FIR against 2 UP IPS officer

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FIR against 2 UP IPS officer

FIRs have been lodged against IPS officers Ajay Pal Sharma and Himanshu Kumar in Meerut for allegedly lobbying for their transfer and posting. They have been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Uttar Pradesh police have found evidence against the officers in calls and chats from their cell phones.

The names of journalists Chandan Rai, Swapnil Rai, and Atul Shukla, allegedly involved in the case, have also been included in the FIRs. All of them are accused of “inducing a government official for corruption”.

Three videos of IPS officer and then Noida Police chief, Vaibhav Krishna, chatting with a girl had gone viral on social media platforms a few months back. The officer had called a press conference to “clarify” that the videos were “deliberately morphed” to tarnish his image.

Krishna had also complained to the Deputy General of Police and Chief Secretary (Home) and claimed that he had busted a gang of five journalists involved in lobbying for the posting of the then Noida SSP Ajay Pal Sharma, and other officials Sudhir Singh, Rajiv Narayan Mishra, Ganesh Saha, and Himanshu Kumar.

Krishna was suspended earlier this year.

Heavy rain cuts off Bengal-Sikkim highway after landslides

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Heavy rain cuts off Bengal-Sikkim highway after landslides

Multiple landslides due to heavy rain have resulted in the closing of a stretch of a national highway that connects Sikkim with Darjeeling district of West Bengal, resulting in massive traffic jams, officials said on Wednesday.

The NH-10 connects Sikkim’s capital Gangtok to Kalimpong district and Siliguri town. An orange alert has also been sounded by the MeT department in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal and in neighboring Sikkim as the region is likely to experience heavy rainfall over the next few days.

According to reports, the incessant rainfall, starting on Monday, led to several landslides in a large part between Sevoke police station and Sevokeshwari Kali Bari disrupting vehicular movement on the connecting stretch.

Road communication was completely cut off between Sikkim and Kalimpong-Dooars regions.

For three days in a row, multiple landslides were witnessed near 29th Mile on NH-10. No vehicles were allowed to ply on NH-10 and NH-31. Road repair work was also hampered owing to the rainy spell.

The administration is currently busy carrying out clearing up operations but the progress to clear out debris from the road is slow due to active landslides, local sources said.

Heavy downpour lashed over the hills, as well as the Terai region on the foothills of the eastern Himalayas since last night causing a flood-like situation in several areas of Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, and Jalpaiguri district as well.

Focussing on expressing myself & having a lot of fun this IPL: Stoinis

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Focussing on expressing myself & having a lot of fun this IPL: Stoinis

Australia all-rounder Marcus Stonis, who played an instrumental role in Delhi Capitals’ incredible win over Kings XI Punjab in their opening IPL 2020 encounter, has said that all he wants is to express himself and have a lot of fun throughout this year’s tournament.

On Sunday, Stoinis’ quick-fire 53 off 21 balls with the bat and 2-29 with the ball took the match into an exciting Super Over, where the Delhi Capitals secured the win against Kings XI Punjab.

Having proved to be the game-changer in both the innings, Stoinis has said his maturity played a role in the day. “I’ve come in with some confidence through good performances this year, but also maybe putting less responsibility on myself than some other years. Sometimes when you’re young and you’re in a rush, you want to do well and you’re trying so hard.”

“So I think this year I sort of just wanted to express myself and its only one game, so we’ll see, you can turn from a hero to a villain quickly, but yes, my focus is on just having a lot of fun and trust that I’ll be good,” he added.

The 31-year-old all-rounder also said that “going back to basics” has helped him. “I think everyone who plays cricket at this level, the main reason you play it is because you love it. You start playing when you’re a kid, and there’s so much travel, staying away from home and there’s obviously the pressures. But the main reason you do it is that you love what you do. That’s the main ingredient,” he added.

With 17 wickets and 526 runs under his belt in 30 IPL matches, things haven’t always gone according to plan for the Australian, but Stoinis said it is always a rewarding feeling to contribute to wins.

