Heena Sharma Blog

Honor , a smartphone brand owned by Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei, is gearing up to launch the Honor View 20 in India on January 29. The smartphone will be the first one in India to boast a punch-hole screen, accommodating the front camera. This Amazon-exclusive smartphone also has Huawei’s flagship Kirin 980 system-on-chip, 48-megapixel primary camera, a glass gradient design and an Android Pie-based Magic user interface, which is an improvement to Huawei’s emotion UI (EMUI) seen in previous iterations of Honor devices. As noted in the first impressions, the phone seems to offer the best of both worlds – premium and midrange. Therefore, it would make a worthy package if launched in the mid-tier range of below Rs 40,000. The phone is expected to launch at 12 noon today, and the event would be livestreamed on Honor India’s official social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. As for the specifications, the Honor View 20 is powered by Huawei’s Kirin 980 SoC...

Asus , the Taiwanese manufacturer of computer peripherals, recently launched Asus F570ZD, a laptop for entry- level gamers and for those on the lookout for a dedicated performance laptop to enhance their daily workflow. While the innards present in the laptop make it an exciting purchace, I took a deeper look to find out that is it still a valuable product when it comes to casual gaming and everyday computing. Asus F570ZD is compact with the typical ASUS built. The sea green accent on the Asus logo and the sea green borders give a quirky finish to the laptop. The back has a shiny-metal black finish that gives a premium feel to the device. Apart from that, there is little else that stands out in this laptop's design. The bezels are thick but not huge and we wonder why thin bezels are not yet brought to mid-level laptops. As far as performance is concerned, the F570ZD is a great performer but with minor flaws. The AMD Ryzen 5 processor works great, but somehow the absence ...

Chickens that have been genetically modified to produce human proteins in eggs can offer a cost-effective method of producing certain types of drugs. The study which initially focused on producing high quality proteins for use in scientific research, found the drugs work at least as well as the same proteins produced using existing methods. The study was carried out at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute and Roslin Technologies, a company set up to commercialise research at The Roslin Institute and is published in BMC Biotechnology. High quantities of the proteins can be recovered from each egg using a simple purification system and there are no adverse effects on the chickens themselves, which lay eggs as normal. According to researchers, the findings provide sound evidence for using chickens as a cheap method of producing high quality drugs for use in research studies and, potentially one day, in patients. Notably, eggs are already used for growing vi...

The market is full of hair care products , but to amplify their results, it is first essential to make dietary changes to include vitamins and minerals that promote hair growth and reduce hair fall significantly, suggest experts. Arvind Poswal, Hair Expert and Hair Transplant Surgeon, Dr. A's Clinic, and Karan Gupta, Director and Men's Grooming Expert, Qraa Men, have given out some tips on foods that can boost hair health: *Eggs: The hair are build-up of protein, so it is essential that we always consume enough amounts to proteins to ensure augmented regeneration of hair. Eggs are the richest source of protein and are packed with high amounts of Biotin. The goodness instilled in eggs prevents hair loss thereby promoting the hair growth. *Carrots: This season of winter calls for us to consume ample amounts of carrots. The carrots help the scalp in producing the natural sebum oil which as this oil keeps the roots healthy. Not only this, carrots are enriched with Vi...

A lone duck named Trevor that lived on the tiny Pacific island nation of Niue has died, officials say, sparking an outpouring of grief from as far away as New Zealand. The celebrity mallard found fame last year after a visiting journalist from New Zealand discovered that his makeshift home, near a puddle, was used for directions. But his 15 seconds of fame were tragically cut short when he was "seen dead in the bush after being attacked by dogs" this weekend, a Facebook page dedicated to Trevor said. The chief executive of the Niue Chamber of Commerce, Rae Findlay, said it was a "sad time for Niue". "He captivated the locals, of which there are only 1,600 in Niue, and the 9,000 visitors to Niue each year," Findlay told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Sunday. "He will definitely be missed, he captured many hearts and even the rooster, the chicken and the weka were looking a little forlorn today wandering around the near-dry pud...

South Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung is gearing up to unveil the Galaxy M-series today (January 28). Aimed at millennials, the Galaxy M-series is expected to have at least two variants – the Galaxy M20 and the Galaxy M10. These India-first smartphones will also be the company’s first to sport a V-shaped notch screen, similar to the dewdrop or waterdrop notch screens seen in Oppo, Vivo and Realme devices. Both these smartphones will be Amazon-exclusive and will be available on the e-commerce platform and Samsung online store. Samsung Galaxy M20 In terms of specifications and features, the Samsung Galaxy M20 is expected to be a power-packed unit in the M-series. It is expected to be powered by Samsung’s recently announced Exynos 7-series 7904 system-on-chip, paired with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM. Though the M-series is expected to feature a triple-camera module in at least one of the devices, the M20 would have a dual-camera set-up on the back – as seen in promotional...

The Honor View 20 is set to become the first smartphone in India to feature a punch-hole screen. Unveiled at a global launch in Paris on January 22, the smartphone is set to be launched in India on January 29. Apart from a punch-hole screen, the phone also boasts a 48-megapixel primary camera, gradient glass design, and an Android Pie-based Magic user interface, which is an improvement to Huawei’s emotion UI (EMUI) seen in previous iterations of Honor devices. From a premium build to top-tier specifications, the Honor View 20 seems to be a flagship smartphone that would set the benchmark for future Honor-branded smartphones. The phone’s punch-hole is a step forward, compared to notch screens. It accommodates a 25-megapixel front camera for selfies. However, like other notch screen-based smartphones, it also has a visible bezel at the bottom that obstructs its otherwise bezel-less profile. Honor View 20 On the back, the phone has a glossy glass with gradient design. It sho...

Avoiding greasy, fatty and oily foods is the key to a successful dieting plan . But have you ever wondered why we tend to crave the very foods that we try to avoid when dieting? Or wished you could suppress the feeling before it forced you into eating junk food? A recent study identified new brain circuits that may act as a brake on binge eating and junk food craving. Findings of the study were published in the Journal of Behavioral Brain Research. "Craving for foods high in fat - this includes many junk foods - is an important part of obesity and binge eating," said Jonathan Hommel, lead author of the study. "When trying to lose weight people often strive to avoid fatty foods, which ironically increases motivation and craving for these foods and can lead to overeating. Even worse, the longer someone abstains from fatty foods, the greater the cravings become," Hommel explained. Read More Business Standard

Winter brings dry and itchy scalp, but incorporating few things like increasing your probiotics intake and minimising hair wash can do wonders. Gaurang Krishna, Specialist Hair Transplant Surgeon and Consultant Dermatologist, Director at MedLinks, suggests: * Minimise stress level: Stress impacts various aspects of our health and well-being. While stress doesn't directly cause an itchy scalp , it can aggravate the symptoms. * Wash your hair less often: Excessive use of shampoo can strip your hair of lucrative moisture and leave it even dryer. Washing your hair less often will help regain your hair's lustre. Incorporate a mild, pH balanced, sulphate-free shampoo with a hydrating conditioner in your hair care routine. Oiling the scalp an hour before your head wash will also soothe your scalp. * Increase your probiotics and water intake: Probiotics enhance the immune system, which in turn helps the body fight fungal infections that contribute to dandruff or dry ...

APEX 2019 's 5G mobile network capability improves the quality experience for video viewing, cloud gaming and a variety of other user scenarios. Vivo is developing 5G technology standardization empowered by a fusion of technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality and virtual reality. The sleek phone does not have any openings anywhere on the device. Vivo has completely removed physical buttons and instead of that adopted Touch Sense technology, which brings together capacitive touch and pressure-sensing. The pressure sensors can even tell if a user is pressing the frame and the capacitive touch lets the user determine its position, providing extra-sensitive accuracy. Vivo even got rid of the USB port and substituted it with a magnetic power connector that enables both charging and data transfer. It is called MagPort and is placed at the back. This enables more streamlined user experience and makes the body more compac...

