OnePlus 8T gets BIS certification, expected to arrive next month

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OnePlus 8T gets BIS certification, expected to arrive next month

Smartphone brand OnePlus is planning to unveil OnePlus 8T in the first week of October with OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11 and now the upcoming flagship has been certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

According to Gizmochina, the BIS page revealed the OnePlus 8T has model number KB2001. The device is codenamed ‘Kebab’ and will feature a 6.55-inch AMOLED display just like the regular OnePlus 8 but with a 120Hz refresh rate.

The smartphone is expected to come with four cameras at the back, with a 48MP primary lens joined by a 16MP wide-angle module, 5MP macro, and 2MP portrait lens, according to the report.

In terms of processor, the smartphone is likely to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus chip with 8GB RAM, 128GB internal storage.

In addition, OnePlus is also planning to unveil another device with Snapdragon 662 or 665 chip for a price tag between Rs 16,000-Rs 18,000.

While OPPO is expected to launch a phone with Snapdragon 662 chipset this month under Rs 20,000, OnePlus is expected to follow suit at the end of September with its own phone in a similar range and specifications.

The Snapdragon 662 is an octa-core chipset that sits barely below the Snapdragon 665 processor.

Lockdown prevented up to 29 lakh Covid-19 cases: Vardhan

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Lockdown prevented up to 29 lakh Covid-19 cases: Vardhan

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday told the Lok Sabha that the nationwide lockdown had helped prevent up to 29 lakh coronavirus cases and 78,000 deaths in the country.

“The nationwide lockdown, a bold decision by the government, is testimony to the fact that India collectively stood up to manage Covid-19. It has been estimated that this decision prevented 14-29 lakh cases and 37,000 to 78,000 deaths,” Vardhan said.

The four months of the lockdown were used to create additional health infrastructure, strengthen human resources, and produce critical elements like PPE, masks, and ventilators in India, he said, adding that India is self-sufficient now in these things.

Recording a spike of 92,071 corona cases and 1,136 deaths in the last 24 hours, India’s tally on Monday crossed the 4.8 million mark with a total of 48,46,427 cases. Of the total, 9,86,595 are active cases, 37,80,107 patients cured and discharged, whereas 79,722 persons lost the battle against the viral disease. In the last 24 hours, 77,512 patients were discharged.

Harsh Vardhan added: “The maximum corona cases and deaths have been primarily reported from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar, Telangana, Odisha, Assam, Kerala, and Gujarat.”

Allying public fears, he said that 92 percent of coronavirus cases in India had reported mild symptoms. Oxygen was required to be given to the patients in only 5.8 percent cases, and critical care in 1.7 percent cases.

I don’t think it’s my last chance: Zverev after US Open loss

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I don’t think it’s my last chance: Zverev after US Open loss

Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who ended up as runners-up at the 2020 US Open, believes he will get many more chances in the days to come to win a Grand Slam.

Austria’s Dominic Thiem registered an incredible comeback win as he defeated Zverev 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6, and won his first Grand Slam on Sunday.

Zverev held an initial two-sets lead against Thiem in the final, followed by a chance to serve out the match at 5-3 in the fifth set. He then came within two points of victory during the fifth-set tie-break before falling after more than four hours of play at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I want to congratulate Dominic on the first of many Grand Slam titles. I wish you could have missed a little more so I could be holding that trophy up, but here I am giving the runner-up speech,” Zverev was quoted as saying after the match by the ATP Tour website.

“I want to thank my team for sticking with me. The past two years haven’t been easy in my tennis career. We’re definitely on the way up and I hope that one day we’re going to lift that trophy up together.”

The German, who came very close to what could have been a memorable achievement of his life, failed to hold back tears during his gracious speech in the trophy ceremony.

“At the speech, I got emotional. I couldn’t put two words together…It was a difficult moment for me,” the 23-year-old said.

“I was super close to being a Grand Slam champion. I was a few games away, maybe a few points away. What upset me the most is not the third set, it’s the fifth set. I had a lot of chances in the fifth set and didn’t use them.

“I’m 23 years old. I don’t think it’s my last chance. I do believe that I will be a Grand Slam champion at some point,” he added.

