Asus challenges iPhone X with all-screen, AI-powered Zenfone 5, Zenfone 5z

The Zenfone 5-series boasts artificial intelligence capabilities, which, unlike some of the other phones, are not limited to camera but have access to display, ringtone, battery and live videos too

Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Asus on February 27 showcased the Zenfone 5zand Zenfone 5 at the Mobile World Congress. The smartphones are identical in looks and have similar features. However, these identical twins are powered by different breeds of processors and have different RAM configurations to differentiate.

The next-generation Zenfone-series boasts artificial intelligence capabilities, which, unlike some of the other phones, are not limited to just camera but have access to display, ringtone, battery and live videos as well.

Apart from the AI capabilities, the Zenfone 5z and Zenfone 5 have 90 per cent screen-to-body ratio, thanks to their 6.2-inch fullHD+ screen covering almost the entire front. The 19:9 aspect ratio leaves just a small notch on top to accommodate an 8-megapixel camera, earpiece and sensors – just like in Apple iPhone X but smaller.

On the back, the smartphones sport a dual-camera set-up, which features 12MP and 8MP shooters.

The primary 12MP sensor boasts f/1.8 aperture and the 8MP sensor features 120-degree wide-angle lens. Both, front and rear cameras are backed by AI for automatic scene selection and portrait photography, and machine learning to improve the output by learning usage patterns.

The Zenfone 5z and Zenfone 5 sport 2.5D curved glass on the front and back, supported by a metal chassis that holds them together seamlessly. The Zenfone 5z houses Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC), 6GB RAM and host of storage options starting from 64GB. The Zenfone 5, on the other hand, uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor, 4GB RAM, and comes with 64GB storage in base model.

Rs 114-bn PNB fraud gets bigger: Bank says total dues can be Rs 13 bn more

Punjab National Bank detected the fraud wherein Nirav Modi and associates allegedly acquired fraudulent letters of undertaking

Business Standard : The fraud-hit Punjab National Bank (PNB) on Monday reported an additional Rs 13 billion (Rs 1,300 crore) unauthorised transactions, taking the estimated quantum to Rs 126 billion (Rs 12,600 crore) in the scam related to diamond trader Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi who is the owner of Gitanjali Gems.

In a 11.22 pm late night filing with the stock exchanges on Monday, the bank said, "In continuation to our filing with stock exchanges on February 14, 2018, we have to inform that quantum of reported unauthorised transactions can increase by $204.25 million."

At the current exchange rate, the amount comes to around Rs 13.23 billion (Rs 1,323 crore).The latest announcement from the public sector lender assumes significance against the backdrop of the probe going on into the Rs 114 billion (Rs 11,400 crore) scam, which is already one of the biggest in the Indian banking sector.

On February 14, the bank had detected the fraud wherein billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and associates had allegedly acquired fraudulent letters of undertaking (LoUs) from one of the branches of the PNB for overseas credit from other Indian lenders.

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday said it questioned PNB Executive Director K V Brahmaji Rao, two General Managers and a retired official in connection with its probe into the multi-crore fraud.

The Income Tax Department also said it had attached 66 more bank accounts related to the accused Mehul Choksi.

The scam was perpetrated by way of fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) generated in the name of Punjab National Bank.the amount of fraudulent transactions could be Rs 13 billion (Rs 1,300 crore) more than the current estimate of about Rs 114 billion (Rs 11,400 crore).

Sridevi died due to 'accidental drowning' in bathtub: Top 10 developments

The veteran actor, who acted in over 300 films and was referred to as the first female superstar of Bollywood, suffered a cardiac arrest late Saturday night in Dubai

