OnePlus 6T is the company's most minor update

OxygenOS 9 is as snappy and refined as ever, with an improved Game Mode and a new Smart Boost feature that keeps games permanently in the phone RAM (memory) for faster load times. Most of the stuff you loved about using the OnePlus 6 on a daily basis is still there - the uncompromised performance, the bright, vibrant screen and frequently updated software.An in-screen fingerprint scanner, a smaller notch and a larger battery - the OnePlus 6T is perhaps the company's most minor update, particularly if you consider the benefits in functionality or usability. About that in-screen fingerprint scanner - it's a nice novelty, particularly with that insanely cool unlocking animation, but beyond that, it requires a whole lot more attention to place your finger just right. It takes that extra beat longer than I prefer and you're likely unlocking the phone faster with the face unlock anyway!The design changes mean that the 6T loses the 3.5mm jack and the notification LED in front. Camera performance remains largely unchanged, and the new Nightscape mode needs a bit more work. Nokia 3.1 PlusPrice: Rs 11,499The latest addition to a now long lineup of Nokia phones, the Nokia 3.1 Plus is a competent offering at a somewhat questionable price, with competition even from within the house offering a better alternative.With its 6-inch HD+ display curving around the edges and a smooth-to-the-touch metal rear panel, the 3.1 Plus looks far classier than its price would suggest and feels solid, durable and comfortable in the hand.The display is mated to a large 3,500mAh battery, a combination which gives the phone enough juice to last the better part of two days, even while you enjoy movies and streaming content on the big, bright screen. The dual cameras work well in daylight and capture good detail despite a rather slow shutter speed. But low-light photos are grainy and lacking in detail.Powering the device is the Helio P22 chip, which has been used in entry level devices like the Redmi 6, but the 3.1 Plus is priced to compete against the likes of the ZenFone Max Pro M1 and the Redmi 6 Pro, both of which offer significantly higher performance for the price - even the similarly priced 5.1 Plus performs better. The stock Android 8.1 interface, courtesy the Android One program, does help its case - the UI is responsive despite the processor in use. Sony WH-1000XM3Price: Rs 29,990While Bose's QuietComfort series has been the gold standard in noise-cancelling headphones for a while, Sony's been quietly mounting a formidable challenge in that space, originally with the MDR-1000X and, more recently, the WH-1000XM3. With its rich feature set and audio quality, the Sony is an easy-to-recommend all-round package and well worth the price.The changes in design from previous generations are minor, but mostly positive - the move from metal to plastic in the headband saves weight. That, when combined with the new, thicker and softer cushions, renders the headphones almost weightless on the head. What you lose slightly in terms of premium looks you gain discernably in terms of comfort.Touch controls on the right earcup, including those to change volume or tracks, are arguably still a tad gimmicky, but work more reliably than before. The 'Quick Attention' (quickly mutes audio and lets in outside noise) mode is super handy in flights and during commutes. Audio quality is rich and detailed, bass is deep and satisfying and the soundstage is open and spacious (incredibly so for a closed-back design). The headphones also support a range of high-resolution audio codecs, and are best enjoyed on an Android device that supports the aptX HD sonic standard.Crucially, in one of the key metrics that count - noise cancellation - Sony inches ahead of Bose, cutting out ambient noise better across different situations (flights, coffee shops and metro commutes) and even offering multiple profiles to dial up/down the cancellation, including one that is based on your current altitude. You also get a USB Type-C port, which allows for fast charging (five hours of use with 10 minutes of charging) and reduces the hassle of carrying along one more cable. Battery life remains an unchanged yet stellar 30 hours!You get only one button for noise-cancellation control as well as for invoking Siri or Google Assistant. Dedicated buttons for each would have been handier. The headphones can remember eight paired devices, but streams content from only one device at a time; you need to disconnect the audio source to, say, take a call on the other. Dyson Pure CoolPrice: Rs 36,900/ Rs 43,900As winter sets in, the pall of gloom that is the winter smog engulfs most of our big cities. And if you haven't already, it's time to settle on an air purifier, possibly the Dyson Pure Cool. A full-featured air purifier with a bevy of sensors and smart app control, the Pure Cool demands a princely sum to cleanse the air you breathe.Air purifiers are popping up in homes and offices, with many a third the price of the Dyson. True to Dyson form, however, it casts aside the industrial design of the competition and delivers a product that you wouldn't mind flaunting in your living room. The filters around the base suck in air around the Pure Cool and push it out through the futuristic loop on the top via the bladeless fans popularised by Dyson over the years.The base itself rotates nearly a full circle to push out clean air around the room, no matter where you place it, and you can choose from either direct airflow for cooling or a diffused airflow mode for the winters, where cooling isn't a priority.Control is via the magnetically attached remote or the Dyson app, which provides real-time updates of the air quality index and indoor air quality. The Pure Cool is best used in Auto mode, where during the Diwali week, it was able to bring down the PM2.5 levels from over 140 to sub-50 in about half an hour. Samsung Galaxy A7Price: Rs 23,990 onwardsFor its first device with a triple camera setup, Samsung chose not the flagship Note or the 'S' series but the mid-range A series. The extra shooter adds a fair bit of versatility to your shots, but performance and specs nerds may prefer the alternatives at this price point.The A7 takes a lot of inspiration from A-series phones that came before it - an all-glass design with a 6-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, 4/6GB of RAM, 64/128GB of storage and the Samsung Exynos 7885 octa-core processor powering the experience. The screen is typical Samsung - colours are punchy, viewing angles are good and the Always-On mode is useful.The highlight is the triple camera setup - a 24MP f/1.7 primary camera, a 5MP f/2.2 depth sensor and an 8MP f/2.4 with a 120-degree field of view ultra-wide lens. The ultra-wide setup is excellent for getting more of the scene in without resorting to taking a panorama shot, but the lower resolution sensor does limit the amount of detail as compared to the main 24MP shooter, so you end up using it sparingly. The primary shooter manages good photos in daylight with the help of a scene optimiser mode which identifies the view and applies appropriate settings for a better image. But detail levels drop in low light.Samsung refers to it as an Infinity Display, but the A7 packs in significantly thicker bezels than its Note/S brethren. No Type-C port and the fingerprint scanner on the right edge is convenient only for right-handed folks. The package on the A7 is no slouch - everyday tasks are achieved without any lag, and I multitasked between multiple heavy apps and games without any issues - but folks looking for better absolute gaming performance should look elsewhere. Syska Smart Table LampPrice: Rs 3,699Amazon's Alexa digital assistant is finding its way into all manners of home appliances, and the latest is Syska's Wi-Fi enabled Smart Table Lamp.The Smart Table Lamp hides its smarts behind its deceptively normal exterior - it features a flexible rubberised body that can be bent in any direction for your convenience, and the feather-touch controls allow you to change brightness (three levels) and the warmth of the light (yellow, warm white and white). There's an app to control the lamp as well, but you can go completely hands-free and operate the lamp using Alexa. Overall, a neat addition to a growing list of smart home tech.Feather-touch controls are a little sticky and oftentimes need an additional tap.Lacks a built-in battery for true portability. Tushar Kanwar is a tech columnist and commentator. Follow him on Twitter at 2shar Dailyhunthttps://foretagslanns.blogspot.com/2018/12/no-fax-payday-loans-idiot-proof-method.html

