Nokia unveils 4 cheap phones, bicycle charger

 Nokia Oyj unveiled on Thursday four new cheap phone models, and a first bicycle charger from the world's top cellphone maker, aiming to protect its dominant market share on emerging markets.

Nokia controls more than 50 percent of phone sales in India and Africa, and has a strong prosition on most other emerging markets.

"Tens of millions of these products will be sold, but competition is intensifying as Chinese vendors aggressively target the ultra low cost segment," said Ben Wood, director of research at CCS Insight.

"With all the focus on its smartphone woes it is easy to forget that Nokia is a power house in entry level products."

Nokia has struggled to keep up with rivals like Apple and RIM in the high-end of the market, and its ailing smartphone offering has hurt the stock price over the last few months.

The four new simple phone models sales prices, excluding possible operators subsidies and local taxes, range from 30 euros ($36.9) to 45 euros.

Two of the new phones, including the cheapest 30 euro model, will enable usage of two different SIM cards -- helping sharing a phone between family members or friends.

Nokia introduced also its first bicycle charger, targeting especially consumers with limited access to electricity, and it will go on sale for roughly 15 euros price, depending on market, later this year, said a company spokesman.

How credit cards can make money for you

Credit cards of late have a negative connotation, and are pronounced as complete no-no by many, because of the high interest rates that are charged on late payments/defaults.

Don't let this negativity cloud perception of the product. You would be surprised to know that, if you are judicious in using this product, you stand to benefit monetarily, and of course it eliminates the need for you to carry cash everywhere.

More often than not the problem is that people do not understand the product well and hence are not able to use it to their advantage.

The credit card company offers you a 'free credit period' of around 50-55 days. The misconception most people have is that this free credit period is from the date of purchase. It is actually from the date of billing. E.g. Mr Anand's billing cycle date is December 28 to January 27 and his credit free period is 50 days.

If his purchase was on January 22, he would enjoy credit for 25 days. However if he made the same purchase on say Jan 1, he would enjoy credit free period of 47 days. So if you plan properly, you can enjoy maximum credit every month, which will help you manage your cash flows effectively, and will also help you earn the extra bit of interest on the cash that you have currently not spent on making the purchase.

In addition to the free credit period, every purchase made on your credit card, earns you reward points which when accumulated to a big amount can be exchanged for a range of items such as electrical appliances, flight tickets, home ware etc. These rewards will differ from company to company.

Also credit card companies offer discounts, promotional offers with respect to shopping, entertainment etc. For example, if you buy petrol from a particular brand of petrol pump, you get a small percentage of money credited back to your account after a certain number of days.

For the credit card to make money for you, two key things you need to keep in mind

Cost of default: The interest rate on defaults ranges from anywhere between 2 per cent-3.5 per cent per month. So in effect it is a whopping 24 per cent-42 per cent p.a. Also, the interest starts from the date of purchase and not the billing date i.e. you do not get any interest-free credit period and all future purchases also start attracting the interest charges from the date of purchase.

So use the credit card if and only if you're sure of having the means to pay the bills in time. Also, don't forget that your credit score will get impacted too which will impact your future borrowing.

Credit limit: Keep a tab on your credit limit. Overshooting your credit limit will also have dire consequences for you with respect to the interest charged and your credit score.

How do you ensure that your credit card makes money for you?

Widen the usage of your credit card (small and big purchases): You might as well earn bonus points and interest on the cash that you have not currently used, to make the purchase. You can use the credit card to pay monthly rentals, grocery bills, utility bills, gift expenses, subscription expenses etc.

So the cash that you have not used to make the purchase will earn interest for you or will be used for fulfilling other immediate needs. For example, Maitali purchased an electrical appliance for Rs 28,000 using the credit card she possessed. The purchase was made such that she could enjoy a credit free period of 45 days. The cash that she would have used to purchase this appliance is now lying in her savings account which is earning her an interest of 3.5 per cent p.a.

So if she decides to pay the bill after enjoying 40 days of free credit, she earns an interest of Rs 107 in her savings bank account. Not only that, she has also earned some reward points on the purchase. The other advantage of using the credit card is your payments are recorded which makes it easier for you to keep track of your expenses.

