Monthly Archives: June 2016

BREXIT Fall Out: PM Cameron to Quit in October

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Now that the UK has done what was expected in the last one decade, exiting from the European Union, Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron has decided to quit from the office in October as the referendum went against his wish to continue in the Union.

In India, the government’s reaction is on expected lines that the economy has enough "firepower" to deal with the situation, and that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been "working" on possible eventualities and the Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das was upbeat on fundamentals. But let us face it — grim future ahead and perhaps another prolonged period of uncertainty and recession.

The BSE Sensex lost 1,050 points and investors have lost Rs.4 lakh crore in one day. The rupee touched the 68-mark, down by nealry one rupee in one day, indicating its weakness in a globally turbulent economy. "You know the pound sterling have been depreciating so all currencies have been depreciating," defended Das. With $360 billion in foreign exchange reserves with RBI, he said India’s position "is very sound and solid."

While the knee-jerk reaction is likely to cool in a coule of weeks, for Britain the changes will not be overwhelming as it had always played an outsider role within the European Union. Unlike other members, it had kept its currency, the pound sterling in tact and never joined the Schengen zone of passport-free travel in Europe. Its contribution to EU budget is also relatively less than others.

The pound sterling may see downward movement for sometime and so is India’s rupee but for the reality of entirely breaking away from the European Union may take about two years, if the current David cameroon’s government gives its consent and goes ahead with the referendum’s outcome to exit from EU. So, these two years will be sufficient for India to move closer to the UK both in terms of trade treaty and negotiate more opportunites.

While the immigration was a major cause of worry for Indians in Britain, they can breathe easy now with the exit plan putting a cap on 100,000 immigrants per annum taking concrete shape as no more EU immigrants can enter Britain so easily now. With the immigrants stopped from elsewhere, India may leverage the opportunity for a more favourable immigration policy with the UK.

Finally, the oil prices will fall following Brexit and it will squarely put in more reserves in RBI kitty. "So when oil prices decline, Indian economy benefits," said another Indian Finance Ministry official.

UK PM David Cameron to Resign in October.

Godless Virus May Have Affected 4 Lakh Android Phones in India: Trend Micro

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The new mobile malware "Godless" has affected nearly 4 lakh devices in India and about a million devices worldwide, said a report from cyber-security firm Trend Micro.

In the report titled "Mobile App Reputation Service", it said the "Godless" malicious software, found in all app stores including Google Play, hides inside an app and operates on the root of the operating system (OS), opening up the admin access to outside devices. "It contains various exploits to ensure it can root a device and it can even install spyware," said the report. It has been designed to exploit the Android devices in endless ways and those devices running on Android 5.1 (Lollipop) or earlier versions are vulnerable.

Once the "Godless" malware finishes its rooting, it cannot be uninstalled easily. "When downloading apps, users should always review the developer. Unknown developers with very little or no background information may be the source of these malicious apps.Users should also have secure mobile security that can mitigate mobile malware," said Nilesh Jain, Country Manager for India, Trend Micro.

According to Strategy Analytics, Google-owned Android dominated the global smartphone market since 2014 with 1 billion units shipped worldwide. It accounts for 81 percent of all smartphones shipped in 2014, followed by Apple with 15 percent market share and Microsoft with 3 percent at third.

“Many users choose Android over other OS-based devices because first, the devices can be relatively cheap; second, it’s known for fast and efficient data storage and third, it’s available across different form factors, brands, and price points," says Paul Oliveria, researcher of Trend Micro. Android is also popular among mobile developers and manufacturers for its capacity to house innovative app development without licensing fees, and sporting a simple and powerful Software Development Kit (SDK).

Here are some tips to keep Android Phones Safe and Secure:

Lock the screen – Enabling a screen unlock code will prevent a device thief from accessing your mobile data.

Protect your data – Android virtually comes with pre-installed security measures that can be easily accessed and enabled from the security submenu. The Android security screen also includes an option to encrypt the device. Enabling this option will help protect sensitive information stored in the device.

Strengthen passwords and app permissions – Google does a fine job at synching their updates with Android devices. However, some manufacturers take a little more time to update. Remember to check the features that you allow the app to access, and don’t forget to use strong and unique passwords. If you re-use your passwords, hackers can effortlessly guess the passwords on your other accounts.

Install a security app – It’s always a good idea to make use of security apps. An app that offers anti-theft features like remote wipe-out, tracking, and locking, as well as malware scanning and detection can help mitigate potential threats. For example, Trend Micro Mobile Security is a security app for Android phone and Android tablet, which blocks malicious apps from Google Play before they are installed; guards against identity theft and viruses; blocks dangerous and fraudulent websites; protects your privacy on Facebook; protects kids online; and even extends battery life and optimizes device performance and memory.

