Wednesday, 31 May 2017

Movie review: Wonder Woman reinvigorates tired superhero conventions

The story is repositioned to the trenches of World War I

“Wonder Woman! All the world’s waiting for you,” rang the theme song to the classic 1970s television show as one-time Miss World America, Lynda Carter, transformed into the star-spangled superhero. Yet while gun-toting raccoons headline today’s superhero movies, the world has waited a long time for its most famous female superhero to receive a dedicated film.
Female superheroes have been confined to sidekick roles (Black Widow is the highest profile Avenger without her own movie) or relegated to TV (where Jessica Jones and Supergirl kick ass on a weekly basis). Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman is the first major female-led superhero movie - and as a hero, her antecedents reach back to the suffragettes.
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As historian Jill Lepore details in The Secret History of Wonder Woman, the formative years of Wonder Woman’s creator, psychologist William Moulton Marston, took place against the backdrop of the suffragette movement. As a freshman, he had heard Emmeline Pankhurst speak when she visited Harvard in 1911.
An advocate for women’s rights, Marston would later describe the “blood-curdling masculinity” of comic books as their “worst offence”. His remedy? To create a “feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman”. So in October 1941, All Star Comics introduced Wonder Woman, “to whom the problems and feats of men are mere child’s play”. Read more

Now, you can link your Aadhaar with PAN through an SMS

Said linking the two numbers is key to 'seamlessly avail online, a world of income tax facilities'

The Income Tax Department on Wednesday urged taxpayers to link their Aadhaar with their PAN, using an SMS-based facility.
The department issued advertisements in leading national dailies and described how both the unique identity numbers of an individual can be linked by sending an SMS to either 567678 or 56161.
It said people can also visit the official e-filing website of the department to link the two identities, in both the cases-- identical names in the two databases or in case where there is a minor mismatch.
It said linking the two numbers is the key to "seamlessly avail online, a world of income tax facilities."
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"Aadhaar can also be seeded into PAN database by quoting Aadhaar in PAN application form for new PAN allotment or by quoting Aadhaar in change request form used for reprint of PAN card," it said in the advertisement.
The Income-Tax-department had early this month launched a new e-facility to link a person's Aadhaar with the Permanent Account Number(PAN), a mandatory procedure for filing I-T returns now.
The department's e-filing website has hosted a new link on its homepage to link the two unique identities.
The link requires a person to punch in his PAN number, Aadhaar number and the exact name as given in the Aadhaar card. Read More

Tuesday, 30 May 2017

Xiaomi Redmi 4 sale begins on Amazon: All you need to know about the device

The Redmi 4 is a capable smartphone with a perfect screen size and resolution. Watch hands-on review

Xiaomi's latest budget offering, the Xiaomi Redmi 4, went on sale at 12 noon on Tuesday, exclusively on Amazon India. In the first flash sale that had taken place on May 23, the smartphone had seen a huge interest from buyers and registered a record sales number of a whopping 250,000 units within the first eight minutes.
According to Amazon. in, the Xiaomi Redmi 4 had recorded more than 10 million hits per minute on the site, after having received some 2.3 million ‘notify me’ alerts from customers since the launch announcement on May 16.
The dual-sim budget smartphone with VoLTE capabilities is the latest offering from Xiaomi and offers an all-round performance. The Xiaomi Redmi 4 smartphone is available in three storage and RAM options – 16GB/2GB, 32GB/3GB and 64GB/4GB -- which makes it a perfect smartphone option for people moving from feature phones to smartphones or those preferring budget smartphones with ample storage and RAM.
The base model of the device, with 16 GB of storage and 2 GB of RAM, is priced at Rs 6,999.
Business Standard reviewed the device to check how it matched against its tall claims. Here is a detailed review of the device:
The made-in-India Redmi 4 smartphone is the latest addition to Xiaomi’s entry-level Redmi series and succeeds the popular Xiaomi Redmi 3S and 3S Prime, the smartphone that has recorded the highest ever online sales numbers in India – 4 million units in just nine months – according to the company. Read more

