Microsoft Windows Phone to be free for phones and tablets under 9 inches

Microsoft Corp is to give away its Windows operating system to makers of smartphones and small tablets for consumers as it seeks to make more of an impact on those fast-growing markets and counter the massive success of Google Inc’s free Android platform.

Microsoft’s move, announced at its annual developers conference in San Francisco, is an attempt to broaden the small user base of mobile versions of Windows, in the hope that more customers will end up using Microsoft’s money-making, cloud-based services such as Skype and Office.

Up to now, Microsoft has charged phone and tablet makers between $5 and $15 per device to use its Windows system, as it has done successfully at higher prices for many years with Windows on personal computers. Hardware makers factor the cost of that into the sale price of each device.

That model has been obliterated in the past few years by the fast adoption of Google’s Android system for phones and tablets, which hardware makers quickly embraced and now accounts for more than 75 percent of all smartphones sold last year. Apple Inc’s iPhone and iPad account for most of the rest of the mobile computing market.
By contrast, Windows-powered phones held only 3 percent of the global smartphone market last year. Windows tablets have only about 2 percent of the tablet market, according to tech research firm Gartner.

FREE MONEY 

Microsoft’s move to make Windows free for some consumer devices bucks a central tenet of Bill Gates’ original philosophy, that software should be paid for, which led to Microsoft’s massive financial success over the last four decades. But analysts said it is a realistic reaction to the runaway success of free Android.
“Microsoft is facing challenges on the mobile and tablet fronts and need to change their strategy to move the growth needle, this is a good and logical first step,” said Daniel Ives, an analyst at FBR Capital Markets.
Windows will be free for companies making phones and tablets with screen sizes under nine inches (23 cm) for the consumer market. A license fee will still apply for business devices.
It comes a week after new Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella unveiled new versions of Word, PowerPoint and Excel applications for Apple Inc’s iPad. A year’s free subscription to Microsoft’s cloud-based Office 365 service will be offered on the new devices running the free Windows, Microsoft said.
Both moves show that Microsoft is now more interested in gaining market share for its cloud-based services such as Office on any platform or device, rather than its traditional approach of putting Windows at the center of everything it does and extending its influence from there.

In the new era of mobile computing, Nadella acknowledged Microsoft’s underdog status.

“We are going to innovate with a challenger mindset,” said Nadella in a question and answer session at the developer conference. “We are not coming at this as some incumbent trying to do the next version of Windows, we are going to come at this by innovating in every dimension.”
Nadella did not have a snappy answer to the question of what Microsoft’s overarching mission now was, after it had achieved its original goal of putting a computer on every desk and in every home. Instead he elaborated on remarks he made last week about the importance of mobile devices as everything we do becomes digitized and connected to the internet.
“Our vision, simply put, is to thrive in this world of mobile first, cloud first,” said Nadella. “Our goal is to really build platforms, create the best end-user experiences, the best developer opportunities and IT infrastructure for this ubiquitous computing world.”

Arctic melt season lengthening, ocean rapidly warming: Study

Washington: The length of the melt season for Arctic sea ice is increasing by several days each decade, and an earlier start to the melt season is allowing the Arctic Ocean to absorb enough additional solar radiation in some places to melt as much as four feet of the Arctic ice cap's thickness.

Julienne Stroeve, a senior scientist at NSIDC, Boulder and lead author of the new study, said that the Arctic is warming and this is causing the melt season to last longer.

She said that the lengthening of the melt season is allowing for more of the sun's energy to get stored in the ocean and increase ice melt during the summer, overall weakening the sea ice cover.

To study the evolution of sea ice melt onset and freeze-up dates from 1979 to the present day, Stroeve's team used passive microwave data from NASA's Nimbus-7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer, and the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager and the Special Sensor Microwave Imager and Sounder carried onboard Defense Meteorological Satellite Program spacecraft.

Results show that although the melt season is lengthening at both ends, with an earlier melt onset in the spring and a later freeze-up in the fall, the predominant phenomenon extending the melting is the later start of the freeze season.

