Outside of the Search Engines want traffic - Explaination

Outside of the Search Engines want traffic - Explaination

   May 06, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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Build Traffic Sources Outside of the Search Engines Nick Stamoulis

When it comes to marketing your business online and generating traffic to your website, the search engines should be a primary driver of traffic. After all, when people are looking for a product, service, or information that is typically the first place that they turn to which is why an SEO program is so important today. However, even as an SEO firm we will be the first to admit that the search engines shouldn't be the only source of traffic to your website. Putting all of your eggs in one basket like that can be risky which is why it’s best to have a presence in many places across the web that can generate traffic to your website.

Build Traffic Sources Outside of the Search Engines

It’s important to consider where your target audience is spending time on the web (outside of the search engines) and seek out opportunities to build a brand presence (and a link) on those sites. Typically these sites are sites that are in some way related to the products or services that you sell. If you sell computer software, it might be a popular computer software industry blog. 

There could be advertising opportunities on the blog, or even better- guest blog posting opportunities. Getting a guest blog post published on an industry blog is ideal because it’s a way to share your expertise and gain attention in the industry. Niche sites like these can be the best source of traffic because the visitors are highly targeted and it’s likely that what your site offers correlates with their needs. In addition to industry blogs, industry forums, directories, and message boards are also great spots.

Social media is another important outlet to build up a brand presence today. People are visiting social media sites for a variety of reasons. Like the search engines, the major social networking sites all include search features. Those that are social media savvy might be more likely to conduct a search in social media as opposed to the search engines, to get insights from users or to find additional content outside of the static pages that exist on your site. 

For B2Bs, LinkedIn can be a great source of referral traffic as long as you are using the medium correctly. It’s important to join groups that attract like minded people and share any informational content that you create with these groups. It’s a significant source of traffic and again, these visitors are highly targeted. There are many opportunities within social media to share links that will deliver traffic back to your site.

Building links on industry sites and within social media is going to improve your SEO, but that is really just an added benefit. The main benefit is that these links will generate traffic to your site from those that are most interested in what you have to offer. The search engines are an important source of traffic, but the search engines are also unpredictable. You never know when an algorithm change could affect your placement for certain keywords. That’s why it’s important to build traffic from a variety of sources. If for some reason your SEO takes a hit, your business will still be able to survive because targeted traffic is still finding your site in other ways.

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The Most Important Component of B2B SEO is Content

The Most Important Component of B2B SEO is Content

   May 06, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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With all of the SEO rules changing as often as they do, and SEO tactics that were once beneficial now on the “bad” list, website owners that want to improve their search engine presence are now left wondering, “what can we do?” What we always tell our clients is that the most important thing that they can do to help improve their B2B SEO efforts is to produce quality content on a regular basis. This can be in the form of blog posts, guest blog posts, articles, white papers, press releases, webinars, etc.

Here are 2 key reasons why content is a necessary part of a B2B SEO campaign:

Content generates inbound links

In the early days of SEO there were plenty of ways to get inbound links back to your site and the focus was on getting as many inbound links as possible. Quantity was the goal, not quality. Link exchanges were common as part of a “you link to me, I’ll link to you” agreement. As the search engines cracked down on this sort of practice that was meant to manipulate the search results, it became much more difficult to generate inbound links. 

The best types of inbound links are the ones that occur naturally when a third party website owner thinks that you are worth linking to. Think about what kind of link this would be. Are they going to be linking to your service pages? Maybe, but not all that often. Third party sites are going to link to informational content that their audience will find beneficial. By consistently creating quality content you will be viewed as an authority in your industry and links to your content will serve as reference points that can supplement the content of others.

Content fuels a social media campaign

A social media campaign is a necessary component of online marketing today. After all, social media is where people spend lots of time online. It’s important to have a brand presence there and to keep your social media accounts active. There is no point in having a social media page for your business or brand if you never update it. One of the issues that businesses have is trying to figure out what they should be sharing in social media. If you are creating quality content on a regular basis, you will always have a steady stream of social media posts to coincide with when the content is published. If it’s possible, try and publish evergreen content as often as you can. 

This kind of content can be published in social media multiple times, since it will continue to be relevant for months or even years in the future and it’s doubtful that all social followers saw it the first time around. For SEO purposes, it’s necessary to get links shared in social media in order to improve your social signals, which indicates to the search engines that a page of web content is beneficial.

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Social Signals and Their Impact on Link Building - Brickmarketing

Social Signals and Their Impact on Link Building - Brickmarketing

   May 06, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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Social Signals and Their Impact on Link Building - Shawna Wright

There is no denying that traditional link building is getting harder and harder. Earning “natural” or “editorial” links relies heavily on your content marketing and content promotion efforts. But site owners and bloggers may be more likely to link to established industry sites and authority figures than the new kid on the block, simply because they don’t want to link out to an un-trusted and untested source. In order to earn that social credibility and authority, websites need to start building their own online community of loyal fans and followers and establish themselves as a real player in their niche.

While many search marketers are on the fence as to whether social signals will completely replace traditional links, many are confident that social Social Signals and Their Impact on Link Buildingsignals will impact the value of a natural link. As Erin Everhart pointed out, “Links will always matter, but links without social signals could easily be coming under scrutiny.” The search engines are looking to reward websites that are transparent, honest, and forthcoming with their link building efforts and a link from a website with no social presence could very easily been an unnatural link. That is not the kind of link the search engines want to place a lot of value on.

Search marketer Marios Alexandrou says that “social signals, voting in particular, allow a broader set of people to weigh in on what is good content. This isn’t a new concept and was actually described back in 2009 by Mike Grehan in New Signals To Search Engines, ‘Signals from end users who previously couldn’t vote for content via links from web pages are now able to vote for content with their clicks, bookmarks, tags and ratings.’”

