Month: October 2013

Categories
Event

“Crisis of credibility in journalism”: Sir Mark Tully

Noted journalist and author Sir Mark Tully puts today’s journalism in perspective, and talks of the challenges of establishing credibility.
by Salil Jayakar

At 78, he’s far more energetic and enthusiastic than most people of any age are. His mind and memory are still as sharp as ever. No wonder then he continues to be an authority on India several years after he left the BBC. And unlike most of his ilk, he doesn’t hesitate to give credit where it’s due. “Let me clarify again, it is always erroneously mentioned that I first broke the news of Indira Gandhi’s assassination. I did not. In fact, it was my BBC colleague Satish Jacob,” he stated.

Meet Sir Mark Tully. Almost priest, journalist, author and Indophile, whose love affair with India continues…

In Mumbai over the weekend of October 17-18, Sir Mark spoke at Com Fest 2013 organised by the Association of Business Communicators of India (ABCI) at the Taj Mahal Palace & Hotel, Colaba. Like most British people, his self-depreciating humour was there for all to see. For me, as an ex-journalist and media professional, it was a bit of a fan boy moment as I had the opportunity to interact with him.

Sir Mark, without a doubt, has inspired young journalists in India and abroad with his no-nonsense style of reporting, which is why we need to sit up and take notice when he declares: “There is a crisis of credibility in journalism today” with reference to the UK phone hacking scandal and the kind of live news journalism we see in India. According to him, the dangers of instant communication to journalism are real – as seen during the Varanasi bomb blasts and the Mumbai terror attack.

“Journalists today speak instead of writing or telling a story. They are talking, instead of crafting a story. At a time when mobile and television can communicate a message in an instant, there is a real danger of miscommunication,” he said. How do journalists then maintain their presence? “Journalists need to be trusted. More so now in times of the Internet; they need to carry the torch of reliability and trustworthiness.”

Citing the BBC, Sir Mark had harsh words for his former employer and says the credibility of the BBC Trust has been severely undermined by the hacking scandal and the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal. He stressed the importance of a media regulator that has both politicians and journalists on its Board. Dismissive of the Indian Broadcast Editor’s Association, he says they are not doing a good job. According to him, a public service broadcaster (PSB) is necessary and should be independent of the government to be able to do a good job.

Sir Mark lamented the fight between management and editorial, the realities of running a paper or TV channel and the need to make money or profit. He believes that management has to realise that journalists are creative people and need to have the last word on a story. “The editor needs to be in control at all times. Irrespective of commercialisation, news needs to be credible and trustworthy. There has to be a balance between credibility and commercialisation,” he stated.

In his sartorial style, Sir Mark summed up the state of journalism and journalists today when he said, “Journalists need to keep in mind – this is not my story, it’s the story of the person.”

(Picture courtesy ABCI)

Categories
Tech

What went down at the Nokia World event

As many as six new devices came out of the recent Nokia event, Abu Dhabi. Here’s a look at each.
by Manik Kakra

The last Nokia World event, from Abu Dhabi, was recently concluded and we saw as many as six new devices from the company. Nokia announced three new Asha phones, two new Lumia smartphones, and one, its first, Windows 8 RT tablet.

Let’s take a look at the new launches.

Asha 500: This phone has a 2.80-inch QVGA touchscreen, and a 2 MP rear camera. Supporting a microSD card of up to 32 GB, it is equipped with Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi, microUSB, and comes in single SIM and dual-SIM options. It’s priced at $69 (before tax).

Asha 502: This dual-SIM phone boasts a 3-inch QVGA touchscreen and 64 MB of RAM. On the back, there’s a 5 MP camera (with LED flash). Other features include Bluetooth, WiFi and microUSB. It’s priced at $89 (before tax).

Asha 503: This is an Asha device with 3-inch touchscreen along with Gorilla Glass on top. Available in dual-SIM and single SIM options, the phone sports a 5 MP rear camera and expandable storage up to 32 GB. It’s priced at $99 (before tax).

It was also announced that WhatsApp is soon coming to the existing Asha devices.