Some areas, such as the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, are freezing up between six and 11 days later per decade. But while melt onset variations are smaller, the timing of the beginning of the melt season has a larger impact on the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the ocean, because its timing coincides with when the sun is higher and brighter in the Arctic sky.

The Three Levels Of Consciousness

The three levels of consciousness are the sub-consciousness state, consciousness state and the super-consciousness state. A Self-realised master is in the state of super-consciousness: The doors are open. Swami Kriyananda would say, “I felt as though I had on a miner’s hat with the light beaming through, illuminating the world. Everything looked so much brighter because the higher centres were opening up.” Swamiji composed a great deal of music, especially toward the end of his life. “I always hear music. I write down only a small fraction of what I hear.” It was almost as though the music came, drawn down, from the celestial music of the spheres.

In contrast, the state of sub-consciousness is riddled with the past, with biases, memories, beliefs, anxiety, anger, attachment, fear and karma. To overcome these, meditation can play a pivotal role as it takes you toward your higher Self. And once you get a taste of that higher Self, you seek more of it.

The state of consciousness is strapped by limitations for it is problem-oriented. Can we anticipate problems before they happen? We could, through dedicated meditation. You need patience to be able to perceive or anticipate problems, but don’t fall into the trap of identifying the problem as the situation. The super-consciousness is solution-oriented. In that state, you realise that there are no such things as problems; only opportunities! You recognise that life is nothing but energy.

It is possible for you and i to have super-consciousness experience. Just open the window and let the energy flow. To be there always, is to be in samadhi, when intuition is at its peak. It is the soul’s power of knowing. Swami Yukteshwar said become aware that your soul has a body and it is not the body that has a soul. However, all human beings suffer amnesia – we forget who we really are! In his recording titled ‘Secrets of Love,’ Swamiji sang, “Love is the memory of a lost joy.’

The ever-active conscious mind is never still; it is the monkey-mind, hopping and jumping from one thought to another. In such an agitated state, the conscious mind is unable to communicate with the soul. Therefore we need to quiet the conscious mind. When we don’t discipline the body, we falter. We might even fall ill. The mind, too, needs discipline. To achieve stillness of thought, feelings and breath, practise meditation. Paramhansa Yogananda said, where motion ceases, God begins.

First, still the body; then still the breath (watch it) and finally, still the mind. When the lake is still, it reflects the full moon. When the waters are agitated, the image is blurred or not visible. Why be constantly in motion? Is there such a thing as a perpetual motion machine? Why abuse our minds with so much sensory overload? At the touch of a button you are flooded with information. However, ‘not every search can be satisfied by Google!’ You need to seek within.

Your view from the sub-consciousness level is extremely limited, and hence is narrow. At the consciousness level, your perception of the world improves to a limited extent but once you attain to the state of super-consciousness, you get a 360 degree view where all the parts come together – you feel the interconnectedness, the music, and ideas flow freely and creativity is at its peak. (As heard by Narayani Ganesh). Shivani Lucki is executive producer of the film, ‘Finding Happiness’ due to release in 13 city theatres across India on April 25.

AAP finding ways to join BJP: Baba Ramdev

Chandigarh: Yoga guru Ramdev on Thursday claimed that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has lost public support and the Arvind Kejriwal led party was now finding ways to join hands with the BJP.

"They (AAP) are keen to join hands with BJP, their situation is shaky and they have lost the public support," Ramdev said addressing a press conference here.

Highlighting the role he is playing in enabling Narendra Modi become the country's next Prime Minister, Ramdev claimed that even AAP was keen on joining hands with BJP.

"If he (Arvind Kejriwal) comes in favour of Modi, definitely, I am prepared to mediate," he said when asked if he will mediate in case AAP or Kejriwal shows inclination to join hands with BJP.

Ramdev said he had earlier backed former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on the issue of war against corruption as the AAP leader had set out to cleanse the system, but he regretted that now he has "lost his way".

"But he deflected from his mission. Kejriwal raised issues, which Modi raises and for this I had given him the blessings. Now, I am advising him (Kejriwal) that don't make excuses, don't become a puppet in the hands of the Congress...," he said.

Slamming the AAP, Ramdev said "till today AAP's ideology, policies and their principles are not clear."

