#CarryYourCool With Lenovo YOGA...

What?
Launch of the next generation of YOGA, line of 2-in-1 laptops for students.

When?
Tuesday, June 9.

Where?
The Oberoi, New Delhi.

Last week, I had the privilege and pleasure of attending two tech launches, in a single day. Back-to-back.

One was about my favorite pass time and the Media Invite to the launch of revolutionary products in the digital imaging industry by Canon, and the other, another Media Invite to the launch of the Second Gen Laptop cum Tablets by Lenovo.

Lenovo stands as an  in-house preference, as I myself work on a Lenovo G series.

When I had blogged about Lenovo YOGA, incorporating technology and creative writing in the past, the time that they had just begun, I found the YOGA, as a Tablet, to be quite innovative indeed.

According to me, YOGA's flexibility and mobility are the ones to be envied. YOGA has always focused on user-centric design and that is what makes it appeal to me.

I had the good fortune of listening to Mr. Shailendra Katyal, Director, Home and Small Business, Lenovo India, and understanding the brand concept behind YOGA, who had the following to say:

"Globally we are the leaders in the consumer convertible PC space. We achieved this by constantly innovating and stretching the boundaries of what a PC stands for. The YOGA franchise the representation of this consumer-centric design and engineering. We are happy to make the YOGA franchise, through this new line of products, accessible to a much wider audience."

Since the YOGA is powered by Intel, Mr. Sandeep Aurora, Director, Marketing and Market Development, Intel South Asia, also commented:

"The rise of new personal computing experiences, intelligent and connected devices are redefining the relationship between consumers and technology. Our goal with Intel technology is to help solve real problems and enable experiences that are truly desired by people and businesses. We are extremely proud of our collaboration with Lenovo and are confident that the new YOGA series 2 in 1s powered by the Intel Processors will allow consumers to get the best of both worlds with a razor-thin laptop and ultra-fast tablet in one allowing users to easily switch back and forth from productive tasks to immersive entertainment in a flash."

I personally feel that the versatile convertibility of the YOGA allows room for adaptability, hence broadening the horizon of what 'more' could be done with the device in hand.

Tilt Like The YOGA 300

We were introduced to four key products in the new series.

• YOGA 300 
• YOGA 500 
• YOGA 3 14" 
• YOGA 3 Pro  

The YOGA 300, priced at ₹30,490, boasts of the following powerful specs:

• Multi-mode doubling up as a Windows tablet 
• 360 degrees of flexibility 
• 4 innovative modes - laptop, stand, tent, tablet 
• 11.6" HD display with 10-point multi-touch for a vivid visual experience 
• Intel Baytrail Processor 
• Pre-loaded with Microsoft 365 

Rotate A Little! :) 

The YOGA 500, priced at ₹57,990, on the other hand, matches up and even surpasses, gracefully. 

• Multi-mode gaming powerhouse 
• 360 degrees of flexibility 
• 4 innovative modes - laptop, stand, tent, tablet 
• 14" FHD IPS wide-view display with 10-point multi-touch 
• Intel 5th Gen Core i7 
• Integrated Intel HD or up to Nvidia GeForce 940M, backlit Accutype Keyboard 
• Pre-loaded with Microsoft 365 
• 1 Year Onsite Warranty, with optional 2 years additional warranty free, as a part of Back To College 

#CarryYourCool

The YOGA 3 14", touted to be the ultimate travel companion and the YOGA 3 Pro, designed to be one of the slimmest convertibles in the market, priced at ₹86,990 and ₹1,14,990 respectively complete the extended YOGA franchise that is now available in India. 

As goes for the availability, all the four models will be available at Lenovo Exclusive Stores and the Online Do Store. 