Facebook India hires ex-Ola COO as head for global biz group

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Facebook India hires ex-Ola COO as head for global biz group

Facing intense political heat in India, Facebook on Monday announced the appointment of former Ola Chief Operating Officer Arun Srinivas as director of its Global Business Group to lead the strategy and delivery of the India marketing solutions charter that is focused on large advertisers and agencies.

Srinivas’ appointment comes after a series of senior and leadership recruitments in recent months across marketing, partnerships, communications, and other key verticals in the country.

“Large businesses and agencies play a crucial role in the country’s digital economy and are critical to driving ecosystem standards for media,” Sandeep Bhushan, Director, and Head of Global Marketing Solutions, Facebook India, said in a statement.

“I am thrilled to welcome Arun as he joins our team as Director GBG, and leads the mandate to shape the role the Facebook family apps can play in enabling businesses, supporting India’s economic recovery, and building the digital advertising ecosystem of the country.”

As a part of his role, Srinivas will spearhead the company’s strategic relationship with the country’s leading brands, agencies, and partners to drive Facebook’s revenue growth in key channels in India, and partner the media and creative ecosystems for accelerating adoption of digital tools by businesses.

He will have the company’s key business vertical teams, agency teams, and business solutions teams reporting to him.

Srinivas comes with 24 years of experience in senior sales and marketing roles at companies such as Ola, Unilever, and Reebok.

He also did a stint at investment firm WestBridge Capital Partners where he led the consumer vertical.

The social networking giant recently courted controversy after a Wall Street Journal report on August 14 said that the top leadership at Facebook’s India office refused to apply the company’s own rules to politicians from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), despite clear violations of Facebook’s policies against incitement to violence, hate speech, and misinformation.

Following this, a coalition of 41 civil rights groups demanded that Facebook India should immediately place its public policy head Ankhi Das on a leave of absence pending a full audit of the company and an investigation into her statements as reported in WSJ.

Redmi Smart Band: Much more to offer for those on a budget

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Redmi Smart Band: Much more to offer for those on a budget

As the demand for wearables grows in India, Xiaomi has launched a budget-friendly Redmi Smart Band with a colour display and a heart-rate monitor for just Rs 1,599.

Available with different colored straps including black, green, blue, and orange, the smart band sports a 2.7cm (1.08-inch) colored LCD touch display and packs several health features like real-time heart rate sensor and sleep monitoring.

The Realme Band which is priced at Rs 1,299 has a 0.96-inch LCD display and Huawei Band 4, which costs Rs 1,999, sports a 0.96-inch TFT LCD display. The Xiaomi Smart Band has an upper hand with its 1.08-inch LCD display.

We used the smart band for a couple of days. Let’s see how it fares.

The overall design and look of the smart band is impressive. From tracking heartbeat and sports activities along with battery life, the smart band performed well.

A refreshing part is USB direct charging, allowing the band to be charged directly from any USB Type-A port, including power banks.

In comparison with GOQii Vital 3.0 wristband — which is priced at Rs 3,999 -, the straps on Redmi Smart Band are easily interchangeable, lighter, and more comfortable on the wrist.

The display is sharp and bright. The Redmi Smart Band has no buttons on the side which gives it a simple yet beautiful look. There’s only a single touch button, at the bottom of the screen.

The smart band comes with five different modes of tracking, outdoor running, treadmill, cycling, walking, and freestyle exercise.

Paired with continuous heart rate monitoring, this smart band also brings weather updates, music control, notification alerts, and call rejection directly to the wrist.

The band also comes with a water-resistant build that is 5-ATM rated, which means the device can resist water in up to 50 meters depth for 10 minutes. It can be worn while showering or swimming in a shallow-water pool.

The device can be paired with the ones that support Android 4.4 or above and iOS 9.0 or above.

One of the highlights is its long-lasting battery. The wearable offers up to 14-day battery standby time and can charge fully to 100 percent in around two hours.

Conclusion: Priced at Rs 1,599, the Redmi Smart Band has much more to offer compared to its rivals when it comes to a value-for-money wearable band.

Keen on pursuing HI Coaches Education Pathway, says Sreejesh

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Keen on pursuing HI Coaches Education Pathway, says Sreejesh

During the nationwide lockdown earlier this year, Hockey India engaged the men and women’s teams with the entrance level for the Hockey India Coaches Education Pathway program – Level Basic.