Legendary actress Sridevi died due to accidental drowning and there were traces of alcohol in blood, according to reports published in Gulf media.The mortal remains of Sridevi, revered as Bollywood's first female superstar, will arrive India a few hours later than earlier expected. Her last rites, earlier expected to take place around 11.00 am, will, therefore, also have to be delayed.The veteran actor, 54, had passed away following a cardiac arrest late on Saturday night in Dubai. Sridevi acted in over 300 films in her impressive career spanning five decades. She was in Dubai along with her younger daughter Khushi and husband Boney Kapoor for the wedding of her nephew Mohit Marwah. She suffered a cardiac arrest when she was in the bathroom, getting ready for a dinner date with husband Boney Kapoor. “After 15 minutes passed and Sridevi did not come out, Kapoor knocked on the door to check on her. When he got no response, he forced open the door to find the legendary actor lying motionless in the bathtub full of water,” said a Khaleej Times report citing sources.The actress was declared dead by the paramedics who visited the site soon after.Meanwhile, her fans have started gathering outside her Mumbai residence to catch the last glimpse of the superstar. Considering the situation, security has been enhanced outside her residence.Celebrities including Rajnikanth, Sonam Kapoor and Anil Kapoor, are rushing to Mumbai to attend the last rites of Sridevi.

Here are the top 10 developments since the death of the legendary actor:

1. Autopsy report: The forensic report by UAE's health ministry on Monday reveals that the actress's cause of death was an sridevi accidental drowning. According to UAE's Gulf News, Sridevi was under the influence of alcohol in her hotel room when she lost her balance, fell into the bathtub and drowned. She was immediately rushed to Rashid Hospital in Dubai.

2. Funeral to be delayed: Sridevi's funeral might not take place before sunset, according to Khaleej Times. Officials from the Indian consulate have told the daily that Sridevi's body will be ready for repatriation by 1 to 2 pm, Dubai time (3.30 pm IST). The process will take 3 to 4 hours after police clearance.

3. Rajinikanth arrives in Mumbai: Superstar Rajinikanth has arrived Mumbai to attend the last rites of his 'dear friend'.

4. How it happened: Sridevi was getting ready for a dinner with husband Boney Kapoor in Dubai when she suffered a cardiac arrest at their hotel room, according to Khaleej Times.

Describing the incident, the report claimed that the cardiac arrest took place when she was in the bath. Boney Kapoor, when she did not return for 15 minutes, knocked at the door and later forced open the door to discover Sridevi lying motionless in the bathtub filled with water. The actress was declared dead by the paramedics who visited the site soon after.

5. Fans outside Sridevi's residence: Fans of the actress have gathered outside her residence since yesterday. As seen in the latest images posted by ANI, people in large numbers are standing outside the actress' Mumbai residence. (more)

From Dhoni to Kohli, why skippers prefer their IPL boys in national team

Sports psychologists believe having IPL teammates playing together helps the national team's performance

Indian cricket team captains like Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli seem to prefer playing more with players from their respective IPL teams even in the national team. We have seen that for various tours over the years. But is there a real correlation between the composition of IPL teams and the Indian national cricket squad?

Business Standard analysed historical data, valuation reports and franchise balance sheets to comprehend the correlation, if any. What emerged was an interesting picture. The facts first.

In 2014, when Dhoni was the captain of Chennai Super Kings, its players found a spot in the national squad 35 times in five tours. In 2017, when Virat Kohli captained Royal Challengers Bangalore, the team found a place in the Indian national side 26 times in eight tournaments. This was the highest among all IPL teams that year. An aberration was perhaps Mumbai Indians. Its players found a place in these tours 21 times in 2017. Mumbai’s representation in the national side has been consistent over the years.

On an average, Bangalore and Mumbai accounted for almost half the Indian squad in many of the tournaments in 2017. Bangalore's representation has risen phenomenally over the past two years, while Mumbai Indians has consistently been sending at least three players to the national team since 2010.

An equally impressive representation in the Indian team is that of Sunrisers Hyderabad. But Hyderabad's high representation is on account of some of its marquee players like Shikhar Dhawan, Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who have all been part of the Indian team for long now.

Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, has been prolific in sending many of its new and young talent to the national side. Mumbai IPL players like Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are now an inextricable part of the national team.

Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils players, on the other hand, have failed to find a sizeable representation in the national team in years. In 2017, Kings XI Punjab sent only three players to the national squad, while only two Delhi Daredevils players got selected in the national team on an average. Players from these low-ranked IPL teams are often drafted into the national squad for low-profile tournaments where the big guns are rested. For instance, five players from Punjab and Delhi were part of the Indian squad for Zimbabwe in 2015 that played just One Day Internationals (ODIs) and T20 matches.

