MWC 2018: Nokia 8810 4G, Nokia 1, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6, and Nokia 8 Sirocco launched

HMD Global launched a slew of Nokia-branded mobile phones at its press conference in Barcelona ahead of the Mobile World Congress on February 26, 2018. A range of devices, starting from the entry-level Nokia 1 which is an Android Go feature phone, a refresh of the original Nokia 8810 slider phone now with 4G, a mid-range Nokia 6 with Snapdragon 630 SoC, Nokia 7 Pluswhich is an Android One device, and finally the premium Nokia 8 Sirocco.

Five new phones to compete in five different smartphone segments will have the rest of Android smartphone makers on their heels to play catch-up. Nokia, truly, in a sense is back, after HMD Global revived the dying brand and infused fresh life into it. The company has got its basics right- well-built devices keeping in mind current trends in the market, ensuring a near-stock Android experience along with never-before-seen features is sure to propel the company back to the numero uno spot it once commanded. Let's take a look at all five devices launched.

The feature phone comes in a slider format, has a candy bar-like appearance, is 4G-enabled, and comes at a price tag of 79 Euros.

The Nokia 8810 4G phone has a 2.4-inch QVGA display. It is powered by the Qualcomm 205 Mobile Platform. It includes 512MB RAM and has 4GB of internal memory. On the camera front, there is a 2-megapixel rear camera. It is backed by a 1500 mAh battery and has support for WiFi, micro USB and a 3.5-mm jack. It runs on Smart Feature OS and has a built-in FM radio. 

The original Nokia 8810 slider was made popular thanks to the Matrix movie. The current 4G device, however, sports a more toy-like appearance. It comes in a banana yellow colour and has a plastic build. The feature phone comes with Google Assistant, Maps, Search, Facebook, Twitter and the popular Snake game. 

The Nokia 1 is an Android Oreo (Go edition) device, meaning that it runs on an optimised version of Android designed for phones with 1GB RAM or less. Priced at $85, the Nokia 1 is the company's most affordable device, yet, and is being marketed as 'smartphone essentials'. The device goes on sale in April and comes with a series of removable back covers in Azure, Grey, Yellow and Pink.

The Nokia 1 has a 4.5-inch FWVGA display with a resolution of 854x480 pixels. The device is powered by the MediaTek MT6737M quad-core processor clocked at 1.1GHz. It includes 1GB of LPDDR3 RAM and comes with 8GB of internal storage. There is support for external storage (up to 128GB) via microSD card. On the camera front, there is a 5-megapixel camera at the rear with LED flash. The front-facing camera is a 2-megapixels. The feature phone comes with a 2150 mAH battery and Nokia Xpress-on covers. 

Android Oreo (Go Edition) programme aims to bring a lightweight version of Android on entry-level phones to ensure a smooth and safe user experience. Introduced last year, Android Oreo (Go edition) is an optimised version of Android Oreo designed for smartphones with 1GB RAM or less.

The company also updated its true comeback smartphone, the Nokia 6. The Finnish company launched it as the new Nokia 6 with Bothie camera and other new bumps. The Nokia 6 will be available at EUR 279 (roughly Rs. 22,000) from April. It will come in two colours. The phone has gained some features like it now supports wireless charging.

The Nokia 6 (2018) much like its original sibling features a sturdy build and comes with Aluminium 6000 series. The new Nokia 6 brings 'bothie camera' feature to the budget segment which first made its debut on premium Nokia 8. The 'bothie camera' feature lets users capture from both front and rear camera simultaneously. The camera feature also comes with integrated Facebook Live which means users will be able to use both cameras while doing live sessions on social network.  

Much like its predecessor, the new Nokia 6 runs on stock Android Oreo with HMD Global promising Android P update. Talking about specifications, the new Nokia 6 features the same 5.5-inch IPS display with full-HD resolution. Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM. It supports hybrid SIM slot which will mean that users can use either two SIM cards or one SIM card and other microSD card slot.  

On the camera front, the smartphone sports a 16-megapixel rear camera with dual-tone LED flash. At the front, there's an 8-megapixel camera. The handset is backed by a 3000mAh battery and also supports fast charging.

The Nokia 7 Plus sports aluminium body and comes with a ceramic-like finish. The smartphone sports a 6-inch full-HD+ display with 18:9 aspect ratio. The Nokia 7 Plus will be available at EUR 399 (roughly Rs. 32,000) excluding taxes. We can expect HMD Global to announce local price around the time of local launch. It will be available in April and will come in Black/ Copper as well as White/ Copper colours.

