Mumbai: Dell has launched its newest product ? the best way to stay connected on the go - using versatile Dell Venue 7 & 8 Tablets, equipped with 3G and voice calling facility. The new Dell tablets will allow you to shift seamlessly between work and play.

Introducing the Dell Venue 7 & Dell Venue 8 tablets, equipped with voice calling feature as well as 3G. Enabling users to access their personal information, and to stay connected on-the-go all day long, the new voice enabled Venue Android tablets are the answer to users looking for a complete, yet compact technology companion. The Dell Venue Android tablets deliver a solid performance in a sleek design with incredible features including all day long productivity that allows users to shift seamlessly between work and play.

 Key Features:

1.    All day long productivity with a 4550 mAh (17.29 WHr) battery and the latest dual-core Intel Atom processors, Android 4.4, KitKat OS, HD display and premium audio.

2.    Best in class viewing on the Full HD (1920x1200) display available on the Venue 8 inch tablet

3.    Premium sound with MaxxAudio Mobile by Waves

4.    The textured backing offers a firm grip and keeps the device smudge free. The Dell Venue 7 is available in black with a variety of colour cases to complement the sleek device.

5.    This includes Accidental Damage Service, which is offered on all Dell Venue tablets and protects users? devices against liquid spills, drops, power surges and screen cracks. This service includes repair and if required, whole unit replacement.

6.    Users also have the option of owning a Dell Venue Cradle or a Dell Venue Rotating Folio for the Venue 8 tablet.

7.    Dell Venue?s Android OS includes access to all of the latest Android apps and an easy device set up experience. You can also access your files and data anywhere with PocketCloud and 20GB of free Dropbox storage for one year.

The Dell Venue 7 voice enabled tablet is now available in India at Rs 14,999, whereas the Dell Venue 8 voice enabled tablet is priced at Rs 18,999.

Mumbai: Get ready to be a part of an exciting conference and master class organized by Osianama?s Vintage and Classic Automobile Club on 21 February 2015 at the Osianama. Osianama?s Arts Auto Cine and Cultural Centre at the iconic Liberty cinema in Mumbai was launched recently with the red carpet premiere of Baby, master classes by Anupam Kher and Neeraj Pandey and the launch of Osianama's Vintage and Classic Automobile Club with leading scholars, designers and professionals focusing on French and Italian Design and Coachbuilding. 

FIVA (F?d?ration Internationale des V?hicules Anciens) is the international body that leads the vintage and classic car movement worldwide and FIVA president Patrick Rollet is visiting India to address the vintage and classic car collectors, enthusiasts, professionals and media about the global supremacy of Roll Royce in vintage and classic cars.

Coinciding with his visit, Osianama has also arranged an exhibition at the forecourt of the Osianama at Liberty Cinema to showcase the finest classic cars with a focus on the Rolls Royce with some very special luxury cars, which have been competitors, such as the Mercedes Benz, Invicta and Pierce Arrow amongst others.

In a written message, Rollet mentions about the tremendous opportunity in India for vintage and classic cars. According to him, such cars will not remain in the exclusive domain of India's former princes and the super-rich. In the last decade, vintage and classic cars have given maximum returns on the investments made on them globally. He also mentioned that India will soon be amongst the world leaders in this category given the interest shown by Indians in recent years.

There will be an interesting debate conducted amongst Andr? Blaize, who will be arguing for Rolls-Royce and Serge Cordey and Robert Cumberford, who will arguing against him and insisting that the French, the Germans and the Americans made technologically more advanced and better cars than Rolls-Royce.

While Blaize is an eminent world authority, who has devoted his entire life to building up the most extensive database of each and every Rolls-Royce manufactured till World War II, Cordey is the editor and publisher of the French edition of classic and sports car magazine and Cumberford is a legendary designer-writer and design critic.

Speaking about the event, Osianama founder and chairman Neville Tuli said, ?These Osianama events, will encourage a new daily Indian-International dialogue across all aspects of cultural civilization-building, so that India can step by step emerge as a creative force, more aware of its international role and a hub of research and the coming together of the finest minds to create the new institutional platforms essential to become a leader.?

Mumbai: When comfort marries style, the outcome is a trendy collection that makes up 109⁰F?s  much awaited spring-summer 2015 line, which has been carefully designed keeping in mind the young cosmopolitan women having multiple facets.

The fashion apparel brand launched its collection amidst the cr?me de la cr?me of the city at Aquaba in South Mumbai on 18 February 2015. The event celebrated the fierce, fun, flirty, fiery and funky spirit of women who take on the world in style. 109⁰ F identified four such young women who are achievers in their own right and perfectly reflect the brand philosophy. 

