What do people usually expect from sunglasses? Of course, the basic mundane things with a touch of modern technology, but what if I tell you, you could have a pair with the capabilities of a computer, possibly by the first half of 2023.
Yes, Nimo Planet, a company based out of India, recently unveiled a new smart glasses that acts as a multi-screen computer, fits in the pocket, and helps you work from anywhere.
The smart glasses are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR1 processor which makes it a mini-computer that sits on your head. It features a dual 720p display on the edge of each lens, which aids you to view multiple virtual screens and watch movies, work, or play games.
A core team of 10 people based out of Kerala are working on the project, and the aim of the company is quite simple, they want you to replace your laptops when you’re on the go.
The company is working on these glasses for more than four years and expects to ship the glasses in the first half of the next year, and they will be available at the price of $799 in the select cities of India and the US.
iQOO is a newbie in the world of smartphones, but in just 3-years, the company managed to grab millions of eyes and thousands of customers. Their latest launch, the iQOO 9 series is one of the most awaited flagship series’ in recent times which includes 3-smartphones – iQOO 9 Pro, iQOO 9 and iQOO SE.The one we received for the review was an iQOO 9 – BMW Motorsport Edition, and this is the first iQOO phone I ever used as a primary device. Let me tell you one crucial forte upfront, the iQOO 9 series’ launched in China, and the one launched in India is altogether a separate series of phones in many aspects.
First Impressions
Let’s begin with the packing – the company has made sure to come up with an innovative packing to grab your attention. The box contains a device, a 120W charger, a few other necessary things and yes, a 3.5-mm adapter. The smartphone looks stunning at first sight, and you couldn’t stop yourself from saying, “Wow!”
Design & Display
The phone looks premium, and the one thing that makes you go weak at the knees is its design, particularly the camera module and the rear side that features BMW’s tri-colour stripes. A single look at the iQOO 9, and you would say, oh, finally, somebody’s working on the design and appearance.The smartphone has a 6.56″ punch-hole AMOLED display in the front and is coated with matt gorilla glass at the back, not prone to fingerprints. The iQOO 9 Pro and iQOO 9 have almost similar-looking BMW stripes on the back, but if you look closer, the iQOO 9 Pro has a slightly different shade of white, making it more attractive.The power button brings an absolute charm to the phone as it has a blue-coloured tone. The phone is not massive and can fit into average-sized hands. About the display, it has a pixel density of 398ppi, a refresh rate of 120Hz, and it supports HDR in the Netflix app, which is like a cherry on the top moment.
Chipset & Performance
iQOO has been known to manufacture powerful smartphones such as iQOO Z3, iQOO Z5, iQOO 7, and 7 Legend, but the iQOO 9 series is on another level when it comes to performance. The smartphone runs on a Snapdragon 888+ chip and directly competes with the OnePlus 9 RT. The unit we had for a review was loaded with 12GB RAM and up to 256GB storage.
Camera
The iQOO 9 sports a triple camera set-up – a 48 MP primary camera with f/1.8, 25mm (wide), 1/2.0″, 0.8µm, PDAF, gimbal OIS and 13 MP telephoto camera with f/2.5, 50mm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom. While the third one is a 13 MP ultrawide camera, f/2.2, 16mm, 120˚ and 16 MP selfie camera, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.1″, 1.0µm with support for 1080p@30fps.
Gaming & Battery
The smartphone scores 851,613* on AnTuTu but still offers average gaming performance. One can’t play Marvel Future Revolution fluently on this smartphone due to the frame drop issue, but one can have a little fun on low graphics. In the case of Asphalt 9, it runs well and doesn’t cause any trouble. iQOO has claimed the charger will take only 18 minutes and a few other necessary items. Maybe that’s one of the reasons BMW teamed up with the iQOO.
Verdict
Being the first flagship smartphone from iQOO, we were expecting a lot, but iQOO 9 disappoints us with many elements. The smartphone is priced at ₹42,990 and packs a lot of features, especially when you’re taking a look at the other smartphones from BBK electronics. At first, iQOO seems like a decent and premium smartphone, but you’ll encounter a few troubles on the way. At this price range, other smartphones are available that offer very classy features.
NFT is over the moon, but ironically no one really knows what it is and why it is creating hype all over the globe! The artwork that brought NFT term in most households of the world was Beeple’s Everydays: The First 5000 Days, sold in an auction for $69,346,250 (38,525 ETH).
The viral news created a curiosity between people, but it didn’t create much hype on Indian soil until Bollywood Superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s NFT collections, which includes his father’s famous poem ‘Madhushala’, autographed vintage posters of himself, and his other works sold for a whopping $9,66,000.
