New Nokia T20 Tablet Arrives In India Before Diwali With Versatile Features For Learning, Entertainment And Work

●        Love it: Versatile features for all occasions – including long-lasting battery life, a crisp 2K screen and immersive OZO Audio and OZO Playback

●        Trust it: Experience the award-winning qualities of Nokia phones now in the tablet space

●        Keep it: Work, learn and play for longer thanks to premium Nordic quality and two years of OS upgrades for signature reliability

HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, has launched the new Nokia T20 tablet in India, at a promising value price starting INR 15,499. The tablet goes on sale in India in less than a month after its global launch. The tablet combines the signature attributes of Nokia phones in terms of design, build quality, unmatched battery life and for security updates and upgrades.

Nokia T20 marks the introduction of the brand-new T-series. Packed with long-lasting battery life that helps you excel at work and relax when it’s time to play, including crystal clear 2K screen, three years of monthly security updates and two years of free operating system (OS) upgrades.

Sanmeet Singh Kochhar, VP, HMD Global said: “At HMD, we keep a close track of the evolving requirements of consumers from a technology standpoint. We have witnessed that tablet usage has grown immensely in the past one year. This trend is clearly driven by the evolving use cases of remote working, online learning, video calls, content consumption on OTT platforms and social media usage. To meet these new requirements of consumers, we are excited to introduce our first Tablet, the Nokia T20, in India before the upcoming Diwali festival. The tablet comes with the signature promise of Nokia devices to provide unmatched user experience and quality.”

Trusted security and software expertise

The tablet will receive two years of Android OS upgrades, along with three years of monthly security updates to ensure that you have the peace of mind for the safety of your data. The Nokia T20 features Google Kids Space, a reliable kids-mode for children to explore apps, books and videos. Google Kids Space works in parallel with the child’s Google Account, which can be managed easily through Family Link parental controls[1].

The Nordic Design Legacy

The new Nokia T20 has a Nordic design with a simplified aesthetics, where every detail, edge and surface finish enables ease of usage. The solid metal body structure and polished 3D display frame attach the large display perfectly to the thin metal body, thus, adding to the durability.

Long-lasting battery life for unhindered work, learning and play

The Nokia T20 is powered by an 8200mAh[2] battery that can easily last for 15 hours of surfing the web[3], seven hours of conference calls, or 10 hours watching the latest films with the family. The tablet also comes with faster charging, to ensure that you don’t have to wait for long to resume your work, studies or play.

Immersive Viewing Experience

Nokia T20’s 2K display will provide a superlative viewing experience for the binge watchers and casual gamers. With the ongoing rise in video calls[4], Nokia T20 is perfectly suited to handle important business meetings or a group call with family and friends. Additionally, the tablet is also blue light certified so that you don’t strain your eyes.

Equipped with Stereo speakers and OZO Playback, the Nokia T20 will provide a truly immersive listening experience to you. And, with Dual Microphones, feel assured that you’ll be heard when you’re outdoor and noisy surroundings.

Reliable business partner

The Nokia T20 joins the broadest fleet of Android Recommended devices (AER) that meet Google’s strict enterprise requirements. It works in harmony with HMD Enable Pro, the enterprise mobility management solution designed for ease of use and managing deployed devices from its one-stop-shop interface.

Trusted partnership for best-in-class experiences

Spotify will give Nokia T20 owners access to 70 million tracks and 2.9 million podcasts out of the box.  See here for more details: Spotify partnership. 

Pricing and availability

The Nokia T20 is available in India in blue color and comes in Wi-Fi 3GB/32GB and Wi-Fi4GB/64GB[5] and Wi-Fi + LTE 4GB/64GB configurations starting at INR 15,499. The product will be available across leading offline retail stores and Nokia.com from today and on Flipkart by tomorrow. Attractive finance offers will be available across major consumer finance brands.

Airtel Rolls Out #5GforBusiness To Demonstrate 5G Use Cases For Enterprises

* To showcase transformational high speed & low latency network solutions for a range of industries in partnership with top companies

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s premier communications solutions provider, has rolled out #5GforBusiness initiative to demonstrate a wide range of enterprise grade use cases using high speed & low latency networks.

As part of #5GforBusiness, Airtel is joining forces with leading global consulting and technology companies such as Accenture, AWS, CISCO, Ericsson, Google Cloud, Nokia, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to work with industry leading brands such as Apollo Hospitals, Flipkart and several leading manufacturing companies to test 5G based solutions.

These solutions will be deployed on 5G test spectrum allotted to Airtel and include use cases like Smart Factory, Smart Healthcare, 5G powered Quality inspection, Digital Twin, connected frontline workforce and AR/VR based use cases amongst others.

The use case demonstrations will be conducted both at end-user locations and at Airtel’s advanced 5G lab in Network Experience Centre at Manesar (Gurgaon).