A simplified education structure, the pathway consists of a combination of web-based modules and face-to-face interactive courses underpinned by a competency-based assessment process that helps the coaches in progressing to higher levels. The pathway is divided into 7 levels: Hockey India Level Basic, Hockey India Level 1, Hockey India Level 2, FIH Level 1, FIH Level 2, FIH Level 3, and FIH High Performance. Once a candidate progresses from the Hockey India Levels, they are then eligible to enroll for the FIH Academy Level 1 Course and upgrade further.

“Personally, I thought this was a good initiative by Hockey India to make players attend this course during the lockdown. It gave us insights into the basics of coaching. I and SV Sunil have expressed our interest in Hockey India that we want to attend the course physically whenever it is held and get certified for the next level. We want to go through the right channel like everyone else to get certified,” stated PR Sreejesh.

The experienced goalkeeper said this course provides current players an opportunity to consider coaching as an option after they retire from competitive hockey.

“As a player with over a decade of experience, I know my stuff about hockey however looking at it from a coach’s place it brings a different perspective altogether. If I wish to pursue coaching in the future I would need to learn, understand how a coach thinks, manages, and imparts the right knowledge to his players.”

“I believe these courses will help make that transition from being a player to a coach. I have given this a lot of thought and I certainly enjoy grooming youngsters. I have done this during the Junior World Cup in 2016 too and it was an experience I enjoyed very much. ”

He further said with Hockey India making this course accessible and hold the certification program round-the-year in different zones, it has become easier than ever to get certified.

“Earlier, I think coaches had to travel abroad to get certified by FIH. It was cost-heavy as they would have to spend from their own pocket for travel and accommodation etc,” stated the Padma Shri Awardee.

“But with Hockey India launching this program and subsequently organizing FIH Level 1, FIH Level 2 and higher levels here in India and FIH Educators coming to impart their knowledge, it has become so much easier to get certified.

“I have also spoken to some of the former players who have attended these courses to understand better and they have all given me positive responses,” he added.

Sreejesh further explained how the pathway could change the standard of hockey in India.

“The methods used to teach hockey at the grassroots level in India need consistency across all regions and some places still use the old school methods of coaching,” expressed Sreejesh who is currently part of the on-going national coaching camp in SAI, Bengaluru.

“Many times when players get selected for the national program, they find it difficult to adapt. Right from warm-up, recovery to certain techniques, our playing structure, and activation prior to a match, the national program is very different from what’s followed at the grassroots.

I believe this course will bridge that gap with coaches at the domestic level is upgraded with the modern and scientific methodology of coaching which is on the same lines as top hockey-playing nations. This will help create a uniform playing structure right from the basic level,” he added.

Instagram may charge a fee for tagging links in captions

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Instagram may charge a fee for tagging links in captions

A newly-discovered patent filing suggests that Facebook-owned photo-sharing platform Instagram may be considering charging a fee to add links to photo captions.

The patent application shows a pop-up appearing when the user adds a URL to a caption, asking if the user wants to pay $2 to make the link live, reports The Verge.

“If the online system detects the text content of the caption includes a string of link text identifying an address, the online system prompts the posting user to pay a fee in exchange for generating a link,” the patent application read.

However, if Instagram were to implement this feature, it would raise the question of whether people would want to pay $2 per link.

Meanwhile, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a blog post last week that they have been reviewing the way the photo-sharing platform verifies accounts for the past two months, and as a result of which, they have made changes to the verification process.

Mosseri said that follower count was never a requirement to get a verification badge.

“While follower count was never a requirement to get verified through the in-app form (which anyone can apply for), we did have certain systems in place that prioritized accounts with high followings to help get through the tens of thousands of requests received every day. We’ve since removed this from the automated part of the process,” he wrote.

Pandemic turns ‘serious’ Twitter into personal chill out place

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Pandemic turns ‘serious’ Twitter into personal chill out place

The last 150 days or so have brought several changes in our lives and if you notice the ‘serious’ Twitter turned into a personal chill-out place — with users posting birthday snaps, pet animal videos, sunsets, and rainbows, hand-written messages from kids, recipes for mouth-watering biryanis and cakes and whatnot, on the micro-blogging platform — make sure the ongoing pandemic has triggered these behavioral changes.