Later on, Yuvraj Singh came in and hit the NFT ball out of the world by sending his NFT bat into space, which became the first-ever minted NFT ever to be sent in orbit. And this is when some intellectual people started searching for what is NFT and diving deep into the ocean of serendipity.
Until now, most people know NFT stands for Non-Fungible Tokens, and they can be traded or exchanged but only with an equivalent item. I’ll put it in an example to make it more clear to you, suppose you have digitally owned Nike Shoes, valued at ₹23k, then you can exchange them with another digital item priced at ₹23k.
Whereas fungible tokens such as Bitcoins are more like physical money, and they can be traded or exchanged. You can exchange the Bitcoin with one for another, but you can’t do the same with NFTs as they’re cryptographic assets on a blockchain with unique identification codes that distinguish them from each other.
In the last few months, NFT has dominated the investment sector and occupied massive space in the digital market space. The artforms that sold for millions of dollars played a remarkable role in the growth of NFTs, and it aided the marketplace to become a multi-billion-dollar industry in a short span.
In 2020, the NFT marketplace was in the initial stage, and the total investment was about $100 million, but it boomed like a missile in 2021 and reached the mark of $20 billion. Thanks to the brands like Nike, Adidas and Gucci, who invested heavily in the NFTs (in the name of limited editions) to open up new revenue streams.
NFT platforms are a kind of jackpot for artists who are associated with graphics, music, and programmable art forms. When you create an NFT, you get an option to tag it with a specific value, and it can be anything at the initial stage. A number of artists are earning millions due to NFT platforms, all thanks to the hype.
Suppose an artist tags an NFT at 0.1 Ether, but later on, when people start taking an interest in it, or it gets viral, the value of NFT can reach any number, and this is how the owner of NFT will earn. It’s simple like an IPL auction – if the player performs well in a couple of seasons, every franchise will try to get him in their team in the next auction. In simple words, yes, NFTs are definitely worth an investment.
Let’s Talk Business: How to Create NFTs in India?
NFTs are focused on specific sectors like digital artworks, images, audios, videos, and even tweets. So far, they can be bought only with cryptocurrencies, and that’s the reason people who have already invested tons of money in cryptocurrencies are the people who are incredibly excited to buy them. NFTs are worth an investment, but they have a slight risk involved. Get in at your peril, but never test the depth of a river with both feet.
Here are a few provisions and steps you’re going to need before creating NFTs.
We can create and sell NFTs on many platforms, but we recommend OpenSea and Rarible, especially when you’re a newbie to the world of NFTs, as these two are the most popular platforms for NFT trading. When we tried our hands at NFT, we went with Rarible as we got to know that they’re offering to sell/list NFTs without any gas fee, which no one else is willing to offer. Let’s get to the steps quickly before someone else uploads and sells their selfies as NFT.
Step 1:
Search “Install MetaMask” on Google and click on the first link, which will lead you to the MetaMask homepage. Then, click on the download option, install MetaMask on your browser and add it as an extension.
Step 2:
Then, visit Rarible.com and sign in with MetaMask. The page will lead you to the new window. Now, click on the Get Started option, and if you already have a wallet, then click on import wallet; otherwise, go for, create a wallet.
Step 3:
Next up, read the policy text, click on the I agree option, set a password, and click on create. Hit the next button, watch the video and click on the blurry text. Yes, it is your secret recovery phrase.
Note: Write down the secret phrase on paper and keep it safe somewhere. Never share this secret phrase with anyone.
Step 4:
Later, click on the next option. You’ll see something like this. Now, select the secret phrase words in order and click on it till you finish the task and then hit confirm, followed by all done.
Step 5:
Hit next, and then connect. Now go back to the rarible site and sign in with MetaMask. Click on create, and the page will lead you to choose the blockchain option, where you’ll see three options – Ethereum, Flow and Tezos.
Step 6:
Click on Ethereum and then choose to create a wallet. Then, choose single or multiple as per your choice. If you’ve created something very unique, then go for a single otherwise, go for multiple to sell one collectible multiple times.
Step 7:
The page will lead you to create a collectible on Ethereum. Upload your preferred file by choosing the file. Next up, set a price or select open for bids. Then, turn on the option of unlock once purchased and enter your secret phrase.
Step 8:
Turn on the free minting option to avoid gas fees and a name along with a description of your NFT. Also, enter the percentage of royalties, number of copies and click on create item option.
Step 9:
A number of small windows will appear on the right side of the screen; scroll them down and click on the SIGN option every time it appears there. Congrats, you’ve successfully created your first NFT.
Step 10:
Lastly, check your NFT by clicking on the “my profile” option. You’ll find it on the same line where the create option can be seen. Refresh the page and click on the owned option to see your first NFT.