While it’s getting harder and harder to fake your link profile (and not get pegged for it), it’s much harder to fake true social engagement. The search engines aren’t just looking at how many followers you have, but how many followers your followers have. Are they real people with real social presences of their own? Do they share other content, have their own opinions and points of view, or do they only exist to regurgitate your brand’s information? A real social figure sharing your content, even one with a relatively small social footprint, is worth a lot more than a bot account doing all the dirty work.

The reason that Google and Bing have relied on links for so long is links were supposed to be how one website gave their stamp of approval on another. Unfortunately the spammers took link building to the extreme and just looked for any link without regards for the quality of the site they were getting that link from. The search engines have since learned that just because a website has a lot of links it doesn’t mean it provides a lot of value. By adding social signals into the mix the search engines can weed out spam sites that just care about links for links sake and reward those sites that are providing real value to their audiences.

While a tweeted link or a link from a LinkedIn group might not carry the same weight as a traditional link from an industry website or citation (and who knows, someday it might!), those social signals do add credibility to your online presence overall because they tell the search engines you are a real brand with a real personality and a real commitment to growing your overall online presence.

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Social Networking App Skout Acquires Nightlife App Nixter

Social Networking App Skout Acquires Nightlife App Nixter

   May 06, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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Mobile Social Networking App Skout Acquires Nightlife App Nixter  by Kim-Mai Cutler

Skout, a social networking app that’s backed by $22 million from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, just acquired nightlife app Nixter. 

Skout’s CEO Christian Wiklund (pictured above) said he pursued the deal to find a better way to marry offline and online interactions in Skout’s app with real-world events. While Skout is an app that helps connect strangers all over the world, Nixter’s platform lets party seekers find upcoming nightlife events in their city, buy tickets, see the guest list or get VIP accommodations.

“This will be a huge value-add service to our users. I also think it’s highly monetizable and it will build even stronger loyalty from our users,” Wiklund said.

Wiklund didn’t close the amount Skout paid for the company. The deal was a mixture of cash and stock.

Nixter, which came out of Santiago, Chile, was founded about two years ago and it now operates in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. It had raised about $200,000 in angel funding, largely from a group of angel investors down in Chile.

The company’s co-founder Francisco Saez says the company weighed a bunch of different options. They’re competing against a number of other apps including San Francisco-based WillCall, which focuses on live events.

“We had other offers, but we worried about losing a lot of power and autonomy until we started talking with Skout,” Saez said.

Wiklund said that Nixter will be kept as a separate app and brand, although it will be heavily integrated into Skout.

As for Skout, while Wiklund didn’t share overall audience numbers, he said the company hit profitability about six months ago. The app sells points, which are like a virtual currency that can be redeemed to unlock special features like the ability to see who has checked you out. Wiklund says that 30 percent of Skout’s users are in the U.S., while the remainder are abroad.

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WalmartLabs Buys Adtech Startup Adchemy

WalmartLabs Buys Adtech Startup Adchemy

   May 06, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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WalmartLabs Buys Adtech Startup Adchemy, Its Biggest Talent Deal Yet

the retailer’s Silicon Valley-based innovation lab and R&D center, has now made its twelfth acquisition with the purchase of e-commerce technology company Adchemy, its biggest deal yet in terms of people. Founded in 2004, and backed by nearly $120 million in outside funding, Adchemy had experimented with a number of business models over the years. And though it had been making steady progress, CEO Murthy Nukala admitted as recently as last November, that it was not yet profitable.

Adchemy founder and CEO Nukala is not joining as a part of the deal, we’re told.

While deal terms are not being disclosed, we’re also hearing that Adchemy was mainly a talent acquisition for the retailer.

The team of 60 who are joining @WalmartLabs include a number of skilled engineers, including Rohit Deep, previously the Chief Architect and Engineering Lead at WebEx; Ethan Batraski, formerly the head of search innovation at Yahoo; and data scientist Esteban Arcaute, a Stanford Ph.D., also previously at Yahoo.

“They built an incredibly strong team of talented folks who understood product search, product relevance, SEO, SEM, and data scientists and Ph.D’s who could build this technology,” explains Jeremy King, who leads @WalmartLabs.

The Adchemy team’s combined skill sets overlap with many of the same things Walmart itself is working on today, including improvements to its product search engine and product classification systems, for example.

We also understand that Adchemy’s technology and IP is not going to replace Walmart’s existing infrastructure, but instead it will be about enhancing the talent pool in three specific teams working at @WalmartLabs today.

For starters, Walmart has been working on improvements to its sites’ search engines (e.g., Walmart.com and SamsClub.com) over the years, having acquired semantic search company Kosmix back in 2011 for $300 million to help it build up its team.

Though Kosmix’s founders later left the company, the engineers remained. Together, they built on top of Kosmix’s “social genome” technology to launch a new version of Walmart.com search, dubbed “Polaris” in 2012. Those changes immediately improved conversions on Walmart.com by 20%, the company now tells us. With the Adchemy buy, a number of that company’s engineers will now be tasked with continuing the efforts started by that team.

Another area where Adchemy’s engineering talent will help in product classification. Walmart added 6 million products to its site over the last year, and plans to add millions more in the months ahead, we’re told. Walmart, like other online retailers, has to classify items using the data provided by the manufacturer, reseller, or marketplace provider, to determine what the item is, how it should be categorized within Walmart’s own product database, how it should be tagged, and more.

Adchemy’s engine was a bit different from Walmart’s in this case, however, as it was focused more on ad targeting. That is, it would determine if a page was about shoes or electronics, for instance, while Walmart’s tech goes deeper, trying to determine things like “which shoe,” or “which gadget.”

Finally, Adchemy’s in-house expertise in SEO and SEM who will also be joining the @WalmartLabs’ team.

