Info Center

DONT WORK TOO HARD

2009-05-14T01:41:00.001-07:00

Tech Laugh

2009-04-09T01:34:00.000-07:00

Cost Cutting

2009-03-25T19:30:00.001-07:00

80 whales and dolphins beached in Australia

2009-03-23T23:56:00.001-07:00

About 80 whales and dolphins were stranded Monday on a remote beach in southwestern Australia. Authorities plan to truck the few survivors to a protected bay before attempting to put them back to sea.

Volunteers and government officers struggled to save 17 long-finned pilot whales that were being battered by rough seas in Hamelin Bay in Western Australia state, the state Conservation Department said in a statement.

It was the latest mass beaching of whales in Australia. Strandings happen periodically in Tasmania, in the southeast, as whales pass during their migration to and from Antarctic waters, but scientists do not know why. It is unusual, however, for whales and dolphins to become beached together.

The department said the group of whales and bottlenose dolphins became stranded early Monday on a stretch of beach about 4 miles (6 kilometers) long.

Department spokesman Greg Mair said the 17 survivors, all whales, will be shifted by truck at daybreak Tuesday to nearby Flinders Bay and helped out to sea.

"This method has been chosen to ensure the whales' greatest chance of survival," Mair said in the statement. "Flinders Bay provides sheltered waters and is far enough away from the stranding site to reduce the risk of the whales re-stranding."

Department officers originally thought the mammals were false killer whales, but on closer inspection said they were long-finned pilot whales.

Just for Laughs

2009-02-17T21:49:00.001-08:00

What all Google killed

2009-02-17T01:24:00.000-08:00

What all Google killed

Google has often been extolled for its product innovations. However, it seems slowdown has cast its shadow on the company's `innovation spirit' too. The search giant, who is taking a harder line on managing expenses as the recession curbs spending on online ads, has been almost on a shutting spree. The past six months witnessed the company pull the plug on as many as nine of its new products.

Several of these causalities include products launched with lot of fanfare like Google Lively, which was widely believed to be the company's answer to Second Life.

Here's looking into the products/services Google has dumped in the last few months.
Broadcast radio ad business

Google Inc has abandoned its efforts to sell advertising for broadcast radio stations, acknowledging that the three-year project has failed.
The leading Web search company said that it plans to sell its Radio Automation business, which created software to automate broadcast radio programming, and phase out its Audio Ads service.
The move will likely result in up to 40 people being laid off, Google said. Google has been re-appraising initiatives intended to expand its income beyond Internet advertising, which accounts for more than 90 per cent of total revenue.
Advertisers will continue to be able to use Audio Ads until May 31, the company said. Google -- which had 20,222 full-time employees as of December 31 -- would instead focus its efforts on placing ads on streaming audio over the Internet, according to company's vice president of product management, Susan Wojcicki.
Google plans to continue investing in its television ad business. It also is seeking ways to sell more advertising on online audio services, which younger audiences are using.

Google Lively

In July 2008 Google launched Google Lively, a 3D virtual reality service, with much fanfare. Four months, and Internet giant's take on Second Life ran out of fuel. Google announced that it is discontinuing Lively by the end of the year.
The shut down reflected Lively's inability to stand out from the rest of the virtual reality crowd. Lively was Web-based and allowed anyone to set up virtual spaces, such as rooms, that could be embedded onto blogs or Facebook pages.

Google management concluded that it needed to sharpen its focus on its primary business of Internet search and advertising as the company's revenue growth showed signs of a deteriorating economy.
"We've also always accepted that when you take these kinds of risks not every bet is going to pay off. It has been a tough decision, but we want to ensure that we prioritise our resources and focus more on our core search, ads and apps business," Google wrote in a blog post.

According to the blog, the employees working on Lively were reassigned other jobs after the service shut down. The pack of virtual worlds is led by Second Life, where people deploy animated alter egos known as avatars to pursue digital fantasies.

Dodgeball

Dodgeball was a company that Google acquired in May 2005. The location-based meeting service allowed users to share their current locations using SMS messages. Come January 2009, the company announces that Dodgeball will be shut down "in the next couple of months."
Here goes the closure announcemet: "Google has decided to shut down dodgeball. I know this is kind of a bummer, but the site has been in maintenance mode for a while now, and it's just time to shut it down for good."
"We're planning on doing this in two stages. Everything will continue to function as-is until the end of February (can anyone say shutdown party?). At that point, we'll turn off the SMS service and the site will enter read-only mode. We'll leave it like that for about a month giving you time to save or export any of your data that you might want to keep. Sometime around the beginning of April we'll shut the site down for good, delete all the user accounts, and the associated data."
Incidentally, Dodgeball founders quit Google in April 2007. Both were reportedly unhappy with the way Google was handling the service and blamed Google of apathy.

Mashup Editor

The online mashup creation service by Google has too become a history now. The company plans to phase out the service in next six months. The service, which was in private beta, is being replaced by App Engine. It was direct competition for Yahoo Pipes and Microsoft Popfly.
Google in a blog post wrote, "we will be shutting down the Mashup Editor in six months. While it is always hard to say goodbye to a product, when we launched the Mashup Editor as a private beta last year, we did so to better understand the needs of you, our developers. And you spoke, and much of what we learned together is now a big part of App Engine, the new infrastructure for hosted developer applications. We look forward to working with you in the migration to App Engine, and can’t wait to see what you build."

Google Video Uploading

The web search giant bid farewell to its Google Video service last month, a free video sharing website and also a video search engine that allows users to upload video clips.
Though Google is not removing any content hosted on Google Video but users will no longer be able to upload new content to the service. The videos that are already in users account will remain hosted on Google Video. Users will have access to all the existing management tools for them.
The web giant in its blog post wrote, "In a few months, we will discontinue support for uploads to Google Video. We've always maintained that Google Video's strength is in the search technology that makes it possible for people to search videos from across the web, regardless of where they may be hosted. And this move will enable us to focus on developing these technologies further to the benefit of searchers worldwide."

Google Catalog

Google Catalog too faces axe. The service it launched in 2001 that made it possible to search the full text of hundreds and thousands of product catalogs. This was Google's first big effort to make offline information available online.
Catalogs helped to scan and make the full text of books available online. The search shown catalogs with pages that contain users search terms. Each listing shows the cover of the catalog, an image of the catalog page where the terms were found, and a close-up of the section of the page containing the terms.

The announcement was made by Ounit Soni, Google product manager, on the Inside Google Book Search blog. The posting said that Google's Catalog Search helped the search giant develop other key initiatives like Google Book Search, as well as learn about how users read scanned documents online.

Read the farewell note: “It was a great experiment.” Accepting that the service was not a great success the blog goes, “Nonetheless, in recent years, Catalog Search hasn't been as popular as some of our other products. So from (January 15), we're bidding it a fond farewell and focusing our efforts to bring more and more types of offline information such as magazines, newspapers and of course, books, online.”Google Notebook

Google has also halted further active development on Google Notebook, the free online application that lets users save and organise clips of information while conducting research online. Though the web giant will continue to maintain the service for current users, it will no longer add features nor will accept any new users.
The service lets users write notes, and to clip text, images, and links from pages during browsing. These are saved to an online "notebook" with sharing and collaboration features. Google Notebook works as an interactive scratch pad for any visited web pages, offering to collect web findings within the browser window.
Google in its blog wrote, "We will no longer support the Notebook Extension, but as always users who have already signed up will continue to have access to their data via the web interface. However, existing users won’t be able to use the browser extension, which makes the service significantly less useful. Among Google’s suggestions for replacements are SearchWiki, Google Docs, Tasks (Gmail), and Google Bookmarks."

Google Jaiku

Google's microblogging service, Jaiku, too became a causality recently. This means Google will “no longer actively develop the Jaiku codebase.”
Jaiku, as it is today, may live on with support from a `volunteer team' of Google employees, but the main product is getting ported to the Google App Engine. Google bought Jaiku, a microblogging service similar to Twitter, in late 2007.
Google in its blog post wrote, "The new Jaiku Engine will include support for OAuth, and we're excited about developers using this proven code as a starting point in creating a freely available and federated, open source microblogging platform."
Jaiku was founded in February 2006 by Jyri Engestrom and Petteri Koponen from Finland. It was purchased by Google in October 2007.

Print ad programme

Google is also putting an end to its print advertisement programme on February 28. Google said that advertisers who already have campaigns booked at one of the approximately 800 US newspapers that participate will still have ads placed through March 31.
Spencer Spinnell, director of the programme, said it did not “create the impact that we -- or our partners -- wanted.” Google set up the print ads business in November 2006, in an effort to make it easier for customers to put ads in newspapers.
Google's vice president of product management, Susan Wojcicki, wrote on the company's blog, "We have always accepted that if you take risks not all of them will pay off."

Gmail Multiple Inboxes

2009-02-06T01:08:00.000-08:00

The Original SUV

2009-01-19T21:47:00.001-08:00

As the nation's Big 3 auto manufacturers face bankruptcy, we must go back to the old time basics. Americans will soon need to embrace the original SUV.

Old tires art

2009-01-12T00:07:00.000-08:00

Processes

2009-01-11T23:58:00.000-08:00

The attached diagram demonstrates the process in a female and male brain during the simple question:"Shall we go for a drink?"

MiniTube for WinAmp

2008-11-26T00:22:00.000-08:00

MiniTube is a plugin for WinAmp that attempts to find music videos from YouTube for every song in your playlist. Here's how it's supposed to work: A song starts to play, and MiniTube will automatically find the best music video available for the song and start playing it. That's the theory anyway. But the actual practice is a bit shakier.

That's because MiniTube just grabs the first video it can find that roughly matches the song's metadata. That means there's a pretty decent chance you'll get the wrong video from the right artist, a video of an amateur musicians performing the correct song, or something else entirely. Sometimes MiniTube will find the right video, but if the metadata on your MP3s is anything less than perfect, more often than not, it won't.

MiniTube does address one potential problem fairly well. Because the audio of the YouTube video will undoubtedly be out of synch with the audio file, you can choose to either play your audio file and mute the audio on the video, or mute Winamp and play the audio and video from the YouTube video.

enjoy as if there is no tomorrow... plan as if you will live 100 yrs

First look at Windows 7's User Interface

2008-10-29T02:25:00.000-07:00

They're also found on the Start Menu.

The biggest visible result of all this is the taskbar. The taskbar in Windows 7 is worlds apart from the taskbar.

Text descriptions on the buttons are gone, in favor of big icons. The icons can—finally—be rearranged; no longer will restarting an application put all your taskbar icons in the wrong order. The navigation between windows is now two-level; mousing over an icon shows a set of window thumbnails, and clicking the thumbnail switches windows. Right clicking the icons shows a new UI device that Microsoft calls "Jump Lists."

Jump lists provide quick access to application features. Applications that use the system API for their Most Recently Used list (the list of recently-used filenames that many apps have in their File menus) will automatically acquire a Jump List containing their most recently used files. There's also an API to allow applications to add custom entries; Media Player, for example, includes special options to control playback.
This automatic support for new features is a result of deliberate effort on Microsoft's part. The company wants existing applications to benefit from as many of the 7 features as they can without any developer effort. New applications can extend this automatic support through new APIs to further enrich the user experience. The taskbar thumbnails are another example of this approach. All applications get thumbnails, but applications with explicit support for 7 will be able to add thumbnails on a finer-grained basis. IE8, for instance, has a thumbnail per tab (rather than per window).
Window management has also undergone changes. In recognition of the fact that people tend only to use one or two windows concurrently, 7 makes organizing windows quicker and easier. Dragging a window to the top of the screen maximizes it automatically; dragging it off the top of the screen restores it. Dragging a window to the left or right edge of the screen resizes the window so that it takes 50% of the screen. With this, a pair of windows can be quickly docked to each screen edge to facilitate interaction between them.
Another common task that 7 improves is "peeking" at windows; switching to a window briefly just to read something within the window but not actually interact with the window. To make this easier, scrubbing the mouse over the taskbar thumbnails will turn every window except the one being pointed at into a glass outline; moving the mouse away will reinstate all the glass windows. As well as being used for peeking at windows, you can also peek at the desktop:

Peeking at the desktop is particularly significant, because the desktop is now where gadgets live. Because people are increasingly using laptops, taking up a big chunk of space for the sidebar isn't really viable; Microsoft has responded by scrapping the sidebar and putting the gadgets onto the desktop itself. Gadgets are supposed to provide at-a-glance information; peeking at the desktop, therefore, becomes essential for using gadgets

The taskbar's system tray has also been improved. A common complaint about the tray is that it fills with useless icons and annoying notifications. With 7, the tray is now owned entirely by the user. By default, new tray icons are hidden and invisible; the icons are only displayed if explicitly enabled. The icons themselves have also been streamlined to make common tasks (such as switching wireless networks) easier and faster.

Windows 7 Wallpaers

2008-10-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

New Presidential Candidate... It's someone we know!

2008-10-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

There's an effort to elect an unknown random person as President forget Obama and McCain... and it's someone we know! More detail coverage of surprising new nominee here

Wal-Mart Application : Superb

2008-10-14T21:32:00.001-07:00

Anti-Theft Lunch Bag

2008-10-12T22:07:00.001-07:00

What a funny Scene

2008-10-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

You can't stop laughing

Intresting Technical Tips

2008-10-07T22:44:00.000-07:00

How to Disable or Enable Auto run CD in Windows XP?
In windows XP you can enjoy a good feature to run CD or DVD automatically when you loaded it into you CD drives on your computer. This is a defaults feature in windows XP but you can disable and enable it according to your nature of work. In user interface mode there is no option to disable or enable this feature, you must edit the registry of windows and be careful to work registry.
Click Start button then type regedit in Run option then press Enter for next. Here locate the location to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdrom
Here you can disable or enable automatically running your CD. Change the value of Autorun to 0 for disable and change the value to 1 for enable. At the end restart your computer for this change.

How you can Change The Recycle Bin's Name?
You can change the name of Recycle Bin of your system if you wish. It is very easy and interesting but it require some changes in windows registry,
First click on Start button > click on Run option.
Type here regedit.exe and press enter then you will find there regedit editor.
In regedit editor you will open HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT folder, In this folder open the CLSID folder then open the {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} folder >ShellFolder folder at last. Here simply change the data value from "40 01 00 20" to "70 01 00 20".
How to download the videos from Youtube.com or Google videos

Step 1> copy the video url from youtube.com for example vasudhaiva kutumbakam video link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jELvRkbA-cc

Step 2> go to http://www.keepvid.com/

Step 3> paste the url in the tiny text box

Step 4> select the site (in this case youtube.com)

Step 5> Click on download button

Step 6> Right click on the new link that appears below the tiny text box and choose the option to save it on your, it will appear after we press download button.

Step 7> if u do not have .flv files playing software.. . Install one from rivavx.com (Riva player) or videolan.org (VLC player)

Commonwealth Youth Games 2008

2008-10-07T00:55:00.001-07:00

The spectacular sporting bonanza is about to unfold in the cultural capital of Pune ,Maharashtra, India. Pune is the proud host of the Commonwealth Youth Games 2008. An independent multi sports event, the Youth Games are a run up and a trial event to the Commonwealth Games 2010 to be held in Delhi.The III Commonwealth Youth Games will be held in Pune from the 12th to 18th October 2008. Over 1,300 athletes and 350 officials from 71 countries will participate in these games, in 9 disciplines -Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Weightlifting and Wrestling are included in the Commonwealth Youth Games 2008.
The mascot of the III Commonwealth Youth Games Pune 2008 is the younger brother of 'Shera', the mascot of the Commonwealth Games 2010. His name is “Jigrr”. He is young, impish, playful, mischievous, intelligent, sporting, alert and full of life, all set to energize Pune for Commonwealth Youth Games 2008. Incorrigibly competitive and incredibly brave, he is oozing with confidence and the twinkle in the eye reflects his 'I can do it' attitude.

Some intresting facts...

a. It is for the FIRST time, that the Commonwealth Youth Games will be held in Asia – in 2008.

b. The Inaugural Commonwealth Youth Games were held in Edinburgh, Scotland from 10th to 14th August 2000.

c.The II Commonwealth Youth Games were held in Bendigo, Australia from 30th November to 3rd December 2004.