Monday, 29 May 2017

Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya back on Twitter with new account

Twitter on May 23 suspended Abhijeet's account over sexist remarks targeted at some women users

Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya, whose verified account on Twitter was suspended over offensive and sexist remarks last week, on Monday returned to the micro-blogging site with a new handle. He says anti-nationals can't stop his voice.
Twitter on May 23 suspended Abhijeet's account over sexist and offensive remarks targeted at some women users, particularly JNU student-activist Shehla Rashid.
In a video posted on his new account, Abhijeet says: "People are trying to suppress my voice. I am against those who try to speak against the nation and the Indian Army. This is my new Twitter account.
"Till the time my verified account is not active, please follow me on this Twitter account. All other accounts by my name are fake and are trying to malign my reputation."
An accompanying post with the video read: "Vande Mataram. I am back. Anti-nationals can't stop my voice, salute to Indian Army. This is my new Twitter account, rest are fake."

Smartron srt.phone: A fine deal if you are a die-hard Sachin Tendulkar fan

Powerful innards of Smartron's 'all-rounder' smartphone are failed by its many software glitches

Domestic information technology (IT) start-up Smartron, which counts Indian cricket legend Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar and former Motorola Mobility Chief Executive Sanjay Jha among its investors, recently launched the srt.phone smartphone, “inspired by the dependable traits of Tendulkar”.

At the launch of srt.phone, the company claimed that the smartphone used the best antennas and other security features that made it an all-rounder. Indeed, Smartron has pleased investors with its manoeuvres to deliver solutions ranging from internet of things (IoT) to smartphones built specifically for Indian consumers. But how does the srt.phone fare against the claims of dependability and the inspiration it apparently draws from one of the tallest role models for India in recent times?

To find out, Business Standard took the device for a spin and tested its real-life performance. Here is an in-depth review of the srt.phone:
Watch the hands-on review here
Design

The srt.phone offers a no-frills design, with rounded edges and curved sides. The smartphone might look appealing, but its polycarbonate built with metallic finish seems to somewhat spoil the experience. The plastic built is not loose or creaky – it fits perfectly on all sides and the matte touch adds to the aesthetics – but the pseudo metallic look was not necessary; it is way too prominent even at the first glance.
The front of the srt.phone is dominated by a 5.5-inch full-HD display protected with Gorilla Glass 3. There are three capacitive keys below the display, but these are without any sign or icon, just three flat dots. These dots acts are the home button and navigation keys. The earpiece along with sensors are placed neatly on the top, next to the front camera. (more)

Sachin: A Billion Dreams: A glorified account of an over-glorified celeb

Like his book, Tendulkar's biopic is a nostalgic cruise through his career

As I walked out of the cinema hall after watching Sachin: A Billion Dreams, I wondered: Would I have thought differently of this biopic had I not known anything about the person it is based on? James Erskine’s documentary on one of the most celebrated cricketers in the world – one who has achieved a near-deific status in India – went along expected lines.
But was that because I, like many Indians and cricket followers around the world, already knew so much about Sachin Tendulkar? How would someone living under a rock for the last quarter of a century, and did not know who Tendulkar was, have liked it?
Sachin: A Billion Dreams starts off rather nicely, showing us a naughty curly-haired boy of seven or eight years living in Mumbai’s Bandra suburb, getting up to the usual seven-or-eight-year-old boy things like annoying his neighbours with pranks. The boy then receives a cricket bat as a gift from his elder sister, and this is where the story that most Indians and cricket followers already know begins.
This wasn’t the first time I was watching the celluloid adaptation of a story I already knew. I wasn’t, of course, expecting any suspense or plot twists, but I have been far more entertained by some of those other movies where I already knew what was going to happen, than I was by Sachin: A Billion Dreams. Maybe our man under the rock might think differently, but then a story still needs to be told properly, completely and honestly, and this is where Erskine’s attempt is found lacking. (more)

Friday, 26 May 2017

OnePlus 5 launch imminent; company halts 'flagship' OnePlus 3T production

OnePlus 5 is due to be launched soon and it will feature Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 835 processor