Adchemy had a complicated history, detailed here on Business Insider last winter. The company began with six products but killed off five of them over the years, including its lead gen business, sold to XL Marketing in November 2013. Its most recent efforts had focused on semantic search technology, which why it ended up with the high-caliber talent that attracted Walmart’s interest. The idea was to extract the “meaning” from a retailer’s catalog, so it could respond with better product listing ads in Google based on that deeper understanding, rather than just keyword matching.

It customers included Macy’s, ModCloth, Overstock.com, American Eagle Outifitters, Finish Line, Resolution, and a couple dozen others. Those customers were alerted about this deal, and will have their contracts terminated when it closes. - by Sarah Perez

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Celebrity Makeup Artist Tips for Summer seasons

Celebrity Makeup Artist Tips for Summer seasons

   April 30, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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Celebrity Makeup Artist Tips That Are Perfect for Summer

Celebrity makeup artists have to make sure that the stars look fab under all those flashing lights, and some of their tricks for achieving the perfect golden red carpet glow can also be used to create a sexy summer beauty look.

Here's a look at a few celebrity artist makeup tips that will help you shine like a star under the summer sun:

Prime and Protect

Kerry Washington's makeup artist, Carola Gonzalez, told Pop Sugar that she doesn't just use Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Tough Sunscreen to protect Kerry's skin - she loves the radiance that it gives the "Scandal" star's skin. She mixes it with Neutrogena Healthy Skin Primer before applying it all over Kerry's face. Gonzalez then uses a little Neutrogena Shine Control Primer on the T-Zone before moving on to applying under eye concealer with a small brush. She recommends using a concealer that's a shade lighter than your skin tone. The makeup artist finishes Kerry's fresh-faced look by using a wet Beauty Blender sponge to apply her foundation. This is the perfect summer look because it gives you sunscreen and shine control, and the double primers will keep your makeup in place. The wet sponge also ensures that your makeup won't look too heavy.

Layer Your Blush

"Scandal" makeup artist Sheri Knight also has a great makeup tip. She told Allure that she layers Kerry Washington's blushes to make sure that they don't melt off under the hot studio lights. You might want to try the trick to keep yours from melting off under the sweltering summer sun. Knight starts by applying a cream blush on the apples of the actress's cheeks. She then seals it in place with a dusting of shimmery pink powder blush. She likes to use Stila Convertible Color in Camellia followed by Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blush in Pure.

Use Lip Gloss on Your Eyes

Here's a creative way to keep your eyeshadow in place during the summer. Beyonce's makeup artist, Sir John, told Elle an interesting trick for giving eyelids a glossy glow. First he recommends applying a waterproof eyeshadow like Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24 Hour Cream Gel. You might want to try blending Bold Gold and Pomegranate Punk to create a bronze smoky eye look worthy of Queen Bey. Now you simply dab a little lip gloss on the end of your finger and apply a tiny amount of it on top of your eyelids. Since the eyeshadow is waterproof, you don't have to worry about it smudging. Sir John says that the gloss will reflect light, so your lids will look lustrous when you whip off your shades before hopping on your surfboard.

Give Your Lips a Golden Glow

You might prefer to rock pink and coral lipstick shades during the summer, but don't be afraid to wear dark red for a sexy summer night. Lupita Nyong'o's makeup artist, Nick Barose, has a great tip for tweaking red lipstick - simply apply a little gold eyeshadow to the center of the lip using your finger. Barose told Byrdie that a golden lip looks especially stunning on dark skin. For Lupita's BAFTA Awards look, he used DiorAddict Gloss in Cygne Noir and Sisley Paris' Phyto Ombre Glow Eyeshadow in Amber. - 

(source) http://goo.gl/1PK7Pm

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Once Upon a Time - Crowded with Disney Characters Appear on Show

Once Upon a Time - Crowded with Disney Characters Appear on Show

   April 30, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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'Once Upon a Time' Is Crowded, but These Disney Characters Should Appear on the Show

The "Once Upon a Time" fairytale world is already crowded with a hodgepodge of characters from almost every animated Disney movie inspired by a storybook. However, there are some popular characters who haven't appeared on the show yet, and it would be fun to see them pop up in the future. Here's a look at the princesses, villains, and heroes who should make an appearance before Emma Swan and her family finally get their happily ever after:

Chernabog from "Fantasia"

The Evil Queen, Peter Pan, and The Wicked Witch look like those chubby-cheeked "Fantasia" cherubs next to this mountain-sized demon. The massive creature looks like something out of an H. P. Lovecraft novel, and he has the power to control an undead army of harpies, skeletal ghosts, and impish demons. If Chernabog ever makes an appearance in "Once Upon a Time," the show might become just a shade darker. I could see the monster getting a Cthulhu-like story with evil, obsessive members of his cult trying to awaken him from his slumber. Regina, Emma, and Mr. Gold also might need to summon another powerful sorcerer to defeat the beast, so this would be an excellent time for Merlin to make an appearance.

The Headless Horseman from "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad"

Headless characters have been pretty popular recently. There's the "Sleepy Hollow" Headless Horseman, Kathy Bates' decapitated head from "American Horror Story: Coven," and Hershel's zombified head from "The Walking Dead." The Headless Horseman was one of Disney's spookiest characters, so it would be fun to see the character haunting the Enchanted Forest and chucking flaming pumpkins at terrified residents of the fairytale world.

Princess Tiana from "The Princess and the Frog"

Isn't it about time for someone to kiss a frog on "Once Upon a Time?" Many "OUAT" fans were probably disappointed to discover that "The Walking Dead" star Sonequa Martin-Green was playing one Peter Pan's magic-hating minions, not Princess Tiana. If "OUAT" ever does try to cast a Tiana, I would love it so much if Sonequa could talk "The Walking Dead" costar Danai Gurira into going for the role. It would be awesome to see Tiana re-imagined as a swashbuckling heroine who knows how to use a sword, and perhaps her frog could be another jealous green-skinned character from Oz (envy actually makes you turn green in the Wonderful Wizard's world). Better yet, maybe Tiana could become Mulan's new love interest after failing to find love by kissing a cursed toad.

