New cardboard helmet: Lighter and Safer

An Indian-origin researcher has designed a new lighter and safer bicycle-helmet entirely made up of cardboard.

The helmet 'Kranium' has been constructed by cardboard and designed by Royal College Art Student Anirudha Surabhi, which promises to be 15 percent lighter than standard helmets, while absorbing up to three times the impact energy during the collision.

Surabhi was inspired to create the Kranium following a nasty fall from his bicycle which caused a cracked helmet and minor concussion.

The designer was also inspired by the woodpecker's ability to withstand repeated heavy impact, thanks to the bird's unique corrugated cartilage structure which separates beak from skull.

The Formula 1 team Force India is incorporating the Kranium technology in to its own helmet design, the report said. The Kranium is waterproof and boasts some green credentials, due to it being manufactured from recycled paper.

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Pakistan lifts YouTube ban

Pakistan government on Saturday lifted its 3-month ban on YouTube,  imposed to cut off access to clips from anti-Islam film, only to reinstate it within less than an hour.

The Pakistan telecommunication authority directed internet service providers and mobile phone firms to unblock YouTube on Saturday afternoon. Within an hour, however, PM Raja Pervez Ashraf reinstated the ban after a right-wing journalist from the Jang news group reported that the anti-Islam film, "Innocence Of Muslims" could still be accessed on YouTube.

Interior Minister Rehman MAlik had tweeted on Friday that Pakistani authorities would lift the ban on YouTube within 24 hours. He said that "there was a great demand to unblock YouTube from all sections of society."

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Audi to hike prices up to Rs. 3.69 lakh from Jan 2013

Audi India has announced the details of increase in prices of its model range available in India. The price increase would range between Rs. 59,000 to Rs. 3.69 lakh across the range starting from Jan 1, 2013.

"The rise in input cost,, depreciating rupees as well as continuous increase in fuel prices have made us re-evaluate our pricing strategy in India and increase the prices of our entire model range. However we are offering our customers customized and innovative finance options from Audi Finance which will make their purchase more attractive," said Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India.

Audi has already exceeded its 2012 sales target of 8,000 units and hopes to touch the revised target of 8,600 units for calendar. Its country wide dealer network now stands at 24 with the most recent one being Audi Ahmedabad.

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Airtel launches Wi-Fi hangouts for prepaid users

Bharti Airtel has launched a new Wi-Fi hotspot service, called Wi-Fi hangouts. The service is available for Airtel prepaid customers Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Banglore regions.

With the new hotspot service, Airtel subscribers can access the company's public hotspots by activating 'Airtel Wi-Fi Zone' vouchers available on the company website. "Now you can enjoy a broadband internet experience even outside your home. Whether at your favourite cafe, restaurant or local hangout. Airtel Wi-Fi guarantees a secure and reliable connectivity on your laptop or handled device," says Airtel on its website.

For 30 minutes of unlimited usage on the Wi-Fi, users will be charged for Rs. 20. For one hour or two hours of unlimited usage, users are charged Rs. 30 and Rs. 50 respectively. You can find out more information About Airtel's Wi-Fi hangout service on Airtel's website.

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Samsung sold 10 million galaxy devices in India

Korean Electronics company, Samsung said it has sold more than 10 million Galaxy devices in the Indian market since the launch of first Galaxy device, 'Galaxy S' in June 2010.

"Innovative devices like the, Samsung Galaxy S, Galaxy S II, Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note II and Galaxy Y have caught the imagination of customers and helped us democratize the smartphone experience in the Indian market," Samsung VP Asim Warsi tols PTI.

This has helped Samsung sell more than 10 million Galaxy devices in the Indian market since June 2010, when the first Galaxy device was launched, he added.

According to Cyber Media Research India Mobile Handsets Market Review, India shipments of mobile handsets was recorded at 102.43 million units during January-June 2012.

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Toshiba preparing to launch 20-MP image chip for digital cameras

Tokyo based firm Toshiba is planning to launch a 20-MP image sensor for digital cameras that it says will be the highest resolution of its kind.

According to the firm the new chips will be able to support capturing 30 frames per second at full resolution. They will also be able to shoot videos at 60 frames per second at 1080P or 100 frames at 720P.

Toshiba said it will begun shipping samples of the new CMOS chips from next month, the mass production to begin in August of 3,00,000 units per month.

The Japanese manufacturer said it has increased the amount of information pixels in the new chip can store as compared to its previous generation of CMOS, producing better overall images.

Toshiba says its goal is to achieve a 30 percent market share in CMOS sensors for digital cameras in the fiscal that ends in March 2016.

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Huawei launches Ascend Android G330 for Rs. 10,990

Initially announced at IFA this year the Ascend G330 is now available in the country with online retailing portal Snapdeal for Rs. 10,990. Though the device is also listed on Flipkart for Rs.10,999, the device is currently out of stock.

The Ascend G330 has a 4-inch IPS capacitive touch screen display and a 5 MP auto focus camera with LED flash. And the Ascend G330 comes with a 1GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.0 and a front facing camera.

The company has also partnered with other telecom operators like Spice and Airtel to launch the smartphones in the Acsend series in India. 