It comes with features like Bothie which was earlier seen on premium Nokia 8 from the company launched last year. The Nokia 7 Plus runs on Android 8.0 Oreo and is being marketed as the Android One device which will mean that this will receive future Android updates including Android P update. The phone comes with Corning Gorilla Glass and packs 4GB of RAM.  

The Nokia 7 Plus sports 12-megapixel primary sensor as well as a 13-megapixel secondary sensor at the back with 2x optical zoom support. The smartphone also sports a 16-megapixel selfie camera with Zeiss optics. The Nokia 7 Plus packs 64GB inbuilt storage and comes with expandable storage support via microSD card (up to 256GB). It supports 4G with VoLTE and other standard connectivity features. 

The Nokia 8 Sirocco features a QHD display, glass build with a stainless steel frame and dual cameras with Carl Zeiss optics. The device is priced approximately 749 Euros.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco features a curved edge-to-edge pOLED 5.5-inch display with QHD resolution. The frame is built from a single piece of stainless steel, and the material used is 2.5 times stronger than 6000 series aluminium. The smartphone is protected with Full 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The Gorilla Glass covers more than 95 percent of the device and curves around on all sides of the stainless steel chassis

On the camera front, there is a dual camera setup. The 12-megapixel primary camera is a wide-angle lens. with f/1.75 aperture. The secondary lens is a 13-megapixel telephoto lens with f/2.6 aperture/. Both the cameras feature ZEISS optics and include 2x optical zoom. The wide-angle 5-megapixel front-facing camera has an aperture of f/2.0 and includes display flash. With Pro Camera mode, users can manually control white balance, focus, ISO, shutter speed and exposure compensation. With Bothie, users can capture simultaneously from the front and rear cameras.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco is powered by the Snapdragon 835 chipset with Adreno 540 GPU. It includes 6GB LPPDR 4X RAM and has 128GB of internal storage. The device is backed by a 3260 mAh battery and has Qi wireless charging. The device includes 3 integrated microphones which provide a high dynamic range. The smartphone is IP67 certified for water and dust resistance. The Nokia 8 Sirocco ships with Android Oreo out of the box.

Xiaomi Teases Launch of New Mi TV Series in India, Hints at Smaller, Cheaper Option

 Weeks after disrupting the television market by launching its Mi TV 4, Xiaomi is set to expand its Mi TV range in India. Xiaomi Global VP Manu Kumar Jain in a tweet on Thursday teased the expansion of the Mi TV lineup in India that was further cemented in a separate tweet posted by Xiaomi India Product Manager Sudeep Sahu, who was involved in bringing the Mi TV 4 to the country. Sahu explicitly divulged that the company is set to launch a new series, and said it would be more accessible - hinting it would be smaller and cheaper than than the 55-inch Mi TV 4 that arrived last month at a price of Rs. 39,999.

Jain didn't reveal any details about the new Mi TV launch in his tweet though hinted that something is in the pipeline. "Mi fans! Something new is coming to India! It's time to switch to something smarter, slimmer and sleeker. Coming soon," he tweeted. Nevertheless, minutes after the executive tweeted, Sahu confirmed the arrival of the new series and said in his tweet, "Innovation should be accessible to everyone. We are bringing a new series enabling more people to #SwitchToSmart TV experience [sic]."

If we try to decrypt the tweets posted by Jain and Sahu, it emerges that Xiaomi is about to launch a smaller and cheaper TV range than the original Mi TV 4 model. This could be the Mi TV 4A series that was launched in March last year in three screen sizes, including 65-inch, 55-inch, and 49-inch. In July, the company also brought the 32-inch Mi TV 4A model and in just January this year - which seems like the launch Xiaomi is hinting at. It launched the 50-inch variant in January this year. The Mi TV 4A range starts at CNY 1,099 (approximately Rs. 11,300), and the top-end, 65-inch variant is available with a price tag of CNY 5,699 (roughly Rs. 54,000). There are features such as AI-based speech recognition, quad-core processors, Wi-Fi connectivity, USB and Ethernet ports, and Android-based PatchWall interface.

Apart from the Mi TV 4A range, there are speculations Xiaomi could bring the Mi TV 4C series that was launched in October last year to India. The Mi TV 4C series includes two screen sizes: 43-inch and 55-inch. The 43-inch Mi TV 4C has 1GB of RAM and 8GB storage at a price of CNY 1,849 (around Rs. 19,000), whereas the 55-inch variant with 2GB RAM and 8GB storage is available at CNY 2,649 (approximately Rs. 27,200). Both variants have a quad-core Amlogic T962 64-bit processor and support Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v4.2, Dolby, and DTS Audio. There is also HDR 10 and HLG as well as a blue light-reducing mode. Additionally, there is Mi Bluetooth Remote Control support that adds Speech Recognition, Mi Touch, and Infrared features at a price of CNY 99 (roughly Rs. 1,000).