Twitter which was treated as a simple yet effective tool for debates, to hold meaningful conversations and help people make a social impact with their powerful dialogues to date, has now become a platform to share memories and the lines are somewhat blurred.

For civil right crusaders, journalists, social activists, and more such souls who aim to connect with people on burning societal issues, Twitter has always been a tool to appraise powers-that-be of what is going on around them, and respond to world leaders who treat it as a “typewriter’.

Twitter is no Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp, or Facebook but a broad public forum, with troll armies aiming to disrupt the conversations, and the algorithms reining in, blocking, or removing bots and fake accounts.

With nowhere to go as Covid-19 caseloads surge in India, people have made Twitter their second home, and sharing personal, intimate information is no more treated as an aberration.

The trend has been well noticed by Twitter. For them, the platform has become a larger community space for people to share things they usually do on other social media platforms.

According to Manish Maheshwari, Managing Director, Twitter India, their work has never been more critical and the service has never been in higher demand.

“Amid ongoing times, people have been taking to Twitter to stay connected while they are physically restricted and distanced, and it is giving them a much-needed sense of community. In India, we are seeing a surge in varied conversations about how people are spending their time at home,” Maheshwari told IANS.

Topics like baking, binge-watching, sports, reading, health, and fitness have seen an uptick in recent months on Twitter.

“We are also seeing a change in the perception of Twitter from an English-focused space to a more inclusive service,” Maheshwari informed.

According to a recent Twitter report, 51 percent of Twitter’s Indian users Tweet in English and 49 per cent in languages other than English.

Over the years, public conversations on Twitter have shaped popular discourse and contemporary culture. The platform is now brimming with diverse conversations across a range of interest-based themes such as food, science, photography, pets, parenting and so much more.

What you see on Twitter today is a diverse public view of the world — from funny personal moments to serious global events, from sensible tips to zany reactions, from pop culture phenomenon to societal protests, and everything in between.

“That’s why the reflection of recent times is so fascinating to see what we have collectively talked about — be it Covid-19 related news to updates about new movie releases, sports, politics, social causes and so much more,” Twitter India said.

Whether one is celebrating family moments, posting about festivities, expressing their pride in successfully trying out a new recipe, or appreciating someone else’s work from home routine, people in India and across the world are turning to Twitter to share what they’ve witnessed, document what’s happening in real-time, and communicate with one another.

“More importantly, in recent times, we have seen Twitter’s ability to instantaneously connect people to the help they are seeking, with good samaritans utilizing the power of the real-time service to help one another. #KindnessTwitter is one such example that brings out these stories,” Twitter India said.

People on Twitter are expressing themselves in many ways — Fleets, voice Tweets, or a good old text, video, or picture Tweet.

“We are grateful to be able to provide a space that people can turn to for keeping themselves informed, connected and entertained, no matter where they are from and what language they Tweet in,” Maheshwari said.

Easy to follow when you have a captain like Kohli, says de Villiers

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Easy to follow when you have a captain like Kohli, says de Villiers

Senior Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsman AB de Villiers has heaped praise on Virat Kohli, saying the skipper sets the example by leading from the front which makes it very easy for the players in the team to follow.

RCB would be eyeing their first IPL title win when the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League begins this Saturday in the United Arab Emirates. The tournament, which was originally scheduled to be played in March, had to be postponed and then moved out of India due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

“I think the clarity about the IPL happening came one month back, more or less. BCCI has done a remarkable job in getting the IPL going and we are very excited to play the tournament. I am feeling better than ever so I am looking to get out there with the boys,” de Villiers said in a video posted on RCB’s official Twitter handle.

“We have worked very hard, we have a good work ethic, it really feels like everyone has bought into this hard-working environment. The credit needs to go to Virat, he sets the example and leads from the front. It is pretty easy to follow when you have a captain leading from the front. I am just excited to see the final product of this hard work,” he added.

The former Proteas skipper, who has played 154 matches for RCB in the IPL, further said that the team has a different feel to it this year.

“There is a different feel this time, there is back up everywhere looking at our options,” the 36-year-old said.

“Virat and coaches can find the best playing XI, there are options in every single department, be it batting, bowling, and fielding,” he added.

