Heena Sharma Blog

  TCL might be a new name in India, but this Chinese electronics maker is well recognised globally for its feature-rich and competitively-priced smart televisions. Expanding its product portfolio in India, the company recently launched its Android 11 TV platform based smart QLED TVs. Leading the pack are the TCL C725 QLED TV models with screen size of up to 65-inch, quantum LED display tech supported by high dynamic range formats (Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR, HLG), Onkyo sound system powered by Dolby Atmos, and wide input and connectivity options. Besides, it is one of the few smart televisions in the market that come with USB-powered plug-and-play webcam (mics integrated) for video calls and meeting over Google Duo. On paper, the TCL C725 QLED TV seems to be a wholesome package. But is it worth spending Rs 72,990 over for a 55-inch model (review unit)? Let’s find out: Design The TCL C725 QLED TV boasts a bezel-less front profile for a distraction-free viewing experience. Its 55...

  India's rising output of Covid-19 vaccines and the inoculation of more than half its adult population with at least one dose are raising hopes the country will return as an exporter within months, ramping up from early next year. After donating or selling 66 million doses to nearly 100 countries, India barred exports in the middle of April to focus on domestic immunisation as infections exploded, upsetting the inoculation plans of many African and South Asian countries. India's daily vaccinations surpassed 10 million doses on Friday, with national vaccine production more than doubling since April and set to rise again in the coming weeks. New production lines have been set up, a vaccine developed by Cadila Healthcare won recent approval, and commercial production of Russia's Sputnik V is starting in India. The Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's biggest vaccine maker, is now producing about 150 million doses a month of its version of the AstraZeneca sho...

  The risk of developing adverse events such as blood clots is considerably higher after infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus than after immunisation with Pfizer and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines , according to a large UK study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on Friday. The team led by researchers at the University of Oxford in the UK conducted the study on thrombocytopenia -- a condition with low platelet counts -- and thromboembolic events or blood clots following COVID-19 vaccination with Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech preventives. Some of these events have led to restricted use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, known as Covishield in India, in a number of countries. The researchers compared rates of adverse events after vaccination with rates of the same events after a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result using data from over 29 million people in the UK who received the first dose of either of the two vaccines. Read More

  Odisha on Thursday reported 849 new COVID-19 cases during the last 24 hours, as per a release by the state government. 721 patients have recovered, while 66 people succumbed to the infection during the same time duration. The total number of active cases in the state stands at 8,288 and total fatalities due to the infection are 7,628. 9,88,090 people have recovered from the infection, the release further said. A total of 1,77,37,972 samples have been tested so far in the state, out of which 10,04,059 have returned positive. Read More

  India reported 37,593 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours with Kerala contributing to a majority of 24,296 fresh infections. As per the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday, 648 new fatalities pushed the cumulative toll to 4,35,758. The total caseload in the country climbed to 3,25,12,366 including 3,22,327 active cases. Active cases now account for less than 1 per cent of the total cases and is currently at 0.99 per cent. Cumulative recoveries rose to 3,17,54,281 after 34,169 fresh recoveries in the last 24 hours. With this, the recovery rate has gone up to 97.67 per cent. Read More

  The Indian Space Research Organisation has come out with an 'Announcement of Opportunity" (AO), seeking proposals towards scientific analysis and utilisation of data from all experiments of the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter. According to ISRO, the data from Chandrayaan-1 had been extensively used by Indian researchers to understand lunar morphology, surface age determination and composition of the lunar surface, studies on the possible presence of magmatic as well as exogenic water. "These studies have provided enhanced thoughtful views regarding lunar evolutionary processes", the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency said. "Such studies from Chandrayaan-1 have considerably expanded Indian lunar science community". To further strengthen the Indian research community for lunar science studies, Chandrayaan-2 orbiter payloads data are made available to public and scientific proposals are solicited for scientific analysis, it said. Chandrayaan-2 orbiter is cur...