Elsa from "Frozen"

Now that the Evil Queen character has pretty much been redeemed, it's time for another resentful and powerful ruler to get her chance at redemption. We've already seen quite a few far away lands on "Once Upon a Time" and "Once Upon a Time in Wonderland," including Victorian England, Wonderland, Neverland, Storybrooke, and Oz. Since there are so many vastly different worlds out there, surely one of them is covered in ice (Santa just has to be real on "Once!").

Cruella de Vil from "101 Dalmatians"

Pongo already exists on "Once," so his sadistic nemesis has to show up eventually. It would be interesting to see her re-imagined as a powerful, puppy-hunting sorceress. Another idea would be to combine her character with that of Yzma from "The Emperor's New Groove." Obviously she would turn whoever she's upset with into a Dalmatian instead of a llama.

Princess Jasmine and Aladdin from "Aladdin"

It seemed inevitable that these two would pop up in "Once Upon a Time in Wonderland" since that short-lived series featured Jafar and genies, but perhaps the beloved princess and wannabe prince are being saved for "Once." We've already visited Agrabah a few times and didn't get to stay long, so perhaps we'll go there again. Prince Eric once said that the land is separated from the Enchanted Forest by a vast desert, so maybe our heroes will end up having to trek there in search of another important magical MacGuffin.

Hades from "Hercules"

A wise-cracking Hades would certainly be a formidable foe for Mr. Gold, and we already know that at least one character from Greek mythology used to exist in the "Once" world (RIP, Medusa). If Jafar's floating fortress from "Once Upon a Time in Wonderland" is a possibility, surely a powerful sorcerer would be capable of creating a fiery underground lair.

Which Disney characters would you like to see on "Once," and do you think any characters would be a bad fit for the show? - Aida Ekberg

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Solid Advice On Building A Great Marketing With Email List - Online

Solid Advice On Building A Great Marketing With Email List - Online

   April 28, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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The world wide web has turned conventional marketing on its head. Email marketing can help your business maintain relationships with its customers. By reading the article below, you will discover tips to help you implement a successful email marketing campaign.

When researching email promoting, use as many resources as possible. Online books or articles will be greatly helpful. In addition, lots of local classes and workshops can be discovered in your area. Therefore, it would help you to attend these when you can.

Keep track of the subject lines on e-mails that get opened and those that do not. For a single email, split your mailing list in half randomly, with each half receiving messages that have different subjects. This way, you will be able to gain insight as to which subject lines will encourage the highest open rates. You will also see which subject lines people will skip over without reading.

TIP! Try not to overuse urgent language and phrases such as “Hurry!” or “Purchase immediately!” Stay away from harsh sales techniques such as bombarding them with the need to immediately “Buy Now!” This will make you look like you are spamming them, which will in turn affect your business. They are aware that you want to increase sales, so it would be best if you built a solid, professional relationship with them before encouraging them to buy anything.

Test different formats for your email. Include important details and the latest information right at the beginning of your emails. You should however experiment with various formats in order to identify which format elicits the most responses. Stick with what works. This consistency will make it easy for customers to know where to locate your information and maneuver through your emails quicker.

Don’t send out emails without getting the permission of the person you’re sending it to. If you start sending unsolicited messages, you will be unlikely to be taken seriously. You could lose customers and get reported for sending unwanted emails.

Don’t send more than one email promoting message per week. Your customer base is likely made up of people who are busy and receive many messages each day. Customers may skip your emails if they receive too many of them.

TIP! Test your subject line using two variations for the same email. Split the mailing list in half.

The more you allow your customers to customize their experiences, the better your campaign will be. Allow your subscribers to choose the number of messages they would like to receive and how often, as well as what information they want to disclose. Giving your customers more control over the process will make them more comfortable.

Develop a strategy that addresses your customer base. However, persistent you are with your marketing campaign, it needs to be geared towards the right people in order to be successful. Bugging the wrong customers creates ill will and wastes resources you could be using on other customers.

A lot of your customers will be opening your emails on their smartphones or mobile devices. Such devices have just a fraction of the resolution of a standard computer monitor, so your messages will look quite different. Know the limitations that you have when it comes to these small displays, and ensure your emails can be read on a phone screen.

TIP! Use consistency in your message. Use your logo and a standard color scheme in each email you send.

Provide an incentive with each email you send to your customers. They are more likely to conduct business with you when they have a reason to do so. One common example of such an incentive is to offer free shipping if a customer’s total order exceeds a certain amount.

This may seem like obvious advice, but make sure that when you are doing email marketing, that you have the correct addresses for all your contacts. It would be a waste of time looking for email addresses and having to resend emails after they didn’t go through. This just wastes your precious time!

Get your customer’s name when they sign up for your marketing via email list. This allows you to address each customer individually in the email, personalizing your message. The emails that you send to them will stand out because recipients won’t feel quite so anonymous.

TIP! Always get customer permission before you begin contacting via email marketing. Unwanted emails are usually viewed as spam, and are ignored or deleted without being read.

Make sure all of the marketing emails you send are short. Your language should be as direct as possible. This can demonstrate that you value the time your readers take to correspond with you. It will also increase the chances of your readers reading all the way to the end of the email. This is crucial. Don’t forget that the last part of your email will probably have important links and information.

If you are new to e-mail marketing, get in the habit of proofreading your emails before sending them. Many people forget this step, which is unfortunate. After all, it’s only email, isn’t it? That is incorrect! Your marketing via email strategy is an important part of your marketing campaign and must be done correctly and attractively.

If your company already has branded their emails, make sure all new emails stay consistent with previous branding. Use the same color pattern you use regularly, while also including your company logo on each email communication you send out. Your emails will benefit from being associated with the good reputation of your established brand.

