How to convert PDF to WORD for free

Portable document format or PDF is widely used across the world. The best part about a PDF document is that generally the content it displays looks exactly the same, irrespective of the operating system or device you're using. However, making changes to a PDF file isn't an easy task which is why converting a PDF into a Word document can make everything easier. There are a few methods through which you can convert PDF files into editable Word documents. Besides, we have also included methods that allow you to convert scanned PDF files into Word documents for free. To learn about these methods, read on.

How to convert PDF to WORD

The first method we are suggesting lets you convert PDF files to Word quickly without installing any apps. This method works across all devices, be it your computer or smartphone. With that said, follow these steps.

Visit the website www.hipdf.com

Once the site is loaded, click on the second option from the top that says, PDF to word.

After that, click choose file > select the PDF file from your computer > click Open.

Once the upload is finished, hit Convert > wait for the file to finish the conversion > Download.

That's it, your editable word document will now be downloaded on your computer. This process is similar on smartphones too.

If you want to do this offline, you can get the app for this on your computer as well.

Once the page is loaded, click on Free Download to download.

After the file is downloaded, install and open it.

From the app's homescreen, click on Open File > select the PDF File from your computer > click Open.

After the file is loaded, you simply need to export this PDF file into a Word document.

How to convert scanned PDF files to editable Word documents

The aforementioned method lets you convert most of the PDF files into a Word document. However, this method doesn't let you convert scanned PDF files into Word Docs for free. To do that, there's a different method. Follow these steps.

Download and install Microsoft Word on your computer — Windows 10, macOS.

Open Microsoft Word on your computer and load the scanned PDF file. You'll see that MS Word automatically converts the file into a Word Document. Once the document is loaded, you'll be able to edit it easily.

After the edit is done, you can then simply save the document as a Word file on your computer.

An alternate method involves using Google Docs to convert scanned PDF files into Word documents. To do that, visit drive.google.com on your computer. Make sure that you're logged in to your Google account.

Click New > then click on File Upload > then select the scanned PDF from your computer's storage > click Open. Your upload will now start.

Once the upload is finished, click on Recent and select the file you just now uploaded. You will need to open this file with Google Docs. To do that, click on the file > click the vertical three-dots icon next to the delete button > Open with > Google Docs.

After the file is loaded in Google Docs, click File > Download > Microsoft Word. The file will now be downloaded as a Word document on your computer. You can then open it later and edit it anytime you wish to.

By following these simple methods, you can now easily convert PDF files into editable Word documents. The best part is that these methods are absolutely free and get the job done.

Moto G8 Power Lite With 5,000mAh Battery, Triple Rear Cameras Launched: Price, Specifications

Lenovo-owned Motorola has introduced the Moto G8 Power Lite phone. The smartphone has triple rear cameras at the back with a 16-megapixel main sensor, and a large 5,000mAh battery. It features a 6.5-inch HD+ display with waterdrop-style notch, and is powered by the MediaTek Helio P35 SoC. The Moto G8 Power Lite looks to be a stripped version of the Moto G Power launched in US last month. The Moto G8 Power Lite runs on the dated Android 9 Pie software and offers a Micro-USB port.

Moto G8 Power Lite Price & Availability

Moto G8 Power Lite is priced at EUR 169 (roughly Rs. 13,900). The phone will first be available in Mexico and Germany in the coming days. It will go on sale in other countries in Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australia in the coming weeks. It comes in Arctic Blue and Royal Blue options.

Moto G8 Power Lite Specifications

As mentioned, the Moto G8 Power Lite runs on Android Pie and features a 6.5-inch (729x1600 pixels) IPS LCD display with a waterdrop-style notch, 20:9 aspect ratio, and 269ppi pixel density. It is powered by the 2.3GHz MediaTek Helio P35 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM. Inbuilt storage is at 64GB, and the company offers storage expansion using microsD card (up to 256GB).

The triple rear camera setup includes a 16-megapixel main snapper with an f/2.0 aperture and PDAF. It is assisted by a 2-megapixel macro lens with f/2.4 aperture, and a 2-megapixel depth lens with f/2.4 aperture. Camera features include HDR, beauty mode, dual camera blur effect, timer, panorama, Google Lens integration. On the front is a 8-megapixel camera with an f/2.0 aperture.

The Moto G8 Power Lite packs a 5,000mAh battery with 10W charging support. It is touted to last for up to 19 hours of video playback, and 100 hours of audio playback. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Micro-USB port, 3.5mm audio jack, Bluetooth v4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS, A-GPS, and GLONASS. The phone measures 164.94x75.76x9.2mm and weighs about 200 grams. It is water repellent and has a rear fingerprint sensor on board.

OnePlus 7 Pro: From triple camera to stereo speakers, here are 5 features you'll love

OnePlus is all set to launch its 2019 line-up globally on May 14 at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, Bengaluru. The Chinese smartphone major will unveil two of the most highly anticipated devices in the first half of 2019 - OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro. The OnePlus 7 is expected to be an incremental update over the last years OnePlus 6T, on the other hand, the new OnePlus 7 Pro will be the costliest OnePlus device ever made and will come with premium features.

Lets take a look at the top five features OnePlus 7 Pro is going to come with:

Quad HD+ display with 90 hz refresh rate:

The OnePlus 7 Pro will sport a Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 90Hz. Earlier OnePlus models had FHD+ resolution and 60Hz refresh rate to keep the price low. The 90Hz refresh rate would not only ensure buttery smoother and more fluid animation.