  With the addition of 196 new cases of coronavirus , the infection count in Maharashtra's Thane district has gone up to 5,49,596, an official said on Monday. These new cases were reported on Sunday, he said. The virus also claimed the lives of five more people, which pushed the death toll in the district to 11,244, he said, adding that the COVID-19 mortality rate in Thane stood at 2.04 per cent. In neighbouring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 1,34,236, while the death toll has reached 3,277, another official said. Read More

  India on Monday brought back 146 of its nationals in four different flights from Qatar's capital Doha, days after they were evacuated from Afghanistan by NATO and American aircraft in view of the deteriorating security situation in the war-torn country. People familiar with the development said the Indians were flown back to Delhi as part of India's mission to evacuate its citizens and Afghan partners from Kabul following its takeover by the Taliban over a week back, they said. It was the second batch of Indians to be brought back from Doha after their evacuation from Kabul. A total of 135 Indians were flown back to Delhi from Doha in a special flight on Sunday. Out of the second batch of Indians who returned home from Doha, 104 people were brought back in a Vistara flight, 30 by a Qatar Airways flight and 11 of them returned by an Indigo flight. One person returned by an Air India flight, they said. India on Sunday brought back 392 people including two Afghan l...

  American activity tracker and sports watch maker Garmin recently launched in India its Forerunner 55 . Aimed at runners, this smartwatch is a successor to the company's budget-oriented health and fitness tracker the Forerunner 45. Priced at Rs 20,990, the Forerunner 55 brings meaningful upgrades over the predecessor with regard to design, features and utility. So does it make a good upgrade? Let’s find out: Design and build The smartwatches in the Forerunner series look identical, albeit few changes here and there. That said, the Forerunner 55 does not bring any drastic design changes. There are in total of five physical buttons familiarly placed -- three on the left side and two on the right. The Forerunner 55 has a 42mm plastic case with a 1.04-inch transflective display (208 × 208 pixels resolution) on the top, surrounded by thick bezels. The watch’s transflective display lacks the brightness, thus, suffers from sunlight legibility issues. It takes some effort to read th...

  India has added 36,401 new COVID-19 infections , taking the total tally of cases to 3,23,22,258, while the death toll has climbed to 4,33,049 with 530 more fatalities, according to Union health ministry data updated on Thursday. The national recovery rate has improved to 97.52 per cent, the highest since March last year, according to the data updated at 8 am. The ministry said that active cases have declined to 3,64,129, the lowest in 149 days, and comprise 1.13 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March last year. A reduction of 3,286 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. Read More

  An Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study conducted in Chennai has found that the Delta variant has the potential to infect both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, but it reduces mortality among the former group. According to a study published in the Journal of Infection on August 17 and approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai indicates that the prevalence of the Delta variant or B.1.617.2 was not different between the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. "B.1.617.2 has the potential to infect both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. However, the progression of illness seems to be prevented by vaccination. Therefore, non-pharmaceutical interventions must continue to slow down the transmission. Additionally, the pace and scale of vaccination have to be increased to mitigate the further waves of the pandemic," the report read. "Systematic genomic surveillance must be carried out to moni...

  India added 35,178 new coronavirus infections , taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,22,85,857, while the national recovery rate improved to 97.52 per cent, the highest since March 2020, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The death toll climbed to 4,32,519 with 440 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am. The active cases declined to 3,67,415, the lowest in 148 days, and comprise 1.14 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, the ministry said. Less than 50,000 daily cases have been reported for 52 consecutive days. A reduction of 2,431 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. Read More

  Realme is set to launch in India its performance-centric Realme GT 5G series smartphones on Wednesday at 12:30 pm. Alongside, the Chinese electronics maker will debut the Realme Book Slim series laptops, expanding its product portfolio in India beyond smartphones, wearables, televisions and internet of things devices. Both the Realme GT 5G series smartphones and Realme Book Slim will be launched through a virtual event, which will livestream on company’s social media platforms, including YouTube and Facebook. Alternatively, you can watch the Realme GT 5G series and Realme Book Slim launch at the video feed embedded below. As for the product details, the Realme GT 5G series will include two models – Realme GT 5G and Realme GT Master Edition 5G. The Realme GT Master Edition 5G will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G processor. It will boast features like 65W SuperDart Charge and 120Hz Super AMOLED screen. For thermals, the phone will use ‘Stainless Steel Vapor Cool...

