With religious gatherings suspended, clergy turn to the media to reach their flock

(Telecompaper) Teraco, a Digital Realty company and provider of interconnection platforms and colocation data centres in South Africa, announced that construction...

If you don't cook for crowds often, heed the advice of a seasoned chef de soirée. Here are six ways to make that holiday feast manageable.

(Telecompaper) Jazztel has become the latest MasOrange brand to launch its Christmas campaign, offering all subscribers access to over 15 premium channels for free until after the festive season. The guest channels include Warner TV, Star Channel, Eurosport 1 and 2, TCM, Cosmo, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, Disney Jr, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Discovery Channel, Mezzo and MTV...

It’s been nearly four years since Nissan brought the Magnite to India, and the compact SUV has shouldered the responsibility of establishing the Japanese brand's presence in the country. The X-Trail is a recent addition, serving more as a brand statement than a bread-and-butter model. Over the past six months, Nissan has despatched more than 12,000 units of the Magnite to its dealers (over 2,000 units every month) and has exported over 30,000 made-in-India models to international markets in the past four years.That the compact SUV will have to soldier on here, combined with the company's aim to export nearly 1 lakh units to 65 left-hand and right-hand-drive markets by 2026, underscores that a lot is riding on this facelift.

Nissan Magnite facelift: exterior, design

While the changes to the Magnite facelift’s design may seem insignificant when seen individually, together they add a dose of ruggedness to the compact SUV. The addition of a piano black appliqué that connects the grille and headlights makes the former look larger. The front bumper gets contrasting silver bits that protrude slightly, adding to the muscular appearance and also serving as fog light housings.

The new, smart-looking dual-tone 16-inch alloys add some freshness to the sides of the Magnite. The tail-lights get new 3D LED signatures that are quite attractive. Also, the Sunrise Copper Orange exterior colour is new and suits the Magnite well, especially with the contrasting black roof.

Nissan Magnite facelift: interior

It’s a similar story on the inside – there are small changes, but the effect is notable. The Magnite facelift’s cabin looks and feels far more premium, thanks to the copper-coloured leatherette finish on the dashboard and door panels, especially compared to the outgoing model’s nearly all-black plastic finish. The steering now gets an all-black finish that contrasts well with the dash, and the seats in the top-spec Tekna+ variant come in dual-tone copper-black leatherette covers that help keep one’s back and bottom cool, especially in conjunction with the strong automatic climate control system.

However, not everything is perfect. The new ambient lights do add to the ambience, but the execution could have been a bit more seamless. In addition, the steering column is visible in the footwell, and the accelerator and brake pedals are placed a little too close together.

In terms of practicality and comfort, the Magnite facelift retains its ability to carry four passengers with ease – though three seated abreast in the back will find shoulder room lacking – and comes with a 336-litre boot, which is good enough for a couple of large suitcases, and expands to 690 litres with the rear seats folded.

Nissan Magnite facelift: features

The faceliftcomes with a slightly expanded feature list. The Magnite has always been a well-equipped compact SUV, and it now adds goodies like engine remote start, auto headlights, an auto-dimming IRVM (the frameless unit picks up fingerprints and smudges too easily), a cooled glove box, and a USB C-Type port for rear passengers. The updated 7-inch digital instrument cluster is less gimmicky than that of the outgoing model, yet it displays the same amount of information, making it a welcome upgrade.

The standard safety kit on every Magnite variant includes six airbags, three-point seat belts for all passengers, ISOFIX anchors, ABS, traction control, a tyre pressure monitor, and a hill-start assist. The higher Techna and Techna+ variants also get a 360-degree camera, which doesn’t have the best resolution but works effectively.

Nissan Magnite facelift: performance, ride and handling

The Magnite is still offered with either a 72hp, 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine or a 100hp, 1.0-litre turbo-petrol unit; we’ve driven the latter, and it’s just as enjoyable as before. This three-cylinder unit has a strong mid-range punch and works well with the smooth CVT to mask any lag at lower revs. Speaking of the CVT, at low and medium engine speeds, there’s barely any of that typical ‘rubber band’ effect, but if you drive with a heavy right foot, it will set in. Cabin insulation has improved marginally, but the three-pot engine’s clatter is still audible, and it gets boomier as the revs rise.

