Again, Nothing has something new to offer, this time in the name of Nothing Ear (Stick). The London-based company unveiled new TWS earbuds in a Red and White colour option, which are not precisely similar to the previously launched Nothing Ear (1). Along with the Nothing Ear (Stick), they also launched an app – Nothing X, where you can customise the sound output of the earbuds. The buds will be available in India from November 17 and priced at ₹8,499.
Key Features
Bluetooth Version: 5.2
Style: Open-fit true wireless earbuds
Driver type: Custom-made 12.6mm
Weight: 4.4g per earbud, 46.3g charging case
Battery life: Up to 7hrs (29hrs including charging case)
Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED
Asus recently unveiled its first foldable laptop in India – the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, which sports a 17.3” foldable OLED display with 2560 by 1920 resolution. The thin and light foldable laptop from the house of Asus is priced at ₹3,29,290 and has a touchscreen that folds down instantly to a compact 12.5” size. The laptop is powered with a 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processor and features a stunning Harman Kardon-certified quad-speaker Dolby Atmos® audio system.
Key Features
5 MP AI camera video calling
Multiple screens via ScreenXpert
75 Wh all-day battery life
Up to 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 processor
Dolby Atmos quad-speaker with smart amplifier technology
Realme 10
In the last week of October 2022, in a series of tweets, Madhav Seth, CEO of Realme, confirmed the release of the Realme 10 in India. The smartphone will have a punch-hole display with a selfie camera in the upper left corner. Realme 10 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G99 SoC with up to 8GB of RAM and has a 90Hz Super AMOLED panel. It will pack a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support.
Key Features
Colour options – Clash White and Rush Black
MediaTek Helio G99 SoC with up to 8GB of RAM
360Hz touch sampling rate and FHD+ resolution
5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support
16MP front camera with AI Clear Fusion technology
MediaTek Dimensity 9200
The MediaTek Dimensity 9200 is on its way, and interestingly, it’s getting a launch before its rival, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The successor of the Dimensity 9000 will sport one Cortex-X3 prime core, three Cortex-A715 mid-cores, and four Cortex-A510 cores. The Dimensity 9200 is expected to launch on November 8th and will share a similar architecture with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, as both of them are said to be fabricated on TSMC’s 4nm process.
Apple iPad Pro (2022)
Apple launched iPad Pro 2022, the new and updated iPad Pro refresh with the company’s M2 chipset. The design of the new powerful tablets remains the same, except for the home button, which is removed. The tablets are available in two size options – 11-inch and 12.9-inch, both with a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate. The larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro comes with a mini-LED display panel, while the 11-inch iPad has a normal LCD display panel.
Apple introduces the powerful next-generation Apple TV 4K, which will be available from 4th November. The TV is said to be more powerful, entertaining, and affordable than ever and features the A15 Bionic chip, adds HDR10+, and gets the best of Apple to the biggest screen in the home. The TV is available in two configurations: Apple TV 4K (Wi-Fi), which offers 64GB of storage, and Apple TV 4K (Wi-Fi + Ethernet), which provides support for Gigabit Ethernet along with twice storage.
I have seen and befriended a few superhumans in my office who love to stay back at work beyond their destined hours, maybe only to stay in the good books. Every time I see them working after work hours, I keep thinking of my schoolmates who used to roam around the teachers like some sort of pet.
Now, tell me, what would you prefer, spending a few hours with your friends and family after work or tumbling into your bed straight after work? You are living in the 21st century, where almost everything works on a machine, then why are you falling back? Just imagine how your boss would react if you managed to finish your work before time?
Yes, with the arrival of artificial intelligence, you can optimise your productivity at work every day. AI is already playing a pivotal role in many sectors and businesses, and it can help you achieve personal goals at work. How? Let me guide you through the AI tools which can help you achieve your work goals within the deadline.
Grammarly
We all write emails and always seek help from the internet. Even professionals in the writing industry look for a digital writing assistant because having clear and concise communication in emails, articles, editorials, or even chats with your clients is a must-need thing nowadays, as people don’t entertain mistakes.
Grammarly is one such AI-based platform that helps you write well-structured content that fixes grammatical and spelling mistakes and where you can change the tone of your writing according to the receiver, brand or audience. Along with grammatical errors, the platform also helps you form plagiarism-free content.