Randeep Singh Sekhon, CTO, Bharti Airtel says “The 5G ecosystem will open limitless possibilities for enterprises to enhance productivity and serve their customers even better with digitally enabled applications. We are delighted to work with our strategic technology partners and some of our enterprise customers to start testing real life 5G applications of the future. This also offers tremendous learnings across the value chain and lays a solid foundation for future application roadmap.”

Airtel is spearheading 5G in India. Earlier this year Airtel demonstrated India’s first 5G experience over a LIVE 4G network. It has also demonstrated India’s first rural 5G trial as well as the first cloud gaming experience on 5G.

Airtel is also spearheading the O-RAN Alliance initiatives in India to build 5G solutions. It has already announced partnerships with Tata Group, Qualcomm, Intel, Mavenir and Altiostar.

Click here to know more on Airtel’s #5GforBusiness initiative: www.airtel.in/5Gforbusiness

About Airtel

Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 474 Mn customers in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second largest mobile operator in Africa. Airtel’s retail portfolio includes high speed 4G/4.5G mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, streaming services spanning music and video, digital payments and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data centre services, cyber security, IoT, Ad Tech and cloud based communication. For more details visit www.airtel.com

EVRE And FreshWorld Join Hands To Support Dedicated EV Fleet

* Partnership to expand operations to 12 cities for 500 chargers for 1000-strong EV fleet

EVRE, one of India’s leading providers of electric vehicle (EV) charging integrated infrastructure, has partnered with Bengaluru-based fruits and vegetables retail company FreshWorld to provide electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions to fruit and vegetable vending e-carts in Bengaluru.

FreshWorld owns and operates a vast EV fleet for achieving the last-mile delivery of its products through the hub & spoke model, where EVRE will provide the charging and parking infrastructure to this extensive fleet in the cities of operations.

Announcing the partnership, Rajiv Rao, Founder and CEO FreshWorld said, “This partnership provides with the right domain support to manage our clean-mobility infrastructure, as we increase our focus to our customers, offerings and expansion.  Each extra charging hub will enable us with an opportunity to go farther into each territory using EVs and offer eco-friendly options of doorstep delivery of our products.  The only challenge being faced by a unique retailer like us was the support infrastructure to reach out to the wider audience.  With this hurdle out of way, we are looking forward to achieve our mission for pan-Indian operations while minimising our carbon footprint”.

Speaking about the partnership, Krishna K Jasti, Co-Founder and CEO of EVRE said, “It gives us pride in associating with a brand like FreshWorld that is utilizing the true benefits of clean-mobility for its core business.  This is another milestone in our journey as we are partner another important player in the EV ecosystem that mutually strengthens our 600-strong EV charging stations network across the country.  Backed by another partnership, we are firm and steadfast in our goal to achieve the 50,000 mark by end of 2023.”

During the first phase of long-term partnership, EVRE will support FreshWorld with 100 charging stations for its EV fleet of 150 EVs on Bengaluru.  EVRE will lease the land, provide the parking and charging infrastructure, operate & maintain, and take care of the insurance, safety and security of these hubs.  Over the next few months, as FreshWorld expands to new cities, EVRE will provide the support to park and charge this dedicated EV fleet with its existing and upcoming infrastructure at respective locations. 

The partnership is pegged to support a 1,000 strong EV fleet with 500 charging stations across 12 cities by 2022 Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and others. 

About FreshWorld: FreshWorld is a Retail start-up venturing into a 'Farm to Home' concept by organizing fruits and vegetables (FnV) retailing, in a distinctive street vending format employing eco-friendly delivery mechanisms using battery operated carts.  Going forward, FreshWorld plans to lease the e-carts rather than its earlier model of owning them. It is also launching an app through which customers can book their requirement of fruits and vegetables which will be delivered through the e-carts on their door step in a model that will become an on demand FnV delivery service. All billings are digital.FreshWorld will have an Unparalleled & Unrivalled capability of providing ‘Instant Gratification ‘with ‘Touch and Feel’ to customers who order on the FreshWorld App. Digital Order and Traditional Delivery will form a strong and differentiated business model and this initiative will help Freshworld in achieving its goal of being an innovative & disruptive FnV retailer.

About EVRE: EVRE is India’s leading integrated Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure company that follows EAAS (Energy-as-a-Service) model, offers public charging infrastructure in a pay-per-use model in nine cities across India.  EVRE is working towards enabling EV-ready communities and cities with sustainable Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure that are not only convenient but that prompts consumers to make the switch with ease. 