Like-Minded Travelers At The #HIQTravellerMeetup

~~~ 

I spotted my favorite travel community @HolidayIQ tweeting about the #HIQTravellerMeetup - Bangalore Edition this evening.

Their tweets prompted me to reminisce the splendid execution of the Delhi Edition, which was held in April, and to which I had been invited exclusively. 

It was a pepped-up afternoon spent well, with like-minded globe-trotters, over anecdotes of  travel and some innovative gastronomic delights, courtesy Yauatcha, Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj. 

I will let this post be a photo-story of sorts and thus let the images do the talking. :) 

That's the first click of the day, proclaiming to us, the location of our venue in the mall's premises. 

One dim sum heaven, this! ;) 

See? The place had been all decked up! 

Listening, with rapt attention to the ideology behind the concept of HolidayIQ and the perspective of #HIQTravellerMeetup's on a pan-India basis. 

In between little chit-chats, I witnessed so many sumptuous avatars of the humble dim sum. 

Be prepared for some serious awe and drools, thanks to Chef Yap at Yauatcha. 

Spot him grinning at the ingeniosity of his culinary masterpieces. :D 

Now, for the Yauatcha trail... 

There we go, with the gastronomic delights! ;) :D 

And, a little surprise... 

The Chinese Kettle adorned as the center of attention! 

I would like to sum this post up with a token of thanks for these beautiful snaps which have been captured by the ace photographer at HolidayIQ. 

Featuring Yours Truly. 

One... 

Peek A Boo! :) 

Two... 

Group-fie Fever! :) 

 ~~~ 

The entire Travel-savvy Radical in a single frame! :) 

And, before we bid adieu, 

We were given some memorabilia. :) 

There, you go! 

#ComeCloser to Radiance...

We are in the habit of taking our skin and its care for granted. We wash our face with soap or face wash and feel assured that once this is done, our skin will remain bacteria-free. But, that is not true.

Nature has blessed us with soft, radiant, and supple skin, by birth which remains so, for a few years, and hence in our childhood days, we don't develop the habit of practicing any special techniques to care for our skin. But the fact is that the skin needs constant care.

• The first and foremost need of our skin is hydration. To retain the suppleness of our skin, we need to drink lots of water. If lemon and honey are added to it, it would be like icing on the cake, as honey retains moisture for a longer time. 

• The next important need is exfoliation of the skin's layers to remove dead cells, which keep on accumulating and restricts the skin from breathing properly. For this, natural scrubbers are the best choice. Take two tablespoons of coarse gram flour (बेसन), add fresh malai and a bit of turmeric to it. Mix it well and massage it on your face, while scrubbing softly, in rotatory motion. The coarseness of gram flour removes dead cells, turmeric exhibits its antiseptic properties to remove bacteria and dust, and malai keeps the skin smooth and soft. The result is glowing, radiant skin, ready to breathe. 

• Another important care is to protect the skin from harsh ultraviolet rays, when we step out, especially in the scorching sun. Instead of applying sunscreens available in the market and confusing ourselves as to which SPF would be safe for our respective skin type, nature itself has provided us with an effective remedy. Tomato contains lycopene, which acts as a natural sunscreen. Just take red tomato pulp and apply it gently on the skin. Let it settle for a few minutes and wash it off. Lo and behold, you are ready to face the SUN and its harshness. 

• As we age, we tend to become a bit careless towards our skin-care regime. But still, wrinkles pose a grave threat which needs to be dealt with, effectively. In this case also, fresh tomato pulp helps, with its anti-oxidant properties. 

It is always better not to rely on products with various harsh chemicals as constituents but on our age-old natural kitchen remedies. Vicco, which also agrees with the same ideology, have been making natural products since long, incorporating sandalwood and turmeric. Their flagship product VICCO Turmeric Cream has been ruling our television sets since the past few weeks and their jingle which claims that their products are not cosmetic, but Ayurvedic has touched our hearts too.

My friends and I had been using Vicco's products when they were in their prime. Hence, I am glad that they have made a pleasant comeback to safeguard today's generation and their skin from chemically manufactured products.

Canon And Their Delightful New DSLRs!

What?
Canon's Launch of Full-frame DSLR Cameras.

When?
Tuesday, June 9.

Where?
Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi.

Canon India Pvt. Ltd. claims to revolutionize the digital imaging industry with the introduction of deFINEd full-frame DSLR cameras - EOS 5DS and EOS 5DSR.

Canon, as a pioneer in the imaging industry, aims to provide photographers with unmatched image quality through their new EOS range. These would be best suited for commercial, studio, portrait, landscape and architectural photography. The ultra-high resolution of these cameras allows for large-format printing and extensive cropping capability while maintaining fantastic image quality.

