Since WhatsApp launched the WhatsApp Web service to offer people access to WhatsApp through multiple devices, people have been waiting for the next-level feature where they can link their WhatsApp account to secondary devices and continue sending and receiving messages without the primary smartphone online, but is it really possible to operate WhatsApp without a smartphone intermediary?
Well, it is possible, and the mission is accomplished as WhatsApp has recently confirmed and launched the multi-device feature where users can use linked companion devices without the need to keep their smartphones connected. The company has been testing a multi-device beta program for the last few months, and now it is officially rolling out the feature on both Android and iOS versions.
How to use WhatsApp Web on PC Without a Smartphone Connection?
Gone are the days when you had to make sure about your smartphone connection before you could bring a conversation on your linked web browser. WhatsApp has confirmed that users can send and receive messages from PC or WhatsApp Web over an internet connection without even the smartphone acting as a mediator. However, users can connect only four devices to the platform at the same time.
To use the feature successfully, users will be required to initially link their device to the Web, Desktop, or Portal, which is a one-time-only process. After which, users will be able to use WhatsApp Web without their smartphones up to 14 days after the smartphone goes offline. The feature also includes audio and video calling directly via WhatsApp Web or desktop, and now it’s high time to take a quick look at how you can activate the feature?
Open WhatsApp on your primary smartphone and log in on your WhatsApp messenger.
Head to the three-dotted menu at the top right corner of the home page of your WhatsApp and tap on it.
Tap on Linked Devices and join the Multi-device beta program.
Select “Link a Device” and tap on continue.
Scan a QR code from the web version of WhatsApp (on a laptop, desktop or tablet) – web.whatsapp.com.
Soon, both the devices will get connected, and WhatsApp Web will synchronise your messages.
Once logged in, even if your primary smartphone gets switched off, you will still be able to send and receive messages via WhatsApp Web.
WhatsApp web client might take some time, but it will work without much struggle once the device gets connected. Unfortunately, the feature arrives with a few limitations for iOS devices as it doesn’t allow users to delete messages or conversation threads from a linked device. About safety, the newly launched feature is end-to-end encrypted and completely secure.
Being a part of the ongoing pandemic and information age, we all or at least most of us, prefer Work From Home over a traditional office. Whether you’re in your home or a corporate office, or anywhere else for that matter, we all use computers or laptops to make our life more accessible and smoother. Now, talking about the keyboard, it is an essential part of modern tech-based life. Without it, we can’t do much on our computers or laptops and being honest, most of the time when we’re not in a generous mood or when we’re typing a prompt mail or playing games, we use our keyboards like a punching bag and smashes every key of it like we’re a war zone soldier.
Though most keyboards are built to handle such pressures, what will you do if you lose a key or any key stops working? Well, for computers, you’ll have to buy a new keyboard or depend on the on-screen keyboard for that particular key but in the case of laptops, once you lose a key, restoring everything to its original state can be burdensome for some of us.
So, it’s better not to use in-built keyboards all the time, especially when you type for a long span and have a habit of pressing the keys in a vivid manner. Accidents can happen at any time, and to prevent them, we would recommend you to use Wireless keyboards, and if you’re looking for the same, you’re at the right place.
Why Wireless Keyboards?
Wireless keyboards are life-saving when you prefer a neat, decluttered desk or like typing comfortably with your keyboard on your lap. They help you type faster and are ideal for pairing with laptops or even computers at workstations or home. Wireless keyboards are travel-friendly compared to their counterparts and work best not only on your computer/laptop but also on your tablet, your phone, or even your TV. Nowadays, wireless technology is everywhere and has done an impeccable job in the past few years and finding the best one is tricky, and it all depends on how you’re going to use it, for work or a gaming purpose? So, before we hit the list, let’s take a quick look at specs to consider.
A perfect sized keyboard is always going to help you and light up your life. If you travel a lot, then go for a light one and if you’re a gamer, go for a smaller than average keyboard, as you’re not going to use it for typing. If you’re a writer or doing some sort of work related to heavy use of the keyboard, go for a more oversized keyboard to hit the keys comfortably. Look for a keyboard according to your preferred operating system because sometimes special characters matter. Gamers, keep in mind, if you’re an avid gamer, you’re going to need keyboards that connect to multiple devices with the press of a single button and a customizable option for RGB lighting or at least backlighting.
Logitech MX Keys
Price – ₹12,995/-
Logitech MX Keys is one of the best wireless keyboards out there for iMac users. It offers the best typing experience with its full-size structure, and it features a built-in number pad and backlit keys to equip you with a great user experience and maximum productivity. The low-profile keyboard could be your perfect office companion. Its wireless connectivity empowers you to pair a total of three devices over Bluetooth or its USB dongle, and you can easily switch between these three connected devices.
The typing experience is smooth, and people sitting next to you can’t complain about losing concentration over a keyboard noise. The keyboard has a rechargeable battery, and it offers an impeccable 10 days of power backup. So, if you’re looking for a keyboard with a great blend of comfort and features that provide a versatile typing experience along with a premium price and durable build and have enough space on your desk, we recommend Logitech MX Keys for you.
Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard
Price – ₹14,999/-
Are you one of those who type for long hours, are tired of repetitive strain injuries, and looking for a comfortable keyboard to avoid arm, wrist, or shoulder pain? In that case, you should definitely try ergonomically designed keyboards such as Microsoft’s Sculpt wireless ergonomic keyboard that offers a pain-free experience and even take care of your bad posture. The keyboard offers a split layout and design and a nicely cushioned palm rest to keep you in an ideal typing position and avoid additional pressure on the wrists.
The keyboard is split in half and offers a separate number pad, making it significantly different from its equivalents. The affordable ergonomic keyboard connects via a 2.4 GHz wireless USB dongle and requires two AAA batteries to work, which seems a little outdated. However, this ergonomic keyboard by Microsoft will surely help you recover lousy posture, but only if you stay put with it during those initial days.
Logitech K380 Bluetooth Keyboard
Price – ₹3,195/-
Logitech has a rich history of creating excellent computer accessories, and the name Logitech will often pop up when you’re looking for computer accessories, especially keyboard and mouse. The comfortable and compact Logitech K380 Bluetooth Keyboard is one of the best budget-friendly keyboards out there in the market, which offers great design and compelling battery backup of up to 2 years with its AAA batteries.
The keyboard arrives with round-shaped keys, and it takes a while to adapt to it; and it also lacks a backlighting feature and macro programmable keys. The smart-looking keyboard could be paired up with three devices via Bluetooth (it doesn’t come with a USB dongle), and one can easily toggle between the devices such as smartphones, tablets, Apple TV, and most computers using the F1-F3 hotkeys. The tiny and well-built wireless Bluetooth keyboard is offered in three colours: dark grey, rose, and off-white.
Apple Magic Keyboard With Numeric Keypad
Price – ₹12,500/-
Apple Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, the name itself suggests it has something magical in it, and we can’t deny the fact because it’s a fact. The aesthetically designed Apple Magic Keyboard will undoubtedly add a slight tint to your modern office, and if you’re a follower of a minimalist lifestyle, it’s clearly the best buy for you. The Magic Keyboard sports light and bouncy keys to satisfy your typing experience.
Previously, it was available without a number pad and only bundled with Apple’s 5K iMac Pro, but now it is available in full size with Numeric Keypad, and the company even sells it separately. The flat designed Apple Magic Keyboard is ideal for gaming, reading or working with spreadsheets as it offers an impressive battery life of one month, on a full charge. The ultra-sleek space-grey keyboard offers keys based on a scissor mechanism to enhance your typing experience, but unfortunately, it is only compatible with Apple products.
Corsair K63 Wireless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Price – ₹15,999/-
Corsair is one of the few companies that manufacture a wireless alternative of its popular gaming keyboards, and their latest addition, a refresh of the old Corsair Gaming Lapdog but slimmer and wireless, Corsair K63 Wireless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, is an exceptional one. The new K63 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is almost similar to its wired sibling, and if you’re familiar with Corsair keyboards in the past, then while using this one, you’ll feel super comfortable as the keyboard is specially made for people who prefer to operate from the comfort of the couch. The K63 keyboard has a frameless and straightforward design, and users can pair the keyboard with either a wireless USB receiver or Bluetooth. The keyboard features dedicated media controls, linear Cherry MX Red switches, excellent compatibility with various operating systems, but at the same time, it lacks backlighting as it is limited to a single blue colour. However, the K63 wireless keyboard is still a good option for gaming and also for work too.
We have covered How Big is Sony, Netflix, Walmart and Nike? in the past few months, and so far, we’ve experienced a pleasant ride. Then, one fine day we thought, let’s do something different this time as all of the companies we have covered till now have been situated in foreign lands, and this simple thought provoked us to shift our focus from foreign companies to our Indian giants. The search began, and we started looking for Indian companies that contributed remarkably to our country’s growth, and at the end of the day, we mutually decided to go with Wipro, India’s third-largest outsourcer of IT services.
How was Wipro started?
Wipro is a widespread name in Indian households as the majority of Indians prefer to use electrical products and an energy-efficient range of LED lighting solutions manufactured by Wipro, but many of us aren’t even aware of the now popular multinational corporation that provides information technology, consulting and business process services was initially started as a maker of vegetable and refined oils in Amalner, Maharashtra. Though you can always ask your grandparents, they might be aware of the trade names of Kisan, Sunflower, Dalda Ghee, and Camel, popular products of the company during their early days.
The company was founded in 1945 as Western Indian Vegetable Products Ltd. by Mr Mohamed Premji, and later on, it was inherited by his then 21-year old son, Azim Premji. In 1966, the latter was pursuing electrical engineering at Stanford University in the United States, but due to his father’s sudden demise, he returned to India and became the company’s chairperson at the bare age of 21. Mr Azim Premji officially renamed the company to Wipro Products Limited in 1977, when he took over the family-owned business and expanded the company’s product line to include hydraulic cylinders, bakery fats, toiletries, soaps, and lighting products.
How Wipro entered into the IT sector and expanded its other ventures?
