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A journey to a Moroccan village frozen in time

Loknath Das

Our vehicle wound ever higher up the earthen road cutting through Morocco’s High Atlas mountains. Below me, the red soil spilled like wine between green dots of forest and sheets of white snow. I lost myself in the dizzying beauty of North Africa’s tallest peaks, and as I nervously peered out of the window, I saw there was no guardrail separating us from the sharp ledge and distant valley below. Our journey had started an hour earlier at the base of the mountain along an ancient caravan trail that connects…

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OnePlus 6T to launch in India first, followed by China and Europe

Loknath Das

While we’ll have to wait until the end of the month for the OnePlus 6T to go official, it won’t be much longer after that until we can actually buy one. As we reported earlier, the phone will hit China on November 5 and now we have the launch dates for Europe and India too. India will get it first – Amazon will kick the sales off on November 2 at 12:00pm local time. You can grab an INR 1,000 gift card as a sort of pre-order and you’ll get free Bullet Type-C headphones…

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Facebook wants to put a mic and camera in your home with the Portal

Loknath Das

Facebook has announced Portal, a series of devices that let you do voice or video calls to other Facebook and Messenger users. Two different models were announced today, the Portal and the larger Portal+. The smaller Portal is an Amazon Echo Show style device, which is basically a giant display with a speaker. The 10.1-inch display has a resolution of 1280×800 and has 10W dual speakers. The Portal uses an array of four far-field microphones that records your conversations picks up your voice commands and a 12MP wide-angle camera that watches you sleep lets…

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Travel in a clique & be sane: 4-point guide to organise a big, group trip

Loknath Das

How to successfully travel in a large clique and keep your sanity. Yes, it is possible. The more the merrier doesn’t always hold true when you’re on a trip with a large group. Whether personal or professional, travelling with friends or colleagues can sometimes be demanding and your holiday will leave you feeling anything but refreshed. But, if you keep these tips in mind, you will have a good time. Look before you leap The first thing you need to do is research. And a lot of it. Find out all about the place you are…

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Samsung Offers an Adapter to Use Galaxy Note 9 With Gear VR; Gear VR Successor Also Apparently in Works

Loknath Das

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 users need to reach out to customer support to get the free Gear VR adapter. HIGHLIGHTS Samsung Galaxy Note 9 users have been offered with an adapter The adapter allows buyers to use Galaxy Note 9 with the current Gear VR Meanwhile, the Gear VR successor is also apparently in development Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has received an adapter that will help you easily use the phablet with the Gear VR. The adapter essentially makes the Gear VR compatible with the Galaxy Note 9, which doesn’t have dimensions…

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Maruti Vitara Brezza Petrol Hybrid in the works?

Loknath Das

Multiple reports suggest that Maruti Suzuki is preparing to launch a petrol-powered version of the Vitara Brezza, in India. Launched two years ago, the best-selling Maruti Brezza compact SUV has been motoring on with a single-diesel engine option, even as the competition comprising the Ford EcoSport and the Tata Nexon offers both petrol and diesel According to reports, the petrol engine for the Brezza will be the newly introduced 1.5-litre K-Series motor, which was first seen on the facelifted Ciaz. This engine will be offered in combination with the Suzuki…

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54% Working in the Gig Economy Say It Takes Too Long to Get Paid

Loknath Das

Gig economy workers and freelancers make up an increasingly larger percentage of today’s workforce. But when it comes to getting paid, a new survey from Bill.com says 54% of them feel it takes too long. Freelancers Are Not Being Paid Fast Enough The freelance workforce is a connected demographic using digital technology to work, play, shop and carryout financial transactions. And the survey says they are great supporters of digital payments. More than four in five or 86% say they prefer to receive payments electronically, while 41% say they require electronic payments to…

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Why business expectations are so tepid despite recovery in Indian economy

Loknath Das

The government cannot let the recovery in the Indian economy take its own sweet time, not with the elections less than a year away. Photo: Mint The Nikkei India Composite PMI Output index, a gauge of private sector economic activity in both the manufacturing and services sectors, came in at a strong 54.2 for July, up from 52.6 in June. A reading above 50 denotes expansion, while one below 50 indicates contraction from the previous month. As Chart 1 shows, the composite PMI (Purchasing Managers’ Index) is at its highest level…

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Fatca doesn’t prohibit NRIs from investing in mutual funds in India

Loknath Das

Photo: iStock I am an NRI and have been told that I can’t invest in mutual funds in India because of Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (Fatca). Is that true? If yes, what is the next best option for me to invest in? —Abhay Gupta Ever since Fatca has been enforced, financial institutions outside the US have become increasingly reluctant to deal with US entities. This has also led many people to think that Fatca prohibits any transaction between US entities and non-US financial institutions. But Fatca does not prohibit NRIs from…

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Can standardisation of exclusions in health insurance policies help customers?

Loknath Das

Different health insurance products carry different exclusions. Photo: iStock Malti Jaswal, chief operating officer, Health Insurance TPA of India Ltd Need to rationalise scope of exclusions One of the most contentious issues, which is also the reason for the highest number of grievances lodged by health insurance policyholders, pertains to “exclusions” under a health insurance contract. As more comprehensive products are being introduced, the list of exclusions by insurance companies (to avoid litigation and court awards) is also growing. Different products carry different exclusions, and the same exclusion could mean different things,…

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