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Saturday, September 6, 2008
McCain Vs Obama - Choose the Winner
McCain or Obama....
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
7 Reasons, The World will End in 2012
2012 The End of the World ???
Scientific experts from around the world are genuinely predicting that five years from now, all life on Earth could well finish. Some are saying it'll be humans that set it off. Others believe that a natural phenomenon will be the cause. And the religious folks are saying it'll be God himself who presses the stop button...
1. Mayan Calendar
The first mob to predict 2012 as the end of the world were the Mayans, a bloodthirsty race that were good at two things:
Building highly accurate astrological equipment out of stone and
Sacrificing Virgins.
Thousands of years ago they managed to calculate the length of the lunar moon as 329.53020 days, only 34 seconds out. The Mayan calendar predicts that the Earth will end on December 21, 2012. Given that they were pretty close to the mark with the lunar cycle, it's likely they've got the end of the world right as well.
2. Sun Storms
Solar experts from around the world monitoring the sun have made a startling discovery: our sun is in a bit of strife. The energy output of the sun is, like most things in nature, cyclic, and it's supposed to be in the middle of a period of relative stability. However, recent solar storms have been bombarding the Earth with so much radiation energy, it's been knocking out power grids and destroying satellites. This activity is predicted to get worse, and calculations suggest it'll reach its deadly peak sometime in 2012
3. The Atom Smasher
Scientists in Europe have been building the world's largest particle accelerator. Basically its a 27km tunnel designed to smash atoms together to find out what makes the Universe tick. However, the mega-gadget has caused serious concern, with some scientists suggesting that it's properly even a bad idea to turn it on in the first place. They're predicting all manner of deadly results, including mini black holes. So when this machine is fired up for its first serious experiment in 2012, the world could be crushed into a super-dense blob the size of a basketball.
4. The Bible says...
If having scientists warning us about the end of the world isn't bad enough,religious folks are getting in on the act aswell. Interpretations of the Christian Bible reveal that the date for Armageddon, the final battle between Good an Evil, has been set down for 2012. The I Ching, also known as the Chinese book of Changes, says the same thing, as do various sections of the Hindu teachings.
5. Super Volcano
Yellowstone National Park in the United States is famous for its thermal springs and Old Faithful geyser. The reason for this is simple - it's sitting on top of the world's biggest volcano, and geological experts are beginning to get nervous sweats. The Yellowstone volcano has a pattern of erupting every 650,000 years or so, and we're many years overdue for an explosion that will fill the atmosphere with ash, blocking the sun and plunging the Earth into a frozen winter that could last up to 15,000 years. The pressure under the Yellowstone is building steadily, and geologists have set 2012 as a likely date for the big bang.
6. The Physicists
This one's case of bog-simple maths mathematics. Physicists at Berekely Uni have been crunching the numbers. and they've determined that the Earth is well overdue for a major catastrophic event. Even worse, they're claiming their calculations prove, that we're all going to die, very soon - while also saying their prediction comes with a certainty of 99 percent- and 2012 just happens to be the best guess as to when it occurs.
7. Slip-Slop-Slap-BANG!
We all know the Earth is surrounded by a magnetic field that sheilds us from most of the sun's radiation. What you might not know is that the magnetic poles we call north and south have a nasty habit of swapping places every 750,000 years or so - and right now we're about 30,000 years overdue. Scientists have noted that the poles are drifting apart roughly 20-30kms each year, much faster than ever before, which points to a pole-shift being right around the corner. While the pole shift is underway, the magnetic field is disrupted and will eventually disappear, sometimes for up to 100 years. The result is enough UV outdoors to crisp your skin in seconds, killing everything it touches.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Beijing 2008 Olympics Preparations
Final preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics are in full swing in Beijing .
This includes completing hundreds of construction projects, reconstructions, pollution controls, cultural training, and a general "beautifying" of greater Beijing.
This includes completing hundreds of construction projects, reconstructions, pollution controls, cultural training, and a general "beautifying" of greater Beijing.
Rehearsals and drills take place daily as Chinese citizens hurry to finish up - after all, the whole world is coming soon.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
7 Great Cars
Mazda Concept, Taiki
Smart ForTwo
Suzuki Kizahi
BMW GINA
Chrysler ecoVoyager
Dodge ZEO
Hummer HX
Jeep Renegade
Friday, April 18, 2008
Indian Fantasy League
This is an absolute fantasy Cricket Game ....
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If cricket is your ultimate passion then Indian Fantasy League is your game. It offers you something you will never forget, the most comprehensive fantasy cricket game available online. A chance to buy your favourite cricket players and make your own team. Win big prizes against every power packed performance. Are you Ready ? then Go !!! Indian Fantasy League
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Win !!!
If cricket is your ultimate passion then Indian Fantasy League is your game. It offers you something you will never forget, the most comprehensive fantasy cricket game available online. A chance to buy your favourite cricket players and make your own team. Win big prizes against every power packed performance. Are you Ready ? then Go !!! Indian Fantasy League
Play the Game
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Vellore Siripuram Golden Temple Shines Tamilnadu
Look at the picture for Sripuram Golden Temple situated in Vellore................
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
Memories of a Boyfriend
Remembering Raghuvaran
"Is it your Raghu?" a friend texted as I sat in a theatre in Chennai listening to technical blah-blah on digital cinema. My heart sank. Raghu was a man I had met 19 years ago in Hyderabad, in the March of 1989, on the sets of Ram Gopal Varma's debut film Shiva.
I remember clearly. He had looked at a group of journalists and said, "I am Raghuvaran." He was playing Bhavani, the villain who will always be remembered with a shudder by a generation. That day, in jeans and shirt, and standing 6'2" tall with a cigarette in his mouth, he looked far from menacing. "But don't let his looks fool you," said Varma. "He is the new face of villainy."