Full screen curved display:

OnePlus 7 Pro is expected to feature 6.64 inch curved OLED display. Samsung made the curved displays famous on their flagships as they look good aesthetically. OnePlus is achieving the full screen display by implementing pop-up cameras for selfies. The approach does have some limitations, like no water resistance but its the only way at the moment to achieve full screen edge-to-edge display.

Stereo speakers:

Speakers on the phone are not just important to the music lovers but also to those who love watching movies or playing games. OnePlus would most probably bring stereo speakers with its OnePlus 7 Pro variant to ensue top-notch aural experience for its users.
 
Camera:

OnePlus phones were never known for their cameras. With OnePlus 7 Pro, the company will be introducing the triple camera setup and enter the 48-MP race. The setup will also include telephoto lens and ultra-wide angle lens. There are also rumours that the company might borrow Oppo's 10x optical zoom technology for its flagship phone.

Larger battery:

OnePlus 7 Pro will surely have a bigger battery size to support the bigger edge-to-edge display. The chances are that OnePlus will pack its flagship Pro version with a 4000mAh battery. Also with the Warp Charger with 30 Watt output, the users will be able to charge the device faster than most of the handsets out there.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro First Impressions: Taking the Redmi Note Legacy to a New Level

The Redmi Note 7 Pro priced at Rs 13,999 is the phone to beat in the mid-range category this year.
At the start of 2019, some reports emerged online stated that Xiaomi will be more aggressive with its pricing strategy this year to tackle the competition better. Xiaomi always used to price their devices aggressively, but in 2018, there were some devices like the Redmi Y2 and Redmi 6 Pro which disappointed consumers in terms of pricing.

Just when everyone thought that Xiaomi would not get any more aggressive in the Indian market, out came the Poco F1 which is still the best smartphone under Rs 20,000. But Poco is Xiaomi’ newly established sub-brand and everyone expected the price of Poco F1 would be aggressive. On February 28, Xiaomi launched two Redmi Note phones in India and the Chinese company blew everyone with the pricing of both the phones. The phones in question are Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 7 Pro. Right after the Note 7 series announcement, Asus reduced the price of its three-month-old Zenfone Max Pro M2 by a massive margin.

The Redmi Note series from Xiaomi always offered incredible performance at a pocket-friendly price. Since the first Redmi Note 4G launch in India, Xiaomi kept the pricing of the base model at Rs 9,999, and it continues this year as well. The standard Redmi Note 7 starts at Rs 9,999, and for the users who’re looking for an even more powerful smartphone, we have the Redmi Note 7 Pro that ticks almost every box on paper.

The Redmi Note 7 Pro is a major upgrade over the Redmi Note 6 Pro that was launched in November 2018 in India. It sports a different design compared to what we’ve seen with Xiaomi devices in the past, offers the powerful Snapdragon 675 Mobile Platform, up to 128GB of internal storage, 48MP rear camera and a 4000mAh battery. The price of the Redmi Note 7 Pro’s base variant is set as Rs 13,999 which is incredible for a phone with such specifications. Read on to find more about the Redmi Note 7 Pro in detail.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro First Impressions: Design and Display
 
Xiaomi is never known for launching smartphones with a flashy design like those of Honor and Huawei phones. However, that’s changing with the Redmi Note 7 Pro; The phone sports a glass back with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The leading smartphone brand in India has used a polycarbonate frame which runs around the edges of the phone. The Note 7 Pro comes in three colour variants- Nebula Red, Neptune Blue and Space Black; Besides the Space Black variant, the other two colour options has a gradient back, meaning colours on the rear panel vary with angles. If you’ve seen the Honor phones which launched recently, then the design of the Note 7 Pro will seem familiar to you.
Thanks to the glass back, the Note 7 Pro feels a bit heavy when taken into hands, but again, Xiaomi has distributed the weight evenly and the curved edges make up for an excellent in-hand feel. Lastly, we have the button placements which haven’t seen any change compared to the predecessors; To the right, we have the power button and volume rockers, at the top we have the IR Blaster and 3.5mm headphone jack, and on the left, Xiaomi has added the SIM card tray which accepts dual nano-SIM cards or a nano-SIM card and a microSD card.

For the first time on a Redmi Note device, Xiaomi has used a USB Type-C port. Yes, the Redmi Note 7 and Note 7 Pro comes with USB Type-C port located on the bottom flanked on either side by speaker grilles.

Moving onto the display, the Note 7 Pro rocks a 6.3-inch Full HD+ LTPS In-Cell display with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and a resolution of 1080×2340 pixels. There’s a Dot Notch on top of the display- again a first on a Redmi Note smartphone and a noticeable chin is also present. Initial impressions are the display on the Note 7 Pro seems way better than what we’ve seen on the Redmi Note 6 Pro and Note 5 Pro smartphones that were released last year.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro First Impressions: Hardware and Software

Last year with the Redmi Note 5 Pro, Xiaomi debuted the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC, and this year, it’s bringing the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 SoC to under Rs 15,000 price point with the Note 7 Pro. We’ve seen the Snapdragon 675 Mobile Platform earlier on the Vivo V15 Pro and it performs slightly better than the Snapdragon 710 SoC which the Nokia 8.1 uses. Paired with the chipset is 4GB/6GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of internal storage. There’s a hybrid microSD card slot for storage expansion up to 256GB. The phone runs MIUI 10 based on Android 9 Pie out of the box.

The Note 7 Pro performed extremely well during our three-day usage and what surprised me is memory management. Xiaomi’s MIUI is known for aggressive memory management in favour of battery life, but that seems to be not the case with the Note 7 Pro as the phone had more than eight apps in memory. Do make a note that I have the 4GB+64GB variant of Note 7 Pro. Like the older Redmi Note phones, the Note 7 Pro also rocks a 4000mAh battery and it has support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ technology. Inside the retail box, Xiaomi is bundling a 10W charger which is also a welcome change.