Just which model Xiaomi will launch in India remains a mystery, but we can expect it to be cheaper, and smaller than the Mi LED TV 4 model brought to India last month. It is clear that the Beijing-based company is planning to take on companies such Intex, InFocus, Sanyo, and Vu. The affordable options are also likely to make things difficult for Samsung, Sony, and LG that three are capturing a large share of the smart TV market in the country.

RRB Recruitment 2018 notice for 62,907 Group D posts out now! Check how to apply, eligibility, important dates

Mumbai: Railway Recruitment Board, RRB has released the Recruitment notice for 62,907 vacancies in the Group D Category. Candidates interested in applying for jobs with the Indian Railways in the said category are required to apply online. The details of the recruitment along with eligibility criteria, important links, instructions as well as details on How to apply and where to apply are all provided here. Candidates are advised to go through the same. Also, please note, consequent to the release of the advertisement on February 10, RRB has amended the eligibility criteria and extended the age limit. These changes are also explained below. Candidates can check the links before applying online.

After announcing 26, 502 jobs for the loco pilot, the Indian Railways are now hiring for Group D positions. The RRB or Railways Recruitment Board has released the notification vide CEN 02/2018 for recruitment at 62,907 posts. Candidates interested in railways jobs can check the job details like eligibility, details of vacancy, the scale of pay and how to apply. RRB Recruitment 2018 for Group D posts is now available on regional RRB website. check here. 

 Railway Recruitment Board, RRB has invited applications for filling up 62,907 vacancies in the railways under Group D via its Centralized Employment Notification, CEN 02/2018. The registration for the railways Group D positions would start from today, February 10, 2018 and close on March 12, 2018, at 23:59 Hrs.. Candidates interested in railways recruitment can fill register on the official website of respective Regional RRBs. The details of the vacancy, eligibility criteria, age limit, selection process and pay scale are provided below. Steps on how to apply are also provided below.

Candidates are further advised to note that the Centralized Employment Notice, CEN 02/2018 is now available on the respective regional RRBs. It is advisable to go through the notification carefully before filling the online application forms. The summary of important points is provided here along with the link for online application and detailed CEN 02/2018

Eligibility criteria for RRB Recruitment of Group D Posts 2018:

Indian nationals in the age group of 18-31 years of age are eligible to apply for the positions listed in the CEN 02/2018 under Group D. The employment is also open to all those who have a certificate of eligibility by the Government of India (subjects of Nepal, Bhutan, Tibetan Refugees, etc.). Details of the nationality applicability can be checked on the official website of the RRBs or in the detailed notification.

Please note, the age limit of 18-31 years would be computed as on July 1, 2018. That is candidates should not have been born later than July 1, 2000, and not earlier than July 2, 1987. Also, the relaxations in the upper age limit for reserved category candidates and ex-servicemen is applicable as per the government rules.

As for educational qualification, candidates ought to have completed the respective educational or technical training courses from recognized boards. Please note, candidates applying for Apprenticeship are required to have completed the prescribed ITI training. Engineering graduates or diploma holders would not be applicable to apply under the apprenticeship act. Also, the candidates who are waiting for their final results are not eligible to apply. Also ,as per the latest updates, candidates who have passed class 10, have ITI certifications and NCTVT degrees are also now eligible to apply. 

Scale of Pay

Candidates selected under the Railways Group D recruitment would get a monthly salary of 18,000 under the 7 CPC. Candidates would also get allowances permissible at the time of employment.

Details of the RRB Recruitment for Group D 2018

Here is a table detailing the regional vacancies available under CEN 02/2018.

Selection process of RRB Group D Recruitment 2018

Candidates would be required to appear in a Computer Based Test or CBT. Based on the performance in the CBT, which would be a 90 marks paper with negative marking, candidates would then be called for medical test or Physical Efficiency Test or PET. Shortlisted candidates would then be provisionally allotted on the basis of the verification of the documents.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Price in India Slashed

  Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge has received a price cut in India. While the Galaxy S7 Edge 32GB variant is now available for purchase at Rs. 35,900, its 128GB version is at Rs. 37,900. This is essentially a Rs. 6,000 drop from what the company was offering previously. The price drop notably applies for purchases through offline channels only and includes a Paytm cashback worth Rs. 5,000 upon scanning a QR code at an eligible retailer.