In the ICC T20 World Cup 2015, no player from Punjab found a place in the squad. If it was not for Team India regular Mohammad Shami, even Delhi would have been left with only Pawan Negi, who was bought from Chennai for Rs 70 million just a day after he was announced by Indian selectors as part of the T20 World Cup squad.(more)

Moscow confused as IAF puts fifth-generation fighter on back burner to buy Rafale

Currently, the Sukhoi T-50 is powered by the NPO Saturn AL-41F1, which only is a souped-up version of the AL-31FP engine that powers the Sukhoi-30MKI

The ongoing MAKS 2015 air show in Moscow features an impressive flying display by the Sukhoi T-50, the fifth-generation prototype fighter's first public outing in two years. But even the rousing applause fails to mask the disappointment of Russian officials at the Indian Air Force's (IAF's) foot-dragging in co-developing the T-50 into a "fifth generation fighter aircraft" (FGFA) that the IAF will buy.

Well-informed sources in Moscow say the IAF vice chief has written a letter that effectively blocks the FGFA project. It criticises 27 different aspects of the FGFA, raising questions that must be answered before New Delhi and Moscow put $2.5 billion each into jointly developing the advanced fighter.

Business Standard also learns the IAF has vetoed a Russian offer to co-develop a fifth-generation engine for the FGFA. This is baffling to the Russians, given the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO) long-standing attempts at joint engine development in order to end India's expensive dependency on foreign vendors for aero engines. An internal DRDO estimation reckons that India will import aero engines worth Rs 3,50,000 crore over the next decade.

After the DRDO failed to develop the Kaveri engine to the level where it could power the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), it strived to persuade French engine-maker, Snecma, to co-develop an engine. But Snecma declined to share key technologies, especially those relating to materials that can withstand the hellish temperatures created in the engine's combustion chamber.

Nor has Washington agreed to share these technologies, even after President Barack Obama agreed during his January visit to New Delhi that a "joint working group" would explore US-India cooperation in engine technology.

DRDO and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) officials say the Russian offer of engine co-development fits well with the FGFA project itself, since the engine will power the same fighter. Currently, the Sukhoi T-50 is powered by the NPO Saturn AL-41F1, which only is a souped-up version of the AL-31FP engine that powers the Sukhoi-30MKI. A brand new, more powerful, engine is needed to let the FGFA supercruise, or fly at supersonic speeds while cruising without an afterburner. This is considered essential for a fifth-generation fighter.

Military aerospace experts worldwide believe that, given Moscow's economic distress, the T-50 project badly needs India's financial partnership to move forward. So far, the Russian Air Force has ordered only one squadron of T-50s.

Sergey Chemezov, who heads Rostec, the powerful Russian high-technology agency, downplays India's delay. "As for the involvement with India, there is a certain delay, though this is not something that we (Russia) can be responsible for.

Avani Chaturvedi becomes first Indian woman fighter pilot to fly solo

Countries, such as Britain, the United States, Israel, and Pakistan, have allowed women in the role of fighter pilots

Flying Officer Avani Chaturvedi has created history by becoming the first Indian woman fighter pilot to fly solo.

Chaturvedi flew a MiG-21 bison in her first training solo sortie, in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

She is one of the three in the first batch of female pilots, besides Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh, who were inducted in Indian Air Force fighter squadron on June 18, 2016.

Speaking to ANI, Air Commodore Prashant Dixit said, "It is a unique achievement for Indian Air Force and the country."

Only selected countries, such as Britain, the United States, Israel, and Pakistan, have allowed women in the role of fighter pilots.

It was in October 2015 that the Government took the decision to open the fighter stream for women.

Meanwhile, combat roles in the Army and the Navy are still off-limits for women, due to a combination of operational concerns and logistical constraints.

On December 16, 2017 two women from the second batch to enter the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force were commissioned after graduating from the Air Force Academy, Dundigul.