“There are a lot of games, as a professional sportsman, that you go out and you don’t perform as well as you want to. Cricket is that type of game – you sort of getting used to underperforming a lot of the time. So when you do perform and you do well for the team, it’s a very rewarding feeling,” he said.

The limited-overs specialist also said that his team has a “really good vibe”. “With Ricky (Ponting) as a coach and as a leader, he sets that standard. We have a good core of young players, with lots of energy and some good experience. We’ve got some good overseas players too. So I think our balance, on the whole, makes it an exciting group and we’ve got good energy around the team,” Stoinis said.

Stoinis will look to maintain his form when Delhi Capitals take on Chennai Super Kings at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Airtel picks up stake in Cloud analytics startup Waybeo

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Airtel picks up stake in Cloud analytics startup Waybeo

Telecom major Bharti Airtel on Wednesday said it has picked up a strategic stake in cloud analytics startup Waybeo under the Airtel Startup Accelerator Programme.

Thiruvananthapuram-headquartered Waybeo, focused on deep Artificial Intelligence-based analytics for Cloud telephony, is the fifth startup to join the fast-growing Airtel Startup Accelerator Program, which helps promising startups unlock their potential.

The Airtel Startup Accelerator Programme allows startups to leverage Airtel’s robust ecosystem, including its core strengths in data, distribution, networks, and payments.

“We are really focused on enterprise adoption for our call intelligence tools. Most of the enterprises drive hundreds of thousands of phone calls a month,” Krishnan R V, CEO, Waybeo, said in a statement.

“There is no analytics, no automation, and no means to optimize the customer experience. We look at strategic investment from Airtel as an opportunity to scale our technology and enterprise reach.”

Waybeo has built cutting-edge analytics tools for the enterprise cloud telephony segment and under the Airtel Startup Accelerator Programme, Waybeo’s solutions will get larger distribution reach while giving Airtel access to Waybeo’s proven as well as emerging technologies.

Airtel serves over 2,500 large enterprises and more than a million emerging businesses with an integrated product portfolio, including Airtel Cloud, a multi-cloud product and solutions business.

“Cloud technologies are transforming the way businesses serve and delight their customers,” said Adarsh Nair, Chief Product Officer, Bharti Airtel.

“We are thrilled to onboard Waybeo to our Startup Accelerator program and provide them a platform to scale up their technologies as part of Airtel’s world-class cloud services ecosystem.”

Ayushmann Khurrana among 5 Indians in Time list of 100 Most Influential People

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Ayushmann Khurrana among 5 Indians in Time list of 100 Most Influential People

Indian actor Ayushmann Khurrana is in the Time magazine list of 100 Most Influential People this year.

The National Award-winning Bollywood star is among five Indians who have made the prestigious list in 2020, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, London-based Indian origin doctor Ravindra Gupta who worked to find a cure for AIDS, and Bilkis Dadi, who was at the forefront of Shaheen Bagh protests in Delhi against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Ayushmann has been listed in the Artists category, which also includes Oscar-winning Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, “Fleabag” creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Hollywood star Michael B. Jordan, besides pop music superstars Selena Gomez, J. Balvin, and Jennifer Hudson.

“I’m truly humbled with the recognition that Time has bestowed on me. As an artist, I have only looked to contribute towards bringing a positive change in society through cinema and this moment is a huge validation of my belief system and my journey,” Ayushmann said.

“I have always believed that cinema has the power to bring about change by triggering the right conversations among people and society. Hopefully, through my content choices, I have been able to contribute towards my country and countrymen,” he added.

Feeling of burnout increases among global workforce: Microsoft

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Feeling of burnout increases among global workforce: Microsoft

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed at work lately, you are not alone as a new Microsoft study has shown that the pandemic has increased the feeling of burnout at work among about 30 percent of workers.

Longer workdays have contributed significantly to these feelings of burnout amid the pandemic, said the “Work Trend Index” report.

Workers in Australia saw the highest increase in workday span in Microsoft Teams, with a medium increase in burnout. While workers in Germany saw very little change to workday span or feelings of burnout, said the report.