RCB will begin their tournament campaign against SunRisers Hyderabad on September 21 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Dearth of ventilators, oxygen cylinders adds to Covid agony in Agra

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Dearth of ventilators, oxygen cylinders adds to Covid agony in Agra

Avoidable delay in Covid-19 testing and filing reports is causing a lot of trouble and resentment among kin of COVID patients in Agra as it hampers treatment on time.

While the number of samples collected so far has crossed 1.5 lakh, the reports are taking four to five days, even as hundreds of people daily queue up for testing at the SN Medical College and the district hospital.

It is not clear why the rapid antigen test reports are also being delayed, victims allege.

The health department officials, however, have denied the charges and assured everyone that they were doing their best in the circumstances.

The private laboratories which were earlier allowed to conduct tests have again been refused permission. People are now entirely dependent on government facilities which in the circumstances are proving inadequate to cope with the rising graph of patients, COVID patients, and their relatives complain.

Family members of victims have urged authorities to look into the continuing shortage of oxygen cylinders, ventilators, and beds at the COVID hospitals.

Even though the state government has circulated fee tariffs and testing fees, accusations against the private nursing homes and labs have again peaked.

In the past 24 hours, Agra recorded 109 fresh cases. So far there have been 114 deaths, including one 67-year-old person who died on Sunday. The total number of cases now stands at 4,042. The number of discharged is 3,132 and the number of active cases is 796.

“Since it has been a fairly long time-frame battling Covid-19, the voluntary sector activists who were doing commendable work, are now exhausted and have virtually withdrawn. That leaves people at the mercy of the government sector,” said social activist Shravan Kumar Singh.

9 girls rescued after sex racket busted in Kanpur

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9 girls rescued after sex racket busted in Kanpur

An inter-state online sex racket running for the past few years was busted when police raided a house in a Kanpur locality and rescued nine girls, including one each from Assam and Delhi.

The rescue was made from the Naubasta area. The victims were mostly from Kanpur besides Assam, Delhi and Faizabad.

Eleven people including pimps and customers were arrested after the Uttar Pradesh police tracked down the gang as the cyber cell found a link posted on Twitter recently.

“The gang had posted mobile phone numbers in the link to take calls from customers,” SSP Preetinder Singh said on Sunday evening.

“We have arrested one Ashish Kumar, a resident of Naubasta. On the basis of inputs provided by him, we then arrested one Raju a.k.an Iran. They informed investigators that the girls hailing from outside the state are being supplied to customers by a broker Kalpana Gupta,” the SSP said.

A decoy customer then contacted the number displayed on the link. He was asked to come to a spot in the city, after which the crack team, led by Naubasta police officials, raided the place.

Twenty-one mobile phones, two motorcycles, and two scooty were seized from brokers and customers. A case was registered at Naubasta police station under the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act and efforts are on to nab others involved.

Investigating officers said the racket has been operating for the past few years and during this time, the accused were believed to have forced scores of girls into the flesh trade.

“The racket was being run across India. There was one girl each from Delhi, Faizabad, and Assam. We are obtaining details so that their information can be shared with the authorities in other cities,” a senior police official said.

Aditi Rao Hydari: I feel the film industry is an inclusive space

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Aditi Rao Hydari: I feel the film industry is an inclusive space

Actress Aditi Rao Hydari feels that Bollywood has a beautiful side, too, and declares it is an inclusive space.

Actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s untimely death on June 14 has sparked a heated debate about “insiders and outsiders” and nepotism in Bollywood.

With so much of toxicity in and around Bollywood and social media, how does Aditi keep herself positive? “Just by believing that one day it will sort (out), also by knowing that we can do something about it. No industry is devoid of flaws. We are also human beings, we make mistakes, we have our flaws, we oversee certain things but there is a beautiful side to our industry too,” Aditi told IANS.

Aditi then explained: “We all stick together, we are loyal, we stand together. Whatever people might say we really stand together. People have our backs.”

She says that even though she is considered an “outsider” she doesn’t like to believe that she is an outsider.

“People talk of outsider-insider. I can say there are so many people who I can call if I have a problem. They will help me even though I am considered an outsider. But I don’t like to consider myself an outsider. I feel that the industry is an inclusive space,” Aditi said.

“Yes, it can be hard and tough for some time for some of us who don’t have family within the industry, but isn’t that so in any industry? So, why do we single out the film industry? I feel it’s up to us if there are certain things that need to be looked into, we need to pay attention, need to change that and stand together,” she added.