Looka
Ever thought of your own start-up? You must have, as it was one of the things that kept us motivated throughout our college days. A start-up would be nothing without an eye-catchy logo. We spend hours with the designer and a good amount of budget on designing the logo, but what if I tell you there’s a website which allows you to create it completely free?
Looka is a popular and reliable AI-based online logo maker where you can make a logo in a few clicks. Looka Logo Maker is a reliable way to make good-looking logos. It combines your logo design preferences like styles, colours, and symbols with Artificial Intelligence to help you create a beautiful customized logo design within five minutes.
Lumen5
We live in a time where social media rules and video content is the key to having great engagement. Every company can not afford to have a team of editors in their organization, and that’s where Lumen5 enters. The AI-based platform helps you create social media content in minutes, and all you have to do is drag and drop your videos.
Lumen5 is a web-based video editing service powered by AI and designed for business. The platform helps you to create short videos from any written content you might have and produce highly-engaging videos that get results. The platform is the ideal solution for social media and marketing teams to increase engagement.
Trevor
We have many other bots like Siri, Alexa, and Bixby who help us in our day-to-day activities, and Trevor is just another addition to the list. The tool works as a personal assistant and connects with your phone’s task list and calendar via a text-messaging interface. The AI-based tool helps you manage time more efficiently as it works on data you’ve already put on your calendar and comes up with a list of suitable times according to your convenience.
Zenefits
HR managers spend most of their time interviewing the to-be employees and always run out of time to finish their daily chores. Zenefits is an AI-integrated human resource management software to help you easily monitor and manage your employees, their daily work schedules, their leaves and even their payrolls.
Life has to progress towards grandeur, from essentials to extraordinary; our possessions define our journey. Technology only improves with time, while luxury defies time, like the Mercedes Maybach, which is the epitome of luxury. While the G2 65” 4K Smart OLED evo TV is a sleek luxury piece-of-art addition to your pads with an infinite contrast ratio, powerful α9 Gen5 AI Processor and 4K 120Hz panel with VRR support that enables the best sources technology has on offer today and tomorrow. There is something common between these two which is the OLED tech, and that’s what has triggered us to get these two together.
We tried our best to get to know about both these products and summed up all our experiences for you. The LG OLED TV has a show-stopping silhouette design that blends into your wall, which once seemed impossible. Once you turn on the Gallery Mode to showcase the works of reclaimed artists, your guest will get confused about whether it is a TV or wallpaper as the colours, details, and textures are surreally like the real thing. Believe it or not, it is the slimmest and sleekest TV in the current market. It has one of the best and brightest displays I’ve ever seen, witnessed, and used. The 65-inch TV is priced at 330k in India and arrives with an LGs latest evo panel which offers outstanding picture quality, but you want to know what the best part of having an OLED is?
The iconic TV has minimal borders that are hard to measure and detect. A week back, I was watching a show on the National Geographic channel, and due to the bezel-less display, at one point, I thought I was right there with the forest rangers and wildlife photographers, literally.Now, if you ask me how you define the epitome of luxury? I would say by experiencing it. The Mercedes S-580 Maybach has everything you would practically expect from a luxury sedan, thanks to the rich history it carries. The S-580 Maybach is one of the best cars in the world and oozes opulence from every angle.
The car offers excellent under-thigh support, cushions behind your head with a heating option, and a large 12.8-inch OLED touchscreen, which allows you to control practically all car functions. It resonates with class and derives a sense of aristocracy like no other thing in the world can provide.
While the 65-inch 4K Smart OLED display of the LG TV offers everything, you could ask from a TV. The 4K resolution of the TV is paired with the self-lighting pixels, which gives us incredible infinite contrast and perfect black levels. Thanks to tonnes of format support and AI trickery making, this TV is as desirable as the luxuries on wheels. The picture quality of the TV is simply perfect, just like the rear seat experience of the Maybach S-580. When you’re in the backseat of the Maybach S-580, you are spoilt, and getting out of the seat is going to be a tough challenge. The car’s ambient lighting turns the darkest of nights into an occasion.
The Burmester music system transforms the cabin into your personal grandeur entertainment setup. I love how the speakers dramatically pop in and out each time you pause or resume your music. Watching sports along with your friends or family increases your adrenaline level but to enjoy sports matches in a group setting, you need to have a TV that offers wide viewing angles. The LG G2 TV supports Dolby Vision Gaming 4K at 120Hz with a 0.1ms response time, along with great colours and black levels. The TV is the top choice for gamers as it has features for gamers who want it all, even if they aren’t likely to use it all. The OLED TV offers an outstanding level of immersion, so it’s time to put your games on the big screen. Since the arrival of the Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync™, gaming on TV screens has reached new levels, as with them, the OLED TV can deliver over 120fps at 4K. That’s simply incredible.
