EjeeInfo

Hybrid Froyo Tablet

2012-10-04T06:16:00.003+05:30

What is HYBRID Froyo Tablet?

Android tablet pc with Android Froyo 2.2 as an OS (operating system) but with higher, modified, customized and UPGRADED software to have better performance. Android is an Open Source software based in LINUX, anyone can modify it, you just have to be very careful, know the risks, trial and errors, until you make it perfect. There is no such thing as ‘FAKE Operating System’.

Why HYBRID froyo?

All concerns from a normal, regular STOCK froyo tablet were solved with the HYBRID froyo tablet: battery life, touch screen, speed, wifi, GOOGLE LICENSED, access to a REAL ANDROID Apps Market, etc.

How to upgrade the tablet into HYBRID Froyo?

Upgrading or developing the software is not just plug and play, it takes time, effort and money making it perfect since apad or android tablets have different parts, brands and models, there are more than 50++ models of apads or android tablets – so many things to consider before upgrading. Its risky!. Keep in mind that tablets might be the same physically, but the software installed inside in each tablet is different, the SOFTWARE that Cheap Dito used to produce the HYBRID versions is very much DIFFERENT from a STOCK FROYO. It's already their 3rd version -- meaning it's tested, proven and in fact, their employees are using it personally before releasing.

"Developers like Cheap Dito spent time to gather all details and infos from a 3rd party, PLUS added/ developed their OWN SOFTWARE, then combined it with the 3rd party software to make the tablet PERFECT before releasing." **There were sellers/users who tried to upgrade their units but disappointingly FAILED TO MAKE IT PERFECT and were UNSUCCESSFUL, in effect the applications of their upgraded units like wifi, or touch screen, battery life, and some other apps failed to perform well. That is why some of them said NEGATIVE FEEDBACKS about Hybrid Tablets or upgraded Tablets, they went back in marketing STOCK Froyo instead.

Is it true that if I'll reformat the HYBRID tablet, it will go back to its original state as STOCK Froyo tablet?

Definitely NO, the software or Hybrid OS will NOT BE ERASED. It has been upgraded already, it will still be HYBRID Froyo Tablet. That's why Cheap Dito called it as 'HYBRID' meaning upgraded, nothing will happen, the Operating System or software which is the 'Froyo Hybrid' is still there, the performance and appearance are still the same.

NPS beats Provident Funds which delivers 9.33% average returns

2012-10-03T14:55:00.000+05:30

In India 16 lakh central and state government employees have almost Rs 8,500 crore invested in the NPS((New Pension Scheme). This money is managed by three pension fund managers – SBI Pension Funds, LIC Pension Fund and UTI Retirement Solutions. Each of the three funds manages roughly one-third of the NPS corpus.

NPS(New Pension Scheme) managers who are handling the pension funds of Central and state government employees have delivered average returns of 9.33% in the past one year, outperforming the state-run government provident fund (GPF), employees provident fund (EPF) and the public provident fund (PPF).

The three-year annualised returns are also quite decent at 8.47%, though not as spectacular as in the past one year. Though three years is a very short time to judge long-term instruments such as pension funds, the impressive performance is likely to silence the criticism that NPS is not allocating enough to growthassets. Central and state government

NPS funds can invest a maximum of 15% in equities. Even in NPS for the general public, where investors can choose their own asset allocation, a maximum of 50% can be put in equities. The Pension Funds Regulatory and Development Authority has defended this conservative allocation saying that pension funds should not have a large exposure to risky assets.

MicroSoft Outlook Is A New Competitor To Gmail

2012-08-02T14:14:00.000+05:30

Mention Outlook, and people usually think about the e-mail client that's bundled with Microsoft Office. However, it seems that Microsoft is aiming to redesign Outlook by setting up a new, web-based e-mail service that will take on the likes of Gmail and could phase out Hotmail in the process.

A post on the official Microsoft Outlook Blog states, “We’re introducing a preview of Outlook.com. We realized that we needed to take a bold step, break from the past and build you a brand new service from the ground up. You already know Outlook via the Outlook desktop application - for PCs and Macs - as the world's most popular application for reading e-mail, managing a calendar, and connecting to people. And you may have used the Outlook Web App connected to Exchange Server in your organization. Now, in addition to a desktop application and a service for businesses, we're offering Outlook as a personal email service - Outlook.com.”

Inbox gets cleaned up, Since this e-mail service is built from the ground up, there are several new features that will simplify the user experience without the banners and advertisements that have become quite annoying on Hotmail. Outlook.com aims to clean up the inbox interface and integrate the e-mail client with a range of social networking features.

Commenting on the re-designed inbox, Microsoft states, “Today's inbox is about more than just exchanging mail with the people you know; 50% of the e-mail in a typical inbox is newsletters and another 20% is social network updates. This is part of the reason our inboxes are overloaded and we often feel it's a chore to "do e-mail". Outlook.com automatically sorts your messages from contacts, newsletters, shipping updates, and social updates, and with our Sweep features you can move, delete and set up powerful rules in a few, simple clicks so you can more quickly get to the e-mail you really want.”

Apart from this, Outlook.com also comes equipped with free Office Web Apps such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote. With these features on board, users can view and edit attachments without having to leave their inbox. Outlook.com also comes with SkyDrive.
On the social networking front, the service connects with various sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. If a person in one’s contact list updates their profile picture or information, the updated information gets automatically synced with a user’s contact list. Outlook.com also filters all social networking emails into a separate folder, which helps in maintaining a clean user experience. One can also chat with their Facebook contacts from within the e-mail service itself. Microsoft states, “We saw an opportunity to make e-mail better by using your connections on social networks to enrich your e-mail experience. And so, with the Outlook.com preview, we are giving you the first e-mail service that is connected to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google, and soon, Skype, to bring relevant context and communications to your e-mail.”

