Joseph Barbera, together with his partner William hanna, they created some of the world’s most recognize cartoon character. Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones, The Jetsons and Scooby-doo.

The pair first teamed up at MGM studios in the 1930s, and created the international hit ‘Tom and Jerry’. The battling cat and mouse animated duo earned Barbera and Hanna seven Oscars.

His cartoons were not only animated superstars, but also a very beloved part of American pop culture spanning the Stone Age to the Space Age and from primetime to Saturday mornings, syndication and cable.

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POPULATIONS OF THE WORLD ACCORDING TO RELIGION
	Africa	Asia	Europe	Latin America	Northern America	Oceania	WORLD	%
Baha'i	1,851,000	3,010,000	93,000	719,000	356,000	75,000	6,104,000	0.11
Buddhist	36,000	320,691,000	1,478,000	569,000	920,000	200,000	323,894,000	5.67
Mahayana, 56%	.	.	.	.	.	.	181,380,000	3.17
Theravada, 38%	.	.	.	.	.	.	123,080,000	2.15
Tantrayana, 6%	.	.	.	.	.	.	19,434,000	0.35
Chinese folk religion	12,000	224,828,000	116,000	66,000	98,000	17,000	225,137,000	3.94
Confucian (non-Chinese)	1,000	5,220,000	4,000	2,000	26,000	1,000	5,254,000	0.09
Christian	348,176,000	306,762,000	551,892,000	448,006,000	249,277,000	23,840,000	1,927,953,000	33.73
Roman Catholic, 50%	122,108,000	90,041,000	270,677,000	402,691,000	74,243,000	8,265,000	968,025,000	16.93
Protestant, 21%	109,726,000	42,836,000	80,000,000	31,684,000	123,257,000	8,364,000	395,867,000	6.93
Orthodox, 11%	29,645,000	1,4881,000	165,795,000	481,000	6,480,000	666,000	217,948,000	3.81
Anglican, 4%	25,362,000	707,000	30,625,000	1,153,000	6,819,000	5,864,000	70,530,000	1.23
other, 14%	61,335,000	158,297,000	4,795,000	11,997,000	38,478,000	681,000	275,583,000	4.82
Ethnic	72,777,000	36,579,000	1,200,000	1,061,000	47,000	113,000	111,777,000	1.96
Hindu	1,535,000	775,252,000	1,522,000	748,000	1,185,000	305,000	780,547,000	13.65
Vaishnavite, 70%	.	.	.	.	.	.	546,383,000	9.56
Shaivite, 25%	.	.	.	.	.	.	195,137,000	3.41
neo / reform, 2%	.	.	.	.	.	.	15,611,000	0.27
Jain	58,000	4,804,000	15,000	4,000	4,000	1,000	4,886,000	0.09
Jewish	163,000	4,294,000	2,529,000	1,098,000	5,924,000	91,000	14,117,000	0.25
Mandean	0	44,000	0	0	0	0	44,000	0.00
Muslim	300,317,000	760,181,000	31,975,000	1,329,000	5,450,000	382,000	1,099,634,000	19.24
Sunni, 83%	.	.	.	.	.	.	912,696,000	15.97
Shia, 16%	.	.	.	.	.	.	175,942,000	3.08
other, 1%	.	.	.	.	.	.	10,996,000	0.19
New religions (founded since 1800)	19,000	118,591,000	808,000	913,000	956,000	10,000	121,297,000	2.12
Parsee (Zoroastrian)	1,000	184,000	1,000	1,000	1,000	1,000	189,000	0.00
Sikh	36,000	18,130,000	490,000	8,000	490,000	7,000	19,161,000	0.34
Shinto	0	2,840,000	1,000	1,000	1,000	1,000	2,844,000	0.05
Spiritist	4,000	1,100,000	17,000	8,768,000	300,000	1,000	10,190,000	0.18
Other religions	88,000	98,000	443,000	184,000	1,068,000	42,000	1,923,000	0.03
Secular	3,000,000	875,349,000	134,415,000	18,528,000	26,720,000	3,462,000	1,061,474,000	18.57
Agnostic / indifferent	2,573,000	701,175,000	94,330,000	15,551,000	25,050,000	2,870,000	841,549,000	14.72
Atheist	427,000	174,174,000	40,085,000	2,977,000	1,670,000	592,000	219,925,000	3.85
TOTALS	728,074,000	3,457,957,000	726,999,000	482,005,000	292,841,000	28,549,000	5,716,425,000	100.00
	Africa	Asia	Europe	Latin America	Northern America	Oceania	WORLD	%
all Christian	348,176,000	306,762,000	551,892,000	448,006,000	249,277,000	23,840,000	1,927,953,000	33.73
all non-Christian	379,898,000	3,151,195,000	175,107,000	33,999,000	43,564,000	4,709,000	3,788,472,000	66.27
all religious	725,074,000	2,582,608,000	592,584,000	463,477,000	266,121,000	25,087,000	4,654,951,000	81.43
all secular	3,000,000	875,349,000	134,415,000	18,528,000	26,720,000	3,462,000	1,061,474,000	18.57
Data source: Encyclopædia Britannica Book of the Year 1996

