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Lava Iris 504q Now Available For Pre-Bookings On Online Stores For Rs.13,499

LAVA International Limited is now offering the newly launched Lava Iris 504q for pre-booking on various e-commerce websites.

The new Lava Iris 504q has a super slim 8.4mm thickness that makes it the slimmest handset in its category. It brings HD experience to a 5 inch IPS screen with OGS display technology and a resolution of 1280×720 pixels. Powered by a Quad Core 1.2GHz processor and running on the latest Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), the Iris 504q comes with an intelligent flip cover.

This device sports an 8MP camera with rear auto-focus and BSI sensor. Lava Iris 504q also packs in 1GB RAM and an internal memory of 4 GB, which is expandable up to 32 GB.

The Lava Iris 504q is priced at Rs. 13,499 and comes with a free flip cover and screen guard. It is expected to reach the stores in the last week of June.

You can watch our hands-on video below :

[youtube id=”C3g00WG6NSw” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

June 21, 2013
Leaked : Image Of Rumoured iPhone 5S With Dual-LED Flash

MacRumors has allegedly gotten their hands on photos of what appear to the rear shell and components of the rumored iPhone 5S.

The photos reveal a vertical pill-shaped LED flash, which suggests that Apple might include dual-LED flash inside iPhone 5S, just as recently leaked model schematics for the device unveiled.

Previous reports have noted that Apple has been experimenting with a 12 or 13-megapixel camera for the iPhone 5S, along with an improved night shooting mode.

MacRumors also notes that the main chip on the logic board doesn’t feature an A-series label as the one inside iPhone 5, and that it has been manufactured sometime in late October.

The rumoured iPhone 5S looks pretty much identical to the iPhone 5 – it even has the same two-tone pewter colour scheme.

‘The battery carries a more recent Apple Part Number of 616-0652 compared to the iPhone 5 battery, which has carried several different part numbers including 616-0611 and 616-0613,’ reports Mac Rumors.

The alleged Apple iPhone 5S also includes a larger 5.92 Whr battery compared to the 5.45 Whr capacity of the iPhone 5. But most of its internal workings look very similar to the current Apple iPhone 5 smartphone that is currently available.

Although we cannot verify the authenticity of these images, Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 5S later this year alongside a lower-cost iPhone with a plastic shell that will be available in an array of color options.

[Via]

June 21, 2013
Engine lineup for Suzuki S-Cross SX4 crossover revealed

Suzuki had unveiled the S-Cross SX4 crossover at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and now its engine line up has been revealed. According to the recently revealed future plans of the Japanse automakers, a smaller vehicle that will use the same underpinnings will be launched soon.

The S-Cross SX4 will be offered with 2 engines. The 1.6-litre turbocharged diesel unit produces 119 hp and 320Nm of torque and power is transmitted to the front wheels or all four wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. The petrol engine is also 1.6-litre unit but is naturally aspirated. It produces 119 hp and 156Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to all four wheels or the front wheels via a five-speed manual or a CVT gearbox.

Given the demand for crossovers in the Indian market right now, we can expect the S-Cross SX4 to be launched in India next year, and to bring a sedan model alongside as well.

June 21, 2013
Samsung Launches The Samsung Galaxy NX Android Mirrorless Camera

Today Samsung finally introduced the Galaxy NX, a mirrorless camera that runs Android with LTE connectivity and can use interchangeable lenses.

Like other Samsung mirrorless cameras, the Galaxy NX has a 20.3-megapixel APS-C sensor with hybrid autofocus. The rear LCD is a large 4.8-inch touchscreen, and there’s an electronic viewfinder as well. It’s capable of capturing fast action with shutter speeds as quick as 1/6,000 of a second, and ISO goes up to 25,600 for shooting in low light.

The lens situation is definitely an improvement over past incarnations of phone-camera hybrids. You can attach pancake, telephoto, wide-angle, or even 3D lenses to the Galaxy NX Camera. However, they will have to be the Samsung NX lenses, which tend to be more expensive less abundant than other mirrorless options.

Samsung Galaxy NX boasts 1080p Full HD video capture capabilities at 30 frames-per-second, and is also compatible with Samsung’s line of 3D lenses for extra-dimensional shooting. The Galaxy NX plays host to a 1.6GHz quad-core processor.