OnePlus has announced that its latest flagship OnePlus 3T, will soon be discontinued. The production of OnePlus 3T has already reached the end of its production life, and sale of the devices will continue till the stock lasts.
The latest development comes days after the company’s CEO revealed that the next flagship smartphone OnePlus 5 will be launched soon and will feature Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 processor.
Recently, the China-based smartphone manufacturer OnePlus teamed up with DxO, a software company with expertise in image processing software, to enhance the photography capabilities of the upcoming OnePlus 5 smartphone.
In a blog post on the OnePlus official forum, the company said: "We are happy to announce that we have teamed up with DxO to enhance your photography experience with our upcoming flagship, the OnePlus 5. DxO is perhaps most well-known for creating the defining photography benchmark, the DxOMark. They’ve got years of imaging experience and expertise, both for professional cameras and for smartphones."
"But we can only go so far in telling you that we’re excited to be working with DxO. Our friend Etienne Knauer, SVP Sales & Marketing at DxO, had this to say: “OnePlus has always been one of the leading innovators in the smartphone industry, and we are proud to partner with them and support their exciting mobile photography strategy.” (more)

Salman Khan not worried about Baahubali 2 box office record

Baahubali: The Conclusion has so far collected over Rs 1,500 crore across the world

SS Rajamouli's "Baahubali: The Conclusion" may be setting the box office on fire but superstar Salman Khan said he doesn't get worried about the business of a film as he thinks every movie has its own destiny.
"Baahubali: The Beginning" released on July 10, 2015, a week before Salman's "Bajrangi Bhaijaan".
"Baahubali: The Conclusion", which hit theatres on April 28, has so far collected over Rs 1,500 crore across the world.
"After 'Baahubali: The Beginning', we came up with "Bajrangi Bhaijaan". Now after 'Baahubali: The Conclusion', we are coming up with 'Tubelight'. There is a lot of pressure on the CEO of Salman Khan Films. I don't get worried so much. It is a phenomenal success and it is amazing.
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"I have not seen the film but I will watch it. But it doesn't matter (box office records) as I think every film has its own destiny. Lets see what the destiny of 'Tubelight' is and how much it earns," Salman told reporters here at the trailer launch of "Tubelight".
The "Dabangg" star on a lighter note further said, "They (referring to Rajamouli doing one film in four years) do one film in four years, I do two films in a year and the average is that much."
Salman's brother, actor Sohail Khan, who also stars in "Tubelight", said it's good if a movie sets a record at the box office.
"It's lovely when a film does well commercially as it sets a yardstick (for other films). It's nice that 'Baahubali...' did well," Sohail said.
During the launch, Salman seemed emotional while talking about his other co-star, legendary actor Om Puri. (more)

'Sachin: A Billion Dreams': Informative, inspirational (IANS Review, Rating: ***)


Film: "Sachin: A Billion Dreams"; Director: James Erskine; Cast: Sachin Tendulkar, Anjali Tendulkar, Ajit Tendulkar, Sara Tendulkar, Mayuresh Pem, Mayur More; Rating: ***
"Sachin: A Billion Dreams" is a biopic that gives a holistic view of Sachin Tendulkar's life, who is revered as "the God" of cricket by his fans.
Structurally, the film is designed as a documentary. While the film encapsulates the life of the master blaster right from his birth till date, it also gives an insight into the socio-economic situation of the country, making it feel like heavy-duty stuff.
This may not be the first documentary on Tendulkar, but probably it is the only one endorsed by him. So, you have him as the narrator sharing his personal moments along with his views and fears in a sincere and heartfelt manner.
While the film tells us of his growth as a cricketer which is common knowledge, it also reveals his personal life bringing to the fore his close-knit family and friends. How he got the name Sachin, how he met his wife, got married and how he spends his free moments, are a few of the interesting nuggets shared. So apart from Sachin you actually get to see his family and friends. Read more