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15 hilarious tweets from 2018 that only a parent will relate to

10 lakh bank workers on strike nationwide today, services likely to be affected The government wants banks to grow in size through this amalgamation but even if all public sector banks are bundled into one, the merged entity cannot find a place among the top 10 globally, said United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), which has called for the one-day strike. 'This merger will see a large number of branches getting closed and customers will have to face hardships as already banks are burdened with the implementation of various government schemes such as Jan Dhan Yojana, Mudra, social security insurance, and Prime Minister's housing scheme, among others,' the union said. UFBU is an umbrella organisation of nine unions, including the All-India Bank Officers Confederation, the All- India Bank Employees Association and the National Organisation of Bank Workers, among others. Last week, public sector lender Bank of Baroda said the 'alternative mechanism' of the finance ministry had accorded in-principle approval for its merger with Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank. The 'alternative mechanism' headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had decided to merge the three banks with a view to create a lender with considerable size, which will be stronger and sustainable. The merger comes after the largest lender SBI merging its five subsidiary banks and taking over the Bharatiya Mahila Bank last year, which catapulted it to be among top 50 global lenders. Last week, around 3.20 lakh bank officers from various state-run banks were on a one-day strike opposing the proposed merge and also seeking immediate wage revision. Bank managements have mandated the industry lobby Indian Bank Association (IBA) to negotiate the wages for employees in the scales 1-3 but the unions want this to be raised up to scale 7. The wage talks are on for the past 13 months between the unions and IBA, the latter has offered a wage revision of 8 per cent. In the past wage settlement, which was for the period from November 1, 2012 to October 31, 2017, the employees got a 15 per cent hike. Dailyhunthttps://www.avitop.com/cs/members/wreengreens.aspx And you are not the only parent who has to deal with this. As the year 2018 comes to a close, we bring you 15 hilarious tweets from this year on the ordeals of raising a child that every parent will relate to: Dailyhunthttps://www.vox.com/users/meekneekitto