The Samsung Galaxy NX specs sheet is further enhanced by 3G and 4G LTE connectivity options via a SIM card, as well as dual-band Wi-Fi compatibility. It packs 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage expandable via microSD up to 64GB and runs Google’s Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS.

Also onboard is a Drime IV Image Signal Processor, which is promised to deliver speed and accuracy. Thanks to Android, there’s also access to a bunch of apps, such as Samsung’s own ChatOn client, S Voice, S Translator as well as the normal things you’d find on Android.

The Samsung Galaxy NX Camera release date and price for the Indian market is still to be determined.

June 21, 2013
Nissan Terrano to start at Rs. 8.90 lakhs according to reports

According to reports by Motorbeam, the Nissan Terrano will hit Indian markets in October starting at Rs. 8.90 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). Nissan has taken note of the poor demand for the petrol version of the Duster, which is the equivalent model offered by their sister brand Renault. Due to this, the Nissan Terrano will be offered with a 1.5-litre diesel engine only and no petrol engines be will available. Motorbeam also claims to have a studio picture, as posted on their site, which isn’t the same as the official sketch released by Nissan a few weeks ago.

The compact SUV will be offered in four variants which; XL, XL (O), XV and XV premium. The 1.5-litre diesel engine under its hood produces 85 hp of power and 200 Nm of torque and power will be transferred to the wheel through a 5-speed manual gearbox. Nissan will offer all variants of the Terrano with driver side airbags as standard, something which it does on its other cars as well.

The difference between the Nissan Terrano and Renault Duster will be purely cosmetic, including smoked headlights, new front grille, new bumper, new alloy wheels and new tail lights. The interiors will see minor changes regarding the fabric of the seats. The base variant of the diesel Renault Duster (RxE) is priced at Rs. 8.73 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi).

[Source: Motorbeam]

June 21, 2013
Samsung Ativ One 5 Style AIO Launched

The all-in-one entry to Samsung’s Ativ PC line-up is the Samsung Ativ One 5 Style.

Samsung explained that the PC’s sleek design was meant to mimic that of the Galaxy S4 phone, featuring sleek curves, bevels, and edges.

The Samsung Ativ One 5 Style features a 1,920 x 1080 display with an unfortunate glossy reflective finish., AMD A6 quad-core processor, shared graphics, 4GB of memory, up to 1TB HDD, and a 720p camera. The One 5 has two USB 3.0 ports and HDMI in/out.

It runs a full version of Windows 8, which means that when Windows 8.1 finally drops later this year, One 5 Style customers will be able to get it for free.

It also has SideSync pre-loaded so you can tether a smartphone or tablet to it as a second screen or perform tasks like backing up photos.

There’s no battery so you can’t take it round the house with you like the Sony VAIO Tap 20 and Dell XPS 18. Nevertheless, it’s a nice all-in-one PC on first impressions.

Like the rest of Samsung’s Ativ range, we’ve got no pricing details or a specific release date beyond ‘later this year’.

June 21, 2013
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus, ATIV Book 9 Lite Announced

Samsung today announced two new Ultrabooks, the Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus and Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite.

Both feature aluminium unibodies and 13.3-inch screens with touch functionality. The one on the ATIV Book 9 Plus however packs the whopping 3200 X 1800 QHD+ resolution.

The ATIV Book 9 Plus supports a 256GB SSD, up to 8GB RAM and offers a battery life of 12 hours. At its thickest point its said to be 13.6mm, and weighs just 1.39kg. They’ve also made improvements to the backlit keyboard and trackpad and the touchscreen touts Gorilla Glass, which makes it quite durable.

The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus can be hinged in two positions, one is around 105 degrees and the other is a flat 180 degrees. Samsung says that the touchscreen display will offer an improved experience due to the use of OCR bonding.

Samsung also announced the lower-end ATIV Book 9 Lite, which ditches the high resolution display for a standard 1366 x 768 display, and features one of AMD’s new Kabini APUs under the hood. The machine does have a 256 GB solid state drive in its 1.44-1.58 kg body, but it’s not surprising to learn the battery life is lower than its flagship counterpart: apparently you’ll only be able to manage a maximum of eight hours out of this device.

