Pertol Price Cut

Petrol Price Cut By RS. 3.02/Litre, Diesel Hiked By RS.1.47/Litre

In good news for consumers, price of petrol was lowered by Rs. 3.02 per litre on Monday. Diesel rate, however, was raised by Rs. 1.47 per litre. Revised prices will take effect from the midnight of February 29 and March 1.

The fuel price revision was in line with global trends

After this revision, a litre of petrol in Delhi will cost Rs. 56.61 as against Rs. 59.63 at present, whereas a litre of diesel will cost Rs. 46.43 instead of Rs. 44.96 per litre, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) said.

Budget2016

Budget 2016: Here's what's cheaper and what's dearer!

Following is a list of items that will turn costlier:

• Cars
• Cigarettes, cigar, tobacco, paper rolled beedis and gutaka
• All services like bill payments, eating out, air travel
• Ready made garments and branded apparel of more than Rs 1,000
• Gold and Silver; jewelery articles excluding silver
• Water including mineral water, aerated water containing added sugar or sweetening matter
• Goods and services above Rs 2 lakh in cash
• Aluminum foil
• Air Travel
• Plastic bags and sacks
• Ropeway, cable car rides
• Imported imitation jewellery
• Industrial solar water heater
• Legal services
• Lottery tickets
• Traveling by hiring stage carriage
• Hiring of packers & movers
• E-reading devices
• Instruments for VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
• Imported Golf Cars
• Gold bars

Following is a list items that will turn cheaper:

• Footwear
• Solar lamp
• Router, broadband modems and set top boxes, Digital video recorder and CCTV cameras
• Hybrid electric vehicles
• Sterilised dialyser
• Low cost houses with less than 60 sq mt carpet area
• Hiring of folk artists for performance
• Refrigerated containers
• Pension plans
• Microwave ovens
• Sanitary pads
• Braille paper

Picasa to be shutdown

Google To Shut Down Picasa On May First

Recently, Google announced that they will be shutting down Picasa, however its loyal users may still be able to use some of its features.

Google in its official blog states,

“Since the launch of Google Photos, we’ve had a lot of questions around what this means for the future of Picasa. After much thought and consideration, we’ve decided to retire Picasa over the coming months in order to focus entirely on a single photo service in Google Photos. We believe we can create a much better experience by focusing on one service that provides more functionality and works across mobile and desktop, rather than divide our efforts across two different products.”

Google went on to state:

“We know for many of you, a great deal of care has gone into managing your photos and videos using Picasa—including the hours you’ve invested and the most precious moments you’ve trusted us with. So we will take some time in order to do this right and provide you with options and easy ways to access your content. We’ve outlined below some of the changes you can expect.”

For those who have their photos as well as videos in the Picasa Web Album, they will be able to easily access, modify, and also share most of the content by login to Google Photos. When you use Google Photos, you will be able to continue to upload as well as organize your memories. You will also be able to enjoy various great benefits such as better ways of searching and sharing images.

However, for those who do not want to use Google Photos, or those who still want to be able to view specific content, such as tags, captions, or comments, Google states, “we will be creating a new place for you to access your Picasa Web Albums data. This way, users will be able to view, download and also delete Picasa Web Album, however, you will not be able to create, organize or edit albums, you can now do this only on Google Photos."

Google further states:

“One thing to make clear is that none of this is happening today — if you have a Picasa Web Album you can keep using it as normal. We’ll start rolling out these changes on May 1, 2016.”

Google states:

“As of March 15, 2016, we will no longer be supporting the Picasa desktop application. For those who have already downloaded this—or choose to do so before this date—it will continue to work as it does today, but we will not be developing it further, and there will be no future updates. If you choose to switch to Google Photos, you can continue to upload photos and videos using the desktop uploader atphotos.google.com/apps.”

Google concludes by stating:

“Again, none of these changes are happening today, and we’ll continue to update you along the way. We apologize for any inconvenience this transition causes, but we want to assure you that we are doing this with the aim of providing the best photos experience possible. Google Photos is a new and smarter product, that offers a better platform for us to build amazing experiences and features for you in the future.”