  India has administered more than 88.13 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, the highest ever vaccination achieved in a single day, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday. In a tweet, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, "India achieves the highest single-day record in #COVID19 vaccine doses.Yesterday will go down in the history of the world's #LargestVaccineDrive.Congratulations." Cumulatively, 55,47,30,609 vaccine doses have been administered through 62,12,108 sessions across India, as per the provisional report till 7 am. Besides, the ministry said more than 56.81 crore vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far through all sources and a further 1,09,32,960 doses are in the pipeline. Of this, the total consumption including wastage is 55,11,51,992 doses, according to the data available at 8 AM. Read More

  London-based technology start-up Nothing’s debut wireless earbuds ear (1) will be available for pre-orders in India from 12pm on August 17 through home-grown e-commerce platform Flipkart. Priced at Rs 5,999, the earbuds will be available for pre-orders with offers like instant discount of Rs 500 on ICICI credit card and free six month subscription of Gaana Plus music streaming service. Unveiled in July, the Nothing ear (1) is one of the affordable wireless earbuds in the market with premium features like active noise cancellation and wireless charging support. Complementing the features is the ear (1) transparent design, which extends to both the earbuds and charging-cum-storage case. The transparent design shows the product internals, including microphones, magnets and circuit board. Nothing said, each earbud weighs in at 4.7g, and delivers pressure-relieving vents, an ergonomic fit, and three customisable liquid silicone tips. As for the audio, the Nothing ear (1) packs a ...

  The market is flooded with low-cost Bluetooth earphones with collar bands these days. Such is their appeal that Realme had to go ahead and launch an ultra-low-cost brand, Dizo, so as not to miss out on the opportunity. With this new brand launch, Realme also upgraded its wireless earbuds. When the phone manufacturer launched its first iteration of buds, there were only a few competitors in the space. The stylish design and battery life ensured that Realme stayed ahead of the competition. The company’s new offering seems to build on the previous gains. Design One thing that Realme had going in its favour with the first earphones was design. It had made the buds lightweight and attractive. While the company has kept to the colour aspect, the design element has been revised. Personally, the earphones have been made to look bulkier. Even though they are still lightweight and ergonomically better than the previous model, the bulky design makes them stand out, and not in a good ma...

  It is the Nord season for Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus . After introducing the OnePlus Nord CE (review), the core edition of its midrange smartphone, the company was quick to launch its successor too. Named the One Plus Nord 2 , it is the first OnePlus smartphone powered by a MediaTek processor. It is also the first from OnePlus to come after the company’s integration with another Chinese smartphone maker OPPO. On paper, the Nord 2 5G seems to be a motley mix of OnePlus design and OPPO features. Is it a step forward in the right direction? Let’s find out: Design The Nord 2 looks similar to its predecessor but with a mix of OnePlus 9 series design elements for novelty. Therefore, the smartphone will look familiar and yet intriguing if you are upgrading from the Nord. Others are likely to appreciate the Nord 2 simply because the smartphone does not cut any corners with respect to design, build quality, and in-hand feel. The Nord 2 comes in blue (review unit), grey and Ind...

  Mumbai has recorded its first death due to the Delta Plus variant of coronavirus with a 63-year-old fully vaccinated woman succumbing to it in July, a civic official has said. Following her death, at least two of her close contacts have also been found infected with the Delta Plus variant, which is considered highly infectious, he said. It is the second death due to this variant in the state as it had claimed the life of an 80-year-old woman from Ratnagiri district on June 13. That woman had not taken even a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine, officials said. In the latest case, the woman, a resident of eastern Mumbai suburb of Ghatkopar died on July 27 while undergoing treatment in a hospital ICU. However, it was only on August 11 that the state government authorities came to know that she was infected with the Delta Plus variant which came to light in the genome sequencing report, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said. Read More