Click o get started with MICROSOFT OUTLOOK. A user can also use their existing Microsoft user ID by heading over to Hotmail and clicking the upgrade feature. Microsoft goes on to state, “Once you're using Outlook.com, you can also set it up on your phone (Windows Phone, iPhone, Android, Blackberry, or other phone), tablet (Windows 8, iPad, and Android), in the new Outlook 2013 Preview, or in other mail apps you might use. And because Outlook.com supports Exchange ActiveSync, you can set it up just like you would your Exchange or Hotmail account.” For more information for setup process click on this SET UP.
Source:Tech2.in.com

Gold Plays Important Role in Indians Life and having Huge Demand

2012-06-29T07:20:00.000+05:30

Gold is the most important parts of an Indian's life while it comes to glorifying any type of festival or occasion. It is a matter of concern for lots of Indian families now that gold price has surged continuously to such a point where it becomes difficult to buy gold.

Perceiving the difficulty of Indians, various companies have come up with gold jewellery schemes to lure the jewellery buyers. The gold jewellery companies offer schemes like out of 12 installments pay for just 11 installments and rest one installment would be paid by the company. You'll own the gold jewellery after the completion of the tenure.

Example Mrs. Ramya from Delhi wanted to buy 20 grams gold for investment, but she had less money to spend. The jeweler offered a scheme under which she could buy the gold jewellery after one year at a prevailing market rate after paying 12 monthly installments. She also got the offer that the 12th installment would be paid by the jeweler himself after she completes the 11 installment on time. It means for Rs 60000 jewellery, she had to pay Rs 55000 in 11 months, and Rs 5000 will be paid by the jeweler. She thought it was a good option as anyways, she wanted to buy the gold for investment; here she would get the jewellery which would be even better as she can put it on for parties.

Benefit of Gold jewellery Scheme The only benefit that a buyer gets in this type of scheme is buying in installments and keeping money intact for this objective. From a buyer's point of view, this type of scheme has more to lose than to gain.

Why not to buy gold under the jewellery scheme? and the following are the limitations of buying gold through this scheme

>> The installment paid, can be used only to buy the jewellery, and it cannot be redeemed against gold biscuit or coins. The jewellery also carries the making charges, and its purity is lesser than the biscuit or coin. So if we compare 10 grams gold biscuit to gold jewellery, then buyer would gain if he chooses the gold biscuit. Let's check the comparison: Details Gold Jewellery Gold Biscuit Quantity 10 Grams 10 Grams Purity 22 K 24 K Making Charges Up to Rs 30/Gram Nil Resale Value Lower due to impurity Full Return Value

>> The buyer is under an obligation to the seller to purchase the gold at the prevailing market rate. If at the time of booking jewellery, the gold rate is Rs 2800/gram but after the completion of installments, the rate increased to Rs 3000/grams, then buyer has to pay Rs 2000 extra for every 10 grams due to change in price of gold.

>> If the main purpose of a buyer is to invest, then buying jewellery is not a wise choice. The jewellery is not made of 24 carat gold, and it also carries some making charges, so the return value of jewellery would be much less when compared to gold coin, biscuit or bars. Other attractive options to buy gold in installments The buyers have many other options to buy gold at a cheaper cost and at a better quality. Some of the options include:

>> If the buyer wants to buy gold after 12 months under the installment pattern, then it would be a better option if he buys Gold ETF in the stock market every month and averages out the inconsistency. He can also buy it in E-Gold format (National spot exchange) where he can buy as low as 1 gram gold. After 12 months, he can sell the gold in electronic form and buy the gold jewellery from the proceedings, or if he wants to carry it longer then he can keep it in the DEMAT A/c.

>> If the buyer wants to invest in a coin or bar, then he also has the option to put the money every month in a recurring deposit account for 12 months and earn interest on the money and buy gold with the maturity proceedings. The basic flaw in the gold jewellery scheme is that jewelers not only earn interest on the buyer's installment but also sell the jewellery after earning a handsome margin. For 20 grams gold jewellery, he earns Rs 600 making charge and sells 22 carat gold at rate of 24 carat gold. So he earns approx 8% extra by selling gold of 22 carat purity. For jewelers, this scheme is a win-win situation as he gets the chance to sell his product, and at the same time he earns interest on the customer's installment whereas buyers, who cannot distinguish whether they are buying gold as jewellery or as an investment, are always set to lose out in this type of deal.

Source: Economic Times

7 Ways TO SPEND YOUR BONUS

2012-06-17T17:42:00.000+05:30

It is that time of the year when many salaried people get their annual performance bonuses. Many of us may have already chalked out plans to use this surplus. Before you blow it away, consider these options. Choose the one that best suits your financial circumstances and life stage.

1. PREPAY YOUR HOME LOAN

If you have a home loan, use the bonus money to make a partial prepayment. Even though there is a strong possibility of interest rates coming down, it makes no sense to be paying 10-10.5% on your home loan.

But make sure you bring down your loan term and not the EMI. You can save big this way. A prepayment of Rs 50,000 shaves more than 2 years off a 20 year loan of Rs 10 lakh at 10.5%. What's more, the RBI has now abolished prepayment penalty.

2. START SAVING TO BUY A HOUSE

Real estate prices are high but are likely to plateau now. If you look around, you might be able to land a good deal. Put the money in a debt fund. It will come handy when you go shopping for a house.

If you have saved enough, a bigger down payment will allow you to dictate terms to the seller. Besides, you will have to take a smaller loan, which means a shorter tenure or a lower EMI.

3. BUILD AN EMERGENCY FUND

The economy is not in a good shape. What if you lose your job? Or there is a medical emergency? You cannot prevent these events, but at least you can be prepared to deal with them. Build a contingency fund that can be accessed at short notice.

Experts say you need to have an emergency fund to cover at least 4-6 months' expenses. Put the money in a debt mutual fund or a sweep-in bank account.

4. REVIEW YOUR INSURANCE COVER

When was the last time you figured out your insurance needs? The life insurance policy you took five years ago may not be enough to cover your family's needs today. Runaway inflation would have chewed up its purchasing power. Use the bonus money to buy more insurance if your liabilities have increased.

Take a term plan with an annual payment mode. If you do not have financial discipline, buy a single premium plan. But this is costlier because it requires you to pay the entire amount upfront.

