Archives for 2019

Nasheman News :Excessive use of social media platforms like Facebook can make its users take decisions as bad as drug addicts tend to do, a new study suggests.

“Around one-third of humans on the planet are using social media, and some of these people are displaying maladaptive, excessive use of these sites,” said lead author of the study Dar Meshi, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University in the US. 

“I believe that social media has tremendous benefits for individuals, but there’s also a dark side when people can’t pull themselves away. We need to better understand this drive so we can determine if excessive social media use should be considered an addiction,” Meshi added. 

For the study, published in the Journal of Behavior Addictions, the researchers had 71 participants take a survey that measured their psychological dependence on Facebook, similar to addiction. 

Questions on the survey asked about users’ preoccupation with the platform, their feelings when unable to use it, attempts to quit and the impact that Facebook has had on their job or studies.

The researchers then had the participants do the Iowa Gambling Task, a common exercise used by psychologists to measure decision-making. 

To successfully complete the task, users identify outcome patterns in decks of cards to choose the best possible deck.

Meshi and his colleagues found that by the end of the gambling task, the worse people performed by choosing from bad decks, the more excessive their social media use. 

The better they did in the task, the less their social media use. 

People who abuse opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, among others – have similar outcomes on the Iowa Gambling Task, thus showing the same deficiency in decision-making, the study said.

By : Faizan Rizwan

BIAL to invest over Rs 13,000 crore for development of the Airport, including T2, NSPR and associated infrastructure

The Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru – BLR Airport – is all set to get bigger and better. India’s aviation growth has been unprecedented; Bengaluru has been setting the pace and has emerged as one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world. Announcing one of the largest infrastructure projects in the Country, BIAL is set to undertake a massive Rs. 13000 crore capital programme to cater to the demands of a civil aviation market that has been growing at a blistering pace of 25% YoY for the last 3 years. The current capital development programme includes a new terminal, a second runway, massive expansion to the access roads and internal road infrastructure, utilities as well as a new multi-modal transport hub.

Commenting on the ongoing projects, Mr. Hari Marar, MD & CEO, BIAL, said: “The second terminal – T2 – is our dedication to this beautiful city of Bengaluru. Designed as a reflection of this City, T2 will be founded on 4 pillars: technological leadership, being a terminal in a garden, environmental and ecological stewardship and a celebration of Karnataka’s rich heritage and culture. Of course, it goes without saying that all this will be centredon the most important element – the needs of our customers. BIAL worked with some of the finest global minds on the design and planning of this Terminal. While T2 is designed to be an iconic terminal – one that Bengaluru can truly be proud of – it will be built at the most affordable cost and in the most responsible manner. The Terminal will be world-class in all respects – starting from its design, the processes, the people who manage it, the sustainable practices it embraces and the performance it achieves.”

“Over the last ten years, BLR Airport has evolved as the Gateway to South India and with this next phase of expansion, the aim is to position our Airport as the Gateway to a New India. Once ready, the Airport will offer passengers seamless and delightful experiences, powered by cutting-edge technology,” Mr. Marar added.

During this construction phase, BIAL’s Teams will put various processes in place and work closely with multiple stakeholders to ensure minimal impact on the passenger experience. BIAL will also undertake a slew of measures to continuously cater to the requirements of growth for the period of development of the new infrastructure.

Mr. Bhaskar Anand Rao, Chief Financial Officer, BIAL, said the project would be a boost to the economy. “Phase 2 of Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru will provide a huge boost to the connectivity of people and goods of the State and provide the much needed capacity that a growing city like Bengaluru richly deserves. Once operational, the Airport will create more opportunities for businesses at the Airport and fuel the economic growth of the region and Country. Our aim has been to ensure that not only should we deliver an iconic asset of which the people can be truly proud, but also set benchmarks in the way such project is delivered – at a cost that is affordable and to the highest standards of corporate governance.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Tom Shimmin, Chief Project Officer, BIAL, said: “Designed to provide the highest level of passenger comfort and dramatic visual impression, upon completion, the new terminal will substantially increase the overall capacity of the Airport. T2 is designed in a manner that we retain the philosophy of simplicity and minimal walking distances for the passengers – a key characteristic of the BLR Airport. With the use of a combination of the latest in construction technology and natural material, this Terminal will establish a new vision for sustainable growth. The new passenger terminal will cater to the specific needs of the Airport’s spectrum of users and provide a seamless travel experience. This will help the BLR Airport remain competitive and stay ahead of the growth in passenger demand.”