At slower speeds, there is an underlying firmness to the Magnite’s suspension setup, but it doesn’t feel uncomfortable at any point. On the highway, the suspension does a much better job of filtering out road undulations, making it an able cruiser. What also helps is the steering that weighs up as the speeds rise, and the 195/60 tyres offer a decent amount of grip, instilling confidence when going through twisty ghat sections. On the other hand, despite doing a good job, the brakes don’t lend as much confidence as they should as the pedal feel is mushy, and there’s some slack before the brakes bite.

Nissan Magnite facelift: price, verdict

On the face of it, it may seem like not much has changed with the Magnite facelift, but that’s not true. It retains all the qualities of its predecessor –brilliant design, comfort, a sporty feel, and a well-equipped interior, all with an attractive price tag– while showing marked improvements in areas such as interior ambience and feel-good features.

Other than the visible cost-cutting and the lack of a sunroof at this price point (models such as the Venue, Nexon, and XUV 3XO offer one at the Rs 11.50 lakh that this top-spec Tekna + variant retails for), the Magnite is a more than competent package, especially when one considers that you pay just Rs 23,000 more for it compared to the outgoing model’s top-spec trim. The Magnite model should help Nissan maintain a foothold in India, at least for the near future.

All prices, ex-showroom, India

Also see:

Nissan Magnite: new versus old

Nissan Magnite facelift price, variants, features explained

The Pulsar 125, in its Classic guise, continues to be a massive seller for Bajaj, but the company needed something fresh and youthful to address the TVS Raider and Hero Xtreme 125R. After all, those two have carved out a new segment of about 50,000-60,000 sales per month. The N125 is Bajaj’s answer, and the interesting thing is that it has nothing to do with any other Pulsar before it.

Bajaj Pulsar N125 design, colours, quality 

Bajaj wanted to make a 125 that weighed 125 kilos (which is nearly 20kg less than the existing 125cc Pulsar models), and that necessitated an entirely new platform. The N125 also carries a new design language, and it’s great to see that this isn’t just another Pulsar wearing a familiar set of clothes.

Plenty of floating panels all over and a rather un-Pulsar-like headlamp bring freshness to the design philosophy. But there’s also familiarity in elements like the shape of the tank extensions as well as the new take on the twin-slash brake lamps. 

While so much aero-inspired bodywork on a tiny 125 is almost purely for aesthetics, the vents on the front mudguard shroud are actually functional. The story goes that the initial design did not have any vents, but the engine development team complained to the design department that their air-cooled engine wasn’t getting enough flow, which is why the vents were incorporated. 

There are some unusual touches, like the body panel along the side of the subframe. We’re used to seeing this kind of bodywork at the tail section on most motorcycles, but it finds itself positioned between the rider and pillion seat on the N125. This has the effect of adding mass to the design but also keeps the tail quite slim. The fat fork shrouds do a good job of masking the skinny 30mm telescopic fork, but while they certainly give the bike more presence, some may find them to be excessively wide.

Quality levels are decent, but some visible panel gaps on our bike do leave room for improvement. In all, the N125 has a striking design that will be a little polarising yet also easily identifiable, especially in the funky colour schemes Bajaj has gone with. It doesn’t have the same ‘big-bike’ look as the Hero Xtreme 125R, but it certainly stands out, and that’s a good thing.

Bajaj Pulsar N125 ride and handling

The seating position is more or less what you’d expect from a bike like this. At 795mm, the seat height isn’t the lowest in the class, but it’s still very manageable, and the seats are spacious and comfortable. The footpeg placement is a little sporty, which goes well with a bike like this. However, the narrow handlebar felt a bit too ‘commutery’, which slightly dilutes the special feeling a bike like this should have. 

Happily, the new chassis makes up for this in its sheer lightness and behaviour. 125kg is nearly on par with the TVS Raider, and just like that bike, the N125 has a delightfully nimble, easy-going character without any nervousness. Bajaj let us experience this on a go-kart track, and the N125 was genuinely good fun, displaying an eagerness to change direction and lean over. The footpeg placement enabled plenty of cornering clearance without any scraping, and the bike never displayed any fidgety moments you might expect with a very light machine. The MRF tyres were nice and grippy in this situation as well, and the only thing I’d have liked was a bit more initial sharpness in the front brake.

Bajaj Pulsar N125 engine refinement, mileage

Nevertheless, the N125’s dynamics will translate into an enjoyable experience on densely packed city roads. Going nicely with this is a very light clutch effort, which they say is 50 percent less than the competition. With 12hp, the new engine is the most powerful in the segment alongside the NS125, but this bike has a much better power-to-weight ratio of nearly 100hp/tonne.