TIP! Remember that your email list is meant to increase your business profits. Every email that is sent should entice the readers to want to buy a product or service.

Email Promoting

The Internet has created many great new ways to promote your business. In order to connect with new customers and seek out new ones, a business owner can take advantage of the powerful communications tools offered by email promoting. The ideas and tips you learned above should help you in your email promoting efforts.

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Lava IvoryS dual-SIM Android tablet with voice calling launched at Rs. 8,499

Lava IvoryS dual-SIM Android tablet with voice calling launched at Rs. 8,499

   April 28, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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Lava IvoryS dual-SIM Android tablet with voice calling launched at Rs. 8,499

Lava has launched its new 3G-capable voice-calling tablet, the IvoryS, at Rs. 8,499. The IvoryS tablet will be available across physical and online retail stores in India, and comes in Grey and White colours. 

The tablet supports voice calling via its dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) card support, where one SIM card slot is capable of 3G connectivity. The IvoryS tablet runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, and features a 7-inch TFT LCD display with a 1024x600 pixels resolution. The device is powered by 1.3GHz dual-core MediaTek (MT8312) Cortex A7 processor paired with a Mali 400 GPU and 1GB of RAM. The Lava IvoryS features a 3.2-megapixel rear camera with flash and a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video calling. 

The IvoryS tablet comes with 4GB of inbuilt storage, which can be further expanded via microSD card (up to 32GB). Connectivity options on the tablet include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPRS/ EDGE, 3G and Micro-USB. The tablet has a battery capacity of 2800mAh, which is rated to deliver up to 200 hours of standby time, and 8 hours of talk time. 

The IvoryS tablet comes with some preloaded apps, such as Opera, Hungama Music App, WhatsApp, PayTM, and a few EA Games titles. The tablet comes with dimensions 191x108.5x9.8mm and weighs 300 grams. 

Commenting on the launch of IvoryS tablet, S.N. Rai, Co-founder and Director, Lava International, said, "We are very happy to announce the launch of our latest sleek and affordable offering, IvoryS, 7-inch tablet which is an extension of our Ivory Series. IvoryS is especially designed for youngsters and young working professionals to engage them with stylish product that meets their requirements of entertainment and connectivity at an affordable price. " 

Earlier, Lava launched the QPAD e704 at Rs. 9,999. It is a dual-SIM tablet with voice calling functionality. It comes with a 7-inch display with a resolution of 1024x600 pixels. The tablet runs on the dated Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system, with no word on a software update. 

The QPAD e704 tablet is powered by a quad-core Broadcom processor clocked at 1.2GHz, along with 1GB of RAM. Other specifications include a 3.2-megapixel rear camera, VGA front-facing camera and 4GB of inbuilt storage, which can be expanded up to 32GB with the help of microSD card. 

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Samsung says number of Galaxy S5s with non-working camera small

Samsung says number of Galaxy S5s with non-working camera small

   April 28, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said the number of its flagship Galaxy S5 smartphones shipped with non-working cameras was "very limited" and that it has taken measures to ensure the issue does not recur in new shipments.

Reports of the problem surfaced last week and come less than a month after the phone's global launch, with Samsung banking on the S5 to outdo its predecessor and rebuild momentum for the brand in an increasingly competitive market.

The South Korean firm has warned profits are likely to have fallen in January-March from a year earlier, its second straight quarter of decline.

"We have discovered that the issue has been seen in a very limited portion of early production Galaxy S5 units, and was caused by complications in the ROM (Read Only Memory) component which stores the information necessary to operate the camera," Samsung said in an e-mailed statement.

A company spokeswoman on Monday declined to specify the number of phones affected but said the problem had been reported in the United States and a few other countries.

Customers affected by the S5 camera failure should contact Samsung's customer service or the mobile service provider, she said.

Copyright: Thomson Reuters 2014 

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Amazon steps up US lobbying for Indian FDI, Walmart on halt

Amazon steps up US lobbying for Indian FDI, Walmart on halt

   April 28, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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After supermarket giant Walmart, it is online retail major Amazon which appears to be lobbying hard with the US lawmakers to seek their support for facilitating its "foreign direct investment in India". According to the latest lobbying disclosure reports filed with the US Senate, Amazon lobbied for a second straight quarter in January-March this year on issues related to FDI rules in India. 

On the other hand, Walmart has halted its India-specific lobbying for the second consecutive quarter during the same period, although it continues to lobby on issues related to "Walmart operations in international markets". According to the Amazon's lobbying disclosure report for the first quarter of 2014, matters related to "foreign direct investment in India" figure among numerous specific lobbying issues discussed by Amazon Corporate LLC and its registered lobbyists with the US lawmakers. Amazon, which is aggressively expanding its presence in the Indian online retail market, lobbied on issues related to Indian FDI during the October-December quarter of 2013 also, shows the Congressional records of lobby disclosure reports. 

The other matters on which Amazon lobbied during the last quarter include issues related to mobile payments, unmanned aerial vehicles, free trade agreements, high-skilled immigration, online wine sales, taxes and cyber security. Amazon is discussing issues related to Indian FDI, among other matters, with the members of the US Senate, the US Trade Representative, the Department of Commerce, the Department of State and the US House of Representatives. 

According to the lobby disclosure reports, Amazon.com and its group entities including Amazon Corporate LLC have been lobbying on various issues since 2000, but it was only in the quarter ended December 31, 2013 when its lobbying issues included "foreign direct investment in India". Earlier, Walmart had been lobbying very hard among the US lawmakers for their support on its FDI plans for India. However, a number of roadblocks including probes ordered by the Indian government seem to have tempered its ambitions for India, which has been projected as one of the biggest growth markets for the retail sector across the world. 

