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Apple Vision Pro Headset Available For Pre-Order Jan 19, Launches Feb 2 At $3499

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Manali Goswami
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Apple Vision Pro Headset Available For Pre-Order Jan 19, Launches Feb 2 At $3499

The wait is finally over for tech enthusiasts longing to experience Apple’s much-hyped entry into spatial computing. The company has announced its ultra high-end augmented/virtual reality headset, Apple Vision Pro, will be up for pre-orders starting January 19. It will then hit stores in the US on February 2 carrying a hefty $3499 price tag.

Unveiled last month after years of speculation, Apple is marketing Vision Pro as a breakthrough product that seamlessly blends artificial reality and virtual reality using innovative technologies. Each eye gets treated to a sharp 4K display with smooth refresh rates aided by a hybrid chip system combining the new R1 sensor processor and M2 computing chip.

This powerful setup enables precise tracking of eyes, head, and hand movements for next-gen navigation without external controllers. Gamers can also look forward to life-like visuals and sound thanks to the headset’s array of cameras, sensors, and spatial audio system.

The standard Vision Pro package includes the headset, controller bands, facial interface, cushions, charging accessories, and 256GB onboard storage. Additional premium accessories and prescription lenses will be sold separately.

Famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo considers the $3499 Vision Pro among Apple’s “most important products” that could ship up to 0.5 million units in 2024. This underscores the company’s ambitions in the emerging spatial computing space that blends digitally enhanced overlays into the real world.

Industry experts believe the prohibitive pricing may limit mainstream adoption initially. But Apple hopes to spark developer interest in creating engaging applications leveraging the headset’s versatile features. It mirrors the company’s iconic shift from desktops to iPhones as the core revenue driver.

The January 19 pre-order date also coincides with internal training reportedly being given to Apple store employees on the setup, usage, and sale pitches for Vision Pro. This signals Apple’s plan to promote the device at retail outlets through interactive demos highlighting its standout productivity and entertainment credentials to premium customers.

President Murmu Honours Shami, Chirag-Satwik Among Sports Stars At Rashtrapati Bhawan

By
Manali Goswami
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President Murmu Honours Shami, Chirag-Satwik Among Sports Stars At Rashtrapati Bhawan

A dazzling awards ceremony was held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Tuesday as President Droupadi Murmu felicitated some of India’s biggest sporting heroes with this year’s national sports honors.

Cricketer Mohammed Shami and badminton’s top-ranked men’s doubles pair Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy were among the prominent awardees who attended the high-profile event.

Shami, the hero of India’s historic Thomas Cup triumph, received enthusiastic applause when he stepped up to receive his Arjuna Award. Meanwhile, the absent Chirag-Satwik duo were chosen for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award – India’s highest sporting honor – after their sensational 2022 season.

The two became India’s first doubles team to be ranked No. 1 while also clinching a maiden badminton gold for the country at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.

Other prominent winners of this year’s Arjuna Award included Asian Games gold-medallist wrestlers Antim Panghal and Sunil Kumar, world championship boxing bronze medal winner Mohammad Hussamuddin, and Asian Para Games double gold medallist archer Sheetal Devi.

Devi scripted history by becoming India’s first international para archer without upper limbs, overcoming a rare genetic disorder.

Among coaches, chess guru R.B. Ramesh, who has groomed several talents like R. Praggnanandhaa, was recognized with the Dronacharya Award for his extensive contribution to the sport.

The awards, conferred every year on August 29 to mark hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand’s birth anniversary, had been pushed to 2023 this time due to the previous year’s Hangzhou Asian Games in China.

In her address, President Murmu lauded the award winners for bringing glory to the nation through their inspirational performances. She also exhorted India’s youth to take the examples set by the country’s sporting icons in striving for excellence.

The ceremony capped a memorable weekend for Indian sports after the country topped the medal tally at the Asian Youth Para Games and also witnessed paddler Sreeja Akula winning a historic gold at the WTT Contender Nova Gorica 2023 tournament.

Ankita Lokhande Left Hurt After Vicky Jain’s Mom Brings Up Her Late Father

By
Manali Goswami
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Ankita Lokhande Left Hurt After Vicky Jain’s Mom Brings Up Her Late Father

A promo video of the upcoming Family Week episode of Bigg Boss 17 went viral after it showed an insensitive remark by contestant Vicky Jain’s mother towards Ankita Lokhande.