"Acting is a lousy way to earn a living," said Raghu, two hours into our meeting. He had begun his film career seven years earlier in Hariharan's National Award winning film Ezhavathi Manithan (1982). Then, somewhere down the line, he turned commercial. "Name, fame, money, an actor has it all. But every time they make me play a clichéd role, I feel like a woman who is being gang raped."
As a young girl then, I was somehow always drawn towards trouble. So, while the other nine journalists were glowing in the company of Shiva's well-mannered hero, Nagarjuna, I was beginning to get attracted to the villain. He asked me to stay back. I appeared baffled, of course. "No," I said. After I returned to Bombay, we spoke on the phone several times.
In September that year I landed at his home in Chennai without warning. If he was surprised to see me, he didn't show it. He played the perfect host that summer afternoon, discussing everything from cinema to Sri Lanka, sipping Glucon-D. "I've just returned from a gruelling shooting in Kerala and this Glucon-D will help," he said.
What I didn't know then was that his drink was spiked with Vodka. And that one of the finest actors in the country, who was undeservedly unknown to north Indians, was on his way to becoming an alcoholic.
Despite his addiction, in the four ensuing years, Raghu and I forged a very deep friendship. In that period he acted in over 50 films in all the four South Indian languages, and his popularity was on the rise. His spine-chilling role as Bhavani in Ramu's Shiva was followed by a sensitive caring father in Mani Ratnam's Anjali. He matched histrionics with Dilip Kumar in Izzatdaar. Raghu would tell me later that the only gift he ever valued was the compliment from the thespian. "An actor thrives on praise," he said laughing. At that point in his career he didn't have too many awards to show. But everybody who saw him on screen knew that he was a very special talent. Part of Tamil cinema lore is how, in Puriyada Pudir, he repeated, 'I know' in a dozen ways, each time with a distinct emotion.
Raghu was to the camera born. I'd see him transform from set to set. Sometimes I felt I did not know when he was acting and when he was being himself. There were days when he slipped a knife under his bed before sleeping, and woke up staring at the cold steel blade because it gave him the feeling of being invincible.
He confessed to me often that in alcohol he found his refuge. The spirit dulled his sense and it made it easier, he said, to exist in a world that thrives on mediocrity. In 1993, excessive drinking landed him in the ICU. He was diagnosed with a hepatic failure. He was in the hospital for a week fighting hallucinations. The nurses attending to him ran away scared. He'd call out to Marc Anthony and Julius Caesar in his semi-conscious state. The only thing that made sense to everyone was his frequent plea—"Doctor save me, I don't want to die."
That was the last time I saw Raghuvaran. We split and I became just another curious bystander. I followed his life through the impersonality of news. Common friends like Tabu with whom he acted in Rajeev Menon's Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000) and Manisha Koirala in Lal Badshah (1999) would keep me posted on conversations with him.
The world saw Raghu as a weak man, as an alcoholic. I don't think of him that way. In 1993, doctors had given up on him. But he fought back. In the decade that followed he resurrected his career, his life. He won back many friends. He married and divorced actress Rohini, and had a son, Sai Rishi (whom he adored). And turned to religion in a major way. He also remained Rajnikant's favourite co-star. But suddenly, on the afternoon of March 19, I had to say, 'Yes, it is my Raghu.' Forty nine is no age to go.
"Is it your Raghu?" a friend texted as I sat in a theatre in Chennai listening to technical blah-blah on digital cinema. My heart sank. Raghu was a man I had met 19 years ago in Hyderabad, in the March of 1989, on the sets of Ram Gopal Varma's debut film Shiva.
I remember clearly. He had looked at a group of journalists and said, "I am Raghuvaran." He was playing Bhavani, the villain who will always be remembered with a shudder by a generation. That day, in jeans and shirt, and standing 6'2" tall with a cigarette in his mouth, he looked far from menacing. "But don't let his looks fool you," said Varma. "He is the new face of villainy."
"Acting is a lousy way to earn a living," said Raghu, two hours into our meeting. He had begun his film career seven years earlier in Hariharan's National Award winning film Ezhavathi Manithan (1982). Then, somewhere down the line, he turned commercial. "Name, fame, money, an actor has it all. But every time they make me play a clichéd role, I feel like a woman who is being gang raped."
As a young girl then, I was somehow always drawn towards trouble. So, while the other nine journalists were glowing in the company of Shiva's well-mannered hero, Nagarjuna, I was beginning to get attracted to the villain. He asked me to stay back. I appeared baffled, of course. "No," I said. After I returned to Bombay, we spoke on the phone several times.
In September that year I landed at his home in Chennai without warning. If he was surprised to see me, he didn't show it. He played the perfect host that summer afternoon, discussing everything from cinema to Sri Lanka, sipping Glucon-D. "I've just returned from a gruelling shooting in Kerala and this Glucon-D will help," he said.
What I didn't know then was that his drink was spiked with Vodka. And that one of the finest actors in the country, who was undeservedly unknown to north Indians, was on his way to becoming an alcoholic.
Despite his addiction, in the four ensuing years, Raghu and I forged a very deep friendship. In that period he acted in over 50 films in all the four South Indian languages, and his popularity was on the rise. His spine-chilling role as Bhavani in Ramu's Shiva was followed by a sensitive caring father in Mani Ratnam's Anjali. He matched histrionics with Dilip Kumar in Izzatdaar. Raghu would tell me later that the only gift he ever valued was the compliment from the thespian. "An actor thrives on praise," he said laughing. At that point in his career he didn't have too many awards to show. But everybody who saw him on screen knew that he was a very special talent. Part of Tamil cinema lore is how, in Puriyada Pudir, he repeated, 'I know' in a dozen ways, each time with a distinct emotion.