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Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan ecologist and the first African woman to win a Nobel prize, said Saturday that HIV was created deliberately in the laboratory as a biological weapon. "Some say that AIDS came from the monkeys, and I doubt that because we have been living with monkeys (since) time immemorial, others say it was a curse from God, but I say it cannot be that," she said at a press conference following the announcement of her receipt of the Nobel prize. Maathai received the prize for her environmental work in preventing deforestation in Africa.

"It’s true that there are some people who create agents to wipe out other people. If there were no such people, we could have not have invaded Iraq," Maathai maintained, as reported by the AFP. "We invaded Iraq because we believed that Saddam Hussein had made, or was in the process of creating agents of biological warfare," she said. "In fact it (the HIV virus) is created by a scientist for biological warfare."

"Why has there been so much secrecy about AIDS? When you ask where did the virus come from, it raises a lot of flags. That makes me suspicious," she said.

"She said (HIV/AIDS) was invented as a bio-weapon in some laboratory in the West," a U.S. State Department official said in response to Maathai’s claim. "We don’t agree with that." The U.S. official pointed out that Maathai had claimed HIV was created in the lab for the purposes of population control, in a Kenyan daily Standard newspaper story published in August.

-AFP

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God is beyond definition. But according to one’s own vision or receptivity, one will define God in one’s own way. Some will say that God is all Love. Others will say that God is all Power. Each one will see God according to his own necessity, his own receptivity and, finally, according to the way God wants him to see the ultimate Truth.

I see God with form and without form. I see Him as boundless Consciousness, limitless and endless Consciousness. Again, I see Him as energy, infinite energy. But usually I see the Supreme in the form of a most luminous, golden Being. When I converse with Him, I also see this form. I am extremely fond of this particular form. Here on earth, where we judge beauty with the human eye, we feel that a particular child is most beautiful. But I wish to say that the Supreme that I pray to and converse with is infinitely more beautiful than the most beautiful child on earth.

Again, the same Supreme, who is my Beloved, who is my Pilot, may assume the formless form of infinite Light, Peace and Bliss. But I personally prefer the personal form.

Some people don’t even like to use the term "God." The Buddha did not use the term "God." He used the term "Bliss," or "Nirvana." But we have to know that this transcendental Bliss is none other than God Himself. Inside this Bliss is divine perfection and satisfaction. If you want to call it Bliss, you can. And if you want to call it God, you can do that, too. Whatever gives you satisfaction is the right way for you.

Excerpt from God And The Cosmic Game by Sri Chinmoy.

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Smart can be applied to many different things, like street smarts or book smarts, intelligence is pretty well kept, and some say you really can’t do anything about your intelligence , you had a predisposed IQ when you were born, then depending on your environment it was either nurtured or neglected so you either reached you full potential or you didn’t, higher education will not affect your intelligence while it may make you smarter in certain subjects, some might also say that you need a certain level of intelligence to get a higher education.

