World’s biggest fear: Losing one’s mobile

Guess what's the biggest phobia in the world? It's nomophobia - the fear of being without your mobile, says a new study which has found that approximately 66% of people are affected by it. 

In fact, the number of people afflicted with nomophobia - 'no mobile phone phobia' - revealed in the study in the UK shows a rise from a similar research conducted four years ago, where 53% of people admitted the fear of losing their phone. 

In the latest study, of the 1,000 people surveyed in the UK, 66% said they felt the fear, the 'Daily Mail' newspaper reported. 

Young adults - aged between 18 and 24 - tended to be the most addicted to their mobile phones, with 77% unable to stay apart for more than a few minutes, and those aged between 25 and 34 followed at 68%. The study showed that people on average check their phone 34 times a day, and 75% of us use the phone in the bathroom - with many people saying it is the modern equivalent of the newspaper. 

Andy Kemshall, co-founder of SecurEnvoy that commissioned the study, "A reversal on the 2008 findings is that, back then, it was men that were more afflicted yet today it's women. I'd be inclined to draw the conclusion that, perhaps because more men have two phones, they're less likely to misplace both and therefore be left phoneless." 

Other findings showed that, even if 49% of people get upset if their messages and texts were viewed by a partner, most don't bother with securing our mobile phones, with only 46% of them using some kind of lock code, and just 10% adding encryption to their data. Kemshall added, "With 58% of the respondents using at least one device for business use, this lack of security is a worrying trend that needs addressing."

Via : timesofindia.indiatimes

Re ends at all-time low of 53.84; may go sub-54 by weekend

The rupee on Wednesday closed at all-time low of 53.84 losing a hefty 72 paise against dollar due to sustained demand for the US currency which rose sharply against major rivals after poll results in Greece and France fuelled fresh eurozone worries. 

Forex dealers said signs of strong capital outflows also weighed against rupee sentiment. They further said that rupee is expected to breach the 54 level by weekend given the current global situation. 

RBI is believed to have intervened when the rupee fell to 53.80 level but could not stem the fall.

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) market, the rupee opened lower at 53.54 per dollar and fell further to intra-day low of 53.85 per dollar. It closed at 53.84 per dollar, showing a loss of 72 paise. The previous lowest closing was at 53.71 on December 14, 2011. 

"The fall in rupee today is due to three factors. Firstly, dollar strengthened against other currencies, especially euro, and secondly, a weak stock market contributed towards the rupee fall," J Moses Harding, Head of Global Markets Group of IndusInd Bank. Euro fell to over three-month low against dollar on fears that Greece could leave the eurozone. 

With Greece's Sunday general election results throwing up no clear winner, US dollar gained today amid Alexis Tsipras, leader of the Radical Left Coalition claiming that the verdict renders the Greek bailout deal null. 

On rupee fall, Indian Overseas Bank GM (Treasury) T S Srinivasan said, "Rupee has seen weakness today in sync with euro weakening against dollar. Today's fall is more due to international factors than domestic. Also, subdued capital flows to equity market had contributed to the fall." 

Rupee may breach 54-level in the near term given the persistent weakness in the currency, he added. On RBI's intervention, Harding said given the liquidity condition, there is not much scope for RBI to intervene.

Via : timesofindia.indiatimes

Vodafone threatens legal action as govt plans Rs 20,000 crore tax demand

A day after the Lok Sabha approved the Finance Bill the government suggested that it would raise a tax demand of Rs 20,000 crore on Vodafone, even as the British company said that it was disappointed with move and will take all possible steps to safeguard its shareholders' interests.

"We are studying the legislation as amended, and will take all possible steps to safeguard our shareholders' interests. It would be grossly unjust if, on the basis of legislation passed five years after the event, Vodafone were to be charged tax on a gain made by someone else, especially where the Indian Supreme Court unambiguously ruled that no tax was payable in India according to the laws of India in force in 2007. Given this clarity, there was no legal basis for Vodafone to withhold tax," the telecom company said in a press release.

Vodafone had earlier served a notice on the government under the India-Netherlands investment protection agreement, threatening international arbitration if the validation clause inserted in the Finance Bill was not dropped. The government, however, went ahead and got the Lok Sabha to endorse its proposal to amend the Income Tax Act from 1962 in a bid to tax overseas acquisitions involving interests or assets in India.