Raghu was to the camera born. I'd see him transform from set to set. Sometimes I felt I did not know when he was acting and when he was being himself. There were days when he slipped a knife under his bed before sleeping, and woke up staring at the cold steel blade because it gave him the feeling of being invincible.
He confessed to me often that in alcohol he found his refuge. The spirit dulled his sense and it made it easier, he said, to exist in a world that thrives on mediocrity. In 1993, excessive drinking landed him in the ICU. He was diagnosed with a hepatic failure. He was in the hospital for a week fighting hallucinations. The nurses attending to him ran away scared. He'd call out to Marc Anthony and Julius Caesar in his semi-conscious state. The only thing that made sense to everyone was his frequent plea—"Doctor save me, I don't want to die."
That was the last time I saw Raghuvaran. We split and I became just another curious bystander. I followed his life through the impersonality of news. Common friends like Tabu with whom he acted in Rajeev Menon's Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000) and Manisha Koirala in Lal Badshah (1999) would keep me posted on conversations with him.
The world saw Raghu as a weak man, as an alcoholic. I don't think of him that way. In 1993, doctors had given up on him. But he fought back. In the decade that followed he resurrected his career, his life. He won back many friends. He married and divorced actress Rohini, and had a son, Sai Rishi (whom he adored). And turned to religion in a major way. He also remained Rajnikant's favourite co-star. But suddenly, on the afternoon of March 19, I had to say, 'Yes, it is my Raghu.' Forty nine is no age to go.
Is Bebo’s bikini shot in Tashan a publicity gimmick?
Bebo’s new look has been appreciated a lot in tinsel town but more than her slim and super sexy figure, its her bikini scene that is now the biggest conversation starter in Bollywood. Kareena’s fans are looking forward to see her in a bikini, but it seems that this is a most hyped scene and is a Yashraj promotional strategy.
Putting a whole new twist to the tale is this unit hand, who reveals that Kareena who did tone her ultra thin body to give it that additional glam look for the now famed bikini scene, hasn’t shot any scene in a bikini in the first place. “Kareena’s successful film Jab We Met gave a boost to her career. She has managed to get that girl next door image. That role and film has not only given her several best actress’ award but has also made her the highest paid actress in Bollywood. Apparently Kareena is apprehensive about her bikini scene which may kill her new found girl next door image”, declares a confidante of the actress.
At a recent event Kareena denied the buzz about her bikini scene. She agreed that her role is extremely glamorous as it was a requirement of her character. She also added that her look will be a new trend for onscreen glam divas. But when asked about her bikini scene, the actress flatly denied saying there’s any scene as such.
When contacted the Yash Raj’s spokesperson, Monika said, “These are baseless all rumors. Tashan is complete and they will not edit or shoot any scene now.”
Apprently Tashan is cashing big time on Kareena’s bikini scene which may or may not be there in the film. Moreover Yash Raj’s policy to keep things under wrap till the release of their film itself creates a lot of curiosity so there is no other option but to wait till the release of Tashan .
In the scheme of things, it is important that the Yashraj banner strikes early in 2008 after a lackluster performance in 2007. And this time Aditya Chopra is prepared to pput Kareena Kapoor on the block to ensure a good opening for his first release of the year.
South Africa In India
I was expecting the call, says Kaif after replacing injured Sachin
At the Cricket Club of India on Sunday, Mohammed Kaif is getting ready to enjoy a Mumbai evening. His body language is calm and facial expressions belie the excitement and the sea of emotions he must be going through. After one year and nine months he had been picked for the Indian Test team for the second Test at Ahmedabad.
He had replaced Sachin Tendulkar who aggravated his right groin injury while fielding during the South Africa's second innings on the fourth day of the first Test in Chennai. The injury had first troubled Tendulkar during the fourth Test against Australia Down Under. Although, the Board of Control for Cricket in India in their statement have only talked about Tendulkar's non-availability for the second Test, according to sources, Tendulkar is most likely to miss the third Test to be played at Kanpur too. Interestingly, Tendulkar had not given the fitness test held at the National Cricket Academy ahead of the Test series.
Kaif, who made his debut against the same opponents eight years ago in Bangalore, has played 13 Test matches. Talking to Mumbai Mirror Kaif said, "Basically, I was expecting it. I had a good domestic and India A season. I had scored some 1000-1200 runs. A bulk of them were scored on tough wickets so the call was kind of expected."
Kaif played his last series in the West Indies and made 148 in the second Test at St Lucia. And although his last two Test scores were of 13 and six, his form should have given him a longer stint with the Indian side. However, the 27-year-old looks at the events in a rather philosophical manner. "I had learned a lot during this period. I think whatever happens, happens for some good only. So I think there must have been some good reason of my being away from the Indian side."
"I must thank my supporters and those who stood by me in my bad period. I hope that the bad phase has ended and this selection will bring more good news for me in the future."
The selectors call to pick Kaif seems to be a logical one. They have picked a middle-order batsman for an injured middle-order batsmen and not an opener like Gautam Gambhir or Aakash Chopra.
Kaif knows he might have got a chance but the team is certainly going to feel Tendulkar's absence. "I have been picked, its good for me, but Tendulkar is injured and that certainly is a bad news for the Indian team. Captain Anil Kumble will never have wanted him to be out of the side. But now I have got a chance and if I play, I will try and make the best out of it."
At the Cricket Club of India on Sunday, Mohammed Kaif is getting ready to enjoy a Mumbai evening. His body language is calm and facial expressions belie the excitement and the sea of emotions he must be going through. After one year and nine months he had been picked for the Indian Test team for the second Test at Ahmedabad.
He had replaced Sachin Tendulkar who aggravated his right groin injury while fielding during the South Africa's second innings on the fourth day of the first Test in Chennai. The injury had first troubled Tendulkar during the fourth Test against Australia Down Under. Although, the Board of Control for Cricket in India in their statement have only talked about Tendulkar's non-availability for the second Test, according to sources, Tendulkar is most likely to miss the third Test to be played at Kanpur too. Interestingly, Tendulkar had not given the fitness test held at the National Cricket Academy ahead of the Test series.