The gaming experience on LG TV is so natural that sometimes while playing racing games, I feel like I’m driving in the real world. The gaming session is so effortless that I almost feel like enjoying every comfort my Mercedes offers when I’m on the actual roads. The filmmaker mode of the TV is supposed to preserve the creative intent of the moviemaker by letting you watch your favourite film in its original form, and it does the job really well. The white light output of the OLED is the highest I’ve ever seen from any OLED-based display.
Just like the opulence and epitome of luxury that the Mercedes S-Class Maybach provides, this OLED TV is something you’d definitely want to hang on your wall instead of a Picasso painting. Both these products define the term luxury in their unique ways and are an excellent choice for someone progressing towards grandeur with style and compassion, more like arriving in life.
About 1000 years ago, India was known for its hospitality and prosperity. The country was a major attraction for outsiders due to its diverse culture, spices, education system, excellent economy, silk, cotton, opium, amazing art and, of course, architecture. Jump to now – India attracts millions of travellers from all over the world around the year and is one of the most visited countries by foreigners.
India’s travel and tourism industry has grown remarkably in the last few decades thanks to the campaigns like “Incredible India”. The exciting and informative campaign represented India as an attractive tourist destination by showcasing its natural beauty, cultural heritage and historic sites. Along with international tourists and travellers, many domestic tourists and travellers travel across India.
Why India?
Well, why not? The country boasts a rich heritage and has everything a tourist could ask for; from the vibrant cities, the snow-capped Himalayas and tropical beachside towns to the peaceful countryside, it perfectly combines the traditional and modern world. The country might appear religious and heritage-driven from an outsider’s perspective, but once you are here, you’ll understand it’s completely different from what is written in books.
The country has various versions, and it entirely depends on which place you are visiting. In some places, you will witness the holy and serene side of the country, while in some, noisy and loud. The diverse culture of the country will make you think twice about everything, as, after every 50 to 60 kilometres, you will notice language changes, people eating differently, and of course, changes in their day-to-day attire.
The country has been offering best-in-class hospitality for ages, and that’s the significant reason travellers look forward to it every time they visit India. Along with foreigners, even domestic tourists and travellers feel surprised when they visit other states besides the state they live in, thanks to the diverse culture. The country is easy to get around and well connected by road, rail, and air networks from across the globe.
Top 5 most visited places in India
Delhi
Yup, the capital strikes again. The city has not lost a single point in popularity over the last few centuries. The capital city of India is the most visited place in the country and offers a composed mixture of culture, art and modern architecture. The city has various historical places like India Gate, Lotus Temple, Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid, Qutub Minar, Connaught Place, and Humayun’s Tomb.
Agra
Agra needs no introduction, as the city is home to the world’s most beautiful monument Taj Mahal, which is also one of the seven wonders of the world. A trip to Agra is incomplete if you haven’t Soak in the Beauty of the Taj Mahal during the sunrise or sunset. The city is also famous for other monuments like Fatehpur Sikri, Jahangir Mahal, Jama Masjid, Agra Fort, Akbar’s tomb, Ram Bagh and Sikandra Fort.
Jaipur
The capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur, is commonly called the pink city due to its trademark building colour. The city has various tourist attractions – mahals (buildings) like Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, City Palace, Sisodia Rani Palace and forts like Nahargarh Fort, Jaigarh Fort, and Amber Fort, which were constructed by the then-royal family who once ruled the region. One should not miss Jaipur if you’re a fan of Mughal-influenced Rajput architecture.
Varanasi
The spiritual capital of the country is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. The ultimate pilgrimage spot for Hindus portrays the weird side of India and is always packed with a massive number of travellers. The city is known for its ghats, alleys and streets, which have numerous types of temples. Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, New Vishwanath Temple, Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Sarnath, and Manikarnika Ghat are the must-see places in Varanasi.
Ladakh
Ladakh is home to one of the purest remaining examples of Tibetan Buddhist culture, and in popular culture, it is known as the roof of the world. The place is enclosed between the Himalayan and Karakoram ranges, which is why every biker and trekker adds Ladakh to their bucket list. The site brings tourists closer to raw and untouched nature, allowing tourists and travellers to have an unforgettable vacation.