“The top stressor shared globally was worry about getting Covid-19, followed by lack of separation between work and life, feeling disconnected from co-workers, and unmanageable workload or hours,” Jared Spataro, Corporate Vice President for Microsoft 365, wrote in a blog post on Tuesday.

The report looked at how the pandemic has impacted wellbeing at work globally.

The study examined how productivity patterns in Microsoft Teams have shifted since early this year and surveyed over 6,000 information and “Firstline” workers in eight countries including Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, India, Singapore, the UK, and the US.

Microsoft defines first-line workers as people whose primary role function is to work directly with customers or the general public.

The report also includes studies from the Microsoft Research group that shed light on the surprising productivity benefits of our once-dreaded commute.

The study also found that nearly 30 percent of workers have not been provided the tech or protective equipment they need to effectively socially distance by their company.

The data showed that even six months past the first work-from-home orders, people are in significantly more meetings, taking more ad hoc calls, and managing more incoming chats than they did before the pandemic.

After-hours chats, or chats between 5 pm and midnight, have also increased.

Perhaps more interestingly, the share of Microsoft Teams users sending those chats after hours has more than doubled.

In other words, there is a whole group of people who never touched a keyboard after 5 pm before the pandemic — now, they do.

In the study, one-third of remote workers said the lack of separation between work and life is negatively impacting their wellbeing.

“Commutes provide blocks of uninterrupted time for mentally transitioning to and from work, an important aspect of wellbeing and productivity,” Shamsi Iqbal, Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research said in a statement.

“People will say, ‘I’m happy I don’t have to commute anymore. I’m saving time.’ But without a routine for ramping up for work and then winding down, we’re emotionally exhausted at the end of the day.”

Of those surveyed, 70 percent said meditation could help decrease their work-related stress.

This number increased to 83 percent for those managing childcare or homeschooling.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus: Blends productivity with multitasking

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Lenovo ThinkBook Plus: Blends productivity with multitasking

Creative professionals and small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) who have sent most of their workforce homes are constantly looking for laptops that do justice with not-extended working hours. The new dual-screen Lenovo ThinkBook Plus ticks all the right boxes when it comes to performing high-density work while watching some Netflix episodes later in the day.

Featuring an innovative e-Ink cover display that helps users to be more productive, the device is excellent for enhanced multi-tasking without compromising on productivity and security.

Featuring a 13.3-inch FHD main display and a 10.8-inch e-Ink display on the cover, the ThinkBook Plus is now available in India at a starting price of Rs 99,990.

Let us see if this is your go-to device.

The laptop scores over its rivals in the premium segment with the secondary e-Ink display.

Made from Corning Gorilla Glass NBT, it a unique glass solution for touch-enabled notebooks that provides enhanced scratch resistance, and reduced scratch visibility.

The innovative cover screen displayed all essential notifications — Calendar events, Email notifications, battery status, date, weather updates, etc (No need to check your smartphone for emails during meetings). The E-ink display on the cover also allows you to take notes, sketch ideas, and annotate PDF documents with ease.

On the productivity front, with the integrated Lenovo Precision Pen, ThinkBook Plus allows for easy writing and note taking with several features such as handwriting recognition, auto-sync with OneNote, review previous notes list, eraser function (on the pen), smart brush feature and Quick launch from the pen, among others.

The dual-screen display also acts as an e-book reader that supports different formats such as PDF, Txt, Mobi, and Epub.

It also allows tools such as Single and Double page views, Go to a page search, and the recently-read history on the same display.

On the hardware front, it offers up to 10th Gen Intel Core processors and Intel Optane i7 processor. The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus comes with an M.2 PCIe standard SSD by default and up to 16GB DDR4.

The device offers enhanced security.

Notifications are hidden automatically when the lid is opened and the e-Ink notifications require authentication with Touch Fingerprint Reader that is integrated with the Power Button.

You can enable or disable calendar and e-mail notifications with a tap on the display and you must be logged in for e-Ink to work.