Kaif, who made his debut against the same opponents eight years ago in Bangalore, has played 13 Test matches. Talking to Mumbai Mirror Kaif said, "Basically, I was expecting it. I had a good domestic and India A season. I had scored some 1000-1200 runs. A bulk of them were scored on tough wickets so the call was kind of expected."
Kaif played his last series in the West Indies and made 148 in the second Test at St Lucia. And although his last two Test scores were of 13 and six, his form should have given him a longer stint with the Indian side. However, the 27-year-old looks at the events in a rather philosophical manner. "I had learned a lot during this period. I think whatever happens, happens for some good only. So I think there must have been some good reason of my being away from the Indian side."
"I must thank my supporters and those who stood by me in my bad period. I hope that the bad phase has ended and this selection will bring more good news for me in the future."
The selectors call to pick Kaif seems to be a logical one. They have picked a middle-order batsman for an injured middle-order batsmen and not an opener like Gautam Gambhir or Aakash Chopra.
Kaif knows he might have got a chance but the team is certainly going to feel Tendulkar's absence. "I have been picked, its good for me, but Tendulkar is injured and that certainly is a bad news for the Indian team. Captain Anil Kumble will never have wanted him to be out of the side. But now I have got a chance and if I play, I will try and make the best out of it."
Earth Hour goes global
The Sydney Opera House to San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge went dark as people switched off lights in their homes and skylines dimmed around the world on Saturday to show concern with global warming.
Up to 30 million people were expected to have turned off their lights for 60 minutes by the time "Earth Hour" -- which started in Suva in Fiji and Christchurch in New Zealand -- completed its cycle westward.
More than 380 towns and cities and 3,500 businesses in 35 countries signed up for the campaign that is in its second year after it began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia's largest city.
"Earth Hour shows that everyday people are prepared to pull together to find a solution to climate change. It can be done," said James Leape of WWF International, which was running the campaign.
Lights at Sydney's Opera House and Harbour Bridge were lowered as Australians held candle-lit beach parties, played poker by candlelight and floated candles down rivers.
In Bangkok, some of the city's business districts, shopping malls and billboards went dark, although street lights stayed on. One major hotel invited guests to dine by candle light and reported brisk business.
In Copenhagen, the Tivoli Gardens and the Royal Palace and the opera darkened for an hour, along with many street lights.
"In the central square a lot of people were standing looking at the stars," said Ida Thuesen, spokeswoman for WWF Denmark. "It's not often you can see the stars in a city."
Floodlights went out at landmarks in Budapest, including its castle, cathedral and parliament.
In Britain, 26 town and city councils signed up to switch off nonessential lights as did several historic buildings, including Prince Charles' private residence Highgrove House, London City Hall, Winchester Cathedral and the Government Communication Headquarters radio monitoring station. The south coast town of Brighton turned off the lights on its pier.
The movement crossed the Atlantic to the United States and Canada, where the 1,815-foot (553-metre) CN Tower in Toronto and the surrounding skyline were plunged into temporary darkness.
In Toronto, many restaurants offered candlelight dining. The golden arches at a corner McDonalds were dark, though the restaurant itself was brightly lit. Supporters held "dark parties," glow-in-the-dark soccer games and lantern walks.
News helicopters swooped low over city streets, where banks had switched off the neon signs atop their skyscrapers.
Landmarks such as San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge and Chicago's Sears Tower went dark in the closing hours of Saturday's round-the-world event.
"It is not just about turning off the lights, it is about raising awareness," San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said. "Energy efficiency is low-hanging fruit. Energy efficiency is the easiest thing we can do" to reduce global warming.
Buildings account for about one-third of the carbon emissions that scientists say will boost global average temperatures by between 1.4 and 4.0 degrees Celsius this century, bringing floods and famines and putting millions of lives at risk.
Organizers of Earth Hour said that while switching off a light for one hour would have little impact on carbon emissions, the fact that so many people were taking part showed how much interest and concern at the climate crisis had taken hold. They said they plan a similar event March 28, 2009.
Source: TIMES OF INDIA
Got a death wish? Try suicide machine
Just one press of a button and you'll take your last breath. One of Germany's most promising conservative politicians and lawyer has unveiled Europe's first suicide machine for people with a death wish.
The killing machine named 'Perfusor' can end a person's life with a swift injection of potassium chloride.
If the machine, designed to evade strict laws banning assisted suicide, goes into production then Germany rather than Switzerland could soon become the destination of choice for those seeking to kill themselves.
"The machine is simply an option for fatally ill people," Times Online quoted Kusch, as saying. The machine is painted in green and it looks like a cross between an electric transformer and a paint spraygun. "Nobody is forced to use it but I do believe that it will contribute to a debate that is moving thousands of people," he said.
The machine would be lent or rented so that the patients could insert the needles themselves and then push the button releasing the potassium chloride.
Gerhard Strate, a defence lawyer from Hamburg, said: "As long as the sick person is fully conscious and aware, then lending the machine to him is no more illegal than lending him a kitchen knife or a razor blade. It becomes illegal only if the potential suicide asks someone in the room to press the button for him."
The killing machine named 'Perfusor' can end a person's life with a swift injection of potassium chloride.
If the machine, designed to evade strict laws banning assisted suicide, goes into production then Germany rather than Switzerland could soon become the destination of choice for those seeking to kill themselves.
"The machine is simply an option for fatally ill people," Times Online quoted Kusch, as saying. The machine is painted in green and it looks like a cross between an electric transformer and a paint spraygun. "Nobody is forced to use it but I do believe that it will contribute to a debate that is moving thousands of people," he said.