Commonwealth Games FederationThe role of the Commonwealth Games Federation stretches beyond facilitation of the Commonwealth Games - indeed the continuing success of the Games has helped to influence the outreach of the Commonwealth and to strengthen it’s bonds.
As a means of improving society and the general well being of the people of member nations, the Federation also encourages and assists education via sport development and physical recreation throughout the Commonwealth.
Every decision made by the Commonwealth Games Federation inherently carries the intrinsic principles of - HUMANITY, EQUALITY and DESTINY, which are the core values of the organisation. These values help to inspire and unite millions of people and they symbolise the broad mandate of the Federation within the Commonwealth.

Tickets are available on : http://www.kyazoonga.com/cygpune2008/

Unbelievable Accidents

2008-10-06T22:26:00.000-07:00

Google September 2008

2008-10-06T22:11:00.000-07:00

Google update as it completed 10 years in September

1. POWER TIP
Google Moderator
Google Moderator is a new way to facilitate question-and-answer sessions during talks, presentations and events that involve large groups of people. Anyone can submit a question and then people can vote on the questions that they'd like answered.

http://moderator.appspot.com

2. NEW PRODUCTS & UPDATES
Project 10^100
As part of our 10th birthday celebration, we launched Project 10100 (that's "ten to the hundredth"), a call for ideas that could help as many people as possible, and a program to bring the best of those ideas to life. We're committing $10 million to implement these projects, and while money may offer a jump-start, it really comes down to the great ideas that we know are out there. We're accepting submissions until October 20, 2008, and then we'll open up voting in
January.
http://www.project10tothe100.com

3.Updates to Picasa, Picasa Web Albums
There's a new version available of our photo editing software. Picasa 3.0 makes it even easier to share photos with friends and family, thanks to a new web sync feature that automatically keeps your web albums up-to-date with the photos on your PC. Picasa 3 also includes intuitive new editing tools, like a powerful retouching brush, text tool, movie maker and revamped photo collages. We've also updated Picasa Web Albums with "name tags" to help you automatically organize and share your photos by who's in each picture.
http://www.google..com/picasa

4.Google Chrome
This month we released a new open-source web browser. Google Chrome is fast, secure and lets you access your favorite Google services, such as Gmail, Google Maps and Google Docs, more easily than ever. There are some unique features too, like a single box for web addresses and
searches, a simplified download manager and an interface to maximize your browsing experience. (Windows-only at present.)
http://www.google.com/chrome

5.Google Maps for mobile with Street View
If you use Google Maps for mobile on your BlackBerry or Java-enabled phone, you can now access Street View while on the go. The new release incorporates Street View into business listings and directions... you'll be able to see a specific location before you get there. Other
new features include business reviews and walking directions.
http://www.google.com/gmm

6.Transit on Google Maps for New York
New York City has about a third of the country's public transportation volume, and now Google Maps includes public transit information for the entire metro region, making this the biggest Transit launch for Google Maps to date. You can find Transit coverage for more than 70
cities and countries; we'll keep you posted as we add more to the mix.
http://www.google.com/transit

6.MISCELLANY
September marked the first 10 years of Google, so we took a moment to reflect on the enormous impact the Internet has had on people's lives since our company's founding. The power of the Internet has changed the way we find, manage and share information -- and we believe it
will only continue to change the way we live. While we don't have a crystal ball to see exactly what the future holds, we asked a number of our in-house experts to share their thoughts on how this phenomenal technology will evolve in the next 10 years. You can read their
responses in a special blog series. We hope you're inspired by their ideas.
http://www.google.com/tenthbirthday/ten-years-out.html

Google celebrates its 10th years of existance

2008-09-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

1998: Garage days

Photo: William Mercer McLeod

Larry Page and Sergey Brin accept a $100,000 check from Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim and incorporate Google Inc. on Sept. 7. The Stanford University graduate students work from a suburban garage (pictured right) in Menlo Park, Calif., for six months.

Did you know? Google hosted its first data center in a rented 7' x 8' room.

Employees: Less than 10

1999: VCs feel lucky

AltaVista, Excite, Lycos, and Yahoo dominate Internet search, but Google scores $25 million in its first round of venture capital funding, which values the startup at $100 million. Google moves out of its garage to an office building in nearby downtown Palo Alto.

Did you know? Google's original logo ended with an exclamation point.

Employees: Less than 50

2000: The word is AdWords

Google indexes more than a billion Web pages to become the world's largest search engine. In June, Yahoo inks a deal for Google to supply its search results for four years - a fateful move for Yahoo, which waits until 2002 before investing big on its own search technology. In October, Google launches AdWords, which sells text-based ads next to search results.

Did you know? Google makes its first foray into mobile by putting its search engine on Palm handhelds.

Employees: Less than 150

2001: Adult supervision

Eric Schmidt replaces co-founder Larry Page as chief executive in August. Schmidt spent four years as CEO of software maker Novell before joining Google; before that he was the chief technology officer at Sun Microsystems. The company turns a profit for the first time.

Did you know? Google launches its 'Did you mean?' spell-checker.

Annual revenue: $86.4 million

Profits: $6.99 million

Employees: About 250

2002: AOL chooses "the champ of search"

Google thrives even as the bursting of the dotcom bubble devastates scores of Internet companies. AOL Time Warner COO Bob Pittman (right) calls Google "the reigning champ of online search" as AOL abandons Overture search technology for Google's. A new version of AdWords, which will prove to be a multibillion-dollar jackpot, lets advertisers bid on keywords to determine where their ads appear on search result pages.

Did you know? Yahoo drops the Google search logo from its homepage.

Annual revenue: $439 million

Profits: $99 million

Revenue growth: 409%

Employees: About 500

2003: Start making AdSense

Capitalizing on the success of AdWords, Google introduces AdSense in June to deliver ads to third-party sites. While Googlers celebrate AdSense (right), rumors of an IPO heat up and analysts estimate that Google is worth up to $25 billion.

Did you know? Microsoft, desperate to get in the search game, briefly considers an offer to buy Google.

Annual revenue: $1.47 billion

Profits: $106 million ;

Revenue growth: 234% ;

Employees: About 1,300

2004: The IPO of the decade

In the most hotly-anticipated tech IPO since Netscape, Google goes public on Aug. 19 at $85 a share. By the end of the year, Google's stock spikes to $195. The company launches its hugely popular Gmail message service. Orkut, a social-networking site, also debuts but fails to gain much traction, much like the Froogle comparison shopping site before it.

Did you know? CEO Eric Schmidt mandates that meetings start seven minutes after the hour because that's the way some college classes are run.

Annual revenue: $3.19 billion;

Profits: $399 million;

Revenue growth: 118%;

Employees: 3,021

2005: Power player

As Google grows, so does its rivalry with Microsoft and Yahoo. Google introduces personalized homepages that compete directly with Yahoo and MSN. Google also spars with the software giant in court over the hiring of a former Microsoft executive, Kai-Fu Lee (right), to run Google's China operations (the case settled and Lee stayed at Google).

Did you know? One quarter of Googlers work outside the United States.

Annual revenue: $6.14 billion

Profits: $1.47 billion

Revenue growth: 92.5%

Employees: 5,680

2006: The Google of video

Looking to expand its search-advertising platform, Google shells out $1.65 billion for its largest acquisition to date: YouTube, an 18-month old video-sharing site founded by Steven Chen (near right) and Chad Hurley (far right). The search king also strikes a three-year, $900 million deal to run text-based ads on MySpace, a social networking site owned by News Corp.

Did you know? Google is added as a verb in the Oxford English and Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Annual revenue: $10.6 billion;

Profits: $3.08 billion;

Revenue growth:: 72.8%

Employees: 10,674

2007: A tale of two workplaces

Google tops Fortune's Best Company to Work For rankings, thanks to fabulous perks and a stock that hits an all-time high of $741 in November. Even so, an exodus of top Googlers picks up as Gokul Rajaram, one of two senior AdSense execs, leaves to start his own company. Several star Googlers have since decamped to Facebook, including former AdWords sales chief Sheryl Sandberg.

Did you know? Google changes its privacy policy to make users' search data anonymous after 18 months.

Annual revenue: $16.6 billion

Profits: $4.2 billion

Revenue growth: 56.5%;

Employees: 16,805

2008: Taking on Microsoft

Google goes after Microsoft on multiple fronts. The search giant completes its $3.1 billion acquisition of ad server DoubleClick, a company that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer (right) wanted. Google also strikes a search partnership with Yahoo, which Microsoft also wanted. In September, Google, its shares down 40% from their all-time high in 2007, takes on Microsoft's Internet Explorer with its own Web browser, Chrome. Google also prepares to launch its Android mobile operating system to compete with the Apple iPhone and Microsoft's Mobile OS.

Did you know? Google's 2008 international revenues are on track to exceed domestic sales for the first time.

Revenue: $10.6 billion (first half of 2008)

Profits: $2.56 billion (first half of 2008) ;

Revenue growth: 39% (full-year estimate by Thomson Financial) ;

Employees: 19,604 (as of June 30)

Is your partner cheating on you?

2008-09-09T02:28:00.000-07:00

Do you often ponder that your relationship is losing its original charm? Is your partner spending late nights in his/her office or he is making excuses for not spending enough quality time with you? Is he temperamental and distant? Is he losing interest in sex?

If the answer to any of these questions is 'yes', there is a possibility that your partner is cheating on you.
Top ten reasons why you shouldn't trust him...
Whether you are married or in a steady relationship, being betrayed is the most sore pain that can happen to you. Here are the top ten warning signs to watch out for...
1) He is reluctant to introduce you to his friends/parents. This is a sure shot sign that your partner is scared of long term commitment. If your relationship is new, the apprehension is very normal as he may want to spend more time with you before he is convinced that you right for him. However, if he has been avoiding or postponing the idea, it's very likely that he is not sure of his intentions.
2) Observing his body language is an excellent way to find out what's playing on his mind. If he avoids making eye contact while talking to you, it's possible that he's not very confident about what he says, he's distracted and doesn't seem to be interested in the conversation.
3) He is hesitant to hold your hand in public view. While you may believe there may be other reasons for doing so, but often, it means that he's not sure of his feelings or may not be interested in a long-term relationship. So, find a guy who wants to show you off to the world, even when you are in your worst outfit!
4) He doesn't call back if you have an argument and you hang up on him. Needless to say, he doesn't think you are 'important' enough and can easily do without you. Megha Agarwal says, "I often get into heated arguments with my boyfriend. At times, I get really irritated when he doesn't even listen to what I have to say and I just hang up on him. I expect him to at least call me back, if not immediately, then perhaps a while later. But he doesn't call me up unless I take the initiative. This really hurts me and makes me feel as if I am not at all important for him."
5) He argues with you on petty issues and doesn't respect your point of view. He's constantly reminding you of what he does for you, while never acknowledging your efforts.
6) Whenever you plan to go out for a hot date, he always insists on meeting up at his place. He doesn't really care whether you're in the mood to be cosy or not and literally forces his opinion on you. Gal, it's time for you to sit back and think 'really' hard whether it's love or lust.
7) If he is very careless in remembering your birthday or your wedding anniversary and always keeps saying he's too busy and doesn't have the time to remember/celebrate such occasions, it means he's making excuses or doesn't attach too much importance to 'togetherness'. Nishtha Mehta, who works in a telecom company says, "When I got married, my husband really pampered me on my birthday and made me feel extra special. But with time, it seems he's just lost interest and even forgets our anniversary these days. These small gestures really matter to me and I feel very disheartened when he doesn't even care to apologise for his absent mindedness, simply stating that he was pre-occupied with work."
8) If he's too possessive about his cell phone, his E-mails, letters or his cupboard for instance, chances are he might be hiding something from you. Richa Singh (name changed on request) , a housewife says, "My husband never lets me take his phone calls or read his messages, he gets really offended if I ever do so. He never lets me use his laptop which makes me even slightly suspicious. Even the thought that he's hiding something from me makes me feel insecure and helpless."
9) He often looks for reasons 'not' to meet up with you. He makes lame excuses and doesn't give a valid explanation. He says he will call you and then forgets. While such incidents may happen occasionally, if you have been observing these traits very frequently, it's likely that he's deliberately avoiding you.
10) He keeps comparing you to his colleague or a friend's girlfriend or doesn't let you speak to your guy pals, while he has a great time with his female friends, chances are that he is attracted to someone else or is not very convinced about having you as a life partner.
While finding out that your partner is cheating on you may be very painful, it's always better to know the harsh truth rather than regretting being fool hardy later. As they say, "If you love someone, set them free, if he comes back, he was yours, if he does not, he never was..."

Using mobile while pregnant? Beware!

2008-09-09T02:15:00.001-07:00

Mothers who use mobiles during pregnancy are more likely to have kids with behavioural problems, according to a new study.

The findings are based on a review of 15 years of research into mobile phone health danger.
It also showed that mothers who use handsets around their toddlers would cause the same difficulties.
The study has claimed that using a mobile phone regularly for more than ten years can also increase the risk of brain tumours. Experts have warned that heavy usage can seriously affect male fertility. According to the study, kids exposed to phones pre-natally and in early childhood show an 80 per cent rise in behaviour problems. The study found that kids’ brains absorb a greater proportion of radiation emitted by mobiles due to skull formation.
“We strongly recommend the Government actively discourages mobile phone use by children, including making public advice leaflets readily available in NHS waiting rooms,” the Sun quoted Graham Philips, co-author of the study, as saying. The study will be unveiled at the Radiation Research Trust Conference, in London

Czech nationals convicted for theft of butterflies

2008-09-09T01:53:00.000-07:00

An Indian court convicted two Czech nationals, in custody since June 22, of illegally collecting butterflies in West Bengal's Singhalila National Park in violation of wildlife protection laws.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Darjeeling Monday pronounced the two guilty of violating the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as well as the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, according to a statement issued here by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), an NGO helping the prosecution.
Czech nationals Petr Svacha and Emil Kucera were arrested June 22 from a hotel in Srikhola by forest officials. Hundreds of preserved and live insects as well as equipment were seized from them.
Although similar cases involving foreign nationals have been reported from India in the past, this is the first well-documented case where authorities have successfully tracked and arrested the accused, the statement said.
Investigating officer Arbinden Lepcha said: "We asked them to show the legal ownership certificate for the insects in their possession. As they did not have any permits, they were arrested and the insects seized under section 50 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act."
The insects have been sent to the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) for identification.
Kucera, a forester, has a website offering to sell insects, while Svacha is a senior scientist at the Institute of Entomology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR) and managing editor of the European Journal of Entomology.
Both said the insects were for research purpose. They had failed to register at the Foreigners' Registration Office, entered India on a tourist visa and did not possess permission for research, the statement said.
One of the witnesses, P. Mukhopadhyay, a ZSI scientist, had testified that a beetle species, Cucujus bicolor, that falls under the Schedule II Part II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, has been identified. Identification of the remaining specimens was on.

iPhone and 3G problem

2008-09-06T00:35:00.001-07:00

A New Jersey man has sued Apple Inc. over charges that its iPhone 3G drops calls and doesn't consistently connect to AT&T Inc.'s data network -- the second such federal lawsuit filed in the past two weeks.

Eulardi Tanseco, who submitted his lawsuit to U.S. District Court in New Jersey last Friday, accused both Apple and AT&T of breaking that state's consumer antifraud law, as well as violating other warranty, breach-of-contract and fraud statutes. Like the lawsuit filed Aug. 19 against Apple by Jessica Smith of Birmingham, Ala., Tanseco's suit asked the court to grant the case class-action status.

"Apple has wrongfully and unfairly deceived its customers by advertising and selling the alleged newer and improved iPhone 3G with the express and implied promise that this consumer product was a reliable and efficient mobile phone," the lawsuit said.

Tanseco, who said he bought an iPhone 3G the first day it went on sale, was unhappy with the phone's performance. "Almost immediately after purchasing the iPhone 3G, Plaintiff became aware of problems connecting and/or maintaining a connection via the 3G protocol with his new iPhone 3G," the suit continued.

Most of the time, Tanseco said, his iPhone 3G would connect only to AT&T's older, and slower, EDGE data network. And during the few instances when he initially had a 3G connection, the iPhone would often shift to EDGE. "Even when Plaintiff was able to connect via the 3G protocol, on many occasions, even while remaining comparatively still in the same physical location, Plaintiff's data transmission was dropped from the 3G protocol to the much slower EDGE protocol," the filing stated.