Individuals with tattoos are more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health issue and report sleep problems, a recent study suggests. In a survey-based study published in the International Journal of Dermatology, the researchers also pointed out that people who had tattoos were more likely to be smokers, to have spent time in jail, and to have a higher number of sex partners. The survey was conducted in July of 2016 and resulted in a sample of 2,008 adults residing in the United States. "Previous research has established an association between having a tattoo and engaging in risky behaviours. In an era of the increasing popularity of tattoos, even among women and working professionals, we find these relationships persist but are not associated with lower health status," said Karoline Mortensen, lead author of the study. Read More Business Standard

Years down the line, Maruti's Wagon R still remains one of the best selling cars to come out of the Indian manufacturers' Gurgaon plant. Now, as the manufacturing unit moves on to it's new location, the WagonR also has grown up. While the ' Tall Boy ' from Maruti more or less retains the original silhouette of the car, the all new Maruti Suzuki WagonR is bigger now and is wider and longer than its predecessor. while the wheelbase has also been stretched by 35mm, the car is 150mm wider and 56mm longer than the outgoing model. Based on Maruti Suzuki's new Heartect platform that underpins the new-gen Swift, Ignis and Baleno among others, the new WagonR is surprisingly lighter (by 40kg) than the old one and safer, thanks to a high-stregth steel construction. In terms of cosmetic upgrades, Maruti has redesigned the WagonR with new headlamps, a new front grill and redesigned taillamps, but LED DRLs have been given a miss. However, there are no alloy wheels o...

The Goa government has decided to charge fines between Rs 2,000 and Rs 10,000 from people for drinking and cooking in the open, state Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said Thursday. The Tourist Trade Act will be amended suitably during the Goa Assembly session beginning on January 29 for this purpose, he informed. "People found creating nuisance like drinking in public or cooking in the open will be fined up to Rs 10,000. While an individual will be fined Rs 2,000, a group indulging in such an offence will be charged Rs 10,000," Ajgaonkar told reporters. In case the fine is not paid, the offender can face imprisonment of up to three months, he added. Business Standard

The composition of breastmilk changes in pregnant women on probiotics, a recent study suggests. The finding, published in the Journal of JAMA Pediatrics, upends what scientists thought of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) -- the sugar molecules found exclusively in human breast milk -- and could lead to future studies on how the compounds can be potentially influenced by diet and other factors. Though HMOs are indigestible for a newborn child, they are consumed by certain species in the microbiome and can significantly affect its composition. As a result, scientists have begun focusing on HMOs as a possible reason that infants who consume breastmilk are less likely to get certain viral and bacterial infections, and other severe conditions such as necrotizing enterocolitis, along with allergic diseases like a food allergy. The study analysed data from 81 pregnant women who were enrolled in a probiotic supplementation study in Finland. The researchers then compared 20 diff...

Honor, a smartphone brand owned by Chinese technology giant Huawei, recently launched the Honor 10 Lite . Successor of the Honor 9 Lite, the phone has a dewdrop notch screen, dual rear cameras, and gradient glass like design. Being a midrange smartphone, it is powered by Kirin 710 system-on-chip, and features GPU Turbo technology for improved graphic performance. The Honor 10 Lite seems to be a power packed proposition in the midrange segment. But how does it fare in real life scenarios? Let’s find out: Design The Honor 10 Lite has a glass like design that has been predominant in midrange smartphones. It looks impressive, but not different than most of the midrange devices such as the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 (review). The phone’s back is made of laminated layers of polymer with a glossy finish, which looks like glass and has a gradient design. The gradient design on the back reflects different shades of phone’s colour when looked from angles. Read More Business Standa...

A recent study saw scientists trying to explain the importance of a gene in regulating the production of fully-functioning sperm. For the first time, experts have identified the role of the gene, RBMXL2 , which is very similar to a possible infertility gene found on the Y chromosome found only in men. This provided a model for the team to manipulate as the Y chromosome itself is very difficult to analyse. The study, published today in the Journal of eLife, sheds light on why some men may be infertile as RBMXL2 has been shown to be essential to make sperm. Scientists found that deleting the RBMXL2 gene from chromosome 11 blocked sperm production and this paves the way for further exciting research in this area. " Male infertility is a poorly understood topic, and this study helps us to understand why some men might become infertile. This is important since many couples suffer from infertility and it can cause psychological stress, and also have economic consequences ...