One can control Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls quickly with meeting hotkeys and experience better audio clarity with Harman speakers and Skype-certified microphones.

The HARMAN-branded speakers offered impeccable sound clarity along with four integrated digital mics which are optimized for voice recognition during web conferences.

The device has an integrated Amazon Alexa for PC so quickly execute several common tasks, without the need to open the laptop.

Equipped with HARMAN-branded speakers for impeccable sound clarity and four integrated digital mics optimized for voice recognition, enjoy seamless collaboration through enhanced web conferencing experiences.

The laptop comes with a range of business-grade services like Premier Support and Onsite Next Business Day Response, offering expert support and solutions for warranties, repairs, and upgrades.

Conclusion: SMBs which are bearing the maximum brunt in the pandemic in India can opt for this device for their employees, which offer seamless productivity with enhanced multitasking.

For individual professionals, Lenovo ThinkBook Plus is an ideal investment in the social distancing times, providing the maximum output without lags.

Overall, Lenovo ThinkBook Plus is a perfect multitasking device for all generations and new-age digital natives who constantly strive to do more.

Arctic gets greener due to rising temperature

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Arctic gets greener due to rising temperature

Parts of the Arctic region have become greener due to increased plant growth stimulated by warmer air and soil temperatures, says a study that used satellite images to track global tundra ecosystems over decades.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, is the first to measure vegetation changes spanning the entire Arctic tundra, from Alaska and Canada to Siberia, using satellite data from Landsat, a joint mission of NASA and the US Geological Survey (USGS).

“The Arctic tundra is one of the coldest biomes on Earth, and it’s also one of the most rapidly warming,” said lead researcher Logan Berner from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, US.

“This Arctic greening we see is really a bellwether of global climate change — it’s a biome-scale response to rising air temperatures.”

Greening can represent plants growing more, becoming denser, and/or shrubs encroaching on typical tundra grasses and moss.

When the tundra vegetation changes, it impacts not only the wildlife that depends on certain plants but also the people who live in the region and depend on local ecosystems for food.

While active plants will absorb more carbon from the atmosphere, the warming temperatures could also be thawing permafrost, thereby releasing greenhouse gasses.

Berner and his colleagues used the Landsat data and additional calculations to estimate the peak greenness for a given year for each of 50,000 randomly selected sites across the tundra.

Between 1985 and 2016, about 38 percent of the tundra sites across Alaska, Canada, and western Eurasia showed greening.

Only three percent showed the opposite browning effect, which would mean fewer actively growing plants.

To include eastern Eurasian sites, they compared data starting in 2000, when Landsat satellites began regularly collecting images of that region.

With this global view, 22 percent of sites greened between 2000 and 2016, while four percent browned, said the study.

“Whether it’s since 1985 or 2000, we see this greening of the Arctic evident in the Landsat record,” Berner said.

“And we see this biome-scale greening at the same time and over the same period as we see really rapid increases in summer air temperatures.”

The researchers compared these greening patterns with other factors and found that it’s also associated with higher soil temperatures and higher soil moisture.

They confirmed these findings with plant growth measurements from field sites around the Arctic.

IPL: Shubman Gill focal point of KKR batting unit, feels Styris

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IPL: Shubman Gill focal point of KKR batting unit, feels Styris

Shubman Gill is a “terrific” batsman and is the focal point of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batting unit, feels former New Zealand cricketer Scott Styris.

KKR are slated to open their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 campaign against defending champions Mumbai Indians at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Wednesday evening. Gill, 24, has played a total of 27 matches for KKR in which he has amassed 499 runs.

“I’ve been the number one cheerleader for the last 18 months. Since Shubman Gill has been around I can say I’m at the top of that fanboy list and I think Gill is a fabulous cricketer. I think he’s a terrific, talented batsman,” Styris said while speaking on Star Sports show Game Plan.

“Shubman Gill, now with the loss of RobinUthappa) and Gautam Gambhir at KKR, is a leader, the focal point of that batting unit. He is the best batsman of KKR,” he added.

