Teracom Tablet Launched for Rs 3,999 on MTNL Network

Telecom equipment maker Teracom launched three tablet PCs in partnership with state-run operator MTNL on Aug. 31, 2012.

“In partnership with MTNL, we are launching three models of ‘Lofty’ tablet with high-end model priced at Rs 10,999 and entry level model is for Rs 3,999,” Teracom Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Arora said.

The high-end model of the tablet has built in 3G SIM and can be used for making phone calls as well, he added.

The other models of Lofty tablets are Wi-Fi enabled and support 3G dongles.

Under this partnership, MTNL will offer 10 GB data usage (internet) on its 3G network to customers buying Lofty tablets. All these tablets are built on Google’s Android platform.

“The 10 GB can be used for period of first two months,” MTNL Executive Director AK Bharagava said.

The Lofty tablets will be sold through MTNL Sanchar Haat in Delhi along with Teracom stores.

“We will make this product available at more than 500 retails outlets, including MTNL Sanchaar Haat,” Teracom Director Rajeev Venkat said.

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SRK, Katrina Shooting at Pahalgam, Kashmir

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and divas Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma are shooting for Yash Chopra's yet untitled movie in the picturesque south Kashmir hill station Pahalgam these days.

The Yash Raj Films unit is lodged at Pahalgam’s Pine and Peak hotel, set in the midst of majestic pine, fir and cedrus trees.

Sources close to the film unit said Shah Rukh would be shooting in Pahalgam for another three days after which the unit will move to summer capital Srinagar and north Kashmir Gulmarg hill station for a two-day shoot.

Shah Rukh, who is said to be playing an army officer named Samar in the film, has been shooting in Pahalgam for the last six days as a tight ring of security keeps scores of his fans away from having a glimpse of their favorite hero.

"If all goes well, we should be able to organize a press meet for Shah Rukh around Sept. 6 in Srinagar," Nazir Bakshi, owner of Shiraz Travels said.

Bakshi is organizing the film unit's schedule in the Valley.

Pahalgam has been the favorite retreat of Bollywood giants of yesteryear's like Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar and Ajit.

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Hudco Offers Cheapest Home Loan for Salaried

Housing & Urban Development Corporation Ltd. (Hudco) has introduced home loans up to Rs 25 lakh for the salaried individuals at the floating interest rate of 10.20 per cent. It is also offering additional features like free personal accident insurance, no charges before sanction, loan for the longest duration of 25 years and no pre-payment charges.

The interest rate on the product is better than the 10.25 percent currently charged by State Bank of India, the market leader in the segment with one of the most aggressive pricing, for home loans of up to Rs 30 lakh.

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Union Bank Cuts Vehicle Loan Rate to 10.95%

Union Bank of India has slashed the interest rate on vehicle loans to 10.95 per cent (0–7 years) with immediate effect.

Earlier, the interest rates were: 12.50 per cent (0–3 years) and 13.50 per cent (3–5 years).

The public sector bank has extended its ‘Independence Day to Republic Day Festive Offer’ to vehicle loans by waiving processing fees during this period.

As part of the festive offer, the bank is offering floating interest rate home loans at 10.50 per cent for loans up to Rs 30 lakh; 10.75 per cent for loans of Rs 30–75 lakh; and 11 per cent for loans between Rs 75 lakh and Rs 5 crore. It is not charging any processing fees on home loans under the offer.

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EPL: Liverpool’s Andy Carroll Joins West Ham on Loan

Liverpool outcast Andy Carroll (23), who became Britain's most expensive footballer after Liverpool paid Newcastle £35 million in January 2011 for his service, has joined newly-promoted side West Ham on season-long loan move.

West Ham will pay a £1.5 million loan fee to Liverpool and a £80,000-per-week wages to the England striker.

Andy Carroll has scored just six Premier League goals during his short stay at Anfield.

West Ham will sign Carroll for £18 million on a permanent transfer next summer if they avoid relegation this season.

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Huawei to Invest $150-Million in Bangalore R&D Centre

Chinese telecom equipment maker Huawei will invest $150 million in its research and development (R&D) centre coming up in Bangalore.

The centre, being built over one million sq feet can seat about 4,000 people, according to the company whose revenues were at $32 billion in 2011.

Huawei officials did not give out specific hiring plans, but said that they would pick up telecom engineers and networking specialists whenever there was a need. The development centre will cater to Huawei’s enterprise, telecom operators and cellphone business segments. Scott Sykes, Vice-President, Corporate Media Affairs, Huawei Technologies, told Business Line: “We see demand coming from 4G rollout in India, and the centre will work on our NextGen smartphone handsets.”