The machine would be lent or rented so that the patients could insert the needles themselves and then push the button releasing the potassium chloride.
Gerhard Strate, a defence lawyer from Hamburg, said: "As long as the sick person is fully conscious and aware, then lending the machine to him is no more illegal than lending him a kitchen knife or a razor blade. It becomes illegal only if the potential suicide asks someone in the room to press the button for him."
Electronic passports, courtesy IIT-K (IIT Kanpur)
Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, has joined hands with the passport department to come out with tamper-proof electronic passports. The diplomats and officials, in the first phase, would get the electronic passports from the third week of May.
"The tender for electronic passports would be opened by April end. Private companies have started approaching us to know if they could also use them," Rajat Moona of the IIT-K's computer science and engineering department said. He said IIT-K experts and students have developed the temper-proof passport with assistance of National Informatics Centre, New Delhi.
The passport will have in-built processor and chip. "Unlike other countries, we have defined the standard of writing information on the electronic chip embedded inside the passport. Other countries rely on private companies for the job," Moona said. He said 40 countries, around the world, are using the electronic passports.
"The IIT-K's electronic passport would be different. To counter any possibility of tampering, the passport office would store the information in the chip with IIT-K's assistance," he said, adding, "The chip would contain vital information on the user, including photograph and finger prints, to prevent misuse."
He said electronic passports' introduction would end the menace of fake passports.
"The tender for electronic passports would be opened by April end. Private companies have started approaching us to know if they could also use them," Rajat Moona of the IIT-K's computer science and engineering department said. He said IIT-K experts and students have developed the temper-proof passport with assistance of National Informatics Centre, New Delhi.
The passport will have in-built processor and chip. "Unlike other countries, we have defined the standard of writing information on the electronic chip embedded inside the passport. Other countries rely on private companies for the job," Moona said. He said 40 countries, around the world, are using the electronic passports.
"The IIT-K's electronic passport would be different. To counter any possibility of tampering, the passport office would store the information in the chip with IIT-K's assistance," he said, adding, "The chip would contain vital information on the user, including photograph and finger prints, to prevent misuse."
He said electronic passports' introduction would end the menace of fake passports.
RTC buses all set to go cool in Hyderabad
It's summer bonanza for city commuters. State-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation is all set to end summer woes of bus commuters with the launch of 'Seetala Hamsa', an air-conditioned (AC) city bus service, on Monday.
Though initially, on a pilot basis, it will ply on the Secunderabad-VBIT, Madhapur route, the corporation hopes to roll out 50 more buses on different routes based on customer feedback and patronage.
Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy will flag off APSRTC's first AC city service, 10H, on the Secunderabad-VBIT, Madhapur route, at the Assembly premises on Monday at 8.00 am. The 'Seetala Hamsa' has an engine-driven AC system and is of semi-low floor type with floor height of 860 mm as against 1050 in a normal city bus.
Unlike the conventional three-step entry, passengers would have a two-step entry, providing easy access to the elderly and the physically-challenged. Though APSRTC officials are tight-lipped about the fare, sources said it would be Rs 10 (from anywhere to anywhere) for a month and thereafter the authorities will decide on the fare.
The new swanky bus would sport LED destination boards, which would be conspicuous for commuters even sitting at the rear of the vehicle. Also, the new bus would have air suspension so that passengers would have a smooth ride.
It would have comfortable fibre-moulded plastic seats with good upholstery. About 11 metres long, the bus has a seating capacity for 45 and has a wider gangway to facilitate free passenger movement, according to an official release issued here on Sunday.
The 10H city service would ply from Secunderabad Station to VBIT Park via Patny, Ameerpet, Yousufguda, Jubilee Hills check post and Madhapur.
Though initially, on a pilot basis, it will ply on the Secunderabad-VBIT, Madhapur route, the corporation hopes to roll out 50 more buses on different routes based on customer feedback and patronage.
Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy will flag off APSRTC's first AC city service, 10H, on the Secunderabad-VBIT, Madhapur route, at the Assembly premises on Monday at 8.00 am. The 'Seetala Hamsa' has an engine-driven AC system and is of semi-low floor type with floor height of 860 mm as against 1050 in a normal city bus.
Unlike the conventional three-step entry, passengers would have a two-step entry, providing easy access to the elderly and the physically-challenged. Though APSRTC officials are tight-lipped about the fare, sources said it would be Rs 10 (from anywhere to anywhere) for a month and thereafter the authorities will decide on the fare.
The new swanky bus would sport LED destination boards, which would be conspicuous for commuters even sitting at the rear of the vehicle. Also, the new bus would have air suspension so that passengers would have a smooth ride.
It would have comfortable fibre-moulded plastic seats with good upholstery. About 11 metres long, the bus has a seating capacity for 45 and has a wider gangway to facilitate free passenger movement, according to an official release issued here on Sunday.
The 10H city service would ply from Secunderabad Station to VBIT Park via Patny, Ameerpet, Yousufguda, Jubilee Hills check post and Madhapur.
Head implant that makes you taller
Is your wife or girlfriend taller than you? Forget shoe lifts. Instead you can try out a two-inch head implant. A cosmetic surgeon in Spain has developed a new way of adding up to two inches to a person's height by inserting a silicone head implant, British newspaper the Daily Mail reported on Sunday.
According to Dr Luis de la Cruz of the Clinica La Luz hospital in Madrid, the operation takes 90 minutes during which an incision is made in one side of the head and then the implant is squeezed in between the skull and the scalp. The cost of the entire operation is roughly £4,000 and it is usually performed by applying a local anaesthetic.
Patients are released from the hospital the subsequent day. Dr de la Cruz, who has already carried out the operation on 17 patients, said: "It is a relatively simple procedure that can have a wonderfully positive effect on the patient's life. Like most good ideas it came to me in a flash.
