MESSAGE OF SHRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI

All people of the world are equal

The Guru Granth Sahib promotes the message of equality of all beings and at the same time state that Sikh believers "obtain the supreme status" (SSGS, Page 446). Discrimination of all types is strictly forbidden based on the Sikh tenet Fatherhood of God which states that no one should be reckoned low or high, stating that instead believers should –“reckon the entire mankind as One” (Akal Ustat, 15.85).
Sri Guru Granth Sahib promotes the concept of equality by highlighting the fact that we are made of the same flesh, blood and bone and we have the same light of God with us – Soul . Our building bricks are the same:

The God-conscious being is always unstained, like the sun, which gives its comfort and warmth to all. The God-conscious being looks upon all alike, like the wind, which blows equally upon the king and the poor beggar.

— Sri Guru Granth Sahib page 272 Full Shabad

The Gurus also encourage believers to promote social equality by sharing earnings with those in need.

Women's Status

Main article: Women in Sikhism

Guru Nank Dev Ji said "Sikhi does not teach you to raise your hand on a women it teaches you to respect them"
Sikhism also preaches that equal respect should be given to women.

In the earth and in the sky, I do not see any second. Among all the women and the men, His Light is shining.^[1]

— Sri Guru Granth Sahib page 223 Full Shabad

Metaphysic

Sikhism is strictly monotheistic in its belief. This means that God is believed to be the one and sole Reality in the cosmos, meaning that no other being have extra-human power. Sikh Gurus state that God alone is worthy of worship, and the highest end of existence, that is mukti or liberation can come through Devotion to God alone.
Besides its monotheism, Sikhism also emphasizes another philosophical idea, which is known as monism, a philosophical position which argues that the variety of existing things can be explained in terms of a single reality or substance. Furthermore one of the tenet of the religion is the belief that the world is only a "vision" or illusion (Maya) and that God is the sole "Continuing Reality" so that selfishness, egoism and hate are meaningless.

God is merciful and infinite. The One and Only is all-pervading.
He Himself is all-in-all. Who else can we speak of? God Himself grants His gifts, and He Himself receives them.
Coming and going are all by the Hukam of Your Will; Your place is steady and unchanging. (20,1)

— Sri Guru Granth Sahib page 710 Full Shabad

Speak and live truthfully

Sikhs believe in the importance of truthful living, which can only be created by purity of mind and not through religious purification rites. They believe that impurity of mind leads to many other vices such as anger, lust, attachment, ego, and greed.

So how can you become truthful? And how can the veil of illusion be torn away?
O Nanak, it is written that you shall obey the Hukam of His Command, and walk in the Way of His Will.

Control the five vices

Devotees of Guru Sahib believe they must control the animal instincts of Pride/Ego, Anger/Temper, Greed/Urges, Attachment/Dependency and Lust/Addiction.

All virtues are obtained, all fruits and rewards, and the desires of the mind; my hopes have been totally fulfilled.
The Medicine, the Mantra, the Magic Charm, will cure all illnesses and totally take away all pain.
Lust, anger, egotism, jealousy and desire are eliminated by chanting the Name of the Lord.

— Sri Guru Granth Sahib page 1388 Full Shabad

Live in God's hukam

A Sikh believes they should live and accept the command of God easily and without too much emotional distress. They attempt to live in contentment and in Chardikala (positive attitude).

Shalok:
He wanders around in the four quarters and in the ten directions, according to the dictates of his karma.
Pleasure and pain, liberation and reincarnation, O Nanak, come according to one's pre-ordained destiny.

— Sri Guru Granth Sahib page 253 Full Shabad

Virtues

The Sikh religion emphasizes several other virtues: Truth (Sat), contentment (santokh), Love (Ishq), Compassion/Mercy (daya), Service (seva), Charity (dana), forgiveness (ksama), humility (nimrata), patience (dheerjh), non-attachment (vairagya) and renunciation (taiga).
These believers attempt to avoid anger (krodh), egoism (ahankara), avarice (lobh), lust (kama), infatuation (moha), sinful acts (papa), pride (man), doubt (duvidha), ownership (mamata), hatred (vair), and hostility (virodh). In the Sikh religion, freedom from these vices, or Sahaj, is attained through tension-free, ethical living, grounded in spirituality avoiding self-mortification and other religious rites of cleansing.

First, is the Lord's Praise; second, contentment; third, humility, and fourth, giving to charities. Fifth is to hold one's desires in restraint. These are the five most sublime daily prayers.

— Sri Guru Granth Sahib page 1084 Full Shabad

Humility is the word, forgiveness is the virtue, and sweet speech is the magic mantra. Wear these three robes, O sister, and you will captivate your Husband Lord. ((127))

— Sri Guru Granth Sahib page 1384 Full Shabad

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10 Things I Wish Everyone Know About Sikhism

Despite being one of the world’s largest world religions, Sikhism remains one of the most unknown traditions in America. The lack of understanding has led to serious consequences, including discriminatory policies, bigoted stereotypes, traumatic school bullying and violent hate crimes.

