Almost all the major smartphone companies are primed to come up with the new releases throughout this year. Not unlike 2017, the bezel-less screen and powerful cameras will continue to be in vogué and the latest released Snapdragon 845 will also be sought after.
Here is a list of the ones you should look forward to:
1. Samsung geared up with foldable screen:
It is no news that keeping secrets is not Samsung’s USP. If the major rumours in the tech world and hints dropped from the Company are to be believed, the next flagship, Samsung Galaxy X can come with a foldable OLED screen. The CEO has, as tom’s guide suggests, already sanctioned the new project. Moreover, the official Samsung website last November even came up with a support page for a similar model. This phone might actually land in the market in the first quarter of 2018, as Axon M from ZTE already features this technology and the Korean will not want to be too late to the party. Also coming this year would be Galaxy S9 with the tried and tested curved Infinity display and dual rear cameras.
2. One Plus getting better of the best:
The One Plus is what every start up dreams to be. The Pete Lau- Carl Pei company has already established itself in the big league with some ground breaking smartphones with the best value for money over the last four years and there is no reason to not expect something similar from One Plus 6 – unless it decides to skip a number again this time. Having already mastered bezel minimisation and dual camera with 5t and 5, this brand of powerful phones may actually feature Face Recognition System with on screen fingerprint sensor and even stronger battery and QHD screen this time.
3. New iPhones X plus and X2 in times of falling trust:
The digital market research firm TrendForce has indicated that Apple would be coming up with iPhone X plus and X2 by September this year. Also mooted to make an appearance is the SE series, after the two year hiatus. The company majorly will be focussing on enhancing the size this time, with the all the three iPhones plnned to have a screen size exceeding six inches. However, the company will be making it a point to resolve the trust of their customers by cutting down on most notorious updates and also by making them more transparent over the issues of performance and battery life starting with iOS 11.2.5.
Still have no plans for the coming days? Worry not, we have a list for you whether you plan to go stag or make a bash with your friends.
The National Capital has a number of parties and events lined up for you across the upcoming days. We bring to you our top three pick specially curated for you, your friends, or your family.
1. Smaaash New Year Carnival at Gurugram
Located at the DLF Cyber Hub, Cyber City, Smaaash is the perfect destination for Arcade Games, food and Drinks. This is the go-to location if you want to step into the New Year high on action. The event gets rolling at 8 PM on 31st.
2. New Year Bash Party at JLN Stadium
With artists like Sharry Maan, DJ Sonali Katyal, Rapture Dhol Mix Nites, Qisaa The Band and many more lined up, this event at the JLN is the perfect destination if you want to start early, as the gala starts by 6 in the evening on 31st December.
3. New Year Bash at the Lord of the Drinks Meadow
Located at the New Deer Park in Hauz Khas Village, this certainly is the best choice if you are fine with shedding a few extra bucks for the classiest experience. With DJ Sam scheduled to arrive, this would be nothing short of a perfect way to look forward to a perfect New Year.
Go ahead, make your choice and secure your booking at the official website of these venues.
The students were involved in the supply chain of over a kilogram of Charas and LSD blot papers to Jaipur and around NCR.
In a major development before the New Year celebrations, the Delhi Zonal Unit of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested four students from across the top Delhi Colleges on Saturday. Among the arrested were Sam Mallick from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Gaurav Kumar and Tenzin Phunchog from Hindu College of University of Delhi and Anirudh Mathur from Amity University. The arrest was made after the the Narcotics Bureau received information on 28 December about the drug use and peddling around these campuses.
“For the last few months, NCB Delhi Zonal unit had been receiving inputs about drug peddling and intense abuse of drugs around institutional areas like Delhi University, Jawaharlal University and Amity University,” Times of India quoted S K Jha, Deputy Director General, NCB as saying.
Acoording to sources of the department, the authorities were given intelligence reports about a parcel of banned substances dispatched to Jaipur via DTDC, following which they reached the Vijay Nagar DTDC office and confiscated the consignment containing 1.14 kg Charas and 3 strips of LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide). The source was traced and the students were subsequently arrested. However, the major actor behind the drug racket functioning from Himachal Pradesh, Neelchand, is still at large.
The authorities confirmed that the students will be prosecuted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
The college administration cited the surplus staff strength as the reason following the calculation of the required ‘workload’.
University of Delhi’s Motilal Nehru Morning college released a press release on its official website on Tuesday stating the termination of three ad hoc teachers. Among the discharged was a teacher from the Computer Science department whose name could not be learnt in addition to Arunakar Pandey and Shashi Kumar from the Hindi Department. The teachers believe that the college used faulty calculation methods, as 41 teachers at the staff council meeting went on to complain the “wrong calculation”.