India vs Australia 2nd Test, Day 2: Virat Kohli-Ajinkya Rahane masterclass leads Indian counter attack

Skipper Virat Kohli came to the rescue as he constructed a healthy 74-run partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara and then went on to build another 90-run unbroken partnership with Ajinkya Rahane. Kohli, who was unbeaten on 82 at stumps on Day 2, led India's batting as the visitors reached 172/3 at the close of the play. (AP Photo) Australia lost their first wicket in the form of Pat Cummins as he dismissed for 19 by Umesh Yadav. (AP Photo) It didn't take long for India to bowl out the Australia tail after that. (AP Photo) Murali Vijay failed to make any impact as the right-handed batsman was dismissed for a duck by a scorcher of a delivery by Mitchell Starc. (AP Photo) KL Rahul was then undone by an equally impressive delivery from Josh Hazlewood (AP Photo) Cheteshwar Pujara, who played a pivotal role in India's 31-run victory in the 1st Test in Adelaide, once again showed the same grit. The middle-order batsman along with skipper Kohli constructed a crucial 74-run partnership to rescue India from the early blows. The right-handed batsman scored 24 runs in 103 deliveries before he was dismissed by Mitchell Starc. (AP Photo) Skipper Virat Kohli played a pivotal role with a workmanlike 82, lifting India from a double blow at the beginning of innings to 172. The India captain stitched a 90-run unbroken partnership with Rahane by stumps on the second day. (Reuters) Ajinkya Rahane came out with attacking intent and raced past 30 off almost as many balls before settling down. He reached his 17th Test half-century before end of play. (AP Photo) Dailyhunthttps://www.polygon.com/users/jiggerzeans

Hashim Amla takes South Africa to victory in opening Test vs Pakistan

Both captains, Du Plessis and Pakistan's Sarfraz Ahmed, made 'pairs' by being dismissed without scoring in both innings. Pakistan made an ideal start when Hasan Ali trapped Aiden Markram leg before wicket before a run had been scored. Hasan and Mohammad Amir did not concede a run off the bat until Amla clipped Hasan for four in the sixth over. Controversy There were two crucial incidents with the total on 16, either of which could have swung the game in Pakistan's favour. Amla, on eight, was dropped by Fakhar Zaman at third slip off Hasan when he slashed hard at the ball, which flew at chest height to the fielder. In the next over, Elgar, on four, edged new bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi low to first slip where Azhar Ali appeared to take a diving catch. On-field umpires Bruce Oxenford and Sundaram Ravi conferred before referring to television umpire Joel Wilson with a 'soft' signal of out, indicating they thought it was a clean catch. After looking at several replays, including super-slow close-ups, Wilson ruled the ball had bounced and Elgar was reprieved. The decision clearly astonished the Pakistan players and coach Mickey Arthur was seen leaving his place on the players' balcony and going to the adjacent office of match referee David Boon. Television commentator Michael Holding criticised his fellow West Indian Wilson. "I'm convinced he was out," said Holding. "I think the third umpire made a mistake. The protocol says you have got to be 100 percent sure the decision was wrong to change it." In a similar situation, Indian captain Virat Kohli was given out in the recent second Test against Australia in Perth when television umpire Nigel Llong found no conclusive evidence to overturn a 'soft' signal from the on-field umpires. Elgar and Amla survived some testing bowling from the Pakistan seamers and gradually began to lift the scoring rate on a pitch which favoured bowlers throughout. South African fast bowler Duanne Olivier was named man of the match for his match return of 11-96. The second Test begins in Cape Town on January 3. Dailyhunthttps://itsmyurls.com/jiggerzeans

