Smartron srt.phone: A fine deal if you are a die-hard Sachin Tendulkar fan

Domestic information technology (IT) start-up Smartron, which counts Indian cricket legend Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar and former Motorola Mobility Chief Executive Sanjay Jha among its investors, recently launched the srt.phone smartphone, “inspired by the dependable traits of Tendulkar”.

At the launch of srt.phone, the company claimed that the smartphone used the best antennas and other security features that made it an all-rounder. Indeed, Smartron has pleased investors with its manoeuvres to deliver solutions ranging from internet of things (IoT) to smartphones built specifically for Indian consumers. But how does the srt.phone fare against the claims of dependability and the inspiration it apparently draws from one of the tallest role models for India in recent times?

To find out, Business Standard took the device for a spin and tested its real-life performance. Here is an in-depth review of the srt.phone:
!Design

The srt.phone offers a no-frills design, with rounded edges and curved sides. The smartphone might look appealing, but its polycarbonate built with metallic finish seems to somewhat spoil the experience. The plastic built is not loose or creaky – it fits perfectly on all sides and the matte touch adds to the aesthetics – but the pseudo metallic look was not necessary; it is way too prominent even at the first glance.

The front of the srt.phone is dominated by a 5.5-inch full-HD display protected with Gorilla Glass 3. There are three capacitive keys below the display, but these are without any sign or icon, just three flat dots. These dots acts are the home button and navigation keys. The earpiece along with sensors are placed neatly on the top, next to the front camera.
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Sachin: A Billion Dreams: A glorified account of an over-glorified celeb

As I walked out of the cinema hall after watching Sachin: A Billion Dreams, I wondered: Would I have thought differently of this biopic had I not known anything about the person it is based on? James Erskine’s documentary on one of the most celebrated cricketers in the world – one who has achieved a near-deific status in India – went along expected lines.

But was that because I, like many Indians and cricket followers around the world, already knew so much about Sachin Tendulkar? How would someone living under a rock for the last quarter of a century, and did not know who Tendulkar was, have liked it?

Sachin: A Billion Dreams starts off rather nicely, showing us a naughty curly-haired boy of seven or eight years living in Mumbai’s Bandra suburb, getting up to the usual seven-or-eight-year-old boy things like annoying his neighbours with pranks. The boy then receives a cricket bat as a gift from his elder sister, and this is where the story that most Indians and cricket followers already know begins.

This wasn’t the first time I was watching the celluloid adaptation of a story I already knew. I wasn’t, of course, expecting any suspense or plot twists, but I have been far more entertained by some of those other movies where I already knew what was going to happen, than I was by Sachin: A Billion Dreams. Maybe our man under the rock might think differently, but then a story still needs to be told properly, completely and honestly, and this is where Erskine’s attempt is found lacking.
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Sachin Tendulkar branded smartphones are launching today

Smartron, an Indian information technology company, is set to launch Sachin Tendulkar-branded smartphone in India today.

The information related to hardware and software of the upcoming smartphone is scarce and the company has kept the lid tight on such information until the official launch, which is just a few hours away now.

The srt.phone will become the first-ever signature smartphone endorsed by Sachin Tendulkar and there are chances that we may see more in the series in future as well.

Last year, Smartron received an undisclosed amount of funding from cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who is also a brand ambassador of the company.

The company does not have a vast line of product range and is currently offering just a smartphone – t.phone – and high-end tablet – t.book. Both the products are promoted as ‘designed and engineered in India’ and are currently available through major online e-commerce platform and offline retail stores.
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Tendulkar, Rekha worst in attendance among 12 nominated Rajya Sabha MPs

Former India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and yesteryear actress Rekha are the worst performers in attendance in the Rajya Sabha (upper house of Parliament) among the 12 nominated members, according to an analysis by Factly.in, a data journalism portal.

While Tendulkar has attended 23 of the 348 days since his nomination in 2012, Rekha has attended 18. Further, Rekha has not attended more than a single day in any session since her nomination in 2012.

While Rekha attended the least number of days compared to those who were nominated along with her, the expenditure incurred on her is the highest till date: Rs 65 lakh as salary and expenses. Expenditure incurred on Tendulkar is Rs 58.8 lakh, according to Rajya Sabha data.

This translates to an expenditure of Rs 360,000 per day incurred on Rekha and Rs 256,000 per day on Tendulkar.
The difference in the expenditure is only because of the allowances, since all other components are fixed for every member (MP). If a particular MP attended the house more often than others and has travelled more extensively than others, the expenditure incurred on him/her would be high. In Rekha’s case, it is the opposite.

Each MP is entitled to the following:

Salary (Rs 50,000 per month)
Constituency allowance (Rs 45,000 per month)
Office expense allowance (Rs 15,000 per month)
Travel & Daily Allowance (TA/DA) (variable)

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And the winner of 'Indian Idol 9' is L.V. Revanth

Hyderabad-based playback singer L.V. Revanth was on Sunday night declared to be the winner of the season of the singing reality show 'Indian Idol'.

26-year-old Revanth, has won a prize money of Rs. 25 lakh and a contract with Universal Music.

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar handed over the trophy to Revanth with other judges Anu Malik, Farah Khan and Sonu Nigam in attendance.

The season finale witnessed three contestants - L.V. Revanth, Khuda Baksh and PVNS Rohit - battle it out to win the title of Indian Idol.

The first runners-up was Khuda Baksh, the second runners-up was PVNS Rohit.

Revanth had a terrific journey on the show by singing songs like 'Moh Moh Ke Dhaage' from 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha' for the semi-finals.

He hails from Vishakhapatanam and is not a new comer to the world of singing as he had lent his voice to one of the biggest projects including the regional version of 'Baahubali'.

His song 'Manohari' also made him win the IIFA Utsavam award.

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