Thursday, 25 May 2017

Manchester attack: We are locked in a new 'arms race' with terrorists

It's impossible to adequately protect a very wide variety of potential targets

The Manchester attack illustrates how Western society is locked in an arms race with an ever adapting group of terrorists who keep changing their tactics and targets. Winning the battle depends on a number of complex factors and the acceptance that on the morning of June 23 Britain woke up to a new reality. A world where your teenage daughter can be killed while doing nothing more than attending a pop concert became a reality.
A suicide bomber entered the foyer at the Manchester Arena and detonated an IED loaded with shrapnel. The plan was simple, kill as many revellers as possible and sacrifice yourself in the effort. Job done. The most deadly terrorist attack in Britain in a decade.
What will be disconcerting for those tasked with keeping people safe is that this slaughter occurred at a time of already heightened security. The authorities have long been aware that crowded places offer attractive targets for terrorists and have planned for that eventuality. This is why major sporting and entertainment venues undergo site assessments and employ a range of measures aimed at blocking off attacks or at least mitigating their worst effects. These measures can range from physical security (such as fixed bollards) to prevent IEDs in vehicles from exploding near to a venue, surveillance to detect suspicious people or behaviour (principally CCTV systems) and personnel security (venue access control and patrols).
These site-specific measures are overlaid by national policing and intelligence efforts aimed at detecting, monitoring and neutralising any creditable terrorist threats – currently operating at the highest “critical” threat level. But why did these efforts fail in Manchester? (more)

Brad Pitt in Mumbai to attend War Machine screening, meets Shah Rukh Khan

The 53-year-old actor plays a US General posted in Afghanistan

Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt is in India to promote his latest film, the Netflix satire "War Machine".
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan will be moderating a special chat session here with Pitt, in which the two actors will discuss the project.
In the movie, the 53-year-old actor plays a US General posted in Afghanistan.
Directed by David Michod, of "Animal Kingdom" fame, the Netflix Original film is inspired by the book "The Operators: The Wild & Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan" by late journalist Michael Hastings.
An investment in the range of $60 million also makes it Netflix's biggest-budget feature to date.
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Pitt's character is loosely based on General Stanley A McChrystal, a retired United States Army general best-known for his command of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC).
His last assignment was as Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Commander, US Forces Afghanistan.
Hastings's blistering profile on McChrystal led to his firing by Obama.
Pitt's company Plan B is also one of the producers of the film.
The first big-budget Hollywood movie on Netflix will be released on May 26.

Wednesday, 24 May 2017

Celina Jaitly pregnant with twins again

Actress Celina Jaitly is expecting twins with her hotelier husband Peter Haag, who are due in October this year.



The 35-year-old actress is already a mother to five- year-old twin sons, Winston and Viraaj.
Celina, who has entered her second trimester, says they were "initially shocked" when they got to know they were pregnant with twins again.
"Doctor was doing ultrasound and Peter asked the doctor if it is twins this time too. Doctor said yes and we both were initially shocked," Celina told PTI in an exclusive interview over phone from Dubai.


"We were exhilarated because the first thing that came in our mind was that we are the chosen one. We are God fearing and we feel God chooses special people to be parents of multiple children."
Both Celina and Peter love kids and are aware of the challenges as parents.
The "No Entry" actress says, "My mother always advised me that there is no perfect way to be a mother and father, but there are a million ways to be a good parent.
"I have always believed there are no rules to be parent. My husband is 100 per cent involved in the pregnancy and we both take our responsibilities seriously as parents." (more)

Quitting Twitter, says Sonu Nigam after Abhijeet's account suspended


Singer Sonu Nigam on Wednesday announced he will quit Twitter and has urged all "logical and sensible patriots" to do the same, following the suspension of singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya's micro-blogging account.
"I quit Twitter today in defiance of this one sided sham," Sonu Nigam tweeted.
He said: "One could disagree with Abhijeetda's language but isn't Shehla's accusation that BJP has a sex racket, provocation enough to supporters?"
"If his account is deleted, why not her? And the other morons who hurl... abuses to every achiever?" he asked.
Twitter on Tuesday suspended the account of Abhijeet over sexist and offensive remarks, which stirred up a storm online.
In a series of tweets, Abhijeet abused some women users, particularly JNU student-activist Shehla Rashid, following which Twitter took the action.
When Shehla openly discussed about sex scandals involving BJP leaders, she was "abused by Abhijeet and hundreds of Sanghi trolls".
In reply to her statement, Abhijeet had tweeted: "There is a rumour she took money in advance for two hours and didn't satisfy the client. Big racket."