It was only in 1992 that the armed forces began recruiting women to streams, other than the Medical stream.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, Note 5 Pro sale begins today on Flipkart, Mi Store

At Rs 16,999 for the 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage varia, the Redmi Note 5 Pro seems a little overpriced. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 5 is priced competitively at Rs 9,999 for the base model

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi seems in no mood to slow down. Its latest phones, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and Note 5 Pro, seem similar on the first look but are very different devices. While the Note 5 adds ultra-wide screen along with enhanced camera on the back when compared with the Note 4, the Note 5 Pro is a new package with substantial upgrades.

The Note 5 and Note 5 Pro, launched on February 14, would go on sale today, exclusively on home-grown e-commerce platform Flipkart and Xiaomi’s Mi Store. As for the price and variants, the Redmi Note 5 comes in two storage and RAM combinations – 32GB/3GB and 64GB/4GB – priced at Rs 9,999 and Rs 11,999, respectively. The Redmi Note 5 Pro comes with 64GB internal storage but in two RAM variants – 4GB and 6GB – priced at Rs 13,999 and Rs 16,999, respectively.

Here is a quick comparison review of Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro:

On the front, the Note 5 and the Pro look similar: Both feature 18:9 screens. On the back, the Note 5 looks similar to the Note 4, but better. The Pro, on the other hand, looks like an iPhone X clone, without the all-glass build. But the vertical dual-camera set-up is a dead ringer.

The phones feel heavy but their tall stance make them easy to hold; but because of the ultra-wide display, one-handed operation is difficult.

Both phones sport 5.99-inch fullHD+ screens with 18:9 aspect ratios, covered with reflective Gorilla Glass, which hampers sunlight visibility. The screen, though an IPS unit, lacks both the maximum brightness level and vividness. But, the rounded corners of the screen look better than pointed edges, and the curved sides of the glass are easy to operate. There is no shift in colours when looked from angles and the slim side bezels leave enough space to hold the device without accidentally touching the screen area – something common in next-generation bezel-less smartphones.

ALSO READ: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro: A power performer let down by premium price tag

The Note 5 features a 12-megapixel (MP) primary camera and a 5MP selfie shooter; the Pro’s dual-camera set-up uses a 12MP sensor sourced from Sony in combination with a 5MP sensor sourced from Samsung.

The primary camera in the Note 5 is an improved unit over its predecessor. The 5MP front camera is on par with the predecessor in terms of performance.

But, the addition of LED flash on the front helps in low-light photography.

The dual cameras in the Pro take detailed shots. Unlike the Mi A1, another of Xiaomi’s budget dual-camera devices, the secondary camera in the Pro is not telephoto lens. Therefore, the 2x zooming capabilities are missing. On the positive side, the portrait mode is still there, powered by some sort of artificial intelligence.

The Note 5 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, similar to the predecessor, while the Pro features the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor. Both devices run Xiaomi’s Android Nougat-based MIUI 9 operating system, which offers a lot of scope for customisation.

The phones perform consistently with no signs of lag or stutter anywhere. The UI looks neat and the phones handle power-intensive apps without breaking sweat. They also keep the thermals in control while using power-intensive tasks for extended hours. Multitasking is enabled by default in MIUI 9 and it works well on the 5.99-inch screen. Call quality is satisfactory and network reception top-notch.

ALSO READ: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 review: 18:9 screen, better camera than Redmi Note 4

Both phones sport 4,000 mAh batteries, which last almost a day on full charge but streaming apps could drain batteries faster.

At Rs 16,999 for the 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage, the Redmi Note 5 Pro seems a little overpriced. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 5 is priced competitively at Rs 9,999 for the base model. Yet, the latter misses out on features that competitors are offering in this price segment.

The Redmi Note 5 Pro would have made more sense if it had been launched as the only successor to the Redmi Note 4 at the price of the Redmi Note 5. But, for Xiaomi enthusiasts, the phones have no downside and they are performers that tick almost all the right boxes.

GM raced ahead of peers, selling more vehicles as it exited India

In passenger cars, the firm even outpaced M&M by a huge margin; it has also consistently had a better market share than other foreign companies operating in India

US carmaker General Motors (GM) exited the India market in December last year, even the final lap, it raced ahead of some domestic and international peers in sales. Between April and December, 2017, GM sold 2,500 vehicles — more than what Force Motors, Mahindra Electric Mobility, Isuzu Motors managed to sell in the same period.