Lumia 1320Lumia 1320: The Lumia 1320 (in pic on left) features a 6-inch 720p screen with Gorilla Glass 3 on top, and is powered by 1.7 GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 chipset and 1 GB of RAM. Running Windows Phone 8 with Nokia’s own apps available on it, the phone sports a 5 Mp rear camera, which can do 1080p videos; and a VGA front-facing camera. Connectivity-wise, there’s Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, and microUSB 2.0. Equipped with 3,400 mAh battery, the Lumia 1320 supports microSD card of up to 64 GB. It comes in red, yellow, white and black colours.

Lumia 1520: This is Nokia’s first Windows Phone device that boasts a full HD screen (in featured image above). It has a 6-inch 1080p screen with Nokia’s ClearBlack technology. It is powered by Qualcomm’s 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 SoC, along with 2 GB of RAM. Other features include Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi a/b/g/n/ac, microUSB 2.0. The phone packs 3,400 mAh battery, and also supports wireless charging. Another USP of this phone is its 20 MP camera that has Nokia’s popular PureView technology. On the front, there’s a 1.3 MP camera, too. Colour options include red, yellow, white and black.

Nokia-Lumia-2520 and keyboardLumia 2520: This is a big one – literally and figuratively. Nokia’s Lumia 2520 (in pic on right) is the company’s first Windows 8.1 RT tablet, and it follows their Fabula design. The tablet has a10.1-inch full HD screen, a 6.7 MP rear camera, and a 2 MP front-facing camera. With 32 GB of internal storage, and expandable option through microSD, there’s a lot of storage space for its users. Under the hood, there’s 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 SoC, along with 2 GB of RAM. Connectivity-wise, there’s Bluetooth 4.0, LTE, microUSB, NFC and WiFi. The Lumia 1520 comes in white, black, red and blue colour options.

Nokia also mentioned that Instagram, Vine are coming to Windows Phone pretty soon, while Flipboard is now available for Windows 8 RT.

Categories
Read

‘Writing isn’t easy…’

14-year-old student Maulik Jain releases debut book, says he writes as a response to what he experiences in the world.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

One can do something for years, but one needs just one brilliant second for a great little idea to strike. That is exactly what happened in Juhu resident Maulik Jain’s case – he was sitting at the dinner table one night and had a sudden flash of inspiration.

Maulik JainA little over a month later, after he’d let inspiration take over him completely, Maulik (14) was ready with his first book, Imagination Unplugged, a collection of personal essays and short stories. “I had always been writing, and my essays used to be read out by teachers in class,” says the Grade 10 student of Jamnabai Narsee School. “I have been writing a diary for the longest time, and so the habit of penning down my thoughts is an old one.”

This habit held Maulik in good stead, because, as he admits, most of the material for his book was already present in his jottings. “But for the book, I had to revisit a lot of the essays I had written, restructure the thoughts I had previously put down, because I found that what I had thought a few years or months ago, was not what I thought now. I sat down and went through the material, selected the writings I wanted to include in the book, then fine-tuned them,” he explains.

The entire process of coming out with the book took about eight months, with Maulik and his parents being an integral part of the decision-making process. “There was a lot to learn from the overall process. I got to know about the various parts of book publishing, took decisions on typeset and jacket designs, sat down for editing discussions. It was a great learning experience for me,” he says. The biggest learning, however, came from the ‘writing’ part of it. “I realised writing is really not that easy, especially writing a book,” he grins.

Once the book was printed and delivered, Maulik’s parents Deepak and Pooja arranged for a grand launch for the book. “Everybody was so supportive, and we were surprised to see Bhawana Somaaya with Maulik Jain at his Book launch of Imagination Unpluggedover 300 people turn up for the launch,” says Pooja. “Bhawna Somaaya spoke to Maulik about the book, and though he was a bit nervous at first, he really held his own when he answered her questions.”

With studies taking up most of his time, Maulik hasn’t had the time to promote his book. “May be in the vacations I will,” he shrugs.

His mother says that though he hasn’t ruled out writing as a career option, he would ideally like to join his father’s construction business when he grows up. But if he does take up writing, here’s what we could expect from him next: the straight-A student loves murder mysteries and counts JK Rowling and Anthony Horowitz among writers he admires. “If I write another book, I wouldn’t write a sequel to the first one. I would like to write fiction. May be I will write a murder mystery next,” he muses.