Appropriate use of bonus points: Use the bonus points that have accumulated on buying necessities (house hold appliances, clothes, groceries etc.) rather than using it on things (luxuries) that aren't really important to you. Only if the bonus points are used practically, you are actually saving cash.

Conclusion

Credit cards if used prudently will help you in managing your cash flow better, and at the same time, will provide you monetary benefits. That's because you get interest free money for some period of time and you also earn reward/bonus points on the same.

But if you use it without deliberation, it can prove to be disastrous as interest rates charged on payment delays are very high. Also, your credit rating will take a beating, as banks report these things to the credit rating agencies, which in turn will include it as part of your credit report.

Don't forget that credit score will not only determine whether you will get a loan but will also determine at what interest. Let not easy availability of credit and attractive rewards offered fool you into making impulsive purchases. It will prove to be rather costly.

The simplest diet secret: Eat less to weigh less!

If you control your portions at mealtimes, you're bound to lose weight -- it's a principle that cannot fail. But how much is enough? Illustration: Uttam Ghosh

Most of us attempt to lose weight by forcing a self-imposed blanket ban on incriminating foods. But sooner or later, as our patience wears thin and resolve crumbles, we go for these very foods with a vengeance. The result is that we are back where we started -- or even worse.

Another, better, option would be to follow a path of moderation -- where we continue to eat all foods, but in an amount where they are not harmful. Portion control essentially involves knowing how to select servings of each food item, so that the overall calories consumed are not in excess. It is about combining different types of foods in controlled portions so that the overall balance is not tipped.

These are a few practical tips on implementing effective portion control:

• Cut it by half: You can cut the calories of your favorite foods by 50 percent without changing anything about them by eating only half the portion. For example, if you usually eat a toasted cheese sandwich, eat only half of it. If you are still hungry, eat some fruit, which -- because it contains fibre and takes longer to eat and digest -- will help you feel satisfied with far fewer calories. Eating at a slower pace will also help you feel full when you've actually eaten much less.
• Avoid upsizing: Resist all offers to supersize an order, however tempting the offer. In fact, steer clear of all 'meal deal' offers altogether. If you must, have a salad accompany your order.
• Buy small: We all occasionally succumb to the temptation of snacks like wafers or chips. But the key is not to overdo it. One way you can do so is by buying only smaller-sized packages. If you buy budget bags, then simply ration out the stock into smaller zip bags and store. This way you'll always know how much you are eating and avoid over-eating.
• Store less: If you store a lot of food within easy reach, you are bound to keep helping yourself to it. Therefore, one way to help yourself eat less is to store only one individual serving of each food at a time where you can easily get at it. If there's more, you can store that separately and keep it strictly out of bounds. Follow this whether you are storing leftovers or fresh supplies.
• Visualise portions: Mentally associate acceptable food portions to everyday objects you are familiar with to help you remember not to exceed your limit. For instance, a slice of cake could be the size of a deck of cards, a serving of cheese, the size of a matchbox and a cup of rice or pasta, the size of a tennis ball.
• Start with salads: Eating salads before lunch or dinner is one way to keep from overeating. The fibre in the veggies will satiate you without adding to your calories and help you eat less of the other dishes.
• Ban seconds: Discourage seconds at the table. Following a system where food is served away from the dining table will help. It takes about 20 minutes to feel satiated so giving yourself a 'breather' will help you realise you are not hungry any longer.
• Indulge occasionally: Treating yourself to 'forbidden' foods once in a while will keep you from feeling deprived, which can induce uncontrolled binging.

These few general rules will help too:

• Set realistic goals to control portions: If you set very high standards you are likely to fail and get dejected. It helps to fix goals you know you can achieve.
• Involve a helpful person: Take a close friend or family member into confidence. The involvement of a third party will keep you from succumbing to temptation and keep you on track.
• Keep a journal: Recording your eating habits in a journal will help you to set and achieve your goals more systematically.
• Celebrate success: Remember to celebrate successful achievement of any weightloss related goals. This will keep you mentally and emotionally ticking.