German auto major Mercedes-Benz Thursday made a foray into the luxury multi-purpose vehicles segment in India with the launch of its V-Class at a starting price of Rs 68.40 lakh. The V-Class will be available in both six-seater long-wheelbase (Exclusive) and seven-seater extra-long-wheelbase (Expression) variants, Mercedes-Benz India said in a statement. While the V-Class Expression starts at Rs 68.40 lakh, the V-Class Exclusive starts at Rs 81.90 lakh (all prices ex-showroom India), it added. Continuing Mercedes-Benz's BS-VI transition efforts, the V-Class will be available in a 2-litre BS VI-compliant diesel engine, the company said. "The launch of the V-Class in India firmly underscores our pioneering spirit as we introduce the 'Luxury Multi-Purpose Vehicle' segment for our discerning Indian customers," Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Martin Schwenk said. Read More Business Standard

Vodafone Idea Ltd . plans to raise as much as 25,000-crore rupees ($3.5 billion) via a rights offering to help India’s largest mobile-phone carrier fend off Asia’s richest man, who continues to roil the industry by providing 4G Internet at prices that would drive most carriers bankrupt in other countries. Vodafone Group Plc will contribute as much as 11,000 crore rupees, while India’s Aditya Birla Group will pump in as much as 7250 crore rupees, according to a statement on Wednesday. The plan underscores how Indian carriers have yet to figure out how to compete against billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd ., which offers packages with enough data to watch 46 hours of YouTube videos for about $2 a month. Vodafone Idea itself was formed last year after a couple of the industry’s biggest players merged to create an operator big enough to withstand Jio’s low prices. Separately, Vodafone Idea is also planning to sell its 11.5 per cent stake in Indus Towers Lt...

A legal loophole is allowing an influx of PET bottles into the country, despite a ban on the import of plastic waste , a New Delhi-based environmental organisation has claimed. While China’s ban on importing plastic waste has forced other countries to step up recycling efforts, India has become one of the countries whose plastic waste imports have increased “substantially”. An organisation called the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Smriti Manch (PDUSM) has claimed India’s imports of plastic scraps from China, Japan, Italy and Malawi for recycling and imports of PET bottle scrap and flakes has quadrupled. It says that in the fiscal year 2016-17, the imports were 12,000 tonnes. This figure grew to 48,000 tonnes in FY 2017-18. The organisation also claims that India has already imported 25,000 million tonnes (MT) in the first three months of FY 2018-19. India banned the import of plastic waste – particularly PET bottles –in 2015 because of an inability to recycle them. Experts sugge...

Trying to figure out a trick to keep mental stress in check? It turns out just thinking about your romantic partner during a stressful situation may help keep your blood pressure under control just as effectively as actually having your significant other in the room with you. As part of a recent study, 102 participants were asked to complete a stressful task which included submerging one foot into 3 inches of cold water ranging from 38 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The participants, all of whom were in committed romantic relationships, were randomly assigned to one of three conditions when completing the task. * They either had their significant other sitting quietly in the room with them during the task. * They were instructed to think about their romantic partner as a source of support during the task * Or they were instructed to think about their day during the task. Those who had their partner physically present in the room or who thought about their partner had a lo...

Adults who have negative experiences on social media tend to report loneliness, a recent study suggests. According to the research, positive interactions on social media are not making young adults feel more connected, whereas negative experiences increase the likelihood of them reporting loneliness . "Social media is, seemingly, about connecting people. So it is surprising and interesting that our investigations reveal social media being linked to loneliness," said lead author Brian Primack. According to Primack, perceived social isolation, which is a synonym for loneliness, is associated with poor health outcomes, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and depression. Because social media is so pervasive, it is critically important that we understand why this is happening and how we can help people navigate social media without as many negative consequences. As part of the study, Primack and his team surveyed 1,178 West Virginia University studen...

