Apple's iPad event:

Apple's just-announced iPad looks like an iPhone on steroids, and it boasts a price tag that's a lot lower than people feared. But many of the enticing rumors about Apple's new tablet—such as chatter about a built-in camera, monthly TV subscriptions, and support for Verizon's 3G network—turned out to be dead wrong. Also: no iPhone for Verizon, at least not yet.You can check out the details on the new iPad right here, and don't get me wrong: judged on its own, away from all the gargantuan hype, and considering its $499 price tag (for the 16GB model), Apple's new tablet is certainly one sexy piece of gadgetry.But ... is it a category-changer, like the iPod and the iPhone before it? That'll be hard to judge right away, and I still need to see the thing in person before I start making any sweeping generalizations. That said, some of the coolest would-be features that had been rumored for the iPad failed to materialize Wednesday, starting with ...

No 3G support for Verizon

One of the earliest rumors about the iPad (which I'd still rather call the iTablet) was that it would come with embedded 3G support in addition to Wi-Fi. Well, the 3G part was true (monthly pre-paid plans will start at $14 for 250MB of data, or $29/month unlimited), but alas, no Verizon; instead, we're stuck with good 'ole AT&T (which is either a good or a bad thing, depending on how you feel about AT&T).

No jaw-droppingly new user interface

One of the most amazing things about the original iPhone was its ground-breaking touch interface; just pinch to zoom into a Web page! Tap to turn on the speakerphone! Swipe to flip through your photos! So maybe it was only natural that many of us gadget hounds (myself included) thought that Apple would come up with some new, "Minority Report"-style interface for the iPad ... perhaps some cool haptic feedback for the virtual QWERTY keypad, or maybe (as outlined in some recent patent filings) the ability to sense a finger that's hovering near the screen but not touching it. What we got, instead, was ... pretty much the same touch UI as on the iPhone, except with a lot more room. Not bad, but not all that revolutionary, either.

No built-in camera

The iPhone has a camera, the MacBook has a camera ... heck, even the new iPod Nano has a camera (well, a video-only camera, anyway). So, what about the iPad? Ahhh ... nope, and that's especially disappointing given the chatter from the Wall Street Journal that Apple has been toying with facial-recognition software that could potentially be used to, say, identify the various members of your family and deliver their own, customized iPad interface.

No Flash support

When, oh when, Apple, will you let us view Flash videos and Web modules on the mobile version of Safari? Who knows, but it's definitely not starting with the iPad, which is just as bereft of Flash support as the iPhone and iPod Touch are.

No user-replaceable battery

Steve Jobs claims that the iPad will come with an impressive 10 hours of battery life and a full month of stand-by time. Pretty cool, but as with the iPhone, the iPod Touch, and the latest MacBooks, the iPad battery comes sealed in the case, and there's no way to swap in a new one yourself.

No TV subscriptions

One of the more intriguing recent rumors was that Apple was going around to all the TV and cable networks, trying to sell them on the idea of monthly TV subscriptions that viewers would be able to watch on iTunes, the iPhone, Apple TV, or ... the iPad. Word even had it that Disney's Bob Iger was in San Francisco today, all set to announce a new content deal with Apple, but ... nope, didn't happen. (The writing for this non-event was on the wall, thanks to a recent New York Times story that reported that TV execs looked over Apple's subscription proposals and said "thanks, but no thanks.")

No iPhone software 4.0 announcement

Yet another interesting rumor had it that the reason that there hadn't been a big iPhone software update lately was that the new code was too intertwined with the iPad OS, and therefore we'd get a big announcement today for iPhone software 4.0—complete with full-on app multitasking, UI enhancements, and other goodies. The rumor sure sounded plausible (and hey, the part about the new iPhone software being closely interwoven with the iPad may well be true), but the Apple event came and went Wednesday, with nary a sign of iPhone software 4.0.

Last but not least ... no iPhone for Verizon

Besides the iPad itself, the Apple rumor that seemed to generate the most excitement was the possibility that Steve Jobs would announce the end of Apple's exclusive iPhone deal with AT&T ... and announce an iPhone for Verizon at the same time. After all, most believe that the Apple-AT&T deal is set to expire this summer anyway, so why not get a jump on the news? But as with the talk about the iPad coming with support for Verizon's 3G network ... well, maybe we'll get a Verizon iPhone in June or July, but we didn't see one today.

11 tax-savers to pick from

11 tax-savers to pick from

India, Jan. 17 -- Did you know that there are several other-non-insurance-products that can get the same tax benefit that an insurance policy does? Even within insurance, there are plans that get tax deduction and work better as a life cover. But these remain the financial world's best kept secrets.