5. START SIP IN AN EQUITY FUND

The markets are looking shaky and could slip once again. The best way to invest in such a situation is to opt for a monthly SIP in a good quality equity fund. How do you do that with a lumpsum amount? Simple, invest in a debt fund and then start a systematic transfer plan in an equity fund from the same fund house.

This is better than keeping the money in the bank because instead of 4%, it has the potential to earn 9-10% in the debt fund as it waits to shifts to equity every month.

6. BUY GOLD JEWELLERY

Notwithstanding what doomsayers have to say about gold, the yellow metal has a bright future. Prices are expected to climb up because of the rising inflation and growing uncertainty. It may not give the spectacular 25-30% returns it has given in the past 3-4 years, but could easily churn out 12-15% over the next one year.

We would advise you to buy some gold jewellery instead of gold ETFs. Sure, it is costlier than gold ETFs because of the 15-20% making charges. But then your wife can't wear gold funds to a party, can she?

7. UPGRADE TO A CNG VEHICLE

If you drive extensively and run up a huge bill, maybe it's time to switch to a CNG car. The running cost of a CNG car is Rs 1-1.5 per km compared with Rs 3 for diesel cars and Rs 4-5 for petrol cars.

Junk your clunky old guzzler and use the bonus as a downpayment for your new CNG car. It will cost you a bit but the savings in fuel will soften the impact of the EMI.

Source: Economic Times

Mobile Money Transfer

2012-06-15T22:15:00.002+05:30

You must have watched the mobile money commercials on TV channels. These advertisements tell you that you can transfer money to your loved ones, make bill payments and even shop using your mobile phone. The noise is going to get louder in the coming days as many banks and telecom companies are betting big on mobile-based payment options.
Typically you need a bank account to avail of mobile banking services, but companies like Airtel Money, Oxigen and Obopay are offering mobile payment options for even individuals without a bank account.
The Mobile Wallet
Mobile-enabled payment mechanisms eliminate the need for opening a bank account, benefiting millions of individuals who wish to transfer funds or pay utility bills. Such transactions are subject to RBI's guidelines for semi-closed prepaid instruments.
Mobile wallets issued by banks and non-banking entities are subject to RBI's guidelines for prepaid instruments. Non-banking entities can issue semi-closed prepaid instruments that allow you to make payments for goods and services as well as money transfer to bank accounts. Banks, on the other hand, can issue prepaid instruments, including mobile wallets, that can be used by recipients to withdraw money via business corres- pondents appointed by banks.

The maximum value of a wallet cannot exceed Rs 50,000 and this sum can be used for purchasing goods and services. But, in case of person-to-person money transfer, the per-transaction limit is set at Rs 5,000, and Rs 25,000 per month. "The customer can use 'mobile wallets' either directly after loading cash or through authorised retailers, functioning as business correspondents to banks, who will help them execute the transactions. Airtel Money, Oxicash, UBI Money and SBI MobiCash are examples of customers transacting directly by loading cash into the 'mobile wallets' at designated outlets/branches," says Sunil Kulkarni, deputy managing director, Oxigen, a mobile payment service provider.
You need to pay a nominal initial registration fee prescribed and submit identity documents to complete the know-your-customer (KYC) procedure. Thereafter, you can use the funds to transfer money to your friends and family, pay utility bills, recharge your cell phone/TV, book railway or movie tickets, pay insurance premiums and so on. Most service providers offer mobile wallets and these services on all kinds of mobile handsets – basic (on the SMS platform), JAVA-enabled/Android/iPhone using GPRS and so on. The RBI-mandated two-factor authentication, which is applicable to mobile wallets too, ensures that your balance in the wallet cannot be misused even if you happen to lose the phone.
Effecting withdrawals
While paying utility bills using a mobile wallet is a fairly simple exercise, remitting money is slightly more complex. As of today, the central bank does permit withdrawals using semi-closed mobile wallets. That's the reason they are termed semi-closed instruments. While the sender need not maintain a bank account, the recipient has to have one to make withdrawals, which can be done through bank's branches or ATMs. However, in case of mobile wallets issued by banks, they can also withdraw using the services of business correspondents (BC), wherever possible.
Advantage unbanked individuals
Clearly, mobile wallets offer a lot of convenience to individuals without a bank account. However, given that they still have to visit the designated bank branches or retail outlets to load cash, wouldn't they be better off visiting say a utility's bill collection centre directly? "While a utility company may maintain 30 or 50 collection centres in a city, the number of retail outlets facilitating mobile wallet-based services runs into thousands.
Besides, unlike the utilities' own dedicated collection centres, such mobile payments are not bound by day/time constraints," says Kulkarni. Migrant workers sending money to their relatives through another individual or post office money order service could also find them useful. Neel Chowdhury, CMO & VP, Obopay, adds: "Since customers can use cash to load their mobile wallets, anyone can have an account. Once a sufficient amount of cash is loaded, customers save on time and travel costs as they don't have to visit outlets to pay bills or drop cheques."
Utility value for banked customers
Mobile payment may be a great tool for empowering unbanked individuals, but what is the significance of such services for individuals who maintain bank accounts and have access to Internet banking services? "Many banked customers do not have access to computers with Internet connections, but they do have access to mobile phones. Also, not all customers have GPRS activated on their phones and incurring Internet rental expenses only to pay bills is not cost-effective either," says Chowdhury.
Accountholders can also use mobile wallets to fund transactions of their children studying in other cities. It is a better alternative to cash as it helps you keep track of their spending pattern. Then, there are perceived security concerns that mobile wallet could put to rest. "If you are using your bank account to transact, you would be subjecting the entire balance in your account to cyber frauds, like phishing. Many people are hesitant to provide all their details on the Net as they do not wish to expose their bank balance to such perceived risks. In case of mobile wallets, such risk is limited to the value loaded, which ensures convenience and peace of mind," adds Kulkarni of Oxigen.
However, there is little doubt that bank accountholders, particularly those comfortable with Internet banking, may prefer to rely on channels and systems provided by their bank. Therefore, such instruments carry higher utility value for individuals without a bank account as these ensure that making payments become a simpler affair.
Source:Investmentkit

Sleep More, You Need More Sleep

2012-06-14T15:33:00.000+05:30

If you have been having memory problems, loss of appetite and are perpetually feeling sick, those are the warning signs: You need more sleep!