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tre acting against Telugu states: Chandrababu Naidu

Cen He said that TRS president and Telangana state Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his daughter and Nizamabad MP K. Kavitha had openly supported the Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh at the time of bifurcation, but changed their stand just before the Telangana elections. Mr Naidu said that the BJP, TRS, YSRC and Jana Sena have ganged up and are conspiring against Andhra Pradesh. Mr Naidu lamented that while the state government had submitted proposals and detailed project reports seeking the release of more than Rs 35,000 crore for the construction of the new capital city, the Centre had released only Rs 1,500 crore. He blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not standing by the promise he made when he attended the foundation laying ceremony for the city that the Centre would support the construction of Amaravati. Mr Naidu said that it was necessary to support or align with either the BJP or the Congress at the Centre for the benefit of Andhra Pradesh. Since the state already had the experience of working with the BJP which had betrayed the state, he had decided to support the Congress which had assured the Special Category Status and the implementation of all bifurcation promises, he added. ... Dailyhunthttp://www.tripntale.com/profile/132074

Australian batsmen need to learn from Virat Kohli, says batting coach Graeme Hick

"For the best player in the world to change his innings and play like that, if you can't be on the same field as him and watch him and learn from what he is doing, then you are in the wrong space. "There are certainly thing our players can take out of that. It takes a lot of discipline, a lot of patience and, on top of that, you have got to bat with intent," he added. Australia's batting woes against India at the MCG have sparked debate about their technique and the impact of the Big Bash League on batsmen. Hick said it was disappointing to see his hard work come undone and urged his batsmen to learn quickly and find the right balance. "It's disappointing as a head coach. You feel if you are putting the work in and doing the right things, over a period of time, the players learn. Unfortunately, it's not the easiest thing to learn out in the middle at the MCG of the Boxing Day Test match," said the former England batsman. "You have got to learn quickly in international cricket these days because you don't get a lot of time to remedy what you might feel is wrong." Australia scored 258 for eight in their second innings after Pat Cummins top-scored with an unbeaten 61. The home team require another 141 runs with two wickets remaining to win the Test. Dailyhunthttps://foretagslanns.blogspot.com/2018/12/poang-att-komma-ihag-for-en-lonsam.html

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Official: Russian weapon 27 times faster than speed of sound

In Wednesday's test, the weapon was launched from the Dombarovskiy missile base in the southern Ural Mountains. The Kremlin said it successfully hit a practice target on the Kura shooting range on Kamchatka, 6,000 kilometres (3,700 miles) away. The Defense Ministry released footage from the test launch, in which a ballistic missile could be seen blasting from a silo in a cloud of smoke, but it hasn't released any images of the vehicle itself. Putin said the Avangard will enter service with the Russian Strategic Missile Forces next year. The test comes amid bitter tensions in Russia-US relations, which have been strained over the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Syria and the allegations of Moscow's meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. Sergei Ivanov, a former Russian defence minister, said in televised comments that the Avangard constantly changes its course and altitude as it flies through the atmosphere. He emphasised that unlike previous nuclear warheads fitted to intercontinental ballistic missiles that follow a predictable trajectory allowing it to calculate the spot where they can be intercepted, the Avangard chaotically zigzags on its path to its target, making it impossible to predict the weapon's location. A smiling Ivanov likened the weapon's flight through the atmosphere to a pebble skipping off the surface of the water. Ivanov, who now serves as Putin's adviser, said the Avangard could be fitted to the Soviet-made UR-100UTTKh intercontinental ballistic missile, which is code-named SS-19 Stiletto by NATO. He noted that Russia has a stockpile of several dozen such missiles, which are in a factory-mint condition and not filled with fuel, allowing them to serve for a long time to come. Ivanov added that they could be put in existing silos, sharply reducing the costs of Avangard's deployment. ... Dailyhunthttp://echometer.com/UserProfile/tabid/61/userId/461341/Default.aspx