In the short clip, Vicky’s mother is seen confronting Ankita over an earlier incident where Ankita had kicked Vicky during an argument on the show.

Referring to the fight, she tells Ankita that she had called her mother to discuss it. She then adds that Ankita’s father-in-law jokingly asked if Ankita’s mother also “kicks her husband like this”.

This remark deeply hurts Ankita who lost her father recently. With pain evident on her face, she replies: “Mere papa ki death hui hai, aap mummy papa ko mat bolo (My father just died, don’t say such things about my parents).”

Ankita’s strong reaction signals that Vicky’s mother touched a raw nerve by unnecessarily dragging her late father into the conversation and linking it to her parents’ relationship.

Many viewers called this an insensitive and vulgar statement that tried to mock Ankita’s personal tragedy to demean her. There is already resentment amongst fans over Vicky’s mother’s perceived toxicity and bias against daughter-in-law Ankita in previous episodes as well.

The promo ends on an uncomfortable note with both women upset over the ugly turn of conversation precipitated by Vicky’s mom’s problematic comments regarding Ankita’s family.

It remains to be seen if the makers address this issue sensitively on tonight’s telecast or allow things to escalate into an ugly spat between the duo during family week. But viewers will be expecting an apology from Vicky’s side over his mother’s shameful conduct on the show.

Maldives Rushes To Mend Ties After Ministers’ Anti-India Remarks

By
Manali Goswami
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0
Maldives Rushes To Mend Ties After Ministers’ Anti-India Remarks

The Maldives is scrambling to contain the fallout from inflammatory anti-India remarks made by several ministers on social media last week.

The controversial comments criticizing Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to Lakshadweep have sparked a diplomatic furor, prompting the Maldivian government to suspend the deputies and reaffirm warm ties with their closest neighbor.

In damage control mode, the tourism industry quickly condemned the remarks and highlighted India’s vital role as the island nation’s first responder in times of crisis.

The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) released a strongly-worded statement saying India has “always been one of our closest neighbors and allies” and has rushed to the nation’s assistance whenever required.

It particularly emphasized India’s instrumental support to the tourism-reliant economy both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, which had brought the sector to its knees. Over 280,000 Indians visited the Maldives last year, representing the second-largest source market.

The remarks against Modi came after he posted a video of the pristine beaches of Lakshadweep, insinuating India was promoting the islands as an alternative to the Maldives. The foreign ministry clarified the comments were the deputies’ personal opinions and did not reflect official policy.

Nonetheless, analysts say the damage control underscores how important New Delhi is to Malé’s strategic calculus in the Indian Ocean region. Securing Indian assistance is critical for the tiny island country.

As maritime neighbors, India and Maldives share deep cultural, political, and economic bonds that go back generations. However, the deputy ministers slightly reveal latent tensions that both countries will likely need to manage going forward even while pursuing greater cooperation.

Blanket Of Fog Envelopes North India As Temperatures Plummet

By
Manali Goswami
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0
Blanket Of Fog Envelopes North India As Temperatures Plummet

Large parts of North India woke up to dense fog and freezing temperatures on Tuesday as the intense cold wave conditions persisted in the region.

Visibility dropped to very low levels as a thick layer of fog engulfed Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and other adjoining areas. Experts say the fog situation is likely to continue over the next few days due to light winds and high moisture near the surface.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperatures across the northern plains have plunged to 4 to 8 degrees Celsius currently. This is a departure from 6 to 9 degrees Celsius recorded a day earlier.

The intense cold has disrupted normal life and affected road, rail, and air transport services. Flight operations were impacted at various airports including Delhi and Lucknow due to poor visibility. Longer travel time was reported on highways too due to difficult driving conditions.

In Delhi-NCR, the cold wave helped intensify fog and smog conditions as the air quality slipped to the ‘very poor’ category after a slight improvement in the last few days. On Tuesday morning, the overall AQI across 36 monitoring stations in Delhi stood at 346.

Among major cities, Rajasthan’s Alwar recorded the lowest minimum of 3 degrees Celsius. Dense fog could also be seen in Bhopal, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Gurdaspur, Bathinda, and other places in north and central India.

The weather department said cold day to severe cold day conditions are very likely to continue over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and other parts of northwest India over the next 2-3 days. Thereafter, some respite could be expected from the bitter cold wave.

State administrations have taken measures such as extending winter vacations in schools and colleges to safeguard citizens from health hazards associated with exposure to severe cold and dense fog episodes.