That’s it! Now, you can share the on sale NFT with anyone by clicking on the share option.
OnePlus is a brand that entered into the world of smartphones with premium smartphones, and until today it is known for its flagship devices only. However, the Chinese brand has manufactured many mid-range smartphones in the last couple of years, including their most popular NORD series. The company recently added another mid-range smartphone on their resume – OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G, an updated version of the OnePlus Nord CE.
First Impressions
The new Nord looks admirable, and one can immediately fall in love with this smartphone, but one thing I would like to glorify here – the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is not altogether a new smartphone, as it makes you think, you are you looking at the identical version of the Oppo Reno7 5G. Sadly, both smartphones are available for sale at the same time in the same marketplaces, and only Oppo will explain why!
Design & Display
Though the smartphone is made for a budget audience, it doesn’t look like one when you hold it for the first time. The subtle looking smartphone has a typical hole punch camera design and looks more premium and separate from the Nord CE. The smartphone has a flat ceramic-like plate on the rear, which is basically a glass made of Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and it houses its camera module. The smartphone is available in 2 colour options only – Bahama Blue and Gray Mirror.
The new Nord features 6.43 inches Fluid AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, and it houses a 32MP Sony IMX615 camera with an f/2.4 aperture on the extreme left side of the phone. On the rear side, the smartphone has two large camera sensors and one smaller one, placed right above the flash. The right profile of the phone boasts a lock button, while the left one sports a SIM tray with space for a microSD card and volume rockers.
The bottom edge of the smartphone houses a USB-C charging port, 3.5 mm audio jack, and a speaker grille, while the top edge of the smartphone features a microphone. The Nord CE 2 5G features an in-display fingerprint sensor, and it’s pretty quick all the time. Sometimes the contrast of the phone gets a little too heavy due to the dark bezels of the phone, causing trouble to the eyes.
Chipset & Performance
The Nord CE 2 5G gets OxygenOS 11.3 out of the box and features a MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset, but still, you should not expect lightning-fast reaction times and absolutely zero lag from the mid-range smartphones as they’re not built for the same. However, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G offers decent performance and is fast enough, especially compared to the other smartphones in the mid-range category.
The company has advertised the smartphone as having fast-smooth performance, and in most gaming sessions, it works fine without much of an issue. In our short gaming test, the phone seemed powerful enough to offer a pretty good touch response and handling while playing games such as Asphalt 9: Legends and Marvel Future Revolution. Though, sometimes the back of the phone got a little warm during long gaming sessions.
Camera & Battery
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G sports a triple camera setup (64-MP primary camera, an 8-MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2-MP macro camera) on the back, with each camera having a metal rim. While in the front, you get a 16-MP selfie camera with an f/2.4 aperture. The primary camera offers decent and exploited daylight images, but not as good as the Nord 2. In the lower light conditions, it fails to deliver anything good and delivers dark and artificially sharp clicks.
When it comes to the selfie camera, it doesn’t even offer proper skin tones. All you get in the outcomes are over-softened images. The low-light camera performance could be better, but it is a mid-range smartphone and focusing on that, what it offers is pretty enough. The battery of the smartphone is genuinely excellent and lasts long for over 24 hours, even after heavy use. It has a 4,500mAh battery, and to pump up the battery quickly, the phone comes with a 65W fast-charging support.
Verdict
Overall, the Nord CE 2 5G is a decent buy and worth the price, especially when you haven’t experienced the previous model. The mid-range smartphone market is very congested as many companies are trying to fit their smartphones in the range, including Apple. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is a complete package and can be referred to as an everyday phone. However, there are other smartphones in the market too that you can consider, such as Realme 9 Pro+, Mi 11X and Xiaomi 11i.
The Good
Premium Design
Great Battery
The Bad
No Android 12
Low-light Camera Quality
The Ugly
Limited Color Options (Bahama Blue and Gray Mirror)
February 2022 was a month of smartphone launches, but sadly Apple didn’t launch anything in the month, which was a little disappointing. However, yesterday, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, Apple unveiled several products, including iPhone SE 3, iPad Air 5, Mac Studio, Apple Studio Display and Apple M1 Ultra chip. Let’s take a look at them one by one.
iPhone SE 3
Apple unveiled iPhone SE 3 at the event, which looks the same as the iPhone 6 design but offers much more. The new iPhone SE (2022) runs on an A15 chipset, the same as the iPhone 13 series. The display and storage options remain the same as it was on the previous model – 4.7″ and 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. The smartphone has an enhanced battery, superstar camera, an incredible water resistance feature, and of course, a home button, which some of us love while some don’t.
iPad Air 5
The newly launched iPad Air 5 stands firmly between the cheap iPads and expensive iPads. It has Apple’s M1 chipset and optional 5G support with eSIM, but the base model is Wi-Fi-only. The M1 chip allows the iPad Air 5 to match the iPad Pro in performance.