The fingerprint scanner on the Note 7 Pro is present on the rear side and it gets the job done. MIUI 10 also offers a software-based Face Unlock and it has seen a minor speed improvement too.

As for the connectivity options, the Note 7 Pro has support for Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS and USB Type-C port. It also offers Dual 4G functionality to use two 4G SIM cards simultaneously. There’s a lot of confusion regarding the Carrier Aggregation support on the Note 7 Pro; Yes, the phone supports CA and I have noticed the same on Airtel 4G (4G+) network in Hyderabad, but the actual configuration is not known at the moment.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro First Impressions: Cameras

Now, let’s address the elephant of the room and what Xiaomi is teasing a lot about the Note 7 Pro. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro packs a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor on the rear side. Do make a note that it’s a true 48MP sensor from Sony and not the one which is present on the Redmi Note 7 Chinese variant. To recall, the Note 7 in China uses the Samsung GM1 sensor which is also present on the Vivo V15 Pro which effectively is a 12MP sensor.

With the Sony IMX586 48MP sensor in place, the Redmi Note 7 Pro captures detailed shots which is something Xiaomi is again betting on. The primary sensor works in tandem with a 5MP depth sensor that collects bokeh information for portrait shots. By default, the Note 7 Pro captures images in 12MP mode, but you can easily switch to the 48MP mode inside the camera app.

The camera app also comes loaded with a lot of features including a Night mode that seems to work really well. The Note 7 Pro has support for 4K video recording at 30fps unlike the Note 6 Pro and Note 5 Pro smartphones. And to remove the hassle of shaky videos, Xiaomi has added Electronic Image Stabilisation support as well. On the front side, the Note 7 Pro has a 13MP shooter for selfies and video calls which is sort of a downgrade from the 20MP unit we saw on its predecessor. The front-facing camera also has a portrait mode and it works on AI.
I have captured some images using the Redmi Note 7 Pro and they look stunning, at least for the asking price. Take a look at the samples.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro First Impressions: Conclusion

With the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro, the Chinese company is taking the Redmi Note legacy to a new level. All these years, the Redmi Note series stood as the best sub Rs 15,000 smartphone and there’s no doubt the same will continue this year as well. At the same time, the Note 7 Pro bridges the gap between a flagship phone and a mid-range smartphone. For the unaware, the Snapdragon 675 Mobile Platform delivers the performance which is on par with the Snapdragon 835 chipset.

The Redmi Note 7 Pro price in India is Rs 13,999 for the 4GB+64GB variant and Rs 16,999 for the 6GB+128GB storage mode. The first sale of the device will be held on March 13 exclusively on Flipkart, Mi.com and Mi Home offline stores. Stay tuned for our full review of the Note 7 Pro dropping next week.

Google hiring Indian engineers to develop its own microchips

Google is not just a software company because the tech giant has proved its capabilities in the hardware lineup also. The company has come up with products like Google Pixel smartphones, Assistant-powered Google Home, Chromecast, and Pixelbooks and more. The company has also taken the responsibility of producing Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) Titan or Titan M security chips, and also Pixel Visual Core chips.

The company is now looking forward to chip-making endeavours. On LinkedIn, the company has posted jobs for hiring a minimum of 20 employees in India for its "gChips" team and also expected to expand the team in future. The new site is in Bengaluru and the company is hiring for more post including two executive positions. Bengaluru is known as silicon valley of India and been a centre for semiconductor development for more than 20 years. Google is preferring the location to easily find the veterans for the endeavour. The company is searching for candidates with years of experience of working with chipmakers like Intel, Qualcomm, Broadcom and NVIDIA.

The tech giant has lister around 13 for various roles through its own hiring platform Google Careers. It has been reported that the company will expand the team to 80 by the end of this year. Right now, the team will "fine-tune and test" prototypes before they are sent to manufacturers. The current chipset-related openings in Google India include two positions of leadership: SoC Physical Design and Methodology Lead SoC RTL Lead Two engineering positions including: SoC/ASIC Design for Testability Engineer Floorplan Engineer (ASIC/SoC).

This development comes in when Apple is planning to expand the manufacturing and assembling expensive units such as iPhone X in India. The company is already assembling iPhone SE and iPhone 6s, and it is planning to expand the manufacturing centres in the southern parts of the country.

I Love Mi Days Sale: Redmi Note 6 Pro, Redmi 6, Redmi Note 5 Pro, Mi TV 4A Pro Get Discounts

A host of smartphones and other devices from the house of Xiaomi have received discounts as part of the “I Love Mi Days” sale, which is now live on Flipkart, Mi.com, and Amazon. The Redmi 6, Redmi Note 6 Pro, and the Redmi Note 5 Pro are among the smartphones, which are available at discounted price points as a part of the ongoing sale. Aside from the smartphones, Xiaomi is also offering the Mi Band HRX edition and Mi TV 4A Pro at a reduced price among other products.

Starting with the Redmi Note 6 Pro ₹ 13,599, the smartphone's 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant is now available at Rs. 12,999 on the three websites. The higher-end variant of the smartphone, which packs 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, can be purchased for Rs. 14,999. In addition to the discount, Amazon, Flipkart, and Mi.com are also offering no-cost EMI plans on the Redmi Note 6 Pro, alongside exchange discounts and various bank offers.