More importantly, the engine is smooth and tractable, and it makes a nice sound as well. While the strong acceleration only arrives at quite high revs, the engine can also pull you along in third gear (out of 5) as low as 20kph, which is crucial in a city bike like this. 

Refinement is excellent, but I noticed that the motor would stall if the revs got too low without any of the typical warning signs (like a juddering sound or feel) that come when an engine’s revs get too low. This isn’t really an issue on its own, but the problem arises in that the N125 doesn’t have a gear position indicator or even a rev counter. With its tractable nature, you will often find yourself riding around at rather low revs in heavy traffic, and that’s when these stalls can catch you out, so it’s something you’ll need to learn to work around.

Bajaj claims a 0-60kph time of 6 seconds and a top speed of 97kph, although you’ll see over 110kph on the display. The bike hits about 80kph quickly, and overall performance feels up to the mark of the best in the segment. The company also claims an overall fuel efficiency of about 60kpl.

Bajaj Pulsar N125 price, features and verdict

One of the big success factors with bikes like the Raider and Xtreme 125R is that they offer the looks and feature set of bigger 150-200cc machines. When it comes to the latter, the Pulsar N125 isn’t quite up there with its rivals. On the one hand, it has a front disc brake and LED head/tail lamps as standard, while the top model gets Bluetooth connectivity and a silent start/start-stop system. But then it misses important things like a rev counter, gear position indicator or single-channel ABS – although Bajaj says it will introduce the latter if there’s demand.

While the Pulsar N125 probably won’t sway buyers with segment-leading features, it has most of the essential fundamentals in place, the key among them being the price. At Rs 95,000 for the base model and 98,000 for the top model, it is more affordable than a similarly specced Raider and on par with the Hero Xtreme 125R. As of now, we can’t confirm whether it’s the best in its segment, but the new Pulsar N125 definitely has a fighting chance. 

Also See: Bajaj Pulsar N125 video review

The project will mark the maiden collaboration between Sunny Deol and Aamir Khan, who have previously worked with Santoshi on separate projects

Grey Goose Vive Le Voyage x Shantanu & Nikhil bring elegance to bartending

Chandon, the award-winning sparkling wine brand, debuts its still red wine, Aurva, a culmination of six decades of pioneering winemaking across the globe

The hampers will have handmade, homemade products made by the women entrepreneurs in Thiruvananthapuram

The Pizza ATM at Chandigarh’s Sukhna Lake is popular for it’s ready-in-three-minutes pizza. Rohit Shekhar Sharma tells us how he built it, and why he wants to keep it running

Holding hands with a girl is a great way to show that you like her and you’re having a good time. Making the move to grab her hand for the first time can be a little nerve wracking, especially if you aren’t quite sure she wants to hold your hand. We’ve compiled a list of signs you can look out for to tell whether or not the girl you’re with wants to hold hands so you know exactly what to do the next time you two hang out.

Do you remember how to find the circumference of a circle? What about the capital of New Jersey? We’re about to quiz you game-show style with a variety of elementary school trivia questions, from math and science to history, geography, and language arts. Answer these 12 “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” questions to test your knowledge and see if you come out on top!

This budget’s extensive measures demonstrate the government’s dedication to the real estate industry’s overall growth, which makes it a major driver of the country’s economic expansion.  The Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, unveiled the 2024 Union Budget, which includes some ground-breaking … Continue reading →

BYD is surging in production, sales, and profits as it challenges most of the world's major automakers in more than 70 countries.

The post BYD May Soon Be Selling More Vehicles Than Ford appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Steve Hanley wrote a great article about some nonsense lobbying Toyota is already engaged in following the results of the US election. I found Toyota’s complaining to be insidious, ridiculous, and laughable, so I decided I’d follow up on Steve’s piece with a quick op-ed of my own. For some ... [continued]

The post People Have A Hard Time With Change — But Electric Vehicles Will Dominate By 2030 appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Back in the day, when personal computers were first making their way into homes, buying a desktop was often a massive investment. The price tags on those early machines were no joke, especially in the ’80s and ’90s. Dropping a couple of thousand dollars on a beige box humming with potential was considered normal. Fast forward to today, and times have certainly changed -- computers, including the powerful M-series Mac minis, have become more affordable, while flagship smartphones have skyrocketed in price. I recently bought Apple’s new base-model M4 Mac mini, which set me back $500 with the education discount… [Continue Reading]

Google has added a new promotion type to Google Merchant Center named "Sale events." Sale events are a type data that you can submit on Google and are shown on non-product-centric surfaces. This seems to be available in the US for free Merchant Center listings right now.