The Air 5 also features the new ultrawide front camera with Center Stage, which automatically pans during video calls. The iPad Air 5 features a 10.9″ Liquid Retina display, landscape stereo speakers, Touch ID, and on the back, it has a 12-MP camera.
Along with these two, Apple also launched a supercharged Mac mini with an M1 Max chip and a 27-inch studio display with 5K resolution and 600 nits, which also has a 12-MP camera and powerful speaker system. Lastly, Apple announced its most powerful ARM-based custom processor, the Apple M1 Ultra chip, which packs a 20-core CPU, 64-core GPU and 32-core Neural Engine.
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep, Tracy Letts and Bob Odenkirk
“They (women) have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. And I’m so sick of people saying that love is just all a woman is fit for.” – Jo
Legally Blonde (2001)
IMDb: 6.4
Director: Robert Luketic
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis and Victor Garber
“If you’re going to let one stupid prick ruin your life, you’re not the girl I thought you were.” – Professor Stromwell
Brooklyn (2015)
IMDb: 7.5
Director: John Crowley
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters
“And one day, the sun will come out – you might not even notice straight away, it’ll be that faint. And then you’ll catch yourself thinking about something or someone who has no connection with the past.” – Ellis
Lady Bird (2017)
IMDb: 7.4
Director: Greta Gerwig
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein and Stephen McKinley
Marion MacPherson, Mother of Lady Bird – “I want you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be.”
Christine “Lady Bird” MacPherson – What if this is the best version?
“Arey, jab shakti, sampati, sadbuddhi ye teenon’hi auratein hain, toh inn mardo ko kis baat ka guroor?”
Queen of Katwe (2016)
IMDb: 7.4
Director: Mira Nair
Cast: David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o, Madina Nalwanga, Esteri Tebandeke, Peter Odeke and Sheebah Karungi
“Your children are blessed because they have a mother who never gives up on them.” – Coach to Harriet Motesi
Thelma & Louise (1991)
IMDb: 7.5
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel and Brad Pitt
“You get what you settle for.” – Louise
Mary Kom (2014)
IMDb: 6.8
Director: Omung Kumar
Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Darshan Kumaar and Sunil Thapa
“Kabhi kisi ko itna bhi mat darao ki darr hi khatm ho jaye” – Mary Kom
Clueless (1995)
IMDb: 6.9
Director: Amy Heckerling
Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy and Paul Rudd
“You see how picky I am about my shoes, and those only go on my feet.” – Cher Horowitz
Pitch Perfect (2012)
IMDb: 7.1
Director: Amy Heckerling
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Rebel Wilson, Adam DeVine, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Ben Platt and John Michael Higgins
“Even though some of you are pretty thin, you all have fat hearts, and that’s what matters.” – Patricia “Fat Amy” Hobart
Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020)
IMDb: 5.3
Director: Sharan Sharma
Cast: Janhvi Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Angad Bedi
“Dekho, plane ladka udaaye yaa ladki, dono ko pilot hi bolte hai. Jab plane ko koi farak nahi padta ki usse kaun udaa raha hai, toh tumhe kyun padta hai?” – Colonel Anup Saxena
After almost a year, finally, ASUS launched its compact smartphone 8z in India today, which was postponed earlier due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company dubbed the smartphone as a “perfect smartphone” due to certain features such as its easy to operate screen reachability, sleek design and, of course, the Qualcomm snapdragon 888 processor, which is one of the fastest processors out there.
While making the smartphone, the company made sure that it would fit in every pocket, be it jeans, tracks, shorts, jackets, leggings or even gym wear. The smartphone sports a 5.9″ inch screen and is priced at Rs 42,999 for a version with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The newly launched smartphone by ASUS competes with the Xiaomi 11T Pro, Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G, and the OnePlus 9RT.
The smartphone arrives with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and has a glass back. ASUS 8z smartphone features a dual rear camera setup, a 64-MP Sony IMX686 primary sensor with an f/1.8 lens and a 12-MP Sony IMX363 secondary sensor with an f/2.2 ultra-wide lens. It has a refresh rate of 120Hz and is backed by a 4,000mAh battery.
The year 2021 went well, at least better than 2020. As of December, the pandemic situation was pretty much under control in India, but with the arrival of a new year, another variant (Omicron) landed here. As a result, many state governments added new COVID-19 restrictions, not allowing people to stretch their travel legs. However, the new variant turned out to be a faded rendition, and according to experts at WHO, it shall pass within a few weeks, and with that, we can hit the outdoors again. Going for a trip to popular places would be a bad move in current times, and it’s a pretty outdated move. That’s why we’ve come up with 16 off-beat travel getaways to take up 2022 in style.