"I was approached by a young woman who always dreamt of becoming an air stewardess. She was rejected for being half an inch too small and asked if there was any technique to add to her height.
"At the time the only way was through lengthening the leg bones, which is an extreme and traumatic option. It got me thinking. I carry out many chin implant operations and suddenly I thought, 'Why not an implant between the skull and the scalp?'. She is very happy with the result and is now an air stewardess."
A woman patient called Eugenia said: "It changed my life. I look a different person." The Clinica La Luz in Madrid is thought to be the only place in the world where the operation is performed. But people with long, thin heads are advised against the surgery as the result can look odd. Clinical psychologist Javier Hernandez said: "People should think long and hard before having this surgery."
Source : TIMES OF INDIA
According to Dr Luis de la Cruz of the Clinica La Luz hospital in Madrid, the operation takes 90 minutes during which an incision is made in one side of the head and then the implant is squeezed in between the skull and the scalp. The cost of the entire operation is roughly £4,000 and it is usually performed by applying a local anaesthetic.
Patients are released from the hospital the subsequent day. Dr de la Cruz, who has already carried out the operation on 17 patients, said: "It is a relatively simple procedure that can have a wonderfully positive effect on the patient's life. Like most good ideas it came to me in a flash.
"I was approached by a young woman who always dreamt of becoming an air stewardess. She was rejected for being half an inch too small and asked if there was any technique to add to her height.
"At the time the only way was through lengthening the leg bones, which is an extreme and traumatic option. It got me thinking. I carry out many chin implant operations and suddenly I thought, 'Why not an implant between the skull and the scalp?'. She is very happy with the result and is now an air stewardess."
A woman patient called Eugenia said: "It changed my life. I look a different person." The Clinica La Luz in Madrid is thought to be the only place in the world where the operation is performed. But people with long, thin heads are advised against the surgery as the result can look odd. Clinical psychologist Javier Hernandez said: "People should think long and hard before having this surgery."
Source : TIMES OF INDIA
What's your value in cyber mafia?
What’s your value in the cyber mafia-run chor bazaar? $0.25 for your official name, $2 for cell number, $150 to $500 for credit card number and $50 to $400 for bank customer ID and PIN.
You could be worth $1,000 on an average. When it comes to dealing in corporate information, your value could run into thousands of dollars.
If fun and fame were the sole aim of cyber hijackers till sometime ago, making fast buck is the key motive of today’s cyber crackers.
These nerds can outsmart cracker king Kevin David Mitnick. The tech savvyness attached to the profession makes it proliferate in terms of value and volume, said a leading cyber expert.
How does one fall prey to the cyber mafia? The case of Rajeev Vasudeva, a Chandigarh bank executive, says it all.
He logged on to a social networking site, a couple of months ago. “Soon, I started receiving mails from unknown sources asking about my health and home loan details. I thought someone who knows us well was playing a prank, until a tech-savvy friend realised my computer was hijacked and turned into a BOT (a hijacked computer), a captive.
In Vasudeva’s case, when he logged on, a malware/spyware was downloaded onto his system which held his computer a captive and started sending the entire data to an outsider, exposing his passwords.
Over 10,000 computers are converted into BOTs a day and are linked into large networks of such computers, called BOTnets.
On an average, around 400 BOTs are created a day in India, says a recent study. The country has over 40 command-and-control servers having 38,465 distinct BOTs.
Among the cities, Mumbai reported a share of 33 per cent, followed by Delhi at 25 per cent, Chennai 17 per cent and Bangalore 13 per cent.
Cyber criminals sell stolen information be it credit cards, credit verification values, bank accounts on the underground economy servers. The buyer is then required to pay cash.
Unwilling to risk exposure, buyers use cashiers agents who convert the stolen information into true currency in the form of e-gold (wherein the process is instantaneous and the payments are final, ensuring no charge-backs) or through money transfers.
Source : INDIATIMES
You could be worth $1,000 on an average. When it comes to dealing in corporate information, your value could run into thousands of dollars.
If fun and fame were the sole aim of cyber hijackers till sometime ago, making fast buck is the key motive of today’s cyber crackers.
These nerds can outsmart cracker king Kevin David Mitnick. The tech savvyness attached to the profession makes it proliferate in terms of value and volume, said a leading cyber expert.
How does one fall prey to the cyber mafia? The case of Rajeev Vasudeva, a Chandigarh bank executive, says it all.
He logged on to a social networking site, a couple of months ago. “Soon, I started receiving mails from unknown sources asking about my health and home loan details. I thought someone who knows us well was playing a prank, until a tech-savvy friend realised my computer was hijacked and turned into a BOT (a hijacked computer), a captive.
In Vasudeva’s case, when he logged on, a malware/spyware was downloaded onto his system which held his computer a captive and started sending the entire data to an outsider, exposing his passwords.
Over 10,000 computers are converted into BOTs a day and are linked into large networks of such computers, called BOTnets.
On an average, around 400 BOTs are created a day in India, says a recent study. The country has over 40 command-and-control servers having 38,465 distinct BOTs.
Among the cities, Mumbai reported a share of 33 per cent, followed by Delhi at 25 per cent, Chennai 17 per cent and Bangalore 13 per cent.
Cyber criminals sell stolen information be it credit cards, credit verification values, bank accounts on the underground economy servers. The buyer is then required to pay cash.
Unwilling to risk exposure, buyers use cashiers agents who convert the stolen information into true currency in the form of e-gold (wherein the process is instantaneous and the payments are final, ensuring no charge-backs) or through money transfers.
Source : INDIATIMES
Protesting Indian workers in US to return H2B visas
Nearly 100 Indian workers, who claim they were lured to move to the US by false promises of permanent jobs, will march up to the White House on Monday morning and return their H2B visas in a symbolic rejection of the guest worker programme used to traffic them in US.