Here is a list of 10 things that the global community ought to know about its Sikh neighbors.

1. Sikhism is an independent religion.

A number of people mistakenly think Sikhism is an offshoot of Hinduism, an offshoot of Islam, or a blend of the two religions. While the category of religion is itself problematic, scholars and practitioners alike classify Sikhism as an independent religion.

The Sikh tradition carries the basic markers of organized religion, including its own founder-prophet (Guru Nanak), scripture (Guru Granth Sahib), discipline and ceremonies (rahit), and community centers (gurdwara). There are more than 27 million Sikhs worldwide, making it the fifth largest world religion.

2. Rooted in oneness and love, Sikh theology encourages a life of spirituality and service.

Oneness and love serve as the foundations of Sikh theology — these are both the objective and process. Sikhs aim to recognize the divinity within everyone and everything they encounter, and this daily practice helps the individual cultivate and embody the qualities of oneness and love.

Sikhs believe that the Creator permeates all of Creation and that every individual is filled with the same divine potential. The Sikh tradition emphasizes the collective familyhood of all humanity and challenges all social inequalities, including those on the basis of class, caste, gender, and profession.

Realizing oneness and love within one’s life also compels the individual to seek unity with the world around them. The tradition urges its followers to live as a sant-sipahi (warrior-saint), one who strikes a balance of cultivating spirituality while also contributing socially through community service.

3. The real meaning of “guru.”

The word “guru” literally means “enlightener,” and while it has come to refer to an expert in any domain (e.g., basketball guru, real estate guru), it carries a particular institutional meaning within the Sikh tradition. In Sikhism, “guru” refers to the line of authority, beginning with a set of 10 prophets who established and led the Sikh community. The first of these, Guru Nanak, was born in 1469 CE, and the tenth in his line, Guru Gobind Singh, breathed his last in 1708 CE.

Before he passed, Guru Gobind Singh passed the leadership to joint entities — the Guru Granth Sahib (the scriptural canon) and the Guru Khalsa Panth (the community of initiated Sikhs). Sikhs revere these two as occupying the throne of the Guru for eternity.

4. The Guru Granth Sahib is a unique scripture.

The authority accorded to the Guru Granth Sahib certainly sets it apart from other scriptural texts of the major world religions. The Guru Granth Sahib also defies common expectations of scripture in other ways.

The Guru Granth Sahib was compiled by the Sikh Gurus themselves and is primarily comprised of writings composed by the Gurus. This collection also includes the devotional writings of other religious figures, including Muslim Sufis and Hindu Bhaktas.

Unlike the prose narratives that make up a majority of western scriptures, the Guru Granth Sahib is made up entirely of devotional poetry, most of which is set to music. These writings are primarily made up of expressions of divine experiences and wisdom on religious cultivation. These writings have played a central role in Sikh practice since the time of Guru Nanak — Sikh worship consists of singing these compositions in both private and congregational settings.

5. The Sikh Gurus presented a pluralistic worldview.

As evidenced by the inclusion of writings from other religious figured within the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Gurus did not believe in religious exclusivism. Rather, their pluralistic worldview posited that one could reach the Realization from any religious tradition. Sikhism teaches that diverse paths can lead to the divine, as long as the individual traverses the path with love. Because of this pluralistic outlook, Sikhism has no real history of missionizing or proselytizing.

While some misinterpret this pluralism as promoting cultural relativism, it is important to note that the Gurus also emphasized the importance of following an accomplished leader and maintaining religious discipline. Sikhism does not encourage the increasingly popular models of “a la carte religion” or “spiritual-but-not-religious,” though admittedly Sikh jurisprudence is relatively less complex than most religious traditions.

6. Sikhs have a long history of standing for justice.

Guru Nanak modeled social engagement by critiquing social inequalities, building institutions that serve and empower the disenfranchised, and publicly critiquing political oppression. The subsequent Gurus preserved and built upon the foundations laid by Guru Nanak. For example, the ninth among them, Guru Tegh Bahadur, observed Mughal state authorities forcefully converting its Hindu constituents. Although this oppression targeted a religious community to which he did not belong and whose beliefs he did not share, Guru Tegh Bahadur stood up firmly for their right to practice religion freely — and the state responded by publicly executing Guru Tegh Bahadur.

The Sikh community has drawn inspiration and guidance from such examples over the years, and it has demonstrated a commitment to justice in various ways. Sikhs are taught to defend the defenseless and have historically led responses to political oppression. Sikhs have therefore been regularly targeted by the political elite, a cycle that continues to play out in present-day India.