If one excludes the new marquee launch Jeep from Fiat, then it too trail behind GM, with only 1,738 vehicles sold in April-December, 2017. In FY17, it sold 4,706 vehicles.

At the time of its exit, GM had a 0.1 per cent share of the passenger vehicles segment of the Indian car market.

In the period under consideration, GM India sold 897 cars, more than what domestic major Mahindra and Mahindra sold (341). With its focus on electric vehicles, Mahindra Electric Mobility, maker of Reva, was also behind GM with 572 units sold in this period.

In May last year, GM said it will stop selling cars in India. Its manufacturing base in Talegaon, Maharashtra, would focus on exports. It has 96 dealers and 120 sales outlets in India. GM did not send any cars to wholesalers in January this year. A source said dealers would have an inventory of 70-80 of its cars.

GM ended FY17 with a market share of 0.8 per cent, having sold 25,823 units. In FY16, its market share was 1.1 per cent.

India was a loss-making market for the company; in FY17, its losses stood at nearly Rs 80 billion. The Detroit-headquartered company has decided to focus on profits and not sales, and has been exiting loss-making readers.

An industry insider said it was a smart move. “If volumes do not push margins, it is best to exit the market,” said a senior executive of a foreign carmaker in the country, adding that India has a huge potential for penetration by international automakers.

GM’s India market share has been consistently better than many of its peers. For example, Skoda had a market share of 0.45 per cent in FY17. Its market share has been around the 0.4-0.5 per cent in the past three years.

In the passenger cars segment, Fiat India, too, had a low market share of about 0.26 per cent in FY17, down from 0.41 per cent in FY16. Fiat banked on Jeep to take its sales up — it has worked for them. The company sold 13,139 Jeeps between April and December, 2017, boosting market share to 0.61 per cent.

“We launched Jeep Compass on July 31 last year. In only six months we have achieved significant sales. There are nearly 15,000 Jeep Compass SUVs on Indian roads,” said Kevin Flynn, president and managing director, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles India.

Japanese auto major Isuzu sold 1,941 units from April to December 2017, clocking a market share of 0.08 per cent in the passenger vehicles segment. Force Motors sold 1,910 units during the same period.

Top stock recos for today's trade: Buy Hero MotoCorp, Mastek & Force Motors

Nifty outlook and few trading ideas by Vaishali Parekh, Research Analyst - Technical Research at Prabhudas Lilladher:

Nifty outlook and few trading ideas by Vaishali Parekh, Research Analyst - Technical Research at Prabhudas Lilladher:

NIFTY VIEW

The day began with positive Global cues with Nifty surging towards 10,472 now to re-test the previous high of 104,90. The support for the day is seen at 10,400 while resistance is seen at 10,510.

FORCE MOTORS - BUY

CMP: Rs 3,302

STOP LOSS: Rs 2,600

TARGET: Rs 3,800

The stock after making a bottom at around 3000 levels & has been in a recovery mode also has maintained above the 34 WMA in the daily chart. With decent volume participation and RSI indicator on the rise, we anticipate the stock to move further upward towards 3800 level .

We recommend a buy in this stock for an upside target of 3800 keeping a stop loss of 2600.

HERO MOTO CORP - BUY

CMP: Rs 3701

STOP LOSS: Rs 3500

TARGET: Rs 3800

The stock has given a decent correction from the levels of 4084 to 3410 levels and from thereon has made a good recovery to reach till 3700 level. The RSI is on the rise and MACD indicator also is in the buy mode and along with other favorable indicators supporting, we recommend a buy in this stock for an upside target of 3800 keeping a stop loss of 3500.

MASTEK - BUY

CMP: Rs 397.75

STOP LOSS: Rs 370

TARGET: Rs 480

The stock has rallied with tremendous volume participation and with the positive indicators like RSI and MACD, we anticipate this stock to move further upwards to around 480 levels. We recommend a buy in this stock keeping a stop loss of 370 for an upside target of 480.

Disclaimer: The analyst may have positions in any or all the stocks mentioned above.