Its predecessor, the Redmi Note 5 Pro ₹ 11,898 has also received a temporary price cut on its 6GB RAM + 64GB internal storage variant during the ongoing sale. The smartphone is available at Rs. 12,999 and also comes with no-cost EMI offers, exchange discounts, and bank offers. The affordable Redmi 6 has also been discounted and its 3GB RAM + 64GB internal storage version can be purchased for Rs. 8,499 during the sale.

In addition to the smartphones, one can also get the Mi Band HRX Edition at a discounted price of Rs. 1,299 during the ‘I Love Mi Days' sale. The Mi TV 4A Pro too has received a price cut on the three e-commerce platforms. While Flipkart is offering a discount on both 43-inch and 49-inch models of the TV, Mi.com and Amazon are offering a temporary price cut just on the 43-inch and 49-inch models respectively. The reduced price-tags for the Mi TV 4A Pro's 43-inch and 49-inch models are Rs. 22,999 and Rs. 30,999 respectively.

The “I Love Mi Days” sale concludes on February 13, 2019 on all three platforms. As we mentioned earlier, the sale is live on Mi.com, Flipkart and Amazon.

Budget 2019 gives little to the rich, a lot to low income group: Here’s who gains and how much

The bigger gainers are all individuals with net taxable income up to Rs 5 lakh who will not have to pay any tax as per Budget 2019 proposals.
The main gain from Budget 2019 proposals for salaried and pensioners is reduction in tax burden due to the proposed increase in standard deduction from earlier Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000. The Budget 2019 also proposes rebate for all those with taxable income upto Rs 5 lakh. Tax on deemed rent from second vacant house payable by house owners has also been abolished.

Who gains and by how much:

1. Budget 2019 has increased standard deduction for the salaried and pensioners to Rs 50,000 from the existing Rs 40,000. The increase in standard deduction by Rs 10,000 means a saving of Rs 2080 for those with income from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, a saving of Rs 3120 for those with income from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh and Rs 3432 for those with income above Rs 50 lakh upto Rs 1 crore. Those with incomes above Rs 1 crore will save only Rs 3588. These figures include cess and surcharge. Standard deduction for current FY is Rs 40,000 and is proposed to be hiked to Rs 50,000 for FY2019-20.

2. The bigger gainers are all individuals with net taxable income upto Rs 5 lakh who will not have to pay any tax as per Budget 2019 proposals. Those in this category were paying a maximum tax of Rs 13,000 earlier. Therefore, it amounts to a saving upto Rs 13,000 for all those in this category. It is to be clarified that this benefit is in the form of a rebate of entire tax payable only for those with taxable income upto Rs 5 lakh, according to Shalini Jain, tax partner, people advisory services ..

3. Those with two houses were earlier liable to pay income tax on deemed rent on their second house if it was not rented out/vacant. One house was allowed to be treated as ‘self occupied’ property and no tax was payable if it was self occupied/ vacant. This comes as huge relief for home owners and may encourage more people to invest in property. The amount of tax relief in this case will depend on the amount of ‘deemed rent’ on which tax was payable earlier.

4. TDS limit has been raised for income from bank and post office deposits for individuals aged up to 60 years. Also TDS limit has been raised for non-individuals paying rent. These moves will increase tax convenience for those involved but there is no specific tax saving for them.

Foxconn Looking to Produce High-End iPhone Models in India: Report

Foxconn is reportedly looking towards India as a possible base for assembling the high-end iPhone models, a report claimed Tuesday, citing people familiar with the development. The latest report comes less than a month after two separate reports had claimed the same, indicating that the Taiwanese contract manufacturer is indeed serious about expanding its Indian facilities. The company currently assembles smartphones for firms like Xiaomi in the country. With a trade war between China and United States not close to a proper resolution, more companies with manufacturing facilities in China and customers in the United States are looking to diversify their supply chains.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter, Foxconn is mulling producing "higher-end, pricier" iPhone models in India, including models with OLED displays. The contract manufacturer is currently studying whether to include possible India expansion in its budget plans, noted the report citing an unnamed person familiar with Foxconn's plans. The company is also said to be considering Vietnam as it looks to diversify its manufacturing bases, but India has a better chance of seeing a Foxconn factory churning out new iPhone models thanks to its larger growth potential, the report added. A bigger local presence should also allow Apple to better target the market.

If Foxconn goes ahead with its plans to assemble high-end iPhone models in India, it is likely to help Apple in keeping the prices of its smartphones down in the country. Right now, the Indian government charges as much as 20 percent tariff on any phones imported from outside. After the increased tariffs over the last couple of years, several smartphone manufacturers have set up bases in the country to assemble phones. Expanded business in India will certainly help the Cupertino-based company is shedding the reliance over China for growth as the smartphone market has stagnated in most of the western countries.

Another Taiwanese contract manufacturer Wistron was recently reported to be considering expanding its India operations. In a filing on Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), the company has noted that it has increased the authorised capital of its Indian subsidiary to Rs. 3,000 crores for the same. Apple has been assembling a couple of its low-end iPhone models in India for some time now. Wistron has plant in Peenya industrial area of Bengaluru city, where the contract manufacturer assembles the iPhone SE ₹ 17,199 and iPhone 6S ₹ 27,999 units for the country.

Late last month, a report from Indian daily The Hindu had claimed that a Foxconn unit in Sriperumbudur, a town panchayat in Chennai Metropolitan Area, will start manufacturing iPhone models from 2019. The daily had cited a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami over the matter. Apparently, Foxconn has already created a separate manufacturing unit in its existing Sriperumbudur factory.