Via: timesofindia.indiatimes

Google AdWords under CCI scanner in India: Sources

 Competition watchdog CCI has asked its investigation arm to probe the alleged discriminatory practices by global search engine Google relating to its AdWords, sources said.

The investigation, according to sources, was ordered after the Competition Commission of India (CCI) found "prima facie evidence" that Google has abused its dominant market position by being discriminatory in allotting keywords to matrimonial site Bharatmatrimony.com.

"We have asked the Director General (Investigations) to complete the probe and give a report on it within 60 days. Prima facie, we found evidence that suggests that Google did abuse its dominant market position," a senior official told reporters.

When contacted a Google spokesperson said, "We have not received any communication and therefore we are unable to comment on it".

In February, BharatMatrimony had filed a complaint against Google alleging that the multinational company has abused its dominance by engaging in discriminatory and retaliatory practices relating to AdWords.

The AdWords programme, in which Google sells keywords to advertisers and displays them in the form of short ads online, is a big money spinner for the company.

"BharatMatrimony... requests that the Commission investigate Google's practices and impose remedial measures to protect competition," match-making portal had said in a statement.

It added the "increasing number of competition law complaints against Google globally suggests a pattern of anti- competitive conduct that needs to be checked in order to protect Indian businesses and consumers".

In 2011, the advertising segment comprised 96 per cent of Google's $38 billion revenue.

BharatMatrimony is owned by Consim Info which has over 400 community portals and 15 regional portals.

Via: timesofindia.indiatimes

Bharti Airtel launches 4G services in Bangalore

 Bharti Airtel has launched broadband wireless access (BWA) services based on 4G technology in Bangalore followed by the recent inaugural launch of the services in Kolkata. Airtel has also introduced 'Smartbytes' for 4G -- thus allowing customers to buy these add-on packs and use 4G services even after exhausting their monthly data limits.

"As seen the world over, the total data usage is exploding and is doubling each year to grow to nearly 3.6 hexabytes by 2014. With the launch of 4G, India will move from being a follower in technology to matching the world in this domain," said Sanjay Kapoor, chief executive officer (CEO) - India and South Asia, Bharti Airtel.

The service was inaugurated by Karnataka Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda. A successor to the 3G and 2G families, 4G is expected to be five times quicker than 3G services. It would offer services such as high-definition mobile TV and video conferencing. Airtel, which had bagged BWA spectrum in four telecom circles -- Kolkata, Maharastra, Punjab and Karnataka -- for Rs.3,314.36 crore in 2010, selected Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE to manage its services in Kolkata.

The other players are yet to announce plans to rollout 4G services.

As part of an introductory offer by Airtel, customers subscribing to 4G services will now be given a cash back for the dongle -- thus bringing device-cost to customers zero and paving way for mass adoption of 4G services.

Airtel 4G is now also available in an all new 30 GB pack priced at Rs 2,999.

Via : timesofindia.indiatimes

Apple to pay huge amount for iPad settlement: China Lawyer

Apple is offering an undisclosed amount of money to Chinese firm Proview Technology to settle its dispute over the iPadtrademark, Proview's lawyer has said. Apple came under pressure after the Chinese Commerce Ministry publicly backed the local firm, sources said. 

Proview's attorney Xie Xianghui told the official media that the two companies had discussed a compensation package, and Apple offered an amount it deemed as appropriate. But theProview side has not agreed on the deal yet. 

Apple's case in Chinese courts is that it bought off the iPad trademark, originally coined by the bankrupt Proview, from its office in Taipei. But Proview's claim is that it was a different entity from its Taipei brother and thus not bound by the deal between Proview Taipei and Apple. 

The US giant received a jolt in late April when Fu Shuangjian, deputy director general of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce under the Ministry of Commerce, told a press conference that Proview (Shenzhen) still reserved the right to use the iPad trademark in China in accordance with the Chinese Trademark Law. 

The case is an anti-thesis of the common accusations levelled by the US manufacturers and government agencies about copyright violations by Chinese companies. Now, a Chinese company has accused a US giant of copyright theft. This could be the reason why official agencies in China are backing Proview's case. 

There are signs Apple coined the "New iPad" name for its latest version hoping to avoid being entangled by Chinese law. But it might still have to cough up huge amounts of money if the company wants to access the vast Chinese market. The New iPad has not been released in China yet. 