"They are themselves confused whether they are Rightist, Leftist or Communist, nationalist or opportunist, what they are, they are not clear. We don't know what their economic policies are, what are their views on foreign policy, agriculture policy, they are not getting time to think on this, as their single agenda is to finish Modi," he said.

He said the poor people who had thought that Kejriwal will be their messiah for them and now they have been let down.

Ramdev said that the anti-national forces and terrorist elements do not want Modi to capture power.

"A fear psychosis is being created that if Modi will come, communal riots will break out in the country. They keep on raking the Gujarat riots issue, which were not engineered by Modi as is being told by some people," he said.

He said the Congress and some other parties were trying their level best to stop the Gujarat Chief Minister from becoming the next Prime Minister, "but the more they oppose him, the stronger he is emerging".

Making it clear that he had not joined the BJP and was only lending support to Modi and his party on certain issues, Ramdev said that people have lost faith in the Congress and were eager to give the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate one chance.

"Among all the people, only Modi ji has shown us a ray of hope. I have offered everything, my organisation, my resources, everything at my disposal to see Modi becomes the next PM.

"The critical question at this juncture is to save the country from corruption, inflation, bad governance, poverty and unemployment, this is my rashtra-dharma as it should be for any patriotic person," he said.

Ramdev said despite being a non-political personality, he had received a number of threats from different people to stop his campaign against the Congress, "but I told them that for me country comes first and I don't care for my life".

Slamming the Congress candidate from Chandigarh and former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, he said the "corruption taint" on him has not been washed no matter what he says in his defence.

"He remains a blot on Chandigarh's face, as far as the politics is concerned," he said.

Ramdev, who was here to support BJP candidate Kirron Kher, claimed that a "Modi wave" was blowing across the country and Congress would barely be able to get just 50 seats in the country in the Lok Sabha polls while the "NDA would touch 300 mark".

"Today, the country under the Congress rule is passing through a phase of crises. The situation is worse than what was prevailing even at the time of the British rule," he said.

Kirron Kher, who was also present in the press conference along with Chandigarh BJP president Sanjay Tandon and former BJP MP from here Satya Pal Jain, alleged that Congress has always pursued the "divide and rule policy" for petty political gains.

"The country needs a strong and decisive leadership, which Modi ji can provide," she said.

20 Calcium Rich Fruits.

Image: shutterstock

We know that calcium is essential for good health and overall development. But do you know that your regular diet generally lacks the required amount of this vital nutrient?

Calcium is one of the basic and quintessential minerals that is required for the growth, support, and development of healthy bones, muscles, and teeth. This mineral also plays important roles in triggering the secretion and maintenance of various hormones in the body. It is required for the synthesis of assorted enzymes. Plus, studies suggest that calcium, along with vitamin D3, is very essential for those who are on a weight loss regimen. Inadequate levels of calcium leads to various health conditions, osteoporosis and rickets being the most prominent ones.

Apart from dairy sources, green leaves, veggies, and assorted grains also yield calcium. Many fruits are a storehouse of this essential mineral too. Here is a list of calcium rich fruits you could try including in your diet to get sufficient amounts of calcium into your body.

1. Roselle:

This tops the list of calcium rich fruits with a 100 gram yielding 215 mg calcium, serving 21.%5 of the recommended daily value.

2. Dried Figs:

Dried uncooked figs give you a whopping 162 mg calcium, easily qualifying as the best fruit source of calcium. Figs are low in calories, with 100 g fresh figs providing only 74 calories, making them the perfect choice for those who are on the flab to fab regimen. Plus, you can reap the goodness of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and assorted antioxidants too.

3. Rhubarb:

Frozen, uncooked version of 100 grams of this fruit gives you 194 mg of this essential mineral. Pick 86 mg of the mineral from 100 grams of this raw fruit. A low calorie fruit, rhubarb fulfils 13% of your daily vitamin C requirement. Packed with 7% dietary fibers, this is a good choice, especially if you are diabetic or are on a weight loss regimen.

4. Olives:

While you get 88 mg calcium from 100 g small olives, the same quantity of jumbo ones yield 94 mg. Plus, olives are excellent sources of iron rendering about 18% of RDA. You also get 12% of recommended dietary fiber from the above mentioned quantity of this fruit.