As with the ATIV Book 9 Plus, the Book 9 Lite is slated for a Q3 release with no price announced just yet.

June 21, 2013
Is This The Future? Tesla Unveils 90-Second Car Battery Pack Swap

While there have been many electric and hybrid car models around for quite some time now, the idea of charging the batteries manually and “plugging in your car” didn’t bode well with many customers. That might just change now.

Tesla has unveiled a new system that allows people to change the battery pack in their electric cars in just 90-seconds, less than half the time it takes to fill up a car with petrol/diesel.

Musk and Franz Von Holzhausen, Tesla’s chief designer, demonstrated the system late yesterday at the company’s Hawthorne, California, design studio.

“There are some people, they take a lot of convincing,” Musk said at an event at Tesla’s Los Angeles design studio. “Hopefully this is what convinces people finally that electric cars are the future.”

The device removes and replaces the car’s 1,000-pound (454 kilogram) lithium-ion battery with a fully charged one in just 90 seconds, said Musk, who used it to swap packs in two cars faster than an Audi AG sedan could be refilled with gasoline.

A battery pack swap will cost between $60 and $80, about the same as filling up a 15-gallon gas tank, Musk said. Drivers who choose to swap must reclaim their original battery on their return trip or pay the difference in cost for the new pack.

These charging stations will cost about a half a million dollars each to build. They will be located alongside Tesla’s fast-charging stations, which take around 30 minutes to charge the car’s battery.

A boost for the clean fuel industry!

[Via]

June 21, 2013
Behold The Samsung ATIV Q, Android And Windows In One Device

Samsung is aiming to make your decision regarding which tablet OS to choose, much easier. The electronics giant announced the Samsung ATIV Q which combines Android (Jellybean 4.2.2) and true Windows 8 (not RT) on the same device.

It comes just over a fortnight after Asus unveiled its own laptop-tablet hybrid which also runs both Microsoft and Google’s systems.

The Samsung ATIV Q features a razor-sharp 3200×1800 qHD+ display. It measures 13.3 inches on its diagonal — meaning the Q going to be a tad more bulky than the Galaxy Note 10.1. While you might normally be concerned about the Windows performance of a device like this, you don’t need to worry about the Samsung ATIV Q. It’s not running an Atom like some other dual-booters. It’s running Intel’s latest silicon, a Core i5 Haswell with HD 4400 graphics and 4GB of RAM. That should provide the Ativ Q with brilliant battery life in Windows and equally brilliant performance while running Android. And yes, that also means that you’re getting the full Windows 8 experience — not the confusingly limited Windows RT.

As for storage, it has a 128GB SSD which is considered large in the tablet segment.

The hinged Samsung ATIV Q allows users to lay the display flat over the keyboard for tablet mode; raise the display upright to type as on a laptop; ‘float’ and adjust the display to a comfortable viewing angle; or flip the display to place in the stand mode to watch movies. A stylus is also included to enhance the tablet experience.

Users will not only get access to Android apps via Google Play but also be able to transfer files, to share folders and files from Windows 8 to Android, truly marrying the mobile and PC experiences”.

The two distinct operating systems are individually hosted but provide strong, seamless file and data transitions work together well, quietly and behind the scenes.

Whether or not people will warm up to the idea of dual boot devices remains to be seen, but it is surely a step in the right direction.

Pricing and availability details have not been revealed yet!

June 21, 2013
Nissan claims Le Mans prototype ZEOD RC is fastest electric race car

Nissan has announced plans of an upcoming all-electric racing car called the ZEOD RC (The Zero Emission On Demand Racing car). The Zeod RC which is said to be capable of a top speed in excess of 300 kmph, is shaped a bit like the closed-cockpit version of the DeltaWing (albeit, much better looking in our opinion) and will make its debut in 2014 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The ZEOD RC was displayed near the Circuit de la Sarthe last weekend at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Nissan ZEOD RC has been invited by Le Mans organizers to compete as the Garage 56 entry in next year’s race, which is basically a spot on the grid held for vehicles with new and/or cutting edge technology. Apart from the announcement of a partnership with Michelin to develop tires for the ZEOD RC, Nissan has not revealed any technical specifications or information about the battery under the hood of the EV racer. However, Nissan has made it clear that they have their work cut out for them, and will be trying out various different motors and battery packs over the course of the year before making a final decision.