 

 

The launch of Imagination Unplugged:

 

Imagination Unplugged is available at all major bookstores for Rs 175. All proceeds from the sale of the book will go to Angel Xpress Foundation.

Categories
Wellness

What to eat for healthy hair

Dr Apoorva Shah writes a piece on how nutrition plays a role in the growth and maintenance of our hair.

Dr. Apoorva ShahHealthy looking hair is a reflection of good health. The health of your hair depends a lot on what you consume, as goes the famous saying ‘you are what you eat’. Without proper nutrition hair cannot thrive. Lack of certain nutrients can lead to slowed hair growth, dry and brittle hair, flaky scalp and hair loss. The answer to these hair and scalp problems is hidden in having a balanced diet and leading a healthy lifestyle.

Eating healthy food enables you to grow stronger and healthier cells throughout your entire body, which in turn strengthens your hair. Hair is made of protein; hence make sure you have an adequate amount of protein in your diet. For a healthy lifestyle and healthy hair production, certain foods play a very important role.

Here’s a list of some yummy food that can dramatically improve your hair:

Cottage cheese: Try low-fat cottage cheese for a protein-packed breakfast or lunch on the go when you don’t have time to cook eggs. Top it with some fresh berries for an added serving of fruit. Plus, cottage cheese is also a good source of calcium.

Soya beans: Soy is a great source of protein for vegans. It also contains a substantial amount of iron and Vitamin E. Iron is an important part of haemoglobin production. soya beansHaemoglobin is responsible for getting oxygen to the tissues of the body. Without it, your hair won’t grow. Vitamin E helps with the absorption of oxygen in the blood. Soya has flavonoids which help to treat Androgenic Alopecia.

Almonds: Almonds are good sources of vegetarian protein, iron and Vitamin E. They also help to lower cholesterol, helping you avoid having to take cholesterol-lowering drugs which actually cause hair loss.

Milk: Milk has absorbable iodine. It’s impossible to overdose on iodine from food sources. Only food sources like iodised salt may cause an overdose.

Spinach: Eat all the spinach you can for healthy hair. Spinach like broccoli and Swiss chard is an excellent source of Vitamins A and C, which your body needs to produce sebum. The oily substance, secreted by your hair follicles, is the body’s natural hair conditioner.

One should include Dark green vegetables which provide iron and calcium to hair and body.

Apart from eating the above mentioned food, you have to maintain a healthy lifestyle which would in turn result in beautiful lustrous hair. Smoking and lack of sleep can also affect how your hair looks and feels. Hormonal imbalances due to undisciplined life style have irreversible damaging impact on hair. Love your body and let your body love you back!

Dr Apoorva Shah is India’s leading and first certified trichologist, with over 25 years of experience in hair care. 

(Pictures courtesy respectnatural.wordpress.com, doctor.ndtv.com)

Categories
Tech

New iPhones coming to India on November 1

The iPhone 5C starts from Rs 41,900, and the 5S from Rs 53,500; current forex rates have pushed prices up.
by Manik Kakra

Apple is officially bringing its new iDevices — iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S — to India on the 1st of November. The phones were announced on the 10th of September, and have been available on several countries included in the company’s first and second list. Here’s the complete price list:

iPhone 5SiPhone 5S (comes in space grey, gold and silver colours):

16 GB: Rs 53,500

32 GB: Rs 62,500

64 GB: Rs 71,500

The iPhone 5C (comes in blue, pink, yellow, green, and white colours)

16 GB: Rs 41,900

32 GB: Rs 53,500

iPhone 4S (8 GB) is now priced at Rs 31,500, and the iPhone 5 has been discontinued, as mentioned by Apple at the launch event.

The official phone cases for the iPhone 5S are available in beige, black, blue, brown, yellow and red colour options, priced at Rs 3,200; while the official iPhone 5C cases come in blue, green, pink, yellow, black and white for Rs 2,300.

Yes, folks, the prices this time are pretty high, but not too surprising due to our foreign exchange rates. While Apple could have made a bit of a bargain on the highest storage models, it is hard to say if many people would buy one 64 GB model at launch.

Both these iOS 7 devices are Apple’s latest devices that are more or less among the best smartphones available today. While a lot of Indian users would be waiting for their launch, it is sort of disappointing to see so many smartphones, not just these iPhones, being priced above Rs 40,000 so often these days.