As per Walmart's latest disclosure, it spent close to $1.84 million on its overall lobbying activities in the US during January-March 2014, but there is no India-specific matters listed among the "specific lobbying issues" disclosed in this 18-page quarterly report. While India did not find a mention in the previous quarter (October-December 2013) lobbying disclosure report as well, "discussions regarding Foreign Direct Investment in India" used to be one of the 'specific lobbying issues' quite often in Walmart's earlier quarterly lobbying reports. In its latest quarterly disclosure, Walmart has however listed "discussions regarding Walmart operations in international markets" as one of the nearly 45 specific issues that Walmart and its lobbyists discussed with the lawmakers and the government departments in the US during January-March period this year.

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Fed review, corporate results to dictate Sensex movement - BUsiness Today

Fed review, corporate results to dictate Sensex movement - BUsiness Today

   April 28, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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Fed review, corporate results to dictate Sensex movement - BUsiness Today

The US Federal Reserve policy review on interest rates on April 29-30, 2014 will dictate the future course of market movement for the week. All eyes will be on the Fed statement and its future course of action. Earlier on March 19, 2014, the Fed went according to its plan by cutting its monthly bond purchases by $10 billion to $55 billion. Though the market doesn't expect any change in the US interest rates which is currently at 0.25 per cent, any adverse news on Wednesday would lead to the cascading effect across the globe including our market. 

Back home key corporate results from index heavyweights like Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Bharti Airtel and Sesa Sterlite will be important to watch. HUL will announce its result on Monday, April 28, 2014, while Bharti Airtel and Sesa Sterlite to declare its results on Tuesday, April 29, 2014. April 2014 automobile sale numbers towards the later part of the week will also be in focus. The market will be close on Thursday, May 1, 2014 on account of Maharashtra Day. 

Meanwhile last week, the BSE Sensex continued to inch close to the 23,000 mark and touched a new all-time high of 22,939.31 but ended flat on account of profit booking at higher levels. Today what can go wrong for the Sensex is an unstable government at the centre, US increase interest rates, FII flows drying up, uncontrolled twin deficit from the government, investments and reform process not picking up and downgrades by rating agencies. A couple of months back these factors seem to be haunting the Indian market, but today though all these factors being critical it doesn't seem to bother the market. 

The market has already discounted the fact that a stable lead by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will come to power. This has been clearly witnessed with the BSE Mid-cap and BSE Small-Cap Index surpassing the gains of BSE Sensex. In 2014, the BSE Mid-cap and BSE Small-cap index has gained 10 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively, against the BSE Sensex that is up by 7 per cent. 

Until the outcome of the general election, the Indian market will react mainly on global cues, currency and FII flows. At the current market levels there is no room for error and investors should stay guarded on their optimism and keep sufficient room for safety. - Mahesh Nayak

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Spice Smart Flo Glam Mi-357 now available online at Rs. 3,299

Spice Smart Flo Glam Mi-357 now available online at Rs. 3,299

   April 28, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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Spice Smart Flo Glam Mi-357 now available online at Rs. 3,299

Spice has quietly listed its budget Spice Smart Flo Glam Mi-357 smartphone on an online retail website along with its specifications and price. The smartphone is available for purchase at Rs. 3,299. 

TheSpice Smart Flo Glam Mi-357 is a dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) smartphone that runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. It comes with a 3.5-inch TFT LCD display with an HVGA (320x480 pixels) resolution and OGS (one glass solution) technology, which is seen in some of its previously launched smartphones. 

A dual-core processor (unspecified chipset) powers the smartphone, clocked at 1GHz, coupled with 256MB of RAM. The Spice Smart Flo Glam Mi-357 sports a 2-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, while there is a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera also onboard. 

The handset comes with 512MB of inbuilt storage, which can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. It supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPRS/ EDGE, but misses out on 3G connectivity. 

The Spice Smart Flo Glam Mi-357 is backed by a 1400mAh battery, measures 116 x 61 x 13 mm and weighs 135 grams (without battery). The smartphone is available in Blue and Black colour variants, as listed on the Saholic.com website. 

Earlier this month, Spice launched the Stellar Glide (Mi-438) for the Indian market at Rs. 5,199. The smartphone runs on Android Jelly Bean, sports a 4-inch display, a 2-megapixel rear and 1.3- megapixel front-facing camera, and is backed by a 1350mAh battery. 

The Stellar Glide (Mi-438) comes with 4GB of inbuilt storage, which can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. It supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, AGPS, EDGE, GPRS, and 3G connectivity options. 

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FMCG to underperform like ITC, Britannia - StanChart

FMCG to underperform like ITC, Britannia - StanChart

   April 28, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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FMCG to underperform; like ITC, Britannia: StanChart

FMCG major will be declaring its March quarter numbers later in the day. The company has been reporting volumes in a narrow range of 4-6 percent. But Sanjay Singh, Director, Standard Chartered, expects HUL to declare volumes even lower at 2-3 percent or less in the fourth quarter. He feels the company’s net profit growth maybe lower because of higher taxes. However, according to him, margins may remain flat and may be cushioned due to lower ad spend.

Singh says HUL is likely to trade in a narrow, rangebound manner as large investors must have exited during the open offer. He expects the stock to trade with a notional support at Rs 525-550 per share.

He however has an underperform call on the sector due to steep valuations. Among other FMCG stocks, he likes and . He believes the change in management and margin uptick are working well for Britannia. He feels the macroeconomic recovery bodes favourably for .

Below is the verbatim transcript of Sanjay Singh's interview with Latha Venkatesh & Sonia Shenoy on CNBC-TV18. 

Sonia: How much weakness are you anticipating in Hindustan Unilever (HUL) numbers this time and what would be the key numbers or parameters to watch out for in the earnings? 