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Samsung India launches Galaxy Music Duos

Samsung India has officially launched the Galaxy Music Duos smartphone in the Indian market. The company had unveiled it internationally in October 2012 and begun taking pre-orders in the first week of December.

The official cost of the device in India is Rs. 9,199, thought the street price is Rs. 8,990.

The all new Galaxy Music Duos is a dual-SIM smartphone aimed at music lovers and comes with two speakers in the front, a dedicated music key and audio technologies like Music Alive and SRS. The device sports a 3-inch LCD touchscreen with 240 x 320 pixel resolution and runs on an 850 MHz processor with 512MB RAM. It has 4GB internal memory and 32GB microSD for expansion.

Powered by a 1,300 mAh battery, the device comes with a 3MP camera without flash and also misses a front-facing snapper. For connectivity Samsung Music Duos features Wi-Fi, 3G, 2G, Bluetooth 3.0 and microUSB .

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Tata Nano diesel, mini SUV and more: Expect fireworks over next 18 months

Tata Motors has announced the that the next 18 months will see a firework of outputs from them. They will be launching new cars like the Nano diesel and a compact SUV in the Indian auto industry to revive their profile in the Indian auto declining sales figures in the passenger car segment, has pushed Tata Motors to get back to the drawing board and design new cars from the scratch.

Tata's last big car launch came four years ago in the form of Nano, and their last passenger car which managed to make an impact on the industry, was the Indica which was launched 14 years back. Tata Motors have said that they will be investing $1.36 billion in the passenger vehicle segment over the next five years.

Tata Motors should have evolved naturally in the Indian auto industry, just like Mahindra and Maruti. But probably passenger car segment was not their segment. This is evident from the fact that Tata Motors previous two heads were heads of their commercial vehicle segment. But Tata is shifting their focus, or increasing their focus towards the passenger car segment.

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Videocon launches A20, A30 dual-SIM Android smartphone in India

Videocon has launched two Android smartphones in the Indian market today. Dubbed as A20 and A30, both the smartphones belong to the entry-level segment and come with dual-SIM connectivity.

According to a press release issued today, Videocon A20 and A30 are now available across the country at all major retail stores.

Videocon A20 features Android 2.3, 1 GHz Qualcomm processor, 3.5-inch HVGA display, 1,350 mAh battery, 3MP rear camera, front VGA camera, expandable memory up to 16 GB, Bluetooth, FM radio with recording and GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA connectivity.

Company has also preloaded apps like Facebook, TOI, ET, History Eraser, Gesture Search, Google applications on the Videocon A20. The smartphone has been prices at Rs. 4,999.

on the other hand, Videocon A 30 will be sold at Rs. 7,299 and comes with 1GHz dual-core qualcomm processor, Android 4.0, 4.0-inch WVGA capacity display, 1,500 mAh battery, FM radio with recording , expandable memory up to 32GB, Bluetooth, GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA capabilities along with Wi-Fi and GPS.The A30 alsp comes with pre-loaded apps.

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Too much internet use my leave kids 'Brain Dead'

A Google generation which relies on the internet for everything is in danger of becoming 'Brain Dead', a  leading UK inventor has warned.

Trevor Baylis, who invented the wind-up radio said children are loosing creativity and practical skills because they spend too much time in front of screens.

The 75-year old from Twickenham, south-west London, said he fears that the next generation of investors is being lost, with young people often unable to make anything with their hands, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

He said children could rediscover vital skills if schools use practical toys like Meccano, a model construction system.

"They should use computers as and when, but there are so many people playing with their computers nowadays that spend all their time sitting there with a stomach," he said.

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Zync launches six budget dual-SIM phones

Zync Global Private Limited has launched six new low cost dual-SIM phones namely Zync C18, Zync C21, Zync C22, Zync C24, Zync C27 and Zync C30. All the mobile phones are priced at RS. 1,399, Rs. 1,990, Rs. 1,990, Rs. 1,990, Rs. 1,990 and Rs. 2,499 respectively.

The common features of the Zync devices include 4GB memory card, USB connectivity, Bluetooth support, dual-LED torch light, 1.3 MP camera with video recording, music play and FM radio. The box contains accessories like in sales package battery, charger, user manual, headset, handset and a warranty card. All the phones can support Facebook, Yahoo, MSN etc.

"This is the first time we have entered the mobile phone category. With the mobile phone growing with leaps, we felt this was the right time to expand our horizon and enter the new territory. With the launch of these six new cell phones, we aim to bring a powerful and dependable price with great features at a very affordable price point," says Amul Mittal, Co-founder, Zync Global.

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Supersized telescope to help humans in making contact with aliens within 12 years

Whether alien life exists or not could be confirmed by 2024 with the help of a supersized 1.3 billion-pound radio telescope.

Former ministry of defence UFO project leader Nick Pope, said that the development of the square kilometer array telescope would reveal "new and exciting possibilities," the Daily Express reported.

If everything goes according to the plan the square kilometer Array will be fully operational and humans could be able to make contact with the aliens with 12 years, said Pope, who studied UFO sightings at the MoD for 21 years.