No longing for lunch Sleep deprivation can take a toll of your appetite. Once you mess up your body clock with irregular sleeping cycle, you tend to eat at random hours. Owing to all of this, your body is never hungry at the right time. You can either grain or lose a noticeable amount of weight because of this.

Constantly irritated Is the noise from your co-worker’s keyboard enough for you to start hating him? A tiny thing that does not go your way just puts you off and ruins your day? Otherwise calm and quiet, you can become extremely restless and constantly worked up due to lack of sleep. And if not watched, you can put a lot of your good relationships in jeopardy. If these situations sound familiar to you, we suggest you meditate in the morning to stay calm and patient through the day.

Short attention span Social media, smartphones, television and your superfast life has anyway affected your attention span. And sleeplessness simply adds up to this. There are chances that you keep forgetting your belongings like car keys, wallets or even try finding your glasses while they are actually right on your nose! Lack of sleep affects your concentration badly.

Sleep on the wheel Drinking reduces your ability to concentrate and reduces your response rate, now you know why not to drink and drive! In exactly the same way, lack of sleep reduces the ability to respond spontaneously. After a hectic day at work with back to back meetings and over-exposure to the computer your eyes need adequate amount of sleep. So, if you find yourself holding on against falling asleep behind the wheel, it's time you attend to you body's dire need for sleep.

Subconscious sickness Are you your doctor’s pet? Your immune system bails out on you if you don’t treat your body with a minimum seven hours of sleep? Because of this, you will always be prone to flu, headaches, nausea and body ache. So keep the intake of your power foods right and along with it get a good night of sleep.

Junk Food, Want to Cut Down Junk Food

2012-06-13T09:59:00.001+05:30

Couch implies that your hand will spend less time digging into a bag of chocolate chip cookies.That is a simple but profound finding of a new Northwestern Medicine study, which reports that changing one bad habit has a domino effect on others.

Knocking down the sedentary leisure time will mean that you're no longer glued to the TV and noshing, which will automatically transform into a cut down on the amount of the junk food and saturated fats consumed. Moreover, it's a two-for-one benefit because the behaviors are closely related.The study also found that the most effectual way to rehab a delinquent lifestyle requires two key behavior changes.
One is cutting time spent in front of a TV or computer screen and other is eating more fruits and vegetables.

Aviva Life Insurance Policy Details Through SMS

2012-06-11T11:22:00.002+05:30

Policy details now on your finger-tips, sms +91 (0) 9880102266

In keeping with our commitment to providing superior service to our valued customers, Aviva is proud to announce a unique facility, whereby you can access your policy details through sms.

Type the 'Keyword' Space 'Policy number'

(for e.g. POLSTAT LLG1012345) Send it to +91 (0) 9880102266

You will receive a response on the same number with the requested information. To avail of this service, your cell-phone number needs to match the number in company records. To update your numbers or for any additional queries, please contact their toll-free number at 1800-180-2266 (Monday to Saturday, 8am to 10 pm)

SMS Keywords

Key Words Description

POLSTAT Current policy status

PDDATE Due date of the next premium amount

SA Sum assured of the policy

FPAMT First premium amount paid

RPAMT Policy’s total renewal amount paid to-date

NAV Fund NAVs (Net Asset Value) of the policy

FUNITS Fund units of the policy

FVAL Total fund value of the policy

PAMT Premium amount due on the policy

Contrafunds, What Are Contrafunds

2012-06-11T11:13:00.002+05:30

The ‘majority wins’ phrase could also be relevant in case of investors, where herd mentality is quite common, and in some cases—has been the one of the reasons for creation of various market bubbles witnessed in the past.On the other hand, we have another school of thought, which believes in ‘contrarian-investing’ and considers that herd-mentality among investors can lead to imbalances in the market place. Based on this style of investing is the contra fund (short form for contrarian).

What are contra funds?

As the name suggests, contra funds take a ‘contrarian’ view on equities. Generally speaking, a contra fund is just another type of an equity mutual fund that has a contrarian view to investment which is supposed to be the opposite of the view that regular mutual funds’ take.

A contra fund is one that invests in stocks that are ‘out-of-favour’ with investors and are being sold or avoided by them but have the potential to provide good returns in the long term.In the long run, it has been seen that market price of a stock tends to reflect its underlying fundamental strengths. In the short term, however, negative perceptions and market sentiments may affect stock prices of good companies. There could be fundamentally strong companies which could trade at prices significantly lower than their intrinsic values. Contrarian investing refers to the strategy of identifying and investing in such stocks and waiting for the market to realise their true values.

According to Pankaaj Maalde, head-financial planning, Apnapaisa.com, contra fund invests in under performing stocks or sectors which are likely to perform good in the coming years. Fund manager takes a contrarian view against the current market trend. Some of the contra funds are ING Contra, Kotak Contra, L&T Contra, SBI Magnum Contra, Religare Contra, Tata Contra and UTI Contra.

Investing strategy

The fund manager picks underperforming stocks or sectors, which are likely to perform well in the long run, at cheap valuations. A contra fund takes into account the intrinsic reinvestment-or-bonus-option-in-mutual-funds/”title=”" >growth potential of a stock since the current price may not reflect the actual value. Hence, the aim is to tap the price advantage by investing in stocks which are not very popular investment destinations and thus increase the prospects of outperformance.

How to choose a contra fund?

The factors which we consider while selecting contra funds are different from the selection criteria of a regular diversified equity fund. Investors must look at the mandate of the fund and the themes it invests in. They should also check the past performance of the fund manager, his experience in managing mutual funds or contra funds and the themes he invests in.

How are these funds taxed?

If you sell the units in less than a year, the returns are taxed at 15%. If you hold them for over a year, the gains are tax-free. Mr Maalde adds, 'Securities transaction tax (STT) is levied at the time of redemption of units which is 0.2% at present and no STT is levied at the time of purchase of units.”