According to the lawsuit, AT&T was included as a defendant because it "failed to advise its customers that the iPhone 3G was not capable of connecting and/or maintaining a connection with AT&T's 3G network to complete data transmission."

Tanseco also accused Apple of duping customers with the App Store, the company's online mart for third-party applications that users can install on their phones. The apps, said Tanseco, "consistently crash."

Prior to Tanseco and Smith suing Apple, iPhone 3G owners had flooded Apple's support forums with complaints about their phones and AT&T's 3G network. The gripes included difficulty making calls from areas supposedly covered by a 3G network, weak signals, dropped calls and slower-than-promised data download speeds.

Tanseco made mention of the last in his lawsuit, echoing similar charges by Smith. "Apple specifically represented and continues to represent that the iPhone 3G is 'Twice as fast. Half the price' as its predecessor, the iPhone," said the lawsuit.

Although Apple has released two software updates since the July 11 launch of the iPhone 3G, including one on Aug. 18 that the company claimed improved 3G communication, Tanseco's suit dismissed both updates for not correcting the problems he cited.

The newest lawsuit seeks both compensatory and punitive damages, as well as an injunction that would force Apple to stop selling the iPhone unless it fixes the flaws or modifies its advertising.

Apple must respond to the lawsuit by the end of September, according to other documents filed with the federal court

Unspoken communication

2008-08-30T01:55:00.000-07:00

Internet Explorer 8

2008-08-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

Web Slices

Keep up with changes to the sites you care about most. Add a Web Slice and you won't have to go back to the same website again and again for updates on news, stock quotes, online auctions, weather, or even sports scores.

A common Web Slice

Search suggestions

Search smarter with detailed suggestions from your favorite search providers and browsing history. See visual previews and get suggested content topics while you type in the enhanced Instant Search Box.
A search showing visual content

SmartScreen Filter

New security features help to protect you against deceptive and malicious websites which can compromise your data, privacy and identity.A blocked website because reported as unsafe

InPrivate Browsing

Browse the web without saving your history with Internet Explorer 8's InPrivate Browsing. Now you can shop for that special gift with confidence knowing your family won't accidentally find out or use a shared computer without leaving a trace.
The InPrivate button on the Address Bar

Accelerators

Accelerators let you efficiently complete your everyday browsing activities like mapping directions, translating words, emailing your friends, and more in just a few mouse clicks.

Holy beauty pageant to show nuns' Godly gifts!

2008-08-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

No swimsuit round here as ‘Miss Sister 2008’ title is up for grabs

Italian priest is organising a beauty pageant with a twist — only Catholic nuns need apply.

Father Antonio Rungi, who lives near Naples, hopes that at least 1,000 nuns will enter the ‘Miss Sister 2008’ contest, due to begin online in September.

Father Rungi told the Associated Press that the contest would give nuns from around the world a chance to fight stereotypes which suggest they are all old and dour.
“We are not going to parade nuns in bathing suits. But being ugly is not a requirement for becoming a nun. External beauty is a gift from God, and we mustn't hide it.”

Father Rungi told Italian media that photos of the contestants would appear on his blog next month, and online readers could vote for their favourite.Participating nuns will also fill out a profile detailing their interests, activities and spiritual development.
The contest has received criticism from some Catholic teachers.
“It’s an initiative that belittles the role of nuns who have dedicated themselves to God,”.
Not all Catholics were in favour of the idea. “I have had some e-mails from Christians who perhaps have not grasped the evangelising spirit of the initiative, or the potential of the internet, which is a marvellous tool for spreading the Christian message.”

Car-makers’ jolt for peeing canines

2008-08-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

BMW cars will have an electric sting to deter dogs from relieving themselves

Dogs being dogs, whether pedigreed or not, can’t help being themselves whenever they spot a lamp post or a car by the way, even if the latter be an object of desire for millions.
You might have seen them raising their legs and relieving themselves, supremely unconcerned about what you think and then pattering away nonchalantly.
A reputed car maker has now equipped its latest model with a technology to keep these pesky canines at bay — giving them a nasty 200-volt jolt.
German automobile giant BMW has described its invention, the electric sting as relatively pain-free’, but enough to deter dogs in future, according to a report in metro.co.uk.
The energy generated by slamming brakes is stored and transformed into an electrical charge, ready to jolt any pesky pup peeing on the tyre.

Hans Zoff, the man behind the Canine Repellent Alloy Protection system, said, “Research shows that most BMW customers love to keep their cars clean but dog fouling is a constant irritant.”

But Lola Forpi, from campaign group Put Animals First, said, “All motorists must expect to go through the odd puddle here and there. As well as going for a drive, we’d recommend owners regularly go for “walkies” as well if they want to have a very relieved pet.”

Yahoo buzz or digg

2008-08-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

Is yahoo buzz better than digg...??

Is time has come to switch from digg to yahoo buzz... I found yahoo buzz too very intresting... are u ??

http://www.buzz.yahoo.com/

Brilliantly Confusing picture

2008-08-20T21:34:00.001-07:00

The Timex Nail Watch

2008-08-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

We have seen many different types of futuristic watches with strange shapes and design but none so unique as this. Now lets welcome the Nail watch, that can be worn on the thumb. You may have never seen a watch that can be worn on the thumb but times are going to change thanks to Timex. Timex, in collaboration with Core77, held a global design competition called 2154: the future of time design. So what we are seeing here is the TX54 concept which was a runner up there.

Thanks to a translucent body, the design blends seamlessly with the nail while a selection of text color options and a glow feature activating on command make it supremely functional as well. Press the end of your thumbnail, and the watch will light up for you. A perfect blend of appearance, user interface, and technology, the nail watch passes most standards of modern design with flying colors thanks to its functional and minimalist appeal. The watch looks stylish and chic and has a touch of Geeky style as well. The downside of this watch is that it is disposable. So with so many stylish watched being available now, it will be hard for it to survive in the market. Though it is quite innovative with a minimalist design, but it won't last long on your finger.

More Realistic Sculptures

2008-08-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

Realistic Sculptures

2008-08-13T09:55:00.001-07:00

Intresting Search on Google

2008-08-10T05:34:00.000-07:00

Is it not intresting search ..??

'Network cloud' for Internet bugs

2008-08-09T05:58:00.000-07:00

That constant cribbing about the antivirus software in your computer may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a new "cloud computing" approach developed at University of Michigan, that tackles computer bugs seamlessly on the Internet.

Named CloudAV, the new approach moves antivirus functionality into the "network cloud" and off personal computers.

It analyses suspicious files using multiple antivirus and behavioural detection programs simultaneously.

The researchers say that antivirus software from popular vendors are not very effective, and that new threats go undetected for an average of seven weeks.

They also say that antivirus engines have severe vulnerabilities too. "CloudAV virtualises and parallelises detection functionality with multiple antivirus engines, significantly increasing overall protection," said Farnam Jahanian, professor of computer science and engineering in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

For coming up with this novel approach, the researchers evaluated 12 traditional antivirus software programs against 7,220 malware samples, including viruses, collected over a year.

Glimpses of a rare celestial event

2008-08-08T00:24:00.000-07:00

A large number of people across the country witnessed a partial solar eclipse on Friday while the faithful thronged places of religious importance and took dips in rivers.

Games to better cancer patients' life

2008-08-06T23:51:00.000-07:00

Playing a specially designed videogame can help adolescents and young adult cancer patients adhere more closely to their prescribed treatment, according to a report in the journal Pediatrics.
“Targeted videogames can help improve the lives of young people with cancer, most importantly improve their adherence to their treatment,” Pamela Kato of the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands, the study’s lead author, said.
Adherence is a major problem in this age group, Kato and her colleagues point out in their report. While dramatic improvements in survival have been seen in pediatric cancer patients, they add, death rates among teens and young adult patients have not followed this trend. “They’re kind of a tough group that gets a little bit lost in the system,” Kato said.
To investigate whether playing a videogame might help, the researchers randomly assigned 375 male and female patients 13 to 29 years old being treated at centers in the US, Canada and Australia to play “Re-Mission” or “Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb,” a standard video game not focused on cancer care.
In Re-Mission, developed by HopeLab, a Redwood City, California-based non-profit company, players control a tiny robot called Roxxi who moves around in a 3-D environment representing the inside of the body of a young cancer patient. Players can use Roxxi to blast cancer cells and control side effects, and winning the game requires taking chemotherapy drugs and antibiotics, using relaxation techniques, eating food, and keeping up with other types of self-care.
Patients in both groups were asked to play their assigned game for at least an hour a week, and 22% of those in the comparison group and 33% of those in the Re-Mission group actually did so over the course of the 3-month study.
Electronic pill monitoring showed a 16% rise in antibiotic adherence in the Re-Mission group, who took 62.3% of their total prescribed antibiotic medications, compared to 52.5% for the Indiana Jones group. Playing Re-Mission was tied to improvements in cancer-related knowledge as well, the authors note.

iPhone not a BlackBerry killer

2008-08-06T23:30:00.000-07:00

About a third of Fortune 500 companies are testing the new iPhone software, Apple said.
Employees at Kraft Foods Inc, the world's second-largest foodmaker, will be able to use the iPhone to access email and calendars, said Mark Dajani, the company's senior vice president of information systems.
“Our employees need easy access to key business applications -- everywhere our consumers live around the globe,'' he said.
Kraft, based in Northfield, Illinois, already lets workers access their email from the Treo or Samsung Electronics Co's BlackJack. Genentech Inc and Oracle Corp also are starting to support the iPhone, said Cupertino, California-based Apple.
With the new iPhone 2.0 software, released when Apple began selling a faster version of the phone on July 11, business users have access to a device with the “most readable email” and an excellent Web browser, Dulaney said in Stamford, Connecticut-based Gartner's report. Still, there are inconveniences. The device offers less than a full day of battery use and an insufficient amount of security to run a company's custom programmes, Dulaney said.
“Enterprises should approach expanded use of the iPhone slowly,'' he said.
The iPhone was the second best selling smartphone in the US in the first quarter, behind the BlackBerry, according to research firm IDC in Framingham, Massachusetts. Smartphones combine Internet and computer functions, letting users access e mail and surf the Web.

Caught without makeup

2008-08-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

Every house has a beach

2008-08-04T21:18:00.000-07:00

breastfeeding

2008-08-03T22:01:00.000-07:00

Mother Support - Going for the Gold Breastfeeding results from a reproductive health continuum for the mother to the child with no beginning or end, from generation to generation. When a practice is disrupted, it must be restored. However, restoration of the breastfeeding culture demands more resources and mobilisation. In conjunction with the Olympics next August, the World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) 2008 calls for greater support for mothers in achieving the gold standard of infant feeding: breastfeeding exclusively for six months, and providing appropriate complementary foods with continued breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond.As every country sends its best athletes to compete at these global games, it is important to remind ourselves that, in a similar fashion, a healthy young athlete can only emerge from a healthy start on life. There is no question that optimal infant and young child feeding is essential for optimal growth and development.

Objectives of the World Breastfeeding Week 2008

To expand awareness of the need for and the value of providing support to a breastfeeding mother
To disseminate updated information about support for breastfeeding mothers
To create optimal conditions for the provision of mother support in all circles of support

Mothers deserve and need:

Empathetic Listening
Basic, Accurate, and Timely Information
Skilled and Practical HelpEncouragement

All mothers have a lot of concerns about their babies. Here are some common questions asked frequently by mothers and their answers.

When should breastfeeding be started?
Breastfeeding should be started immediately after the baby is born. The baby should be held by the mother, close to her breasts for skin-to-skin contact. It stimulates smooth flow of milk and keeps the baby warm besides helping emotional bonding. Breastfeeding should be started early since the baby is most active in first 30 to 60 minutes. Also, the sucking reflex is most active at that time.

After caesarean - section delivery, can I breastfeed my baby successfully?
Yes, this operation does not affect your ability to successfully breastfeed your baby. You can start breastfeeding after 4 hours of operation or when you are out of the effect of anaesthesia. You can tilt your body to one side in the lying-down position and start feeding or you can put the baby on your abdomen and then feed the child. All mothers who have caesarean section deliveries are successful in breastfeeding their babies with assistance for the first few days.

Can I feed my baby in lying down position?
Yes, you can feed your baby in any position comfortable to you and your baby. It may be lying down, sitting or reclining.

My milk looks thin and watery. Is it alright?
Yes, milk at the start of breastfeed (foremilk) is thin and contains less fat. Hindmilk (near the end of feed) is thicker and full of fats. A baby needs both. Feed the baby in an unrestricted fashion to ensure that baby receives both foremilk and hind milk.

Should I breastfeed from both the breasts each time I feed my baby?
One breast must be emptied out fully before the second is offered, so that the baby receives both foremilk and hind milk. When the baby releases one, breast other should be offered. If the baby is still hungry he will feed from the other breast. Alternate breast should be offered at each feed.

My baby is preterm. Can I breastfeed successfully?
Yes, you can breastfeed a preterm baby successfully.

How long can I continue to breastfeed?
You should breastfeed your baby exclusively for first 6 months and continue breastfeeding well upto 2 years or beyond.

I don't have enough milk. What should I do?
Sign of getting adequate milk supply is the baby passing urine 6 times (or more) in 24 hours and baby gaining weight 500gms per month. The feeling of inadequate milk is usually apparent and not true as it comes from the mother believing that she is not producing enough breast milk or if the baby asks for feeds more frequently or cries a lot. What you should do is put your child more often at your breast. Increased suckling frequently will increase "prolactin" production and in turn increase your milk supply. Also, avoid tension which inhibits the milk flow.

I have pain in the nipples while feeding the baby. What should I do?
The cause of pain, probably is that your baby is suckling in an incorrect position. If the baby is suckling only at the nipple, it causes sore nipple, which is painful. The treatment is to feed your baby in the correct position. Once your baby starts suckling in the correct position, pain will immediately disappear. Applying any cream or lotion is not recommended. You can put few drops of your own breast milk over the damaged area and allow it to dry.

I am sick, can I still breastfeed my baby?
Yes, you can continue breastfeeding even if you are sick. Most of the diseases do not affect the baby even typhoid, malaria, tuberculosis, jaundice or leprosy don't call for stopping breastfeeding.

I am taking medicines. Can I continue breastfeeding my baby?
Yes, most commonly used drugs don't cause any harm to babies For further advice consult your doctor.

Should washing the breast before and after each feed be done?
No, daily bathing is all that is required. Avoid applying soap on your nipples. Frequent washing or cleaning of the breast is likely to remove the antibacterial lubricating oil produced by the special glands present in the areola.

Does smoking affect my milk and my baby?
Yes, smoking can reduce your milk supply. It may also make your child more prone to respiratory infections and asthma.

If I have twin babies - can I feed both?
Yes, they can be breastfed simultaneously using one breast for each feed and alternating the breasts for next feeds. Breast milk production is usually sufficient to meet with the requirements of both the babies. If required fresh milk can be used with cup and spoon.

Seven architectural wonders

2008-08-03T00:10:00.000-07:00

We are all too familiar with the seven wonders of the world. But few have any idea about what may be termed as the seven architectural wonders of the modern world.

Conde Nast Traveler, an American travel magazine, in its April issue highlighted seven mega arcitechtural wonders stretching from China to Dubai to Canada.

New Museum of Contemporary Art (Manhattan, US)

New York Times described it as 'viewing art in a stack of boxes'.

As you climb out of the Prince Street subway station at Broadway in lower Manhattan, New York, a gleaming apparition grabs your attention.

Designed by Japanese architects Kazuo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of the firm SANAA, the $50 million, 60,000-square-foot-building is an eight-story stack of shiny, metallic boxes set off-kilter from one another.

The museum contains several levels of galleries, which are designed as high-ceilinged, white-walled spaces, with concrete floors and narrow skylights illuminating one side.

Cumulus (Nordborg, Denmark)

An exhibit hall at Danfoss Universe, Nordborg, Denmark, Cumulus is a spectacular building, which has an irregular roof, curves and angles, like a bite taken out of a cloud. The building openened on May 5, 2007.

Designed by Jurgen H Mayer, the 1,000 sqm building hosts varying exhibitions throughout the year.

The interior of the Cumulus building is kept in black and white, the only accents being the red cushions on the stairs and the exhibition props.

Kogod Courtyard (Washington DC, US)

The Kogod Courtyard, with its elegant glass canopy designed by world renowned architect Norman Foster, opened to the public on November 23, 2007 at the historic Patent Office Building that houses the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.