According to the former Black Caps all-rounder, Gill has a lot more responsibility on his shoulders as compared to other young batsmen like Prithvi Shaw or Devdutt Padikkal in other teams and that could be the only thing which might hold him down.

“…there’s a lot more responsibility on Gill that you don’t see with a lot of those other youngsters and that may be the only thing that holds him down. (He) Just looked great and has played great but he has got the extra responsibility that some of those other players don’t.”

Andreescu pulls out of French Open, to miss remainder of 2020 season

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Andreescu pulls out of French Open, to miss remainder of 2020 season

World number seven Bianca Andreescu has pulled out of the upcoming French Open Grand Slam and will take the rest of the season off to focus on her health and training.

“I have come to the difficult decision to skip the clay-court swing this year and will be taking the remainder of the season off to focus on my health and training,” the Canadian said in a statement on Tuesday.

Andreescu, who did not defend her 2019 US Open title in New York this year, has not played on tour since the WTA Finals in Shenzhen last year. She also did not participate in the Australian Open held in January this year.

The 20-year-old further said she is looking forward to the next year’s Tokyo Olympics and wants to utilize the time in improving her game.

“As hard as it was to come to this conclusion, I have so much to look forward to in 2021, including the Olympics. I want to use this time to focus on my game so I can come back stronger and better than ever.”

Andreescu has now joined Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka in the list of players who have pulled out of the clay-court grand slam beginning Sunday.

Andhra CM discusses state’s issues with Shah

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Andhra CM discusses state’s issues with Shah

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the second time during his Delhi tour and discussed issues related to the state’s development, official sources said.

The second meeting lasted 45 minutes. The two earlier met for around an hour on Tuesday evening after the Chief Minister arrived in Delhi, during which the issue of central funds was also discussed.

As per the laws enacted vis-a-vis bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the state is eligible for central funds.

Reddy told Shah that Andhra Pradesh had suffered immensely after its bifurcation — which led to the birth of Telangana state — whereas the coronavirus pandemic had proved to be a double whammy.

He told the Home Minister that the state was suffering due to a lack of funds and sought central assistance to tide over the crisis. The Chief Minister also discussed the issues of women’s protection initiative Disha, and the abolition of the Legislative Council.

After winding his Delhi tour by Wednesday afternoon, Reddy will fly from Delhi to Renigunta near Tirupati to participate in the Brahmostavams. He will then proceed to the Tirumala temple by road.

Reddy’s visit to the renowned temple comes amid controversy about whether he will sign the faith declaration. Tirumala Tirupati Devastanam Chairman YV Subba Reddy said there was no need for Reddy to sign the declaration.

HP expands All-in-One PC portfolio for modern consumers in India

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HP expands All-in-One PC portfolio for modern consumers in India

PC and printer HP on Wednesday introduced a new range of All-in-One (AIOs) desktop computers — HP AIO 24 and HP Pavilion AIO 27 — to redefine computing experiences for the modern consumers in India.

Powered by 15 W Intel Core i5 processor Quad-Core, HP Pavilion 27 touch is available at a starting price of Rs 99,999 while HP AIO 24 — powered by 15W Intel Core i5 Quad-Core — is available from Rs 64,999.

HP Pavilion with 15W Intel Core i3 Dual-Core processor is available at a starting price of Rs 49,999.

“With big screens and ergonomic controls, the new HP All in One PCs are the perfect tools for a family. We have designed the devices to offer users maximum functionality while keeping their footprint to a minimum, along with several upgrade options” said Vickram Bedi, Senior Director-Personal Systems, HP India Market.

With a narrow-bezel display, sleek and slim design, fabric design, and leather accents, the HP AIO portfolio offers an 86.2 percent screen-to-body ratio.

The devices also support easy Wi-Fi connectivity, Alexa voice assistance, HD pop-up camera equipped with a slide switch for privacy with dual microphone and in-built speakers.

The HP AIO 24 All-in-One PC offers immersive entertainment and accelerated performance with 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processors and NVIDIA GeForce MX330 Graphics.