The UNESCO Connection
Another reason India is one of the favourite tourist spots is that it has over 40 World Heritage Sites recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Out of these, 32 sites are cultural, 7 sites are natural, and one, the Khangchendzonga National Park, is of mixed type.
Types of tourism in India
Earlier, people used to prefer to stay at home during holidays or, in some cases, they used to pay a visit to the nearest pilgrimage sites. Over the last 10-15 years, the definition of tourism and travel has completely changed, as many people started travelling across the country and utilising the best during their vacays.
Skip the pandemic years, and you’ll notice the tourism and travelling industry has become one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world. The Ministry of Tourism in India aims to develop the country as the finest tourist destination worldwide. The ministry has identified and divided many niche products to attract tourists as per state attractions.
Adventure Tourism
The percentage of young travellers is increasing day by day, and we know what their adrenaline rush wants to do when they are looking for a vacation. Yes, Adventure! India is one of the world’s most diverse topographical countries and has many places where one can have a thrilling, adventurous trip. Skydiving, Wildlife Safari, MotorBike Expeditions, Scuba diving, Kayaking, Trekking, Waterfall Rappelling, and Paragliding are a few of the top activities to do in India.
Eco-Tourism
Seeing mother nature in its own form will help you understand the world we’re living in is beautiful beyond our fantasies. Ecotourism is a sustainable form of tourism that allows the tourist to see the purest form of Mother Nature. India is a land full of natural beauty, and there are many ways to enjoy nature. The country has snowy mountains in the Himalayas, and North-East India, bustling beaches in Goa, backwaters in Kerala, and, of course, Thar – the Great Indian Desert.
Cultural or Heritage Tourism
We’ve already mentioned India has over 40 World Heritage Sites recognised by UNESCO. The country is enriched with hundreds of heritage sites which showcase the art and architecture of the mixed dynasties who ruled the land. The major cultural or heritage sites include the Taj Mahal, Khajuraho Group of Monuments, Chittorgarh Fort, Red Fort, Hampi Vijayanagara Empire, Mumbai – the city of dreams and Ajanta Ellora Caves.
Religious or Pilgrimage Tourism
Being a country that gets very sentimental when it comes to religion has definitely helped the government to grow in the travel & tourism industry. Every year millions of people from India travel to famous and popular temples, mosques, gurdwaras, churches, and monasteries. Religious places like Kedarnath, Badrinath, Velankanni Church, Varanasi, Golden Temple, Dargah Gharib Nawaz in Ajmer and Vaishno Devi Temple.
Dark Tourism
Being a country ruled and attacked by many outsiders and, of course, terrorists, we have many dark places in the country. However, instead of being sad about the memories, we’ve turned them into tourist places to show the world how strong we are as a nation. The complex history of India is connected with the places that have experienced death, pain, and mystery. It might be deadly and scary to visit dark places like Jallianwala Bagh, Cellular Jail (Kala Pani), Skeleton Lake, Taj Palace Hotel (Mumbai) and Leopold Cafe (Mumbai), but only these places make us strong and keep us united.
Valuation
As a favourable country for international and domestic travellers, India’s travel and tourism industry contributed about 5.8% to the total economy ~ about ₹13,161 billion in 2021. The figures dropped due to the pandemic; otherwise, the travel and tourism industry of India would have surpassed its 2019 record and earned over ₹16,000 billion.
Imagine you’re sitting amongst a group of friends, sharing a cold beer or two and talking about life. Suddenly one of them has a story to recite – what are the chances that said the story is about a travel experience? I’d say the chances are pretty good. When you travel, you have more to talk about. You never have to worry about running out of things to talk about because you always have a journey no one’s heard about up your sleeve. People speak with utmost passion about their travels because there’s so much they’ve taken from them. With each trip, their outlook towards changes for the better – unless you got mugged or lost your passport on your journey.
And honestly, even the most terrible occurrences can sometimes be our most significant teachable moments. My psychology teacher always used to say, “Close your eyes and imagine one of the worst experiences of your life.” Then after a pause, looking at our disgruntled faces, she said, “wasn’t it also the best experience of your life?” I didn’t understand it on a cold winter morning sitting in a classroom, but 4 years later today – I think I do. It becomes the best experience of your life because of the things you take home from it – what you learn from it, the survival instincts you develop and how they help you grow as an individual. It’s for you to understand the vision in the face of adversity.
