HTC Desire 600C Launched in India

HTC seems to be on a phone launching spree in the country. The phone-maker today launched HTC Desire 600C, the mid-range smartphone in India. HTC Desire 600C is the successor of HTC Desire 600C. While HTC Desire 600 supports dual-SIM both in GSM mode, HTC Desire 600C is for CDMA lovers. There are not many specification differences when it comes to HTC Desire 600 and HTC Desire 600C.

In the looks department, HTC Desire 600C takes after the HTC One gene pool. HTC Desire 600C comes in a sleek looking design with sharply curved edges giving it the rectangular form. However, the phone is not a replica of HTC One. There are subtle changes that sets each HTC piece at an advantage over the other (is Samsung listening?!). The phone comes with a glossy back with the camera mounted in a circle on the top. Right above the camera is the flash light. The circle comes with a metallic accent giving a unique look to the phone. While the form is the same as HTC Desire 600, the dual speakers set it apart.

HTC Desire 600C runs on Android with HTC’s much loved-hated HTC Sense on top. However, whether it will be Android Jelly Bean version 4.1 or the newer 4.2 is still unknown. Needless to say, the phone features HTC’s Blinkfeed, HTC Video Highlights and other features. HTC Desire 600C comes with 4.5 inch qHD display and measures 127 grams. There’s no word on the screen resolution but we guess it might be the same as HTC Desire 600 at 540 x 960 pixels. 

Under the hood of HTC Desire 600C runs a quad-core processor. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.2 GHz quad-core processor coupled with 1 GB RAM should make the phone smooth. The phone comes with 8 GB internal memory which can be expanded up to further 64 GB using MicroSD card slot. While skipping the MicroSD card slot seems to be the new trend in smartphones, we are glad HTC has equipped HTC Desire 600C with one.

While not the now famed Ultra-pixel camera, HTC Desire 600C comes with a 8 MP rear end snapper with LED flash. The phone also comes with a 1.6 MP front-end camera.

Though there’s nothing that really stands out, or no one feature which makes the phone unique, HTC Desire 600C is definitely a strong phone in its class. We totally love HTC hardware and their Sense UI tweaks only add to the experience. The phone was launched for Rs 28,900 in India and is available online. The pricing seems a tad high but with smartphones getting more and more expensive, the price seems reasonable. However, we aren’t really sure of the CDMA market in the country. 

India among top 10 countries likely to be worst hit by asteroid impact

In a new study, scientists have identified the countries that are most likely to be worst hit by the catastrophic damage caused by asteroids.Research from the University of Southhampton have identified for the first time those which will suffer catastrophic loss of life or be so crippled it will be almost impossible for them to recover.The top ten countries most at risk are: China, Indonesia, India, Japan, the U.S, the Philippines, Italy, the U.K, Brazil and Nigeria.

NASA's Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer has sampled 107 "potentially hazardous" asteroids near Earth - 330ft wide or larger - to make estimates about how many are out there - and the figure is a terrifying 47,000.The WISE survey now estimates there are 47,000 "potentially hazardous" asteroids.The PHAs (potentially hazardous asteroids) have the closest orbits to Earth's, coming within five million miles and they are big enough to survive passing through Earth's atmosphere and cause damage on a regional, or greater, scale.

The little asteroid 2012 KA passed near Earth on May 17 before heading back out into space. 

The new results come from the asteroid-hunting portion of the WISE mission, called NEOWISE.The project sampled 107 PHAs to make predictions about the entire population as a whole.

The telescope on the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, is shown here with the aperture cover removed. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Dynamics Lab

Findings indicate there are roughly 4,700 PHAs, plus or minus 1,500, with diameters larger than 330 feet. So far, an estimated 20 to 30 percent of these objects have been found.Scientists have also drawn up a league table of the countries which will be worst affected in the event of an asteroid strike.

They have identified for the first time those which will suffer catastrophic loss of life or be so crippled it will be almost impossible for them to recover. The list has been compiled by researchers from the University of Southampton using software called called NEOimpactor, short for NASA's "NEO" or Near Earth Object programme.

"The NEOWISE analysis shows us we've made a good start at finding those objects that truly represent an impact hazard to Earth," the Daily Mail quoted Lindley Johnson, program executive for the Near-Earth Object Observation Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington, as saying."But we've many more to find, and it will take a concerted effort during the next couple of decades to find all of them that could do serious damage or be a mission destination in the future," Johnson said.