Categories
Overdose

Tommy has a request

Jatin SharmaJatin Sharma reprints a written request from a canine acquaintance, in view of Diwali that will soon be upon us.

This week I apologise to all of you because I have not written a column. Instead, I have just typed out a letter I received from a dog. Yes, I know it would have been believable if I had said that the letter came from a pigeon or a dove. We have seen them delivering letters and there’s even a famous Hindi film song vouching for their good postal skills. But I kid you not – I really received this letter from a dog.

This dog is a stray who meets me every morning when I leave for office. Sometimes I look into his eyes and I can see him mutely apologising to me, and when I see the wet tyres of my car, I know why. Yesterday, this same dog came up to me and delivered a letter. This is what it said:

LETTER FROM TOMMY (that’s what Indian people like to call me)

‘Hello,
I am Tommy. I am a stray dog from Andheri East. First of all, I want to say ‘thank you’ to all of those staying in JB Nagar, Andheri East for providing me with food every day. Thank you for the rotis and biscuits that you feed me every time I give you guys a sorry look. It has been amazing chasing your cars and bikes, and I love how you guys are startled every time I spring out at you and bark violently. I just do it for fun. I really never wanted to hurt you guys. You know there is not much we can do as dogs. We just eat and roam around. So we don’t have many activities to kill time.

I am writing this letter to Jatin Sharma, as I know he works with the media and writes a column too (that most people ignore). So I am writing this letter to get him to know my views. I hope he makes this go viral. I mean, imagine a dog writing a letter (!), it will definitely get some ‘shares’. But I didn’t write this letter only to chit-chat: I had a selfish reason.

dogs terrified on diwaliI am scared. Petrified, actually, because I hear Diwali is round the corner.

Yes yes, I know about Diwali being the best festival of India, but you people go a little overboard with the festivities. I know it’s also the most important festival that is about lights and new dresses and bursting crackers. But this Diwali I have a request; a request that only asks you to think of me. Every festival has a way to celebrate. It’s a celebration of life, we too have a dog festival where on a full moon day, we keep chasing cars after getting drunk. But we never intend to harm any one of you. Yes, we do bite you sometimes, but you can take that as a revenge for kicking us for without a reason.

So getting to the point, please please please don’t burst crackers near residential areas. I am not asking you to stop bursting crackers. I am just asking you to take me into consideration. I have very sharp ears, and because of that, any sound is magnified twice when I hear it. When you burst crackers, just be considerate. I have a life, too.

Diwali is a festival of lights. All the simple rituals of Diwali have a significance and a story to tell. The lighting of homes with lights and of the skies with firecrackers is an expression of respect to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity. Some people believe that the bursting of fire-crackers indicates the joy that people living on earth, making the Gods aware of their plentiful state. Another possible reason, albeit a more scientific one, is that the fumes produced by the crackers kill a lot of insects and mosquitoes, which are found in plenty after the rains. But the second reason doesn’t really hold true in an age where you have vaporisers, mosquito mats and killing raquets to kill mosquitoes.

Could you please not burst crackers this year? We dogs get scared on the nights that crackers are burst non-stop, and we don’t know what to do. The sight of fire and the loud sound thatcrackers it makes, makes it very difficult for us. We meet with accidents and lose our sense of direction because of all this. Last Diwali, I had to go to a doctor – I had started defecating without my knowledge and had also become very aggressive. The doctor said that it was due to post-Diwali cracker stress.

Once again I request you to please think of us dogs before you fire a cracker this year. If we dogs and other household pets seem useless to you, then at least spare a thought for asthamatic human patients who go through hell during the days of Diwali.

If you promise to support us and not burst crackers this year, then I will ask all the stray dogs around not to chase after your bikes and bite you. I am now signing off because I see somebody throwing a frisbee and I have to go catch it.

Regards,
Tommy Bow Wow’

Jatin Sharma is a media professional who doesn’t want to grow up, because if he grows up, he will be like everybody else. ‘Overdose’ is Jatin’s weekly take on Mumbai’s quirks and quibbles.

(Pictures courtesy gratefuldogsrescue.org, www.chicagonow.com, www.visithyd.com)

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