Aditi was recently seen in the digitally released Telugu film “V”, starring Nani and Sudheer Babu. The film is streaming on Amazon Prime Videos.

Twitter users thrilled to edit replies, firm says bug caused it

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Twitter users thrilled to edit replies, firm says bug caused it

Several Twitter users were left thrilled when they were able to delete a tweet reply, edit and fix the error in the deleted text as it reappeared, and retweet it again.

The Verge’s Tom Warren first spotted this and tweeted that Twitter seems to be testing a neat way to edit tweets.

“If you delete a tweet when you reply to someone and then go to reply again it brings the old text back so you can correct your typo,” Warren said on Sunday.

A Twitter user commented: “OMG I think I just edited a tweet?? I wrote a tweet, noticed a benign single-letter typo, deleted the tweet, and pressed “reply” again and found the full text of my previous tweet available to edit and send again. If this really is the feature test I think it is I am SO HAPPY.”

Later, a Twitter spokesperson replied to Warren: “Unfortunately, we’re not testing this. It’s a bug and we’re looking into it”.

Twitter users have been asking for an Edit button to avoid embarrassment when they accidentally send tweets with typos and spelling errors.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has said the Edit button will “probably” never happen.

“We started as an SMS, text message service. And as you all know, when you send a text, you can’t really take it back. We wanted to preserve that vibe, that feeling, in the early days,” Dorsey had said.

Dorsey said last year that the micro-blogging platform is considering a “clarify” feature for its users.

Monsoon Session begins in LS with obituary references to 15 members

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Monsoon Session begins in LS with obituary references to 15 members

The Monsoon Session began on Monday with the Lok Sabha holding its first session with obituary references to 15 parliamentarians who passed away this year.

Soon after the lower House assembled for the day, Speaker Om Birla read out the obituary references in memory of the departed lawmakers that included former President Pranab Mukherjee, who passed away here on August 31 after undergoing treatment for nearly three weeks.

The House, which began at 9 a.m., also remembered sitting MP H. Vasanthakumar, eminent vocalist Pandit Jasraj; Gurdas Singh Badal (Member, 5th Lok Sabha); Nepal Singh (MP, 16th Lok Sabha); Ajit Jogi (MP, 12th and 14th Lok Sabhas); P. Namgyal (7th, 8th, 11th); and Paras Nath Yadav (MP, 12th, and 14th).

Besides, Madhav Rao Patil (12 Lok Sabha member); Haribhau Madhav Jawale (14th and 15th); Saroj Dubey (10th); Lalji Tandon (15th); Kamal Rani (11 and 12th); Chetan Chauhan (10 and 12th); and Surendra Prakash Goel (14th) were also remembered by all parliamentarians.

The Lok Sabha observed a 2-minute silence to honor the parliamentarians, following which the Speaker adjourned the house for an hour.

There will be 36 Parliamentary sittings — 18 each for both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha — in the Monsoon Session which will continue till October 1.

NVIDIA acquires chip maker Arm for $40 billion

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NVIDIA acquires chip maker Arm for $40 billion

In one of the biggest tech deals, the graphics giant NVIDIA has confirmed it is acquiring SoftBank-owned UK chipmaker Arm for $40 billion with an aim to create a premier computing company for the age of artificial intelligence (AI).

The deal would consolidate NVIDIA’s position at the center of the semiconductor industry. While it is the leader for GPUs, it has little to do with CPU design or mobile hardware where Arm is one of the leaders.

SoftBank will remain committed to ARM’s long-term success through its ownership stake in NVIDIA, expected to be under 10 percent, the company said in a statement late on Sunday.

“In the years ahead, trillions of computers running AI will create a new internet-of-things that is thousands of times larger than today’s internet-of-people. Our combination will create a company fabulously positioned for the age of AI,” said Jensen Huang, founder, and CEO of NVIDIA.

Under the terms of the transaction, NVIDIA will pay SoftBank a total of $21.5 billion in common stock and $12 billion in cash, which includes $2 billion payable at signing.

SoftBank may receive up to $5 billion in cash or common stock under an earn-out construct. NVIDIA will also issue $1.5 billion in equity to Arm employees.