Text Courtesy : ANI, NASA

Last nights's Lunar eclipse 10/12/2011

Dangers India facing

Forests: About 21 per cent of India's land area is forest                                      

Deforestation continues to be a big issue in India. It may have added to forest cover in the past decade, but a large percentage of the addition is degraded forest cover. (AP Photo)

India's biggest environmental threat is its burgeoning population

From 1.21 billion currently, India's population is estimated to overtake China's population of 1.34 billion sometime between 2025 and 2050. Having between 16-18 per cent of the world's population on 2.4 per cent of world's total area puts immense pressure on its natural resources. The problem is with the demographics; already having one of the youngest populations in the world, the average Indian is expected to become younger. This, in turn, will lead to an increase in the population because of an increase in the childbearing age. Expect severe water shortages, soil degradation and erosion, deforestation, air, noise and water pollution. (AP Photo)

The glaciers in the Himalayas are melting causing them to retreat

While The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has admitted that it made a blunder when it said that the glaciers in the Himalayas will melt completely by 2035, there is no denying the fact that they the glaciers have melted over the past few decades and will continue to melt. These glaciers feed most of India's rivers and are the main source of fresh water supply for domestic use, agriculture and power generation. (AP Photo)

Sunderbans: The largest mangrove forest in the world continues to be threatened by global warming

The largest mangrove forest in the world is home to approximately 425 species of wildlife, including 300 species of birds and 42 species of mammals, including the Royal Bengal Tiger continues to be under threat. Not to mention the thousands of people who depend on the Sunderbans for their livelihood. (AP Photo)

The coral reefs in the Andamans and Lakhswadeep are under threat

India's island paradises might experience the horrors of hell in the near future. The coral reefs that protect the ocean's ecosystem have been steadily eroding over the years due to global warming. With the corals depleting, the marine life and the livelihoods of many people is under serious threat. (AP Photo)

Water scarcity: Many environmental experts feel that India's rapidly vanishing fresh water resources may its biggest challenge in the coming years

One of the biggest environmental issues that India is facing is scarcity of water. Many experts feel the current demand of an estimated 829 billion cubic yards of water will double by 2050, and exceed the 1.4 trillion cubic yards that India has at its disposal. (AFP Photo)

The Ganges, a river in need of a rebirth: The Ganges might be India's most sacred river, but also one of the dirtiest

Approximately, more than 400 million people live along the Ganges River and about 2,000,000 persons ritually bathe daily in the river, they are putting themselves at risk. It is filled with chemical wastes, sewage and even the remains of human and animal corpses that carry major health risk.

Various efforts to clean the river like the Ganga Action Plan have failed in spite of spending over Rs 900 crore. (AP Photo)

Unequal growth caused by factors like illegal mining and industrialization have angered the local populace

Illegal mining has forced tribals and villagers out of their traditional habitats; this has caused anger and resentment, helping fuel insurgencies and uprisings. (AP Photo)

Coal and its effects: About 70 per cent of the electricity generated comes from coal fired power plants

India has a huge dependence on coal for meeting its energy requirements and this is not about to change even as it throws other non-conventional means like nuclear and solar into the mix. The high costs of clean energy will mean that its use of coal for generating power will continue for the next two decades. (AP Photo)

The endangered Bengal tiger: Getting a fresh lease of life

The tiger population has been going up with an increased effort to protect it; also the awareness created by the media about the threat to its survival has made the government clamp down poaching and sale of its parts. (AP Photo)

The golden Langur: Considered sacred by many, the primate is one of the most endangered species in India

Out of the estimated 8,000 that remain, 1,500 are in India, very little is know about them. They live mostly on the tree-tops and seldom descend to the ground. (AP Photo)

iPhone 4 launched in India

Kolkata, May 27 (PTI) Eleven months after Apple''s next-generation smartphone hit stores worldwide, the iPhone 4 was launched Friday in India, the world''s second biggest market for mobile phones. Declaring the roll-out of one of the most expected smartphones in the world by Bharti airtel here and in 34 other cities in India, Airtel CEO (West Bengal and Orissa) P D Sharma told PTI the iPhone 4 will create a separate space from the clutter of smartphones in the market, many of them having copied Apple features.