“With HP WideVision Full-HD IR Pop-Up Privacy Camera that provides an 88-degree, wide-angle field of view, it lets consumers video chat with their entire family or group of friends in stunning detail,” the company said.

The HP Pavilion 27 offers a three-sided micro-edge display that offers the users an enhanced display experience with a pop-up privacy camera that tucks safely away when not in use.

The HP Pavilion 27 comes with true 65W desktop-class processor performance, in an all-in-one PC, that delivers incredible speed, performance allowing simultaneous heavy multi-tasking.

The 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce MX, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX lets users edit, render and stream content with ease. The HP Pavilion 27 also supports the touch screen.

Disney+ arrives on Google Assistant-enabled smart displays

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Disney+ arrives on Google Assistant-enabled smart displays

Google has announced that Disney+ voice commands are now available on a selection of Google Assistant-enabled Smart Displays, like Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max, in select markets around the globe.

Those who have a Disney+ subscription, simply link their account in the Google Home or Assistant app and one can play movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. Say, “Hey Google, play ‘The Mandalorian’ on Disney+” to start streaming instantly.

“You can navigate Disney+ content on Google Assistant-enabled Smart Displays, like Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max, in select markets around the globe—just by using your voice,” the search engine giant said in a statement on Tuesday.

One can also already cast Disney+ from their compatible mobile devices to the Nest Smart Displays and Assistant-enabled devices by opening the streaming service’s mobile app and tapping the Cast icon or stream anytime on Android TV.

The new feature complements an existing capability that already allows users to stream Disney+ on Assistant-enabled smart displays using the Chromecast-supported Disney+ app by casting a TV show or movie from a compatible mobile device.

Apart from streaming, Google Assistant devices will also tell stories in the voices of Frozen’s Anna, Elsa, Olaf, or Kristoff when the command “Hey Google, tell me a Frozen story” is spoken.

Disney+ recently launched in eight more European countries, and it’s currently testing a watch party mode in Canada.#

West Ham United manager, two players test positive for Covid-19

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West Ham United manager, two players test positive for Covid-19

Premier League club West Ham United has confirmed that head coach David Moyes and two players – Issa Diop and Josh Cullen have tested positive for Covid-19.

“West Ham United can confirm that David Moyes, Issa Diop, and Josh Cullen have returned positive tests for Covid-19,” the club said in a statement on Tuesday.

The club’s medical team was informed of the test results as the team was at the London Stadium preparing for Carabao Cup third-round tie against Hull City which they won 5-1 as Robert Snodgrass scored the opening goal while Sebastien Haller and Andriy Yarmolenko each score twice and contributed to the win. In Moyes’s absence, assistant manager Alan Irvine took charge of the team.

“All three, who are asymptomatic, will now follow public health England and Premier League guidelines and protocols,” the statement added.

Men’s hockey analytical coach quits, SAI yet to accept resignation

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Men’s hockey analytical coach quits, SAI yet to accept resignation

Indian men’s hockey team analytical coach Chris Ciriello has resigned from his post, a Sports Authority of India (SAI) source said on Wednesday. SAI, with which the Australian has signed the contract, is yet to accept the resignation.

“Ciriello has sent in his resignation and it is under process for further course of action,” the source confirmed to IANS.

The Australian has resigned due to health reasons, it is gathered. He has apparently been suffering from extreme skin cirrhosis — a late stage of scarring (fibrosis) of the liver caused by many forms of liver diseases and conditions — and is undergoing treatment. Also, the rising number of coronavirus cases in India is believed to have played a part in Ciriello’s decision to quit.

In 2018, Ciriello had joined the men’s hockey team for penalty corners, but later on, became an important part of the coaching staff.

Last month, David John, who was the High-Performance Director at Hockey India, had resigned from his post.

SAI, in a statement, had said John resigned on August 18 with immediate effect, through an email to SAI and Hockey India. He had resigned citing concern for his health in the current Covid-19 situation in India and had expressed his desire to go back to Australia.