Historical Places & Ruins:
Champaner & Laxmi Vilas Palace, Gujarat
The ancient city is considered one of Gujarat’s most fascinating historical attractions. The off-beat destination is as old as the 8th century, and it will hook you instantly with its heritage places, including a number of forts, mosques, monuments, tombs, arches, temples, and step-wells. The Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park located in Champaner is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that offers an authentic flavour of architecture. The famous Laxmi Vilas Palace – the Vadodara’s royal family residence is a must-visit place if you’re planning to explore around Champaner. The palace is built over 500 acres (four times the size of Buckingham Palace), and it is about 50 Km from Champaner.
Basgo, Ladakh
Basgo is a historic castle town located on the mighty Indus River in Ladakh and is famous for its Basgo Monastery and Gompas. The ancient temples and structures around Basgo are part of the UNESCO world heritage site. The monastery is a perfect example of Tibetan architecture, and the Basgo Palace is among the 100 most endangered heritage sites in the world. The once proliferated town is now wrapped in ruins, with almost zero infrastructure. The Basgo town has been featured in many Bollywood movie songs, including Satrangi Re from Dil Se and Dil Dance Maare from Tashan.
Orchha, Madhya Pradesh
The name Orchha means ‘Hidden Place’, which is enough to pay a visit to this historic town. The beautiful city of Orchha is nestled royally near the banks of the Betwa River. The historical place is built with a vision that one can find historical landmarks every time a river makes a turn. The site is far away from the reach of regular tourists, making it a more peaceful destination. The place’s main attraction is the Orchha Fort, an architectural marvel of the town built on an island on the Betwa river and Chattris, memorials to the rulers of Orchha. If you decide to visit Orchha, don’t forget to attend the light and sound show at Orchha Fort, which starts at 6:30 PM in English and at 7:45 PM in Hindi.
Shettihalli Rosary Church, Karnataka
Ruins and forgotten structures are always fascinating, especially when connected with folklore and Shettihalli Rosary Church is one of such gems. The French missionary church located in the Hassan district of Karnataka is popularly known as India’s only floating church. Interestingly, this dilapidated church remains submerged in water during monsoons, and when the water level decreases, it slowly starts appearing as a full, allowing the tourists to witness its glory. The hauntingly beautiful church was built in the 1860s in the French Gothic style of architecture, but later on, in 1960, the government deserted the area to construct the dam, and the church lost the centre of attention.
Beaches & Islands:
Maravanthe Beach, Karnataka
Maravanthe is a uniquely positioned beach offering an incredible view with the mesmerizing Arabian Sea on one side and the Souparnika river on the other side. The beach is an ideal choice to hang out with friends and family. The place is about 105 km from Mangalore, and one must catch a lovely boat ride across the Souparnika River during golden hour and watch the sunset. You can visit the nearest Padukone village, birthplace of famous badminton star Prakash Padukone and Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone during your trip to Maravanthe.
Bhogwe Beach, Maharashtra
Goa and Gokarna are the places that made the Konkan coast popular, but the coast has much more to offer than these usual places, only if you’re willing to go off-road. The secluded, loneliest and pristine Bhogwe beach is one of India’s few cleanest beaches selected for blue flag certification. The picturesque beach is situated on the shores of Sindhudurg District and is famous for being the merging point of the Karli River and the Arabian Sea. The beach is located at the base of Nivati Fort, which offers majestic views of the Bhogwe beach along with the Golden rocks and a glimpse of Tsunami island.
Dhanushkodi, Tamil Nadu
Dhanushkodi – often referred to as India’s Ghost Town, is situated on the southeastern tip of Tamil Nadu’s Pamban Island (Rameshwaram). In 1964, a monstrous cyclone turned this once-bustling trade hub into an eerie ghost town. Except for a few fishermen folks, nobody lives in Dhanushkodi, and no tourists are allowed to enter the town after 6 PM. Dhanushkodi has extreme natural conditions, and it is a bit risky to get into the water due to high waves, but the experience you’ll have while driving towards the tip, walking on the beach and exploring the ruins is out of this world.
Majuli Island, Assam
Majuli, nestled amidst the mighty Brahmaputra River, is the world’s largest freshwater island. It’s a must-visit place for every traveling enthusiast because due to climate change, in the next 20-25 years, the lush green and pollution-free island may completely disappear from the earth’s map. The isolated island is over 420 square kilometres in size and home to several tribes, mainly the Mishings. The green fields and the water bodies of Majuli island will stay in your heart for a long time, and you’ll feel blessed for the rest of your life.
