AT&T Will Start Its Mobile 5G Network In The US On December 21

by MUKUND KRISHNA KUMARDECEMBER 19, 2018

2018 has not yet come to a close and the 5G race is already on! Despite 4G not strengthening its roots in most of the countries, many smartphone manufacturers and telecom companies are jumping on to the next big thing in connectivity. AT&T, one of America’s leading telecom operators, is starting its 5G mobile network this week and this marks the start of a new era.

The service will start on the 21st of December and the 5G network will be made public in 12 cities across the US. These include a ‘first batch’ of cities which are Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Louisville, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, San Antonio and Waco, Texas. The first batch title indicates that the rollout will spread to more cities soon. Additionally, AT&T has announced that it will have two Samsung 5G phones next as well, with the first one launching in the early parts of 2019. The company also has offers lined up for early adopters of the latest technology. They are offering free hotspot and data for select consumers and users for at least 90 days. [ReadMore]

Three reasons Wikipedia needs libraries, and vice-versa

by:Merrilee Proffitt




We have a pretty good idea of what it means to be a librarian or library worker. We know what the values, talents, and goals are for many in our profession. On the other hand, what does it mean to call yourself a “Wikipedian?” Is it just an interest? Or do you need to reach certain milestones? If we’re going to examine the intersection of both institutions, it would help to know.
In the broadest sense, someone is a Wikipedian if they contribute. The more you contribute, the better, of course. But even adding a few citations or making one important correction qualifies you. And that openness, that ideal of collaborative creation and curation is what, I think, really makes these two communities natural allies.
Wikipedians and librarians share similar passions and purposes. Working together, we create a better and stronger Wikipedia with more visibility for library resources. And there are three ways that our communities reflect each other in the work we do.
[ReadMore]

eSIM Technology Explained : Why Do More Phones Not Have It?

As the name suggests, eSIM is an electronic SIM card. An eSIM replaces the need for a physical SIM card that has been a part of our phones for ages. There are several reasons for the SIM cards to face the axe but we will talk about those later. The eSIM was introduced out of need, more than out of want. Samsung was working on a smartwatch that would allow a person to remotely connect to cellphone carriers without the need for a phone. Samsung’s Gear S2 smartwatch was the first device to use the eSIM. With the launch of Apple XS and XR, eSIM has now become a widely known technology.

[ReadMore]

Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, ZTE And OnePlus Making 5G Smartphones Using Qualcomm Platform

In line with the industry’s move towards 5G, a plethora of Chinese smartphone makers Thursday announced their plans to develop 5G smartphones. Brands like Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, ZTE and Xiaomi are already started developing 5G smartphones using Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 855 Mobile platform.

This announcement came from Qualcomm at its annual Snapdragon Technology Summit where the San Diego headquartered technology firm also unveiled its 5G mobile platform.

“China Mobile Communication Group Device Co and leading Chinese OEMs, including Xiaomi, OnePlus, OPPO, Vivo and ZTE, are developing 5G mobile devices featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform using the Snapdragon X50 5G NR modem family,” Qualcomm said in a statement.

[Read more]

Institution’s Innovation Council

Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Govt. of India has established ‘MHRD’s Innovation Cell (MIC)’ to systematically foster the culture of Innovation amongst all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The primary mandate of MIC is to encourage, inspire and nurture young students by supporting them to work with new ideas and transform them into prototypes while they are informative years.

MIC has envisioned encouraging creation of ‘Institution’s Innovation Council (IICs)’ across selected HEIs. A network of these IICs will be established to promote innovation in the Institution through multitudinous modes leading to an innovation promotion eco-system in the campuses.

Major focus of IIC

• To create a vibrant local innovation ecosystem.
• Start-up supporting Mechanism in HEIs.
• Prepare institute for Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements Framework.
• Establish Function Ecosystem for Scouting Ideas and Pre-incubation of Ideas.
• Develop better Cognitive Ability for Technology Students.

[Read more]

UGC's Anti-Plagiarism Rules Don't Make Room for Realities of Indian Academia

It is difficult to imagine that people in positions of power and with strong political connections will be caught and penalised for plagiarism.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) recently approved the UGC (Promotion of Academic Integrity and Prevention of Plagiarism in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2018. These regulations are dedicated to addressing plagiarism by students, researchers and faculty at India’s universities and colleges.

Plagiarism is, along with publishing in fake journals and fabrication and falsification of research, among the major offences committed by academics worldwide. Other lesser known, though common, offences include the practice of adding an author’s name to a paper when she has not contributed to the research, not acknowledging conflicts of interest and general sloppiness in conducting research.

In many countries and certainly at the better universities across the world, there are regulations and strong mechanisms in place to detect and punish offenders. Still, academic fraud of one kind or another takes place everywhere. [Read More]

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HRD ministry tightens rules against plagiarism, guilty can lose registration, job

 Updated: Jun 25, 2018 14:50 IST

Neelam Pandey 
Hindustan Times, New Delhi

The move is part of the ministry’s effort to improve the quality of education and research in universities and institutes of higher learning.

One of the main objectives of UGC’s anti-plagiarism regulations is to create awareness about responsible conduct of research in promotion of academic integrity and prevent misconduct.(Shutterstock).