The MRP of the Galaxy S7 Edge 32GB variant is Rs. 50,900 since August 2016, whereas the MRP of the Galaxy S7 Edge 128GB variant is at Rs. 56,900. Prior to the price drop, the 32GB and 128GB variants have been available for as low as Rs. 41,900 and Rs. 43,900 online, respectively. The revised pricing was first report by an established Mumbai-based retailer, but Gadgets 360 has received independent confirmation of the move from Samsung. Offline prices prior to the drop were Rs. 38,900 and Rs. 40,900, respectively. Notably, the new price for the 32GB variant is also visible on the Samsung India Shop online store, though the 128GB variant still bears a Rs. 43,900 price on the Samsung online store.

Interestingly, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge price cut comes days ahead of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+launch that is taking place this Sunday at a pre-MWC conference in Barcelona. The Galaxy S7 Edge was launched at MWC 2016

Debuted originally with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge presently runs Android Nougat and features a 5.5-inch QHD Super AMOLED display. The handset is powered by an octa-core Exynos 8890 SoC, coupled with 4GB of RAM, and has a 12-megapixel 'Dual Pixel' rear camera sensor with an f/1.7 aperture and smart OIS feature as well as a 5-megapixel front camera sensor with f/1.7 aperture. Both variants of the Galaxy S7 Edge have storage expansion via microSD card (up to 200TB). Besides, the smartphone packs a 3600mAh battery.

IPL 2018: Steve Smith named as Rajasthan Royals skipper

Smith had led the Rising Pune Supergiant last year to the final of the IPL where they eventually lost to champions Mumbai Indians.

Australian captain Steven Smith was today predictably handed over the captaincy Rajasthan Royals for the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League on Saturday. Royals are coming back to the IPL this year after serving a two-year ban and the official event was more of promotional nature aired by official broadcasters Star Sports as Smith's choice as leader was just a formality.

Smith, inarguably one of the best batsman in world cricket at present, was part of the Rajasthan Royals in 2014 and 2015 and was retained by the franchise.

Notably, Smith had led the Rising Pune Supergiant last year to the final of the IPL where they eventually lost to champions Mumbai Indians.

In what was a successful season for him, Smith had amassed 472 runs in 15 matches in the last IPL season.

Smith said that he was looking forward to work with Warne. "It's great to be back with the Royals. It's an honour and privilege to be leading Royals and looking forward to working with the King (Shane Warne)," the right-handed batsman was quoted as saying in a media release issued in MMentor Shane Warne said the Royals will continue to play intense cricket.

"We will play the Royals brand of cricket, that is, with spirit and aggression, with which we are known to play with. I am looking forward to exciting cricket and a successful campaign," the Australian signed off.umbai.

3rd T20I: India Conquer South Africa In Blue, Clinch Series 2-1

India beat South Africa by 7 runs in the third and final T20I at Newlands, Cape Town to clinch the three-match series 2-1.

India beat South Africa by 7 runs in the third and final T20I at Newlands, Cape Town to clinch the three-match series 2-1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar kept his nerve as he gave away only 11 off the last over when South Africa needed 19 to win. Christiaan Jonker played a brilliant cameo at the end to keep South Africa in the hunt after the Proteas failed to keep up with the asking rate throughout the innings. The South African skipper JP Duminy played a lone hand of 55 before getting dismissed that many thought was the final nail in the coffin for the Proteas before Jonker took matters in his own hands and gave South Africa a glimmer of hope in the later stages of the match. At the end South Africa could manage 165 for 6, chasing a target of 173.

Jonker (49 off 24) was dismissed in the last ball of the innings as Bhuvneshwar picked up his second wicket and remained one of the most successful bowlers for the Indians in the match. Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Hardik Pandya and Suresh Raina picked up a wicket each that helped India dominate the proceedings for most part of the South African innings. 

Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina got India back on track after the visitors lost Rohit Sharma early on. Both Dhawan (47) and Raina (43) found the fence every now and then that got the scoreboard moving and added 65 runs for the second wicket. Raina was dismissed trying to up the ante but Dhawan continued to impress before losing his wicket in the 15th over of the innings.

India failed to capitalise on the start as the middle order found it difficult to get going. Pandya (21) tried his best before he was sent back by Chris Morris while MS Dhoni (12) looked out of sorts in his short stay at the crease. Dinesh Karthik (13 off 6) got going almost immediately with a couple of boundaries and his late blitz with the bat helped India reach 172 for 7 at the end of 20 overs.