The Hidden Paradise of North-East:
Bhalukpong, Arunachal Pradesh
The Seven Sisters of India offers everything you’re looking for in a serene trip, but the beautiful town of Bhalukpong has its magic. The unexplored town is located along the southern reaches of the Himalayas in the West Kameng district, and it is surrounded by the evergreen forests of the Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary. Due to limited connectivity options, Bhalukpong hasn’t been nourished as a proper tourist destination, but if you’re looking for a calm and cozy holiday destination, then the breathtaking town of Bhalukpong is the place for you.
Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh
If you’re a fan of independent music in India, you probably have heard the name Ziro Valley before. The underrated town is surrounded by untouched forests, offering unmatched scenic and wildlife grandeur. Zero Valley is located 15 kilometers from Itanagar and is one of the best places to visit in North East India. The photogenic valley is famous for hosting the Ziro Music Festival, rice fields, lush bamboo forests, scenic trails lined with pine and bamboo trees. The hill hamlet provides a sound and peaceful camping experience as it is home to 300 birds and 170 butterfly species.
Sandakphu
Sandakphu is the highest peak in the queen of hills – Darjeeling, which offers an incredible panorama of the world’s highest snowline. The town is named after a poisonous wolf’s bane plant that grows naturally around the peak. Sandakphu is famous for its treks and is popularly known as Trekkers Wonderland. The place offers excellent mountaineering and adventure sports possibilities due to its location. If you’re a mountain lover, you should consider visiting this place and going on a Sandakphu Phalut trek, as it is one of the best winter treks in the Himalayas.
Mechuka
Situated in the West Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh, Mechuka, Mechukha, or Menchukha valley is a must-visit tourist destination in North-East India. The Buddhist hamlet houses several tribes, including Libo, Bokar, Ramo, and Memba Tribes. The Valley is located 29 km away from the famous McMahon Line that separates India and China. The rhythmic sound of the river Siyom, snow-capped mountains, wooden bridges with colorful Buddhist prayer flags, vast grassland with grazing horses, and dotted houses can make Mechuka a perfect off-beat destination.
The Territory of Big Cats:
Jawai, Rajasthan
Jawai Bandh (Dam) is one of the few places where you can spot a leopard in the daytime, and that’s why the place has become one of the hot favourite tourist destinations in Rajasthan. The site has plenty of natural caves for leopards, and they live peacefully here without causing any conflict with humans. The big cats have been winning hearts here with their human-friendly nature, and tribes who live here consider these big cats the guardians of their local deity. Along with leopards, you can easily spot crocodiles basking in the sun at river banks and migratory birds, making Jawai a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts.
Hemis, Ladakh
Hemis is the ideal place for people who wish to spend some time in the lap of nature and to see the globally famous, rare and endangered snow leopard. The scenic hamlet is located between the snow capped mountain ranges of Ladakh and is bounded by the ever-gorgeous Indus river and the majestic Zanskar range. The Hemis Monastery is ranked as one of the wealthiest monasteries in India, and it houses an iconic copper gilded statue of Lord Buddha along with stupas made of gold, silver, and other precious metals. The Hemis National Park boasts about 200 leopards, along with other endangered species such as Asiatic ibex, Tibetan wolf, the Eurasian brown bear and the red fox.
Sundarban, West Bengal
Inscribed as a world heritage site by UNESCO, Sundarban is the kind of place where you’ll witness the true side of nature, a tale of survival. The place lies on the delta of three rivers, Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna. The mangrove forest is home to Royal Bengal Tigers. Once you’re on the boat to spot the Bengal Tiger, you’ll not feel less than you’re a guy from an episode of the national geographic channel. Besides Bengal Tiger, it is home to various wildlife species, including red-faced rhesus monkey, saltwater crocodile, spotted deer, crested serpent eagle, oriental honey buzzard, and Goshawk.
Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka
The rare species always attract the crowd, and if you’re a staunch wildlife enthusiast, especially the one who’s into felines, then you must have heard the name “Saaya.” The word Saya means Shadow, and it is the name of the elusive male black panther that wildlife enthusiasts and tourists often spot in the southern part of the Nagarhole National Park. The majestic park is quite picturesque with hills, valleys, streams and Kabini, a part of the park, has become famous in recent years for the sighting of a real-life Bagheera. The black panther is exceptionally confident, and it will hypnotise you with his appearance.
Back then, life was a bit challenging, especially in terms of dating because asking someone out in person is not everybody’s cup of tea, then and even now. About 25 years ago, entrepreneurs Gary Kremen and Peng T. Ong decided to come up with a solution and launched the first dating site in the form of Match.com. Since then, the online dating world has evolved dramatically, as it changed the course of dating and brought everything on our plate within one click.