The chairperson of Wipro Products Limited, Mr Azim Premji, was a visionary man and always wanted to do something in the IT and computing industry, and when the opportunity knocked at the door, he tucked it in. Wipro gradually started entering into the IT business in the late ’70s, and at that time, IBM India was at its pinnacle and was the biggest competitor for newbie Wipro. Many business groups in the country called Wipro’s move a foolish one but to the company’s luck and the arrival of a new government with fresh foreign exchange rules, in 1978, IBM India shut its operations and withdrew its services from the country, which helped Wipro advance its services in the field and ripe the opportunity.
Wipro commenced its IT sector journey by producing microcomputers under a technology-sharing agreement with US-based Sentinel Computer Corporation, and within a decade, it became the first Indian company to explore offshore IT services. In between this, Wipro once again updated its name from Wipro Products Limited to Wipro Limited in 1982, added mobile hydraulic cylinders and heavy-duty industrial cylinders to its line of products in 1988, formed a joint venture called Wipro GE Medical Systems with the United States’ General Electric (GE) for the manufacture, sales, and service of diagnostic and imaging products and started making one Santoor talcum powder and Wipro Baby Soft, a range of baby toiletries in 1990.
Further Growth & Collaborations
The economic liberalisation in India during the early ’90s led to an increase in foreign investment and high economic growth. The movement helped our country grow its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from $266 billion in 1991 to $3.3 trillion in 2021. Thanks to economic liberalisation, Wipro further expanded into manufacturing lamps, oil-based natural ingredients, beauty care products, medical and diagnostic equipment, and IT hardware products such as printers and scanners.
In 1999, Wipro became the only Indian computer manufacturer to obtain the complete Y2K compliant certification from the United States’ National Software Testing Laboratory. In the next couple of years, Wipro continued to perform strongly, with IT remaining its core industry. They also collaborated with Acer to produce personal computers for the Indian market and soon arose as one of India’s largest software exporters and the second-largest listed company in the country.
Azim Premji, chairman of Wipro, who’s informally known as the Czar of the Indian IT Industry, is currently the 13th richest Indian, but from 1998 to 2003, he stayed as the richest Indian. Wipro enjoyed a tremendous level of prosperity throughout the late ’90s and early 2000s. They started internet service in India by partnering with KPN (Royal Dutch telecom) to form a joint venture company, Wipro Net Limited and also opened a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) unit in 2002. In the five years where Azim Premji stayed on the top position of richest Indian, Wipro performed historically on the Indian stock exchanges. In the following years, Wipro also became one of the first software companies to get SEI (Software Engineering Institute) Level 5 certification.
Wipro Acquisitions
Currently, Wipro is headquartered in Bengaluru and is known for its array of services such as IT sector, BPO services, cognitive computing, robotics, hyper-automation, testing, research and development in the software and hardware areas of companies around the world. The Indian multinational corporation Wipro was ranked 1st in the 2010 Asian Sustainability Rating (ASR) of Indian companies. The company even offers its services to several enterprises like Finance, Utilities, Energy and Entertainment. Under Azim Premji’s bold leadership, Wipro tasted more success rather than failures and emerged dramatically as one of the leading IT companies not only in India but all over the globe.
Wipro acquired more than 15 companies till now and has spent over $2.5 billion on acquisitions. Wipro acquired Chandrika, an ayurvedic and herbal soap brand in 2004, Northwest Switches and Sweden-based Hydrauto Group AB in 2006 for Rs. 102.2 crore and Rs. 142.6 crore, Infocrossing in August 2007 for Rs. 2,430 crores, Singapore-based Unza Holdings Ltd. in 2007 for Rs. 1,010 crores, the personal care brand Yardley from the Lornamead Group in 2009, Appirio, an information technology consulting company for Rs 3,300 crore in 2016, Florida-based HealthPlan Services for $460 (over Rs. 3100 crores) million in 2016 and tied up with Israel Aerospace Industries to manufacture composite aerostructure parts and assemblies in 2017.
Top 5 Wipro Subsidiaries
Wipro Infrastructure Engineering
Wipro Infrastructure Engineering was established in 1976 as a part of Wipro, and it is one of the principal subsidiaries of Wipro. It is the hydraulics business section of the company and has been into manufacturing hydraulic cylinders, cargo handling, mining, freight, truck cylinders, and their components. The subsidiary has delivered over a million cylinders to original equipment manufacturers across the globe. The division also launched specific solutions during the pandemic to fight against Covid 19.
Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting
Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting (WCCLG) was established as a division of Wipro in 1945 to cater for the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) segment dealing personal care, home care, lighting and furniture products. The first manufactured product by the subsidiary was Sunflower Vanaspati oil. The firm has ventured into selling personal care products like Santoor, Chandrika, Aramusk, Wipro Baby Soft ranges and Yardley, along with lighting products like Smartlite CFL and LED lights. The division is one of the fastest-growing in Asia, and Africa, with more than 75 crores sales revenue in 2019-20.
Yardley
Yardley or Yardley of London is a British personal care brand established by the Cleaver family in 1770. The brand is specialized in cosmetics, fragrances and relevant toiletry products. It is one of the oldest firms globally and one of the biggest manufacturers of soap and perfumes. Wipro consumer care brought Yardley in 2009 except for businesses in Germany and Austria, where it is still owned by Lornamead, a part of Hong Kong’s Fung Group.