Young achievers Shipra Khanna - winner of Master Chef India, one of the youngest Indians to scale Mt. Everest- Krushnaa Patil, YouTube sensation Shraddha Sharma and philanthropist Aalia Furniturewala who have made remarkable contribution and achievements in their respective fields, were felicitated at the event by stalwarts and veterans Pankaj Udhas, famous ghazal and playback singer, former Miss-India and popular journalist Meher Castelino, fashion retailer Viren Shah, TV Personality & columnist Pooja Bedi. The extravagant evening was hosted by the vivacious Suchitra Pillai, who kept the momentum of the show soaring high.

Speaking at the occasion, Creative Lifestyle, managing director, Rahul Mehta said, ?Our Spring Summer Collection is for the contemporary young women out there who work towards their dreams and make a difference. We at 109⁰F have always been committed to fostering a culture that empowers women and that is why we are using this platform to highlight and recognize achievements of young women who have contributed to society and are a source of inspiration to their peers.?

Today we have Chef Shipra Khanna presenting her favourite dessert recipe for exclusively for Indiantelevision.com?s Exec Lifestyle. Chef Khanna is the winner of masterchef India season 2 in 2012 and has been taken on board by Tourism Australia and Cox & Kings as their culinary patron.

Recipe for Assorted Spinach Beetroot Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

• For the Cupcakes:
• All-purpose flour- 175 grams
• Baking powder- 1 ? tsp
• Unsalted butter- 155 grams
• Caster Sugar- 150 grams
• Eggs- 3
• Vanilla essence- few drops
• Milk- ? cup

For the Icing:

• Whipping Cream- 150 grams
• Flavours- Spinach puree, Beetroot puree, Vanilla essence.
• Garnish- mint leaves, Jelly and sprinklers respectively.

METHOD:

• In a bowl, Sieve flour and baking powder. Keep aside.
• In another bowl, Whisk eggs butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
• Mix the flour in the above mixture alternatively with milk.
• Add Vanilla essence.
• Fill the batter evenly into the silicon Cupcake moulds. 
• In a pre-heated oven (180 degrees), Place the cupcakes and Bake until the top is golden brown (10-15 minutes) or when the toothpick comes out clean once pierced.
• Once done, take out the cupcakes on a wire tray and let it cool.

Icing:

• Whisk the cream till peaks are formed.
• Divide this into three equal portions.
• To one add Spinach, to the other add Beetroot and to the third add vanilla essence.
• Put them into icing cones and ice cupcakes with different flavours.
• Garnish and serve.

By: Ritwika Gupta
 

Home is where the heart is and the heart wants a warm place to come back to at the end of a hard day?s work. Your home's exterior says just as much about you as its interior. The interior design industry is on a new high with an immensely promising growth in the recent years. While companies like Cocoon Fine Rugs, Deco Window, Fabula Rasa and Home Label are creating a giant stir in the interior space, they are also geared up to hop on to the e-commerce bandwagon in the future for home d?cor. Exec Lifestyle spoke to a few talented interior d?cor professionals, who shared unique options that will make homes look more beautiful.

Fabula Rasa, located in the heart of Mumbai?s design district Raghuvanshi Mills, is a four-month-old home d?cor store founded by Anuradha Bhalla and Jeena Shetty.

?At its very core, Fabula Rasa is about self and space. Our focus is on the last mile fatigue. When you are doing up a home or a work place, you are already exhausted by the time you are at the last few stages when you are doing up your home. This is where we come in ? space styling for the last mile, which integrates furniture, light, art and accessories that fit homes and personal spaces,? Bhalla elaborates.

Throwing light home d?cor trends to look forward to in 2015, she says, ?There are so many new mediums out there and some innovative trends to look forward to. This season, the Indian-modern look that will have warmth in terms of colour palette and design will gain popularity. These days it is also possible to keep designs stylish yet economical. One piece of art on your wall can enhance the space. Everything in the home does not have to be super expensive and we are at a stage whereby we can expect the best of both of worlds.?

While space styling is an international concept that goes beyond interior designs, Cocoon Fine Rugs founder Ayush Chaudhury feels that home d?cor techniques should involve creating newer and fresher styles that will appeal to a young generation of homeowners who are not afraid to experiment and try different looks.

?Indians have always had a great eye for aesthetics and a love for all things beautiful. This year, like years before, I expect to see Indian designers continuing to push the envelope. At Cocoon, we are coming up with signature collections inspired from various genres - graffiti, modern art and even prints from the 60s and 70s,? informs Chaudhury.