Foster, winner of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize (1999), worked with the Smithsonian to create an innovative enclosure for the 28,000-square-foot (2,601-sq-meter) space at the centre of the building that is sensitive to the historic structure; the new 'floating' roof does not rest on the original building which was built in phases between 1836 and 1868.

Wembley Stadium (London, UK)

The new Wembley Stadium in London is an architectural masterpiece. It is the equivalent of 25,000 double-decker buses; the total length of the escalators is the same as a 400 metre running trackr; the stadium roof rises to 52 metres above the pitch; the new pitch is four metres lower than the previous one.

Each of the two giant screens in the new stadium is the size of 600 domestic television sets.

The soft drink dispensers can pour 30,000 cups in a little over 10 minutes Approximately 40,000 pints of beer can be served during half time in a football/rugby league match.

The arch is 133 metres above the level of the external concourse. With a span of 315 metres, the arch is the longest single span roof structure in the world. With a diameter of 7.4 metres the arch is wide enough for a Channel Tunnel train to run through.The stadium will be a centerpiece of the 2012 Olympics.

Burj Dubai (UAE)

Burj Dubai is the world's tallest building once completed. The final height of the building is a well kept secret because of 'competition.' But it is speculated that it will be around 2,275 feet and will exceed 160 floors.

The tower is being constructed by a South Korean company, Samsung Engineering & Construction. This company also built the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia and the Taipei 101.

The interior will be decorated by Giorgio Armani. An Armani Hotel will occupy the lower 37 floors. Floors 45 through 108 will have 700 private apartments.

An outdoor swimming pool will be located on the 78th floor of the tower. Corporate offices and suites will fill most of the remaining floors, except for a 123rd floor lobby and 124th floor indoor/outdoor observation deck.It will also boast of the world's fastest elevator.

The Crystal (Toronto, Canada)

The Crystal is the dramatic highlight of a $270 million renovation project intended to boost the Royal Ontario Museum's role as a Toronto focal point.
Designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, the Crystal comprises five interlocking, self-supporting prismatic structures that interface with, but are not attached to, the original historic Royal Ontario Museum buildings.
The exterior is 25 per cent glass and 75 per cent extruded-brushed, aluminum-cladding strips in a warm silver colour.The steel beams, each unique in its design and manufacture and ranging from 1 to 25 metres in length, were lifted one by one to their specific angle, creating complicated angle joints, sloped walls, and gallery ceilings.
Approximately 3,500 tons of steel and 38 tons of bolts were used to create the skeleton, and roughly 9,000 cubic metres of concrete were poured.

7 great cars you wish you owned

2008-08-01T03:37:00.001-07:00

Concept cars are a great way to get people excited about a brand and its future offerings.
Flashy and innovative, concepts offer auto designers the opportunity to let their imaginations run wild. From beginning to end, designers can spend anywhere from six months to two years bringing a concept to market. Some have already gone into production; others we can only cross our fingers about.

BMW GINA Light Visionary Concept

The Concept: BMW's latest concept car shatters all the tried and true conventions about automobile design. For Head of BMW Group Design, Christopher E. Bangle, it's all about "breaking paradigms." A year in the making, the GINA Light Visionary Concept abandons the usual concepts of side panels, roof, front aprons, and doors in favor of a clean, seamless form with four main components. Contrary to rumour, the car is not named after some hot, mystery woman, instead the name actually stands for Geometry and Functions In "N" Adaptions, which speaks to BMW's new design philosophy focusing on maximum freedom and creativity. The two-seater roadster is created from an expansion resistant fabric spread across a metal structure, giving it that smooth, sculpted look.
Coolest Feature: Skin is definitely in on the GINA. The flexible material allows the concept to move in ways that were previously only conceived of through movie magic. Together with its metal frame, this car is able to adapt to all situations through its ability to change shape. When moving at high speeds, the GINA automatically creates a rear spoiler by raising a built in component on the frame. The ultra flexible skin lets the spoiler form with nary a wrinkle, and the car's headlights remain hidden beneath the flexible skin. After being activated by the driver, the skin cover opens revealing the headlights and thereby creates the illusion of a car opening its eyes. All of these transformations are controlled by a combination of electronics and hydraulics. As for the skin's makeup, it's a hybrid composed of mesh-netting support. It's resistant to low and high temperatures as well as water-resistant.
Demographic: YouTube videos of the GINA in action have set the Internet ablaze with fans and detractors alike. The car's appeal would translate well to the tech and arts scenes as well as early adopters who have to be seen driving the next big thing.
Expected Pricing: It's a pretty safe bet that GINA's current model won't make it to the production line. Bangle says, "The GINA Light Visionary model just shows ONE possible answer to the whole approach of materials." Expect to find GINA-like features in future BMW models.

Suzuki Kizashi 3 Concept

The Concept: Debuted at the 2008 New York Auto Show, the Kizashi 3 concept is the final iteration in the Kizashi series. Aptly named -- Kizashi, in Japanese, means prelude or preview -- the series offers a bold look into Suzuki's design future. Sporting strong and elegant lines, these cars are meant to represent the toned physique of an athlete in motion. A definite head turner, the production-ready Kizashi 3 combines the stunning looks of its predecessors, bringing the concept one step closer to production. Described by Jeff Holland, the company's public relations manager, as "a near luxury sports sedan," the final version of the Kizashi 3 will feature a 300 horsepower, 3.6 liter engine with "a possible hybrid or high tech variant of the power train model." Suzuki is currently in the process of developing pre-production models and working to push the car into production.
Coolest Feature: While the Kizashi 3 definitely possesses outer beauty, its real story lies under its hood. Powered by a 3.6-liter Double OverHead Cam (DOHC) V-6 engine with plated cylinders and a six-speed automatic transmission, the Kizashi 3 packs a punch. Taking a cue from its motorcycle heritage, this vehicle is all about speed and performance. With its impressive 300 horsepower, coupled with Suzuki's all-wheel-drive system, the Kizashi 3 is ready for the starting gate in 2010.
Demographic: With its three iterations, the Kizashi is set to appeal to a wide audience. There's the crossover and wagon for families, and a sedan that could appeal to driving enthusiasts and a younger demographic.
Expected Pricing: Suzuki has been known for producing affordable vehicles and the Kizashi will be no different. "We like to say it's like an Audi for half the price," Holland quips. "It's a Suzuki, it's got to be affordable. It's very important to the brand."

Smart Fortwo

The Concept: While many Americans think that bigger is better, the Smart Fortwo's design challenge that notion. Birthed from a partnership between Swatch and Mercedes Benz, the Smart car is a fusion of utility, customization, and art. Its name alone defines its purpose -- Smart actually stands for Swatch Mercedes Art. Measuring 8.8 ft. long and 5.1 ft. across, the Smart car was built for city driving. "The real focus of the design and the size of the car is to answer the problem of urban congestion and city driving," says Communications Director, Ken Kettenbeil, "The Smart's size and maneuverability gives it an advantage when navigating sticky driving situations." The dilemma of finding parking is also a thing of the past since two Smart cars easily fit in the average parking space. Its size also plays a part when it comes to fuel economy. While hybrid cars tend to have slightly better gas mileage, the gas powered engine Smart car is the highest rated gas engine with 33 city and 41 highway miles.
Coolest Feature: This has to be the Smart Fortwo's customization capabilities. Swatch inventor Nicolas Hayek, wanted to bring the same color, fun, and changeability found in his timepieces to a car. With that in mind, all of the exterior colored panels on the Smart car are changeable. Panels come in six colors and are relatively inexpensive, selling for approximately $1000. The interior also features a variety of colors. Another cool feature can be found in the transmission. It's an automated manual, which means you can switch between automatic and manual.
Demographic: The Smart Fortwo has universal appeal. With its low price tag, the Smart car's destined to appeal to first-time buyers like college students and recent grads. Its unique look will likely attract trendsetters who are always on the search for the next cool thing.

Chrysler ecoVoyager Concept

The Concept: As electric cars continue to gain popularity in the States, Chrysler aims to stay ahead of the pack with its ecoVoyager concept car. Designed for a trip that's on par with a private jet, the car reaches a top speed of 150 mph, going from 0 to 60 in 8.8 seconds, and with a driving range of 300 mpg. Principal Exterior Designer, Greg Howell, combines luxury and innovative design in an attempt to look ten years into the future. The ecoVoyager's one box design scheme is simplistic yet bold. Sporting a panoramic glass roof and doors that open at a generous 90 degrees, the ecoVoyager is a testament to the beauty and elegance synonymous with the Chrysler brand. In an attempt to bring more Chrysler cues to the car, the windows, front grille, taillamps, and headlamps are modeled after the trademark Chrysler logo. The interior of the car is just as impressive as its exterior, featuring four individual chairs capable of heat and massage, and the Direct Sound function, which allows all users to hear the music of their choice sans headphones, without disturbing other passengers.
Coolest Feature: Besides its polar ice paint job, the coolest feature on the ecoVoyager is its electric motor. Capable of developing 200 kilowatts or 268 horsepower, the ecoVoyager can go from 0 to 60 in less than 8 seconds. The ecoVoyager also has a range extender in the form of an advanced hydrogen fuel cell that increases the car's range to more than 300 miles. The braking system also captures energy that would be lost, returning it to the battery. Together with its low emissions (water vapor), this makes the vehicle a boon for design conscious environmentalists.
Demographic: As a luxury vehicle, the ecoVoyager might be out of range for the average car buyer. Described by design director Lance Wagner as a "mature vehicle," expect to see young at heart baby-boomers and the financially well off behind the wheel of this stunner.

Dodge ZEO Concept

The Concept: Dodge, also looking to step into the electric car arena, introduces the 2008 Dodge ZEO (Zero Emissions Operation) concept. Inspired by the F-22 Raptor fighter jet, the ZEO is a four-passenger sport wagon with a touch of muscle car thrown in for good measure. With a top speed of 130 mph, the ZEO goes from 0 to 60 in less than six seconds, enough to please any performance fanatic. "It breaks the stereotype of what a small, efficient electric car can be," says Wagner. "It shows how much personality and style these kinds of cars can have." The ZEO interior is just as innovative. Designed to give the impression of being a "single piece of sculpture," the inside is decked out in all white. The center console extends down from the windshield, giving the impression of being in a dual cockpit.
Coolest Feature: The ZEO's best feature hands down can be found in its overall design. The roof and windshield combine into one continuous piece of glass, offering each passenger the best view. Its aluminum plated inserts, crosshair grille, and bold wheel arches give the ZEO its wow factor, while its front and rear suicide doors add extra flair.
Demographic: The Dodge ZEO could appeal to car enthusiasts, techies, and the socially conscious alike. It satisfies the need for speed, combined with a futuristic look packed with all the necessary cool gadgets, and most important: it's easy on the environment, so you can tear down the track with a conscience that's crystal clear.

Jeep Renegade Concept

The Concept: The 2008 Jeep Renegade concept is a mean, lean, green machine. Built from recyclable materials, sustainability is a major theme in this concept car. Fitted with oversized tires, and a speedster windshield, this car is built for an off-roading, cross-country adventure. The new Jeep sports a more elongated look than its boxier forerunners. In keeping with that close-to-nature vibe, the Renegade was designed as a full time open-air vehicle, meaning it has no roof. In lieu of a roof, the back trunk can be fitted with a number of "lids." The lids act as storage chests for all your outdoor needs including lids built for kayaking and mountain biking. There is also an "as built" option that can fit two matching water scooters and there's also an open storage space.
Coolest Feature: This car is green all over. Its building materials are all eco friendly: the chassis is molded without the use of harmful resins, while the metallic green color is added during the molding process, which cuts out harmful paint solvents. An advanced hybrid and regen-braking system allows the Renegade to reach a fuel economy of 110 mpg, approximately four times greater than that of a gas-only car. Topped off with seats made from a soy-based foam the Renegade is both innovative and socially responsible.
Demographic: Jeep's history of being outdoorsy continues with this concept. With its outdoor sport-friendly removable lids, the Renegade will appeal to off-roading fans, mountain bikers, and anyone who likes to play hard. It's also an obvious choice for the environmentally conscious.

world's most expensive food

2008-07-31T22:26:00.001-07:00

1. Gold

If you thought an expensive commodity like gold is in vogue only for its use in jewellery and investment purposes, think again. It is also the most expensive food in the world!
According to a list of the world's priciest foods, compiled by Fortune Small Business, a group magazine of business publication Fortune, edible gold leaf is the most expensive, at a price tag of a stunning $15,000 per pound. According to Fortune Small Business, a part of global media conglomerate CNN-Time Warner group, gold is a mineral that is safe to eat, although it is not an essential part of the human diet. On edible gold leaf, the report quoting a store owner said, "Bakers and bartenders use the precious metal to make dazzling treats for holidays and other special occasions. . . For elaborate parties, people add gold sprinkles to glasses of champagne or signature martinis."

2. Truffles

Edible gold leaf is followed by white truffles as the second costliest food with a price tag of $6,000 and above, per pound. A truffle is a valuable fruit of a group subterranean ascomycete fungi of the genus tuber. Once considered an aphrodisiac by the ancient Greeks and Romans, the high price of truffles is 'due to their unpredictable growth habits.'
The report further added, ". . . no one has been able to domesticate them, relying instead on trained dogs and pigs to sniff them out. . . . Truffle hunters, known as truffeculteurs, work alone; their proven locations are closely guarded secrets."
"White winter truffles, also called Alba truffles after their region of origin, are the priciest, commanding $6,000 to $10,000 per pound (prices vary year-to-year based on availability and quality)," the magazine noted.

3. Caviar

Caviar is the third most expensive food at $1,550 and above, per pound. Caviar or the salted fish roe is 'synonymous with luxury.' Beluga caviar is considered to be the best and is priced at around $4,000 a pound.
The highest prices paid are for the Beluga, Ossetra, and Sevruga varieties. The Caspian Sea is considered the source of the finest caviar in the world.

4. Saffron

India has a place in the world's most expensive food list. Saffron, the most expensive spice which comes mainly from India, is named as the fourth priciest food in the world. It's a spice from the flower of the saffron crocus.
Saffron has a bitter taste and a hay-like fragrance. It also has medicinal properties. Saffron is also grown in Spain, Iran and Greece. It takes about an acre of land and "hundreds of thousands of flowers to produce one pound of saffron threads." It is priced at $1,500 per pound.

5. Kobe beef

At $150 per pound, Kobe beef is the fifth most expensive food in the world. Kobe beef is made from the black Tajima-ushi breed of Wagyu cattle, raised according to strict tradition in Japan. Kobe beef is known for its flavour and tenderness.

6. Civet

Civet coffee is the sixth most expensive food. Rare and exclusive, Sumatran civet cats eat the finest beans at the Sumatran coffee plantations. The beans are collected from the cats' droppings by the natives.
Also known as Kopi Luwak, it is considered to be the world's finest coffee. It has a delicate flavour as it has been partially fermented by passing through the digestive system of the Civet. About 500 kg this coffee is made each year. It is priced at $110 per pound.

7. Vanilla

Vanilla, most commonly used in ice-creams, is the world's 7th most expensive food. Madagascar and Indonesia are the largest producers. Vanilla is expensive as its cultivation requires extensive labour.
Vanilla, the magazine says is second only to saffron in terms of the priciest spices. Vanilla is used in both commercial and domestic purposes including baking, perfumes and aroma therapy. The price per gallon of vanilla extract starts from $260.

8. Foie

Foie gras, the 8th most expensive food, is a non-vegetarian delicacy. A duck or goose liver is fattened by force-feeding. Animal rights activists strongly protest against this practice, as geese and ducks are force-fed corn through feeding tubes. The food is considered to be rich, buttery, and delicate.

The French are the biggest connoisseurs of this delicacy. In France, it is a traditional dish for festive occasions, particularly around Christmas and the New Year. Its price starts at $50 per pound.

9. Tigerfish

The ninth most expensive food, the tigerfish, is quite popular in China. In 2007, a restaurant in China bought a rare giant golden tigerfish for $75,000, believing the fish to be an omen of good luck! The fish is priced at $714 per pound.