Gmailify

Google Launches Gmailify To Use Gmail's Best Features Without A Gmail Address

Google’s Gmail Android app has allowed users to manage their mails from a non-Gmail account, such as Yahoo and Outlook, since 2015. Now the company has taken a step forward, and they have introduced a new feature known as “Gmailify” which will allow you to take advantage of Gmail’s spam protection, inbox organization, Google Now integration and many more, without having to change your email address.

 

This means that you will now be able to check your Yahoo, Hotmail, and Outlook email address within your Gmail’s mobile application, and you will also be able to handle all those email accounts as if they were being hosted on Google’s own servers. This is really good for people who would like to use the advanced features of Google, but are stuck with a different email account, and they do not want to go through the bother of getting involved with changing their email address.

 

Google in its official blog states:

 

“We agree. So starting today, if you use Yahoo! Mail or Hotmail/Outlook.com, you now have the option to Gmailify your inbox.”

 

The company also states:

 

“Gmailify links your existing account to Gmail so that you get all the bells and whistles—spam protection, inbox organization and even Google Now cards based on your mail—without having to leave your current address behind.”

 

If you are already accessing your non-Gmail accounts from the Gmail application, you will still be required to opt in to the “Gmailify” features. In order to do so, “you need to do is open the Gmail app, sign in to your email account(s), and enable Gmailify. And of course, you're always in control—so if you ever change your mind, you can unlink your account(s) at any time, and continue to access them through the Gmail app without using Gmailify,” as explained in the Google blog post.

 

Google concluded by saying:

 

“We’re really excited to bring the best of Gmail to more people, and we’re planning to add other email providers to Gmailify in the future.”

BoardExam Countdown

Board exam countdown: how to keep the blues away

Study tips, lifestyle tips, checklist and more to handle the challenge.

As March 1 fast approaches, thousands of students who are appearing for the Board exams are likely to become increasingly anxious and get stressed out. “Have I prepared enough? Is there something I have missed? Should I focus more on that particular topic?” Your mind would be abuzz with several such thoughts. No matter how much you study and revise the subjects, the feeling of contentment is difficult to achieve. What can you do to steady your nerves and keep your cool? “The Board exams are like any other exam. The only difference is that they are held in another school. So there is no need for students to panic and they should stick to the normal routine they follow everyday,” says CBSE spokesperson Rama Sharma.

Study Tips

Having a preparation strategy is crucial. With merely half a month left for the exams, how can you utilise the time effectively? “Students should divide their time for each subject. They should prepare for the first paper last and for the last paper first,” says Surabhi Gautam, HOD of English, Mother’s Global School, Delhi, who teaches Class X and XI students. “Early morning hours are the best time for revision as retention is better and the body and mind are fresh,” she advises. Note-making is an effective method that can come to your rescue. “Students should prepare notes of the main points because at the last minute, revising the whole syllabus from the scratch is not possible. Notes make it easy for them to recall from memory quickly.”

Another tested method is solving previous years’ question papers and sample papers. “Students can simulate the exam at home. This will give them an idea of how much time they are taking to solve the paper. Based on the result, they can improve their speed and accuracy. The more sample papers they solve, the more confident they will become,” says Rama.

Parents have an important role in play in their child’s success as well. They should be supportive and encouraging and help students develop self-discipline, self-confidence and a sense of achievement. This will go a long way in boosting his/her morale.

Group study is a popular mode of studying. But is it always effective? “Though it can help in getting the doubts and concepts cleared, it does not help in retention. For the final revision, self-study is the best,” says Surabhi.

Lifestyle Tips

During exams, the stress levels of students generally go through the roof. This leads to excessive eating, sleeping difficulties and so on. How can one deal with it? “Students should keep a light diet. This will keep them fresh and not feel sleepy while studying. Breakfast can consist of light food such as porridge or cereals. Fruits and dry fruits are rich in essential vitamins and proteins and their intake should be increased. Whenever students feel hungry or a little bit lethargic, they should go for a diet of fruit such as guava, apple, banana and so on. Also, in case you get an urge to munch something, dry fruits can be kept handy,” says Surabhi.