Smart and intelligent though seems similar have a vast difference. Smart is like implying shrewd or sharp, as a person in dealing with others or as in business dealings: a smart businessman, or like clever, witty, or readily effective, as a speaker or one can say smart like dashingly or impressively neat or trim in appearance, as persons, dress, etc. or socially elegant; sophisticated or fashionable: the smart crowd. Whereas Intelligent means having or showing mental keenness. Intelligent usually implies the ability to cope with new problems and to use the power of reasoning and inference effectively: eg: The intelligent math students excelled in calculus.
Note it is not necessary that an intelligent person should be highly educated

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A new study suggests a link between what women eat and whether they die from certain diseases.

Researchers led by Christin Heidemann from Harvard’s School of Public Health and the German Institute of Human Nutrition tracked more than 72,000 women, 30 to 55 years old, who had no history of health problems at the beginning of the study. The study spanned 18 years, from 1984 to 2002; every two to four years, the women answered questionnaires about what they ate.

Researchers called one pattern the "high prudent" diet. This included lots of vegetables, fruit, legumes, and whole grains, as well as lean protein sources such as fish and poultry.

The other dietary pattern, dubbed "Western," included more red and processed meat, refined grains, french fries, sugary foods, and desserts.

During 18 years of tracking, 6,011 of the participants died.

Women with the most "prudent diet" had a 28% lower risk of dying from heart disease. They also had a 17% lower risk of death from all the diseases studied, including cancer, diabetes, and stroke.

Women who followed a diet highest in meats, processed and refined foods, and sweets had a 22% higher risk of dying from heart disease. They also had a 21% increased risk of dying from all causes combined.

"These results highlight the importance of intensifying public health efforts to promote the adoption of a healthy overall diet including high intakes of vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, fish and poultry and low intakes of red and processed meat, refined grains, French fries and sweets," says Heidemann in a prepared statement.

"Traditionally, there has been a focus on single nutrients or foods, but in terms of longevity a greater focus on dietary patterns can take into account the complexity of the overall diet," Heidemann says.

Here are some lifestyle and diet guidelines from the American Heart Association, which are in line with following a "prudent" diet:

• 
  
  Limit saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium.


• 
  
  Minimize sugary foods and beverages.


• 
  
  Eat lots of vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain and high-fiber foods.


• 
  
  Eat fat-free and low-fat dairy products.


• 
  
  Eat fish at least twice a week.


• 
  
  Be physically active and keep weight at healthy levels.


• 
  
  Avoid using or breathing tobacco smoke.


• 
  
  Achieve and maintain healthy cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels.
  

Technorati Tags: Women, Health, Medical, Life, Eat Well to Live Longer!

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Most newer camera phones have a number of settings that you can play with to get a better shot, so try experimenting with them.

1. Forget the zoom. Ever been to a Yankees game and seen people pull out their cell phones expecting to get great-quality shots by using the zoom? Don’t use it--it’s a digital zoom. Digital zooms just make your shots look blocky and pixelated. (According to our cell-phone analyst, Sascha Segan, there are currently no camera phones with optical zooms offered by U.S. Verizon sold one a while ago, the Samsung A970, but it had problems. You can find some others through specialty importers.)

2. Light your subjects well. I can’t stress this enough. The quality of your phone’s 1- or 2-megapixel camera can be improved tremendously by great lighting. Even if your phone has ISO settings (which should be kept at the lowest possible setting), shooting in low or little light is not recommended. Leave the camera’s exposure (or brightness) settings on the standard mode. Making the shot brighter without proper lighting just throws off the color balance of the entire shot. Also remember to keep your white balance on Auto and the metering exposure on Center-Weighted.

3. Explore your settings. While looking at a coworker’s three-year-old phone, I noticed that even it has multishot capabilities. (Most point-and-shoots call multishot the "burst" mode.) Some phone can take 6, 9, and 15 shots in a row on medium- and high-quality settings. This is great for being right up in the action and catching it at high speed.