UN goes green cuts on air-conditioning

2008-07-31T04:56:00.000-07:00

The culture of stiff collar and smart suits in summer might be over at the United Nations as it ratchets up thermostat on weeks days and completely shuts down the air-conditioning during weekends to help reduce greenhouse gas emission and save $1 million.
Unveiling the 'Cool UN' initiative, the world body advised diplomats, staff and journalist to wear lighter clothes as the air conditioning temperature would be raised from 22 to 25 degrees centigrade from August 1. The UN could save $1 million annually if the experiment is successful.

No air-conditioning in UN on weekends
If the one month trial is successful, the United Nations intends to reduce the heating temperature also which would make the headquarters comparatively cooler in winter. Asked for their comment, diplomats demurred but said they would accept the higher temperature. "We have succeeded in moving climate change to the top of the international agenda for action, and this means that the UN must take action itself," said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The one-month-long trial during August is expected to cut the UN's carbon dioxide emissions by 300 tons, a 10 per cent reduction in energy consumption for the air conditioning systems. This will also result in savings of more than $100,000 by cutting back on the use of steam by over 4,000 million pounds. The headquarters system uses steam provided by local energy company for both air-conditioning in summer and heating in winter.
As part of 'Cool UN,' the Secretary-General is encouraging both personnel and delegates to dress less formally, including by having men leave their ties off.

"Let us have some fun while at the same time we make a contribution to reducing global emissions," Ban said.
Officials said Ban too would wear lighter clothes to give a lead to his staff . "We estimate that the monthly winter reduction would be somewhat larger than the monthly summer reduction," Michael Adlerstein, executive director of the capital master plan, told reporters. He said that the initiative 'Cool UN' will only go into effect in New York, given that climate conditions vary from duty station to duty station, according to Janos Pasztor, Director of Ban's Climate Change Support Team.

The UN's Nairobi offices are not air-conditioned, while Geneva's offices are cooled for only a few days out of the year, he said.
Pasztor said that negotiations to conclude a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol must continue, "but we also need to reflect on our lifestyles and the way we live and the way we work."

work up a sweat to 'praise the Lord'

2008-07-31T01:49:00.000-07:00

Fires were burning in the abdominal muscles of a dozen women as they slowly raised and lowered their legs and praised the Lord in a church hall near Washington, while an uplifting gospel recording sang of how awesome God is. "We almost done, y'all praise God,"gospel aerobics instructor Melanie Kelly shouted over the music to the group of African-American women as they struggled to control the trembling legs they were lowering to the floor for the umpteenth time. Gospel aerobics blends spirituality and sport, adulation and adductors, praise and press-ups. It takes an arduous workout out of the gym and lifts it to a higher plane. "Gospel aerobics is where we come together and exercise to present our bodies as temples to God,"said Dawn Harvey, pastor at the church and founder of Embrace your Greatness, which aims to empower women. "Our bodies house the Holy Spirit, so we want to take very good care of our temples so we can live long, prosperous and healthy lives,"she said, citing from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. Kelly has been leading the weekly gospel aerobics class in the carpeted meeting room with deep maroon walls at the Dawn Harvey Ministries church just outside Washington since April, when she said she acted on a vision she had been sent from on high. After a 10-minute warm-up, Kelly and her charges moved on to arm exercises as a CD-player in the corner belted out the lyrics: "Ever since the day you claimed me, I've never been the same." "Grab yourself back from the devil,"Kelly exhorted the women as they snatched at the air with outstretched hands and moved from side to side. "Lift him up, higher, higher,"the lithe instructor bellowed, as the music shifted to "My God is an awesome God"and the class began doing press-ups. Flagging bi- and triceps were buoyed by words of encouragement from others and by the music. "When we push ourselves, having music that actually fulfills the spirit and doesn't just move the body, helps,"said Harvey, who has dropped a dress size since she started taking the hour-long class. "No harm will come to these vessels... no pain... we ask you to remove it in the name of Jesus,"Kelly said, drawing approving 'Amens' from the sweaty class. And unlike the local gym, which one of the women described as a "meat market"where scantily clad men ogle just as scantily clad women, gospel aerobics classes are held in an environment where the only one watching is the instructor - and, of course, God

nasa's Moon experience on Earth

2008-07-31T01:39:00.000-07:00

Two Nasa astronauts in spacesuits drove their lunar truck up a steep sand dune in a barren, wind-swept landscape so forbidding it was reminiscent of the surface of the Moon.
Space agency officials certainly think so. Nasa scientists and contractors recently spent two weeks here field-testing some of the vehicles and robots that will be used when humans return to the Moon later this century.
"Believe it or not, this place has a lot in common with the Moon,"Robert Ambrose, deputy division chief for Nasa, said of the unusual sand dunes in central Washington.
The key element is the soft, powdery soil that is mixed with volcanic ash and similar to lunar dust, he said. The soil forms high, slippery dunes similar to the lunar hills the vehicles will have to climb.
"Mainly we've got slopes, soft soils and wide open spaces,"Ambrose said. "That's what we needed to test our machines." The big drawback? Moses Lake has normal gravity, while the Moon has about one-sixth of Earth's gravity, he said.
Moses Lake is a town of about 17,000 located 275 kilometres east of Seattle along Interstate 90 in the arid Columbia Basin. Many french fries served at restaurants nationwide are grown and processed here, but Moses Lake is otherwise a synonym in much of Washington for the middle of nowhere.
Nasa is no stranger here, said Bill Bluethmann of the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The giant runways at a closed B-52 base serve as an emergency alternative landing site for the space shuttle. And Moses Lake was considered as a home for the planned X-33 spaceplane that was supposed to replace the space shuttle, but Nasa canceled that program, he said.
The space agency has been tasked to return to the Moon by 2020, and the tests in Moses Lake brought together numerous prototypes from laboratories nationwide to see how they worked in the field and how they worked together.
The tests started in late May in the Moses Lake Sand Dunes, a 3,000-acre off-road vehicle park.
Nasa intends to collect buckets of the powdery soil, much of it blown here from volcanic eruptions in the nearby Cascade Range, so astronauts who have already walked on the moon can determine how closely the soil resembles lunar dust, said Lucien Junkin, director of the lunar truck project.
The lunar truck is a 12-wheeled, gold-colored vehicle that weighs 4,500 pounds and can carry four astronauts in spacesuits. With a top speed of 10 mph and the ability to attach various implements, it is designed to perform civil engineering on the moon, Junkin said.

0 to 100 Gift

2008-07-30T23:16:00.000-07:00

Wife mentioned to her husband that for her birthday, she would like something that accelerates from 0 to 100 in four seconds.
She was expecting something like this…

But her husband presented her with something very different...

The husband is in a critical but stable condition in ICU!

Living on the Edge

2008-07-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

The photos are of a tiny town by the name of castellfollit de la roca in Spain, an incredible looking stretch of houses that all seem to be resting on a single ridge of rock.

Welcome to ronda , a beautiful city in southern Spain which is split in two by el tajo gorge. As a result, certain buildings have been perched on the edge of the gorge's verticall walls, enormous cliffs bridged by the 200 year old peunte neuvo. Now, although living on the edge of that gigantic 130m crack would give me the shakes, i'd much rather live there than bonifacio…

This is bonifacio in Corsica. This fragile looking citadel sits precariously above limestone cliffs which over the years have been battered by the Mediterranean sea, a process which is apparent by both the piles of eroded stone at the base and the overhang of the cliff walls. How long before the next building gets swallowed?
No idea, but from the look of the first photo it can't be long.

How to boost your PC speed

2008-07-29T22:16:00.000-07:00

Frustrated with slow computer speed? Hate it when your computer slows down while you access the Internet.
And you simply bang your head when your computer takes ages to search your files. You desperately wish that your PC could gain some speed. Don't worry. You can easily overcome this.

Here are some easy-to-do tips which can boost up your PC speed.

1. Clean up disk errors

Whenever a programme crashes or you experience some power outage, your PC may create some errors on hard disk. This slows down computer speed.
For this, check and clean any errors on the computer hard disk.
To run Disk Check go to My Computer. Now, right-click on the drive you want to check for errors and click Properties. In Properties dialogue box, click on the Tools tab. In the Error-Checking section, press the Check Now button. Access Check Disk to check for errors on your computer.
Depending on the errors, it may take up to an hour to check and clean. This must be followed at least once a week.

2. Automate Microsoft updates

For Windows users, Microsoft frequently release updates which may help boost up your PC speed. For this activate automate Microsoft Update so that your computer downloads and installs all the latest updates without giving you any trouble of finding any new releases.
Go to Start menu and click Control Panel. In the Automatic Updates dialog box, check the Automatic check box. If your PC finds any new updates, it will automatically download and install them. This will help you keep your computer up to date.

3. Organise your data

Often when you search files your PC takes a lot of time to track them. This is because computer breaks files into pieces to increase the speed of access and retrieval.
However, once updated, computer saves these files on the space available on the hard drive, which results in fragmented files. This makes your PC go slow because it then searches for all of the file's parts. You need a Disk Defragmenter programme to needle all your files back together.
For this, go to My Computer and right click on the drive you want to check for error and click Properties. In the Properties dialogue box, click the Tools tab, and then in the Defragmentation section, click Defragment. In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, select the disk and then click Analyse.
After analysing your PC, the Disk Defragmenter pops up a message asking whether you need to defragment your computer or not. Once you defragement your PC, it will reorganise files by programme and size.

4. Reduce page history

Is your PC giving you trouble while accessing the Internet? Don't worry. For Internet Explorer users, Microsoft has some rescue options for faster Web browsing.
To improve your PC speed, first reduce the size of your Web page history. For this go to Internet Explorer, and on the Tools menu click on Internet Options. Then go to the History section and type in the number of days you want to keep pages in history. Preferably reduce the number of days as this will reduce the size of your Web page history.

5. Remove temporary files

Your PC stores temporary files whenever you browse through the Web. Also, your PC stores temporary files when you work on programmes like Microsoft Word or Excel.
This ends up slowing down your PC speed. To overcome it you can use the Windows Disk Cleanup screen to rid your PC of these dead files.
To run Disk Cleanup go to My Computer. Right click on the drive you wish to check for errors and click Properties. In the Properties dialogue box, click Disk Cleanup. You can also use Disk Cleanup to clear unused files from your PC. After scanning, the Disk Cleanup dialogue box lists the files you can remove from your computer.

World’s biggest search engine

2008-07-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Cuil—the world’s biggest search engine.

http://www.cuil.com/info/

The Internet has grown exponentially in the last fifteen years but search engines have not kept up—until now. Cuil searches more pages on the Web than anyone else—three times as many as Google and ten times as many as Microsoft.
Rather than rely on superficial popularity metrics, Cuil searches for and ranks pages based on their content and relevance. When we find a page with your keywords, we stay on that page and analyze the rest of its content, its concepts, their inter-relationships and the page’s coherency.
Then we offer you helpful choices and suggestions until you find the page you want and that you know is out there. We believe that analyzing the Web rather than our users is a more useful approach, so we don’t collect data about you and your habits, lest we are tempted to peek. With Cuil, your search history is always private.

Fishy diet

2008-07-29T00:09:00.000-07:00

A diet rich in oily fish, which contains omega 3 fatty acids, may be why middle-aged men in Japan have fewer problems with clogged arteries than white men and men of Japanese descent in the United States, a study has found.
The research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that Japanese men living in Japan had twice the blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids and lower levels of atherosclerosis compared to middle-aged white men or Japanese-American men living in the United States,
Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque inside the arteries. Over time, they harden and narrow the arteries and can lead to serious problems like heart attacks and stroke.
"The death rate from coronary heart disease in Japan has always been puzzlingly low," said Akira Sekikawa, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh, in a statement.
"Our study suggests that the very low rates of coronary heart disease among Japanese living in Japan may be due to their lifelong high consumption of fish."
Japanese eat about 3 ounces (85 grams) of fish a day on average, while Americans eat fish perhaps twice a week. Nutritional studies show that intake of omega-3 fatty acids from fish averages 1.3 grams per day in Japan, compared to 0.2 grams per day in the United States.
Earlier studies by Sekikawa's team showed that Japanese men had significantly less cholesterol build-up in their arteries despite similar blood cholesterol and blood pressure readings, similar rates of diabetes and much higher rates of smoking.
But it was unclear whether Japanese men were protected by strong genes, a high-fish diet or some other factor.

World's 5 busiest ports

2008-07-28T23:37:00.001-07:00

Singapore
The world's largest container transshipment hub, Singapore, handles about one-fifth of the world's total container shipment. In 2007, Singapore Terminals handled 27.1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUS) of containers.
The port of Singapore operates 4 container terminals and 2 multi-purpose terminals in Singapore, and links shippers to an excellent network of 200 shipping lines with connections

Rotterdam, Netherlands
Rotterdam is Europe's largest logistic hub. The port is the gateway to a European market of 450 million consumers. More than 500 scheduled services link Rotterdam with over 1000 ports worldwide. The port has a depth of 24 metres (75 feet). The port and industrial area stretches over a length of 40 kilometres and covers 10,000 hectares. Rotterdam is also Europe's cheapest bunker port. One of the main advantages of Rotterdam is its location on the estuary of the rivers Rhine and Maas. This helps to transport goods economically to other regions in Europe.

South Louisiana
The Port of South Louisiana, which stretches 54 miles along the Mississippi River, is the largest tonnage port district in the western hemisphere. Over 4,000 vessels and 55,000 barges call at the Port of South Louisiana each year, making it the top ranked port in the US in terms of total tonnage.

Shanghai
The Port of Shanghai, located in the vicinity of Shanghai, comprises a deep-sea port and a river port. In 2006, with a total of 537 million tonnes of cargo transported, it became the world's busiest port by cargo tonnage for the first time. The Port of Shanghai is situated at the middle of the 18,000km-long Chinese coastline and is an important gateway for foreign trade. The Port enjoys a good geographical location, modern infrastructure and facilities.

Hong Kong

The port of Hong Kong, located by the South China Sea, is a deepwater seaport dominated containerised products' trade. The natural shelter and deep waters of Victoria Harbour provide ideal conditions for berthing and handling all types of vessels. It is one of the most busiest ports in the world, in terms of cargo handled and passengers carried.

Funny Asian Game

2008-07-28T23:06:00.000-07:00

Why do men snore ?

2008-07-24T23:34:00.000-07:00

Nuclear Agreement between India - USA

2008-07-24T23:01:00.000-07:00

Nuclear Agreement between India - USA

There are lot of talks about 1 2 3 Agreement between India & USA and it almost led to the topple of Central Government. I am trying to explain the commercial & technical aspects relating to this Agreement which I have read and sharing with you.

What is 123 Agreement?
This is called 123 Agreement because this comes under USA's Atomic PowerAct Section 123.Let's see how India's (Indians?) Sovereignty & Independence are pledged...
(1) After this Agreement USA will supply all fuel, machinery / equipment& technology to India for producing Nuclear Power.
(2) All these days from about 22 Nuclear Power Plants, India isproducing power as well as Atom. It's a high security / secret that from where which is produced, how much is produced, where it issupplied, what research is being done with that, etc. to anybody. Butif we sign this Agreement, we have to disclose these secrets and alsoagree to 14 of our Nuclear Power Plants to be under the scanner of International Atomic Power Organization.
(3) The fuel utilized to produce Atomic Power can be recycled for reuseand this plant will be under direct supervision of IAPO.
If India does nuclear test, this agreement gets cancelled. But
(1) USA will take back all the machinery / equipments / technology
Supplied to India thus far.
(2) Those 14 plants will continue to be under scanner irrespective of the status of the agreement.
On the other hand, if any of the commitments given by USA is breached by them, then there is no clause for cancelling this agreement.
The agreement is apparently like this... USA can either hug India or slap India. India will not ask why are we hugged or why are we slapped. On the other hand, India cannot hug or slap USA for breach of agreement. This is only capsule so that easy to read and digest.
Subject: India Pledged.... Part 2
Requirement of Power
The most important requirement for India's Economic Growth in the coming years will be the power & infrastructure. The argument put forth favouring the 123 Agreement says that we need Nuclear Power Production to be increased to meet the demand.
Power Production in India
Presently following are the figures:
Thermal Power 66%
Hydel Power 26%
Solar & Wind Power 5% - Presently Rs.600 Crores are spent for producing this power.
Nuclear Power 3% - If this is to be increased to 6%, it requires additional Rs.50,000 Crores. Naturally it will be wise to increase other 3 modes of power production rather than the expensive & dangerous Nuclear Power. Isn't??