A report from news agency Reuters reiterated the Hindu report, citing its own source. It added that Foxconn will invest Rs. 25 billion ($356 million) to expand the Sriperumbudur plant.

Market selloff? Jhunjhunwala shows the way

Talking head

It's very natural to lose your nerve at a time when stock investors are running for cover.

But ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala belongs to a different tribe, who seems to have other plans. It's business as usual for Jhunjhunwala, who is a classic example of how to keep a cool head in times of selloff.

The reverse pitch

Consider this. There are 27 stocks where Jhunjhunwala and his better half Rekha Jhunjhunwala held more than 1 per cent stake at the end of the September quarter. All barring MCX have been in the red since July 1. Some of his portfolio stocks have cracked up to 70 per cent since July 1 amid worries over India’s shadow banking crisis and geopolitical concerns involving Saudi Arabia, Italy and Brexit. Still, the Big Bull stood his ground and is busy picking low-hanging fruits!

DHFL: Keeping faith

Dewan Housing Finance is the worst-hit stock in his portfolio during the quarter. But guess what? Jhunjhunwala accumulated more shares of Dewan Housing Finance! His holding in the housing finance firm went up by 39 bps to 3.19 per cent at the end of the September quarter, from 2.8 per cent at the end of the June quarter.

It has been a steady innings

Jhunjhunwala has been holding the DHFL stock at least since 2013, data available with Ace Equity shows. The benchmark Sensex, which climbed 6.16 per cent and 2.76 per cent in July and August, slipped 6.25 per cent in September after a debt default by the IL&FS group triggered fears of a liquidity crisis.

There are more...

TV18 Broadcast is one for sure. The renowned investor bought an additional 62.5 lakh shares, or 0.4 per cent stake, in TV18 Broadcast, raising his holding to 3 per cent from 2.6 per cent in April-June. This scrip has fallen 31 per cent since July 1.

Jhunjhunwala also purchased 5 lakh shares in Jubilant Life Sciences during the quarter, upping his stake to 1.6 per cent from 1.3 per cent. In Escorts, he bought 42,368 shares, taking his holding to 8.2 per cent from 8.1 per cent.

In SpiceJet, he held 1.3 per cent stake at the end of the September quarter. He last held 1.9 per cent stake in the aviation stock at the end of June quarter of 2014.

Besides, he held 2.4 per cent stake in Fortis Healthcare at the end of September quarter. It was at 1 per cent in the December quarter of 2016, when he last figured among shareholders holding 1 per cent stake or more stake in the company.

Watch your step

The Big Bull kept his holdings intact in Titan, his biggest known investment in stocks. But he scaled it down in Jaiprakash Associates to 1.1 per cent, from 2.1 per cent.

Rallis India and Lupin are where he sold 7 lakh and 5 lakh shares, respectively. Jhunjhunwala had 3.22 per cent stake in Anant Raj at the end of June quarter. His name was missing in the September quarter shareholding pattern.

WhatsApp's vacation mode will make all muted archived chats stay archived even when new messages arrive

WhatsApp is reportedly working on two new features ‘Vacation Mode’ and ‘Linked Accounts’. According to the report by WABetaInfo, the new feature will be released by Android, iOS and Windows Phone operating system platforms. The new ‘Vacation Mode’ is an extension of the company’s ‘Silent Mode’, which was recently rolled out to Android users.

The new ‘Silent Mode’ hides any notification dots for muted chats on the app, which means the users will not see how many new messages are in the muted chats from the WhatsApp icon on the device. This new feature is pre-activated for all WhatsApp users with the latest update for the app.

The ‘Vacation Mode’ will take this feature a bit further and make muted archived chats stay archived even when new messages arrive. Currently, WhatsApp unarchives any such chats, when there are new messages to read. The report states that users will have full control over the feature through the notification settings panel of the app.

The new ‘Linked Accounts’ feature will allow users to link their WhatsApp account to other social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The ‘Linked Accounts’ feature would be accessible for users under the WhatsApp profile settings once launched. Currently, this new feature will only bring support for Instagram as an external service. However, others will follow soon. The report further added that this feature might be targetted towards the WhatsApp Business app.

OnePlus 6T price in India leaked: It’s more expensive than OnePlus 6

OnePlus 6T will launch globally and in India on October 30. Prior to the official unveiling, a new report reveals the price of the upcoming smartphone.

OnePlus 6T will be priced at Rs 37,999, according to MySmartPrice. This would be the starting price of OnePlus 6T, considering more variants of the smartphone will launch. Though, the official pricing and full specifications will be announced at the launch day.

It is worth pointing out that OnePlus has gradually increased price of its flagship phones over the years. In comparison, OnePlus 6 starts at Rs 34,999 for the base model with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. The most expensive is the OnePlus 6 Avengers Edition which is priced at Rs 44,999 and offers 8GB RAM plus 256GB in-built storage.

With an increased price tag, OnePlus 6T will be offering an in-display fingerprint sensor and a bigger 3,700mAh battery. The smartphone will feature an optical fingerprint sensor embedded on the display called ‘Screen Unlock’. The smartphone will however lose the 3.5mm headphone jack.

It is expected to go through a design change as well. OnePlus 6T will come with a tinier ‘waterdrop’ notch on its display. Improvements on the camera department are also expected. Under the hood, OnePlus 6T will run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor with up to 8GB of RAM.

OnePlus is hosting the launch event for its new smartphone at KDJW Stadium in New Delhi. The event is scheduled to begin at 8:30 pm for which tickets are now live on the OnePlus website.