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched vehicle scrappage policy and said that the policy is a significant milestone in India's development journey. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi informed about the launch and urged youth and start-ups to join this programme. "The launch of Vehicle Scrappage Policy today is a significant milestone in India's development journey. The Investor Summit in Gujarat for setting up vehicle scrapping infrastructure opens a new range of possibilities. I would request our youth and start-ups to join this programme," tweeted PM Modi. He further said that the vehicle scrapping will help to phase out unfit and polluting vehicles in an environment-friendly manner. "Vehicle scrapping will help phase out unfit and polluting vehicles in an environment friendly manner. Our aim is to create a viable #circulareconomy and bring value for all stakeholders while being environmentally responsible," he added. Read More

  With the aim to offer a cinematic experience within the comfort of your home, Sony on Wednesday unveiled two new premium BRAVIA XR TVs for the Indian audience. The new XR-77A80J is priced at Rs 549,990 and will be available from August 25, while KD-85X85J is priced at Rs 499,990 and is now available. The new televisions come loaded with gaming capabilities, HDMI 2.1, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, IMAX enhanced along with ambient optimization and acoustic auto-calibration technology, the company said in a statement. The new BRAVIA XR 77A80J OLED is powered by the new Cognitive Processor XR and the 85X85J television is powered by X1 4K HDR picture processor. The company said it is designed to think like a human brain providing a revolutionary experience that completely immerses viewers in their favourite content. Read More

  Samsung Electronics said on Thursday it will use recycled material in all of its new mobile products by 2025 as the South Korean tech giant vowed to minimise environmental impact. Samsung unveiled its new sustainable vision for the mobile business, "Galaxy for the Planet," at its Unpacked event on Wednesday, where the company also introduced new foldable smartphones. To achieve its initial sustainability goals, Samsung said it will first try to incorporate recycled material in all new mobile products and eliminate all plastics in mobile packaging by 2025. "Samsung is investing in new and innovative eco-conscious materials for its products," the company said. The world's largest smartphone vendor also plans to achieve zero power standby consumption of smartphone chargers, aiming for a reduction to below 0.005 watts by 2025. Read More

  Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday attacked the Modi government over the issue of high prices of cooking gas and said if the government is honest about its Ujjwala scheme it should give subsidy to the poor and reduce inflation. Her attack on the government came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Ujjwala 2.0 -- the second phase of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) -- by virtually presenting free LPG connections to some beneficiaries in Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh, where assembly elections are scheduled early next year. "Ninety per cent of the cylinders given under Ujjwala are lying in disuse and women are forced to cook using firewood because the BJP government has doubled the rates of a cylinder in the last seven years and reduced subsidy to a negligible amount," Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. Read More

  India's drug regulator has given approval for a study to be conducted by the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore on mixing of COVID-19 vaccines Covaxin and Covishield , official sources said on Wednesday. An expert panel of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) on July 29 had recommended granting permission for conducting the study. The trial will involve 300 healthy volunteers. "The aim of the study is to assess the feasibility on whether a person can be given two different vaccine shots -- one each of Covishield and Covaxin -- to complete the inoculation course," a source said. Separately, a recent study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) involving 98 people, 18 of whom had inadvertently received Covishield as the first dose and Covaxin as the second in Uttar Pradesh, showed that combining these two COVID-19 vaccines elicited better immunogenicity than two doses of the same vaccine. Read More    

  With the addition of 183 new cases of coronavirus , the infection count in Maharashtra's Thane district has gone up to 5,47,038, an official said on Tuesday. These new cases were reported on Monday, he said. The virus also claimed the lives of six more people, which took the death toll in the district to 11,126. The COVID-19 mortality rate in Thane stood at 2.03 per cent, the official said. In neighbouring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 1,33,759, while the death toll has reached 3,213, another official said. Read More

  Even as foreign Covid-19 vaccines get the Indian regulator’s nod, actual availability may be still some time away. Sources claim that India is not keen to ‘bow down’ to demands related to indemnity against legal liabilities in case any vaccine recipient develops severe adverse reactions post inoculation. “Talks are on with foreign vaccine makers. However, there is a general consensus that if indemnity is given, then it will be for all vaccine players, not just a handful,” said a senior government official who added that no final decision has been taken on the matter yet. US vaccine makers including Pfizer, Moderna have sought indemnity against adverse side effects following vaccination. One source in the government pointed out that indemnity sought in the ‘current form’ may not be granted, and India has proposed some changes in the clauses. “There are enough options available before India now, and supplies are expected to increase from September-October onwards. Unless the...