7. Sikhs maintain a unique identity.

Since the formative moments of the tradition, Sikhs have maintained a physical identity that makes them stand out in public, even in the context of South Asia. This identity includes five articles of faith — kesh (unshorn hair), kanga (small comb), kara (steel bracelet), kirpan (religious article resembling a knife), and kachera (soldier-shorts) — and distinguishes someone who has formally committed to the values of the faith by accepting initiation.

While many have attempted to ascribe functionalist rationales for each of these articles, these understandings do not capture the connections that Sikhs have with these articles. Perhaps the best analogy (though admittedly an imperfect one) is that of a wedding ring: one cannot reduce the significance of a wedding ring to its instrumental value; rather, one cherishes the wedding ring because it is a gift of love from one’s partner. Similarly, Sikhs cherish their articles of faith primarily because they see them as a gift from their beloved Guru. Trying to understand these articles on the basis of their function is missing the point.

Perhaps the most visible aspect of the Sikh identity is the turban, which can be worn by men and women alike. The turban was historically worn by royalty in South Asia, and the Gurus adopted this practice as a way of asserting the sovereignty and equality of all people. For a Sikh, wearing a turban asserts a public commitment to maintaining the values and ethics of the tradition, including service, compassion, and honesty.

8. Sikhism believes in absolute equality.

Sikhism was founded on the concept of oneness and justice, and the Gurus adamantly rejected all social inequalities. While women continue to be subjugated in modern South Asia, the Sikh Gurus rebuked discriminatory practices that marginalized women (e.g., sati, purdah) and openly placed women in leadership positions.

Along these lines, the Gurus established new practices to challenge social norms, such as India’s caste system, that perpetuated social inequalities. For instance, the tenth Guru asked all Sikhs to abandon their last names — which identified one’s caste — and asked them all to take on a collective last name reserved for royal families to signify the inherent equality and nobility of every individual: Kaur for women and Singh for men. Similarly, the Gurus established the institution of langar, a free meal provided at the gurdwara that is open to one and all. During this meal, everyone sits together on the ground, regardless of caste, social status, gender, or religious background.

9. Darbar Sahib of Amritstar is the epicenter of the Sikh psyche.

Known to westerners as the Golden Temple, Darbar Sahib of Amritsar, Punjab has served as the center for the Sikh community since its founding more than four centuries ago. Sikh theologian Sirdar Kapur Singh referred to Darbar Sahib as “the theo-political capital of Sikhs.” This phrase captures the role of this site as both a spiritual center where the community gathers to worship as well as a political throne where collective decisions have been made.

It is inaccurate to refer to Darbar Sahib as “a sacred space” or as “Sikhism’s holiest site.” Sikh theology recognizes that divinity permeates the entire world equally and therefore does not recognize any particular space to be uniquely sacred or holy. At the same time, Darbar Sahib does occupy a special place in the collective Sikh psyche. The site has witnessed a number of significant historical events, from the return of the sixth Guru after a stint in prison and the first public enthronement of the Sikh scripture during the 17th century to massacres of thousands of civilians and the burning of historical artifacts and relics by the Indian Army in 1984.

10. Sikhs have made immense contributions to American society.

From the time of their arrival in the late 1800s, Sikh men and women have been making notable contributions to American society. Early immigrants settled in the western frontier, where they played a major role in building America’s railroads. Sikh Americans like Bhagat Singh Thind served in the U.S. military during the World Wars, and the first Asian American Congressman was a Sikh American elected to office in 1957. The inventor of fiber optics is a Sikh American, as is the country’s largest peach grower, the mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia, and Morgan Freeman’s personal physician. Sikh American women continue to make diverse contributions, such as Grammy-winning artist Snatam Kaur, commercial airline pilot Arpinder Kaur, and Columbia University professor Supreet Kaur.

Image courtesy of OlegD / Shutterstock.com.

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Great Windows 10 Themes

With the introduction of tons of new features, Windows 10 also came with many new themes in addition to the old ones in the store. You can download hundreds of themes right from the official Microsoft website for free! There are themes available of all types, like Animals, Natural Wonders, Art, and Games. All the themes are of high resolution with tons of wallpapers and a unique design. Each theme contains 5 to 25 wallpapers along with a unique window color and sounds. The window color is used for highlighting, dialog borders and settings of Windows 10.

Although there are many themes, but for this list, we have selected the best Windows 10 themes based on window color and amazing wallpapers. You will find the best theme from every category here, just choose the one you like and download it for free.

Best Windows 10 Themes

1. Aurora Borealis

This theme contains wallpapers of beautiful sceneries of Aurora over the different areas of Iceland and Norway creating an amazing view. It contains total 8 wallpapers, showing Aurora over the ice, sea and the mountains. The theme’s wallpapers are a bit dark as the pictures are taken at the night (Aurora can only be seen at night).