Remember, when you invest in contra funds, you need to have a long-term perspective.

NATA 3 Day Telugu Sambaralu From June 29

2012-06-11T06:39:00.001+05:30

With an aim to serve the growing needs of thousands of people of Telugu origin living in there, the North American Telugu Association (NATA) is organising a three-day convention in Houston, Texas, on June 29, 30 and July 1.
The convention would have business meetings, cultural events, social interactions and dinners serving exclusive Telugu cuisine, member of the convention committee Gurram Srinivas Reddy told mediapersons here on Saturday.The entire 2 million square feet of George R Brown Convention Centre has been reserved for the ‘Telugu Sambaralu'. A number of representatives of the government, officials, politics, entertainment and other industries from the State are expected to participate, he added.There are no differences with other association representing Telugus in the United States of America, Mr Reddy said.
Focus
The NATA was focusing on bringing together the youth of Telugu origin and help them retain their links with the rich culture and tradition.Such conventions would also help the youth socialise, share information and build networks, another member of NATA, C. Prasad, said.The NATA has been working in tandem with engineering colleges in the State by organising senior faculty from the US to take classes here.

IRDA New Rules on Helath Insurance

2012-06-10T15:03:00.000+05:30

Following the Bombay High Court order in December last year, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Irda) had promised to release draft guidelines to protect health insurance policy holders' interest and bring more transparency into the system.

Last week, the insurance regulator proposed certain norms, which could bring about the much-needed standardisation in the health insurance space. While some of the norms are already in place, there are also several fresh proposals. Here's a look at the newer ones:

Measure: 30-day deadline for claim settlement

Impact: You can take insurers to task if the claim is not processed within 30 days of submitting the required documents. "While it was part of Irda (Protection of Policyholders' Interest) Regulations, 2002, it never found a mention in insurance policy documents.

Henceforth, it will have to be included in the policy documents," explains civic activist Gaurang Damani, who had filed the public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court demanding that regulations be framed for the health insurance sector. Irda's undertaking to devise draft guidelines was a fallout from this case.

Measure: Specific reason required for claim denial

Impact: Since the insurance company has to give the reason for rejecting a claim in writing, it could bring down the instances of claim repudiation on flimsy grounds.

Measure: Insurers to pay hospitals directly

Impact: Payments will become smooth. "In cases where the cheques for claim settlement were issued by the third-party administrators (TPA), payments used to be often delayed. Besides, it was difficult to ascertain whether the TPA had passed on the entire claim amount approved by the insurer to the claimant," says Damani.

Measure: Contribution clause will not come into play in the case of multiple policies

Impact: Policyholders with two or more indemnity-based policies can make optimum use of their total coverage. Until now, claim made on two policies was split between the two insurers in the ratio of the sum insured. "The policyholder will have the option of choosing the insurer with whom the claim is to be settled," says Amarnath Ananthanarayanan, CEO, Bharti-AXA General Insurance.

Measure: Standardisation of cumulative (no-claim) bonus

Impact: Better understanding of the benefits for every claim-free year.

Irda has asked insurers to state its workings of the same explicitly in the policy document. It has also laid down norms for withdrawing this benefit in the event of a claim. The no-claim bonus can be rolled back at the rate at which it was offered or it can be included in the sum insured after charging the premium applicable to this additional cover.

Measure: No arbitrary hikes in premiums

Impact: No more nasty surprises at the time of renewal. Insurers can hike premiums only after explaining the reasons for it to Irda. They will have to justify it on the basis of the preceding three years' claims experience, expected claims experience and the rationale for the proposed pricing.

Measure: Loading policies to be more transparent

Impact: You will know the likely premium increase in advance.

If an individual's claims in each of the three consecutive policy years (except the current one) exceed 500% of the current premium, the insurer can hike the premium as per the pre-determined table disclosed at the time of issuing the policy. This step will benefit policyholders immensely," says Segar Sampath Kumar, DGM, New India Assurance.

Measure: Rewards for good claim record and continued renewals

Impact: You can hope for an enhanced cover or discounts on premiums for low claims and renewing the policy without fail.

Measure: Part-reimbursement of pre-insurance check-up expenses

Impact: Non-life insurers may have to reimburse at least 50% of the cost for check-ups conducted before issuing the policy.

Tablet PC - Wicked Leak Wammy 7 Android ICS tablet PC yet another low budget tablet in India

2012-06-10T15:02:00.000+05:30

Wicked Leak Wammy 7 tablet PC details
Wammy 7 tablet PC launch date in India - Available (June 2012)
Wammy 7 ICS Tablet PC cost - Rs. 5,249
Markets - Available in New Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai

Wammy 7 low budget tablet what it has?
India currently filled with lumps of low budget tablets. All started due to the launch as Aakash tablet. After Aakash Indian tablet PC manufactures like Micromax, iberry, Mercury, iBall, BSNL and Reliance produced low budget Tablet PC. Every month there will be atleast one low end Tablet PC release. WickedLeak continuously released low budget Tablets and now Wammy 7 joins the line.

Wammy 7 is a 7 inch Tablet PC made obviously targeting students who searches for budget tablet. Wammy 7 features Android ICS version latest version of Android available in market. This tablet got fast and best processor clocked with 1.2GHz ARM Cortex A10. And the RAM is fed with 512 MB DDR3 RAM. If you need to spend your time by viewing 1080p HD videos then this tablet makes you the best. To make this tablet alive this uses 3,800 mAh li-Pol battery which is capable to withstand 7 hours without usage of internet connections. You can store data using the microSD card slot which is expandable upto 32GB.

Wicked Leak Wammy key specification:

Android ICS
1.2GHz ARM Cortex A10 runs Tablet without glitch
Ports available : USB, HDMI
Capacitive 5 point touchscreen
400MHz GPU runs the graphics well

You can purchase this tablet which is available at its original site.

mHealth Improves Cost And Quality Of HealthCare

2012-06-10T15:00:00.001+05:30

The union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, last year, announced an initiative to track 26 million pregnant women through mobile phones to ensure their babies receive the full repertoire of immunizations. Using the mobile technology the government wanted to ensure better health for the newborns.Not only is the Indian government slowly gearing towards adopting mobile health (mHealth) but a global study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers also found that 60% Indian consumers predicted that in the next three years, mHealth would improve convenience, cost and quality of healthcare.