Flipkart vs Amazon: Consumer complaints on the rise as sales go up

The share of e-commerce complaints of the total NCH complaints is set to jump from 18% in September to 20% this month. Flipkart and Amazon have registered the maximum complaints.

The festive season sales spearheaded by e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart registered higher sales than last year. However, what also on the rise are consumer complaints. Since the past year, the e-commerce sector has seen the highest number of consumer complaints on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) among all sectors, including telecom and banking. It is, moreover, set to spike in October because of the sales, a report in The Economic Times mentioned.

The share of e-commerce complaints of the total NCH complaints is set to jump from 18% in September to 20% this month. Flipkart and Amazon have registered the maximum complaints, as mentioned in the daily.  

In September, consumer complaints surged by 22% over last year, forming 18% of the total 47,000 NCH complaints. It means that the e-commerce sector registered 8,500 complaints, which is a rise from 6,908 complaints that were registered last September, when the sales were held.

There were 1,236 complaints against Flipkart, while Amazon saw 1,052 complaints between September 14 and October 15. Paytm Mall saw 765 complaints and Snapdeal saw over 400. According to the daily, Flipkart said that the number is actually 1,125, out of which 35% were queries.

It must be noted that the figure is rather negligible considering that there are about 1.2-1.3 million e-commerce shipments in a day. It must, however, be kept in mind that many consumers complain to the company directly or through social media and not through the helpline.

There have been 4,700 complaints in the first 15 days of October but is likely to increase because of the sales. Last October, the number was 8,944.

Experts believe that this spike could also be because Indian e-commerce is experiencing a surge in the number of first-time online shoppers. There could be a mismatch between their expectation and experience.

Additionally, there is a strong menace of counterfeit products sold online. Two surveys had earlier this year pointed that one-third of e-commerce customers receve counterfeit products

x

Of IDBI Bank-LIC Deal, NPA Accounts, and Top Stocks in Focus Today

Indian share markets ended at fresh record high levels on Tuesday. Gains were largely seen in the metal sector and power sector.

At the closing bell yesterday, the BSE Sensexstood higher by 202 points (up 0.5%) and the NSE Nifty closed higher by 47 points (up 0.4%). The BSE Mid Cap index ended down by 0.4%, while the BSE Small Cap index ended up by 0.4%.

Top Stocks in Focus Today

From stocks in the FMCG space, market participants will be tracking Nestle India share price as the company's Swiss parent struck a deal to market the products of US coffee giant Starbucks around the world, outside of its cafes. The agreement gives Nestle perpetual rights to sell Starbucks products such as Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee and Teavana outside of the U.S. company's coffee shops, and will result in about 500 Starbucks employees shifting to Nestle.

Ruchi Soya share price will also be in focus today as the company's promoters yesterday sold around 1.06 crore shares or 3.18% stake through open market transactions.

From the pharma space, Lupin share pricewill be in focus today as the company announced it has received final approval for its Gabapentin Tablets USP, 600 mg and 800 mg from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to market a generic version of Pfizer Inc.'s Neurontin Tablets, 600 mg and 800 mg.

From the IPO Space...

In the news from the IPO space, Studds Accessories Ltd - the manufacturer of helmets and two-wheeler accessories - has filed draft papers with capital markets regulator to float an initial share-sale.

The initial public offer (IPO) comprises of fresh issuance of shares worth Rs 980 million besides an offer for sale of 3.9 million equity shares by promoters Madhu Bhushan Khurana and Sidhartha Bhushan Khurana, and other existing shareholders.

As per the draft papers, the proceeds of the issue will be used to part-finance the motorcycle helmet and accessories as well as bicycle helmet manufacturing facilities in Faridabad and for general corporate purposes.

Speaking of IPOs, the stock market is gearing up for a burst of IPO activity.

This begs the question: How should one go about investing in IPOs?

We believe a merit-based selection, primarily including valuation, business, and management quality, is the logical way to go about investing in IPOs. If it means going against the herd, so be it. And going by recent past, this strategy has been proven to be successful more often.

To know how to safely profit from the ongoing IPO rush, download this FREE reportnow and discover How to Get Rich with IPOs.

Of IDBI Bank-LIC Deal...

From the banking space, IDBI Bank share price will also be in focus today. This comes as Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) will purchase 14.9% equity stake in IDBI Bank Ltd as a first step towards taking majority ownership in the lender.

IDBI Bank will approach its shareholders for an approval on the above deal on August 31.

The above development comes as earlier this month, the Union Cabinet and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) permitted LIC's proposed plan to acquire up to 51% stake in state-owned IDBI Bank.

However, for LIC to increase stake in the bank beyond 15%, approvals are needed from the insurance regulator. Also, the Reserve Bank of India's approval is needed for the transfer of majority ownership to LIC. Since these approvals are yet to come through, it was decided that LIC can first proceed with picking up to 15% in the state-owned lender.

Speaking of the above deal, this attempt by LIC to bail out the troubled IDBI Bank is a classic case of the state insurer buying toxic assets.

In fact, LIC has been acting like the government's ATM for years. It has bailed out public issues of scores of PSUs.

As Tanushree Banerjee wrote in one of the editions of The 5 Minute WrapUp...

Given the high stakes that LIC owns in the most troubled banks, the government needn't even consider the proposal of setting up a 'Bad Bank'. It could just turn LIC into one. At least then the investors owning investments in LIC policies, would know the real risk they carry.

How the above deal completely pans out remains to be seen. Meanwhile, we will keep you updated on all the developments from this space.

Banks to Refer NPA Accounts to Bankruptcy Courts

From the banking sector, as per a leading financial daily, banks have decided to refer over 20 of 32 non-performing asset (NPA) accounts to bankruptcy courts as the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) deadline for resolution of stressed assets ended yesterday.