Founded in 2017, EVRE aims to enhance the experience of the EV users with smart and connected infrastructure for seamless and immersive consumer experience through its patented charging stations integrated with ComputerVision technology. EVRE is the only company in the world to integrate this technology with EV charging stations. EVRE is also ensuring sustainability through its solar powered Intellipoles which are solar street lights integrated with a hybrid charger compatible with 2, 3, and 4 wheelers, and an Air Quality Index system. The AQI Index will bank upon solar power as a symbol for the drive towards using clean energy systems through sustainable measures.

EVRE plans to establish and maintain 50,000 EV charging stations by 2023.

Samsung Bets Big On Premium Large Screen Televisions & Washing Machines In Bangalore

* Clocked 292% growth in 55-inch & above smart TVs while premium refrigerators and washing machines sales grew by 23% and 46% respectively in Karnataka

The festive season is the most exciting time for the year when people upgrade their homes to make it festive ready. Consumers in Karnataka are upgrading to Samsung’s big screen TVs, refrigerator and washing machines to equip their homes with latest technology.

Owing to this trend, Samsung, India’s largest and most trusted consumer electronics brand, saw 292% increase in 55 inch and above smart TVs, 23% growth in Frost Free Refrigerators above 350-litres and 46% growth in washing machines above 9 kg capacity, in the month of September. Overall, in Karnataka, Samsung has captured a significant market share of 26% for TVs, 32.4% for refrigerators and fastest growing for washing machines, thus, making Samsung the market leader in the refrigerator category.

‘‘Samsung provides retailers such as us and customers with unique value propositions, the best price, a great user experience, excellent customer service, super-fast delivery for the unique and innovative products. With increasing adoption for smart appliances and a positive consumer sentiment towards purchases, we believe that the festive sale numbers in 2021 will surpass last season’s festive sales levels,’’ said, Raj Kumar Pai, Managing Director, Pai International.

Samsung has a wide range of revolutionary premium and lifestyle TVs such as Neo QLED TV, QLED TVs, The Frame TV, The Serif TV, Crystal 4K UHD TVs that not just enhances your living room with its beautiful design but also offer exceptionally true-to-life picture and sound quality for a cinematic viewing experience.

Alongside, consumers are looking to buy high capacity, fully automatic washing machines such as Samsung Eco Bubble with Hygiene Steam feature to ensure high standards of cleaning and hygiene. This trend has been observed not only in big cities but in tier-II and tier-III cities as well as rural areas of Bangalore.

Consumers are also demanding high capacity refrigerators that offer additional food storage and enhance the aesthetics of their kitchens. To address the growing demand, Samsung recently launched BESPOKE French Door refrigerator lineup, available in 4-Door Flex Family Hub™ and 4-Door Flex French Door models, with a unique blend of personalised aesthetic and premium refrigeration. It not only offers design innovation but also technology innovations.

Samsung has seen strong growth pan India for its consumer electronics business and is expecting the overall sale to grow by 30% and sale of its premium category of TVs and digital appliances to grow by 65%, this festive season.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. 

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems and memory, system LSI, foundry, and LED solutions. For the latest news on Samsung India, please visit Samsung India Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com/in. For Hindi, log on to Samsung Newsroom Bharat at https://news.samsung.com/bharat. You can also follow us on Twitter @SamsungNewsIN

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Sells 12440 Units In October, Registering A 34% Growth Over Sales In September 2021

* Clocks a cumulative wholesales growth of 78% from January to October in 2021 when compared to the corresponding period last year

Toyota Kirloskar Motor today announced that the company sold a total of 12,440 in the month of October 2021, thereby clocking a growth of 34% when compared to the wholesales in September 2021. For reference, the company had sold a total of 9284 units in September 2021 and a total of 12,373 units in October 2020.

Commenting on the sales, Mr. V. Wiseline Sigamani, Associate General Manager(AGM), Sales and Strategic Marketing, TKM said, “Demand in the market has been robust in the last few months and this can be attributed to various factors besides pent up demand. Customer orders too have been on a constant rise, restoring normalcy in demand trends when compared to pre-Covid times.

In the month of October, we have been able to register a 34% growth when compared to our sales in September 2021. Our cumulative wholesales from January to October has also reported a growth of 78%, when compared to sales in the corresponding period last year. Our flagship models Innova Crysta & the Fortuner, continue to dominate their respective segments. The Toyota Vellfire too has been performing exceptionally well, reiterating customer’s confidence in the brand. The Glanza and the Urban Cruiser are garnering good booking orders and we are working towards immediately catering to the pending orders in these segments”.

Eco-Friendly ‘Sprouting’ Vegetable Seed Diya This Diwali From East-West Seed India

* Initiative to counter climate change

East-West Seed India has conceptualized a plantable seed diya on the occasion of Diwali this month. Under a special campaign titled ‘Yeh Diwali Seed Wali,’ these eco-friendly diyas have been designed with seeds of Butternut (Cucurbita moschata), and Bengal Yellow, Marigold - both are much-loved crop varieties from East-West Seed India. Butternut has a sweet, nutty taste similar to a pumpkin and a tan-yellow skin with orange fleshy pulp. It offers a good source of fiber, vitamin C & A, magnesium, and potassium.