This was spotted by Dario Zannoni who posted about it on LinkedIn and wrote, "A new "Sale Event" promotion type has been released in Google Merchant Center."

The help document says:

Sale events highlight a general sale happening in your store on different Google surfaces. Events don't show up on product listings, both organic and ads.

Unlike promotions, events aren't mapped to offers. Since events aren't directly mapped to offers, you can use ranges for discounts, such as 'Up to 40% off,' which isn't allowed with promotions.

Dario Zannoni shared this screenshot:

He wrote, "Standard promotions in Merchant Center require linking to specific products, which can make them challenging to implement. Now, Google has introduced a new promotion type called "Sale Event," which is not tied to individual products. Instead, it can be used to advertise general sales, like "All items discounted up to 70% off" or "Special discount: 10% off on golf bags.""

For more details, check out this help page.

Forum discussion at LinkedIn.

Google will be changing how it handles the first-party cookie controls on AdSense sites. Google said, "We're making some changes to how first-party cookies are managed in your AdSense account to simplify controls and improve your access to third-party demand."

Google has combined the controls for enabling "first-party cookies" and "first-party cookies for personalization" into a single control.

Turning on the new control will enable first-party cookies for the publisher, share it with demand sources, and enable all usages including personalization, Google explained.

The new control will be set to your existing personalization setting to aid the transition, Google added.

Google added:

Currently, first-party cookies are shared with Google demand sources (Google Ads, Display & Video 360). Starting no earlier than December 4th, 2024, your first-party cookies will also be shared with Authorized Buyers. However, for the time being, this sharing will not include users in the EEA, Switzerland, UK, California, and some US states.

If you're already using first-party cookies for personalization, sharing with Authorized Buyers will be turned on by default. If you're only using first-party cookies without personalization, sharing will remain off.

Choose whether or not you want to allow first-party cookies from Google on your site, and allow sharing of first-party cookies for personalization with eligible advertising platforms (Google Ads, Display & Video 360, and Authorized Buyers). Allowing first-party cookies from Google may increase your revenue because it enables features like frequency capping on ads and allows ads with a frequency cap to serve on your site. First party cookies for personalization help to show personalized ads to your users when third-party cookies aren't available, which may also increase your revenue.

Cookies are small text files downloaded to a user's browser that can be used to store user information and preferences. Cookies are either first-party (associated with the domain the user is visiting) or third party (associated with a domain that's different from the domain the user is visiting). Google may use first-party cookies when third-party cookies are not available.

Forum discussion at X.

Seventeen long years ago I wrote a piece here called The Gadget Manifesto. It was a rant borne out of frustration with the relentless increase in junk technology. The problem was basically too much Far Eastern manufacturing capacity chasing too few consumers. Result…price plummeting, quality plummeting, consumers suffering. I’m revisiting this subject only because it looks like we’re clearly not going to reverse course any time soon. Nearly 2 decades on, we’re still buying this junk, and throwing it away...

The post The Gadget Manifesto Revisited – plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose? appeared first on The Red Ferret Journal.

Jamie Penney’s entrepreneurial adventure began when he was in university.  He dabbled in niche sites and a travel vlog on YouTube successfully until the recent Google updates, but he really found his groove when he focused his efforts on a…

The post How Jamie Penney is Growing a +$4000/Month Flipping Furniture YouTube Channel appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

I'm excited to announce that you can now use the power of artificial intelligence with your internal link building! As the founder of Link Whisper, I've always tried to make building internal links faster, easier, and smarter. And now we…

The post AI Enhanced Internal Links are Here with Link Whisper! appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

Welcome back to another episode of the Niche Pursuits News Podcast! This week Spencer and Jared break down the latest news affecting SEOs and small publishers, they share their side hustle progress, and they talk about some weird niche sites…

The post This 8 Letter Tweet Just Changed Search Forever appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

Fr. Stephen looks at the Christian understanding of power and the marvelous works of God. God's power is utterly unlike that of the world.

Fr. Stephen speaks about the difference between feast days as mere events of the calendar and the reality of the Kingdom of God that awaits us in the Feasts.