Last year, Huawei started making smartphones and, according to company officials, has sold 60 million smartphones till date. The India centre will work on technologies that can increase battery life in smartphones. This is because the battery life of most handsets in the market last not more than a day.

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year, Huawei launched its slimmest smartphone at 6.68mm weighing about 110 gm.

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Roddick to Retire From Tennis After US Open

American veteran Andy Roddick has said he will retire after the US Open.

"Walking off at Wimbledon, I felt like I knew," Roddick said, on his 30th birthday on Aug. 30, 2012.

"I couldn't imagine myself being there another year. I don't know if I'm healthy enough or committed enough to continue another year."

Roddick dropped out of the top 10 in the rankings earlier, a spot where he was a mainstay throughout his career. He entered the US Open as the 22nd seed, the second-highest American.

"I didn't want to disrespect the game by coasting home. I wanted an opportunity to say good bye." Roddick said.

"For 13-14 years, I have fully invested in tennis. I have been pretty good about keeping my nose to the grindstone. I feel like I've won a lot of matches by being consistent."

Roddick has 32 ATP World Tour titles including two this season. His biggest win came in 2003 when he won the US Open.

He has four doubles titles too. He reached World No. 1 for the first time in November 2003, becoming the youngest American (21) to do so.

He is a three-time Wimbledon finalist losing all to Roger Federer in 2004, 2005 and 2009. The 2009 final ended 16–14 in the fifth set.

Roddick also has 33 Davis Cup victories, second in US Davis Cup history. He also led the country to the title in 2007.

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Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta Named UEFA's Best Player

Spain’s Andres Iniesta (28) was named UEFA's best player in Europe at an awards ceremony in Monaco on August 30, 2012. The Barcelona midfielder, who inspired Spain to retain their crown at Euro 2012, was chosen ahead of team-mate Lionel Messi and Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Without my team-mates at the Spanish national team and Barcelona I wouldn't have won this individual trophy," Iniesta said. Iniesta received 19 votes, while Messi and Ronaldo both got 17 votes.

Messi was named as the best player in Europe in last year's edition of the award.

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'Made in Pakistan Expo' in Mumbai From Aug. 31–Sept. 5

“Made in Pakistan Expo 2012” has been organized in Mumbai from Aug. 31–Sept. 5, 2012. The expo will display Pakistan's finest textiles, marble, herbs and medicines, plastics and variety of dry fruits products.

The expo is being organized by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) with support of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). It will be inaugurated by their presidents Haji Fazal Kadir Khan Sherani and RV Kanoria.

Pakistan's leading textile houses will participate actively in this event, placing their full confidence in FPCCI to carry its first expedition into Mumbai.

Products on display will include designers' collections showcasing prominent and top brand companies like Gul Ahmed, Signatures by Five Star, Nisha Summer Lines, Al Karam, Portia, Bareeze, Lala Textiles, Mausummery, Diners and Ittehad.

FPCCI has over the years been involved in trade promotion activities as India constitutes the most natural market for many of Pakistan's core products.

FPCCI believes that the exhibition will certainly supplement the process of dialogue between India and Pakistan. In the past it has held successful and widely attended fairs and exhibitions in other Indian cities.

After Mumbai, FPCCI plans to hold exhibitions in other Indian cities, including Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore.

FPCCI will return to Delhi later this year for the India international trade fair where it traditionally brings a large delegation from across the entire spectrum of Pakistan's industry.

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Samsung Launches ATIV S, World's First Windows 8 Smartphone

Samsung Electronics unveiled Samsung ATIV S, the world's first smartphone running Windows 8. The Korean electronics giant announced this mega launch just a few days before the much anticipated launch of Nokia’s version.

Samsung ATIV S features a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD display with Gorilla Glass 2, 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor, 8MP rear camera and 1.9MP front-facing camera.

It also houses a big 2,300mAh battery, 1GB RAM, 16/32GB internal storage and is just 8.7mm thick. Looks like Samsung is now aiming for Windows Phone market after successfully capturing the Android arena.