Tuesday, 23 May 2017

Job insecurity gives way to India's 1st IT workers union in Tamil Nadu

Previous attempts to organise 2.8 million employees of the country's IT sector have failed

In 2008, as Tamil Nadu erupted in angry protests against the killings of Sri Lankan Tamils during that country’s civil war, a group of young software professionals in Chennai’s Tidel Park banded together to form a human chain. “Stop the War, Save Tamils” was their demand – a slogan that featured on posters, T-shirts and Orkut posts.
Nine years later, their agitation has led to the formation of India’s first independent union for information technology employees. Amid reports of large-scale layoffs by several Indian software firms companies, the Forum for Information TechnologyEmployees, which evolved from the campaign to protect Tamils in Sri Lanka, is in the process of getting itself registered formally as a union for technology employees in India. It will be the first independent association of its kind in the country.
Previous attempts to organise the estimated 2.8 million employees of the country’s information technology sector have failed to make much headway. “Normally, the middle class has an aversion to political activity,” said J Jayaprakash, a member of the forum.
But in recent months, insecurity has been running high among India’s information technology employees. Approximately 4.5% of employees are expected to lose their jobs over the next few months, reported Mint, attribution the turbulence to the companies’ “under-preparedness in adapting to newer technologies and dealing with the fallout from US President Donald Trump’s protectionist policies”. It added that at least 56,0000 employees of top software companies such as Infosys, Wipro and Cognizant are expected to lose their jobs over the next year.
This uncertainty has made employees realise the need for collective action. Said Jayaprakash: “Since we ourselves are IT employees who have started this, people trust us to take up their issues. It is a homegrown solution to their problems.” Read more

Manchester attack: 22 dead; kids missing from concert, here is what we know

The attacker was killed while detonating the device said the Manchester police

A massive attack shook Manchester on today that killed at least 22 people. Reportedly 50 others have been injured. The 'terrorist attack' took place at a concert of pop star Ariana Grande in the Manchester city in the UK.
As per AFP, Greater Manchester Police says that 22 people have died because of the attack already. The attacker died detonating the bomb, they said.
"This is currently being treated as a terrorist incident until police know otherwise," the statement said.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud "bang" from inside the venue. Video footage from the scene showed bloodied victims being helped by emergency services.
Here is what we know so far:
—Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron have also expressed their sympathies for the victims.
—Prime Minister Theresa May said the incident was being treated as a terrorist attack. She is set to chair an emergency Cobra meeting in response to the atrocity, reports Daily Star.
—Police have set up a helpline for people who are worried about loved ones on 0161 856 9400.
—Large areas around the arena have been sealed off and Victoria Station has been closed and is expected to be closed throughout Tuesday.
—UK police responded to reports of an explosion shortly after 10:33 pm (2133 GMT) at the arena, which has the capacity to hold 21,000 people, where the Ariane Grande had been performing to an audience that included many children, according to Reuters. Read more

Friday, 19 May 2017

Deepika Padukone & Aishwarya rai makes Cannes red carpet debut



All eyes were on Deepika Padukone with bated breath to see how she would turn up on her first red carpet appearance as a brand ambassador for Loreal at Cannes


she finally put her fashionable foot forward, she made sure to look like a million bucks.


Dressed in a dainty wine coloured net ensemble, designed by Marchesa Notte. She looked bold and classy as she strutted down the coveted red carpet.




See more pics click here

SBI PO preliminary exam results out

Candidates can check the results on the official website http://sbi.co.in

The State Bank of India (SBI) announced the preliminary examination results for probationary officers (PO) post on May 17, 2017. The results were announced as per schedule.