The window color is in sea green color, similar to the Aurora in the wallpapers. The theme will turn the background of Windows 10 settings into black with the content in sea green. The wallpapers will automatically replace after every 5 minutes or you can manually switch them from the context menu.

Get the Theme

2. Twilight and Starlight panoramic theme

This theme is a combination of different types of themes in a single bundle. The theme is specifically created for dual monitors where it will show the complete wallpaper. Although, it will still work on single monitors, but the results will not be as pleasing. The wallpapers are random like, galaxy, meadows, wind mills, stars and Railroad Bridge.

There is a separate window color for each wallpaper, for example, for the Railroad Bridge wallpaper, the window color is gray and for meadows wallpaper, it is orange. On a dual monitor, the wallpapers will auto adjust according to the resolutions of both monitors.

Get the Theme

3. Beautiful Birds theme

If you are a big fan of birds, then you really need to try out this beautiful theme. The theme consists of wallpapers of unique birds from all around the world in charming postures. You will find all sorts of birds wallpapers here, like Flamingos, Kingfisher, Swan, Peacocks and hummingbird.

The window color is light blue giving a mesmerizing touch to all the birds wallpapers. The theme consists of total 15 wallpapers and all wallpapers are of high resolution. It also contains some body parts of birds, like peacock feathers, so not all of the wallpapers are just plain pictures of birds.

Get the Theme

4. GTGraphics theme

This theme is completely based on galaxy and futuristic technology. The theme doesn’t contain any real imagery of our galaxy, instead it contains breathing taking designs by artists. You will find tons of images such as, sunrise in the galaxy, Planets being destroyed by a giant laser, a galactic city, mountains and meteor shower on Earth.

It contains total 16 wallpapers with astounding quality. Although, all the wallpapers have GTGraphics watermark on them, so it might be a bit teasing. The window color is orange that goes very well with the fiery wallpapers in this theme.

Get the theme

5. Marbles theme

Marbles themes is another piece of art with clever imagery of colorful marbles. The artist has utilized light, shadows and colorful marbles to create simple but eye opening imagery. Most of the wallpapers contain colorful groups of marbles under light or in closure to give an attractive look. There are also some plain marbles with shadow cast to give a astounding look.

There are total 11 mesmerizing wallpapers of high quality. The window color is standard blue like many other themes, but still it goes well with some shadow based marble themes.

Get the Theme

6. Forza Motorsport 4 theme

This theme is based on the popular game Forza Motorsport 4, and its wallpapers are actually from the game itself. If you are Forza Motorsport 4 or even automotive fan, then this will definitely charm you. The theme contains wallpapers of amazing cars with different backgrounds or inside of a car. Some of the cars include, Koenigsegg Agera, Mercedes, Jaguar, Mclaren, BMW and Ferrari.

The window color is gray matching perfectly with wallpapers of the Forza Motorsport 4 theme. There are total 17 high resolution wallpapers and all of them have Forza Motorsport 4 written at the bottom.

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7. Child of Light theme

Another video game based Windows 10 theme, inspired by the popular game Child of Light by Ubisoft. As the game is based on watercolors, so you will find all the wallpaper pictures based on watercolors. There are total 19 wallpapers containing images of world of Lemuria. The images consists of haunting forests, city, a village, houses, bridge and indoor.

The window color of the theme is standard blue, and it goes well with some of the wallpapers in this theme. However, there is a Child of Light watermark on each of the wallpaper, located at the top right corner. If that is not annoying for you, then this could be a great fantasy theme for you.

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8. Morning theme

Morning theme is based on early morning when the sun rises and casts it rays over beauty of nature. The theme is a combination of nature and wildlife, which are somehow connected to the early morning. There are 8 wallpapers and all of them contain sunshine one way or another. There are images of, birds, insects, sun rays over river banks, plants and meadows.

The window color is in parrot green color, which goes exceptionally well with the greenery and sun rays based theme. All pictures are taken by photographer Popkov Alexandr who’s watermark can also be seen on each wallpaper.

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9. Frozen Formations theme

Frozen Formations theme for Windows 10, as the name suggests is a theme based on beautiful sceneries of ice creating breathtaking art. You will find wallpapers containing, Ice caves, beautiful yet deadly icicles, Sun rays over the ice, waterfall along with ice and beautiful icebergs.

There are 12 wallpapers of icy wonders and the window color is mist blue. With the bluish color of ice, this window color couples very well. The theme is a combination of both light and dark wallpapers, so you can easily choose the one according to your need.