Cocoon Fine Rugs, a designer carpet gallery that was established in Mumbai in 2009, specialises in exclusive rug collections based on modern, transitional and classical rug designs for homes. The company works with leading interior designers, architects in India and abroad and their clientele includes top industrialists, Bollywood celebrities, corporates and even expats, who are true connoisseurs of design.

?It has been a fantastic journey as our client base has continued to grow year after year, which shows that good design and aesthetics are becoming more and more important to homeowners in India. At Cocoon, we design and manufacture all of our rugs in-house, which allow us to create bespoke designs, sizes and colour ways for our clients. Another interesting aspect to Cocoon is that our stores have been laid out like art galleries, where patrons can browse through our beautiful collections at leisure,? says Chaudhury.

Another novel concept in the business is eco-friendly furnishings. However, Bhalla informs that this developing trend it is clearly ahead of it is time. ?The eco-friendly furniture are pretty expensive, almost 30-40 per cent more costly and they tend to be delicate fabric as well. There is not much of a life and higher cost of replacement. This trend will take time,? Bhalla explains.

The Home Label (styled by Sussanne Khan) head merchandiser Supriya Hiremath Vora says that floral prints, vintage prints, copper barware, rustics and antique wooden serveware are some of the home d?cor trends to watch out for in 2015.

?Our aim at The Label Corp is to provide tastefully curated, signature and rare-to-find products to the discerning Indian audience. We meet the style needs of the working, independent city dwellers with a unique tastemaker backed model where Sussanne Khan helps to curate an assortment of products that are in keeping with worldwide trends. We seek to deliver an inspiring and expert-guided retail experience like no other,? Vora says, explaining the concept of Home Label.

Giving an insight into the way in which the interior d?cor industry in India has evolved over the last few years, Vora says, ?After exposure to global lifestyles, Indians now want well styled and designed home interiors. The shoppers have become more aware and evolved in the kind of products they require.?

Talking about the USP of his company that was set up in 2009, which offers a wide range of window solutions for each and every Indian home, Deco Window CEO and managing director Vaibhav Jain says, ?Home decor represents a person's personality and tastes. A major chunk of our customers are married couples who are looking for options beyond conventional available designs. So, we try making some unique options for our customers that will match their personality and help in making their homes more beautiful.?

Jain believes that the d?cor styles that should pick up in 2015 include bold printed and bright perky coloured curtains with a combination of hues mostly pastel shades and shades of red. Also sheer curtains with a combination of bright hues of self-coloured curtains will be a trend to look forward to.

?In addition, the use of garden torches is also a trend that we started last year, which we will also carry on this year as it is the hottest products of the season,? he says.

A popular trend that is picking up rapidly in the home d?cor industry is e-shopping for home furnishings.

?When it comes to home d?cor, there are some apprehensions in the mind of the customers about the look, feel and material of the products. That's why we make sure that the product descriptions are as detailed as possible. Convenience is the biggest advantage of e-shopping for home d?cor. People can sit at home and select the products that they want to buy,? says Jain.

Elaborating on the online shopping for home d?cor, Chaudhury opines, ?The reach of e-shopping is phenomenal. You can have a store in one part of the world but can cater to customers on even the other side of the globe. It also allows people to get a first taste of your brand, even before they walk into your physical store.?

Vora also feels that online purchasing allows quick and easy shopping for just about anything ranging from a surround sound system, an idol for your puja room or a vase for your coffee table. ?You can compare the prices, look at all possible options and decide peacefully without ever leaving your home. You can shop at 7 am or 2 pm, depending on when you have the time or have thought of something you need for your home,? she points out.

Bhalla, on the other hand, has a different taking to the e-shopping concept. While she believes it is a trend that is picking pace at an unprecedented rate, it helps only for low value items and commoditized items like cushion, mugs etc.  

?I agree that online shopping is a youthful medium for people to venture into but honestly if you looking at purchasing higher end products, you cannot just shop online. There needs to be involved shopping for things like furniture ? where one can touch and feel. I think that is still of value today,? Bhalla says.

On similar lines, Choudhury clarifies that the only disadvantage with online shopping is that it does not capture the touch and feel elements of the product.

?However, as long as you can address that somehow, e-commerce is the way of the future,? he concludes.

The fourth episode of Talking Point with Ritwika Gupta features JD Majethia, an actor par excellence, a producer and director of some very popular television shows.  He is also the co-founder of HatsOff Productions and also runs his very own acting academy, HatsOff Actors Studios. On this episode, JD shares his interesting journey from advertising to theatre, television and films. Confessing that he probably cannot imagine doing anything else apart from acting, JD sees life in a very positive manner and reveals the secret behind donning a hat all the time!