We have many options to consider and test. The test program is part of a longer term goal of developing a system and a set of rules for this type of technology in partnership with the ACO that would be best suited to competing at the highest level of this sport.
– Ben Bowlby, designer of the ZEOD RC

The ultimate goal of the ZEOD RC program, in terms of racing at least, is to sort out the feasibility of a LM P1 all-electric class for future Le Mans racing. Formula E is looking to have a similar impact, however the endurance aspect of Le Mans is much more relevant for electric technology and its future in production cars.

Nissan had the privilege of setting up camp in Garage 56 at the 2012 Le Mans race as well with Nismo’s sleek DeltaWing. It didn’t fare too well, after crashing out much before the 24 hours were over, but proved to be a step in the right direction providing a lot of data and insight for Nissan’s future, as is evident by the revolutionary ZEOD RC.

June 21, 2013
Suunto Launches AMBIT2 with GPS and Navigation and Quick MultiSport Mode (Hands On) (PR)

Suunto has been a name synonymous with pro athletes and adventurers of all types. The company’s foray into the Indian market targets more enthusiasts and youth. The new Ambit2 is the successor of the popular Ambit, and adds a new Multi Sports mode.

The new apps on the Suunto Ambit 2 have been designed for a large variety of use, including swimming, cycling, running and multisport training.

The watch features interesting features including route navigation, barometric information, altimeter with FusedAltiTM, 3D compass and other outdoor specific features. In addition the Ambit2 has all the training features of the Ambit2 S.

The Ambit 2 is made inside a glass fiber reinforced casing with a battery life of up to 50 hours in GPS mode, the Ambit2 is a watch designed for serious adventurers, explorers and multisport athletes. The HR edition we put our hands on features a heart monitor belt which syncs up with the watch to track your heart rate through your workout/swim or trek.

The watch is really easy to handle and works great while on the hand, switching form one mode to another is fast and conveniently handled by one hand. The watch can be worn on either hand due to the design and the button layout.

The watch has a massive 50 mm bezel, which to us felt really nice, but a lot of athletes may not want such a huge dial. The backlight is nicely spread and is not overbearing, and should provide ample lighting during the night.

The strap is also designed keeping the active folks in mind, a stretch rubber strap with large breathable perforated holes.

While we take this watch for a spin, check out the video (uploading ) and images and stay tuned for a full review.

[toggle title=”Press Release”]Suunto recently unveils the second generation of Ambit outdoor GPS watches, the new line-up of Ambit2 S and the Ambit2. This creates a collection of Suunto GPS watches for every occassion — whether a multisport training session or a serious adventure.

Comments President of Suunto, Mikko Moilanen: “The Ambit got a tremendously positive response from consumers last year. To meet the needs of perfomance sports oriented users even better we felt that a lighter, slimmer GPS with sports-specific features but less focus on outdoor functionality was needed to complement the Ambit family. In addition, the rapidly advancing technology made it meaningful to update the Ambit family with new members already now.”

Ambit2 S – The GPS watch for athletes
The new Ambit2 S is a light and sleek GPS watch for multisport athletes that packs all the features needed for cycling, running, swimming and multisport training. The GPS provides accurate pace, route navigation and tracking, while the heart rate monitor lets you train within your ideal zone.
• Cycling: The new Suunto Ambit2 S will support power meters (ANT+) and offers various power measurement values and numerous options for in-depth analysis.
• Swimming: The Ambit2 S also offers comprehensive swimming functionality, including pace and distance, automatic intervals, stroke rate and swimming time related to different pool lengths. The Ambit2 S will also learn to recognize your swimming style, which makes performance analysis easier.
• Running: Runners benefit from highly accurate pace and distance thanks to FusedSpeed™, the Ambit’s accelerometer integrated GPS, as well as interval timer and autolaps for training.
• Multisport Training: Users can switch between sports, making the Suunto Ambit2 S ideal for recording your multisport training or race.
•
Ambit2 – The GPS for explorers and athletes
Suunto also launches the Ambit2, which builds on the success of the award-winning Suunto Ambit. It includes Suunto’s hallmark outdoor functions such as route navigation, barometric information, altimeter with FusedAltiTM, 3D compass and other outdoor specific features. In addition the Ambit2 has all the training features of the Ambit2 S.
Packed in a glass fiber reinforced casing with a battery life of up to 50 hours in GPS mode, the Ambit2 is the ultimate watch for serious adventurers, explorers and multisport athletes. The Sapphire edition of the Ambit2, features a brushed steel bezel and sapphire crystal glass, adding some serious style to the Ambit2’s extreme functionality.