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10. Beautiful Queensland theme

This theme’s wallpapers contain pictures of the beautiful Queensland, a state of Australia. You will gain access to beautiful imagery from every corner of Queensland taken by photographer Tracie Louise. Wallpapers consist of images of Beach, fields, rivers and waterfalls. Most of the wallpapers are quite colorful, but there are some black and white too that are quite attractive as well.

There are total 19 beautiful wallpapers in high resolution. The window color is gray, which goes well with most of the colors, so you will find any awkwardness while navigating. Although, Tracie Louise watermark will be located at the lower left corner of each wallpaper.

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11. In Search of Incredible theme

This is a classic Windows 10 theme related to music and all wallpapers are black and white. The images are photographed by Don McCullin who has partnered with ASUS and Intel for such amazing pictures. There are pictures of musical instruments, hanging Microphone, an old record shop and a spinning record.

The window color is gray that obviously suits black and white color very well. Although there are only 7 wallpapers, but all of them are unique piece of art. However, each wallpaper has a ASUS and Intel watermark that might not be comfortable for some people.

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12. Beach Sunsets theme

As the name suggests, this theme contains wallpapers of sunset over different beaches. You will see pictures of popular beaches of California and Hawaii during the sunset. These beaches include Dillon Beach, Bodega Head, Kihei, LaHaina and Sonoma Coast.

All the pictures are taken by photographer Josh Sommers and you will find his signature on each wallpaper. The window color is light blue and blends in well with the water in the pictures. Furthermore, there are total 15 pictures and there are more than one picture of a particular beach.

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Top 30 Most Interactive Tech Blogs

Overview.

Discover the findings of our report / analysis.

The object of this study was to examine contents of blogs chosen from Tech Blogs list - powered by Technorati.com (20th of October). We examined 5128 blog posts created from 14th to 20th October 2013. They were commented (on-site) 107241 times. On average, users created 21 comments per article. At the same time people shared those articles with their friends/followers/subscribers from Facebook and Twitter- 415 266 and 895 462 times respectively.

We created 14 categories to measure interactivity: average onsite comments per post, total onsite comments, total Facebook likes, total Facebook shares, total Facebook comments, average Facebook likes per post, average Facebook shares per post, average Facebook comments per post, average Facebook interactions (total) per post, total Twitter shares, average Twitter shares per post, total Twitter + Facebook interactions , average Twitter + FB interactions per post.

The blogs that appear most frequently in the top 5 for the mentioned categories are: Theverge.com (13 times), Gizmodo.com (12), Mashable.com (12) and Businessinsider.com (11). Mashable.com always takes either first or second place, whenever it shows up in one of categories.

In the analyzed period Mashable.com generated the highest number of interactions (more than blogs number 2 and 3 combined). Businessinsider.com was the most engaging blog on Facebook, where it generated nearly 120k FB comments. It would be more than all other chosen blogs altogether, if it wasn’t for Mashable.com, which generated more than 95k comments.

The Verge and Gizmodo lead the way in terms of number of regular/onsite comments with well over 20 000 total comments each.

BusinessInsider.com was the most active blog, generating almost as many posts as blogs number 2-5 combined.

Macrumors.com was the most onsite-engaging blog with an average of 149 comments per article .

Mashable and BusinessInsider generated the majority of Facebook Likes during our analysis. Both generated about 250k fb likes. It is especially impressive for Mashable which generated more Facebok likes than BusinessInsider while generating 3 times fewer posts.

When it comes to Facebook shares, Mashable.com is the victorious blog with nearly 150k shares. Mashable.com owes its victory in this category to its high number of average Facebook Shares per article (407 comments per post).

Twitter users mostly shared articles from Mashable.com and Gizmodo.com, which generated altogether over 450k shares. In comparison, all other blogs combined generated around 440k shares.

Full results.

View the full results for our Tech Blogs interactivity analysis.

Winners.

Winners of the Most Interactive Tech Blogs Awards.

Mashable.com Mashable is a leading source for news, information & resources for the Connected Generation. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world. Mashable's 22 million monthly unique visitors and 13 million social media followers have become one of the most engaged digital networks in the world. 852 149 total interactions 363 blog posts 2343 average social media interactions per post 340 757 total Twitter shares 147 696 total Facebook shares

TheVerge.com The Verge was founded in 2011 in partnership with Vox Media, and covers the intersection of technology, science, art, and culture. Its mission is to offer in-depth reporting and long-form feature stories, breaking news coverage, product information, and community content in a unified and cohesive manner. The site is powered by Vox Media's Chorus platform, a modern media stack built for web-native news in the 21st century. 203 304 total interactions 279 blog posts 21 841 total on-site comments 70 803 total Twitter shares 33 101 total Facebook shares

BusinessInsider.com Business Insider is a fast-growing business site with deep financial, media, tech, and other industry verticals. The flagship vertical, Silicon Alley Insider, launched on July 19, 2007, led by DoubleClick founders Dwight Merriman and Kevin Ryan and former top-ranked Wall Street analyst Henry Blodget. 602 705 total interactions 1153 blog posts 20 992 total on-site comments 98 867 total Twitter shares 125 120 total Facebook shares

Macrumors.com MacRumors.com is a website focused on Apple news and rumors. MacRumors attracts a broad audience of both consumers and professionals interested in the latest technologies and products. The site also boasts an active community focused on purchasing decisions and technical aspects of the iPhone, iPod and Macintosh platforms. 27 161 total interactions 42 blog posts 6237 total on-site comments 7404 total Twitter shares 1822 total Facebook shares

About the analysis.