( Watch: Indian workers in US to return H2B visas )
The workers, who complain they underwent "slave-like treatment" at a Mississippi shipyard, will also demand a Congressional investigation of their former employer Signal International.
Signal, a Northrop Grumman subcontractor that held them as bonded labourers and is already the subject of a criminal human trafficking investigation by the Department of Justice, a statement issued on behalf of them by the organisers said.
Allies from 'Jobs With Justice', a national campaign for workers' rights in United States, will join the workers, who arrived in Washington last week after a nine-day S atyagraha , or "journey for justice" from New Orleans to Washington DC.
The group is among over 500 Indian welders and pipe-fitters trafficked to the US to work for Signal International after Hurricane Katrina.
The workers have filed a major class action anti-racketeering suit against Signal and its US and Indian recruiters in federal court.
Last Thursday, the workers had staged a protest rally at Dupont Circle and then marched to the Indian Embassy on Massachussetts Avenue where they had a three-hour-meeting with the Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen. They had also demanded a CBI probe into their case.
Sen gave the workers and their representatives a patient hearing at the embassy in which he promised to take up their grievances but only though appropriate and established channels.
( Watch: Indian workers in US to return H2B visas )
The workers, who complain they underwent "slave-like treatment" at a Mississippi shipyard, will also demand a Congressional investigation of their former employer Signal International.
Signal, a Northrop Grumman subcontractor that held them as bonded labourers and is already the subject of a criminal human trafficking investigation by the Department of Justice, a statement issued on behalf of them by the organisers said.
Allies from 'Jobs With Justice', a national campaign for workers' rights in United States, will join the workers, who arrived in Washington last week after a nine-day S atyagraha , or "journey for justice" from New Orleans to Washington DC.
The group is among over 500 Indian welders and pipe-fitters trafficked to the US to work for Signal International after Hurricane Katrina.
The workers have filed a major class action anti-racketeering suit against Signal and its US and Indian recruiters in federal court.
Last Thursday, the workers had staged a protest rally at Dupont Circle and then marched to the Indian Embassy on Massachussetts Avenue where they had a three-hour-meeting with the Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen. They had also demanded a CBI probe into their case.
Sen gave the workers and their representatives a patient hearing at the embassy in which he promised to take up their grievances but only though appropriate and established channels.
Gateway of India will be under water by 2100
The Gateway of India will be wiped off the Mumbai skyline. Bhelpuri at Chowpatty will become the stuff of grandmother's tales.
No flights will take off from Chhatrapati Shivaji airport. No couple will canoodle at the Marine Drive promenade and even heirs to the bungalow of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will not be able to resist being evicted from their home.
Ninety-two years from now, all these landmarks of Mumbai will be underwater. That's the apocalypse scenario drawn up in a report titled 'Climate Migrants in South Asia: Estimates and Solutions' that has been commissioned by Greenpeace, a non-government organization.
Prepared by climate expert and professor from the humanities department of IIT Chennai, Sudhir Chella Rajan, the report says that a potential increase in temperatures by 4 to 5 degrees due to greenhouse emissions at the current rate would mean a corresponding rise in sea levels of up to five metres by 2100.
This, in turn, would imply that approximately 50 million Indians would be rendered homeless and become 'climate migrants'.
"The low elevation coastal zone (LECZ), which comprises the coastal region that is less than 10 metres above average sea level, is obviously at direct risk. Even prime commercial properties like the Backbay complex and the Bandra-Kurla complex fall into this category. This means that it's not just the average Koli who will be affected but even Mannat (superstar SRK's Bandra Bandstand bungalow) would be on the wrong side of the coastline once the sea level rises," said Greenpeace activist Shweta Ganesh Kumar.
Greenpeace envisages that human migration 92 years hence would be equivalent to 10 times the movement seen during Partition. "This means that even the limited space in your Virar-Churchgate local will be affected," she added.
However, Rakesh Kumar from the National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) felt the figures in the Greenpeace study seemed exaggerated.
"This can create a scare in the minds of the people. According to estimates of the intergovernmental panel of climate change (IPCC), the rise in sea levels by 2011 is estimated at one metre. There will be submersion, but only in the low-lying areas. At most, the foundations of buildings near the shore may be weakened due to saline formation," said Kumar.
Greenpeace activists, however, are on a mission to raise awareness about the impending doom. Around 40 Greenpeace activists or 'Blue Busters' sporting symbolic blue raincoats hit the city streets on Sunday.
Blue cautionary signs, saying 'Climate Change Zone Ahead' with illustrations of drowning individuals bearing a distinct resemblance to traditional traffic signs, were put up along the Bandra Kurla Complex and other areas.
Greenpeace Climate and Energy campaigner Brikesh Singh said, "We want to alert Mumbaikars to the blue future they have in store if steps are not taken to fight global warming. If we don't act now, our city of dreams will be caught up in a never-ending nightmare, and we are the last generation that can prevent this from happening." The 'Blue Alert' signs were part of a Greenpeace campaign launched in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Kochi, Panaji and Puri.
"The campaign aims at bringing home the reality of climate change to the common man and empowering people to force their MPs to speak out about the issue of climate change," said Singh.
Greenpeace activists will slap token 'eviction-warning' notices on the doors of structures that may be affected. These include the homes of actors Shah Rukh Khan, Rekha and Farhan Akhtar.
Gateway of India will be under water by 2100
The Gateway of India will be wiped off the Mumbai skyline. Bhelpuri at Chowpatty will become the stuff of grandmother's tales.
No flights will take off from Chhatrapati Shivaji airport. No couple will canoodle at the Marine Drive promenade and even heirs to the bungalow of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will not be able to resist being evicted from their home.
Ninety-two years from now, all these landmarks of Mumbai will be underwater. That's the apocalypse scenario drawn up in a report titled 'Climate Migrants in South Asia: Estimates and Solutions' that has been commissioned by Greenpeace, a non-government organization.