URANIUM
We used to import Uranium from various other countries. After the Pokran Test, we are not getting it. To augment the supply, we need to sign the 123 Agreement to get Uranium from USA. But we will have to declare to USA from which power plant India takes raw material for
producing Atom Bomb. Why should we disclose our internal secrets to those rascals ? Will any one allow an outsider to continuously monitor what's happening in your Hall & Kitchen of your house? Other study reveals that Uranium is available in India aplenty. Only hurdle is the
acquisition of land. To produce Atomic Power & Bomb in the next 40 years, the requirement of Uranium is 25,000 MT whereas the availability is 78,000 MT across India.

PLUTONIUM
Presently 35% of Plutonium is used to produce Atomic Bombs. After signing the Agreement, we will be allowed to use only 10%. Who are those rascals to restrict the usage of our natural resource ? That is though you are capable of cooking & eating 10 idlis as your breakfast, you are
allowed only 3 idlis henceforth. How can it be? Why should we accept this?
THORIUM
As told by Dr.APJ, we have abundant Thorium. In fact we are the 2nd largest producer of Thorium next only to Australia. India has to explore this further for producing power. For your information, in South India - particularly around Kanyakumari, the availability of Thorium is abundant.
INDIA-IRAN-CHINA
USA does not like the amicable relationship between India-Iran and also India-China. If India-China relationship gets stronger, then both these can rule the Eastern Part of the Globe which USA wants to break as per their divide & rule.
By signing this agreement, USA wants India to depend on it for producing power which is going to be a crucial factor in future. There is a talk of bringing Natural Gas from Iran to India with a big pipeline project. USA doesn't like this proposal.

Atomic Power Technology
Whether power is produced or Bomb is produced, using Atomic power without spoiling the infrastructure and without allowing the radiation is always under threat. Moreover preserving the wastes coming out of

Atomic Power Plants is expensive & unsafe.
There was an accident in Three Miles Island in USA. To close this plant nearly USD 200 Crores spent with tons & tons of concrete but yet to be fully closed. In an another accident at Soviet Union's Serbia Plant, even the next generation child are affected due to the radiation.
It will be very very expensive to defuse & close down an Atomic Power Plant than its construction cost.
France
France has got 56 Nuclear Power stations producing 73% of the country's total power requirement. They are catching up the problem of eliminating the wastes / emissions from out of those plants at the same time increase the power production capacity. Government of France is now thinking how to reduce the power consumption in the country.

Conclusion
In view of the above danger, rather than signing the agreement and pledging India to USA, it will be prudent to increase the Solar & Wind Energy and more importantly Hyder Power Production can be increased by linking all rivers across India and by constructing DAMS. (Ofcourse Dam
construction projects can be given to L&T's B&F Sector :-)
The whole process of this Agreement started in the year 2005 when Manmohan visited USA. In a span of just 2 years a major decision of signing this agreement has taken place with political motive. On the contrary, neither this Government nor any other earlier Central Government could not amend the Constitution thereby nationalise the rivers across the country thereby effectively utilise the water resources for both Agriculture purpose and producing Hydel Power. What an irony? Whenever someone is helping the needy, you can't expect the TERMS AND
CONDITIONS BETWEEN THE needy and the helper to be EQUAL??? BUT

(1) the helper's ulterior motive should be seen with broad eye because he is capable of digging a grave behind you and
(2) better to be self-sufficient and explore new avenues with available resources.

INDIA-CHINA-USA
India is very rich in Culture, follow Religions, Value Ethics, Level of Education is Very Good.
China is also rich in Culture, follow Religion, better disciplined. USA does not have Culture, does not have Ethics, only want power over others. Particularly wants a firm footing in South Asia. Remember the introduction EURO by European Countries and it is stronger than Dollar?
So their "DAL" cannot be boiled at "EUROPE". They are trying in India as already Pakistan is in their clutches.

Amazing Cockpit

2008-07-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

Glider being towed out over Crystal lake, Michigan

KC-135A Stratotanker aircraft preparing to refuel an F-15 Eagle aircraft

World's biggest casino bets on Macau

2008-07-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

MACAU — Thousands streamed into the world's biggest casino, which opened here Tuesday. It's the most daring move yet in a $24 billion bid to build a Las Vegas style "neon alley" in this once-sleazy Chinese gambling enclave.The hopes of more than a dozen hotel, casino and retail operators building on the Cotai Strip — 1.5 square miles of reclaimed land fusing two islands — are pinned on the Venetian Macao, built by U.S. operator Las Vegas Sands.
"Even if they open 10 more casinos, it's still not enough," said Charles Zhao, a resident of Zhuhai, a Chinese city close to Macau. He lined up for hours with hundreds of others, to try his luck on the new gaming tables and slot machines. "These days, you can see all the (Macau) casinos are always full."
Macau is the only place in gambling-mad China where casinos are legal. Such zeal helped gaming revenue in Macau, on the southern tip of China, overtake those of the iconic Las Vegas Strip last year.
If the Venetian succeeds, according to analyst estimates, it will help double Macau's annual gaming income to $13.7 billion by 2010.
Changing face of Macau A day before its opening, some of the casino's 16,000 employees were practicing dealing cards in the echoing halls.
The Venetian boasts 3,000 hotel suites, 1,150 gaming tables, 7,000 slot machines, 350 shops, an 1,800-seat conference center and a 15,000-seat entertainment arena.
"It's changing the face of Macau," said Adelson, the 75-year-old son of a Boston taxi driver.
The Macau government and casino operators hope the Cotai Strip will persuade gamblers, mainly from China, to stay a couple of days and spend more money. Many of the 20 million visitors who visit the former Portuguese colony each year do not book into a hotel, preferring to gamble until dawn or visit massage parlors.
The Cotai Strip has drawn investment from a raft of casino and hotel operators, including Nasdaq-listed Melco PBL Entertainment, (MPEL) MGM Mirage (MGM) and Macao Studio City — a venture involving eSun Holdings.
"The Venetian is a very important event, because it marks the beginning of the diversification process in Macau," said David Friedman, chief executive of Macao Studio City. "It may take time for the full extent of success to kick in, but there's no doubt in my mind it will be very successful."
Some analysts see the huge new supply of hotels, shops and gaming tables cutting profit margins in the short term. Daily revenue per gaming table in Macau has already dropped to around $12,000 from $22,382 in 2002, when a four-decade monopoly owned by casino mogul Stanley Ho expired and other players, including U.S. operators, were allowed in.
In a sign of concern about mounting competition, Wynn Resorts (WYNN) has toned down plans for major expansion in Macau.
The firm run by Steve Wynn, a fierce rival of Adelson, plans to open another 25,000 square-foot gaming space at its Wynn Macau casino this year instead of the planned 123,000 square feet.
In the last couple of weeks, the global credit crunch sparked by the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis has also raised questions about funding for casino operators. Bankers have said Melco PBL Entertainment will restructure a $2.75 billion loan deal because of problems with a $1.5 billion offering aimed at U.S. investors.
Gaming analyst Gavin Ho of Asia-Pacific specialist CLSA thinks the Venetian's opening will lift gaming revenue in Macau in the same way the Sands and the Wynn casinos have. But because it is remote from other casinos, and the first on Cotai, it is likely to take market share from incumbents.

i - Phone with new features

2008-07-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

Introducing iPhone 3G. With fast 3G wireless technology, GPS mapping, support for enterprise features like Microsoft Exchange, and the new App Store, iPhone 3G puts even more features at your fingertips. And like the original iPhone, it combines three products in one — a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device with rich HTML email and a desktop-class web browser. iPhone 3G. It redefines what a mobile phone can do — again.

3G Speed

Surf the web and download email over fast 3G cellular networks. Learn more

App Store

Browse games and applications, then download and install them directly onto your iPhone. Learn more

Maps with GPS

Find your location, get directions, and track progress along your route. Learn more

iPhone in Enterprise

Get push email, calendar, and contacts with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync.

Is Google losing its edge?

2008-07-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

Google Inc's share of the global Web search market dipped in February from January, even as its US share rose, Internet financial analysts said citing market research data.
Analysts view the monthly comScore search market data as an indicator on growth trends in Web search. Several recent monthly reports have sparked debate on Wall Street over whether the market is maturing, even though year-to-year growth rates remain high.
The volume of US searches done through Google dropped to 5.86 billion from 6.14 billion in February, and the worldwide volume of searches also declined, comScore said.
"We are continuing to see deceleration in growth in Web search," said Jefferies & Co analyst Youssef Squali. "Google's month-over-month 5 per cent decline is a little surprising, but all of the major Web search names were down."
The drop was partly due to February being two days shorter than January, a comScore spokesman said. However, several analysts said it may also reflect a maturing market. By contrast, searches rose 9 per cent in January over December.
Investors cull comScore's monthly search data for clues to growth trends in Google's core business of online advertising tied to such Web searches, and to watch if any rivals slow the Google juggernaut. ComScore released summary data on US search market trends, but worldwide data is only available to paid subscribers.
With search statistics becoming more unpredictable month to month, investors have begun to focus on how well Google is converting Web searches into ad viewership.

Why_women_shouldnt_work_in_IT

2008-06-14T00:06:00.000-07:00

Why women shouldnt work in IT...................

Hottest iPhone rivals

2008-06-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

The release of 3G iPhone has once again refueled the raging iPhone battle. It has renewed the fight which has been on since January 2007 (at MacWorld), when Steve Jobs first showcased his touchscreen magic to the world.
Jobs keynote address at MacWorld woke up the telecom world to a new opponent and since then the cell phone manufacturers have been on their toes to develop a formidable iPhone rival.
Almost all top cell phone makers, including the mobile giant Nokia either have an iPhone rival ready or are vigorously working on the same. In fact, Korean electronic manufacturer LG even stole Apple's thunder when it unveiled LG Prada, world's first completely touchscreen phone, in March 2007, almost two months prior to iPhone hitting the market.
While LG took lead, the other companies are also not leaving any stone unturned to dissuade Apple from taking over the cell phone market the way it has swept the MP3 player market.
So, here's looking into the hottest competition to iPhone. While some of these iPhone killers boasts of enhanced multimedia features and video recording, others tout larger display and improved navigation options.

ERROR 404: File Not Found

2008-06-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

Hope you don't do this when you get an ERROR 404: File Not Found

TRAIN to HK Disneyland

2008-06-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

Consequences Of Aggressive Consumer Banking

2008-06-11T21:25:00.001-07:00

IDEAS to Suicide

2008-06-11T21:16:00.000-07:00

Microsoft unveils new touchscreen Windows

2008-06-10T22:57:00.000-07:00

By early 2010, people will be able to move objects on their PC by touching the screen with their fingers, Microsoft said

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og8ks0XloFA

Microsoft is signalling the end of the mouse with its latest operating system, which aims to build on the success of its rival Apple's iPhone touch screen.
Windows 7 will allow PC users to touch, rather than point and click, in a move which indicates that the world’s most influential software company believes that the days of the keyboard-mouse combination are coming to an end. But some critics claim that Microsoft is a long way from replacing what has been the dominant human-computer interface since its invention by Xerox researchers in the 1970s.
It is unclear how willing office workers or home users are to abandon hard-won typing skills and lean forward to start manipulating images on a large computer screen.

Paglo Opens Beta of World's First Search Engine for IT

2008-06-10T22:37:00.000-07:00

Paglo (www.Paglo.com) launched the beta of the world's first search engine for IT. The easy-to-use service enables users to discover and index all of their IT data and get instant answers to computer, network, and user questions. More than 800 companies are already using Paglo as part of the company's early access program. And because the system is on-demand, users can tap the experience of others directly through shared searches, dashboards, and alerts -- known as Paglo share-its. To activate a free beta account and be up and running in minutes, go to www.Paglo.com (see also ).
Paglo is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering that provides a 'system-of-record' by making all of an organization's IT data immediately accessible and useful. The Paglo service benefits any IT, operations, or security professional. For example, a company can quickly discover and locate all devices connected to its network, determine how many copies of Microsoft(R) Office are in use, or find users with administrative privileges to key systems.
IT professionals also benefit from the wisdom of their peers. Searches, dashboards, and alerts can be instantly saved as a Paglo share-it, and can then be shared within a company or with the entire Paglo community. Share-its are categorized by type and contain the search syntax to answer a specific question or generate quantitative results. All users can take advantage of share-its and modify them to meet their specific needs. When a share-it is used, the returned information is based on the specific data in the user's Search Index.
"Search has transformed consumer behavior, but has yet to truly change how business is conducted," said Paglo CEO, Brian de Haaff. "We provide search to find answers for business, and we're starting with IT. While some users refer to Paglo as 'Google(TM) for IT,' it's our unique ability to return both simple text and rich quantitative data from searches that sets us apart. Additionally, because we are on-demand and our users can collaborate via Paglo share-its and connect through our forums, it's easy to see why we are changing the way people manage their business."
The perfect IT search engine captures and understands all of the information about devices, networks, and users. This type of "universal search" is the value that Paglo delivers. Paglo's patent-pending technology incorporates the Paglo Crawler, open-source discovery software that securely gathers IT information, and can be easily extended with plug-ins to capture additional data sources. Discovered information is securely transferred to the Paglo Search Index. Searches can then be run that return both simple text and rich quantitative data. Each business has its own secure Paglo Search Index that keeps the information completely separate and private from every other user.
Paglo users keep their fingers on the pulse of their technology environment via fully customizable Paglo Dashboards, which automatically present results from searches they have saved. Users can create as many unique dashboard views as they like -- such as one for server management, one for network management, and one for security. Any search can be saved for future use to run again. In addition, any search can be turned into an alert, which Paglo regularly reruns, and sends a notification when user-defined parameters have been triggered.

Windows XP To Windows 7 A Risky Path, Microsoft Warns

2008-06-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

Businesses that skip and upgrade their computers directly from the XP to 7 could expose themselves to security risks and other problems, Microsoft says in a new white paper.
Bypassing Vista could have "implications for security, support, and regulatory and reduce flexibility in the face of changing business requirements," writes Microsoft VP Mike Nash, in the paper.

Specifically, Nash says that businesses that wait for Windows 7 -- set for release in late 2009 or early 2010 -- to upgrade from XP could find themselves using outdated applications that don't employ proper security safeguards or are no longer supported.
They also won't get the advantage of new security technologies and other improvements that Microsoft embedded in Vista, Nash says. "By not deploying Windows Vista, it means missing out on the proven benefits such as better security, productivity, search, mobility, manageability and optimization," Nash says , which is titled "The Business Value Of Windows Vista."
Nash also says that it's pointless to allow concerns about compatibility with older applications to forestall a Vista upgrade -- because those same incompatibilities will exist in Windows 7. "Customers who are still using Windows XP when Windows 7 releases will have a similar application compatibility experience moving to Windows 7 as exists moving to Windows Vista from Windows XP," says Nash.
That's because Windows 7 uses many of the same core technologies that Microsoft first employed in Vista, he says.Nash's plea may be in response to the fact that, a full year-and-a-half after its debut, few enterprises have deployed Vista widely.Symantec chief operating officer Enrique Salem that only a small percentage of the security company's large business customers have upgraded their corporate PCs to Vista."For the most part, we're not seeing it," said Salem, in an interview. Salem said most of Symantec's enterprise customers continue to run their systems on the older Windows XP operating system because "they're not yet comfortable with Vista."
The lukewarm embrace given Vista may be starting to impact Microsoft's bottom line. The company in April revealed that third-quarter sales of Windows licenses plunged 24%, compared with the previous year.