The arm will remain headquartered in Cambridge. NVIDIA will build a state-of-the-art AI supercomputer, powered by Arm CPUs.

“Uniting NVIDIA’s AI computing capabilities with the vast ecosystem of Arm’s CPU, we can advance computing from the cloud, smartphones, PCs, self-driving cars and robotics, to edge IoT, and expand AI computing to every corner of the globe,” Huang said.

For Arm’s ecosystem, the combination will turbocharge Arm’s R&D capacity and expand its IP portfolio with NVIDIA’s world-leading GPU and AI technology.

The Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank bought ARM for $31 billion in 2016. The company powers major mobile processors from companies like Qualcomm, Apple, Samsung, and Huawei.

“Since acquiring Arm, we have honored our commitments and invested heavily in people, technology, and R&D, thereby expanding the business into new areas with high growth potential. Joining forces with a world leader in technology innovation creates new and exciting opportunities for Arm,” said Masayoshi Son, chairman, and CEO of SoftBank.

“We look forward to supporting the continued success of the combined business.”

As part of NVIDIA, Arm will continue to operate its open-licensing model while maintaining the global customer neutrality that has been foundational to its success, with 180 billion chips shipped to date by its licensees.

“Arm and NVIDIA share a vision and passion that ubiquitous, energy-efficient computing will help address the world’s most pressing issues from climate change to healthcare, from agriculture to education,” said Simon Segars, CEO of Arm.

Wish we could’ve two winners: Thiem after US Open title win

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Wish we could’ve two winners: Thiem after US Open title win

Dominic Thiem was all praise for Alexander Zverev after they both competed in what turned out to be an epic US Open 2020 final in which the Austrian emerged victorious riding on a tremendous fightback at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

On Sunday evening, Thiem used every bit of his Grand Slam experience to come back from the brink and defeat Zverev 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 in the 2020 US Open men’s singles final.

This was the first US Open summit clash which was decided by a fifth-set tie-break. Thiem is the first player in the Open Era to rally from two sets down in a US Open final. The 27-year-old also became the first Grand Slam champion born in the 1990s, along with the 55th Grand Slam champion of the Open Era and the 150th of all time.

“We started to know each other back in 2014 and straight away started to develop a great friendship…and then a great rivalry,” Thiem said after the match as per the ATP Tour website. “We’ve made great things happen on the court and off the court. It’s amazing how far our journey brought us to share this moment. I wish we could have two winners today. We both deserved it,” he added.

Thiem has joined Thomas Muster (1995 Roland Garros) as the only Austrian man to win a major championship. He lost his first three Grand Slam finals, most recently in a five-set battle to Novak Djokovic at this year’s Australian Open.

“It had to be like this – my career was always like the match today – many ups and downs and I love the way it turned out,” tweeted Thiem after the match.

Despite the loss, Zverev achieved a career breakthrough in reaching his first Grand Slam final and also showered rich praise on Thiem. “I want to congratulate Dominic on the first of many Grand Slam titles. I wish you could have missed a little more so I could be holding that trophy up, but here I am giving the runner-up speech,” Zverev said.

“I want to thank my team for sticking with me. The past two years have not been easy in my tennis career. We’re definitely on the way up and I hope that one day we’re going to lift that trophy up together,” he added.

Oracle wins deal for TikTok US biz, Microsoft’s bid rejected

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Oracle wins deal for TikTok US biz, Microsoft’s bid rejected

Bytedance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, has chosen Cloud major Oracle over Microsoft to run its US operations as a ‘trusted tech partner’, multiple media reports revealed on Monday while an official announcement was still awaited.

According to The New York Times, it was unclear whether TikTok’s choice of Oracle as a technology partner would mean that “Oracle would also take a majority ownership stake of the social media app”.

This is different from an outright sale and appears to suggest Oracle will help run TikTok’s US operations with its Cloud technologies.

In an official statement, Microsoft said its bid for TikTok operations in the US was rejected.

“ByteDance let us know today they would not be selling TikTok’s US operations to Microsoft. We are confident our proposal would have been good for TikTok’s users while protecting national security interests,” Microsoft said.

“To do this, we would have made significant changes to ensure the service met the highest standards for security, privacy, online safety, and combating disinformation, and we made these principles clear in our August statement,” the tech giant added.