The object of this analysis was to examine contents of blogs chosen from Top Tech Blogs list (powered by Technorati.com / 20th of October). We examined 5128 blog posts created from 14th to 20th October 2013. They were commented (on-site) 107241 times. On average users created 21 comments per article. At the same time people shared those articles with their friends from Facebook and Twitter 415 266 and 895 462 times accordingly. 

We analysed 2 476 124 interactions related to Top 30 Tech Blogs (according to Technorati.com / 20th of October 2013). The analysis was created using data collected by Brand24 social media monitoring and analytics tool.                             

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Everything You Need to Know About Your Salary Slip

Every month, your finance department will send you a salary slip once the salary gets paid out.
For most people, the importance of salary slip is only when they apply for a loan or a new credit card. Otherwise, the confusing terms and figures seem like a puzzle you don’t want to solve.
But here’s why you might want to understand your salary slip better.

• Choose smartly from competing offers when you are looking to switch jobs
• Optimize tax liability by making full use of the deductions available
• Understand what percentage of your salary is forced savings (EPF, ESI etc.)

The income part of your salary slip

#1: Basic Salary
It’s the most important component of your salary and generally comprises 35-50 % of your total salary. Most of the other components are structured around it.

Tax Implications: 100% taxable
Adds to in-hand? Yes

# 2. House Rent Allowance:

It’s an allowance to pay your house rent. Normally, HRA is 40-50 % of the basic, based on your location (metro or non-metro).
Tax Implications: You get tax exemption based on whichever of the following is lower

• 40% of your basic pay
• Actual rent minus 10 % of basic
• HRA component specified on your salary slip

Adds to in-hand? Generally Yes

# 3. Conveyance Allowance:

It’s paid by the company towards cost of travel from home to work and back and is exempt from Income tax.

Tax Implications: Rs 1600 per month or the conveyance allowance component in your salary slip, whichever is lower, is exempted from tax.

Adds to in-hand? Yes, depending on how much you actually spend.

# 4. Leave Travel Allowance:

It’s given by employers to cover the cost of employee travel while on leave. It includes travel expenses of your immediate family members as well.

Tax Implications: Proof of journey required to avail deduction subject to certain limits. Any expenses incurred during the trip apart from travel does not count towards your LTA tax exemption. The exemption is also applicable only for 2 journeys undertaken in a block of 4 calendar years.

Adds to in-hand? No.

# 5. Medical Allowance:
It is given by employers to cover any medical expenses incurred during the period of employment. It is also generally a reimbursed expense and thus subject to providing proof of expense.

Tax Implications: The allowance is exempt up to 15,000 per annum subject to proof of expenses such as medical bills.

Adds to in-hand? Yes. If you fail to provide the proof, you still receive the amount, but will be fully taxed.

# 6.  Performance Bonus and Special Allowance:
It is given to reward or encourage employee performance and varies with performance or company guidelines.

Tax Implication: 100% Taxable

Adds to in-hand? Yes. It can be variable and therefore, difficult to assess as part of your in-hand.

Other Allowances: There are quite a few other kinds of allowances based on the industry or the company. Most such allowances are fully taxable. They might or might not add to your in-hand salary based on the conditions they are subject to.
Make sure you talk to the HR and get a clear understanding of the in-hand and tax implications of your salary components.

The deduction part of your salary slip

# 1. Provident Fund:
PF is typically 12% of your basic salary which is put into a government controlled body, Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation. Your contribution is typically matched by the company subject to certain maximum amount, defined as per the company policy.  You can also choose to opt out from the PF scheme.

How to lower this deduction? You can choose to opt out of the PF scheme. In case you opt out, make sure you invest it regularly in better investment options like equity mutual funds that gives you a higher return. If you are unsure of investing the money, it’s best to stay invested in PF.

# 2. Professional Tax:
This is payable only in the following states-Karnataka, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Gujarat, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Orissa, Tripura, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. It normally amounts to just a few hundred rupees each month and is subject to your gross tax slab.
This amount is deducted from your taxable income.

How to lower this deduction? This deduction cannot be lowered.