Indian Markets Surge As Global Cues Boost Sentiment

By
Manali Goswami
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Indian Markets Open Lower Amid Volatility

Indian equity benchmarks opened sharply higher on Tuesday, tracking strong gains in global markets overnight. The S&P BSE Sensex rose 397 points to 71,752 in early trade, while the Nifty 50 index climbed 119 points to 21,631.

Gains were broad-based, with all sectoral indices trading in the green. The IT index was the top performer in early deals, rising 1.5%.

Positive global cues drove sentiment after the US markets closed higher overnight, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq index rallying 2.2%. Earlier in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei and South Korea’s Kospi also posted strong gains.

In the Sensex pack, IT majors like Wipro, TCS, HCL Tech, Tech Mahindra, and Infosys along with L&T were among the prominent gainers. On the flipside, Nestle, Asian Paints, Maruti, and HDFC Bank saw some profit booking.

The broader markets also joined the rally, with BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices rising around 1% each. Among individual stocks, Bajaj Auto surged over 5% after announcing a share buyback worth ₹2,500 crore.

Markets had declined sharply in the previous session, with Sensex falling 671 points and Nifty settling 198 points lower as recession worries resurfaced globally. Tuesday’s move seems to suggest traders are using dips to accumulate quality stocks on declines.

Sustained FII buying has also supported domestic sentiment recently. Given the positive start, Indian indices may extend gains although rising crude oil prices and persistent FII selling at higher levels could induce some volatility.

Boeing In Hot Water Again After 737 MAX Panel Blowout, Shares Tumble

By
Manali Goswami
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0
Boeing In Hot Water Again After 737 MAX Panel Blowout, Shares Tumble

Aerospace giant Boeing faced renewed scrutiny after a panel blew out mid-air on a 737 MAX plane operated by Alaska Airlines in the US on Friday. The latest safety incident sent Boeing shares down 8% in premarket trading as 171 MAX aircraft were grounded pending probes.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the panel separation happened during a flight on a 737 MAX 9 jet with 171 passengers aboard. While the cause is still unknown, the incident could not have come at a worse time for the beleaguered American manufacturer.

Boeing has struggled to fully recover after two deadly crashes led to a prolonged grounding of the MAX globally starting in 2019. As it works through billions in debt and lags rival Airbus in orders, new safety setbacks threaten Boeing’s strategy of retaining market share with upgraded versions of the MAX in the 2020s.

Any potential design or manufacturing flaws unearthed during investigations could also further delay the certification of two new MAX variants – the MAX 7 and MAX 10 – targeted at the lucrative narrow-body jet market.

The focus will especially be on how regulators treat the smallest MAX 7, which is next in line for approval. According to Jeff Guzzetti, former US crash investigator, the outcome will indicate the harsher oversight Boeing potentially faces after this disturbing occurrence.

China, a major market for passenger aircraft, has also sought details of the blowout, given overlapping concerns around MAX safety and US-China trade tensions.

Meanwhile in India, Akasa Air completed inspections across its new MAX fleet after the country’s aviation watchdog DGCA ordered emergency checks as a precaution. The fledgling carrier affirmed there were no adverse findings from its audits.

While the reason behind the panel loss is still unclear, the timing hands Boeing another crisis setback just when it appeared to be regaining momentum post-pandemic. With its financial health and market share at risk, the manufacturer stares at further turbulence ahead.

Ranveer Singh Goofs Up While Promoting ‘Explore Indian Islands’, Posts Maldives Pic Instead

By
Manali Goswami
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0
Ranveer Singh Goofs Up While Promoting 'Explore Indian Islands', Posts Maldives Pic Instead

Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh joined several celebrities in supporting PM Modi’s appeal to promote Indian island tourism. However, Ranveer committed a gaffe by mistakenly posting a throwback photo from one of his past Maldives vacations instead of any Indian island.

On Sunday, Ranveer took to social media and wrote, “This year let’s make 2024 about exploring India and experiencing our culture…Chalo India let’s #exploreindianislands Chalo bharat dekhe (Let’s explore India).”

He shared the post alongside a picture of himself with his wife Deepika Padukone, posing on a beach with turquoise blue waters behind them.

However, eagle-eyed netizens were quick to point out that the photo was from the couple’s 2016 holiday in Maldives, not Lakshadweep or any other Indian island destination.

As soon as the blooper was caught, Ranveer promptly deleted the post and shared it again without any photo, safely avoiding further embarrassment.