Workload is the number of a teacher’s teaching hours at the college. The workload at the University has been a cause of tussle between the Teacher’s Union and the University Grants Commission (UGC) ever since the Regulations introduced in 2010 which specified that the workload to be not less than 40 hours a week for 30 weeks in an Academic Year. Later it was further increased after the 2016 UGC gazette notification, leading to widespread protests last year. The Ministry of Human Resource Development had later intervened and asked UGC to re-examine the guidelines, leading to the University’s resolution on workload.
The sacked teachers opined that the college administration had infringed these guidelines in their case. “Blatantly violating the rules, the college sent me a termination letter late in the evening. Following protests against this calculation, the college principal said the standing committee is reviewing it,” The Indian Express quoted Shashi Kumar as saying.
The college administration could not be reached for any further response on the subject inspite of our repeated efforts. The student community was particularly disturbed with these developments. A student from the Hindi Department when approached by our correspondent said, “Mr. Kumar had been serving at the college from eight years. It is most unfortunate.”
The 4th edition of the biggest Pet Festival in the nation, Pet Fed 2017 Powered by Dogsee was held over the last two days at the NSIC Exhibition Complex, New Delhi. The paw-er rangers from across the city came together to have two days of super fun and activities with their human friends. The event also had a bunch of activities lined up for all the felines and the canines.
Pet’s Got Talent
This was the flagship event across the two days. While nearly all the dogs set the audience falling for them as they came up with tricks of their own, a few let their cuteness do the talking. Dr. Kunal, the judge for this stiffly competitive event, adjudged Sultan as the ultimate winner.
Security Dog Show
Alpha 11 demonstrated the skills of Khusi, the German Shepherd as she captivated the audience with her agile skills and sheer power in the simulated environment of a criminal trying to hurt her owner.
Pupper Parade
The dogs put their best foot forward, all four of them for that matter, and paraded to the music with their own ruffs and swag.
Off-Leash zone
This was the zone of continuous action as the furry friends tried the swings, the tunnels, and the slide-into-the-ball pool. The Zig Zag race was the main attention here, which saw the cute Casper come first followed by the swift Any.
The fifth movie coming from the DC Comics franchise is entertaining-in-parts and reviving, quite literally, with the least muscles flexing from our heroes in their quest to save the humanity.
After the frustrating crises which the previous film Batman vs. Superman had created, the DC Extended Universe was in a desperate need to right those wrongs, mend the loose ends, and make the world believe that DC movies were more than ever-extending duels of our confused heroes fighting for equally confused and comical reasons. This time the heroes quarreled for simpler reasons, and thankfully, did not fight for too long among themselves. It was obvious that the directors had made it a point to not bombard the scenes with chaotic action scenes. The plot was smooth, though it was awkwardly superficial at times.
Ben Affleck, once again, looked uncomfortable in the Bat Suit (even the Bat Suit looked uncomfortable having to bear with him). It is amazing how Ben Affleck has single-handedly made the audience believe that Batman is a normal human with powers too trivial to be called a Superhero. Director Zack Snyder must be aware of this fact, as the focus gradually shifts to other heroes. Gal Gadot owned the screen with her fighting sequences, and other characters too were able to do justice to their roles even in the economy of the shallow plot.
The first half of the movie is promising, with its terrific CGI sequences. The later half develops towards our villain, Steppenwolf and his army of Parademon that is trying to capitalise on the absence of Superman. He goes on hunting for his power sources in Amazon and Atlantis and finally lands up in the zone of our heroes. But a disappointing second half does to him what Germany did to Brazil in the World Cup, almost demoralising the petty thing and making him clearly the weakest villain of our times, with a fitting end.
If you are not planning on dressing up as Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman in the Comic-Con, then you should definitely give Justice League a miss.
The Court was left frustrated as the University could not file a rejoinder in seven months, citing the ‘lack of time’.
In keeping with the Prime Minister’s efforts to keep himself in the news, the degree controversy refuses to die down, but this one not quite to the liking of the Premier. This Thursday, when the matter came up for hearing at the Delhi High Court, after a gap of nearly seven months when the case was filed, the University came up with newer records in its lethargy in legal proceedings. According to the news report by The Wire which surfaced last night, the University, which in April 2017 was asked to file a rejoinder to a reply by the petitioner Neeraj within four weeks, first tried to get another extension by claiming that the no objection certificate for adjournment had been signed by the petitioner’s lawyer. It then pleaded that it could not find time to file a rejoinder.