Comments Suunto ambassador and climber Ueli Steck: “In the mountains you need a watch you can rely on. I’ve been using Suunto products for many years and the Ambit2 is the ideal product out there for anyone serious about their mountain sports.”

Both Ambit2 S and Ambit2 will be globally available from May 2013.

App Zone and Movescount.com are also upgraded
Suunto is also upgrading the Suunto App Zone, the community forum where users can find and create free Apps for the Ambit GPS watches. Since it launched in November 2012, the App Zone has proved popular with users, who have created over 5,000 Apps so far. The upgrade gives Ambit owners the chance to create and share more advanced Apps. Suunto’s online sports community Movescount.comwhich hosts the App Zone, will also be updated to provide new tools for in-depth analysis, enhanced navigation and improved opportunities for sharing.

About Suunto

Suunto was founded in 1936 by Tuomas Vohlonen, a Finnish orienteer and inventor of the liquid-filled field compass. Since then Suunto has been at the forefront of design and innovation for dive computers, instruments and sports watches used by adventure seekers all over the globe. From the highest mountains to the deepest oceans, Suunto physically and mentally equips outdoor adventurers to conquer new territory. Suunto’s headquarters and manufacturing plant is in Vantaa, Finland. Employing more than 400 people worldwide, Suunto products are sold in over 100 countries. The company is a subsidiary of Amer Sports Corporation along with its sister brands Salomon, Arc’teryx, Atomic, Wilson, Precor, and Mavic
[/toggle]

June 20, 2013
Microsoft Giving Away $100,000 Rewards For Finding Windows 8.1 Security Flaws

If you’re good enough with code, perhaps you can make some good money digging up bugs for Microsoft.

Microsoft is offering what it calls a ‘Bounty Program’ to finding exploits and vulnerabilities for Windows 8.1. Google has had a similar program for its Chrome web browser for quite some time now, though not offering as much money.

The new exploitation method must not be one that Microsoft already knows or that has been described in prior works and the submission must also include a white paper explaining the method.

The biggest one is the Mitigation Bypass Bounty, which will pay up to $100,000 to developers who find “truly novel exploitation techniques” in Windows 8.1.

Any successful hacker can earn an additional $50,000 “BlueHat Bonus” if they can tell Redmond how to fix a major flaw in the operating system. In addition, there’s an $11,000 bounty on Internet Explorer 11 Preview Edition vulnerabilities – but with a 30 day time limit – presumably so that any new problems can be fixed in time for the final release.

“Microsoft will pay up to $100,000 for truly novel exploitation techniques against protections built into the latest version of our operating system (Windows 8.1 Preview). Learning about new exploitation techniques earlier helps Microsoft improve security by leaps, instead of capturing one vulnerability at a time as a traditional bug bounty alone would,” the company explained.

That program begins on June 26 but will end 30 days later on July 26th. More details on all three bounty programs, including some advice on how to submit a good exploit report, can be found here.

The company is set to introduce the new Windows 8.1 Preview at the BUILD developer conference in San Francisco on June 26th as well.

June 20, 2013
Tata Motors launches eight models including CNG Nano

Tata Motors has launched eight new products across five brands to mark ‘Horizonext’, its new passenger car business strategy, at its plant in Pune. While some models get additional kit and a choice of new colours, the company has also unveiled CNG variants for the Indica, Indigo and the Nano. Horizonext is all about evolution rather than revolution. Which is why all eight products showcased at the company’s plant in Pune encompassing cars and utility vehicles, are refreshes rather than all-new products.