On 12 February, RBI had set a 180-day timeline starting 1 March for resolving large corporate loan defaults, failing which banks have to refer these cases for insolvency proceedings.

Among the 20 new accounts that will be referred to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), a majority-including Essar Power, Korba West Power Co. Ltd, Jindal India Thermal Ltd and Sravant Energy Pvt. Ltd-are power projects.

The list also has metal companies, including BMM Ispat Ltd, ISMT Ltd, BRG Iron and Steel and Splendid Metal Products Ltd. Reliance Naval is also among the companies that will be referred to bankruptcy courts

The central bank, through its 12 February circular, asked banks to craft resolution plans for defaulted accounts within 180 days in cases where the exposure is more than Rs 20 billion.

Last year, lenders referred a total of 40 large corporate accounts worth Rs 3.5 trillion to NCLT for initiating insolvency proceedings.

The RBI's strict policies seem to be having a positive impact in the resolution of the long-drawn NPA crisis.

We believe, this can be a big boon for the banking sector and the Indian economy. This will not only help banks recover bad loans to an extent but also help bring back credit growth.

WhatsApp ग्रुप एडमिन को मिली ये बड़ी पावर

फेसबुक के स्वामित्व वाला वॉट्सऐप ग्रुप एडमिनिस्ट्रेटर को और अधिकार देने वाला है. इससे अगर एडमिन चाहे तो वह ग्रुप के सदस्यों को ग्रुप में संदेश, फोटो, वीडियो, जीआईएफ, दस्तावेज और वॉयस मैसेजेज पोस्ट करने से रोक सकता है. डब्ल्यूएबीटाइंफो के मुताबिक, वॉट्सऐप ने गूगल प्ले बीटा प्रोग्राम पर वर्शन 2.17.430 में ‘प्रतिबंधित समूह’ फीचर्स दिया है.

‘प्रतिबंधित समूह’ की सेटिंग केवल ग्रुप एडमिन ही सक्रिय कर सकता है. इसके बाद एडमिन तो ग्रुप में सामान्य तरीके से फोटो, वीडियो, चैट और अन्य चीजें भेज सकते हैं, लेकिन अन्य सदस्यों को ऐसा करने से प्रतिबंधित कर सकते हैं. यह भी पढ़ें:

‘प्रतिबंधित समूह’ की सेटिंग लागू कर देने के बाद अन्य सदस्य ग्रुप में मैसेज को पढ़ तो सकेंगे, लेकिन कुछ भेज नहीं सकेंगे. उन्हें ‘मैसेज एडमिन’ का बटन दिया जाएगा, जिससे वे अपने संदेश को ग्रुप एडमिन को भेज सकते हैं, ताकि वह उसे ग्रुप में साझा करें. ग्रुप एडमिन द्वारा संदेश को स्वीकृति देने के बाद ही उसे ग्रुप में साझा किया जा सकेगा.

वॉट्सऐप ने इसके अलावा आनेवाले अपडेट में उन्नत फीचर्स, बग फिक्स और सामान्य सुधार जारी करने की घोषणा की है. वॉट्सऐप के 1.2 अरब सक्रिय मासिक यूजर्स हैं और यह दुनिया भर में 50 भाषाओं में उपलब्ध है, जिसमें 10 भारतीय भाषाएं भी शामिल हैं.

700 million smartphones sending data to China

Smartphone technology gets better and better each year. They have high-definition displays, professional quality cameras, and super fast processors, among many other great features.

These phones, and their monthly plans, can be pretty pricey. This may lead some consumers to turn to less expensive, prepaid phones. But are these types of alternatives safe for you to use?

Some Android phones were recently discovered to contain software that keeps track of the user's every use. Security firm Kryptowire says the software transmits all text messages, call logs, contact lists, location data and other information to a server in China. The software is preinstalled on the phones and users are not informed of the surveillance.

Who is at risk?

The software was written by Shanghai Adups Technology Company in China. It says the code runs on over 700 million phones, cars and other smart gadgets and was intended to help Chinese phone makers monitor the behavior of its users.

This is a type of firmware that tells phones how they should operate. Companies are given the code that allows them to remotely update its firmware, which happens behind the scenes unknown to the user.

The normal procedure with firmware is users are given a disclosure, letting them know if any personal information is being used. This wasn't the case with this Adups software.

Adups says the software was not intended for American phones, but it has been found on some of them. U.S. officials are not sure if this software is used for advertising purposes or an intelligence-collecting effort by the Chinese government.

Nearly 120,000 phones made by U.S. phone manufacturer BLU Products were affected. BLU Products says once the code was discovered, it eliminated the feature with a software update.

Even though Adups says there are over 700 million gadgets running this surveillance code, there isn't a list of known gadgets. Those mainly affected by the software are international customers and people using disposable or prepaid phones.

Adups' website lists ZTE and Huawei as two companies to which it provides software. These companies are based in China and are two of the biggest cellphone manufacturers worldwide.

What you should do

The best way to keep safe from this surveillance software is to stay away from the inexpensive, disposable phones. It's better to buy your gadgets from a known source with a good reputation.

Also, do not order a gadget directly from China. Google develops software for Android phones that phone makers are able to customize.

Google told Adups to eliminate the surveillance ability from gadgets that run services like the Google Play store. However, phones in China would not be protected from Google because it doesn't operate over censorship concerns.

Kryptowire discovered the surveillance software and reported it to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The DHS is looking into the issue. Hopefully, there will be a full list available soon of all gadgets that are affected.