The men’s and women’s hockey teams are currently training at the national camp at the SAI Southern Centre near Bengaluru.

Ankita Raina enters 2nd round of French Open qualifiers

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Ankita Raina enters 2nd round of French Open qualifiers

India’s Ankita Raina earned a hard-fought win against Jovana Jovic of Serbia to progress to the second round of the French Open qualifiers.

On Tuesday, Ankita defeated Jovana 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in a match that lasted two hours and 47 minutes. The 27-year-old will next take on Japan’s Kurumi Nara, seeded 22nd.

Ankita, who is India’s top-ranked woman tennis player, has not gone beyond the second round at the Grand Slam qualifiers and she would need to win two more matches to make it to the main draw of the clay-court grand slam.

Earlier on Monday, Prajnesh Gunneswaran had gone past Turkey’s Cem Ilkel to advance to the second round of the men’s singles qualifying event. Prajnesh had defeated Ilkel 6-3, 6-1 after losing his service early in his opening round of the qualifier. He is slated to face Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic on Wednesday.

Sumit Nagal and Ramkumar Ramanathan have, however, bowed out of the competition after losing their respective first-round matches of the qualifying event.

The main draw of the grand slam is slated to start from September 27.

Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 750G chip with 5G connectivity

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Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 750G chip with 5G connectivity

Global chipmaker Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 750G 5G Mobile Platform that enables global 5G connectivity with HDR gaming and on-device AI.

Snapdragon 750G offers select Qualcomm Elite Gaming features to allow for smooth, low-latency gameplay for richer entertainment quality.

“As we continue to build out this relatively new tier of our mobile roadmap, we’re always looking for ways to support the growing needs of our OEM customers. Snapdragon 750G delivers a selection of premium mobile features to an even wider audience,” Kedar Kondap, Vice President of Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, said in a statement late on Tuesday.

Equipped with the Qualcomm Adreno 619 GPU, Snapdragon 750G aims to enable up to 10 percent better graphics rendering compared to Snapdragon 730G for stunning, life-like imagery.

Other features mentioned by Qualcomm are smart camera and video operations, voice translation, advanced AI-based imaging, and AI-enhanced gaming experiences. All these will be powered by the latest 5th generation Qualcomm AI Engine.

With up to 4.0 Trillion Operations Per Second (TOPS), the Qualcomm AI Engine claims to deliver up to 20 percent improvement compared to Snapdragon 730G and it also features Qualcomm Kryo 570 CPU, which delivers up to 20 percent compared to Snapdragon 730G.

Snapdragon 750G is also equipped with the always-on Qualcomm Sensing Hub, which combines multiple data streams for contextual use-cases: a low-power Qualcomm AI Engine enables AI-based echo cancellation and background noise suppression to provide improved voice-chat gaming experiences, uninterrupted voice communication, and support for always-on voice assistants.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G is expected to be seen in devices by the end of 2020. Xiaomi has confirmed that it will be the first launch smartphone based on the Snapdragon 750G.

Affluent Indians lead food delivery market recovery: Zomato CEO

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Affluent Indians lead food delivery market recovery: Zomato CEO

In a sign that Indians are now no more afraid of ordering food despite a surge in caseloads, Zomato on Wednesday revealed that the food delivery sector has recovered to (and even grown beyond) pre-COVID levels in a number of large pockets of the country, led by some of the most affluent residential areas in the country.

With the ongoing IPL season and the subsequent festival season, Zomato expects food delivery in both metros and smaller cities to make a full recovery soon a” and resume growing over pre-COVID levels.

Delhi and Mumbai are nearing full recovery (95 percent of pre-COVID), metros such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai are still behind the curve (nearly 80 percent of pre-COVID).

“Some cities such as Kolkata, Patna, Jamshedpur, Ranchi, and Siliguri have recovered completely and have exceeded pre-COVID levels,” Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal said in a statement.

In Delhi-NCR, affluent residential areas like DLF Phase 1 and 5 have recovered to 1.5 times of pre-COVID levels.