"We feel that the attitude of Apple Inc. has changed. Although they expressed that they were willing to negotiate, they have never taken any action before. But now, they are having conversations with us, and we have begun to consult on the case," Xie told the official Xinhua news agency. 

Apple has reasons to worry because China is not only one of its biggest markets, but it is also the place where more than half of its products are made. A court ban on the use of the iPad trademark will affect both its production and sales capabilities. 

Proview also claims that it had registered the iPad trademark in a number of countries and regions in 2000. Its lawyers have earlier indicated the company is prepared to take the trademark battle to other countries.

Via :Timesofindia.indiatimes

IPL is changing the face of world cricket: Shaun Pollock

 Former South African fast bowler and captain Shaun Pollock feels theIndian Premier League (IPL) has done a world of good for the game of cricket and it is turning out to be an excellent laboratory for batsmen and bowlers to innovate more and more. 

Pollock, now a mentor with Mumbai Indians, says the IPL is a fantastic winning formula from whichever way one looks at it, be it the game, players, franchises or spectators. 

"Cricket has moved ahead amazingly with the IPL, both financially as well as technically. Before the IPL, soccer players, golfers and tennis players were the envy of other sports persons. Now cricketers have joined the big-buck-earners," Pollock said. 

"The IPL is a platform for cricketers to experiment and try out new things. We have seen bowlers coming up with baffling deliveries and batsmen playing hitherto unknown breath-taking shots," he said. 

The 38-year-old also said the IPL is also a cerebral exercise for players to exchange views on matters of cricket and to understanding different cultures. 

"It has broken all barriers. The playing format may be the same as any form of international cricket, but the players from different backgrounds and cultures are mingling like one family. That has helped the players to share their experiences with others and gain immensely," he said. 

Pollock said Mumbai Indians have benefited from their eclectic mix of players in the dressing room. 

As the IPL moves towards its business end, Pollock hopes that Mumbai Indians, now placed third in the points table, can get to the play-off round and eventually go on to win the league. 

"We have a strong team on paper but that doesn't mean much because cricket is a funny game. We have not done consistently well in both batting or bowling on a given day. But we have shown what we are capable of. Now is the time for the boys to play to their potential and peak," he said. 

Pollock said Mumbai Indians, who were the favourites when the tournament began, have benefited a lot from their Champions League Twenty20 win last year. 

"The CLT20 win helped us to believe that we can get over the line in any given situation. The win helped the team to handle pressure better," he said. 

Mumbai Indians clinched two thrilling last-ball victories this season. Rohit Sharma hit a six off the last ball against Deccan Chargers while Dwayne Smith starred Sunday evening, hitting a four off the last ball to fashion an incredible win against Super Kings. 

"These victories only boost your confidence and the belief in your abilities," he said. 

On a lighter note he added: "It also helps the team in impressing the franchise owners." 

Asked why Sachin Tendulkar, who relinquished his captaincy at the start of the season, hasn't performed consistently, Pollock said: "Sachin sustained a finger injury in the first match against Super Kings and he missed a few matches. Probably that must have upset his rhythm, but he is fast returning to form. Yesterday he scored 74 off 44 balls to show that he is still a destructive batsman." 

Pollock also dismissed suggestions that Mumbai Indians have packed the side with too many overseas -- 11 to be precise -- when only four can be fielded in a match. 

"The problem in Twenty20 is that you have to work with different variables in different matches. It is a challenge for the coaching staff to select the best four overseas players for the match. It is also a challenge to keep the overseas players motivated and our chaps have been understanding," he said. 

Asked if the presence of too many reputed match-winners in Mumbai Indians has denied domestic players a platform to showcase their talent, Pollock said: "It is hard to say. We have Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik, who are experienced so other guys don't get much exposure. We choose a team keeping in mind the best combination that could win the match." 

Pollock was also happy that fast bowlers have done well in the fifth season. Five fast bowlers are among the top-seven wicket-takers this season. Of these Lasith Malinga (20), Munaf Patel (12) and Kieron Pollard (11) are from Mumbai Indians. 

"Malinga has been the best fast bowler, But Dale Steyn has also done well. It is good to see fast bowlers influencing the game that favours the batsmen," he said.


Via: timesofindia.indiatimes