Android One Smartphone with Nougat 7, General Mobile GM 5

Google’s Android One program has been pretty quiet over the past couple months. The last device released, the Sharp 507SH , landed in Japan but with Android Marshmallow out of the box. Since then Nougat has been released and now General Mobile has announced the GM 5 , the first Android One device to launch with the latest version of Google’s mobile OS.

Like other Android One devices , the GM 5 runs stock Android with updates direct from Google. As for specs, this device brings a 5-inch 720p display with Gorilla Glass 4, quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot, a 13MP rear camera, and a 5MP front-facing shooter.
The phone weighs in at 160g — by comparison,

the 5-inch Pixel weighs 143g — and packs a 2,500 mAh battery. The GM 5 will be available in Space Grey, Gold, and Black.
The GM 5 is designed for international markets including Azerbaijan, Albania, Afghanistan, Belgium, Bosnia, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Iraq, Kenya, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Pakistan, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. Pricing has not been announced yet, but we should hear more soon since the phone
goes on sale this month .

Also worth noting is that this is not directly related to the GM 5 Plus which was released earlier this year. Despite that phone also being in the Android One program, it isn’t the same as it brings higher-end specifications and a price tag which is presumably much higher.

Much Awaited Nokia Android Smartphones to be available only in 2017

Ever since the first of Nokia Android smartphones were spotted on the benchmarking websites, Nokia fanboys and prospective smartphone buyers have been eagerly awaiting the erstwhile feature phone king to launch its first Android smartphone.

After it was confirmed that the first of Nokia Android device, Nokia D1C was, in fact, a 13.8-inch tablet running on Android 7.0 Nougat , Nokia fans were awaiting the release of the tablet and other Nokia Android smartphones during the busy holiday season of 2016. However, new reports indicate that Nokia’s four Android devices (1 Android Tablet and 3 Android smartphones) will be available only in the first half of 2017.

The news was confirmed after a company called HMD Global purchased the rights to manufacture, sell and advertise all Nokia smartphones. According to a new report on
Adweek, HMD Global will kick off a huge marketing campaign for the four Nokia smartphones only in early 2017. This means that the Finnish smartphone manufacturer plans to launch its first Android smartphone only next year.

In fact, HMD Global has chosen the famous ad agency, Mother as its lead global agency to make advertisements for Nokia Android smartphones. Both companies have already confirmed the deal and offered comments on the matter.

“ Nokia is a truly iconic, globally recognized and trusted brand. As the exclusive licensee of the Nokia brand for mobile phones and tablets, our ambition was to find a like-minded agency who grasped both the opportunity and responsibility in bringing a new product range to market. We are confident that in Mother we have found a partner who can help us do so for a new generation of consumers around the world ,” said HMD Global CMO Pekka Rantala stated.

Rumors suggest that the Nokia Android smartphones will feature QHD displays, metal shells 22.6MP camera and top of the class batteries like the old Nokia feature phones. Also, Nokia smartphones are speculated to feature high-end Snapdragon 820 processors together with water and dust resistance features.

From the above news, it is confirmed that the first of Nokia Android smartphones will only be available to buyers in the first half of 2017. Those buyers who had been putting off buying new Android smartphones till the holiday season in expectation of buying Nokia’s first Android offerings will have to put off their buying plans till 2017.

Their patience would be well worth it provided Nokia comes out with quality Android smartphones like the rugged and long lasting Nokia 1100 and 3100 phones it is remembered for.

Xiaomi Redmi 4A, Redmi 4 Standard, and Redmi 4 Prime Officially Unveiled

Finally, Xiaomi Redmi 4 has made its way and is out of wraps. Xiaomi introduced not only a Redmi 4 single variant, indeed, there are three variants of the device. The names of variants are Redmi 4A, Redmi 4 Standard and Redmi 4 Prime.

All three phones are differentiated on the basis of specs. Let’s find what each phone packs.

Google Chromecast Ultra is Here with 4K Streaming

After Google Pixel, Wifi and Daydream View VR, Now, its time for Google Chromecast Ultra. We already this device in the Expectations for today’s event and here it is.

Google today revealed the Chromecast Ultra, a new version of its home video HDMI dongle. Like last year’s Chromecast, the Chromecast Ultra plugs directly into the HDMI port of television sets and allows people to cast content from their smartphones and tablets to their TVs. The Chromecast Ultra supports HDR, 4K video, Dolby Vision, and ethernet.

The Chromecast Ultra goes on sale in November for $69.

The World’s First Tango Smartphone Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is now Available to Buy

Lenovo has finally made Phab 2 Pro world’s first Tango smartphone available to Buy. Earlier in June Lenovo has launched it in their Tech World event. It was first supposed to be released in September then it was delayed and now finally it is available to buy from the official website of the company.

The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro features a high performance octa-core Snapdragon 652 processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB internal memory with microSD card slot, tucked behind a huge 6.4-inch QHD (2560×1400) display. The Phab 2 Pro also comes with a 4,050mAh battery, Quick Charge technology, and a fingerprint scanner on the back. It is packed with 16-megapixel rear camera, which among other things includes a depth sensor to aid the Tango experience, while the front-facing camera is an 8-megapixel offering. Phab 2 Pro runs on the Android 6.0 marshmallow out of the box.

Google’s project Tango Team has worked on apps and develop some apps with real time capabilities. Company has make special Tango App store in which there are 35 apps at present and that will increase up to 100 by the end of this year. Lenovo Phab 2 Pro users can also easily download the Tango app to see all available experiences.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is available to Buy on their Official Website and it will cost you $499.99.