# 3. Tax deductible at source:
This amount, which is decided based on your overall tax slab, is deducted on behalf of the income-tax department by your employer.

How to lower this deduction? You can reduce this burden by investing in tax savings instruments under Section 80 C or other sections under the IT act.

Things to keep in mind when comparing salary slips in offers:

# 1. Your basic salary is critical as most of your allowances will be based on that figure.
# 2. Look for special allowances and check whether they are performance or event based.

#3. Do not focus only on the in-hand salary. Look at the other benefits the company provides (health insurance, accident insurance, free food, bus transport, better career growth) which might outmatch a higher in-hand salary offer from some other company

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Top 10 Mobile Phones Released in August 2015: Devices You Can Buy - OnePlus 2, Meizu M2 Note, Xiaomi Redmi 2 Prime, Galaxy A8 and More

India has become a hot target for mobile phone companies owing to growth potential and over a dozen devices were launched in August. Several handsets including OnePlus 2, Meizu M2 Note, Xiaomi Redmi 2 Prime, Galaxy A8 and Gionee Marathon M4 have hit the stores.
Devices like Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe, Asus Zenfone Laser, Asus Zenfone Selfie, Sony Xperia C5 Ultra and Xperia M5 were also unveiled in August, but they haven't been released in the market till the time of filing this story.
Here are top 10 mobile phones released in India in the month of August:a

1) OnePlus 2

Current Price: Rs 22,999 for 16 GB, Rs 24,999 for 64 GB
Display: 5.5-inch full HD LCD screen with 920x1080 pixels (401 ppi pixel density)

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 series
Operating System: Android 5.1 Lollipop
Storage: 16 GB internal memory and 3 GB RAM, and 32 GB and 4 GB RAM (no microSD card slot)
Camera: 13 MP main camera, 5 MP front snapper
Battery: 3,300 mAh

2) Meizu M2 Note

Current Price: Rs 9,999
Display: 5.5-inch full HD IGZO capacitive touchscreen with 1080 x 1920 pixels (403 ppi pixel density)
Processor: Mediatek MT6753
Operating System: Flyme 4.5 based on Android 5.0 Lollipop
Storage: 16/32 GB internal memory, expandable up to 128 GB, 3 GB RAM
Camera: 13 MP rear camera, 5 MP front snapper
Battery: 3,100 mAh

3) Xiaomi Redmi 2 Prime

Current Price: Rs 6,999
Display: 4.7-inch HD IPS touchscreen with 1280 x 720p (312 ppi pixel density)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 410
Operating System: Android with MIUI 6
Storage: 16 GB internal memory, expandable up to 32 GB, 2 GB RAM
Camera: 8 MP main camera, 2 MP front snapper
Battery: 2,200 mAh

4) Samsung Galaxy A8

Current Price: Rs 32,500
Display: 5.7-inch full HD Super AMOLED display with 1920x1080p (386 ppi pixels density)
Processor: Exynos 5430
Operating System: Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
Storage: 32GB internal memory, expandable up to 128 GB, 2 GB RAM
Camera: 16 MP rear camera, 5 MP front snapper
Battery: 3,050 mAh

5) Gionee Marathon M4

Current Price: Rs 15,000
Display: 5.0-inch HD super AMOLED display with 1280x720p (294 ppi Pixel density)
Processor: Cortex-A7
Operating System: Android 5.0 Lollipop with Amigo v3.0 UI
Storage: 16GB internal memory, expandable up to 32 GB, 2 GB RAM
Camera: 8 MP main camera, 5 MP front snapper
Battery: 5,000 mAh

6) Panasonic Eluga Icon

Current Price: Rs 10,999
Display: 5.5-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with 720 x 1280 pixels (267 ppi pixel density)
Processor: MediaTek TRU
Operating System: Android 4.4 KitKat
Storage: 16 GB internal memory, expandable up to 32 GB, 2 GB RAM
Camera: 13 MP rear camera, 8 MP front camera
Battery: 3,500 mAh

7) BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9983 Graphite

Current Price: Rs 99,990
Display: 3.1-inch screen with 720x720p (330 ppi pixel density)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 (MSM8960)
Operating System: BlackBerry 10 OS
Storage: 64 GB internal camera, expandable up to 128 GB, 2 GB RAM
Camera: 8 MP main camera, 2 MP front camera
Battery: 2,100mAh

8) Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime

Current Price: Rs 11,100
Display: 5-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen with 540 x 960 pixels (220 ppi pixel density)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 410
Operating System: Android 4.4.4 KitKat
Storage: 8 GB internal memory expandable up to 64 GB, 1 GB RAM
Camera: 8 MP main camera, 5 MP secondary snapper
Battery: 2,600 mAh