In South Delhi, the average order value rose by 65 percent between February and September 2020. The food delivery business in South Delhi is back to 110 percent of pre-COVID levels.

Connaught Place bounced back to pre-COVID levels and some micro-localities within Central Delhi are at two times of pre-COVID levels, said Zomato.

The food delivery industry continues to grow back steadily to pre-COVID levels, with the overall sector clocking over 85 percent of pre-COVID GMV (Gross Merchandise Value), up from nearly 75 percent last month.

“With more premium restaurants, — restaurants where a meal for two may cost Rs 1,500 and above, now opening up to online delivery — a larger number of affluent consumers are embracing online ordering,” the company informed.

Overall spends on such premium restaurants have grown by over 25 percent over pre-COVID levels.

“Customers are now relying on food delivery even more than usual when a city goes under a lockdown. Some cities such as Kolkata see more customers ordering online when the city is (more or less) shut, but restaurants are open,” Goyal stressed.

With lockdown restrictions, celebrations have moved back home and customers, who had not ordered since the first day of lockdown, are 20 percent more likely to order for the first time during such festivals and occasions.

As customers spend more time with their families, group ordering has become more relevant than ever, Zomato said.

“Order sizes, i.e. items per order, have increased by 20 percent over pre-COVID levels. Recovery on single-person meals, which constituted nearly 60 percent of all orders pre-COVID, lingers at 50-70 percent level for most regions,” Goyal said.

On the other hand, orders with meals for three or more persons have recovered well and are higher than even pre-COVID levels currently, the company informed.

5.4-magnitude quake hits South Shetland Islands

TB Team
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5.4-magnitude quake hits South Shetland Islands

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 jolted the South Shetland Islands, the US Geological Survey said.

The jolt was felt on Tuesday, the Xinhua news agency reported.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 62.4625 degrees south latitude and 58.191 degrees west longitude,

The South Shetland Islands are located north off the Antarctic Peninsula and covers an area of nearly 3,700 square km. There are research stations of several countries on the islands.

No damage has been reported so far following the earthquake.

Listen to centre of Milky Way, ‘Pillars of Creation’

TB Team
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Listen to centre of Milky Way, ‘Pillars of Creation’

People can now ‘listen’ to the center of the Milky Way as observed in X-ray, optical and infrared light, thanks to a new project which used sonification to turn astronomical images from Chandra and other telescopes into sound.

This project also turned astronomical images of the supernova Cassiopeia A and the “Pillars of Creation” into sound.

The Pillars of Creation refers to the towering tendrils of cosmic dust and gas that sit at the heart of M16 or the Eagle Nebula.

The center of our Milky Way galaxy is too distant for us to visit in person, but we can still explore it.

Telescopes give people a chance to see what the Galactic Center looks like in different types of light.

By translating the inherently digital data (in the form of ones and zeroes) captured by telescopes in space into images, astronomers create visual representations that would otherwise be invisible to us.

But what about experiencing these data with other senses like hearing?

Sonification is the process that translates data into sound, NASA said.

The translation begins on the left side of the image and moves to the right, with the sounds representing the position and brightness of the sources.

The light of objects located towards the top of the image is heard as higher pitches while the intensity of the light controls the volume.

Stars and compact sources are converted to individual notes while extended clouds of gas and dust produce an evolving drone.

The crescendo happens when users reach the bright region to the lower right of the image.

This is where the 4-million-solar-mass supermassive black hole at the center of the Galaxy, known as Sagittarius A-star, resides, and where the clouds of gas and dust are the brightest.

Users can listen to data from this region, roughly 400 light-years across, either as “solos” from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, Hubble Space Telescope, and Spitzer Space Telescope or together as an ensemble in which each telescope plays a different instrument.

Each image reveals different phenomena happening in this region about 26,000 light-years from Earth.

The Hubble image outlines energetic regions where stars are being born, while Spitzer’s infrared image shows glowing clouds of dust containing complex structures.

X-rays from Chandra reveal gas heated to millions of degrees from stellar explosions and outflows from Sagittarius A-star.

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