Several students take the support of coffee or tea to stay fresh. However, this might not be conducive in the long run. “We do not recommend coffee or tea to students as caffeine should be avoided. However, green tea or lemon tea can be taken,” says Surabhi.

Counselling

To help students relieve their stress, the CBSE has started a helpline where school principals, teachers and trained counsellors have volunteered to guide the students. Students from any Board can connect with them and seek counselling. The toll-free helpline number is 1800118004 and is operational from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

This year 76 principals, trained counsellors from CBSE-affiliated government and private schools and a few psychologists will address exam-related psychological problems of the students. For online counselling, students can drop a mail at counselling.cecbse@gmail.com and sugandh.cbse@gmail.com.

Checklist

On the day of the exam, it is essential that you stay calm and focused. It is natural to get butterflies in the stomach. To ensure that you don’t miss anything, prepare a checklist. Before leaving your house, ensure that you have the following items: Water bottle, extra pens, ruler, pencil, eraser, sharpener, watch and the hall ticket. Here’s a checklist of things you should do while writing the exam:

• There is a cool off period of 15 minutes in the beginning which excludes the time you get for writing the exam. Utilise this time for reading the question paper carefully.
• Although advisable, it is not necessary to answer the questions in same sequence/order. Attempt the ones you know first, but number them correctly.
• If you’re running out of time, write the answer in points rather than leaving the question.
• Label the diagrams properly.

Resource box

• For updates: cbse.nic.in
• For academic resources: http://cbseacademic.in
• Online counselling: counselling.cecbse@gmail.com and sugandh.cbse@gmail.com
• Toll free helpline (8 a.m. to 10 p.m.): 1800 11 8004

In the end, remember that though scoring well in this exam is important, it’s not the end of the world if you are not able to achieve the marks you expected. There are endless opportunities waiting for you.

Petrol Price Drops Again

Petrol price cut by 32 paise per litre; diesel gets costlier by 28 paise

New Delhi:  Petrol price was Wednesday cut by 32 paise per litre, while diesel rates were hiked by 28 paise a litre.

The revisions will be effective midnight tonight, Indian Oil Corp, the nation’s largest oil firm, announced today.

Petrol in Delhi will cost Rs 59.63 per litre from tomorrow as against Rs 59.95 a litre currently. Similarly, diesel will be priced at Rs 44.96 per litre from tomorrow as compared to Rs 44.68 currently.

Massive 6 GB RAM

Samsung Galaxy Note 6’s First Leak Tips Massive 6GB of RAM

Samsung may be more than six months away from unveiling of the next Galaxy Note smartphone, but we already have our first leak. According to details shared by a Weibo user, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 6, the successor to the Galaxy Note 5, will pack a massive 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM.

Some of the other details claimed by the Weibo user (first picked up by Sammobile) include such gems as the Galaxy Note 6 will sport a 5.8-inch “Slim RGB Amoled” display and will feature QHD (1440×2560 pixels) screen resolution. The Galaxy Note 5 came with a 5.7-inch QHD Super Amoled display. Unfortunately, the tipster has not detailed much about RGB Amoled display.

The Weibo post also adds that the Galaxy Note 6’s screen will “become too thin”, and we are not too sure what this means. It could mean that the Galaxy Note 6 may pack bezel-less display.

Other details claimed that the handset will come in 64GB and 128GB storage options. For camera, the Galaxy Note 6 is said to sport 12-megapixel rear camera with Super OIS (optical image stabilisation) Plus sensor. To recall, the Galaxy Note 5 features a 16-megapixel rear camera. The Weibo tipster also suggests that the Galaxy Note 6, much like other Galaxy high-end phones, will have two SoC options.

All these leaks should be taken with a pinch of salt as Samsung has not mentioned anything about the upcoming device and the legitimacy of the leaks remains questionable.

We are now less than a week away from Samsung’s “Galaxy Unpacked 2016” event on February 21 in Barcelona where the company is expected to reveal the Galaxy S7 flagship alongside the Galaxy S7 Edge.