Opus Capital Markets Consultants
Headquartered in Lincolnshire in Illinois, United States, Opus is one of the top companies in the financial services industry, and since 2013, it has been owned by Wipro. Opus Capital Markets Consultants offers multiple services like Residential & commercial mortgage, Compliances services, servicing reviews, advisory services, quality control, servicing oversight and operational assessment. Recently, it has been fully integrated with Wipro and renamed as Wipro Opus Risk Solutions LLC.
Topcoder & Appirio
Topcoder is a crowdsourcing company that pays community members for their projects and sells community services to corporate, mid-size, and small-business clients. The company was founded by Jack Hughes in the year 2001, and its name was formerly spelt as “TopCoder” until 2013. Wipro acquired Topcoder in 2016 along with Appirio, an information technology consulting company founded by Chris Barbin, Narinder Singh, Glenn Weinstein and Mike O Brien. Appirio competes with Accenture and Deloitte in the business by offering SaaS services such as Salesforce and Google apps.
Logo Evolution
Wipro introduced its first logo in 1998; the logo features a very detailed sunflower diagonally coloured into 7 colours of the rainbow, placed above the sleek and stylized wordmark with a tagline, “Applying Thought,” and enclosed into a thin blue circular structure. Later on, after two decades, in 2017, the company revamped its old logo with a new logo, comprising of dots that represent the way the company ‘connects the dots’ for its clients. Wipro removed the colourful sunflower and changed the wordmark from the capitalized inscription to a lowercase one. The new logo features four different sized circles formed by dots representing growth and progress.
Valuation
Wipro is headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, operates across all six continents and is ranked the 9th largest employer in India, with over 200,000 employees. As of September 2021, Wipro is the world’s 374th most valuable company, with a market cap of $51.00 Billion.
Philanthropy
Of course, Mr Azim Premji will be remembered for transforming Wipro from a vegetable oil seller to a software giant, but along with this, people will remember him for his big heart. Mr Azim Premji is the first Indian and only third non-American who signed The Giving Pledge, started by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, to donate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes. He has donated $21 billion of his wealth as part of the pledge. Apart from this pledge, he has pledged 39% of Wipro shares for philanthropic activities and has also donated an amount of $2 billion to improve education in India.
Virtual Reality (VR) has opened up new learning surroundings and involved so much in just a few years that it is no longer a new name to most of us. We’ve witnessed a number of VR headset launches in the last few years; from high-end consumer devices to affordable ones, the market of VR headsets have come a long way, and if you’re looking for a few of the best VR headset options in the market, then here’s a list of top 5 VR headsets to make your search simpler.
Oculus Quest 2
The Oculus is the big name in the world of VR’s and its latest VR, Quest 2, is unquestionably one of the best VR headsets in the market. The compact, comfortable, and powerful Quest 2 is the most advanced all-in-one VR system yet by the Facebook-owned company Oculus. The new Quest is the successor to the Oculus’ 2019 Quest, and it is only the third wire-free standalone headset from the company, after the Oculus Go and the Oculus Quest. The sleek Quest 2 looks decent, be it on the desk or your head and features a standalone signature Quest design. The Quest 2 is a bit smaller and 10% lighter than its predecessor.
Oculus is popularly known for making all-black flagship devices, but the Quest 2 has a pure white plastic chassis and a black foam eye mask behind it, making it appear more stylish. The VR headset features four camera sensors, all mounted along its edge. On the right side, it has a power button and its volume rockers rest on the underside, along with two pinhole microphones. The left side holds a USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack for charging and audio. The headset features 6GB of memory instead of 4GB, and its base model offers 64GB of storage.
The Oculus Quest 2 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 chipset and offers a battery life of two and 2.5 hours for a gaming session. The VR headset has everything you need right in one device, and once you are done with the setup, you’re good to go. The VR headset arrives with two newly designed motion controllers that feel as good as ever and offer a screen resolution of 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye instead of the Quest’s 1440 x 1600. The new Quest VR is one of the lowest-priced VR headsets in the market, but overall you won’t be disappointed by the performance of Oculus Quest 2.
HTC Vive Pro 2
If you’re looking for the best VR headset in the current market and you’re not a gamer, then HTC Vive Pro 2 can be your best companion. The first HTC Vive VR headset was launched five years ago, and it was way ahead of its time, but the company failed to dominate the market even after a great head start. HTC Vive Pro 2 is aimed to fulfil needs like killer visuals, accurate possible tracking and comfortable wearing for a long time, in short, it is more inclined towards professionals. The VR headset features high-res visuals and 120Hz detailed and crisp 5K displays for smooth frame rates.
The Vive Pro 2 appears and feels very identical to its predecessor but in the darker spirit, but once you mount it on your head, you’ll quickly realise the difference. The head-mounted display of HTC Vive Pro 2 helps you rotate the headset backwards without completely removing it, which eventually works best for answering a quick phone call, checking the time, seeing who’s staring at you while you’re occupied in the VR world and, of course, having a quick check of the real world. The headset offers an excellent top strap and rear tightening knob to keep your headset stable on your head.