Quoting Yogi Raman from the book ‘The monk who sold his Ferrari’ – “There are no mistakes in life, only lessons. There is no such thing as a negative experience, only opportunities to grow, learn and advance along the road of self-mastery. From struggle comes strength. Even pain can be a wonderful teacher.” When it comes to academic knowledge, there’s no better place to learn than in school; it’s meant for that. But when it comes to life, there is quite literally no better teacher than travelling. Be it the people you encounter, the cultural shift you experience or the heavenly local food – everyone and every place have a story to tell if you’re willing to listen. Haha – maybe that’s why schools take you on all those trips during Christmas!
Travelling forces you out of your comfort zone. You leave your little nest and go out in the world to see what it has to offer. Sometimes, all you need is a gentle push to discover who you truly are. And even if you don’t, at least you had a good trip. Meeting new people is the best part about travelling – they motivate you to do all sorts of things, and you think they’re achievable because you’re listening to them first-hand. They also push you to try new things, which is a good thing because let’s face it – we’re all tired of having the same old pizza from a game and a hut (if you know what I mean) every Friday night.
Please allow your taste buds to take a leap of faith when you’re outside your own city/country. The place you’re visiting has people who know what they’re doing – they won’t feed you anything that’s not good when they watch your face shout ‘TOURIST’. Travelling teaches you time management like no other office seminar or timetable can – don’t believe me? Try missing a flight and then watch your pocket burn a big hole. Time won’t stop for you; it hasn’t stopped for anyone (except Doctor Strange, lol) – so make the best of it while you can, or you’ll find yourself stuck in an endless loop of “I have very little time, and yet so much to do.”
Ditch the popular spots when travelling. Visit the local flea market, and stroll on one of the few known promenades. Ask questions – in life and when you’re travelling – the more questions you ask about what to experience and where to experience things to the people who’ve been living there for years, you might just find yourself on a uniquely fantastic adventure. Sure, go to the tourist spots and take a picture for the gram that’ll garner a few hundred likes and comments from your best friends, but don’t do just that. I can’t emphasize this enough – Explore! Go to your tourist attractions at a time when no one’s there – visit the Eiffel tower at 6 or 7 in the morning and absorb what it has to offer. Take the longer route or the road not taken – stop to smell a flower, interact with a stranger and learn about their life, eat a speciality that looks peculiarly unappealing and do every odd thing you can think of doing because those moments aren’t coming back.
When you have been pigeonholed all your life to fit in a box and tick all the boxes according to societal norms, travel is your escape. It gives you a clean and fresh start to be the person you choose to be. Go make a fool of yourself – dance on the streets, make a snow angel and eat without worrying about sauces rolling down your hands. Give yourself the vacation you deserve – unrestrained, void of norms and replayable. They say, “Live each day as if it were your last because tomorrow may never come.” Now they don’t mean to scare you; it’s just that when you live your life to the fullest each day, you become utterly grateful the next. You realize that you’ve been given the gift of being alive for another day, and it is your job to make it count. Let’s see if you’re worth your salt.
Last but not least, travelling teaches you gratitude. You come back home craving a warm plate of food served by your mother because of all the noodles, pizzas and pastas you’ve had. It instils a sense of respect and regard for the things you already possess and how much you might have neglected them. You become more objective and appreciative of your homeland and surroundings. To me, travelling is like reading a book – you get exposed to new ideas that provide valuable learning experiences. You transport yourself into an alternate world and confront whatever is offered to you, no questions asked. How you apply these learnings in your life is entirely up to you, but they’ll stay with you for the rest of your life; because reading can tell you that sugar is sweet, travelling lets you taste it.
When Google launched the Pixel watch, they must have thought they would take all the hype for the next few weeks at least, but to their surprise, Fossil announced its first-ever Wear OS 3 watch – Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition. The upcoming Fossil watch is powered by the Snapdragon 4100+ with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of onboard storage.
The Gen 6 Wellness Edition smartwatch will debut with a new Wellness mobile app and support apps like YouTube Music and Spotify. The watch doesn’t support Google Assistant, but it has Alexa to savour your day. The new wellness app will bring features such as blood oxygen level measurement, heart rate zones, automatic workout detection, and cardio fitness estimations using VO2 Max.