Nasheman News : In a bid to hide sexual harassment allegations against former Google executives, Alphabet’s board of directors has approved hefty severance packages for the accused, according a lawsuit filed by a shareholder of the company.

Alphabet Inc is Google’s parent company.

The lawsuit filed on Thursday in California state court accuses the board and executives of breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, abuse of power and corporate waste, CNET reported.

The lawsuit makes reference to oversize severance packages that Google reportedly paid to Android creator Andy Rubin, and Amit Singhal, head of Google’s search unit until 2016. 

The New York Times in November 2018 reported that Rubin received $90 million in severance when Google fired him in 2014 over accusations of sexual misconduct that the company deemed credible.

Allegations of sexual harassment against the two men were found to be credible by company investigations, according to the lawsuit filed by shareholder James Martin.

“Rubin was allowed to quietly resign by defendants Larry Page and Sergey Brin after an internal investigation found the allegations of sexual harassment by Rubin to be credible,” according to the complaint. 

“While at Google, Rubin is also alleged to have engaged in human sex trafficking — paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to women to be, in Rubin’s own words, ‘owned’ by him.”

Singhal stepped down as ride-hailing giant Uber’s Senior Vice President of Engineering in 2017 after it discovered he had allegedly been accused of sexual harassment while he was employed at Google, said the CNET report, adding that both Rubin and Singhal have denied the allegations.

Following the New York Times report in November, Google employees around the world staged a protest against the tech giant’s handling of sexual harassment cases.

After the reaction to the story in The Times, Google CEO Sundar Pichai sought to reassure employees about the company’s stand against sexual harassment.

“Over the past two years, we have terminated 48 people, including 13 senior managers and above for sexual harassment,” Pichai said.

“None of these people received an exit package. And to clarify: in that time, we have also not provided any exit packages to executives who departed voluntarily in the course of a sexual harassment investigation,” he added.

With the price of tomato touching Rs 60 per kg and expected to rise by another Rs 5 in the next two days, your favourite tomato dishes may end up leaving a more sour taste than usual.The rate chart from the Horticultural Producers’ Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society (Hopcoms) lists the cost of tomatoes asRs 58 per kg. However, it is being sold at prices going up to Rs 70 at retail stores. The price has gone up three times in the last few weeks, from Rs 20 per kg in the beginning of December. The cost in August was just Rs 3 per kg due to high yield.

“Normally, Bengaluru gets 500 tonnes of tomatoes every day, but this time it has come down to half. Since consumption remains the same, reduced supply has increased the price,’’ a horticulture official said.The crop has been damaged and the yield is expected to be half the usual produce due to powdery fungus and downy mildew on tomatoes brought about by drought and cold. “The price will remain the same or increase by another ‘5. We are hoping the price will come down by January end or February beginning,’’ Keshav, Procurement and Marketing Manager, Hopcoms, said.

Sunitha Mahesh, a resident of Hosakerehalli said tomatoes are needed for most preparations, including rasam or sambar, even though it may not be the main vegetable. “I got tomatoes for Rs 64 per kg at a shop near my house, while I bought it for Rs 18 last month. We cannot cook without onion or tomatoes, so even if the price shoots up, we will still have to buy it,’’ she said.

Besides tomatoes, other vegetables are getting more expensive too. Srilakshmi, a homemaker at Rajarajeshwarinagar, said that drumstick, which cost Rs 25 per kg till recently, is now available for Rs 140 per kg. “This comes to over Rs 10 for one drumstick.’’The price rise is affecting the business of restaurateurs too.

Agencies