"THE HARDWARE TROJAN HORSEGoogle recently signaled a long-term commitment to its own phones by spending $1. Last week, Amazon announced the next generation of its Echo speaker, coming out in time for the holiday shopping season, will cost just $100, a price that Google decided not to match.NEW PHONESThe second generation of Googles Pixel phones unveiled Wednesday feature larger, brighter screens that take up more of the devices front, changes that Apple is also making with its iPhone X scheduled to be released next month.

Although sleekly designed, Googles Pixel phones and Home speakers arent breakthroughs in themselves.1 billion to bring on board 2,000 HTC engineers specializing in mobile devices - and to acquire some related technology, too.SMARTER HEADPHONESGoogle also announced wireless headphones, called Pixel Buds.Over the past year, Google has been transplanting that knowledge into its Pixel line of phones, internet-connected speakers and, as of Wednesday, a new type of laptop and a small, hands-free camera that automatically learns when to snap pictures or record video of candid moments. The feature also will be coming to last years Pixel models in an update. In the past year, Google sold just 2..Already part of Googles smartphones and speakers, the assistant will soon also be featured in the new Pixelbook laptop and in new wireless headphones called Pixel Buds., still has a long way to go before making a significant dent in the market.San Francisco: Googles upgrades to its Pixel smartphones and other gadgets are its latest steps toward turning its digital services into your backup brain. The companys widely used search engine, Gmail, maps, Chrome web browser and other services have yielded a fountain of data the company has used to smarten up its software and gadgets. But instead of relying on two cameras to take better portraits, Google is using AI software that adjusts photos automatically to enhance close-ups and blur backgrounds.The Mini will cost almost $50, roughly the small price as Amazons smaller speaker, the Echo Dot.

It will rely on AI to decide what and who is important to its users so it knows the best times to snap a photo or record video.The company, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc."All that hardware is China Oxford fabric just housing, and that isnt as interesting as whats inside the house," said Gartner analyst Tuong Nguyen. Google is selling the Home Max for almost $400, about $50 more than the HomePod.Another new photo feature, called Lens, will automatically display information about a landmark or piece of art in a picture.8 million Pixel phones, accounting for less than 1 percent of the worldwide market, according to the research firm International Data Corp.The small, square device, called Google Clips, can capture images of everything within its range of view. The standard Google Home speaker costs almost $130.The Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 are adding a new mode for taking portraits, another popular feature on the iPhone 7 and recently released iPhone 8.But Google believes its services, particularly those driven by AI, can give it an edge over its rivals.Google also souped up the already highly rated camera on the Pixel, boasting that it will take even better photos than the iPhone.The Google Home Max is a rectangular speaker with superior acoustics for playing music, mimicking Apples HomePod. If its devices catch on, theyll then generate additional data that Google can use to further refine its AI systems.

It includes the same features featured in a cylindrical speaker that Google rolled out last year in response to Amazons Echo.CANDID CAMERAIn a surprise move, Google is introducing a hands-free camera that will automatically take photos and video for people looking to catch candid moments of their family, friends and pet.Googles emphasis on its assistant is part of a battle with Apples Siri and Amazons Alexa to prove which is the most intelligent and efficient aide - one that might, one day, become a trusted companion.Clips will sell for almost $250 and will be available in stores in December. Both speakers are due to hit stores in December. This will also be added to last years Pixel models as Google tries to build brand loyalty.SMART SPEAKERSThe Google Home Mini unveiled Wednesday is a button-sized speaker covered in fabric. The Pixel XL will sell for almost $850, or $50 more than the iPhone 8 Plus. In addition to relaying audio from the phone, the headphones can also translate spoken language in real time, working with translation software built into the new Pixels.The smaller Pixel will sell for almost $650, $50 less than the iPhone 8. In many respects, Google is simply copying or offering slight variations on devices made by Apple and Amazon that have been bigger hits so far. "The hardware is just a way for Google to show people the best way to experience its services.Most of the Pixel buyers so far have been "fanboys and fangirls who understand and appreciate what Google brings to the table with Android, and voraciously take advantage of every new feature," said IDC analyst Ramon Llamas.Both the 6-inch Pixel XL and the 5-inch Pixel will also do away with the headphone jack, something Apple did with the iPhone 7 last year.Google is promising that privacy controls built into Clips will give the cameras users complete control over the images they want to transfer to another device or to share with someone else. The products the company unveiled on Wednesday are packed with artificial intelligence that Google has accumulated from those very same services. Prices for the iPhone X, by comparison, start at $1,000. It will be easier to summon in the next generation of Pixel phones; a new feature lets you squeeze the side of the device to ask a question.