The upcoming smartwatch looks like your typical Fossil device, thanks to the fashion aesthetic. The smartwatch will arrive in a 44mm case with a 1.28-inch always-on OLED display and will be available in three colour options: black, silver, and rose gold. The company has made a number of Wear OS watches in recent years, which means they’ll surely come up with more watches with Wear OS 3 in the near future.
As the name suggests. the upcoming Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition watch is just a revamped version of the last year’s Gen 6 watch, indicating we will have to wait a bit longer to see the Gen7 Fossil watch. The Gen 6 Wellness Edition will get multiple strap colour options, and the watch will be available starting October 17 in Fossil’s stores and on the official website.
Google recently launched Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro with Android 13 out of the box, and now Samsung is about to turn the game with the release of the Android 13 One UI 5.0 update to the Galaxy S22 series. The new firmware will come with a number of features like an improved lock screen, widget stacking, clever multitasking gestures, text recognition in the Gallery, a Privacy Hub and many more.
The firmware, along with the complete roadmap of the OneUI 5 are expected to release by the end of October. Thanks to the firmware, it would make Android 13’s arrival a month faster compared to the previous year’s OneUI 4 update, which came in November. The public rollout will start soon, but it will take time to roll out the update throughout the world, be it an OneUI 5 or the Android 13 update.
Once the beta program ends, the Galaxy S22 users will get the Android 13 and One UI 5.0, maybe around the end of November. Till now, the company has released four beta updates based on One UI 5.0 for the Galaxy S22, and according to trusted tipsters, there could be another beta release before the final version rolls out.
Along with the Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy S21, Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and Galaxy Z Flip 3 are expected to get Android 13 and One UI 5.0 before 2023.
You won’t believe it, but years before Alfonso Cuaron won an academy award for directing Gravity (2013), he was known for a Mexican road film named Y Tu Mama Tambien. A self-discovery film released in 2001 depicts the story of two upper-class teenagers who go on an impromptu road trip along with an older but attractive woman, where they explore a thing or two about life, friendship, sex, and each other.
Into The Wild (2006)
A biographical adventure drama directed by Sean Penn was based on the 1996 non-fiction book of the same name written by Jon Krakauer. The thought-provoking film unfolds the story of Christopher McCandless, a man who hiked across North America into the Alaskan wilderness in the early 1990s. The film belongs to the lead, Emile Hirsch, who carried all the load on his shoulders and impressed us with a breakthrough performance.
Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
The Motorcycle Diaries is an inspirational road movie based on memoirs by Che Guevara (yes, the revolutionary “El Che”) and his travelling companion Alberto Granado. The coming-of-age film unfolds the 1952 expedition of two friends on a motorcycle trip who discover the purpose of life and the social status of Latin America through their observations, which they would have never encountered otherwise.
On The Road (2012)
The Brazilian director, Walter Salles, has a thing for travel films, and every time he comes up with a travel-based film, he makes sure no one returns home with a disappointed face. The 2012 released film is an adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s 1957 novel On the Road and shows the journey of a budding writer Sal Paradise (Sam Riley), and how his life changes when he meets a wild, free-spirit wanderer, Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund), who takes odd jobs.
The Beach (2000)
You may have known him for playing the role of Jack from Titanic, but he had done a couple of other good movies, too, before he had a dadbod. The Beach is an adventure drama film based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Alex Garland. The film starts with a shot of Richard, a young American seeking adventure in Bangkok, where he meets a young French couple, and together they travel to Ko Samui, a secret island.
Thelma & Louise (1991)
You can not skip the movie that strikes the nerve of everyone who watches it, even after 30 years of release. The female buddy road crime comedy-drama film is directed by Ridley Scott and stars Susan Sarandon as Louise and Geena Davis as Thelma. The movie depicts the story of Thelma and Louise, who go on an adventurous road trip where Louise kills a man who tries to rape Thelma at a bar and what happens ahead.
The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
The comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson describes the story of three estranged, wealthy, and spoiled brothers who agree to meet in India a year after their father’s funeral. The wacky film depicts their adventurous train journey where nothing is going right, but the crazy encounters along the way finally put things into the pipeline. The movie is known for its picturesque shots, making you visit India immediately.
Apple launched the much-awaited iPhone 14 series in the previous month, and if the rumours are true, the company is planning to come up with a new smartphone, the iPhone SE 4th Generation. The upcoming budget smartphone from the house of Apple is expected to arrive with a 6.1-inch LCD and a notch placed in the centre.