Sridevi dies of a cardiac arrest in Dubai

Sridevi, 54, passed away late on Saturday night in Dubai where she went to attend Mohit Marwah's wedding. Bollywood and her fans are in deep shock

Veteran Bollywood actress Sridevi has passed away in Dubai where she had gone to attend Mohit Marwah's wedding. She was 54. Sridevi's brother-in-law has confirmed the news. The actress suffered a cardiac arrest late on Saturday night. Sridevi was with her husband Boney Kapoor and daughter Khushi at the time of her death. Bollywood mourns Sridevi's death

Fans have gathered outside the residence of Sridevi in Andheri who has passed away due to cardiac arrest. Say 'We are shocked and still cannot believe the news of her death. Very saddened and pained about her demise. Her acting skills were remarkable'.

Rajat Sharma

✔@RajatSharmaLive

Legendary Actreess Sridevi Passes Away Due To Heart Attack In Dubai. #RIP. #Sridevi #RIPSridevi

2:56 AM - Feb 25, 2018

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Amitabh Bachchan's cryptic tweet an hour before has sent social media into a tizzy, it seems he had some kind of a bad feeling an hour before Sridevi's demise.

Amitabh Bachchan

✔@SrBachchan

T 2625 - न जाने क्यूँ , एक अजीब सी घबराहट हो रही है !!

1:15 AM - Feb 25, 2018

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Bollywood celebrities are tweeting their condolences:

PRIYANKA

✔@priyankachopra

I have no words. Condolences to everyone who loved #Sridevi . A dark day . RIP

2:50 AM - Feb 25, 2018

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"I am at a loss for words & jolted as if struck by lightening at this late hour of the night to learn about the shocking & tragic news & untimely demise of #Sridevi ji. Heartbroken. She was India's sweetheart, an incredible artiste & a beautiful human being. Gone too soon," tweeted singer Adnan Sami.

Sridevi has been popularly hailed as one of the finest actresses of Indian cinema. She was critically acclaimed for her phenomenal work in movied likr Sadma, Chaalbaaz, Mr. India among many. Just like the entire nation, the news of sudden death of the veteran actress has shocked the industry. 

Sridevi who made her Bollywood debut with Solva Sawan in 1978, was last seen on the big screen in revenge-drama Mom opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Khanna. She shot for a special appearance in superstar Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film -- "Zero" -- which releases in December.

A versatile actress, Sridevi had worked in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada cinema. 

WhatsApp for Windows Phone Beta Gets Stickers, Live Location Sharing

WhatsApp for Windows Phone Beta Gets Stickers, Live Location Sharing

HIGHLIGHTS

• The features will be available in beta version 2.18.24 of the app
• Stickers notifications will get a new "heart-shaped" icon
• The stable build is expected to get the update soon

Facebook-owned WhatsApp Messenger is making sure that the remaining few users on Windows Phone are not disappointed. The latest WhatsApp beta update for Windows Phone has been spotted in the wild with version 2.18.24. The update brings a new Stickers feature as well as redesigned Stickers notification icon, both of which haven't been seen on Android or iPhone platforms before. The update also brings the Live Location sharing feature, something that made its way to Android and iPhone a while back. The features are expected to be rolled out on the stable build in the coming weeks.

In its latest beta update for Windows Phone, first spotted by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is finally rolling out some of its popular features to the mobile OS. Firstly, the Live Location sharing feature will be available for beta users on Windows Phone. Launched on Android and iOS back in October last year, the feature enables users to share their real-time location with contacts in personal messages and group messages. Users can also choose the duration for which the location updates will be shared

Another feature that WhatsApp beta on Windows Phone will receive is the ability to send Stickers in individual and group chats. Additionally, the notification icon for Stickers in WhatsApp will include a "heart-shaped" logo to distinguish between regular messages and ones with stickers in them. As we mentioned, the stickers feature is new for app, across platforms. Notably, the stickers feature was first introduced in 2.18.2 beta, and is in fact hidden by default. The report notes the feature will be remotely enabled in the future

The features can be accessed by downloading the beta version of WhatsApp. Do note that beta versions generally tend to have bugs and you could alternatively wait for the stable version to bring the features to Windows Phone. We are also awaiting the arrival of the new stickers feature on Android and iPhone platforms.

Separately, WhatsApp is testing a UPI-based payments platform in the Indian market currently. According to the messaging app, a 'full feature' money transfer service is expected to kickstart soon in the country in collaboration with four banks and in accordance with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).