasional grey and black, aimed at catching the eye in the cluttered segment of affordable mobile phone accessories. The company makes earphones, headphones and portable speakers, along with accessories such as chargers and cables. We tested out one in each category for its design, quality and ruggedness.

Rockerz 430 (on-ear wireless headphones)

The packaging of Boat products is unimpressive across categories. The boxes are flimsy and aesthetically banal -- uncharacteristically opposite of how the products look. The Rockerz 430 we reviewed has a charcoal grey exterior and is bright red inside. The plastic headband feels solid and the PU coating makes the headphones comfortable to hang on the neck when not in use. It’s also light.

have never been a fan of small ear-cups that sit on the ears and not cover them completely. Doesn’t matter the cushioning on the cups, even the slightest of pressure makes the headphones hard to keep on for extended use. The Rockerz 430 has a passive noise cancellation, which means they sit on the ears snuggly to block the outside noise by design; and the headphones won’t slip off even if you run with them. But not everyone can get used to the pressure on the outer ear.

The Rockerz 430 is paired easily, and is even faster to connect the next time. The over-enthusiastic announcer welcoming you with “you have plugged into Nirvana” is quite unnecessary though.

Moving on, the headphones don’t falter on delivering the low frequency sounds right. The sub-bass is deep and surround. Even the mids -- that include the vocals -- are clear. Listening to Drake and DJ Khaled is a pleasure, but only until the highs kick in. It seems like in order to achieve satisfactory base, the highs have been amped up. And the distortion is quite evident when bass takes a back seat. The snare drums in Highway to Hell by AC/DC were overbearing after a point, and by the time I moved an era to Charlie Puth’s Done for Me for its treble-heavy music and Puth’s high-pitched voice, I could not increase the volume over 70 per cent. While the bass is good, the overall sound quality Rockerz 430 delivers for Rs 1,995 -- even though cost-effective -- is average, at best.

Read more about : BassHeads 225, Stone 200 (Bluetooth speakers), Charging cable (for iOS)