The 5K lenses of the HTC Vive Pro 2 offer a 120° horizontal field of view to make you feel more like a real-world appearance. Its view angles are sharper and more detailed than its rival Oculus Quest 2, making Vive Pro 2 stand tall. The VR headset requires a robust system with at least an RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5700 to work best in every way, especially when you’re eying on 120 HZ or higher resolutions. The headset offers a two-month subscription to HTC’s own VR software store, Viveport Infinity, granting unlimited access to a wide selection of VR games and experiences.
Sony PlayStation VR
Sony recently launched its PlayStation VR (or PSVR) headsets to bring a more advanced and immersive Virtual Reality experience into their PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Pro consoles. The Japanese multinational conglomerate has thoughtfully launched its VR a few weeks before the holiday season to get more attention from consumers. The PSVR was first released in 2016 under a code name ‘Project Morpheus’, and since then, it has become popular among VR newcomers as it is one of the most affordable VR’s in the market.
PlayStation VR offers a massive library of experimental and action-packed titles that are exclusive to PSVR. The headset is uniquely designed and quite comfortable compared to its rivals, but it lingers a little behind the more expensive PC-powered HTC Vive and Oculus Rift in terms of specs. The Sony VR headset is a little heavier device (weighs about 600 grams) and has a single solid headband that rests around the back of your head. Currently, PSVR is the best-selling high-end VR headset globally, and it has turned into a game-changing piece of hardware in a short while.
The company has recently launched Hitman 3 for their VR and has brought big-budget games like Resident Evil 7, No Man’s Sky, and Skyrim to stay ahead in the race. The PSVR offers immersive gaming quality and comes with more than 21.9 million VR games and apps. The PSVR, of course, has its drawbacks, but at the same time, it is enjoyable too. Unfortunately, the company doesn’t trade PlayStation VR as a sole product; instead, they offer the VR headset either along with PS VR with a PlayStation Camera or a PS VR with a PlayStation Camera and two Move controllers. Whatever the company bundles up, if you look at the cost, the headset remains the most affordable in the market.
Valve Index VR Kit
The list of Top 5 VR headsets can’t be completed without adding the best VR headset for gamers, and the time has come to take a quick look at it. Valve Index VR Kit is the next-generation VR headset and the first to be entirely manufactured by the American video game developer, Valve. The company offers an Index headset, Valve’s finger tracking controllers and two SteamVR base stations at a magnificent price of over one lakh rupees, making it one of the most expensive PC-tethered VR systems worldwide, but at the same time, the Steam VR platform on which the headset runs is still inconsistent, making it not so suitable as a troubleshooter.
The Valve Index VR headset features an eye-watering 144Hz refresh rate and a massive 130-degree field of view, offering you one of the best visual experiences of your life. Being a SteamVR product, it demands placing two sensors at different corners of your room. The headset is a bit heavier than the Rift S, but the strap provides adequate support around your head. Speaking of comfort, the finger tracking controllers of Valve Index have a convenient strap that locks them onto your hands, helping you have an exceptionally well hold. The strap material of padding is extra soft and makes sure you stay comfortable even after a long gaming session.
The Index has built-in near-field speakers, which offer outstanding three-dimensional surround sound and are very useful if you like to stay in the VR world for an extended period. They help you to have an incredible audio experience along with a more spatialised audio environment. The Valve Index VR headset features an unimaginable industry-leading tracking with fixed lasers clearing 100 times per second to track your movements. The hardware requirements for the Valve Index headset is relatively light, it can work well even with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 480 GPU though the company recommends a quad-core CPU and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 or better GPU for better execution.
HP Reverb G2
HP Reverb G2 is one of the top VR headsets that offer high resolution at an affordable price, making it one of the best VR headsets for newcomers. The Reverb G2 looks very much like a mixture of an HTC Vive and an Oculus Rift. The headset has been developed in collaboration with Valve, and that’s why it features Valve’s unique near-field speakers that produce high-quality sound. The Reverb G2 headset also features a 90Hz refresh rate, an ultra-high-resolution sharp screen offering 2,160 by 2,160 pixels per eye, and a 114-degree field of view.
The VR headset comes out of the box with luxurious cushioning throughout the eyepiece and rear strap, making it a more comfortable device. The Reverb G2 is the first Windows Mixed Reality headset with four tracking sensors helping it to ensure more accurate VR tracking. It also helps when you’re playing fast-paced games where your hands are all over the place. When it comes to visual performance, the Reverb G2 shines bright like a sun.
The Reverb G2 is a lightweight VR headset that offers comfort and convenience at its best. The plastic finish looks cheap, but it is finely crafted and has thick foam padding encompassing the lenses and headband. Underneath, you’ll find a slider while on the front and sides, four cameras are fitted to track the movement. The Reverb G2 is a wired Vr headset, and that’s why it doesn’t have as much freedom as wireless offerings, like Oculus Quest 2, but you can manage your play with a 6-metre straight long wire.