India, which has the world's second-largest mobile phone user population base with over 900 million subscribers, showed keenness towards adopting mHealth (mobile health). About 52% of all participants said that mHealth application would make healthcare convenient, 48% said mHealth applications would improve quality of services and 46% believed that it would reduce overall healthcare costs, primarily travel.

The survey conducted on 1000 participants by Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) showed that consumers are ready to adopt mobile health faster than the health industry is prepared to adapt.About 50% consumers said that mHealth would change the way they managed chronic conditions, their medication (48%), and overall health (49%).The top three reasons consumers said they wanted to use mHealth was to have more convenient access to their doctor or healthcare provider (46%), to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs (43%) and to take greater control over their lives (32%).While the consumers want to take charge of their lives using mhealth, the physicians think otherwise, with 42% of the doctors surveyed worrying that mHealth will make patients too independent.

Payers (insurance providers, government) appeared to be far more supportive of mHealth than physicians. The survey shows that 40% payers compared to 25% physicians encourage patients to let doctors monitor their health using Mhealth services and devices. "In emerging markets like India healthcare is less constrained by infrastructure and entrenched interests. Consumers are more likely to use mobile devices and mHealth applications," said Dr Rana Mehta, healthcare leader, PWC India."Ten years ago, who could have thought of mobile banking but it is a reality today and similarly mobile health will be reality in the near future," he said.

New Mutual Funds - Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund Launches 4 New FMP Funds

2012-06-09T14:41:00.000+05:30

Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund has launched four new funds named as Birla Sun Life Short Term FMP – Series 35, Birla Sun Life Short Term FMP – Series 36, Birla Sun Life Short Term FMP – Series 37 and Birla Sun Life Short Term FMP – Series 38, close ended income schemes. The New Fund Offer (NFO) price for the scheme is Rs. 10 per unit. The new issue opening and closing dates are as follows.

Name of Plan	NFO Opening Date	NFO Closing Date	Duration
Birla Sun Life Short Term FMP – Series 35	4 June 2012	11 June 2012	182 days
Birla Sun Life Short Term FMP – Series 36	4 June 2012	11 June 2012	91 days
Birla Sun Life Short Term FMP – Series 37	4 June 2012	18 June 2012	269days
Birla Sun Life Short Term FMP – Series 38	4 June 2012	18 June 2012	91 days

The investment objective of the schemes is to generate income by investing in a portfolio of fixed income securities maturing on or before the duration of the schemes. The schemes will have only dividend and growth option. Further, dividend option shall have only payout facility. Default option will be growth. Minimum subscription amount under the scheme will be Rs. 5,000 per application and in multiples of Rs. 10 thereafter. The fund seeks to collect a minimum subscription (minimum target) amount of Rs. 20 crore under each scheme during the NFO period. Entry load and exit load charge will be nil. The schemes would allocate upto 100% of assets in debt securities and money market instruments with low to medium risk profile. Upto 40% of assets would be allocated to government securities with low risk profile. 95% to 100% of assets would be invested in A1 rated certificate of deposits and upto 5% in A1 rated commercial papers. The benchmarked index for Birla Sun Life Short Term FMP – Series 35 & Birla Sun Life Short Term FMP – Series 37 is CRISIL Short Term Bond Fund Index, CRISIL Liquid Fund Index for Birla Sun Life Short Term FMP – Series 36 & Birla Sun Life Short Term FMP – Series 38. The fund manager for the schemes will be Kaustubh Gupta.

Mango Face Pack, Face Pack With Mango

2012-06-09T14:40:00.000+05:30

Mango And Yogurt Face Pack For Sensitive Skin

This is one of the best Organic Face Packs for Sensitive Skin. People with Sensitive skin can hardly experiment with all kinds of products because the skin is so sensitive that they tend to get rashes easily. Mango and Yogurt face pack soothes and nourishes sensitive skin and is really simple to make.

How to prepare Face Pack:

One Ripe Mango

6 Tbsp Yogurt

Mix the mango pulp and Yogurt and puree in a blender. Apply on your face and rinse off after 15 minutes.

How to prepare Body Scrub:

1 Cup Mango Pulp

1 Cup Yogurt

½ Cup Rolled Oats

3 Tbsp Honey

Puree mango, honey and yogurt together and mix the rolled oats. Apply on your body/ face/ neck and gently scrub off after 20 minutes. It leaves your skin super soft.

Prepayment Penalty Removed, RBI Removes Prepayment Penalty On Home Loans

2012-06-08T21:33:00.000+05:30

The removal of prepayment penalty on home loans would reduce discrimination between existing and new borrowers On 5th June, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced removal of prepayment penalty on home loans with floating interest rates. According to RBI, home loan borrowers across the board resented foreclosure charges levied by banks on prepayment of home loans. “This is especially since banks were found to be hesitant in passing on the benefits of lower interest rates to the existing borrowers in a falling interest rate scenario,” the RBI said. “As such, foreclosure charges are seen as a restrictive practice deterring the borrowers from switching over to cheaper available source,” the notification said. The central bank said, “Removal of prepayment penalty on home loans will lead to reduction in the discrimination between existing and new borrowers and competition among banks will result in finer pricing of the floating rate home loans.”Though many banks had in the recent past voluntarily abolished prepayment penalties on floating rate home loans, there was a need to ensure uniformity across the banking system, the statement said. “It has, therefore, been decided that banks will not be permitted to charge prepayment penalties on home loans on floating interest rate basis, with immediate effect,” it said.

Face Make Up Tips, Face MakeUp

2012-06-08T19:15:00.000+05:30

Applying Face Make-Up in 5 Easy Steps

You want to do your own face make-up but don't know how. Well, here's make-up application in 5 easy steps. Followthe instructions and try them out. You will dazzle like a diva wherever you go.