“One of the biggest issues the world is addressing today is conserving the environment. Working towards a greener planet is one of the ways to achieve that. Everyone can contribute their bits to take forward this cause. We at East-West Seed also keep looking at opportunities to create awareness about going green. And therefore, this time, our team came up with this concept of Seed Diyas with the campaign of

‘Yeh Diwali Seed Wali.’ The thought behind these seed diyas is to kindle the interest in kitchen gardening to people of all ages. Diya for Diwali represents many auspicious things such as light, knowledge, purity, and new beginnings. Our biodegradable seed diya can be in your garden or in a pot, which can grow in plants. Keeping with the concept, the packaging materials used in seed diyas are also eco-friendly. Our associate who helped make this concept a reality is a start-up that trains rural women in making these diyas. We have distributed these as gifts to all our partners,” said Sanjay Gahilot, Director, Marketing of East-West Seed India.

About East-West Seed India:

East-West Seed is a global leader in the tropical vegetable seeds market with three and a half decades of experience in breeding, producing, and delivering high-quality vegetable seeds. Founded by Dr. Simon Groot, winner of the World Food Prize 2019, East-West Seed is ranked #1 in the 2019 Global Access to Seed Index, which recognizes the commitment and performance in providing the World's smallholder farmers access to quality seeds.

Diwali Crackers: Eyecare Precautions To Be Taken While Bursting Crackers

By Dr. Satya Prasad Balki, M.S  F.C.A.S (AEH), Consultant ophthalmologist

MaxiVision eye hospitals

With our country achieving the fabulous milestone of a billion Covid shots administered, waning Covid case numbers, a bull run in the stock markets, tourism picking up again, a general sense of euphoria and relief, one can only say that the festive season is truly upon us, and we can expect it to be a -‘Dhamaka’ Diwali!

Diwali is probably the biggest festival in our country and with the stress and toll that Covid put us through last year, I am sure people want to spare no excuse in indulgence this time around. Diwali is one of the busiest and stressful times for an eye doctor and for good reason, a kitchen running overtime, lamps, lightings, and fireworks-well there’s a recipe for disaster if there ever was! While I am all in for the celebrations, I also would like my readers to exercise caution.

Hazardous injuries to any part of our body are quite common and can range from mild to severe burns, as an eye doctor I would like to draw your attention to the eye injuries that can occur and safety precautions to be followed.

Our body has an instinctive mechanism to close the eyes shut when it expects an injury but sometimes it's not adequate. If we look at the structure of the eye, the outermost part Called the cornea is transparent and allows light to enter the eye and give vision, it is similar to watch glass and any kind of trauma to it usually leaves a permanent scar which results in diminished vision. The eye is a round structure with an inherent pressure within it which keeps it in this shape, any penetrating trauma seen in callous and close proximity to fireworks causes rupture of these tissues and is often difficult to treat.

Hot oil from the lamps or while cooking can fall in the eyes and cause scalding of the superficial layers of the eye, electrical burn injuries from faulty wiring and lights can cause thermal burn injuries. Of all fireworks can cause the most damage, as they are akin to the effects of a blast injury albeit on a smaller scale, Injuries to the eye vary from small foreign body to severe penetrating injury requiring immediate surgical intervention.

Here’s the first aid guide you can follow-

In mild cases as in hot oil or foreign body, Wash the eye thoroughly by splashing copious amounts of clean drinking water, alternately you can use a shallow cup of water close to the eye and blink repeatedly.

Consult your eye doctor to remove the foreign body and prescribe appropriate medications.

In severe bleeding cases with direct impact to eyes with fireworks, wash eye with clean water, cover the eye with a clean cotton pad or towel, do not apply any pressure, and consult an eye doctor immediately as it may require surgical intervention.

Precautions to be taken-

·         Use protective eyewear, maintain a safe distance, and keep utensils above waist level while cooking.

·         While lighting fireworks, maintain a safe distance after lighting, use a face shield, easily available nowadays thanks to Covid.

·         DO NOT handle live fireworks or fling them in the air.

·         Adult supervision is a must for Children around fireworks.

·         Always keep a bucket of water close by.

·         Motorists should be careful and wear a helmet as many people light fireworks on the road.

·         Do not try to self-medicating and use readily available drops at home, give appropriate first aid and consult your eye doctor.

Conforming to the old adage ‘’prevention is better than cure’’ it is best to be cautious and avoid such scenarios altogether. Health, wealth, and happiness, wishing it all in abundance!!

Wish you a safe and happy Diwali!