We were also introduced to the XC10 4K Professional Video Camera, which features a versatile design for convenient 4K Video shooting and 12 MP digital still photography.

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Kazutada Kobayashi, President and CEO, Canon India stated:

"India is an important market for us. We as a digital imaging leader in the region are committed to bringing innovation and advancement to the table. Canon's vision has always been to give the industry newer experiences of creating high-quality imaging, both in photography and videography.

Understanding the rapidly changing and ever increasing requirements of the imaging industry and professionals, Canon keeps launching more evolved and technologically progressed products.

With the introduction of the world's highest resolution full-frame camera, Canon has unveiled cutting-edge technology in the camera industry. With the launch of such evolutionary products, we foresee our numbers to grow and achieve a market share of 50% in the DSLR segment.

As technology innovators, we bring in strong brand equity and effective network management that help us retain most of the industry share. Given the demand of our products, we are also undertaking a robust retail expansion across the region to engage more closely with consumers."

Mr. Andrew Koh, Senior Director, Image Communications Products Group, Canon India commented:

"Rapid innovation is key to success in digital imaging industry and the launch of the EOS 5DS and EOS 5DSR cameras reassures our loyalists' trust in the brand, that is always ready to push beyond technology limits.

Market insight and strong R&D enabled us to develop many new technologies for the sensor to be used in the EOS 5DS and EOS 5DSR bodies. These products truly meet the demand for high-pixel and high resolution, with no compromise on high image quality.

The cutting-edge technology and exclusivity in products make Canon EOS series so successful. We are confident about the response of the new range and wish to consolidate our position as pioneers in the imaging space."

Left: Mr. Kazutada Kobayashi
Right: Mr. Andrew Koh

The EOS 5DS and EOS 5DSR boast of some very powerful specs:

• 50.6 Megapixel 35mm full-frame CMOS Sensor 
• Fine Detail Picture Mode, which allows to configure the sharpness level 
• 1.5K dot RGB+IR Metering 
• Automatic Exposure System 
• DIGIC 6 Image Processors 
• Maximum Continuous Shooting Speed of 5.0fps 

The XC10 4K Professional Video Camera features the following: 

• Compact, lightweight and versatile design 
• 12 Megapixel digital still photography 
• Ability to extract 8 Megapixel still images in-camera from recorded 4K footage 
• Genuine Canon 10x Wide-Angle Zoom Lens 
• 2x Digital Tele-converter and Optical Image Stabilization 
• Zoom ratio of 27.3-273mm for movies 
• Zoom ratio of 24.1-241mm for photos 

As far as the pricing and availability are concerned, EOS 5DS, EOS 5DSR and XC10 4K Camcorder will be available at all Canon Image Squares. 