The growing popularity of social media platforms has seen an upsurge in viral trends -- some fun, but some fatal to human life. Be it the ice bucket challenge or the latest # Birdboxchallenge -- these have swept the Internet as netizens from all around the globe join in to perform certain situations, dances, voices or even speeches for entertainment. IANS gives a lowdown on the popular challenges that have taken over social media over the past few years: * #10yearchallenge: The latest entry to the growing list of viral challenges on social media is the 10-Year Challenge, which has caught the attention of many. In this, a person is required to share his recent image alongside a 10-year-old photograph to see the difference. From Hollywood to Bollywood and the local neighbourhood, everyone took a moment to rewind the clock and compare their looks. * #Birdboxchallenge: This originated from streaming website Netflix's film "Bird Box", starring Sandra Bullock...

A Pakistani court has temporarily halted the hearing of the 2008 Mumbai attack case to let the prosecutor produce more witnesses. Ten Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists had sailed into Mumbai from Karachi and carried out coordinated attacks, killing 166 people and injuring over 300 in November 2008. The trial, underway in an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan against seven activists, has made little headway in more than 10 years as the Pakistani establishment has been claiming lack of enough evidence against them. A divisional bench of Islamabad High Court, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani, on Tuesday conducted hearing on a petition by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) seeking stay on anti-terrorism court proceedings. The Express Tribune reported that the court initially granted one week stay in trial of the Mumbai attack case to let the prosecutor to summon some of the 19 witnesses for testimony. Read More Business Standard

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested nine people from Thane and Aurangabad for their alleged links with banned terror outfit ISIS, police said Wednesday. The nine terror suspects , all part of a group, were nabbed by ATS teams over the last two days, an ATS official said. The ATS, acting on specific inputs, kept a watch on the nine men for several weeks and gathered relevant information about them, he said. They were arrested when it came to light that they were likely to "swing into action", the official said. The arrests followed searches in Amrut Nagar, Kausa, Moti Baug and Almas Colony areas in Thane's Mumbra township and in Aurangabad's Kaisar Colony, Rahat Colony and Damdi Mahal areas on Monday late night and Tuesday early morning. During the searches, the ATS sleuths seized certain chemicals, acid bottles, sharp knives, mobile phones, hard disks and some SIM cards from the group, the official said. Read More Business S...

A new photography app for iOS called " Fuzion " that would use the "TrueDepth" camera data from new iPhones and create images by blending multiple images with portrait mode shots is expected to reach iOS users this week. ' Fuzion ' is a photo editor that lets you take your portraits and selfies to the next level. Blend multiple images and create stunning double exposures with ease," the "Fuzion" team wrote in a post on Monday The feature would work on the new iPhones -- iPhone 8 Plus, X, XR, and XS. The app comes with features to capture portrait photos with automatic silhouette detection, choices from a variety of backgrounds by top photographers to blend with the portrait and options to add dust overlays, light leaks and colour filters. "The app utilises the powerful " TrueDepth " and dual cameras of new iPhones to automatically detect a person's silhouette and cut them out of the background," the post a...

China's military, the world's largest force, has cut the size of its land-based army by about 50 per cent and significantly boosted its navy and air force as part of an "unprecedented" strategic shift designed to transform the People's Liberation Army (PLA) into a comprehensive modern force. The 2 million-strong Chinese military has significantly boosted its navy, air force and new strategic units and downsized its land-based army, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported quoting a state-run Xinhua report. In a feature report highlighting the "transformational changes" made by the PLA, Xinhua on Sunday said "this new data is unprecedented in the history of the PLA the army now accounts for less than 50 per cent of the total number of PLA troops; almost half of our non-combatant units have been made redundant, and the number of officers in the PLA has been reduced by 30 per cent." In the last few years, the PLA has down...

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the ODI and Test team and a few other awards for the year 2018 and to no one's surprise, Indian captain Virat Kohli swept all of them. Virat Kohli was named ICC ODI captain of the year, ICC Test Captain of the year, ICC Test player of the year, ICC ODI player of the year. He also won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year. Three player of the year awards, captain of teams in both formats. He has become the first player in the history to bag all three awards. The flurry of awards reflects the kind of year Virat Kohli had in 2018. It won't be surprising if he now goes on to win the Wisden Player of the Year award as well. Virat Kohli amassed 1,322 runs in 13 tests and 1,202 runs in 14 ODIs in 2018. India won the T20 series in England, however, lost both ODI and Test series. As a batsman, England was probably the last frontier for Kohli to conquer; something he did. While India failed to win t...