Samsung ATIV S specifications:

* Processor: 1.5 GHz dual-core processor
* Display: 4.8 inch (121.9mm ) HD Super AMOLED
* OS: Windows Phone 8
* Cameras: 8 Megapixel auto-focus rear camera with LED Flash, 1.9 Megapixel front camera
* 3.5mm Ear Jack
* GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
* Connectivity: Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 & 5 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Channel Bonding
* Sensors: Proximity, Accelerometer, Geomagnetic, Ambient Light, Gyroscope
* Memory: 16/32GB User memory, 1GB RAM
* microSD (SDXC support)
* Dimension: 137.2 x 70.5 x 8.7 mm, 135g
* Battery: Li-ion 2,300mAh

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Nokia Launches Asha 311, Asha 305 for Rs 7139, Rs 5029

Nokia India has launch two unique products to its already popular Nokia Asha family, Nokia Asha 305 and Nokia Asha 311, in keeping with its strategy of connecting the next billion to the internet.

The Asha family of phones with the cloud accelerated Nokia browser is optimized for faster and cheaper browsing experience, apps, games and social networking offering smartphone experience to consumers at newer price points.

Nokia Asha 305 is priced at Rs 5,029 while Nokia Asha 311 is priced at Rs 7,139.

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69th Venice Film Festival Kicks off With Mira Nair’s ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’

The 69th Venice Film Festival kicked off on Aug. 29. 2012 with Indian director Mira Nair's political thriller "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" that explores life changes of a young Pakistani man rising through the ranks on Wall Street after the 9/11 attack.

The movie is an adaptation of Pakistani writer Mohsin Hamid's book of the same name. 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' has a mix of Bollywood and Hollywood top names such as Shabana Azmi, Om Puri, Kate Hudson, Kiefer Sutherland and Liev Schreiber. The lead character of 'Changez' has been played by Riz Ahmed of 'Trishna' fame.

Big names like George Clooney, Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp did not appear in the red carpet show in the evening as in past years.

This year's festival will feature 18 movies in the competition rounds, with dozens more appearing in out-of-competition and Horizon sessions.

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Belgium’s Kim Clijsters Retires After US Open Second Round Exit

Former world no. 1 and four time Grand Slam winner Kim Clijsters (29) of Belgium has called time to her tennis career after losing 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) to 18-year-old Laura Robson of Britain in the second round of the US Open on August 29, 2012.

"It's been an incredible journey, and a lot of dreams for me have come true because of tennis. Now that I think about it, it's been a crazy rollercoaster at times, as well,” said the Belgium star.

Clijsters owned a 22-match winning streak in Flushing Meadows going back to 2003, a span in which she won the US Open three time, the second-longest string of wins in the Open era after Chris Evert's 31.

She walked away from the sport once before, in May 2007, then returned after a hiatus of two-plus years. Clijsters has won 41 WTA singles titles and 11 WTA doubles titles. She has four Grand Slam singles titles to her credit; three at the US Open, in 2005, 2009, 2010 and one at the Australian Open in 2011.

On 20 May 2012, Clijsters, who previously dated Austrlian tennis player Lleyton Hewitt, revealed that she would retire after the US Open. Kim Clijsters is married to American basketball player Brian Lynch and together they have a daughter.

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Madrid Beat Barcelona 2-1; Wins Spanish Super Cup 2012

Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid won their first Spanish Super Cup since 2008 on away goals after a narrow 2-1 victory (4-4 on agg.) over arch rivals Barcelona in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu on August 29, 2012.

Gonzalo Higuain draw first blood for Los Blancos’ in the 11th minute after a missed clearance from defender Javier Mascherano, who was making his 100 appearance in Barca's colour and Ronaldo doubled the lead in the 19 minute. Barcelona were then reduced to 10 men as Adriano was shown a straight red card for denying Ronaldo a clear goalscoring opportunity. Lionel Messi reduced the lead with a fantastic free-kick on the stroke of half-time but Madrid were able to hold on to their slender 2-1 lead to claim their first trophy in Spain this season.

Madrid’s newest signing Luka Modric began the game on the bench while Pepe returned from a concussion to start alongside Sergio Ramos in defence. Barca’s Dani Alves was replaced by Jordi Alba after an injury to him during the warm up.

This win is Jose Mourinho’s 20th title; Mourinho has now won every trophy available in the four leagues where he's coached, including England, Italy and Portugal.

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Hashim Amla Fastest to Score 3,000 ODI Runs

South Africa's Hashim Amla became the fastest player to 3,000 one-day international runs during the course of his 150 that set up the Proteas' 80-run win over England at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Aug. 28, 2012.

Amla's brilliant 124-ball knock, featuring 16 fours, saw him reach the landmark in 57 innings compared to the 69 it took West Indies' Vivian Richards, one of cricket's all-time great batsmen.