We enjoyed the online dating phase on websites, going ahead with time, several marriage sites launched to help people find the right partner and then the app culture arrived, which turned out to be a milestone in the dating universe. We were swapping right-left all the time, and then the COVID-19 pandemic swapped right on us. So, dating companies started figuring out a solution to help singles and this time, they came up with something unbelievable.
Imagine you’re sleeping on a couch while your TV is on, and your dog is wagging his tail near you because your phone is vibrating. Suddenly, you woke up from a nap only to realize you’ve promised someone a date. Now, she’s already there, waiting for you, and you’re still in your shorts, thinking about a reason to convince her. Well, in real life, this kinda situation might lead to a quick argument, but when the metaverse dating arrives, you will endure the situation. Let me tell you how?
But first understand, what is Metaverse?
You’ve probably heard a lot about the metaverse already, but most of us didn’t care to know what it is actually? The term metaverse first occurred in the 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. In simple language, the metaverse is a shared digital reality where users can connect to each other, build economies and interact in real-time. It’s the future of the internet, where anything can be done, but it remains to be seen like AI and blockchain.
All the top companies worldwide are investing tons of money in the metaverse, from Facebook to Nike, everyone wants to be a part of it. If you ask about dating companies, tinder’s parent company Match Group is already working on building a dating metaverse. For now, I’ll suggest, don’t dive deep to learn more about the metaverse because it’s way too complex, and the term doesn’t refer to any specific type of technology.
What will dating be like in the Metaverse?
I hope you’ve visualized yourself in the above scenario where the guy in shorts is thinking about what to say to his date? You might suggest convincing her with truth or perhaps with a lie. Now, I’ll tell you how metaverse dating will help you duck a similar situation? First and foremost, such concerns will not even occur in metaverse dating because here, you’re a 3D avatar, and to activate it, you only have to wear the necessary Virtual Reality (VR) gear.
You don’t have to leave your couch, you don’t have to drop your dog at your friend’s apartment, and you don’t even have to take a shower because you’re going on a date in metaverse where none of these things matter. Your metadate will look like this: You both have to wear VR headsets to track eye movements and facial expressions. Besides VR gear, both of you will have to wear haptic gloves, a wearable device that mimics tactile sensations of virtual objects.
You can decide any place that exists in the metaverse to meet each other. Now, imagine you’re waiting for your date in an outdoor cafe, and then a date tracker notifies you that your date is about to reach. You put your headphones on to avoid anxiousness, but you’re having a hard time focusing. And then you look up and see a beautiful girl in a skirt with a button-up shirt walking towards you. She has what we call a perfectly toned figure and eyes like pearls that shine like stars. She waves at you and joins you for an ice-cream date. You both are having a good time, and then the waiter shows up with a bill. You’re about to pay, and then your subconscious warns you, “Split it bro! She might like it if you allow her to pay her part” And “What if she didn’t like the gesture?” says the other one.
Finally, you prefer to wait, and she puts her hand on yours, of course through the haptic gloves (don’t worry, you’ll get the same feelings) and says, “Let’s split it for now”, and then both of you pay your share of the bill with tinder/bumble coins. While walking her out, you plan to ask her for another date, this time – a real one, but again your subconscious stops you by saying, “Don’t rush the things, wait for her message and what if she’s not this captivating in real life?”, and you drop the idea.
The benefits of dating in the Metaverse
What do we do while preparing for a first date? We think, we think a lot and then overthinking kills us; sometimes, it even adds pimples to make it worse. We usually look for a nice outfit, we make sure that we’re behaving well, we rehearse all the table manners, and many more things. While in metaverse dating, you don’t have to follow these old-school rules. In meta dating, you set your own rules, you choose your looks. Basically, you have a right to do whatever you want!
When meta dating will come into our lives, please don’t overdo anything. Choose your avatars carefully, and try to create an avatar that really matches your persona. Otherwise, you might end up dealing with rejection on your actual date with that special someone. Metaverse dating is beneficial for every one of us as it will allow us to meet our date in a virtual world where you can get an unbelievable amount of information about how your date feels about you without them saying a word.
Did you know?
On 5th Feb, a Bhopal-based couple, Abhijeet Goel, a tech entrepreneur and Dr Sansrati Jain, a pedodontist, tied a wedding knot and became the first couple in India to marry in the 3D Metaverse. The couple created a scenic beachside environment to host their wedding, where the guests also joined in via their digital avatars. The virtual wedding took place on Yug Metaverse, an Indian company that creates a metaverse for marriages, virtual events, exhibitions, business meetings, and conferences. The wedding was associated with two media agency brands, Wavemaker India for ITC Ltd. and Matrimony.com. Who conceptualised, organised and executed the wedding.