• EOS 5DS at ₹ 2,52,995 
• EOS 5DSR at ₹2,65,995 
• XC10 at ₹1,70,000 

Focusing Our Attention Around Menstrual Hygiene...

 ~~~ 

What?
A Panel Discussion On Menstrual Hygiene, on the occasion of World Menstrual Hygiene Day.

When?
Wednesday, May 27.

Where?
Mumbai.

This is the first event which I had attended with the aid of LIVE tweets from @sftimetochange. Since this was a topic which interested me, and which should ideally interest every woman in this world, it saddened me to learn that I could not be present at the venue in person, as the event was not being held in my city.

If you have not guessed already, @sftimetochange is the Twitter handle belonging to India's leading women’s health and hygiene brand, Stayfree. They focused on this event, with the hashtag #LetsStayfree.

Stayfree hosted a panel discussion on India’s least discussed topic ‘Menstruation’, with an aim to spread awareness around the need for educating young girls and women about menstrual hygiene. Following the panel discussion, Stayfree also announced the launch of its free educational YouTube channel that will assist women in getting a better understanding about menstruation.

The panelists included experts and well-known personalities in their fields such as:

• Gul Panag, Actress, Activist & Former Beauty Queen; 
• Kritika Kamra, Actress; 
• Dr. Anita Soni, Obstetrics & Gynecology Consultant at Dr. L.H. Hiranandani Hospital; 
• Sinu Joseph, Counselor & Menstrual Hygiene Educator; 
• Lina Ashar, Founder & Chairperson of Kangaroo Kids Education 

I still remember my first association with Stayfree when I had blogged for the 'Stay Free And Healthy Day' Campaign, in my first year as a Blogger. 

The same view persists even now. Periods are not taboo, and menstrual hygiene is a necessity. 

They presented some harrowing statistics at the discussion. 

• Good menstrual hygiene is a critical indicator of the holistic progress of women, socially and economically because there is a very strong connection between hygienic menstrual practices and overall health. 
• In India, despite the economic progress that has been made in the last several years, over 80% of women still do not have access to adequate sanitary protection during menstruation. 
• In India, feminine hygiene and menstruation, being a sensitive topic, is not discussed openly, and women often continue to harbor myths and misconceptions about it, since no one amongst their family and friends is able to educate them. 
• Additionally, mothers are often not in a position to guide their daughters correctly since their own knowledge is limited. 
• Over time, unhygienic practices due to low awareness and education levels can adversely impact the health and productivity of these women. 
• According to the report, awareness on basic health and feminine hygiene in India is very low, with 75% rural women lacking adequate knowledge on menstrual hygiene and care. 

On being asked about the #LetsStayfree campaign, this is what Ganesh Bangalore, General Manager - Marketing, Consumer Business, at Johnson & Johnson India had to say. 

"We strongly believe that education dispels fear and prepares young girls to recognize menstruation as being a natural process and face it with confidence. That’s why Stayfree is investing behind educating 100 million young girls in India over the next 3 years." 

Stayfree thus commits to the cause by pledging to educate 100 million young girls in India by 2018 on menstrual hygiene and protection. 

Speaking during the panel discussion, Gul Panag shared: 

“Menstruation is a natural process and is not something that a woman or girl should be embarrassed about. During my growing up years and even today, I see women and girls shying away from mentioning the ‘M’ word. 

Women try and come up with innovative ways to state the word in public, but you don’t see a man cringing publicly or feeling sorry about what he wants to say. 

And all this shushing and discouragement is affecting women and girls basic right to get educated on a topic that is a monthly occurrence till they reach menopause. I feel strongly about a woman’s right to educate herself and applaud Stayfree for holding this discussion.” 

Dr. Anita Soni, Obstetrics & Gynecology consultant at Dr. L.H. Hiranandani Hospital, stated:  

“Today, almost every household will have at least one woman or girl who suffers from irregularities in her menstrual cycle but the reported cases will be few due to the stigma associated with talking openly about the red-letter day. 

Most women and girls do not understand or give as much importance to their menstrual issues, hence a lot of women do not follow simple hygienic practices like use of sanitary napkins or the right usage of same.” 

Ms. Sinu Joseph, Counselor & Menstrual Hygiene educator, spoke about the need to start talking about menstruation. 

According to her:  

“When we don’t talk about it, we do not think enough about our body and miss the signs when we need attention. 

While education about menstrual hygiene is important, it is even more important to stop looking at menstruation as a disease needing a cure. 

Menstruation is the most ancient and reliable tool for women to assess their health and well-being, naturally. Beginning to respect your menstrual cycle is the first step towards being healthy. 

Menstrual Hygiene should be addressed at homes, schools, community centers, health centers, women hostels and at the workplace.”

Ms. Lina Ashar, Founder & Chairperson of Kangaroo Kids Education, stated: 

“Menstruation is not something that a girl needs to feel ashamed of. 

It is essential for schools to understand and make requisite arrangements so that a girl student need not skip school due to menstruation or drop out completely as soon as she reaches puberty. 

After all, it is a natural biological process and needs to be seen as such. 

There is nothing “dirty” or “unclean” about it; let’s stop treating it as a life-threatening contagious disease.” 

Kritika Kamra was quick to tweet: 

"Enriching afternoon. Learned so much about menstruation and menstrual hygiene when I thought I knew it all. #LetsStayfree" 

All in all, I found the discussion to be very enlightening, and educative. 

How I wish more such discussions are held openly and that we do away with the unnecessary hush-hush around the subject! :) 

~~~ 

P.S.: All images have been attributed to @sftimetochange.