The University of Delhi lawyer pleaded before the court for the case to be adjourned since the senior advocate Tushar Mehta, who was leading the case, was not present. Upon being asked why despite being provided with four weeks to file the rejoinder seven months ago it had not been filed yet, the University lawyer began pleading for additional time. The developments left Justice Vibhu Bakhru visibly perturbed and after the court assembled at 10:30 am, he kept insisting that the DU lawyer move ahead with the hearing. The court heard the matter twice after that, first at 12:30 pm and then at 2:30 pm, but each time in the absence of its senior counsel. Finally at 2:30 pm, Justice Bakhru said that he was barring DU from filing a rejoinder in the matter and listed the next hearing for February 28.
In May last year, Union Minister Arun Jaitley and had made public both the Gujarat University and DU documents. Both the Universities had validated the authenticity of the documents. What is unexplainable, however, is the way University, which ideally should have nothing to hide, has since then blocked any further attempts for further information on the subject, now attempting to adjourn the court case.
As Mcleodganj gets ready for the Dharmsala International Film Festival (DIFF) from 2nd to 5th of November, we bring to you an itinerary to a week full of independent films.
What is DIFF?
An annual film festival which started in 2012 when two denizens, Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam decided to bring alternative cinema to their locality, one which didn’t even have a cinema hall back then. Today, DIFF has become a leading platform for independent film makers globally, bringing together cinema lovers from all parts.
The Venue
Mcleodganj, situated in the heart of Himalayas, is a perennial attraction to tourists. This gets even better when quality movie experience fuses with the glory of mountains in the background. The festival venue, Tibetan Children’s Village School, is a short walk from the city centre. You can also take a cab or wait for an every 15 minute bus.
How to reach Mcleodganj?
Buses of all sorts regularly run from Kashmiri Gate ISBT or Majnu-ka-Tilla to Mcleodganj. The nearest Railway Station is Pathankot which is 2 hours cab drive from the venue. You can even take a flight to Kangra. The Kangra airport is 15 kilometres away from the venue.
Where to stay?
The Mcleodganj City Centre is surrounded with hotels and boarding places of all budgets. If everything is occupied by the time you reach, fret not! Just walk down one of the roads leading downwards the city centre and you would reach an entire locality of hotels. Trick to identify: You would have to step down a considerable number of stairs to reach there.
Where to eat?
Mcleodganj is full of cafes. Try various Maggi Points, Coffee Shops, Momos Points and all other sorts of food joints. There is even a Pizza Hut and a proper Restaurant in the city centre if that is what suits you.
What all films to watch at the event?
Feature narratives like Mukti Bhawan by Subhashish Bhutiani, Newton by Amit Masurkar and What will people say by Iram Haq will be screened. Also, Documentaries like Cameraperson by Kirsten Johnson and Memories of Machine by Shailaja Pradindala and Children films like Heidi by Alain Gsponer, The Day My Father Became A Bush by Nicole van Kilsdonk and Tokri by Suresh Eriyat will also be screened. Nevertheless, the best part would quite certainly be the Q&A session with the directors and the actors where you would be able to further relish the movie.
What else to do in Mcleordganj?
You can visit the St. John’s Church, The Dal Lake and the Bhagsunag Temple and Waterfall. (Expert Advice: Don’t miss a brunch at the Shiva Café if you trek all the way to the Bhagsunag Waterfall). The trek to Triund and further the Snow Line, though tiring, is worth everything. You can even stay for the night at one of the rental tents at Triund.
See you at DIFF!
Feature Image credits: DIFF official website
With the announcement of the winner of this year’s Man Booker Prize due to be made at Guildhall, London tomorrow, we analyse all the six shortlisted books and their odds to win the coveted prize.
What makes a book, or as it goes, an author win the Man Booker? Is it writing which lives upto every parameter of greatness and only further enhances it, or is it a work of unconvention, taking by storm the entire idea of a great read? Or is it way beyond the two, and hence beyond any attempt of confinement to a definition? To these questions almost every literary analyst will have no singular answer. The Booker, right since its inception, has been notoriously unpredictable with its awardees, and not every winner has gone down well in literati circles globally. However, what remains unchallenged is the fame of the prize as one of the greatest prizes a writer can possibly get.
Six books this year contest for the Man Booker Prize and the 50,000 GBP that come with it. Almost every book is a groundbreaking text in literature, redefining in its own way the overall understanding of fiction. 4321 by Paul Auster is the story of Archie Ferguson. The four incarnations of his life have been splintered into four versions. A bildungsroman, the narrative takes the reader to four intriguing episodes of the protagonist’s business endeavours. The creme de la creme of this Paul Auster flagship is that the ambitious storyline does not add to the bulk but rather stand out separately, making it an engrossing read altogether.
Elmet is narrated from the perspective of Daniel, a 14-year-old boy. The struggle of his family to secure an existence in an elemental, this contemporary rural noir is steeped in the literature and legend of the Yorkshire landscape and its medieval history. What makes this novel by Fiona Mozley special is its graphical description and lyricism. The narrative is soft and deliberate, and the characters are implicitly complex yet relatable. On the whole, in spite of being mooted as a wild card entry in the list, the novel is one of the best reads among the fellow nominees.