When we give thanks to God, particularly in difficult times, Fr. Stephen Freeman tells us we unite ourselves with the Cross of Christ.

In this podcast, Fr. Stephen speaks about giving thanks to God and its foundation in the belief that God is good. He focuses on four aspects of that goodness.

Fr. Stephen Freeman shares about the importance of the sacraments in our lives - particularly in light of the Bible verse that says, “There is but one mediator between God and man, the man, Christ Jesus.”

The post Mastering Blog Post Creation: 10 Essential Steps to Enhance Your Writing Process appeared first on ProBlogger.

It hits you like a TON of BRICKS! It’s an idea for that KILLER blog post that is just bound to bring you all the traffic that you’ve ever dreamed of. With the idea fresh in your mind you sit down at your keyboard and BANG it out – desperate ...more

The post Mastering Blog Post Creation: 10 Essential Steps to Enhance Your Writing Process appeared first on ProBlogger.

In which we explore the ways our concept of rest has become flattened in a disenchanted cultural ethos, and how Sabbath might be the cure. Connect with Nicole on Instagram or Twitter (@NicoleRoccas). Mentioned in this episode: The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel The 2022 Little Church Planner by Parousia Press The outro of this podcast is the song "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

In which I catch up with my former professor, Dr. Ethan Katz, a Sabbath-observant Jew and historian. I first met Dr. Katz while finishing my doctorate in the University of Cincinnati History Department, and he now teaches at the University of California Berkeley, where he specializes in modern Jewish history and the history of modern France and its empire. We reflect not only about our experiences as people of faith in academic and other secular contexts, but also what observing the Sabbath looks like in the unique contours of his life. Learn more about Dr. Ethan Katz: history.berkeley.edu/ethan-katz Also mentioned in this episode: The Enacting the Kingdom Livestream: youtube.com/watch?v=gNrMS-hFrvk&t;=1094s Nicole's appearance on the Prying Priest podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dr-nicole-roccas/id1527008418?i=1000536712952 Don't forget to rate and review this podcast! Connect with Nicole on Instagram or Twitter (@NicoleRoccas). The outro of this podcast is the song "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

Bill is joined by special guest Eric Namee. Eric is a successful lawyer who also serves as the Chairman of the Virginia H. Farah Foundation. The Farah Foundation has helped hundreds of Orthodox ministries with grants for programs meeting their criteria. Eric is also working with the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in an advisory capacity.

Bill Marianes has an in depth conversation with the newly elected Metropolitan Nathanael Symeonides of the Chicago Metropolis of the GOA. Topics and calls range from Orthodox unity to strategic planning. Don't miss this 90 minute intimate conversation with one of our newest and youngest hierarchs.

Bill and noted servant leadership and change management expert Dr. Mitch Owen explore the critical dimensions of Orthodox servant leaders and how to effectively bring about change in our churches and institutions.

Orthodoxy has declined from 20% of global Christians in 1910 to 12% in 2010. We are not yet making Orthodox "disciples of all nations" to the degree our Lord instructed us. Why? Some answers can be found in the latest leadership, innovation, and change management best practices and research.

Orthodoxy has declined from 20% of global Christians in 1910 to 12% in 2010. We are not yet making Orthodox "disciples of all nations" to the degree our Lord instructed us. Why? Some answers can be found in the latest leadership, innovation, and change management best practices and research.

Orthodoxy has declined from 20% of global Christians in 1910 to 12% in 2010. We are not yet making Orthodox "disciples of all nations" to the degree our Lord instructed us. PART 3: Listen to the latest leadership, innovation, and change management best practices and research

Frederica interviews Kh. Tamera Pelikan, whose husband is the only Orthodox chaplain in Afghanistan.

Frederica interviews Fr. Hans Jacobse about a formal debate he had with atheist Matthew Dillahunty regarding morality. She also shares a recipe for vegan pancakes!

Frederica introduces and reads the Akathist of Thanksgiving.

Frederica sat down with Hank Hanegraaff to get an update on the growth in his Orthodox Christian faith and life, and the current condition of his health.

Frederica is at the 40th anniversary conference of Birthright, International in the Chicago area and recorded an interview with Doris Asante of Birthright, Ghana. Doris was also selling handmade jewelry and stoles to raise money for Birthright in Ghana and she invited correspondence if you are interested in purchasing or donating.

Don't know who Hannah Montana is? Ask any pre-teen girl! From her article in First Things, Frederica reflects on the popularity of this entertainment phenomenon.