5. Zante Currants:

This is rich in calories with 100 grams giving 283 calories. Yet it tops the list of calcium abundant fruits with 89 mg. It is also one of the richest fruit sources of potassium with this quantity giving 892 mg.

Opt for the dried jujubes to get about 8% of the recommended daily value of calcium, which means 100 grams of the dried version of these fruits give you 79 mg calcium. It is also a good source of other minerals, including iron and magnesium, with each meeting 9% of the daily values. Jujubes – the dried ones – are also good sources of vitamin C, reaping 21% of RDA.

7. Tamarind:

This is widely used as a spice in India, rather than being eaten as a fruit. But it is a fruit that offers you quite a good dose of calcium. To be precise, 74 mg from 100 grams, meeting 7.4% of the recommended value. Plus you get 628 mg of potassium along with 20% of recommended daily value of dietary fiber.

8. Prunes:

Prunes are excellent energy rendering dried fruits, with 100 mg yielding 241 calories. A good natural source of dietary fiber, these fruits contain sodium in low levels. Dehydrated low moisture prunes give you 72 mg calcium, while the moisture-rich version yields 43 mg only.

9. Dates:

Dried Medjool dates are a wonderful source of this bone strengthening mineral along with being a potential powerhouse of energy. A 100 g serving of this Medjool variant gives you about 64 mg, making it to 6% of the daily recommended dose. You also get about 39 mg calcium per 100 grams of the Deglet Noor variant of dates.

10. Kumquats:

A rich treat for the palette, these fruits offer you vitamin A and C, two essential vitamins with intense antioxidant powers, in admirable quantities. Plus, you get about 62 mg calcium from 100 g of this fruit.

11. Apricots:

Dehydrated apricots are a better sources of calcium when compared to the fresh and dried ones, with about 61 mg obtained from 100 g. The fresh ones give you 13 mg while dried ones are still better with a decent 55 mg.

12. Prickly Pears:

Get 58 mg of this bone and teeth strengthening mineral from 100 gram of this exotic fruit. Also known as red tunas, these fruits are known to safeguard you from various health conditions, including osteoporosis, hypertension, assorted cancer types, diabetes, stroke, and cardiovascular disorders. Being low in calories, this can be adopted by the weight conscious group to reap the calcium benefits.

13. European Black Currants:

Also known as the quincy berries, these are god sources of vitamin A as well as antioxidants and flavanoids. A 100 g of these berries provide about 20% RDA of iron, while giving you 55 mg calcium. These fresh currants are also a good source of other essential minerals, including potassium, manganese, and magnesium, all which are helpful in improving the rate of metabolism.

14. Raisins:

While seedless golden raisins give you 53 mg calcium per 100 grams, the other seedless variant is equally good with a 50 mg yield. The seeded variant gives you much less, 28 mg per 100 grams, to be precise.

15. Oranges:

While Navel and Florida oranges give you 43 mg of the RDA, other oranges give about 40 mg. Plus, these orange skinned tangy-sweet fruits are powerful sources of Vitamin C. Free from cholesterol, sugar and fats, 100 grams of oranges render you 47 calories. No wonder they are among the popular options for calcium.

16. Custard Apple:

Also known as the Bullock’s Heart, the fleshy fruit with distinct black seeds contain about 40 mg calcium in 100 grams. A calorie laden fruit, the presence of calcium makes it a good choice for pregnant and lactating women.

18. Pineapples:

Choose the frozen, undiluted concentrate version of pineapples to get a good amount of calcium. Make sure your concentrate is free of sugar too. However, the fresh pineapple slices give you just 13 mg. So, if you love pineapples and want to include it as a source of calcium in your diet, then try to get old of its concentrated form which gives you 39 mg of this essential nutrient.

19. Kiwi:

A refreshing tropical fruit, Kiwi is also known as Chinese gooseberry. A rejuvenating fruit, Kiwi provides 34 mg of calcium per 100g serving. However, the Golden Kiwi gives you just 20 mg calcium for a 100 gram serving. Both the version give you about 60 calories per 100 grams.