Vintage cars and classic India vs Pakistan cricket matches have a few common factors, they hit differently, straight in the heart, and take you back to the times when people used to adore cars like their children and celebrate India’s victory against Pakistan like a birthday party. We don’t see vintage cars often, especially Audi, frequently moving around Indian streets, as a number of them are lying disgracefully in the city junkyard. However, one Audi car is still in good condition and has an exciting story to narrate, and this Audi belongs to one of the best commentators from the Indian contingent, India’s former all-rounder and current Head-coach of the Indian cricket team, Ravi Shastri.
The world knows Ravi Shastri for his commentary, particularly for his iconic words, “Dhoni finishes off in style. A magnificent strike into the crowd! India lift the World Cup after 28 years!” when MS Dhoni, former Indian skipper, hit a humongous six against Sri Lanka pacer Nuwan Kulasekara in the 2011 ICC World Cup final. Besides this, Ravi Shastri is also known for being a part of the World Cup-winning squad of 1983 and the first Indian cricketer in domestic cricket to hammer 6 successive sixes in an over. As a cricketer and coach, Ravi Shastri has achieved a lot during his time, and one of his most outstanding achievements is winning an Audi 100 sedan during the 1985 World Championship of Cricket.
The Audi 100 was one of the most popular cars manufactured and marketed by Audi, and back in the day, it was owned by many celebrities. The company started its production in 1968, and it was available until 1994. The car Ravi Shastri won was the third-generation Audi 100, launched internationally in 1982 and during those times, there were very few luxury cars on the Indian roads owned by ordinary citizens in India. In fact, when Ravi Shastri was voted as the ‘The Champion of Champions’ and was awarded an Audi 100 sedan, India’s then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had to order Indian customs officials to waive off the heavy import duty the car required to enter the Indian territory.
How did Ravi Shastri win the Audi 100?
In 1985, after defeating spectacular West Indies cricket team in a 1983 World Cup final, the Indian cricket team was on an Australia tour to play the World Championship of Cricket (Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket) held from 17th February to 10th March 1985 along with all of the then Test match playing nations on the event of the 150th anniversary of European settlement in Victoria. Even after winning a World Cup, the Indian team was not one of the favourites to win a trophy, but unfolding another surprise package India reached the final of the World Championship of Cricket by defeating New Zealand, and on the other side, India’s arch-rival Pakistan reached the final by beating West Indies.
Ravi Shastri played tremendously well during the tournament and came up with an all-round performance where he scored 182 runs and took eight wickets in five matches. He got into a tiff with then Pakistan skipper Javed Miandad who also performed great during the tournament. In the final Match, Javed Miandad managed to score 48 runs while Ravi Shastri outperformed him with not out 63* runs and one wicket. Ravi Shastri was awarded as the Man of the Series for his stellar performance. Indian team conquered Pakistan by 8 wickets to win the World Championship of Cricket, which was held only for once in 1985, and Wisden adjudged the Indian team that won the cup as ‘The Indian Team of the Century’.
Along with the Man of the Series trophy, Ravi Shastri was awarded an Audi 100 Sedan for his performance, and soon a victorious Indian team clustered the Audi 100, occupying spots both inside and on top of the car. The allrounder drove the sedan around the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Australia, and since then, the car has become a symbol of cricketing richness in all senses. The Audi 100 sedan, which Ravi Shastri won at the World Championship of Cricket, is close to his heart and his most prized possession. He takes the car for a drive every Sunday whenever he is in Mumbai, and surprisingly he didn’t even let his father drive the car without asking for his permission.
The fashionable vintage Audi 100 owned by Ravi Shastri is currently India’s most popular Audi car and is still in pristine condition. Till today, Ravi Shastri says, the car doesn’t belong to him, it belongs to India, to the Indian cricket team, though during one of the pre-tournament meetings, when asked about sharing the car, he wasn’t ready to share the car with anyone and was prepared to do anything to win the car which he successfully earned by playing great cricket. Since then, Audi has become a prominent part of Indian cricket and signed several Indian cricketers as their brand ambassadors. Ravi Shastri has maintained the car really well, it still looks brand new, and he often gives out the car to exhibitors to showcase, as it is considered one of the first Audi cars reported in India.
We had surpassed those days when people used to hire Interior Designers after considering what kind of taste they had for colour, decor, and fabrics. Over the years, the role of an Interior Designer has changed dramatically, from creating the layout of the internal space in a building or structure manually to creating numerous designs on software and computer-aided design tools, which allows them to present their creativity in a more delicate and sophisticated way.
In a technology-driven world, humans are more prone to inventing tools that can change the perspective of our lives. Technology is serving us in almost every industry and has successfully changed how we live around. Barely a decade ago, Interior Designers were sending paper statements or meeting with every client face to face, and if you look at how they work now, it’s completely different from old-school practices. Thanks to the technology, which has been proven itself as a time-saver tool for designers.