After TikTok was banned in India in June, along with 58 other Chinese apps, the Donald Trump administration in the US increased pressure on the ByteDance-owned platform to sell its US operations by mid-September or face a ban.

According to NYT, Oracle has cultivated close ties with the Trump administration.

“Its founder, Larry Ellison, hosted a fund-raiser for Trump this year, and its chief executive, Safra Catz, served on the president’s transition team and has frequently visited the White House”.

Trump said last month that he would support Oracle buying TikTok.

“I think that Oracle would be certainly somebody that could handle it,” he told reporters. Trump maintained there will be “no extension of the TikTok deadline”.

Riding on new customer wins in both Cloud applications and infrastructure businesses, Oracle posted better than expected results for its FY21 first-quarter results last week, generating $9.4 billion in revenue which was up 2 percent compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, China said the Trump administration’s deadline for TikTok sale is tantamount to “coercive robbery”.

“The tricks of economic bullying and political manipulation that the US played on non-American companies are tantamount to coercive robbery,” said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson over the weekend.

Hamilton bags 90th win in red-flagged Tuscan GP

Telugu Bullet
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Hamilton bags 90th win in red-flagged Tuscan GP

Lewis Hamilton clinched the 90th win of his Formula One career as he bagged the crash-strewn Tuscan Grand Prix on Sunday. The race was stopped twice and re-started.

Hamilton’s Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas completed the Mercedes one-two at the Ferrari-owned Mugello circuit in central Italy.

Red Bull’s Thai driver Alexander Albon took third place for his first career F1 podium.Ricciardo came fourth, tantalisingly close to his first podium with Renault, as Sergio Perez finished fifth for Racing Point, as per a report on formula1.com.

There were only 12 runners who classified at the finish as Lando Norris was sixth for McLaren, ahead of the AlphaTauri of Daniil Kvyat, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc classified eighth at the team’s 1,000th Grand Prix.

GST compensation cess: 13 states decide, 12 opt for 1st option

Telugu Bullet
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GST compensation cess: 13 states decide, 12 opt for 1st option

A total of 13 states have so far decided on their borrowing options to meet their GST compensation shortfall and almost all have decided to go for the first option proposed by the Centre, source said.

Out of the 13, 12 states have opted for the first option, under which the Union government has offered states that they could borrow the shortfall arising out of GST implementation, estimated at Rs 97,000 crore approximately. The amount would be borrowed through issue of debt under a special window coordinated by the Finance Ministry.

The first option is to ensure steady flow of resources similar to the flow under GST compensation on a bi-monthly basis. Under this option, the Centre will endeavour to keep the cost at or close to the G-secs yield, and in the event of the cost being higher, will bear the margin between G-secs and average of State Development Loan yields up to 0.5 per cent through a subsidy.

The states which have preferred to opt for this option are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Odisha.

Only Manipur has so far opted for the second borrowing option under which states can borrow the entire compensation shortfall of Rs 2.35 lakh crore, including the Covid-impact portion, through issue of market debt.

Six more states — Goa, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh — will be giving their choice in a day or two, said people in the know.

A few states have submitted their views to the Chairperson of the GST Council but are yet to decide on the options, according to sources.

In the 41st GST Council meeting last month, the Centre had proposed both options, so that a mechanism could be put in place as an exception this year, as Covid-19 disruptions and lower revenue collections have made it difficult for the Centre to meet its obligation on Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation to states.

K’taka adds 9,894 fresh Covid cases, 104 deaths push toll to 7,265

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K’taka adds 9,894 fresh Covid cases, 104 deaths push toll to 7,265

Karnataka reported 9,894 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday taking the overall tally to 4,59,445 while 104 deaths pushed the toll to 7,265.

As per the state Health and Family Welfare department, 8,402 patients have been discharged, pushing the total recoveries in the state to over 3.5 lakh mark.

Among the fatalities, 96-year-old patient from Tumkuru is the oldest one and 21-year-old is the youngest patient from Dakshin Kannada.

Health officials claimed that as many as 5,94,019 primary contacts and 5,36,625 secondary contacts are under observation in Karnataka, while more than 513883 persons are in home quarantine.

The state has also conducted over 67,955 tests and of this, 36,298 are though RT-PCR method.

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