4. Use your camera’s rule-of-thirds framing system, if it has one. This helps you frame your shots better. While using this system, try to keep your subject right in the middle--the framing system will help you do so. That way when you’re showing off a pic of your new puppy at work, people will know exactly where to look in the shot.

5. Get a grip. The slightest movement can make your pictures look grainy or blurry, so you need to hold your phone correctly, as optical image stabilization has not been implemented in phones yet. The phone may be very lightweight, and your hands are probably steady, but you still want to get the best quality possible. So flip your phone around and hold it the way you hold your point-and-shoot. Otherwise, try to hold your phone with two hands.

Notice how she holds her phone like a point-and-shoot camera--for extra stability and to frame your shots well, this is the best way to take a photo with your cell phone’s camera.

6. Tweak your settings. Want something that looks really different? Try using your phone’s color/effects settings, such as sepia, black and white, emboss, negative, or anything else it may have.

7. Use the timer. One of the reasons a pro will use a timer is so that the camera won’t move when they press the shutter button--therefore getting rid of excess camera shake. The same concept applies with phone cameras.

8. Shoot in the highest resolution possible. Also use the least compression possible: Choose Fine or Super Fine.

9. As a rule of thumb, try to use your flash as little as possible. It washes out the beautiful natural colors in your shots--unless it’s too weak to be of any use at all.

10. Some new phones offer basic photo-editing options. In some cases, this can be handy--but in general, you’re better off uploading the shots to your computer and editing them with an app such as Paint, Photoshop, Paint.Net, GIMP, or Microsoft Photo Editor.

11. Please don’t use the frames! A photo of you and your love with hearts around it is, well, tacky. The shot will look much more intimate just the way it is without any framing.

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I run Firefox 3, this time and I like Firefox 3, but I found about Firefox 3.

In the down side,

They messed up the Clear Private Data feature.
Their support for certificate revocation lists is so lame that it’s useless.
The support for EV-SSL is not as clear and obvious to the user as it should be.
Printing is second-rate.
But lots of stuff is much better, especially with respect to memory consumption. Firefox 2 stunk on memory consumption, but Firefox 3 is thrifty.

Overall, Firefox 3 is a much better product than version 2. I like Opera also and I run both of them pretty much all the time, but if you’re going to run Firefox, by all means go to version 3.
And in Opera, go to version 9.5, the latest with cool black attractive skin.
Technorati Tags: Computers,, Software, Internet

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In kerala, the monsoon has not been as expected. This time, the rainfall is a shortfall so far. In this state, hydropower is most commonly used. Due to shortage of rainfall, after a gap of four years, load shedding begins in Kerala from Friday. This is because there’s a shortage of almost 500 MW following deficient rains.

The 30 minutes of daily load shedding has been started after weak rains aggravated the power crisis in a state that’s heavily dependent on hydel power. The peak hour shortage is to the tune of 500 MW.

Rajeev Sadanandan, Chairman, Kerala State Electricity Board, said, "We tried to prevent load shedding to the extent we could. We ran all the Naphtha powered stations, which are very expensive. We tried to buy power form wherever they are ready to sell us at whatever prices they were willing till there was surplus from north, now rains have stopped in north also and the southern grid is overdrawn and our rains are not coming, so we have no option."

Kerala has received just 40 per cent of its normal rainfall so far.
Del.Icio.Us Tags: Kerala, Monsoon, Power, Electricity
Technorati Tags: Kerala, Monsoon, Power, Electricity

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The Bangalore city traffic police are hoping to guide the city’s traffic through the internet. The next time you get caught in Bangalore’s traffic jams, remember you could have saved yourself the trouble by logging onto the internet! Cops in the IT city are now using information technology to deal with the traffic mess. The department is spending over Rs 2 crore to put in place surveillance and enforcement cameras.

"We have already put 40 on the road, by the end of July another 40, that means 80 cameras. Now entire live feedback is coming into a centre which is a Traffic Management Centre.", Praveen Sood, the IPG and ACP, said.