The square kilometer array to be started in 2016, is set to be the world's largest radio telescope and will answer some of the fundamental unanswered questions of our universe.

Made up of thousands of radio wave receptors covering 1,900 square miles of Earth's surface in the Australian outback, scientists have claimed it will provide alternative views of the universe that thoise seen with optical telescopes.

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Acer to launch affordable Windows and Android tablet next year

Acer may not be doing well with Android based smartphones, but the company has been a competitor in the Android based tablet market. Recent reports suggest that Acer will launch a $99 Android tablet next year.

The tablet will be much affordable than the Asus Nexus 7 and it will feature some decent hardware. The $99 Acer tablet will feature a 7-inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels and it will be powered by a dual-core processor clocked at 1.2 GHz.

Further Acer is also expected to launch a low cost Windows 8 based tablet device which may not match the $99 price, but can be one of the most affordable Windows tablet in the market.

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Intex launches iBuddy Connect tablet for Rs. 7,990

Intex technologies have announced the launch of its 7-inch SIM based tablet, the Intex iBuddy Connect at a price of Rs. 7,990. The company has launched this tablet keeping the youth in mind.

The company is releasing the tablet at an affordable price of Rs. 7,990. As part of an introductory offer, Intex has also bundled it with an exclusive leather cover that  has a keyboard attached. The accessory is worth Rs. 1,500 and is given to customers for free.

The tablet has an ultra-slim design and supports 5-point touch ca[abilities. It runs on Android 4.0 IceCream Sandwich and sports 4GB internal memory that is expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. This tablet is powered by a 1 GHz processor and has 512 MB of DDR3 RAM.

This tablet comes with a dual-camera support, a 2 MP camera at the back along with a VGA camera at the front, which is capable of making video calls. To keep the device up and running it is endowed with 3,000 mAh lithium Ion battery.

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Apple may launch a fifth-generation by 2013

Apple may launch a fifth generation tablet next March, in keeping with its yearly Spring releases of previous models,a media report said.

According to an inside source of the tech blog Macotakara, the new iPad will look like iPad Mini in design and the dimensions of a slightly smaller iPad 2, the Daily Mail reported.

There are currently three models of iPad: The first iPad, the iPad 2 and the iPad Retina Display - all measuring the same.

Apple released a faster version of the iPad Retina this March and some people refer to this as the iPad 4.

The new model according to Macotakara, would feature the Retina Display with the same resolution as the third fourth generation iPads, the Mail added. 

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Airtel launches new 3G plan that can be shared between 3 devices

India's leading telecom brand has announced a new 3G plan data for the customers, which allows one to share unlimited data usage amongst two of their family members or among three of his/her own devices.

Under the Airtel's data share plan, the subscriber will have to shell out Rs. 1,000 per month and can use 3G on upto three smart devices. There is a cumulative gap of 5GB, on exhaustion of which the Airtel user can continue to use unlimited data but at the speed of 80 kb per second.

The data share plan is open to all Airtel subscribers but all the three connections should belong to the same telecom circle.

To subscribe to this plan, the subscribers can either click here or subscribe via sending an SMS.

Though on the surface, it looks Airtel is promoting the idea of sharing 3G data between family and friends but it will also be beneficial for people who have more than one connected device and are looking at having a unified data bill for all the devices. Irrespective of how the subscribers uses this plan. this is a good initiative to increase the number of 3G devices in the country and hopefully other operators will follow suit.

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Reliance offers unlimited usage of Facebook Messenger at Rs. 16 only

Reliance has launched a new plan for all prepaid users. This plan will let them make unlimited usage of the Facebook messenger app at Rs. 16 per month only.

The offer is valid for Reliance GSM subscribers across the country. The Facebook Messenger plan has a validity of 30 days from the date of recharge and the plan is auto-renewed every 30 days unless you subscribe.

The Facebook Messenger app is available for Android, Blackberry and iOS users. Recently Facebook gave Android users in India the option to download the app and log in with just their name and mobile number. Previously you needed a Facebook account to use the app.

The Facebook Messenger app is currently at number 5 in the top free Android apps.

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Renault Duster to take part at Dakar Rally

After tasting immense success in the Indian markets, feature packed Sports Utility Vehicle Renault Duster is ready to take part at next year's edition of the globally renowned-off road motor sporting Dakar Rally.

According to a report, the special version of Renault Duster's participation at Dakar Rally will entertain global audience. The french auto major, which has been instant hit with its Duster model in Indian passenger car market, enjoys the title of market leader in its segment.

The Dakar rally is one of the most famous and peculiar off-road motor sporting race in the world. It is considered as the Mecca of SUV featuring motor sports organised on the demanding deserts and arid terrains.

"The specially designed and assembled Renault Duster model for the race has been trimmed with a number of interesting notifications in its under the hood configuration, suspension system and drive train. Accordingly, the two super powerful Duster models will be powered by a 3.5 litre, V6 petrol motor, which could churn out an impressive peak power output close to 300 bhp. The drive train is going to feature an All Wheel Drive (AWD) configuration and the engine assembly is mated to a six speed sequential transmission system," the report said.

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