9) Lenovo A2010

Current Price: RS 4,990
Display: 4.5-inch FWVGA TFT capacitive touchscreen with 480 x 854 pixels (218 ppi pixel density)
Processor: MediaTek MT6735M
Operating System: Android 5.1 Lollipop
Storage: 8 GB internal memory, expandable up to 32 GB, 1 GB RAM
Camera: 5 MP main camera, 2 MP front snapper
Battery: 2,000 mAh

10) Lava Iris X1 Selfie

Current Price: Rs 6,777
Display: 4.5-inch touchscreen with 854x480 pixels
Processor: MediaTek MT6580
Operating System: Android 5.1 Lollipop
Storage: 8 GB internal memory, expandable up to 32 GB, 1 GB RAM
Camera: 8 MP main camera, 5 MP front camera

Battery: 2,000 mAh

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5 Signs Your Hard Drive Lifetime is Ending & What To Do

Every one of us owns precious files like personal documents, photos, videos, or audio files, and we typically store them on hard drives. Few people realize that most electronic storage devices, including hard drives, have a rather limited lifetime when compared to the ancient ways of storing information, such as stone, papyrus, paper, or old school records. The average lifetime of a stationary hard drive today is around 5 – 10 years, depending on the type and manufacturer, and it rapidly declines if the drive is subject to strong variations in temperature, humidity, and motion as in not being stationary.

Since a majority of people today own laptops and external hard drives, which get dragged around quite a bit, a realistic hard drive lifetime is probably around 3 – 5 years. This is an extremely short time to reliably store important data. In the best of cases, hard drives fail gradually, giving you the chance to react, get a copy of your data, and replace the storage device before facing a fatal failure. There are a host of signs that hint to a gradual failure of your hard drive. If you are unsure how much life is left on your hard drive, read this article to find out what signs may reveal an approaching failure.

1. Slowing Down Computer, Frequent Freezes, Blue Screen Of Death

These are very unspecific signs that can be caused by a million different things. However, regardless of what the issue behind these symptoms is, it is recommended that you immediately make a backup. If these problems occur after a fresh installations or in Windows Safe Mode, it is almost certain that it is due to bad hardware, and possibly a failing hard drive.

2. Corrupted Data

If you’re beginning to find files that fail to open and are corrupted even though they saved without errors or if files suddenly disappear, you should get worried. While again this could be due to a multitude of issues, it is also a typical sign for a gradual hard drive failure.

3. Accumulation Of Bad Sectors

Bad sectors are areas of the hard drive that do not maintain data integrity. They are automatically masked by the operating system and thus hard to identify, especially if large amounts of the disk are currently in use. If you actually run into bad sectors, however, that certainly is a bad sign.

You can run a manual disk check to identify errors that Windows has not spotted, yet. In Windows 7, go to > Start > Computer and right-click on the disk or partition you wish to check. Select > Properties, in the window that opens switch to the >Tools tab and click > Check now… In the Checking Disk window place a checkmark next to > Automatically fix file system errors and > Scan for an attempt recovery of bad sectors.

Windows will also check for bad sectors, when you perform a full format or chkdsk command. See this article – The Difference Between Windows Full Format & Quick Format [Technology Explained].

4. Strange Sounds

When you hear strange noises coming from your hard drive, it may be too late already. A repetitive sound also known as the click of death is caused by the head as it is trying to write data and recovers from errors in doing so. Grinding or screeching noises indicate that parts of the hardware, for example the bearings or spindle motor, are failing.

5. S.M.A.R.T. Data

There are tools that aim to predict hard drive failure by reading the S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) data that is recorded by the operating system. Unfortunately, like most other methods listed above, S.M.A.R.T. is notoriously unreliable in predicting hard drive failure and the catastrophe will often happen before the warning of S.M.A.R.T. kicks in. If you have a working hard drive, however, and would like to have a look at its S.M.A.R.T. data, check out this article – 4 Tools To Predict and Prevent Hard Drive Failure

I Think My Hard Drive Is Failing, What Shall I Do?

So you are worried that a hard drive failure is just around the corner? The truth is, even if you are not worried, it is! The only thing you can do is always keep backups of your data on a second hard drive. The likelihood that both drives will fail simultaneously are very rare. An exception would be natural disasters like floods or fires. For these cases, I recommend to keep a copy of your most important data in a different physical location, for example at work or with a friend, or possibly on a remote server, for example by using an online backup solution.

For more information how to back up data, read my PDF manual Stuff Happens: The Backup & Restore Guide.

Conclusion

Do not rely on signs or software to tell you whether you have a failing hard drive. It is more likely than not that it will fail unexpectedly and without any warning signs whatsoever. Rather than trying to forecast something that is even less predictable than the weather, you should rely on backups.

What is your worst hardware failure nightmare, did it ever happen to you, and did you actually lose any data?

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