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The Western Wall is 488 metres.We walked past a huge 300DX250D TWO TONE gold Minerva towards the Western Wall or the Wailing Wall — the limestone wall filled with signs of prayers and devout faith, a congregation of young and old praying and weeping, some with a Torah, others with prayerful notes. We also saw the popular three dimensional light and sound show in the evening. Powerful is the sense of peace as one lowers towards the silver gilded disc, where the cross is believed to have stood…The city’s Christian and Muslim quarters are enmeshed in each other, and as you bag souvenirs from the Souk el-Dabbagha, a street selling religious souvenirs, you are once again humbled by the history that surrounds you. The old city is divided into four quarters which geographically represent different faiths, but in reality are more intertwined with Christians, Muslims and Jews living together in harmony. Dress conservatively. The beige walls of the citadel morph into stories from the past, evoking images of its rich history. In ancient times, a mezuzah used to guard homes — A metal cylindrical box with the script from the Torah blessed in a ceremony, inside.

As we walked to the Tower of David, with its golden haloed ruins, we swooped through an exhibition of 4,000 years of Jerusalem at the Museum of History. A sheer gargantuan task indeed, as we mulled at its turmoil filled history, and in contrast, this peaceful walk of pilgrims to the holy land, that leaves one seeking refuge in faith. Al Aqsa translates to "farthest mosque" and also refers to a chapter in the Quran — The Night Journey where Prophet Muhammad travelled from Mecca to "the farthest mosque," and to Heaven. There are eight gates each named after the city it leads to (ours led to Jaffa - Jaffa Tel Aviv today). Ambling in the sweltering heat, we entered the sacred site of Catholic religion, the Church of Holy Sepulcher which lies inside a square with steps on either side where many sit in contemplation. Which ever faith you belong to, the stark simplicity of its stoned walls, lack of opulence and earthy essence all emanate a sense of peace and quiet that settles in one’s heart. Every time someone conquered Jerusalem, they broke its walls, so it was built and rebuilt. This wall by the Ottomans, who were Muslims, has flowers, Arabic letters, geometric shapes decorating it. Spend moments in silence, then without turning your back, walk away in prayer. Our guide Shelly Ishkoli also mentioned the Christmas tours that are very popular, the Catholic and Jewish traditional ones, when the weather is cold, not sweltering like it was in July, which turn this already haloed city into a twinkling sight of revelry and prayer, ringing in carols. There are indelible marks on many a wall in the Old city where the mezuzah used to be.Passing which was the Main Street in Jerusalem, the Byzantine Cardo in the Jewish quarter, arts and crafts peek through old stones and tunnels.We trudged to a vantage point to see the dome of the Al Aqsa Mosque, an important Muslim pilgrimage.Strong inherent and deep belief, faith and irrevocable history resides in Jerusalem. And the city itself is haloed in yellow at night, a wonderful sight, and walk. It reflects the sanctity of this holy city that has three monotheistic faiths — Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The Jewish quarter has shops, small galleries, ceramics, all winding cobbled streets into the market area which is a hub of souvenirs and T-shirts touting Israel’s military prowess. One can also spot different church orders spires and far off is a brush stroke of green in this arid desert where a spring used to be.

The throngs of faithful walk past, pray in silence, light candles, some leave small prayers on paper as they enter the inner sanctum sanctorium. It is said to commemorate the hill of crucifixion and the tomb of Christ’s burial. The tunnels, cooled by the welcome breeze of aircons, in we walked, past Warren Gate where a synagogue used to be, named after Charles Warren, who discovered it. A mere walk cannot unearth its history, or its allegiances."We started our journey though the Jaffa gate. There were cartloads of Jewish school girls and teenagers and we were taken aback by immense faith of these Judaism students. One can see different eras of stone, engravings, lessons in time… as sunlight suddenly illuminates the dark alley, and we are out into the other side of the old city, where the stations of the Cross, which Christians revere keep us company. Not exactly. We see a few Jewish children flying their coloured balloons and running pell mell back home from school, smiling. The architecture gives us a hint of the weaponry used in that period — narrow windows for bows and arrows.Encounters of the faithful follow your thoughtful footsteps into the old city of Jerusalem, treading the ancient slopes towards the golden-hued walled city, where history and religion are indelibly etched into the fabric of its existence. With its 6,000 (some say 4,000) year-old history, Shelly Ishkoli, our storehouse of knowledge guide explained, "You think that the walls of Jerusalem go back thousands of years. The State of Israel came into being in 1948, and this Jewish state today holds within it empires, legacies, faiths and sanctity. A Muslim quarter, with its heaps of dry fruits, olives and ceramic work. Our Canadian guide David took us through the tunnels, and the history of the Western Wall — explaining the mammoth task that the Israel government has undertaken to excavate tunnels to the Temple Mount (what the faithful consider as the Holy of Holies). But one must try — so we tread the cobbled streets of calvary, past the tunnels to the Western Wall, and it does live and breathe in faith. The Temple Mount, Al-Aqsa Mosque, Tower of David, and ruins, are all a foray to understand this land ravaged again and again, that still stands resolute, a lesson in life itself. And that’s what we’d like to take back with us, where children run smiling, and peace prevails… Toda Raba (thank you) Jerusalem.. Wash your hands at a water fountain and walk towards its time honoured grooves.