Foundation or base:

First apply moisturizer on your face and neck. Cover ears, nape and the portion your outfit`s neck is going to show.Wipe excess moisturizer. Now apply liquid foundation in dots across your face. Blend it in your skin and see that youcover all the flaws. Now quickly rub ice over your face to close the pores. Dab with a tissue. Now apply the compact powder. Remember to choose a liquid foundation and compact that is closest to your skin tone and color.

Eyes:

Apply an eye shadow according to your outfit or the time of the day. Take a light shade if you are going to be in abright place and take darker hues for the nights. Consider the occasion too. You can add some glitter if you aregoing to a party. If it's a quiet dinner then minus the glitter and just take a golden hue and blend with a color thatcompliments your skin. Now apply eyeliner over your eyelids. If you have big eyes keep it thin. Run kohl along your eye rims. Now apply mascara on your eyelashes, both up and down.

Lips:

Begin with applying a lip liner on the edges of your lips. Make them shapely if you want. Fill in lip colour with a lipbrush from the lipstick. Press lips on a tissue. Apply lip gloss. If it is an evening event apply a lip gloss that adds some sparkle to your lips and brings out the pout.

Blush on:

Take a basic rouge shades, either a rosy pink or warm brown. Roll a brush on it and apply it on the side of yourcheeks with gentle strokes. Smile while you do so. Stroke the same brush lightly on your nose too. Avoid makingcircles or over using the use. You have to keep it natural yet bring out your best features.

Touch up:

Carry a lipstick, a lip gloss, some tissues, a small mirror and a compact powder with you when you leave your place.Give yourself a quick touch up if you are sweating off the face make-up or in any case if your make-up is wearing off.

New Ultra Books From Intel With Lvy Bridge In India

2012-06-07T21:25:00.000+05:30

Intel has announced their new CPU line-up in India as well for notebooks, desktops and All-in-one (AIO) PCs.Ivy Bridge is clearly the buzzword at Computex, this year and apart from Intel. The notebooks powered by these CPUs will be available from all major OEMs operating in India, like Dell, Asus, Acer, HP, etc. Also, the Croma chain of retail stores will be amongst the first to receive these new notebooks, so you can have a hands on with them before buying. They will also be the first partner to offer Intel’s Anti-Theft service in India. “Croma is proud of being Intel’s first partner in offering Intel Anti-Theft service in India since last year. Mobile PC usage in India is on the rise and we expect to further accelerate it with the new Ultrabooks and increased mobility brings with it the need for increased security. With Intel Anti-Theft technology we are able to secure the laptops and Ultrabooks purchased at our store so that our customers can safeguard their devices giving them peace of mind and helping us reaffirm our resolution of brining a world-class shopping experience to our customers,” said Mr. Ajit Joshi, CEO & Managing Director, Infiniti Retail Ltd
Powered by 3rd Generation Intel Core processors, made with the advanced 22nm 3-D tri-gate transistors, these new Ultrabook devices are responsive and more secure to better protect personal information. The new chips also offer increased media and graphics performance, long battery life and more choice in stylish designs. Because of the 22nm tri-gate transistor manufacturing technology the 3rd Generation Intel Core processors now deliver 22 percent faster performance on multi-threaded applications, compared to 2nd Generation Intel Core processors. The new Ultrabooks have up to twice the video processing and 3-D graphics performance of the prior generation, cutting a user’s video processing time in half and making for a smoother, richer visual experience. All Ultrabooks with 3rd Generation Core processors will have built-in visuals with features like Intel Quick Sync Video, Intel Clear Video HD, Intel HD Graphics, Intel InTru 3D, Intel Wireless Display and Intel Insider.
Intel is working across a broad cross-section of the industry to accelerate and enable thin and light designs. A recent and significant breakthrough in chassis design using existing materials and standard injection molding equipment will enable an Ultrabook chassis that is equivalent in quality to machined aluminum and die-cast metal solutions in the market today. Borrowing engineering approaches from the automotive and aerospace industries, the new chassis design has the potential to reduce chassis costs by up to 65 percent and is expected to be in market next year.

Fresh MINT Recipe Ideas

2012-06-07T15:18:00.001+05:30

Mint is a zesty herb that stimulates digestion, brings relief from menstrual cramps, nausea and flatulence, soothes the throat, freshen the mouth and infuses food with a wonderful fragrance and flavor.
I keep looking for ways to include mint in our daily cooking. Sharing some homely favorites with you:
Mint chutney: ½ cup mint + 1cup cilantro leaves + 1 sharp green chili (optional) + ½ red onions + salt. Whirl these in a food processor, adding enough water to get a smooth, thickest paste of pouring consistency (make sure the herbs are finely ground). Squeeze lemon juice into the chutney and stir well. You can also use it as a spread.
Mint-spiked juice: For a touch of India-style spicy tomato/orange juice (or for that matter any fresh juice), make a trip to a specialty store and buy a packet of Chat Masala. Composed of dried mango powder and many interesting spices, chat masala is beautifully sour but not hot. Sprinkle this masala on juice and stir in a few finely chopped mint leaves. Pop in an ice cube if you like. Irresistible!
Rice with a hint of mint: One of my favorite comfort foods is rice cooked with green peas. Heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil in a round-bottomed pan. Add ½ tsp. of cumin seeds, a small cinnamon stick, a few black peppercorns and a bay leaf. As soon as the seeds start crackling, pour in 1 cup of green peas and stir well. At this point, you can add ¼ tsps. turmeric powder for an exotic touch, a lovely golden color and many healing benefits.
When the peas are slightly soft, add 1 cup basmati rice, and toss gently to mix the rice with the peas and spices. Now add 2 cups of water, and salt to your taste. When the rice comes to a boil, lower the heat and cover the pan. When the rice is done, lift the lid and toss in about 2 teaspoons of chopped cilantro leaves, ½ tsp. chopped mint leaves and some freshly grated ginger. Squirt half a lemon too at this time—it lends tang and fluffs out the grains. Enjoy hot, with the raita recipe below or the chutney above—or perhaps both (in which case, go easy on the mint in the yogurt).
Crunchy minty yogurt: Here’s a crunchy yogurt raita you’ll find in most homes in India: 1 big bowl of plain yogurt, into which you stir 1 finely chopped cucumber + 1 finely chopped tomato + 1 finely chopped onion/spring onion + 1/2 tsp finely chopped cilantro leaves+ ¼ tsp chopped mint leaves, a little rock salt or sea salt + 1/2 tsp roasted and powdered cumin seeds + a pinch of paprika for a dash of bright color.