20. Litchi:

While fresh litchis do not make it to this top 20 list of calcium abundant fruits, dried ones do have a place here. Despite being loaded with 277 calories per 100 grams, dried litchis give you 33 mg calcium. The dried ones are also excellent sources of dietary fiber, satisfying 18% of the daily value. Not to talk about vitamin C. You get 305% of the RDA. That is definitely a great reason to munch on some dried litchis, isn’t it?

Other fruits Sources of Calcium:

Here are few more fruits, in their fresh, dried, or frozen forms, that you could consume to get calcium: [Calcium up to 25 mg per 100 g]

Fruits	Calcium in mg
Raw Mulberries	39
Raw Elderberries	38
Dehydrated Uncooked Low Moisture Peaches	38
Raw Muscadine Grapes	34
Dried Uncooked Pears	34
Raw Lime	33
Raw Red Currant	33
Raw White Currant	33
Raw Clementine	30
Raw Blackberries	29
Frozen Unsweetened Blackberries	29
Dried Uncooked Peaches	28
Raw Native Persimmons	27
Raw Lemons, Unpeeled	26
Raw Raspberries	25
Raw Gooseberries	25

Why Exactly do you Need Calcium?

We all know about the importance of calcium when it comes to bones and teeth. However, there are many other benefits that can be derived from calcium:

1. To Keep Cardiovascular Diseases Away:

An escalated level of blood pressure is bound to be the major trigger of various conditions affecting your heart and nervous system. Calcium, along with potassium, can help you to keep you blood pressure levels under control. A healthy dose of calcium safeguards you from these major dreaded health risks.

2. Helps You Lose Fat:

The slimming effects on calcium is gaining more prominence, and it’s very essential especially if women are looking to get washboard abs. However, if you are not keen on gulping down your milk, then the fruits mentioned above could be your way to add calcium. Along with helping in burning fat, calcium also makes sure that excess fat is not stored up.

3. Safeguards from Osteoporosis:

By developing and maintaining your bone density, this mineral plays a major role in minimizing osteoporosis risk and safeguards your bones from turning fragile and brittle.

4. Eases Pre-menopausal Syndrome:

Deficiency in calcium is known to trigger PMS issues. So, make sure that you stick to the required levels to have a smooth pre-menopausal stage.

5. Regulates your Menstrual Cycle:

Studies have found that women who have a calcium deficient diet are prone to irregular periods. There have been countless cases where women settled back into regular cycles after they were put on calcium and vitamin D3 tablets.

6. Combats Cancer:

Studies reveal that inclusion of this mineral in adequate amounts is known to ward off different types of cancer, including breast, ovarian, and, colorectal cancer.

7. Helps in Blood Clotting:

Calcium also helps in blood clotting and prevents excessive loss of blood from wounds. It also ensures faster healing.

In short, calcium benefits you in many ways. The best part is that you do not have to stick to a glass of milk to get calcium. Try these calcium rich fruits and get a yummy dose of calcium!

Did you find this article helpful? Do share your views with us in the comments section below!

22 Benefits of Drinking Water

22 Benefits of Drinking Water

Purifies the colon making it easier to absorb nutrients.

Increases the production of new blood cells. Water makes up 83% of your blood.

Cushions the joints.

Carries nutrients and oxygen to your cells.

Regulates body temperature.

Helps with weight loss. Drink at least 8 ounces of water before a meal to cut your appetite.

Increases performance during exercises.

Balances the lymph system which fights infection and balances bodily fluids.

Relieves fatigue.

Moistens oxygen making it easier to breathe.

Increases the production of new muscle cells. Water makes up 75% of your muscles.

Reduces the risk of cancer.

Boosts metabolism. Drinking at least 16 ounces of chilled water in the morning can boost your metabolism by 24%.

Helps convert food into energy.

Improves your mood.

Keeps your brain healthy. Water makes up 75% of your brain.

Ferries waste and toxins out of the body.

Helps prevent bone breaks. Water makes up 22% of your bones.

Aids the body in absorbing nutrients.

Improves productivity at work.

Cuts down on aches and pains. If your back is aching, drink more water.

Makes you look younger and healthier.