Here's a run down of products that get you the Rs1 lakh deduction. In some cases, you don't even need a further outflow of money to get this tax break, you can claim it on existing investments. We've split the products according to the risk-return attributes and spending.

Zero-risk products

These carry either a government guarantee or have a fixed interest payout. The first two products should form the core of your 80C investments. And if you exhaust the entire limit in this, no need to buy more.

1. Employees' Provident Fund (EPF): The first scheme that you get to buy the minute you begin work as an employee. Under this, 12% of your basic (including dearness allowance and retaining allowance, if any) goes to this fund and your employer matches this by 12% of his contribution. From your employer's contribution, 8.33% goes towards the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) and 3.67% to EPF. Your EPF earns a tax-free interest that is currently 8.5% a year. It's not a good idea to reduce your PF contribution, as some employers may suggest, since you get an investment option that is one of the best in India in terms of risk- and tax-free return.

Return 8.5%

Duration working life

Safety zero risk

2 . Public Provident Fund (PPF): An 8% 15-year cumulative recurring deposit that is fairly illiquid and is good to use as a long-term corpus building tool. Risk- and tax-free today, maximize your contribution to Rs70,000 this year, irrespective of whether you need the tax break or not. The new direct tax code rules will apply from next year and we don't know the exact treatment of old accounts today. Rs70,000 a year for 15 years at 8% will give you Rs19 lakh. Tax free.

Return 8%

Duration 15 years

Safety zero risk

3. National Savings Certificate (NSC): Through this, Rs1 lakh grows to Rs1.6 lakh in six years. The interest generated each half year is treated as "reinvested" and becomes part of your overall 80C contributions. But if you have exhausted the cover, you need to pay tax on the interest.

Return 8%

Duration 6 yrs

Safety zero risk

4. Fixed deposits for a duration of five years with banks and post offices: One of the bug bears senior citizens had with section 80C was that it leaned towards the younger generation by giving tax breaks for long-term corpus building products or on home loans. There was nothing that allowed a retired person to earn an income and yet get a tax break. The extension of specific five-year bank and post office deposits to come under section 80C fills this gap. The current rate of interest is between 5.70% and 8.25% a year.

Return 5.70-8.25%

Duration 5 years

Safety zero risk

5 . Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS): It allows a retired person having a lump sum to invest it at a reasonably good interest rate. If you are 60 years old (or took voluntary retirement at 55), you can put up to Rs15 lakh for five years in this scheme, earn 9% interest a year and get the 80C benefit on Rs1 lakh. Interest, however, is taxable.

Return 9%

Duration 5 years

Safety zero risk

Market-linked

products

6 . Equity-linked savings schemes (ELSS): These are diversified equity mutual funds that allow investors with risk-taking ability to target a higher return. You are locked into the investment for three years, but the long-term capital gains are zero tax.

You can choose a lump sum investment route or a systematic investment plan. The average return in an ELSS scheme over the last three years was 8% and over the last five years was 22%. Or Rs1 lakh invested five years ago will be worth Rs2.7 lakh today . Look out for a full review on Tuesday.

Return market-linked

Duration 3-year lock-in

Safety market and fund

Manager risk

7 . Unit-linked insurance plans (Ulips): A hybrid product that includes an insurance cover on your life along with a market-linked investment plan. The premium needs to be paid for a minimum of five years. Ulips work only in the long run of over 9-10 years. Given the non-transparency and non-portability of the product in its current state and sustained mis-selling in the industry, we do not recommend that you use this vehicle for your 80C tax break. Look out for more details on Ulips and other insurance plans on Wednesday.

Return market-linked

Duration 5-year lock-in

Safety market and fund manager risk

8. New Pension System (NPS): This is a new, market-linked vehicle for those who do not have an EPF facility to target long-term retirement planning. Money Matters likes the product due to zero front loads, tiny annual charges, full portability between schemes and fund managers. Although NPS comes under section 80CCD, the available deduction is up to Rs1 lakh under section 80C. Look out for a full review on Thursday.

Return market-linked

Duration lock-in till age 60

Safety market and fund

Manager risk

Spending-linked

Starting life with a home loan, a car loan, a furniture loan, kids' fees and other runaway expenses? You can actually use two of your expenses to fill the 80C tax break bucket, without spending more.

9. Tuition fees: School fees of up to two kids (trust the government to push its two-kid agenda in tax break deals as well!) can become part of your section 80C tax kick. Pay by cheque and keep the receipts to file along with your return.

10. Principal on home loan: Up to Rs1 lakh of the principal on your home loan can be used as a deduction. Spouse is a co-owner and borrower? You can claim double that.