A: The key is volume which will be a little disappointing this quarter. HUL has been reporting a very narrow range of around 4-6 percent for the last five quarters in terms of volumes but this quarter it should come down to 2-3 percent if not lower and hence volume growth will be a key disappointment in today’s results. Margin should be okay and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) growth will be just above track the topline growth, net profit growth maybe lower because of higher tax rates. moneycontrol

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Textile inflation Good or Bad

Textile inflation Good or Bad

   April 28, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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Clothing (kapda) is next only to food (roti) in importance when it comes to meeting the basic consumption requirement of humans. Therefore, inflation in textiles matters just as much as food inflation, especially for the poor.

At the same time, it is necessary to understand the nature of inflation in textiles.

In recent times, the contribution of the ‘textiles’ sub-group to core inflation has reportedly gone up to 26.4 per cent in January and 22.15 per cent in February 2014, which is much more than its 13.32 per cent weight in the core wholesale price index. Also, it has been reported that inflation in the current year for textiles has been higher than its average for the last 10 years.

But to gain a proper perspective that will enable wise policy action, it is important to examine the components of textile inflation and also analyse consumption patterns within textiles.

Just as we have ‘good’ cholesterol and ‘bad’ cholesterol — we need to increase the former and reduce or keep the latter under control — even textile inflation has a good and a bad part.

Any inflation that impacts the common man is like bad cholesterol that needs to be reduced.

But any inflation that helps increase the incomes of the ordinary farmer or handloom weaver without really impacting the poor consumer should be treated like good cholesterol. It is good inflation.

Synthetics vs handlooms 

Just as in the developed world, in India, too, the poor man is increasingly consuming synthetics and man-made textiles that are cheaper. Be it saris, dress material, trouser material or even dhotis, they are all being made from pure polyester material or poly viscose blends. Given the impact on poor consumers in our country, it is obvious that we need to keep the inflation numbers of synthetic and manmade textiles under close watch.

But on the other hand, inflation in handloom textiles is good in many ways, as it rewards the cotton farmer and the handloom weaver. It only means the rich in India who are the main consumers of subsidised handloom fabric are finally willing to pay the weaver a bit more than a mere worker, recognising the artisan in him.

Given the large number of textile mills and producers, besides the virtual absence of entry barriers and the extraordinary ease with which capacity addition can 

happen, the industry here has been operating at very low net profit rates over long periods of time. The existence of over 30 per cent surplus capacity across the value chain in the textile industry forces it to be always internationally competitive. Under the circumstances, inflation in textiles can happen only as a consequence of inflation in raw material or power costs.

But in the cotton textiles sector, increase in the main raw material cost only helps the farmer. Since cotton textiles is mainly consumed by the affluent, apart from being substantially exported, inflation in its case is good; the grower ends up receiving more than the Government’s minimum support price for kapas (raw cotton).

Better value 

However, this is not so with man-made and synthetic textiles, which are largely consumed by the poor and lower middle-class. Inflation here badly hurts the aam aadmi. Even the raw materials in this case are produced by large monopoly producers that are hugely profitable companies.

Moreover, these companies have got themselves effectively decoupled from international prices through uncalled-for anti-dumping duties in addition to regular tariff protection (see table).

It is clear that the bad part of textile inflation has mainly to do with the large wedge between domestic and global synthetic fibre prices. That is being primarily helped by the Government extending anti-dumping duty protection to large, hugely profitable monopoly producers in India. The solution to reducing textile prices for the poor, therefore, rests with the Government.

If it acts and removes the above uncalled-for protection, bad textile inflation for the poor will immediately register a drop.

It is equally important that we allow the poorer members of the textile value chain to get better prices for their produce — be it the farmer or the handloom weaver.

(The writer is Chairman, Loyal Textiles)

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Raspberry Pi modded into a $160 cellphone

Raspberry Pi modded into a $160 cellphone

   April 28, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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Remember how happy you were when you got your Raspberry Pi project to do, well, anything?

Programming savant and photographer David Hunt has merely created a working cellphone with his, complete with video proof.

The PiPhone consists of a bunch of off-the-shelf parts, like a PiTFT touchscreen and 2,500mAh battery that cost a grand total of $158.

While that might seem a lot for an ungainly dumbphone, bear in mind that it's a one-off with no economies of scale working for it. As any Pi hobbyist knows, it's also an impressive feat and Hunt is willing to upload his source code if you're brave enough to give it a crack.

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RCom TTSL and Aircel tie-up for pan-India 3G roaming services

RCom TTSL and Aircel tie-up for pan-India 3G roaming services

   April 28, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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RCom, TTSL, and Aircel tie-up for pan-India 3G roaming services

Telecom operator Reliance Communications (RCom) on Monday announced a tripartite agreement with Tata Teleservices (TTSL) and Aircel to provide 3G roaming services to each other's customers using their network across country. 

RCom and Aircel have permits for 3G services in 13 out of 22 service areas while Tata Teleservices has permits in 9 circles. RCom circles comprise Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, North East, Jammu & Kashmir. 

With this agreement, RCom gets access to 5 new service areas - Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and UP East where Aircel has presence. Its agreement with TTSL gives it access to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana and UP west. 

The partnership gives Aircel and Tata Teleservices access to most expensive service areas of Delhi and Mumbai where RCom has permits. 

For the quarter ended 31 December 2013, the RCom had 36.2 million data customers, including 11.1 million 3G customers. 

"We are delighted to be the first operator to offer 3G national roaming to our customers in partnership with other telecom firms having state-of-the-art 3G networks. These alliances will further consolidate RCom's position as the leading data operator in the country and will help the Company improve its post-paid and Corporate customer market share," RCom's Chief Executive Officer for Consumer Business, Gurdeep Singh, said in a statement. 