Apple embraces subsidies in iPhone U-turn

2008-06-10T22:28:00.000-07:00

Apple looks set to embark on a sweeping change to its business model for the iPhone by scrapping its revenue sharing arrangements with mobile phone operators.
The US computer company has agreed that the new iPhone should be subsidised by the mobile operators that sell it to consumers, according to people familiar with the situation.
Apple and the other groups involved declined to comment.
The subsidy plans should reduce the retail price of the iPhone. Analysts said the new iPhone could go on sale to US consumers for $200 or less, compared with $399 for the mark one.
Steve Jobs, Apple chief executive, is expected to unveil the iPhone using third-generation mobile technology on Monday. The 3G iPhone will offer faster web surfing speeds than the mark one.
Mobile operators will incur costs by subsidising the 3G iPhone, which explains why they have pushed for the revenue sharing arrangements with Apple to be dropped.
Last year Apple struck exclusive network deals for the iPhone with AT&T in the US, O2 in the UK, France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom.
Under the deals, the operators reluctantly agreed to hand over a portion of the monthly revenue paid by their iPhone customers. As much as 25 per cent of the revenue might have gone to Apple.
Such arrangements are rare, but it underlined how Apple's negotiating power was strong given that the iPhone set standards in mobile phone innovation with its touch screen and web browser.
While Apple may have been reticent about giving up the revenue sharing arrangements, the company looks to have found common cause with the operators on the subsidy plans.
It should enable Apple to drive up iPhone sales and turn it into a handset for the masses.
The operators will bear the subsidy costs given that the iPhone has brought the mobile internet to life and opened up revenue opportunities, such as advertising.
Apple has a target of selling 10m iPhones in 2008, and has reported sales of 1.7m between January and March.
Assuming a further 1.7m are sold between April and June, Apple would need to nearly double the sales rate in the second half.
Sales should be boosted by how Apple is expanding the number of operators selling the iPhone from four to 13.
But hitting the 10m target should also be facilitated by the subsidy plans, particularly given that the economic downturn is hitting sales.
The 8Gb iPhone had an initial retail price of $599 in the US, £269 in the UK and €399 in France and Germany, which put some consumers off. The price was later cut.
Sales of the iPhone in western Europe have been disappointing compared with the US.

Just Miss !!

2008-06-08T23:22:00.000-07:00

Look ONLY at the first photo.... read below, then look at the second photo. WOW !

Look at the first picture above and you can see where this guy broke through the guard rail (right side where the people are standing on the road). His truck left the road, traveling from right to left . He flipped end-over-end, across the culvert outlet and landed on the left side of it. Now look at the 2nd picture below

Hiroshima and Nagasaki At 1945 and Today

2008-06-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

Hiroshima and Nagasaki At 1945

Now….wow!!!! We all know that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed in August 1945 after explosion of atom bomb. However little we know about progress the people of that land made during the past 62 years.
THE COLOURFUL CITY- .....

Baldwin Street - world's steepest street

2008-05-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

Baldwin Street - world's steepest street

Windows SEVEN

2008-05-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

Formerly known as Blackcomb and Vienna is the successor of Windows Vista. Windows 7 is expected to be released sometime in 2010

Beautiful Concept cars

2008-05-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

Mercedes SLR McLaren: It is powered by a Mercedes-AMG V8 powerplant. With its 5.5-litre displacement and screw-type compressor, the engine develops a peak output of 460 kW/626 hp and delivers its maximum torque of 780 Nm from 3250 rpm. It goes from 0 to 62.5 mph in 3.8 seconds. It boasts of water-type charge-air cooling, three valves per cylinder, dry sump lubrication and four metal catalytic converters. This makes the SLR the world's first series-produced car to have a front crash structure made entirely from carbon fibre. The passenger cell of the high-performance sports car is also made entirely from this high-tech material. In a head-on, side-on or rear-end collision, it offers the passengers an extremely rigid, safe survival zone. Its other features include Sensotronic Brake Control, electronic stability program, automatic tyre pressure monitoring, 18-inch wheels and aluminium suspension.

Mitsubishi 'i': Mitsubishi's 'i' is a compact-size concept test car which will serve as a model for the next generation of small cars, says the company. The 'i' successfully meets Euro-4 emissions and 90-grams-per-kilometer three-litre car fuel economy standards with an average fuel consumption of 3.8 liters/100 kilometers and with carbon dioxide emissions of 89 grams per kilometer. Also, it is the first car to be awarded the highest 5-star ratings in both categories of fuel consumption and emissions testing. And, yes, it comes packed with great, futuristic features.

Suzuki's Mobile Terrace: The Mobile Terrace uses General Motor's Hy-Wire platform allowing maximum flexibility and interchangeability while at the same time using fuel-cell technology to power the vehicle. * The fuel cell and motor are placed under the floor, in the Mobile Terrace. It is a six-passenger vehicle using three rows of seats. * Its technology- and gadgets-packed instrument panel can also change into a table. There's also a 22-inch touchscreen monitor for vehicle information as well as sliding side doors for easier access to the interior.

Renault concept car Wind: The Renault Wind has a streamlined design and lively performance combines. The car's interior is elegantly designed in accordance with the 'Touch Design' concept and boasts of a cabin that is cloaked in leather. The futuristic, high-tech controls put emphasis on ergonomics and simplicity, making the car a perfect blend of utility and aesthetics.

Honda IMAS: Honda's gas/electric Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system is a highly fuel-efficient vehicle. Honda estimates its fuel economy at 40 kilometers per litre. * Built mostly with carbon fiber and aluminum, the IMAS weighs in at approximately 1,542 pounds. The car's electronically controlled throttle works with a shaftless variable gear steering system to produce precise throttle response and handling. * Inside the two-person cockpit, the instrument panel and the navigation screen mounted on top of the dash are made of transparent material. The steering wheel assumes an aeronautical design, rather than the usual doughnut.

Honda Kiwami: The Honda Kiwami concept car complements the world's first fuel cell powered production car launched at Tokyo, the Honda FCX. The Kiwami has its roots in a Japanese design aesthetic with simple linear surfaces and a monochrome interior being the clearest signifiers. The four-door, four-seat premium Kiwami has a very low floor giving it a very low center of gravity. Advanced packaging technology that makes possible the lower floor ensures a roomy interior despite the vehicle's low roofline. The interior design reflects the Japanese sense of a luxurious atmosphere and advanced features such as an exterior information display and panel-touch shifting.

Maserati MC12: The Maserati MC12 can go at about 330 km/h at full throttle, sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds. The Maserati MC12 is a two-seater, long-tail coupe-spider with a long wheel base (2800 mm). It has a sporty set-up with a removable hard top. It is also powered by an impressive 630 hp six-litre mid-rear V12 engine. The MC12 benefits from all of the Ferrari Maserati group's most advanced technologies. It boasts of a powerful 12-cylinder V engine that displaces 5998 cc.

Audi RSQ: The futuristic car Audi RSQ was especially designed for the motion picture I, ROBOT, starring Will Smith, a homicide detective in the year 2035. The Audi RSQ sport coupe is a visionary statement. It is packed with special features suggested by movie director Alex Proyas. The mid-engined sports car races along not on wheels, but on spheres. Its two doors are rear-hinged to the C-posts of the body and open according to the butterfly principle.

Mercedes Benz F400 Carving: The Mercedes Benz F400 Carving is a new concept roadster. The car's sharp edges and futuristic lines are much like Batman's Batmobile. The car's steering and braking systems are governed by computer-generated impulses and it has an active hydropneumatic suspension. The F400 Carving is powered by a Mercedes 3.2-liter V6 engine. Its Formula One-style steering wheel-mounted button shifters govern its gearbox. It is made to take turns at high speed. The technology-laden car is an absolute eye-popper.

Chrysler ME4-12: The Chrysler ME4-12 super car is, well, super! The quad-turbo, V-12 powered Chrysler ME 4-12 is soon likely to establish performance records. Its engine is from AMG and delivers 850 bhp at 5750 rpm. ME stands for 'mid-engined.' The ME 4-12 goes from 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds, 0-100 mph in 6.2 seconds. It has an estimated top speed of 248 mph (400 km/h). The car's carbon fiber bodywork is mated to a carbon fibre and aluminum honeycomb monocoque tub. Its suspension comprises double wishbones, aluminum control arms, horizontally-opposed coil-over dampers with electronically controlled compression and rebound tuning. The car is 44.9 inches tall, 78.7 inches wide and 178.8-inches long.

The Truth Interesting Comparison :The Rise in Price of Food

2008-05-19T04:37:00.000-07:00

Look At The Food They Bought For One Week And The Number Of Persons In The Family

And Mr. George Bush- The So Called President of America is Crying That The Rise in Price of Food is Because of Indians. Coz, They are Consuming More and More Food Day By Day

CHAD: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp3 adults, 3 kids Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23

BHUTAN: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village - 7 adults, 6 kids Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03

ECUADOR: The Ayme family of Tingo - 4 adults, 5 teenagers Food expenditure for one week: $31.55

POLAND: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna - 4 adults, 1 teenager Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27

MEXICO: The Casales family of Cuernavaca - 2 adults, 3 kids Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189..09

ITALY: The Manzo family of Sicily - 2 adults, 3 kids Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260..11

UNITED STATES: The Revis family of North Carolina - 2 adults, 2 teenagers Food expenditure for one week: $341.98

GERMANY: The Melander family of Bargteheide - 2 adults, 2 teenagers Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07

JAPAN:
The Ukita family of Kodaira City - 2 adults, 2 teenagers
Food expenditure for one week: 37,699 Yen or $317.25
EGYPT:
The Ahmed family of Cairo - 7 adults, 5 kids
Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53

Excellent Advertisements

2008-05-18T23:01:00.001-07:00

Dell Vows To Boost Energy Efficiency In Products

2008-05-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

Dell on Wednesday said it would reduce energy consumption of its notebooks and desktops by up to 25% in two years.
The reduction would be in comparison to Dell's current systems, the computer maker said. Dell claims to have improved energy efficiency of its OptiPlex desktops nearly 50% since 2005. Power usage of its Latitude notebooks has dropped 16% since 2006.
Energy efficiency has become a battle cry among computer makers as customers seek products that help ease soaring power costs. In addition, using less energy helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions in power generation. The gas is a major contributor to global warming.
Albert Esser, VP of power and infrastructure solutions at Dell, that pursuing an aggressive strategy of energy efficiency is the "right thing for our business, our customers, and shared environment."
Dell expects to achieve environmentally friendly goals through more energy-efficient circuit designs and fans and more effective power-management features. The company also is working with suppliers in developing lower power components, such as chipsets, power supplies, and memory.
Dell currently offers software that maintains power-management configurations across client PCs and 80 Plus-certified power supplies. The electric utility-funded provides incentives for manufacturers to adopt power supplies certified by the organization. The group has certified more than 550 power supplies to date.
Dell also offers consumers a free recycling program and asset-recovery services for businesses. Dell has describing its energy and environmental initiatives.
Dell is in the middle of a turnaround effort to reverse the mistakes that led to the company ceding the title of world's largest computer maker to Hewlett-Packard. While financial analysts believe Dell has made progress in reversing its market decline, some believe it's going to take some time, perhaps as long as two years by one estimate, to complete the turnaround.

Banks turn to mobile access as the next big thing

2008-05-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Now that online banking has been around for more than a decade, and widely accepted by customers, banks are turning their attention to taking the show on the road.
A survey released earlier in the week by financial services firm Aite Group found 23 of the 80 largest U.S. financial institutions expect online and mobile banking will be top priorities for product development in the next two years. The survey, conducted in the first quarter of 2008, covered 22 banks and one credit union, and 11 of the top 15 banks in the U.S.
The survey found that in the next two years, banks are intending to invest heavily in new fee-based payment services, mobile banking innovations and online marketing efforts. It is a service that multi-tasking consumers are demanding, banks say.
"People are very keen on using the phone to do mobile banking in a couple of ways, including checking accounts, balances and direct deposits and to help them find banking centers," said Bank of America's Doug Brown, senior vice president of product development for e-commerce.
Banks have specific targets for mobile advancements, as well: 65% of respondents to the survey said they will focus on expedited bill payment as a main priority in the next 24 months. That number was nearly matched by the 61% of respondents who said they will make pre-approved, special offers to online customers a priority.
Bank of America says it has more than one million users currently using mobile banking and expects that number to jump in the next 24 months as it rolls out more features. Other mobile banking proponents include Citigroup , which rolled out its Citi Mobile banking service in April 2007, and Wells Fargo , which debuted Wells Fargo Mobile last July.
All of these mobile programs attempt to bring banking services to customers via phone- or browser-based technology.
Still, most banks are trying to find a way to take the mobile banking experience to the next level, some analysts said, which is a task that presents multiple challenges.
"At the moment, mobile banking is online banking 'lite', bringing many of the basic information-related services such as balance checking to the mobile domain," said Nick Holland, a senior analyst for financial analysis company Aite Group LLC that has been covering mobile banking for eight years.
"One of the challenges for mobile banking today is the lack of interoperability among these technologies. Some telephone carriers support only one technology. Some phones support only text messaging, not Internet access," Rhodes said. "Interoperability, security and scalability are all challenges that have to be addressed not only by banks, but by telephone carriers and handset manufacturers, as well."
That may change as sophisticated handhelds, like the Apple iPhone and third generation BlackBerry devices are now flooding the market, and the new capabilities are sure to drive new services, said Holland and others.
"You'll start to see some more mobile-only features such as 'panic' bill pay over mobile in the next couple of years, as well as services that leverage the uniquely mobile attributes of 'always on, always have'," Holland said. "Like location-based, opt-in information, where the device notifies you of sales and promotions that are happening in the vicinity."
Holland said banks may have to wait for that capability for at least three to five years.
But the market may be moving too fast for many new initiatives, the survey indicated. More than 70% of respondents said that the number one barrier to growing online banking and bill payment adoption is their difficulty to roll out new functionalities fast enough.
That can be a major hindrance to banks and other large financial institutions looking to roll out fast, simple customer outreaches, only to find those programs and interfaces are already passé.
Bank of America's Brown disputes that assertion, saying that although only certain forms of mobile banking have caught on in other parts of the world, he remains convinced that there is a significant market need for it in the United States.
"The North American market is moving ahead and has some differences that make up the infrastructure, which is why iPhone was launched here first. That will drive some differences," Brown said. "But we are bullish that mobile banking resonates with most customers, so we are just racing ahead to deliver those steps."

Losing Horses Are Put Down

2008-05-17T03:26:00.000-07:00

For thoroughbred racehorses in Puerto Rico, success can be a matter of life and death. Many losers don’t make it off the racetrack grounds alive. More than 400 horses, many in perfect health, are killed each year by lethal injection at a clinic tucked behind the Hipodromo Camarero racetrack, chief veterinarian Jose Garcia said after checking clinic log books going back seven years. Unlike on the US mainland, where many former racehorses are retrained for riding or sent to special refuges, the animals have few options in this US Caribbean territory. Owners say caring for and feeding a losing racehorse is too expensive. “If it doesn’t produce, after a while I give it away or I kill it,” said Arnoldo Maldonado, 60, a businessman who races about five horses a year. “It bothers me, but it has to be done because there is no money to pay for them ... I’m not going to keep losing.” The killings also bother veterinarians who carry them out. While many horses are unsuitable for adoption because of injuries or bad tempers, far more could be rescued than the current few dozen a year, Garcia said. The veterinarians at the racetrack clinic have an informal system of contacting farms and breeders when a healthy horse comes in to die. But so far there are no programs such as the US-based Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, which rescues and advocates for horses coming off the track. The killing of so many racehorses in Puerto Rico isn’t happening because they have suffered a serious injury, like Eight Belles, the filly euthanized after breaking both front ankles racing in the Kentucky Derby on May 3. Here, even when a second home is available, veterinarians say that some owners want losing horses executed anyway—some to save money, others to have revenge. “You’ll get a few owners who get so upset, they just want the horse dead,” said veterinarian Shakyra Rosario. Lionel Muller, senior vice president at Hipodromo Camarero, Puerto Rico’s only racetrack, said owners generally have the horses killed only as a last resort when they cannot find a suitable second home. “Most of the horse owners really love the horses.”

Gmail in Different Languages

2008-05-17T03:15:00.001-07:00

https://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?ctx=%67mail&hl=en&answer=17091

The Gmail interface is now available in many different language settings. Pick from the following:
Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, UK English, US English, Ukrainian, or Vietnamese.
To change the language view in Gmail:
Log in to Gmail.
Click Settings at the top of any Gmail page.
Select a language from the Gmail display language: drop-down menu in the Language: section.
Click Save Changes.
The Gmail interface will appear in the language of your choice after you click Save Changes. Remember, your Gmail's display language doesn't affect the language in which your messages are sent and received.
Some of the features available in the English setting may not be available when you select another language setting. We're working hard to make all of Gmail's features available in every language setting, so thanks for your patience.