Twitter has always been a highly active social media forum where a single tweet can create a conversational conflict across the globe. The microblogging platform was created by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams in March 2006, which means soon it will turn 16. Since then, the platform has emerged well, from allowing people to speak their hearts out to coming up with the breaking news before news stations. Over the past few years, the revenue of the ‘diary platform’ has skyrocketed, and it will only fly up in the future, thanks to the digital revolution.
Recently, when Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter, announced his surprising move of stepping down from the position of chief executive officer, and Parag Agrawal took over his CEO position, everyone was in awe. The day Jack Dorsey announced his replacement, Twitter India flooded with thousands of memes on “Agrawal ji ka beta”, which shows how pleased Indians were after the announcement. The selection of an Indian-origin Parag Agrawal as CEO of Twitter creates a buzz in the social media circuit, causing us to pick Twitter for our How Big is feature.
How was Twitter Formed?
Evan Williams teamed up with his neighbour Noah Glass for a business venture and started working on a podcasting platform, Odeo. Later on, Williams convinced one of his Google co-workers and friend Biz Stone to join the team. Along the way, Engineer Jack Dorsey joined the trio and became part of the Odeo team. Unfortunately (at least for the Odeo team), in June 2005, Apple announced that they would include podcasting in one of the popular services, iTunes, cursing Odeo’s chances for success.
The announcement shook the management team of the Odeo, and Evan Williams told his Odeo employees to put their everyday tasks at Odeo on hold and work on whatever side projects they had. The results were outstanding, but the idea that Jack Dorsey tossed was the strongest one, and the management trio decided to go with it. A lot more happened in between, such as Williams firing Glass due to increased workplace tension, acquiring the majority of assets from Odeo’s investors and shareholders and then finally, in March 2007, the completed version of Twitter debuted and won the best startup honour at the South by Southwest music conference in Austin, Texas.
The Birth of the name ‘Twitter’
Every project starts with an idea, followed by a name, which identifies the brand. The original project code name was twttr, and then the founders of the company, mainly Noah Glass, came across the word Twitter for the first time and decided to go with it as it means “a short burst of inconsequential information” and “chirps from birds,” which sounds perfect for the platform. Initially, it was referred to as a social network as well as microblogging because it didn’t replace anything, but in a brief span, it became a popular social media network in the world with over 330 million daily active users.
The First-ever Tweet
Twitter co-founder typed out a simple yet effective message, “just setting up my twttr”, and posted it on Twitter. The message became the first-ever tweet, and after 15 years, it has gained over 172k likes and received over 121k retweets.
The Initial Years of the Twitter
In April 2007, Twitter became an independent company, and Twitter, Inc. was created as a corporate entity. Due to the Interactive conference at South By Southwest, Twitter gained humongous popularity, with about 60,000 tweets being sent on the day of the event. The prominent events such as election polls, FIFA World Cup, NBA Finals played a crucial role in the growth of Twitter, especially during its initial phase.
The platform was made for sharing thoughts, daily life ventures, and comprehending what people were doing based on their status updates. The company experienced rapid growth initially, from over 4,00,000 tweets per quarter in 2007 to a whopping 100 million tweets per quarter in 2008. The company moved up to the third-highest-ranking social networking site in January 2009.
The New Twitter
The company upped its game and rolled out an entirely revamped edition of twitter.com in 2011, often referred to as New Twitter in popular culture and also considered Twitter’s first big move in terms of redesigning. It features a complete overhaul of the interface and allows users to see pictures and videos, from a variety of supported websites, including Flickr and YouTube, without leaving the Twitter app website.
The new Twitter was formed to make money through promoted tweets, accounts, and trends as many brands were ready to pay considerable amounts to show their tweets at the top of search results pages. The new Twitter also introduced features like related content and mini-profiles. In late 2011, Twitter overhauled its website again to feature the Fly design, which was easier to understand, even for the new users.
Twitter Algorithm
Over the years, Twitter has established itself as a platform where brands can express themselves willingly, and that’s a selling point of the platform. The Twitter algorithm was introduced in 2016, allowing users to track tweets based on relevancy and popularity. The algorithm was criticized by many people when it underwent a significant overhaul in 2017 where it replaced the feature “while you’ve been away” with “in case you missed it.” The change is not taken lightly by Twitter users, and that’s why in 2018, Twitter allowed users an option to choose between an algorithm organized feed and a regular feed.
Twitter Valuation
Twitter ranks among the most prominent social networks worldwide, with over 330 million monthly active users. The company is funded by 36 investors, and as of January 2022, it has acquired 67 organizations. Twitter is a public, real-time, global platform, and as of 1st January 2022, its net worth is $34.37 billion.