Foreign Trade Policy 2012 India launches 7-Point Strategy To Boost Export

2012-06-07T14:55:00.001+05:30

Amid global economic problems, the government on Tuesday unveiled a seven-point strategy to boost exports .
1. Extension of interest subsidy (interest subvention) scheme by one year till March 31, 2013 and expand its coverage to include other labour-intensive sectors namely toys, sports goods, processed agricultural products and ready made garments. Interest subvention scheme- under this scheme two per cent interest subsidy was given to handlooms, handicrafts, carpets and SME sector.
2. Thrust on employment-intensive industry and continuation of market diversification strategy.
3. Government aiming 20 per cent export growth in 2012-13 .India's exports grew by 21 percent in 2011-12 to touch USD 303 billion.
4. Zero per cent duty EPCG (Export Promotion Credit Guarantee) scheme for technology upgradation extended till March’13 .
5. Seven new markets added to Focus Market Scheme.
6. Market linked focus product scheme extended till March’13 for apparel export to USA and EU.Ahmedabad, Kolhapur and Shaharanpur new Towns of Export Excellence.
7. Efforts to increase exports from the north-east region and provide incentive for manufacturing of green goods.
Endeavour to reduce transaction cost through procedural simplification and reduction of human interface.Efforts to promote technological upgradation of exports to retain a competitive edge in global markets and encourage domestic manufacturing for inputs to export industry, thus reducing dependence on imports.Govt to come out with new guidelines to promote SEZs.

Healthy Tip

2012-06-06T15:34:00.001+05:30

Here is a healthy tip to help you avoid cancer or even keep it under control.

Patrick Holford,s Say no to cancer (Piatkus). If you have realised you need to fully educate yourself about cancer and how to avoid it, this book is a great place to start.

Another useful book is Anticancer. A new way of life, by David Servan-schreiber, (penguin). There are hundreds of books on cancer. Check on Amazon.

Laptop/Tablet With Dual Screen - Asus Taichi

2012-06-04T17:41:00.000+05:30

Asus today at Computex 2012 revealed Taichi, a Windows 8 based Laptop with dual screen. Taichi is a device that will bridge the gap between laptops and tablets. With its double sided IPS display, you can use it like a ordinary notebook with the qwerty keypad and track pad and once you close the lid it will transform into a touch enabled tablet. There are two displays place back-to-back, and both can work simultaneously, each providing different content. This means two users can work on different applications at the same time.

The laptop will come with Intel's third gen Ivy Bridge processors. It will have 4 GB of ram and fast SSD hard drives. Taichi will have dual band Wi-Fi. It has many connectivity options such as USB3.0, miniVGA and MicroDVI.

Two models of different screen sizes have been released. One with 11.7 inch display and the other with 13.3 inch display. Both the displays will be able to output a resolution of 1920x1280 pixels.The price and availability hasn't yet been disclosed.

Leave a comment on what you think of Taichi.

Does Cucumber Lower Blood Sugar In Diabetes?

2012-06-04T17:20:00.000+05:30

Diet is often an essential part of managing diabetes. Not only does food affect your blood sugar, but it also can help control your weight, cholesterol levels and blood pressure -- all of which can reduce your chances of developing diabetes later in life. While no one can deny the benefits of a healthy diet, modern research is finding that certain foods could potentially improve your sensitivity to insulin more than others, helping to better manage blood sugar levels. Cucumber is one such food. As with any alternative approach to medicine, talk to your doctor before making changes to your diabetes treatment plan.
Blood Sugar

A study published in the September 2010 issue of the journal “Plant Foods for Human Nutrition” found that the peels of certain vegetables could have some therapeutic effects
on diabetes. It appears that the polyphenols,flavonoids and ascorbic acids in cucumber peels -- as well as the peels of summer squash and “tinda” -- lower bloodsugar in diabetic rats. Further research is necessary to determine whether similar results can be expected in human patients.

Cholesterol
This same study also found that these peels held some promise in managing serum lipid levels. At the end of 15 days, the researchers saw improvements not only in the rats' total cholesterol, but also in their high-density lipoproteins, low-density lipoproteins and triglycerides. Low levels of high-density lipoproteins and high levelsof triglycerides have both been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, further suggesting the benefits of
cucumber to manage this disease. As with controlling blood sugar, more research is needed to determine if results are the same in human patients.
Water
Even if studies do determine that certain vegetable peels increase your sensitivity to insulin, the same doesn’t necessarily hold true for drinking cucumber water. The amount of polyphenols, flavonoids and ascorbic acids instilled into infused water isn’t likely as great as those found in the peel itself.

Windows 8 Based ASPIRE S7 Ultrabooks From ACER

2012-06-04T15:39:00.000+05:30

Acer has revealed a new range of touch enabled Ultrabook. The Acer Aspire S7 series will come with Windows 8 on it. So you will have to for it for at least October, as that is the time when Microsoft will release the final version of the next gen operating system.

Intel had promised a line-up touch enabled ultra-books this year and this seems to be the first one of them. With ultrabooks Intel will try and fight for the PC market share that has been lost to the likes of iPad and other Android tablets. It will also be a test of the new Windows operating system, which has gained some bad rep during its beta preview. Acer has revealed two models in the series. One with 13.3 inch display and the other one with 11.6 inch display. One of the eye catching feature is that the display can be folded 180 degree backwards.

The launch date and pricing is yet to be disclosed by Acer. But it was said the Ultrabooks will be initially targeted towards the developed market and Acer won't be competing in the low price markets.

With more ultrabooks coming this week at Computex 2012 it will surely be a year of Ultrabooks.