Bush Daughter's Wedding Pics

2008-05-16T04:08:00.000-07:00

Buffalo Theory

2008-05-16T02:42:00.000-07:00

Vettel gets first taste of new Toro Rosso

2008-05-15T04:56:00.000-07:00

While the rest of the teams' new cars already have five Grands Prix under their belts, Toro Rosso have yet to run their 2008 machine under race conditions. But on Wednesday the Italian squad came one step closer to realising that dream following Sebastian Vettel’s positive first test in the STR03 at Paul Ricard.Toro Rosso, who started the season with an interim version of last year's car, had scheduled to race the STR03 at last weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix. However, the squad were forced to shelve those plans back in April when Sebastien Bourdais crashed the car heavily during the its first public outing at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. The STR03 is now due to make its race debut at the Monaco Grand Prix later this month and so Wednesday’s test at the French circuit was Vettel’s first chance to experience the new car.With Paul Ricard set up to simulate the twists and turns of Monte-Carlo, the young German was understandably keen to carry out plenty of running in his new charge and over the course of the day he managed to cover 99 laps.Although there were a few teething problems, most notably a faulty timing transponder, the new car performed admirably, and the 20 year-old eventually clocked a best time of 1m 06.372 seconds to take fifth place in the timesheets - just three-hundredths of a second adrift of stablemate Mark Webber in Red Bull’s RB4.

US man jailed for 20 years for eco-bombing plot

2008-05-15T04:45:00.000-07:00

A California man described by prosecutors as an "eco-terrorist" was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison on Thursday for plotting to blow up a federal forestry site, telephone towers and other targets.
Eric McDavid, 29, was convicted by a federal jury in March after two co-conspirators, Zachary Jenson and Lauren Weiner, pleaded guilty and cooperated with the government.
Weiner is due to be sentenced on May 15 and Jenson on Aug. 7. McDavid's sentence of 235 months in a federal prison "should serve as a cautionary tale to those who would conspire to commit life-threatening acts in the name of their extremist views," US Attorney McGregor Scott said in a statement issued in Sacramento, California.
Federal prosecutors said the three defendants planned to attack targets including the US Forest Service Institute of Forest Genetics, the Nimbus Dam and Fish Hatchery, cellular telephone towers and electric power stations. As part of the plot, Weiner ordered a book called "Poor Man's James Bond" with recipes and instructions for creating explosive devices, they said.
McDavid, Jenson and Weiner were arrested in January 2006 outside a store in Auburn, California, after buying items to create the explosives, prosecutors said.

Do birds see better and brighter than us?

2008-05-15T04:35:00.000-07:00

Why do the most brightly plumaged male birds attract more females in the mating game? It is a question that has spawned countless studies.
Now a new Swedish study claims that it may actually boil down to something as basic as sight. Scientists have hitherto assumed that birds see what we see. But apparently they do not - human sight might not be as good as that of birds.
"The results mean that many studies on sexual selection may need to be re-evaluated," said Anders Odeen of Uppsala University, who led the study. The significance of birds' plumage, both in terms of richness of colour and particular signals, has been shown to be a major factor in birds' choice of partner. In order to assess the colours of birds, everything from binoculars to RGB image analyses are used. However, most studies are based on the hypothesis that human colour vision can be used to assess what birds see.
"It's a bit like a colour blind person describing the colours of clothes - it's often quite accurate but sometimes it can go badly wrong."
This problem has been discussed in the research arena, but so far no study has been able to show its extent. The Uppsala researchers used a mathematical model to investigate how bird and human retina work. Using the model combined with information on differences in the colour-sensitive cones of the eye, they have been able to figure out how colour contrasts are perceived. Greater colour contrast can be translated as more "brightly coloured".
The differences were partly due to the fact that human vision cannot perceive ultraviolet light, while avian vision can. There are several differences between human and avian perception of colour, which show that certain shades that can be seen clearly by birds are not perceived at all by humans.
Through evolution, our colour vision has developed from a more primitive version. This means that we have gone from having two types of colour sensitive cones in our eyes to having three. Birds have four.

Psychological stress linked to overeating

2008-05-15T04:32:00.000-07:00

A new study on female rhesus macaques has shown that psychological stress is closely linked to overeating and weight gain.
Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, found that socially subordinate female rhesus macaques over consumed calorie-rich foods at a significantly higher level than do dominant females.
The study is a critical step in understanding the psychological basis for the sharp increase in obesity across all age groups since the mid-1970s.
The study also is the first to show how food intake can be reliably and automatically measured, thus identifying the optimal animal model and setting for future obesity studies.
Because the relationship between diet, psychological stress and social and environmental factors is complex, Mark Wilson, PhD, chief of the Division of Psychobiology at Yerkes, and his research team set out to determine whether individuals chronically exposed to psychologically stressful environments over consume calorie-rich foods.
To do this, they studied the feeding patterns of socially housed female rhesus macaques, which are organised by a dominance hierarchy that maintains group stability through continual harassment and threat of aggression. Such structure is a constant psychological stress to subordinates.
During the study, female macaques were given access to a sweet but low-fat diet and a high-fat diet for 21 days each. For a 21-day period between each test diet, the group was able to access standard monkey chow only.
To track feeding patterns, automated feeders dispensed a pellet of either the low-fat or high-fat chow when activated by a microchip implanted in each female's wrist.
Researchers found socially subordinate females consumed significantly more of both the low-fat diet and the high-fat diet throughout a 24-hour period, while socially dominant females ate significantly less than subordinate animals and restricted their feedings to daytime hours. This difference in feeding behaviour resulted in accelerated weight gain and an increase in fat-derived hormones in subordinate females.

'Beijing yet to meet air quality standards'

2008-05-15T03:49:00.000-07:00

A new study has determined that in spite of the 2008 Olympic Games in sight, Beijing has not yet met the expected national air quality standards. Professor Wang Wen-Xing and his team from the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences in Beijing carried out the study. The purpose of their study was to inform measures to improve the air quality of the capital, in anticipation of the Olympic Games. Wen-Xing and colleagues measured the concentrations of well-known air pollutants in Beijing in August and September 2007, the same summer period the Olympic Games will be taking place this year, in order to get a picture of the likely air quality during the games. They compared their results against The National Ambient Air Quality Standard.

The researchers found that average daily concentrations of sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide were lower than the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for China. Nitrogen dioxide levels met the Standard, whereas concentrations of ozone and inhalable particles were higher than the Standard. The concentrations of air pollutants were also higher at night than during the day. According to the researchers, the main causes of this air pollution are vehicle emissions. Since the 1980s, the rapid industrial development, urbanisation and increase in traffic have resulted in severe air pollution in Beijing. In recent years, the number of cars in Beijing has increased sharply at a rate of 10-20% a year.

Study pinpoints changes from climate warming

2008-05-15T03:43:00.000-07:00

Human-generated climate change made flowers bloom sooner and autumn leaves fall later, turned some polar bears into cannibals and some birds into early breeders, a vast global study reported on Wednesday. Hundreds of previous studies have noted these specific changes and most suggested a link to so-called anthropogenic global warming, but a new analysis published in the journal Nature correlated these earlier studies with changes in temperature, the study's lead author said. There was a close relationship between temperature shifts between 1970 and 2004 and changes in plants, animals and the physical world, such as the retreat of glaciers and the water level in desert lakes, the study found.

Building on research done to support findings reported in 2007 by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Rosenzweig and her co-authors brought together nearly 30,000 sets of data about biological and physical changes around the world, and then matched that up with a detailed database of global temperature change.

PENGUINS, POLAR BEARS AND POLLEN

* NORTH AMERICA: Earlier plant flowering of 89 species from American holly to sassafras; intraspecific predation, cannibalism and declining population of polar bears; earlier breeding and arrival dates of birds including robins and Canada geese.

* EUROPE: Glacier melting in the Alps; changes in 19 countries of leaf-unfolding and flowering of such plants as hazel, lilac, apple, linden and birch; early pollen release in the Netherlands; long-term changes in fish communities in Upper Rhone River.

* ASIA: Greater growth of Siberian pines in Mongolia; earlier break-up and thinning of river and lake ice in Mongolia; change in freeze depth of permafrost in Russia; earlier flowering of gingko in Japan.

* SOUTH AMERICA: Glacier wastage in Peru; melting Patagonia ice fields contributing to sea-level rise.

* AFRICA: Decreasing aquatic ecosystem productivity of Lake Tanganyika.

* AUSTRALIA: Early arrival of migratory birds including flycatchers and fantails; declining water levels in Western Victoria.

* ANTARCTICA: 50 per cent decline in population of emperor penguins on Antarctic Peninsula; retreating glaciers.

Icahn to launch proxy battle for Yahoo

2008-05-15T03:38:00.000-07:00

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn plans to launch a proxy battle this week to gain power on Yahoo's board, aiming to push it back into takeover talks with Microsoft, the Wall Street Journal reported late Wednesday.
After amassing a huge stake in the embattled Internet giant, Icahn will nominate ten new directors to replace Yahoo's current board before the Thursday nominations deadline and seek shareholder approval for his slate, the Journal said on its website, citing sources close to the matter.
Icahn plans to nominate among them Viacom's chief executive, Frank Biondi, who has helped the billionaire corporate raider in other proxy fights, the Journal said.
Icahn has bought up some 50 million shares of Yahoo since Microsoft gave up its unsolicited bid, originally valued at 44.6 billion dollars, for the company on May 3.
But the Journal's sources said that Microsoft has yet to reply to Icahn's queries on whether it is willing to make another stab at buying Yahoo.
Icahn decided to move anyway, the Journal said, "because he views a deal with Microsoft as beneficial to both companies, and one that executives would come to embrace."

India to play key role in HP strategy

2008-05-15T03:34:00.000-07:00

The combined entity of HP and EDS in India will have over Rs 15,000 crore in revenues and over 56,000 employees, taking it a notch closer to IBM’s very significant presence in the sub-continent. In terms of offshore presence, the two together will overtake the other significant player in the services space, Accenture , that plans to take its headcount to 50,000 in about a year’s time.
In India, HP is structured across three major divisions, personal systems group, technology solutions group and the imaging and printing group, while MphasiS is mainly present in the IT services and BPO. The combined entity will see very diverse set of IT business ranging from hardware, software, services, BPO and R&D , says industry observers.
But given that the key driver for the acquisition is to beef up the service portfolio and pose a credible challenge to IBM, India may play a much more central role in the future strategy of the combined entity . “Customers will now have a very clear choice between three large vendors — IBM, HP-EDS and Accenture. IBM will still be significantly ahead in terms of its offshore strategy — it has made significant investments in India. The combination of HP and EDS doesn’t immediately solve that problem,” said Gartner vice-president (research), Ben Pring.
Mr Pring said that while there may be some redundancies because of overlap of functions, there may not be a substantial number because ‘HP is clearly buying EDS for its people’ . However, a few former MphasiS employees expressed the view said that there would be overlapping of some roles especially in the area of IT services and BPO as HP also has strong presence in these segments.
HP also has a very strong presence in the Indian market with both its hardware and system integration capabilities leveraging the services delivery for the domestic market. It has already got certain marquee clients such as Bank of Baroda, Britannia and has stated its intention of enlarging the scale. On the other hand, MphasiS provides BPO services to domestic clients such as Bharti Airtel.

Gemstone wins deals from 3 top-10 Wall Street banks

2008-05-15T03:30:00.000-07:00

Gemstone Systems, provider of distributed data management and virtualisation solutions, on Wednesday said three of the top 10 Wall Street Banks have selected its GemStone Systems as their single provider of distributed data management technology for the last 90 days.
Each is a seven-figure enterprise licence deal with a multi-year commitment to deploy GemFire, GemStone's Enterprise Data Fabric product, on 1000s of nodes, running hundreds of applications, managing terabytes of data across geographically dispersed data centre, a release issued.
These customer wins showcase a cultural shift by top financial firms toward selecting and standardising on a single vendor who provides proven solutions, enterprise deployment support expertise and agile technology to meet the usage demands and wider-scale adoption of data fabric technology in capital markets, the release said.

Pictures of the Moment

2008-05-14T05:23:00.000-07:00

An elephant just came out of water..

The shortest city name in the world is in Norway with one letter (A)

A real fight

Wonderful fountain performing a boat shape

Smallest horse in the world 40 cm tall, American farm.

A bird drying his body.

Google guru on standards, mobility and our digital future

2008-05-14T00:27:00.000-07:00

The finance industry must embrace broad standards for electronic commerce and avoid past mistakes, said Vinton G. Cerf, at a breakfast briefing at HSBC’s London headquarters this week.
The ‘father of the internet’ and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google said that standardisation is fundamental to innovation and the development of new business models.
Vinton said that a big driver of new internet services is the growth of mobile web access. Over one billion new phones are expected to ship this year.
As we store more and more of our information online, Vinton noted, we must be careful to preserve older applications and operating systems or we run the risk of ‘bit rot’ rendering our valuable records and files useless. Envisaging a future where humans might one day download their entire personalities onto a computer, bit rot would become a very scary prospect.
The security and privacy of customer data is also a big responsibility for banks and other businesses. Technology, regulation and ethics must all play a role in guaranteeing confidence and trust online.

Turkey launches new-look credit cards

2008-05-14T00:23:00.000-07:00

HSBC Turkey is aiming to enlarge its market share by introducing two new Advantage credit card lines.
HSBC has teamed up with Pegasus Airlines, Turkey's leading low-cost air carrier, to launch one of the new credit cards with Advantage features. The Pegasus card offers a wide range of privileges from flight points to cash points for consumers and travellers. Customers who make purchases with their Pegasus card earn flight points, which can be used to book cheaper flights or, if they wait until they accumulate points, customers will receive a free ticket. The other new Advantage cards feature Turkey’s first foray into scented products called Advantage Black and Advantage Rouge. Black and Rouge offer discounts in selected restaurants and shops in addition to the existing features of HSBC Advantage Gold credit cards. Advantage Rouge, which is designed for women, is available in a choice of either vanilla or coconut fragrances and offers discounted services, such as fitness, style advisory, cooking classes and airport shuttle services. Advantage Black, which is targeted at men, has a lavender or tobacco fragrance, and allows customers to use discounted services in a number of leisure pursuits which include classes in sailing, diving, motorcycle maintenance and photography, as well as magazine subscriptions.

Google joins effort to make more Web sites more sociable

2008-05-14T00:18:00.000-07:00

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif._The effort to make it easier for Web surfers to connect with their friends is attracting a crowd.Following similar moves by the two biggest online hangouts, Internet search leader Google Inc. is introducing tools that are supposed to make any Web site more sociable.
The service, expected to be available on a limited basis Monday evening, provides a framework that will enable people to interact with their friends and use favorite applications they have accumulated on social networks like Facebook and Plaxo even when they aren't visiting those sites.
Google's initiative, called "Friend Connect," follows pledges by MySpace and Facebook last week to allow their users to transport their personal profiles and applications to other Web sites.
News Corp.'s MySpace and privately held Facebook _ the Internet's two largest social hubs _ announced their plans for wider accessibility late last week."Social is in the air," said David Glazer, a director of engineering for Google.Only about two dozen Web sites initially will have access to Google's Friend Connect code to start. The trial run includes a site devoted to musician Ingrid Michaelson and another site providing recipes for guacamole. The coding is expected to become widely available during the next few months.

Life of an IT Employee

2008-05-13T23:50:00.000-07:00

It's true they say that a picture is worth a thousand words.
I don't think there is a better way of explaining our life. Imagine yourself sitting in the black chair...

Returning to the Moon

2008-05-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

NASA's next lunar orbiter will launch later this year, the first step in an ambitious plan to return humans to the Moon--and send them on to Mars. The spacecraft, called the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, will use new technology to make precise maps of the Moon's surface, to search for resources such as ice, and to assess the threat that radiation in the environment could pose for humans.
LRO is the most advanced lunar satellite NASA has built, says Richard Vondrak, the project scientist for LRO, who adds that it will provide information that would have been impossible to collect a few decades ago. "We are surveying the Moon in more detail than any other celestial body for the benefit of all countries, including China, Japan, and India, who have said they have ambitions to put people on the Moon in the next 10 to 20 years," adds David Smith, a NASA scientist working on LRO.
LRO is part of NASA's Vision for Space Exploration, a program intended to, among other things, answer fundamental questions of physics, search for extraterrestrial life, and seek new resources, such as power sources, for Earth. The program calls for humans to return to the Moon. But before that happens, says Vondrak, it's necessary to understand much more about the Moon's surface radiation and topography.