The Tata Indigo eCS now comes with a new powertrain, a new Feather-shift gearbox and an all new noise, vibration and harshness package. The Sumo Gold gets dual AC, bluetooth and USB connectivity. There is a new Nano with keyless entry, twin glove boxes, a four speaker music system with blutooth, USB and aux-in connectivity. The new nano also features a chrome strip on its hood and a new vent on its boot for better engine cooling. The Nano can now also be customised with personalisation kits.

The Indica is now available in a new range of colours and graphic designs. It also gets a refreshed exterior, dual path suspension set-up, multimedia entertainment options and Feather-shift gearbox with smart-shifter gear technology. Tata Motors also announced the launch of the Safari Storme Explorer edition, which is equipped with a double DIN touchsreen multimedia system, a nudge guard, door visors, explorer decals among other gear.

The CNG lineup includes the Nano (called emax), the Indica and the Indigo.

According to Tata Motors, these refreshes mark a new direction for Tata Motors. The company now wants to focus on improving existing technology and fine-tuning it to function better. Improvement in ergonomics, interior quality and features are other focus areas for Tata Motors as part of this strategy along with speed in bringing out new and improved products. The company added that it was its new mission to bring about desirable products that will make sense not just today but in the future as well.

We expect to see all the updated models as well as the CNG variants in showrooms very soon.

June 20, 2013
Renault launches entry-level Scala RxE Diesel

Renault India has introduced an entry-level diesel variant of its Scala sedan, in order to make its diesel range more accessible to the Indian customers.

The Scala RxE diesel will be powered by the same 1.5-litre k9k diesel assembly as that in the RxL and RxZ variants, producing 84.8 bhp and 20.4kgm of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission.

Features like a driver airbag, ABS with EBD, Brake Assist, engine immobiliser, music system, rear cooling vents and anti pinch power windows are standard but climate control, passenger airbag and power windows are omitted.

At Renault India, we are constantly endeavouring to offer products that meet the complete spectrum of customer needs. The Scala RxE not only offers the luxury, roominess and excellent ride and handling of the Scala diesel variants, but also delivers a host of features high on safety, comfort and entertainment – all in a price currently unmatched at the entry level of the premium sedan segment.
– Sumit Sawhney, Executive Director, Marketing & Sales, Renault India Pvt. Ltd.

The Renault Scala RXE diesel is priced at Rs Rs. 8.29 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi). It comes with the Renault Complete car package which offers 2+2 years/80,000km warranty with roadside and navigation assistance.

The Scala is available in six variants with both diesel and petrol options. While the petrol variants are priced between Rs. 7.19 lakhs and Rs. 9.99 lakhs, the diesel variants are available in a price range of Rs. 8.29 lakhs to Rs. 9.68 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi).

[featured image does not show RxE variant of the Scala]

June 20, 2013
Report : Microsoft Was Close To Acquiring Nokia But Talks Broke Down

Technology pundits have long speculated that, one day, Microsoft would buy its way into manufacturing of its own mobile phones. Apparently that day came a lot closer to fruition than people had thought.

Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia’s mobile phone business – the deal you probably assumed would happen sooner or later – has been scuppered before talks were even made public, according to a new report.

On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal wrote that Microsoft has been engaged in “advanced talks” to snap up the Finnish mobile maker, but that those discussions have recently broken down and are not likely to resume.

The WSJ also adds that both companies were close to an oral agreement with Microsoft purchasing the device division of Nokia, using some of Redmond’s reported $66 billion held in off-shore businesses. That method would have let Microsoft avoid a hefty tax penalty for purchasing the massive phone maker.

The price was reportedly too high in Microsoft’s reckoning and the software giant was understood to be concerned by Nokia’s inability to mount a serious challenge to the likes of Apple and Samsung in the smartphone business. This may sound a little rich coming from Microsoft, but the addition of HTC to the ranks of top class smartphone makers and the recent return to form of Sony and BlackBerry has made Nokia an outside bet in the smartphone race.

Nokia’s smartphones exclusively use Microsoft Windows Phone software, under a deal the two companies struck two years ago.

[Via]

June 20, 2013