Prepared by climate expert and professor from the humanities department of IIT Chennai, Sudhir Chella Rajan, the report says that a potential increase in temperatures by 4 to 5 degrees due to greenhouse emissions at the current rate would mean a corresponding rise in sea levels of up to five metres by 2100.
This, in turn, would imply that approximately 50 million Indians would be rendered homeless and become 'climate migrants'.
"The low elevation coastal zone (LECZ), which comprises the coastal region that is less than 10 metres above average sea level, is obviously at direct risk. Even prime commercial properties like the Backbay complex and the Bandra-Kurla complex fall into this category. This means that it's not just the average Koli who will be affected but even Mannat (superstar SRK's Bandra Bandstand bungalow) would be on the wrong side of the coastline once the sea level rises," said Greenpeace activist Shweta Ganesh Kumar.
Greenpeace envisages that human migration 92 years hence would be equivalent to 10 times the movement seen during Partition. "This means that even the limited space in your Virar-Churchgate local will be affected," she added.
However, Rakesh Kumar from the National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) felt the figures in the Greenpeace study seemed exaggerated.
"This can create a scare in the minds of the people. According to estimates of the intergovernmental panel of climate change (IPCC), the rise in sea levels by 2011 is estimated at one metre. There will be submersion, but only in the low-lying areas. At most, the foundations of buildings near the shore may be weakened due to saline formation," said Kumar.
Greenpeace activists, however, are on a mission to raise awareness about the impending doom. Around 40 Greenpeace activists or 'Blue Busters' sporting symbolic blue raincoats hit the city streets on Sunday.
Blue cautionary signs, saying 'Climate Change Zone Ahead' with illustrations of drowning individuals bearing a distinct resemblance to traditional traffic signs, were put up along the Bandra Kurla Complex and other areas.
Greenpeace Climate and Energy campaigner Brikesh Singh said, "We want to alert Mumbaikars to the blue future they have in store if steps are not taken to fight global warming. If we don't act now, our city of dreams will be caught up in a never-ending nightmare, and we are the last generation that can prevent this from happening." The 'Blue Alert' signs were part of a Greenpeace campaign launched in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Kochi, Panaji and Puri.
"The campaign aims at bringing home the reality of climate change to the common man and empowering people to force their MPs to speak out about the issue of climate change," said Singh.
Greenpeace activists will slap token 'eviction-warning' notices on the doors of structures that may be affected. These include the homes of actors Shah Rukh Khan, Rekha and Farhan Akhtar.
Mobiles more dangerous than fags
Puffing kills. But a new study, led by an Indian-origin researcher, claims that mobiles phones are more dangerous than fags.
"Though mobiles can save lives in emergencies, there is a significant and increasing body of evidence for a link between mobile phone usage and certain brain tumours (which can lead to cancer).
"It is anticipated that this danger has far broader public health ramifications than asbestos and smoking," the study`s lead author Dr Vini Khurana was quoted by `the independent` newspaper as saying.
Smoking kills some five million worldwide each year, according to the world health organisation.
But Dr Khurana, who has based the findings on an analysis of over 100 researches on the effects of cell phones, said the radiation from mobiles could kill far more people than smoking.
"We are currently experiencing a reactively unchecked and dangerous situation. This will be definitively proven in the next decade," he said.
The leading cancer expert said that people should avoid using them wherever possible and that governments and the mobile phone industry must take "immediate steps" to reduce exposure to their radiation.
"Unless the industry and governments take immediate and decisive steps, the incidence of malignant brain tumours and associated death rate will be observed to rise globally within a decade from now, by which time it may be far too late to intervene medically," according to him.
However, the mobile operators association has dismissed Dr Khurana`s study as "a selective discussion of scientific literature by one individual".
Saturday, March 29, 2008
India to surpass US and become 2nd largest Moblie Phone Market
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), India’s telecom watchdog has predicted that the country is likely to become the second largest mobile phone market in the world, leaving behind America on the third position by April this year.
At present, China ranks first with a total of 540.50 million wireless customers, followed by 260.50 million subscriber base in the US and 250.93 million in India. These ratings were taken in February this year. It is also noticed that the US is the least in adding up subscribers monthly with about 2-3 million, whereas China gains around 6-7 million subscribers per month. Coming to India, the highest monthly wireless subscription has been marked that ranges from 8-9 million.
With this growing wireless network, TRAI is confident that the nation’s wireless subscriber base will overtake US’ during the first half of April this year. On the other hand, it is believed that the subscriber base of both wireless and fixed lines will reach over 300 million.
“India’s monthly wireless subscriber addition is the highest in the range of 8-9 million. Thus, India’s wireless subscriber base during the first half of April 2008 will surpass that of the US and become the second-largest wireless network in the world. Not only this, the total subscriber base (wireless plus fixedline) of India will also cross the 300-million mark in April 2008,” stated TRAI.
In February, India’s wireless subscriber base occupied 8.53 million, from 8.77 million subscribers’ addition in the previous month. If the total wireless subscribers are considered, including GSM, CDMA and WLL(F), the base achieved a target of 250.93 million at the end of February 2008.
Man behind Aamir's Ghajini look!
Aamir Khan's new buzz look for Ghajini has been appreciated and talked about a lot... however very few people known that apart from designer Arjun Bhasin and hair stylist Avan Contractor there was another low profile man who was instrumental in designing his look and giving various important inputs...
Ravi K Chandran the ace cinematographer, who has been known to shoot the films in most aesthetic and beautiful manner, was not only present for all discussions and made the final decisions about the various scars on the scalp and how it should be presented in the film. How the scars would look on screen was very important as it was Ravi who eventually will shoot Aamir and the angles and how he would like to shoot Aamir Khan from far off... But then they say, alls well, that's end's well!
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