"We have always delivered innovative products and services to our customers with incredible affordability and, at RCom, we strongly believe in connecting every Indian and bringing about a discernible change not just in their lifestyles, but in their lives as well," he added. -- NDTV

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How would you change Samsung ATIV Tab

How would you change Samsung ATIV Tab

   April 28, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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How would you change Samsung's ATIV Tab?

don't normally discuss products that I've reviewed on How Would You Change, but I'm making an exception for Samsung's ATIV Tab.

The Korean company pondered the merits of launching the device right up to its debut, and swiftly axed any US expansion before it could get off the ground.

As one of the first Windows RT devices, it came with a hobbled operating system, but the hardware was staggeringly good.

Unfortunately, it's rare that anyone actually splashed out on this unit, but I'm still asking anyone who owned one of these units to chip in.

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US-based Microsoft new owner of Nokias mobile devices

US-based Microsoft new owner of Nokias mobile devices

   April 28, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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The US-based software giant Microsoft, the new owner of Nokia's mobile devices business, will target the $50 billion affordable handset market to restore lost glory of a firm which once was the world's largest handset maker. 

Before being acquired by Microsoft, Nokia had lost a considerable part of its market share to Samsung and Apple as it struggled to position itself among the fast changing needs of consumers. 

Nokia had partnered Microsoft in 2011 to bring out the Lumia range of smartphones, based on Windows Phone operating system (OS) of the Redmond-headquartered firm. 

Windows Phone is already the fastest-growing ecosystem in the smartphone market and according to research firm IDC, it was the third biggest OS in fourth quarter of 2013. 

"With the Nokia mobile phone business, Microsoft will target the affordable mobile devices market, a $50 billion annual opportunity, delivering the first mobile experience to the next billion people while introducing Microsoft services to new customers around the world," it said in a statement. 

Low-cost handsets (sub Rs. 5,000 category) and smartphones (especially sub Rs. 7,000) from the stables of Asian handset makers like Huawei, ZTE, Micromax and Karbonn have been driving the growth in emerging markets of Asia and Africa. 

In India, the smartphone market stood at 44 million units shipped, up from 16.2 million in 2012. The overall phone market stood at close to 257 million units in 2013, up 18 percent from 218 million units in 2012, according to IDC data. 

Asked if the brand name of new phones would be changed, Microsoft in an emailed reply to PTI said it has "licensed the 

Nokia brand for Mobile Phones for 10 years, as well as for the purpose of marketing Nokia branded smart devices for a limited time". 

Microsoft targeting $50 billion budget mobile market post Nokia-deal Analysts are of the view that Nokia is a big brand in India and Microsoft would want to leverage that and innovate on top of it. 

"Nokia has a strong portfolio of devices across price points and of smartphones. We hope that Microsoft will continue to play across the spectrum, both high and the low-end as far as prices are concerned," IDC Senior Market Analyst Manasi Yadav said. 

They are expected to continue with the Asha range as it is very popular in India and other markets and also comes at affordable price points, she added. 

"Microsoft would also continue to focus on smartphones. The prices of smartphones should come down and we could see a 

Lumia device in the Rs. 6,500-10,000 range. India is a price sensitive market and it is important factor for sales," Yadav said. 

Microsoft is also expected to now aggressively market its Windows Phone platform after the completion of the deal, Gartner Principal Analyst Vishal Tripathi said. 

"Microsoft has been in discussions with local OEMs for its Windows [Phone] platform. That will only get more aggressive," he said. 

However, with the Chennai plant not being a part of the deal, its efforts could be affected. 

Microsoft said it will work closely with a range of hardware partners, developers, operators, distributors and retailers, providing platforms, tools, applications and services that enable them to make "exceptional" devices. 

"With a deeper understanding of hardware and software working as one, the company will strengthen and grow demand  for Windows devices overall," Microsoft added. 

(Disclaimer: Bing Apps are published by Microsoft) 

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Vijay aims for consistency in IPL-7

Vijay aims for consistency in IPL-7

   April 28, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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Stylish opening batsman Murali Vijay is slowly finding his feet in the colours of his new IPL team Delhi Daredevils and he says he wants to be consistent and finish off more games.

After playing for IPL's most decorated team Chennai Super Kings for five years, Vijay changed sides this season to open for Delhi and after three quiet innings, he has slowly started to make a mark with solid scores of 52 and 40, which helped his side beat Mumbai Indians in their last match yesterday.

"I want to be more consistent in my performances. I am working on that aspect. As far as my batting is concerned, I have been batting well. Once I get consistency in my batting, I will get going," said Vijay, talking about his experience so far in the Delhi side.

"I have been batting pretty well in the domestic season and have been hitting the ball really well. I just want to carry forward my good form to this IPL season. I am happy that my contribution has helped my team win (against Mumbai)," he said.

Vijay found his rhythm against Mumbai but got out while unnecessary trying to slog Rohit Sharma. Not surprisingly, he was disappointed.

"I should have won the match from there. There was no pressure on the team and on myself. I know I should have finished the game being the set batsman. I knew the batsmen coming in would find it difficult. I will try and finish the next game for the team," the Tamil Nadu batsman was quoted as saying by IPL official website.

Vijay also spoke about the uncomplicated methods of the Delhi team which allows every player to play freely.

"Kevin Pietersen and the Daredevils have a simple game plan. No one in this line-up has to be told anything because everyone in the team has played some level of international cricket. KP definitely brings a lot of experience to the team and it is good to be around with some good players," he said.

Vijay may have played for Chennai all these years before coming to Delhi, but he says he loves his new dressing room as well.

"I played for five years for Chennai Super Kings and it is going to be a different feeling for me in Delhi Daredevils dressing room. But the boys in the team are really good and we are looking forward to having a good season.

"We have nine more games to go and hopefully we can take this winning momentum into the India leg of the tournament," he said.

Delhi have ended their UAE leg of the IPL on a high note. They next play Rajasthan Royals in their home ground -- Ferozeshah Kotla -- on May 3.

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