  LG Electronics on Tuesday said it will expand its streaming service on smart TVs as the tech giant tries to increase its presence amid the pandemic-driven stay-at-home trend. The South Korean company said LG Channels will be launched in an additional 11 European countries, including Switzerland and the Netherlands, within this year. LG Channels, LG's free content streaming service set up in 2015, is currently available in 14 countries providing some 1,600 channels, but that will be expanded to 25 countries with 1,900 channels, it added. In South Korea, users can watch 144 channels for free. To show more content from the Korean Wave, referring to the global popularity of Korean culture, the company said YG TV, which offers exclusive content from YG Entertainment, and New K. Movies, a channel dedicated to Korean movies, have recently become available on LG Channels in the United States, Canada, Brazil and Mexico, in addition to four other European countries. Read More

  Smartphone brand Vivo on Monday announced the launch of VIVO Y53s with 64MP rear camera and a 5,000mAh battery for Rs 19,490 in India. Available in two colours -- Deep Sea Blue and Fantastic Rainbow -- the device can be purchased across online platforms and partner retail stores from August 9. The 8GB+128GB storage (expandable upto 1TB) device offers 3GB extended RAM where users can download their favourite apps and run them all seamlessly. "With this launch, we continue to add new devices to our portfolio across various price points to meet our customer's expectations and provide them with unmatched immersive and premium experience," said Nipun Marya, Director- Brand Strategy, Vivo India. Y53s sports 16.71cm (6.58-inch) FHD+ display, a 64MP triple camera along with powerful 5000mAh battery. It also offers 18W fast charging capabilities. Read More

  With 35,499 more people testing positive for COVID-19 , India's infection tally now stands at 3,19,69,954, while the death toll climbed to 4,28,309 with 447 fresh fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry on Monday. The number of active cases has declined to 4,02,188 which comprise 1.27 per cent of the total infections, and the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 97.39 per cent, data updated by the ministry at 8 am showed. A decrease of 4,634 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,11,39,457, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated. As many as 13,71,871 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the country on Sunday, taking the total number of such examinations so far to 48,17,67,232. Read More

  Odisha reported 886 new COVID-19 cases , 66 deaths and 1,463 recoveries in the last 24 hours, according to the Odisha Health Department on Sunday. A total of 886 new COVID-19 positive cases include 512 cases of quarantine transmission and 374transmissions via local contacts. The local case of the infection in the state stands at 11,486. Khurda reported the highest COVID-19 cases at 253, followed by Cuttack at 81 cases and Balasore at 62. The total COVID-19 cases in the state reached 9,87,956. Meanwhile, Odisha's total recoveries now stand at 9,69,916. However, the total death toll mounted to 6,501. The state has so far conducted 1,66,26,905 samples for COVID-19. Read More

  Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged 2 billion doses of Chinese vaccines would be supplied to the world through this year, an increase that would add to country's efforts as the largest global exporter of COVID-19 vaccines . Xi's announcement was delivered at the International Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine Cooperation, state media reported Wednesday, which China hosted virtually. That figure likely includes the 770 million doses China has already donated or exported already since September last year, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Most of the Chinese shots have been exported under bilateral deals. It is unclear if the figure also includes the agreements with the COVAX mechanism where two Chinese vaccine manufacturers will provide up to 550 million doses. Xi also promised to donate $100 million to the UN-backed COVAX program, which aims to distribute vaccines to low- and middle-income countries, the official Xinhua News Agency said Wednesday night. Vaccine ...