Nowadays, being an interior designer is not limited to honing traditional interior design skills, including drawing layouts and mastering plans. To survive and thrive in today’s technology-driven world, the designer must have a deep knowledge of the latest design software, computer-aided design (CAD) tools and, of course, business skills. The interior design industry took a little while to accept and incorporate technology, but in a short span, as expected, it has influenced the future of interior design- here’s how:
Digital Drafting
Gone are the days when interior designers used to carry drafting boards and set squares. Today, the business of interior designing is more focused and based on technology which includes new-age software platforms such as AutoCAD, AutoDesk, and SketchUp. These platforms allow designers to showcase their designs digitally and help them in convincing their ideas to clients on how their office/apartment could look if they implement a particular design. The designers can convert their 2D designs into the 3D form or even in videos to help their clients understand the structure better through interactive walkthroughs.
Smart Design Tools
Technology has shielded us from head to toe, and we can’t think of a life without it. Back in the day, interior designers used to meet clients in person to discuss the design and to have a quick idea about the project, but with the arrival of technology in the field, it all vanished and was replaced with more advanced tools where designers and clients mutually prefer online meet-ups. Online communities like Houzz allow digital space for architects and interior designers to showcase their work on their website, which helps them get clients. However, word of mouth still stands tall and is considered the best marketing option in all industries.
Smart Homes
We can’t predict what the world will look like in the next 50 years, but we can surely say it would consist of smart homes, advanced robots, driverless cars, and maybe weekly mars trips. Well, here, we’re only concentrating on smart homes, which heavily influence our day-to-day world and are already everywhere. Almost every day, a new tech giant launches some connected device or gadget to attract our attention, and we can’t deny the fact that we all crave such innovations.
Google Home has already occupied the smart home market, and we can’t say no to the gadgets that offer a personal assistant and work according to our command, such as turning off the television, playing your favourite music, waking you up on time and creating schedules for you. Along with Google, Amazon has also invented a number of smart home gadgets to make our home-life smoother and smarter. Smart home gadgets can also help us control the lighting situation through our phones, set automated timers on bedroom lights, and many more.
Internet of Things (IoT)
The endless possibilities in technology are assisting us in experiencing the smart world of interiors, and the Internet of Things is unquestionably one of the finest technologies amongst them. The Internet of Things has emerged as an absolute game-changer for house owners in recent times, and it plays a crucial role in the lives of modern-day interior designers.
The IoT technology, which is entirely based on the internet, helps us define physical objects embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies to further communicate with each other and create a smart home environment. Thanks to the IoT based smart-connected gadgets and appliances, it betters interior designers to fulfil the demand of tech-savvy youth.
3D Printing
3D printing benefits interior designers to demonstrate their design quickly to the clients with the miniature model. With 3D printing, designers can unleash the best of their creativity as it allows them to implement the plan in a few hours with minimum resources, and they can even make changes according to clients’ requirements instead of traditional paper draftings, where executing changes was a complicated job. Immediate customer feedback helps designers to create a good rapport which ultimately helps them to gain more customers. Along with all these benefits, 3D printing is environmentally friendly as the miniature models can be created using natural resources such as wood and bamboo.
Sustainable Design & Micro Apartments
The interest in sustainable designs has increased over the past few years, and considering the future of the interior designing industry, it primarily relies on sustainable development. If you look at the newly constructed apartments by developers, they feature wide-open windows, and developers purposely keep these giant windows throughout the apartments to fill the void with more natural daylight sources and to offer health benefits for their clients.
Along with this, looking at the rate of migration in urban areas, many builders and developers in India have started following the American movement of creating micro apartments that typically fall under 400 square feet of space. The micro-living lifestyle has helped us to reduce our carbon footprint, and it indeed created opportunities for people to purchase their own houses within an affordable budget, even in developed cities, but the option will also lead to an innumerable urban population.
Role of Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality in Interior Design
Earlier, interior designers used to draw and sketch designs on paper in 2D format, but these kinds of designs were hard to understand for clients, and they used to struggle to follow and understand the designers’ visualization. Then, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality arrived in the designing field and changed the entire scenario. The arrival of Virtual Reality helped the designer to explain to their clients what the project could look like if they followed a particular design, and that too in a 360 degrees viewing option, to see it from every angle.
In the case of Augmented Reality, it enables new-age clients to visualize the project even before it is developed, and they can even try numerous outcomes for their new project, such as the furniture, without paying a single rupee. Augmented Reality allows interior designers to showcase their vision to clients in the most straightforward possible manner. IKEA, a Swedish-origin company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances and home accessories, has adopted AR in their new printed catalogues to help their clients overlay the physical world by using their phone’s camera and an AR app.
What would you do if you had unlimited time, money and resources? You would definitely strike off everything that comes on your bucket list, but unfortunately, we can’t have all of these above things together. You can earn tons of money which will buy you resources, but time, it’s the only thing you can’t buy, and that’s why we decided to strike off one more place from my bucket list and hopped on Volvo XC90 & XC60 to reach Leh-Ladakh via road from Delhi.
We fuel our bodies with food, our minds with knowledge, our hearts with love and our life with memories. When you’re on your deathbed, the only things that matters are the memories you created when you were fit and fine. It’s necessary to take time for things you enjoy in life, and what’s a better option to enjoy and create last-long memories than going on a luxury trip. Leh & Ladakh is a place that exists on almost every bucket list, and I’m no different from the majority.