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How can we trust the state police when we all know that it harbours many supporters of terrorists and separatists in the Kashmir Valley? There have been many incidents when local policemen had joined the forces which have been waging war against our country. Even right-thinking people in the BJP who genuinely feel for J&K think along the same lines. Nothing one can stop us, and such incidents cannot scare us. But there is light at the end china travel 600d backpack manufacturers of the tunnel.

A very sad incident has taken place. It is time for all of us to get together irrespective of our politics, faith or region.Everyone knows how separatists are getting support from across the border. And the Army should take over the security arrangements 15 days ahead of the commencement of the yatra.Now when this gruesome incident has happened, we have to ensure that the secular fabric of J&K is not disturbed. The Amarnath yatra is a symbol of a built-in feature of Jammu and Kashmir’s composite culture and ethos. That should be our prime responsibility. Already there is an effort on to create the narrative that J&K will be trifurcated. Right now, putting the blame on the PDP is not going to ameliorate the situation. Now it is time for Mehbooba Mufti, Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and other leaders across the political spectrum to come together. But if these thugs think that they can scare us, they are wrong. Who rules or doesn’t rule is not important.Given the current volatile situation in J&K, the VHP had specifically requested that the Indian Army should be given charge of the overall security arrangements of the yatra and not the state police.We all know that it is the Army that has provided security cover to some of the police stations in the region.Nobody in Kashmir wanted the yatra to be attacked. Politics is just for electoral gains — one may win or lose an election, but everything should not be looked from the prism of electoral politics. The state will disintegrate. If we do that, it would be the greatest disservice done to the nation and J&K. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad had raised these issues with the Mehbooba Mufti government in May itself.

It has brought people from all faiths and regions together.We had also requested that the alternative Kargil-Drass route to be opened. The Supreme Court and the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board also recommended this, as this route requires less time and pilgrims can return the same day in the evening after the darshan. Governments come and go.Why has no firm action been taken against these separatists? Why are they being given security cover?Why are they even allowed to enjoy facilities that are for citizens of this country, when separatists are nurturing anti-India elements?Actions should also be taken against those who sympathise with the separatists and stone-pelters, who run a systematic campaign against the use of pellet guns and who in the name of secularism try to give a communal colour to everything in the Valley.Terrorism has no religion.Davinder Singh Rana is an MLA and a senior National Conference leader.There were definitely serious lapses in the security arrangements. I am myself going there next week.How can J&K police be trusted?Vinod BansalIt was due to the failure of the Jammu and Kashmir government that terrorists managed to carry out such a dastardly attack on the Amarnath yatris.No matter which political party is running the government in J&K, if that government cannot protect Amarnath yatris and provide security, then it has no right to continue. We all are deeply hurt. In this blind alley, I feel there is, however, an opportunity for motivation. Hence, the foremost thing we did the other day was to declare a bandh and get all communities together for a peaceful demonstration against violence. We had very specifically demanded that the entire route be sanitised and the security should be beefed up. Yatris have been visiting the Amarnath cave even when terrorism was at its peak in the state, and they will continue to do so no matter how difficult the situation. Let us not try to point fingers at each other, instead let’s give politics a break and evolve a consensus. It was not a usual condemnation but a genuine outpouring.

The civil society and other groups in the Valley came out on the streets to protest and express solidarity with the victims.Vinod Bansal is national spokesperson of the Vishwa Hindu ParishadWho rules or doesn’t is unimportantDavinder Singh RanaIn the backdrop of the gory incident in which seven innocent Amarnath pilgrims were killed and many others wounded, I strongly feel this is not the time to find fault in others or speak about security lapses.This is also a fact that the Kashmir Valley’s Muslims have always protected the yatra even in hostile situations.The attack on the yatris was carried out as part of the gameplan to threaten the pilgrims.Unless and until we join hands to make an effort to resolve the issue of Kashmir we will be standing nowhere. I think there is no match of such a secular activity when Hindu devotees are going to have darshan of a natural shivling in a cave and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva, and Muslims are facilitating their journey. They have suffered themselves but never went against the pilgrims or the pilgrimage.Even the media, specially the local media, which indulges in one-sided reporting, needs to be banned.

We also know how they are grooming stone-pelters in the Valley and supporting terrorists, but the government has failed to check that. This has been their genuine longing.All of us in Jammu are feeling the pain like the people in the Valley and the rest of the country. I have no doubt in my mind that the July 10 act was a deliberate attempt to spread communal disharmony. We should not try to cast aspersions on a particular religion or community.Whether it is the PDP, Congress or any other party, we all must join hands to defeat the evil.It’s high time that a fitting response be given to those who play politics over such issues.

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