The incident comes just a day after Ranveer and Deepika were spotted at Mumbai airport, sparking speculation that they were headed abroad for another vacation. The celebrity couple are quite regular visitors to tropical getaways like Maldives.

Meanwhile, several Bollywood stars have promoted Indian island tourism amidst calls for boycotting Maldives after insults against PM Modi by some ministers there. Celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Shraddha Kapoor, and Kangana Ranaut have urged people to holiday in Lakshadweep and Andamans instead.

Unfortunately, Ranveer’s enthusiasm to participate in the ‘Explore Indian Islands’ campaign was tripped up by his reflex to simply dig into his gallery of previous luxury retreats. His mistaken Maldives post left fans amused while the actor scrambled to make amends.

Japan Quake Death Toll Jumps To 168, Over 300 Still Missing Amid Heavy Snowfall

By
Manali Goswami
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0
Japan Quake Death Toll Jumps To 168, Over 300 Still Missing Amid Heavy Snowfall

A week after a devastating 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit Japan, the death toll has shot up to 168 while over 300 people remain unaccounted for, according to officials on Monday.

The number of missing persons dramatically increased from 31 to 323 in one of the worst-affected areas, Wajima city. Heavy snowfall and the threat of further landslides have hampered rescue work, with thousands struggling without electricity and water.

A revised list from Ishikawa prefecture showed 281 missing people in Wajima alone, where dozens of houses collapsed and a massive fire ravaged the region. One rare piece of good news was a woman in her 90s being rescued after surviving five days trapped under a crumpled house in Suzu city.

However, for many families, grief outweighed relief. Naoyuki Teramoto broke down as three of his four children’s bodies were recovered in Anamizu town. “We were talking about going to Izu (hot spring resort),” he cried when his daughter passed her school exam recently.

Over 18,000 homes in Ishikawa remained without power while 66,100 households had no water access, as per official data. Thousands crammed in shelters faced the bitter cold without electricity, heating, or water supply, as per reports.

“Disaster-related deaths must be prevented at all costs. I want to improve the poor environment in shelters,” said the Ishikawa governor. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida affirmed that rescue efforts were still the top priority, with helicopters deployed to reach isolated towns.

The heavy snow, rainfall, and risk of further landslides have aggravated what was already a dire humanitarian situation in the affected regions. While Japan frequently witnesses minor quakes, the vulnerability of aging infrastructure causes extensive damage during bigger tremors.

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which killed 18,500 people and sparked the Fukushima nuclear accident, exposed these structural weaknesses. Over a decade later, rural towns like Noto bore the brunt of another devastating disaster, hampering rebuilding efforts. With hundreds still missing and relief work hindered, the road to recovery remains uncertain and long.

George Bailey’s Old ‘Dhoni Likes Hookah’ Comment Resurfaces After Viral Video

By
Manali Goswami
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0
George Bailey's Old 'Dhoni Likes Hookah' Comment Resurfaces After Viral Video

A video of former Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni smoking a hookah recently went viral, stunning many of his fans. However, as it turns out, Dhoni’s fondness for the waterpipe is not new information.

In 2018, Dhoni’s former Chennai Super Kings teammate George Bailey revealed how the legendary wicketkeeper-batsman likes smoking shisha with youngsters to break down hierarchies. Bailey’s old comments have resurfaced after Dhoni’s recent “smoking” video took the internet by storm.

Dhoni was likely filming a commercial with rapper MC Stan when the video was recorded. It showed the cricketing icon nonchalantly puffing smoke from a hookah pipe. While many fans expressed outrage, others took the video in their stride, given Dhoni’s reputed simple tastes.

As Bailey had shared earlier, Dhoni often bonds with new franchise recruits by setting up hookah smoking sessions in his hotel room during the IPL season. Breaking down seniority barriers through such informal interactions is key to CSK’s familial team environment under Dhoni’s leadership.

“He likes smoking a bit of the sheesha or the hookah. So he quite often would set that up in his room, and it was very much an open-door policy. You would go in and quite often find a lot of younger players there,” Bailey had said about Dhoni’s hookah habits.

The two-time World Cup-winning captain will return to cricket when IPL 2023 begins in March. After dramatically taking CSK to their 5th IPL title last season, Dhoni has confirmed he will play one final swansong year before hanging up his boots.

While Dhoni’s off-field activities and carefree lifestyle make headlines routinely nowadays, fans will hope the 41-year-old legend can inspire CSK to one last IPL crown in his farewell season.

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