Atal Tunnel
We decided to pick Volvo XC90 & XC60 cars for our ride to reach the lush meadows, Chinar forests, and apple orchards of Ladakh. We stayed for a night in The Himalayan, one of the top luxury boutique resorts in Manali and left towards our destination early in the morning. On the way, we drove on Atal Tunnel, which is named after India’s former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s name. Atal or Rohtang tunnel is a highway tunnel built under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway in Himachal Pradesh.
The 9.02 Km long tunnel reduces the travel time and overall distance between Manali and Keylong on the way to Leh, and currently, it is the world’s longest single tube highway tunnel at an altitude above 3,000 m(10,000 ft). Volvo XC90 and XC60 are two of my favourite cars from Volvo’s Swedish design and craftsmanship, but they have noticeable differences between each other. The major differences are that the XC90 can seat up to seven passengers while the XC60 can seat five passengers. The XC90 has an optional Recharge T8 plug-in hybrid powertrain, while the XC60 has a Polestar Engineered trim package paired with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
The well-rounded SUVs have calm and collected interiors that keep you focused on the drive ahead, and that’s why we recommend you to either travel in a well-equipped SUV or don’t take more than two halts while driving towards up in the hills. More halts will eventually result in breathlessness, which is not a good thing to deal with when you’re travelling in high altitude areas. While driving in places like Leh and Ladakh, one must always stay aware of the situation because landslides are a widespread disaster.
The Hospitality of the Locals
People around the Leh & Ladakh towns are amicable and helpful, they’ll help you choose the best route to the destination, they’ll help you if your vehicle is stuck in the mud and the essential things they offer on these deserty roads is Dhaba-cooked Maggies, which tastes delicious. The roads around this region are dubious, has bumpy stretches, and are unpaved. So, if you’re not an experienced driver who’s comfortable driving in India, especially in the hills, self-drive is a big no-no for you.
Thiksey Monastery
The massage seats of the Volvo XC90 & XC60 are some of the bests I’ve ever been seated. The five preset massage programs are- Swell, Tread, Advanced, Lumbar or Shoulder. Thanks to these cars’ massage seats, we’ve reached the Thiksey Monastery in a single piece. The famous Buddhist Monastery is located on top of a hill in Thiksey, approximately 19 kilometres east of Leh in Ladakh. The 12-storey complex houses many items of Buddhist art such as stupas, statues, thangkas, wall paintings and swords. The views from the Monastery are breathtaking, and given its popularity, it needs no introduction about its beauty.
Nubra Valley
The valley is popular amongst the tourist for its orchards, scenic vistas, Bactrian camels and monasteries. Nubra or Ldumra (means the valley of flowers) valley is situated 10,000 feet (3,000 m) above sea level, and the common way to access this valley is to travel over the Khardung La pass from Leh. The Volvo XC90 and Volvo XC60 cars accompanied us to reach one of the most challenging terrains globally, and all happened because these two cars have a Hill-start assist feature. The advanced feature automatically stops your vehicle from backrolling when you press and release the brakes on an uphill gradient by holding the brake pressure. With that, we have covered a number of sites during our trip but left one of the famous spots for the next time, which is Pangong Lake. The Leh & Ladakh is truly a road trip that one will recall in the late years of their life.
Social media giant Facebook is rolling towards a new name to reflect its focus on building the metaverse. The company CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants to focus on building a metaverse and will reveal the new name at the company’s annual Connect conference on October 28th, the Verge reported on Tuesday, but when asked about the confirmation, Facebook said it does not comment on rumours or speculations.
The company might reveal the new name earlier and it will act as a medium where the Menlo Park, California-based firm seeks to be known for more than social media and the scrutiny associated with it. The rebrand would likely position the blue Facebook app as a separate product under a parent company just like Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus, and more. However, the company spokesperson declined to comment on the story.
Earlier this week, the company announced its plans to create 10,000 new high-skilled positions in the European Union over the next five years to build a so-called metaverse. Also, in the month of July the Facebook CEO stated, “we will effectively transition from people seeing us as primarily being a social media company to being a metaverse company” while talking about building consumer hardware like AR glasses.
What is Metaverse?
The term “Metaverse” was first coined in Snow Crash, a 1992 sci-fi novel by Neal Stephenson. The word is made up of the prefix meta – meaning beyond and the stem verse – a back-formation from the universe and is typically used to describe the concept of a virtual reality version of the internet that Facebook sees as the future.
Metaverse represents a collection of shared online worlds in which people can hang out with friends, colleagues, can visit places, can buy goods and services, and even attend events by converging physically with Augmented Reality, and Virtual Reality. Facebook has already invested heavily in virtual reality and augmented reality and plans to invest $50 million to partner with organizations to responsibly build the metaverse.
The possible new name
Facebook isn’t the first tech company to change its company name, in 2015, Google reorganized entirely under a holding company called Alphabet, to show the world they are not just limited to the search engine. A new possible name could have something on the similar lines with Horizon, a VR gaming platform which rebranded itself to “Horizon Worlds”. The new name will not affect the current products and will continue to act as an umbrella of all brands.