Ali Smith’s Autumn is a masterpiece. As the name suggests, it is the first installment of a series of four, as Smith explores “What time is, how we experience it”. A relatively shorter text, the novel is beautiful cover to cover. The story is of a young girl, Elisabeth, and her relation with Daniel, an old man in his 90s, as Daniel introduces her to the world of art amidst the crisis of Brexit and her personal dilemmas. The depiction of emotions and longing of the characters are almost lifelike. The fear of death, agony, personal crisis, and alternate cycles of hope and despair entangle the reader with the characters and make them believe in the perpetuity of emotions on the face of fleeting time of our lives.
Exit West is a story of Saeed and Nadia, as they try and seek romance and existence in their war-torn city. They travel across places through this metaphysical door which connects cities. The personal crisis in the times of social dilemmas, and the inherent intricacies linked to immigration forms the narrative of this novel by Mohsin Hamid. An elegant, simple read, this has been one of the most popular reads this year.
History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund is the story of Linda, and her coming-of-age narrative centred around her school, neighbourhood, and the people around her. This novel is powerfully written, as the melancholy and sombre existence of characters reeks out of the pages, and the gloom transfers onto the reader. It would be safe to say that Emily Fridlund’s first novel could not have come better than this.
George Saunders’ genius, original, unnerving, and first full-length work, Lincoln in the Bardo, is everyone’s guess for this year’s winner. This is one strange story that the author had been nurturing for twenty years, researching and redrafting. As he tells in an interview, “I could feel that there was a beautiful book there but began to fear that it would have to be written by somebody else. The problem: I was not confident of my ability to express sincere human emotion straightforwardly, while maintaining the required (by me) stylistic verve. That is: I felt myself rickety around the expression of positive emotion.”
Based around the anecdote that Abraham Lincoln used to pay visit to this ghost-ridden cemetery where his son lay, the superlative treatment in this avant garde piece renders nothing less than an absolute masterpiece. Imaginative, unusual, and staggeringly well-researched, this novel is a journey to embark upon, and by far the best read of this year.
So yes, for the announcement that comes tomorrow, you can safely put your money on Lincoln in the Bardo, a novel class apart by one of the best authors of our times.
“Maybe there is a way to climb above everything, some special ladder or insight, some optical vantage point that allows a clear, unobstructed view of things. Maybe this way of seeing comes naturally to some people. Maybe if I’d been someone else I’d see it differently. But isn’t that the crux of the problem? Wouldn’t we all act differently if we were someone else?”
The crisis of coming-of-age identity and the adult world’s inherent debacle over thinking and doing forms the central motif in History of Wolves, the debut novel by Emily Fridlund and one of the six Man Booker Prize shortlisted novels of 2017. Quite certainly a more literally and thematically complex read compared to its competitors for the coveted prize, the initial storytelling and the ability of the author to paint detailed pictures even in an economy of words stands out while her inability to bring any substantial coherence to the plot devices disappoints.
The novel is narrated from the perspective of now adult, but primarily a socially outcast girl in Madeline Furston, also known as ‘Linda’ or ‘Freak’ or ‘Commie’ by her classmates. Her quest of self centres around her new neighbours in an otherwise secluded and disturbed upbringing in a lakeside commune in Northern Minnesota which later develops in her teenage experiences with her newly appointed history teacher Mr. Grierson and her classmate Lily. Throughout the text, the storyline traces its path notoriously meandering across time and space, expanding from her childhood days to her life as a grown-up adult leaving the reader with multiple interpretations of how things turn out to be.
Every page of the book is overpowering, leaving the reader with chills running down the spine and a feeling that something bad is going to happen. So powerful is the narration that an icy, soul-wrenching gust of air seems to blow throughout, and so grim is the dark and wintery portrayal of the geographical diameters of Linda and her school that the tale feels almost haunted. The treatment of the characters is powerful. Even for their grey underlined side which is always distinct, the reader is forced to sympathise with their paralysing loneliness, but the author invariably creates an emotional remoteness which prevents any emotion in a reader other than cold sympathy. That said, the remote plotline and the author’s inability to bring to a sensible closure the various parallel story strands leave the reader invariably dissatisfied and sad.
History of Wolves does not fail to retain the tension of the plot, making the readers frantically turn the pages and identify the scandalous restlessness building up in their hearts, but the disappointing coda makes the novel fall yards short of greatness. Nevertheless, the promising abilities which Fridlund exhibits in coming up with an atypical coming-of-age thriller and retaining an almost unfailing control over her diverse characters and expansive and parallel storylines is sure to establish her as one of the most promising authors of our time.