Special case of insurance

11 . Life insurance premium: Anybody who's been working for over 10 years is holding a minimum of two to three life insurance policies. The first one will have a premium of around Rs5,000, the next could be Rs10,000 and a more recent one could be Rs60,000 a year. Tot up the total sum assured or life cover, and you find you are holding under Rs 10 lakh of life cover. So, we hold endowment and money-back plans that carry a return of 3.5-4%. We would have been better off holding a PPF account. But the agent never told us. The only insurance cover you need to cover your life is a term insurance policy. New policies in the market cost as little as Rs10,000 a year for a Rs50 lakh cover. The premium comes under 80C as well. So, no more insurance this year.

Listen to your stomach

Felt heavy after stuffing yourself with samosas, sweets, masaledar curries at the recent bash? Don't
rush to pop a pill when the solution is right in your kitchen. Most common digestive problems are caused by food — either by eating too much or too little or at the wrong time. Fortunately, these can be rectified by watching what you eat. Understanding your body mechanism and bringing a few changes to your dietary patterns is enough to help you get back on your feet again after an attack of acidity or gastritis. Here's how to cure some common problems caused by food… with food.

ACIDITY 
What: It's that familiar feeling of heartburn, vomiting, coughing, stomach pain and bloating which makes you run for an antacid. Acidity is caused by an imbalance between the acid secreting mechanism of the stomach and the protective mechanisms that ensure their safety. It results when there is excess production of acid which may enter the lower part of the oesophagus (Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux).
Avoid: Tur dal, channa dal, raw vegetables, cabbage, kidney beans (rajma), white bread, bakery products, refined flour, noodles, poha, ragi, spinach, peanuts, dry coconut, canned foods and stuff containing monosodium glutamate, caffeine and alcohol. All these cause acidity or aggravate it. Don't take too hot or too cold meals.
Combat with: Fresh fruits or vegetables, cumin, ajwain. Have small and frequent meals. Increase your chewing time so that food masticates well in the mouth. Drink lots of water (but don't gulp it, sip it). Have few drops of lemon or jal jeera, they help increase saliva production.

CONSTIPATION
What: Occurs primarily because bowel movement is restricted because of weak colon muscles. Defecation may be very painful and in severe cases, can lead to symptoms of bowel obstruction. Lack of fluid and fibre, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, side effects of medication, even pregnancy can cause constipation.
Avoid: Alcohol, refined, starchy and sugary foods
Combat with: Plenty of water, at least 1.5 to 2 litres a day. Have food high in fibre and fluid — banana, raw banana, lotus stem, beans, gavar), and seasonal fruits, especially skinny ones like guava, pear, plum and apple.

INDIGESTION/HEARTBURN
What: Most common digestive disorder caused by reflux — the sphincter muscles connecting the oesophagus to the stomach fails to close. So the acid in the stomach regurgitates. You might feel angina pain or even bloating often leading people to mistake it as symptoms leading to heart attack. Avoid: Large, late meals, fatty food, tobacco, caffeine in all forms, tomato based goodies — chips, sauces and dips. Try not eating two hours before bedtime. Also don't bend or lie down immediately after a meal. Alcohol too should be avoided, but a glass of wine is ok.
Combat with: Small and frequent meals, half a cup of cold milk before bedtime, drinks of tarragon, dill, mint, fennel and cumin.

GASTRITIS
What: Inflammation of the stomach lining, signalling indigestion. Gastritis could be acute (sudden), a result of faulty lifestyle or stress. Or it could be chronic (longterm), aggravated by medicines or age. The symptoms are similar to that of acidity. 
Avoid: Spicy food, chocolates, aerated beverages, fatty foods, tomato-based products and alcohol
Combat with: Bland food, vegetables that have high water content such as bottle gourd (dudhi), long parwal, tinda, pumpkin, water melon and papaya. Just sauté them or cook in pressure cooker without too much oil or spices.

FLATULENCE
What: If breaking wind at inopportune moments, bloating and burping is a constant embarrassment for you, blame it on acidity, indigestion and even irritable bowel syndrome. Sometimes intolerance of milk can also lead to flatulence.
Avoid: Lentils and legumes, especially if they are not soaked for eight hours or more. Juicy vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts. Also stop taking carbonated drinks, chewing gum, bran and mava sweets.
Combat with: High fibre foods that work as laxative — skinny fruits, lotus stem, raw banana and herbs such as rosemary, fennel, tarragon, thyme tea and ginger.

COLITIS
What: An inflammatory bowel disease where ulcers bleed in the colon and rectum.
Avoid: Foods high in insoluble fibre — bran, whole grain, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, potato skin, skinny fruits. Ironically, all these are very healthy for the system especially if you are diabetic, but bad for colitis patients. Also skip fats, oil, gas inducing stuff like beans, and dairy products. 

High Heel Shoes?

Ladies.. pls aware of this!  Guys please pass it on to the ladies u care about