The human resource development ministry has signed off on the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) rules regarding plagiarism, which say that student researchers who are guilty of plagiarism could lose their registration and teachers, their jobs, and will likely notify these on Monday, according to a senior official. [Source Site]

EPFO members can withdraw 75% funds after 30 days of job loss

PTI | Updated: Jun 26, 2018, 19:35 IST

HIGHLIGHTS

• EPFO members can also withdraw remaining 25 per cent of their funds after completion of two months of unemployment
• At present, the members can withdraw the funds after two months of unemployment and settle the account in one go. [Source Site]

‘Find My Device’ lets you locate and control a lost or stolen phone or tablet from another Android device

Google has updated their awesome “Android Device Manager” app and given it a new name.

It’s now called the more intuitive Find My Device, and it works even better than ever.

In a nutshell, this fantastic app helps you locate and control a lost or stolen Android phone or tablet using another Android device.

With all the personal information that’s stored on smart phones these days, it makes sense to do whatever we can to keep that data out of the hands of would-be scammers and identity thieves.

This app is a great tool for accomplishing that if your Android device ever gets lost or stolen.

Find My Device lets you use another Android device to: 

1 – Locate a lost or stolen Android device on a map

2 – Remotely change the device’s lock code to prevent a thief from using it or accessing the information stored on it

3 – Remotely erase all the user data stored in the device’s memory

There are two prerequisites for using the app to locate and control a missing device:

1 – The missing device must be associated with a Google account that you control.

2 – It must also be turned on and connected to the Internet via 3G/4G or Wi-Fi.

You can download Find My Device for free from the Google Play Store.

Bottom line: If you lose your smartphone or other Android Device, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to find it again. But this awesome app will give you the best chance possible! [Source Site/Read More]

Atlantic Ocean current slows down to the record low in 1,000 years; Scientists blame global warmingAtlantic Ocean current slows down to the record low in 1,000 years; Scientists blame global warming.

The second largest ocean in the world, Atlantic Ocean is slowing down, its water current is slowing down to be specific. Atlantic Ocean current is the exchange of warm water from the north and the cold water from the south that regulates the global climate and flux of heat which is why it is often referred as a conveyor belt of the ocean. But recent studies suggest that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) which is the actual term for Atlantic Ocean current, is slowing down. In fact, it is presently at its lowest tip in last 1,000 years. There are two approaches made by researchers that can explain the slowed down pace of the water current linking to the climate change.

According to Jon Robson, one of the study’s authors and a researcher at the University of Reading states that following the historical data available with respect to the AMOC, the last 100 years reported the lowest point when compared to the last few thousand years. This has triggered the scientists to study it further. Current stats were released by two new research papers both published in journal Nature where both take a different approach to explain how and what took place behind the slowing down of AMOC over the past 150-odd years.
 [Read More]

World Water Day: A positive message amidst a daunting global crisis

As several parts of the world desperately strive to offset the impact of water scarcity, Sanjeev Chadha, Chairman – PepsiCo (AMENA) urges us to believe in the power of simple solutions towards tackling a common disaster.

In 1995, former World Bank Vice-President Ismail Serageldin had famously claimed that ‘the wars of the next century will be fought over water’ – a statement that has been quoted often since.

As global population grows, there is an increasing need to balance our consolidated demand on water resources, so that every individual has enough to survive. And if the ongoing emergency at Cape Town has taught us anything, it is that the freshwater crisis is no longer restricted to far-flung countries and barren landscapes. It’s real, it’s happening, and it’s often far closer than we think.

The situation is dire; especially as increased industry proliferation is matching agricultural demands and depleting underground levels beyond repair. According to a 2012 World Bank report, at least 21 Indian cities are moving towards zero ground water level by 2020, if drastic measures aren’t taken up.

The crisis needs a comprehensive solution—one that involves not just common people, but also governments, environmental agencies, farming communities, and industries. More importantly, the solution need not always be a complex one. In fact, in most cases, it’s the smart and simple ones that have the most powerful impact, believes Sanjeev Chadha, Chairman – PepsiCo, Asia, Middle East, and Africa.

In 2009, PepsiCo became the first business to achieve ‘Positive Water Balance’ in the beverage world. The company, in 2016, saved over 21 billion litres through its two-pronged approach: firstly, by focusing on intensive water conservation and recharge efforts both within the plants and with communities around, covering better agricultural practices like direct seeding of rice & drip irrigation; community water recharging initiatives, and secondly, by reducing the consumption of water in its manufacturing facilities using innovative technologies like Zero Liquid Discharge, Membrane Bioreactors and practicing rooftop rain water harvesting.

This World Water Day, 2018, let’s all strive towards finding our own simple and smart solutions towards tackling this global crisis. [source site]

Google Maps gets Plus codes in India, voice navigation in six new Indian languages

Google Maps in India is getting Plus codes and other new features in order to make address search simpler across the country. Google Maps will also support voice navigation search in six additional Indian languages.

Google Maps in India is getting Plus codes and other new features in order to make address search simpler across the country. Google Maps will also support voice navigation search in six additional Indian languages — Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam — on the Android app.

[Read More]