He is the third South African in a top 10 that also includes current Proteas' coach Gary Kirsten.

Below are the 10 fastest players to 3,000 ODI runs, in terms of innings (player, country/team, number of innings):

Hashim Amla (SA) 57, Vivian Richards (WI) 69, Gordon Greenidge (WI) 72, Gary Kirsten (SA) 72, Virat Kohli (IND) 72, Graham Gooch (ENG) 77, Kevin Pietersen (ENG) 78, Navjot Singh Sidhu (IND) 79, Brian Lara (WI) 79, Boeta Dippenaar (SA) 79.

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Aircel Launches Student Pack

Aircel launched its “The power of inspiration” series of lectures for the youth and also a student pack called “Bindas” in Gitam Centre for Gandhian Studies of Gitam University in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012.

Mohan Simham, circle marketing head, Andhra Pradesh, said that Aircel had organized the lecture series for the benefit of students.

He said Aircel had also inaugurated a product called Bindas specifically for students to be sold only in the educational institutions. With just Rs 50, it could be activated, with full talk time. Besides, for recharge of Rs 10, the student would get full talk time.

He said his company had always targeted the youth and that was why it had appointed Dhoni as the brand ambassador.

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Bank of India Reduces Bulk Deposit Rates

Mumbai-based public sector lender Bank of India reduced the rate on interests on bulk deposits in some tenors by 25–50 basis points.

For deposits over Rs 1 crore, the bank will now pay 7.5 per cent for deposits between 46 and 90 days instead of 8 per cent earlier. For deposits between 91 and 179 days, the bank has revised its interest rate to 8 per cent from the earlier 8.25 per cent. The lender will now pay a rate of 8.5 per cent for the depositors who park the money with the bank for nine months to less than a year.

However, it raised deposit rates for retail deposits in short tenors by 150 basis points. The bank will now offer an interest rate of 7 per cent instead of 5.5 per cent earlier for deposits below Rs 1 crore in the tenor of 1 month–3 months.

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Morgan Stanley to Sell 26% Stake in IHHR Hospitality

American financial services provider, Morgan Stanley is planning to exit IHHR Hospitality, which owns the world's top-rated spa, Ananda in the Himalayas. Morgan Stanley will sell its 26% stake to Choudhrie family, largest shareholder in IHHR.

Morgan Stanley invested around $40 million in 2007 for 26% stake in the company.

Post the deal, Choudhries’ stake will rise from 62% to 80% in IHHR.

Founded in 1998 by Gautam Khanna, IHHR owns and manages Destination Spas and luxury business and leisure hotels.

IHHR started operations in the year 2000 by launching a destination spa under the name 'Ananda in the Himalayas' at Rishikesh, India. It manages and operates a business hotel chain under the brand name 'Ista'. Presently there are four operational Ista properties located in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Amritsar and Pune.

IHHR Hospitality is also scouting for international hotel operators to manage its Ista brand of hotels in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Ahmedabad and Pune.

London based - Choudhrie family also owns real estate firm Alpha G Corp, Gurgaon.

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Romney Nominated as Republican Presidential Candidate

Republican Mitt Romney is all set to challenge incumbent Barack Obama after the party nominated the former Massachusetts Governor as its candidate for the presidential elections in November this year.

Romney won the nomination as he crossed the support of necessary 1,144 delegates during the ongoing Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.

The convention also approved Congressman Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential running mate.

Romney’s nomination will become official after he delivers his acceptance speech on Thursday (Aug. 30), campaign officials said. He will legally be able to spend money raised for the general-election campaign only after Thursday’s speech.

Romney, 65, is the first Mormon to be nominated as the Republican presidential candidate.

Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement, which began with the visions of Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s.

Romney will now contest against Barack Obama in the November polls to occupy the White House as new US president.

Latest opinion polls indicate that Obama and Romney are in a statistical tie with each other.

Meanwhile, during the convention, Republican speakers lashed out at President Obama and condemned the policies followed by him during his term as the president.

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AC Milan Sign French Striker Niang

AC Milan have signed French striker M'Baye Niang from Caen on a three-year contract.

The 17-year-old arrived at the club on Aug. 29, 2012 to undergo a medical. The financial details of the agreement have not been released.

Niang is an impressive young prospect in French football and has been with Caen since the age of 13. He was also linked with Everton.

His contract with Milan expires on June 30, 2015.

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