The results include subject-wise score, total marks, qualifying status, category-wise cutoff score along with the candidate’s name, category, roll number, registration number and date of birth. Although the official figures are yet to be announced, the state-owned bank had previously announced that around 50,000 candidates will be shortlisted for mains exam.

The SBI PO main exam is scheduled for June 4, 2017. Call letter for the exam will be released on May 22, 2017 and results will be declared on June 19, 2017. Post which, the shortlisted candidates will have to appear for group discussion and personal interview scheduled July 10, 2017 onwards. The final results will be announced on August 5, 2017. Selected candidates will be recruited to the post of PO/management trainee (MT).
Also Read : Upcoming bank and government exams in 2017

Dates to remember
Activity Dates
Download of call letter for online main exam at May 22, 2017 onwards
Conduct of online examination – main at June 4, 2017
Declaration of result – main at June 19, 2017
Download call letter for interview at June 26, 2017
Conduct of group exercises and interview at July 10, 2017 onwards
Declaration of final result at August 5, 2017
Candidates can check their prelims results on the official website using the registration number and other details as required. Here is a step=by-step guide on how to SBI PO 2017 results:

Log on to the official website http://sbi.co.in

Click on career tab at the top right corner (more)

Thursday, 18 May 2017

Cannes gets an added dose of drama as Netflix makes its festival debut

Opening the 2017 Festival is French director Arnaud Desplechin's Ismael's Ghosts

The red carpet has been rolled out and the stars are taking their photo calls as the aristocracy of the film industry gathers at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes for the 70th annual film festival. From Afghanistan to Zambia, film makers, buyers, screenwriters, distributors, critics, academics and cineastes bunker down together for 12 days of communal cinematic consumption in dark rooms interspersed with heady business and critical discussion in the glare of the Mediterranean sunlight.
Opening the 2017 Festival is French director Arnaud Desplechin’s Ismael’s Ghosts, which is screening out of competition and kicks off a line up that includes 49 films from 29 countries, 12 of them by female directors.
The festival groups its selection (invited from more than 1,000 submitted films) into a number of strands: “the Competition”; “Un Certain Regard”; “Director’s Fortnight” and “Critic’s Week” all of which have their own programme of films. Complementing these strands are special events such as “Midnight Screenings”, “Cannes at 70” screenings, “Cannes Classics” and “Out of Competition” screenings – including, this year, a new thriller from Roman Polanski.
Thierry Frémaux, the Festival’s artistic director, is in charge of selection – and this year his choice is characterised by a lower number of Hollywood films than usual. He has also gone for a more pronounced political tone in the films, on themes such as migration, sex trafficking and the refugee crisis. Another feature of this year’s selection is the screening of films financed by media streaming platforms, including Netflix and Amazon, and the inclusion of “cinematic” television dramas. Read more

IPL 10 eliminator: KKR beats Hyderabad by 7 wickets, will face MI next

As Duckworth-Lewis method came into play, KKR had to chase 48 in six overs

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Gautam Gambhir led from the front to knock defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a seven-wicket win and made to Qualifier 2 in a rain-interrupted eliminator clash at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Thursday.
KKR will take on Mumbai Indians on Friday at the same venue.
Chasing 48 to win in six overs after rain and wet outfield ate up a large chunk of playing time, forcing Duckworth-Lewis method to come into play, Gambhir steadied the ship after KKR were 12/3 at one stage with an unbeaten 19-ball 32.
Ishank Jaggi, playing his first match, was not out on five.
At the start, Chris Lynn was on the money right away, smacking Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six in the first ball he faced.
But the second ball saw the destructive Australian get out after replays showed Lynn had edged to wicketkeeper Naman OJha off a Bhuveshwar near-yorker.
Yusuf Pathan, promoted up the order to score at a brisk pace, lasted just one delivery before he was run out. Robin Uthappa did not last long too, holing out to Shikhar Dhawan at deep mid wicket off Chris Jordan's bowling.
Earlier, KKR rode on a superlative show by their bowlers to restrict Sunrisers Hyderabad to 128/7 in 20 overs. Read more