Apple will introduce its next SE model in 2024, and the phone is rumoured to have a similar look to the iPhone XR. The latest predictions about the iPhone SE 4th generation as been made by Ross Young, Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) analyst, who has a great history of accurate predictions about Apple’s plans.
Also, according to some reports, the 4th generation of the iPhone SE will feature Dynamic Island as it is expected to be launched in 2024, when almost all of the new iPhones will feature Dynamic Island. As of now, the dynamic island is only featured on the pro devices of the iPhone 14 series – iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Every travel voyage has a tale to tell. When it comes to India, the country has always been the favourite destination for explorers due to its traditions, hospitality, and colours. Being a country that believes in the rituals like “Atithi Devo Bhava”, we’ve always welcomed every traveller to our country. Besides British travellers, who were more into imperialism, the rest of the travellers who visited India were here to seek knowledge and wisdom and to know about the customs and education system of the country. They documented their experiences and spread the word about India to the rest of the world with their travelogues, i.e., first-hand accounts or compilations of visitors’ experiences.
Marco Polo
He was an explorer, merchant and writer from Venice who needs no introduction as he is one of the most celebrated travellers in the history of mankind. He travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. He visited India while he was on his way home from China and explored the country from 1288-1292 AD under the reign of the Pandya Kingdom.
He was one of the first guys who described, ” The country has had a custom of keeping a specific leaf called Tembul (paan) in their mouth most of the time, which they chew and spit out the saliva that it generates.” He also mentioned in his travelogues about how royal people lived in India, “The nobles and great folks wear necklaces made of precious stones around their necks”.
Abdur Razzak Samarqandi
The first attributes of the Vijaynagara empire were described by Abdur Razzak Samarqandi, a Persian traveller who visited India around 1440. He was the ambassador of the Shahrukh, the Timurid dynasty ruler of Persia and was sent to the Kingdom of Kozhikode in the South Malabar region of India. On his Indian voyage, he also visited the Vijaynagar Kingdom at the time of Dev Raya II.
He wrote about his travel experiences in the Matla-us-Sadain was Majma-ul-Bahrain or The Rise of Two Auspicious Constellations and the Confluence of Two Oceans. He also wrote a 45-page travelogue of his mission to India, where he described the life and events in Zamorin of Calicut (Kozhikode). He described the grandeur of the ancient city of Hampi as wealthy and spacious.
Ibn Batuta
Ibn Batuta was and still is a renowned traveller who wrote one of the world’s most famous travelogues, the Riḥlah. He travelled worldwide when travelling wasn’t an easy job to do, and that too without any travel gear. He ventured into over 40 modern-day nations while voyaging via the sea, on camel and foot. He came to India in 1333-1342 AD through the high mountains of Afghanistan during the reign of Mohd Bin Tughlaq.
He was one of the few medieval travellers known to have visited the lands of every Muslim ruler of his time, and, being precise, he journeyed more than 75,000 miles (121,000 km), surpassing the travelling record of his near-contemporary Marco Polo. He described in his travelogue that the Indian cities were full of opportunities for those who had the passion, skills and resources.
Megasthenes
Megasthenes was the first ever foreign traveller to India. He visited India between 302 and 288 BC and served as Seleucus Nicator’s envoy at the court of Chandragupta Maurya. The world got to know about India through Megasthenes and his reputed work ‘Indica,’ in which he mentions Kerala as ‘Cherme’. In his travelogue, the Greek traveller also mentions India’s two major rivers, Sindhu and Ganga.
Hiuen Tsang
You must have heard about Hiuen Tsang, as his voyage through India was part of our history textbooks, making him one of India’s most celebrated travellers. He visited India in 630 AD to learn about Buddhist beliefs and practices and ended up staying on for 15 long years. He was popularly known as the prince of pilgrims as he spent most of his time in India studying the caste system of the country and wrote the book ‘Si-Yu-Ki.’
Hiuen Tsang studied at the University of Nalanda and travelled through the Deccan, Orissa, Bengal, Kashmir, Punjab, Bodh-Gaya, and Sarnath. In his accounts, he described India as a prosperous country. He described Kannauj as a beautiful city and Indians as lovers of education, literature and fine arts. He documented that “the houses were of varied types and constructed with wood, bricks and dung.”