Connect to secure networks – Whenever you go online using a network you don’t know, such as public Wi-Fi, you should be more careful because unsecured Wi-Fi networks can be used to stage man-in-the-middle attacks where data can be intercepted by a third party. Avoid online banking, financials, and purchasing over public networks. If you use Wi-Fi at home, please make sure you use a password to secure your router.

Avoid rooting your device – Before rooting your Android device, consider the pros and cons first. While it allows you more control over your device, it could also allow unsigned apps, including malicious ones, access to your data. This also makes it difficult to patch and update your OS and apps, which could leave your device vulnerable.

Download from official app stores – Downloading from third-party sites or app stores is one of the easiest ways for any mobile device to get infected with malware. Limiting your apps to those from official or trusted app stores (like the Google Play app store) can lower the risks.

Mozart’s Music Reduces Hypertension (BP), Says Study

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A study from the University Bochum in Germany showed in its recent comparative research of the classical music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Strauss II vis-a-vis Abba of the 1980s that the hepertension comes down when you listen to Mozart or Strauss but not ABBA.

They corraborated how Mozart’s music can reduce blood lipid concentration, blood pressure and heart rate, some of the benefits observed in people. “It’s been known for centuries that music has an effect on human beings,” said authors in a study published in the German journal Deutsches Ärzteblatt International. “In antiquity, music was used to improve performance in athletes during the Olympic Games.”

The researchers have divided 120 person in two groups and recorded their cortisol concentration, blood pressure and heart rate before listening to the music, after listening to the music. One group was given to listen to Mozart or J. Strauss Jr. and ABBA.

The other 60 people in the second group were not asked to listen to any music but to read silently. Those who listened to the music of Mozart and Strauss showed a considerable decrease in their blood pressure and heart rate. Those who listened to ABBA had more or same blood pressure at the end.

In another comparison of those who spent reading in silence and those who listened to Mozart or Strauss, the gap is relatively visible as those who read book recorded slightly lower BP but hose in the other music group recorded a higher decrease in their BP, said the researchers. In all, clasical music leads to a lower blood cortisol level, said researchers.

In terms of women listeners to the music, the decrease in their blood pressure is relatively less than men who listened to the same music. Music provides greater health benefits than silence, asserted researchers in their conclusion.

The Mozart family c. 1780. The portrait on the wall is of Mozart’s mother. (Wikipedia)

Foreign University Collaboration to be Cheaper Now: HRD Ministry

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HRD Ministry has announced new UGC conditions which will apply to any Indian institutue seeking foreign academic collaboration and award of joint degrees.

Indian Universities and Colleges need to approach the University Grants Commission (UGC) for starting twinning and collaborative arrangement with quality Foreign Educational Institutions (FEIs) in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes leading to the award of a degree.

The degree will be awarded by the Indian Educational Institutions (IEIs) alone; joint degrees are not permitted though the name of the collaborating FEI can be indicated on the degree, the logo and primacy should be of the Indian institution, said the ministry. Credits from collaborating FEI when jointly signed by the IEI shall form part of the transcript and FEI may also sign the transcript/credit issued by the IEI.

The step has been taken by the UGC in order to promote foreign collaborations with a view to increasing synergy between Indian and foreign academic institutions, to offer students additional choices, improve curriculum and the delivery of knowledge and educational content, said the ministry.

The UGC’s earlier regulations issued in 2012 will be amended now. For students seeking to study abroad, new measures mean lower cost to achieve that as the new provision will offer academic mobility through acquiring of credits and study at reputed institution abroad, said the statement. The dedicated UGC portal to receive applications and convey approvals will be launched shortly by the UGC.

However, the new norms will not be applicable to technical institutions, for which AICTE will leverage and bring out similar methodology and facilitative regulations. Universities/institutions that are recognized by UGC and FEIs intending to collaborate will be benefitted from this measure now.

The Regulations stipulate that only IEIs with ‘A’ grade or threshold accreditation should have experience of 6 years or at least 2 batches passed out and similarly ‘A’ grade or threshold level accreditation if the IEIs in their own country will be eligible for collaboration. A bench mark for quality has therefore been set for the collaborations. To maintain academic credibility and seriousness, a minimum duration of collaboration has been specified under one semester for postgraduate degree and 2 semesters for undergraduate degree.

"The UGC will examine complaints relating to academic collaborations being run in violation of these regulations and if prima-facie evidence of fraud is found, it will inform Central and State authorities for appropriate action under the framework of the law, including penal action, said the ministry that regulates and controls UGC.