Photographs from the cameras are uploaded every 15 seconds onto the BTIS website. And commuters can easily access them on their mobile phones. The police have already tied up with Airtel and Mapunity for the service. And they hope to get on board other mobile operators in the next few months.

The police say that the technology will be particularly helpful during the monsoon. And it’s a public-private partnership that they hope, will help in designing a more efficient traffic system.
Technorati Tags: Bangalore, India, Technology, Cops
Del.Icio.Us Tags: Bangalore, India, Technology, Cops

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Most digital cameras have some sort of start-up screen that displays when you turn on the camera. For quicker boot-ups, disable the start-up screen. This will also cut down on the time you’ll have to wait before you can shoot an image—excruciatingly long moments for those of us who forget to turn on our cameras until we notice the shot. Although not every camera will allow you to disable the splash screen—hey, another chance to flash the company’s logo—most do, and you should find the option under general settings in the main menu.
Technorati Tags: Camera, Photography, Digital, Technology

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Excessive fat has become one of the primary childhood health problems. Obesity is defined as excessive accumulation of body fat. Today obesity in children and adolescents has become a serious issue. The statistics for childhood obesity are alarming - while 4% children were overweight in 1982, there were 16% overweight in 1994. According to the 2001 figures, nearly 25% of white children and 33% of African American and Hispanic children were overweight. In fact the hospital costs associated with obesity in children were escalating.

Child obesity can lead to many complications. Obesity in children may result in many emotional and physical problems. Emotional problems include altered body image, depression and poor self-esteem.

Obesity in Child
A child is considered obese based on his/her height and weight, which is compared on a growth chart by a physician. If the normal body weight exceeds the ideal weight in comparison to the age and height then the child is called obese. Child obesity is calculated using BMI (Body mass index), which is a measure of the body fat based on height and weight

Causes of child Obesity
There are many factors that contribute to obesity among child. Body weights are determined by a combination of these factors. Bad eating habits and lack of exercise are noted as primary causes of increasing obesity among children.

Genetic Factors - Obesity can be genetic i.e. the risk of becoming obese is greatest among children who have obese parents. This is due to the genetic factors or parental modeling of both eating and exercise behaviors.

Environmental Factors - Environmental factors including lifestyle play a major role in child obesity. Poor eating habits, especially consumption of high calorie snacks can cause obesity in children. Some research also shows that extensive viewing of television may cause obesity in children (Dietz and Gortmaker, 1985). Factors involved here are displacement of physical activity coupled with increased calorie consumption caused by the effects of television advertising.

Tips for Parents
Parents play a pivotal role in treating an obese child. Parents should exercise control over their children’s diet. Always have healthy fruits, food and snacks available to your children. Limit sweetened beverages, including those containing fruit juice, as they make your child feel too full to eat healthier foods. Limit white carbohydrates to reduce obesity in your children including rice, pasta, bleached bread and sugar (desserts). Select recipes and methods of cooking that are lower in fat. For example, bake chicken instead of frying it. Ensure that you drink enough water so that you set a good example. Monitor the child’s growth pattern. Take the assistance of a doctor to understand the growth curves giving percentiles for height, weight and body mass index (BMI). Ensure that your family has healthy habits, as obesity is not only the child’s problem but is in fact a situation that needs the support of the entire family. Ensuring a good eating routine and fixed meal times for kids is the first step. Children then become hungry at regular times. Three meals and two snacks are just right for a child’s day. Don’t serve huge portions to your child. Let the child ask for more.
Technorati Tags: Health, Obesity, Kids, Foods, Obesity Tips of your child
Del.Icio.Us Tags: Health, Obesity, Kids, Foods, Obesity Tips of your child

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Every woman wants to know! What men mostly believe is sexy in a woman. Here are the most popular comments:

The truth is, men are first attracted to a woman who is In Shape. They like to able to see a woman’s true figure, as well as toned and healthy. A woman who takes good care of herself gives the impression that she is confident, which is qualities all men admire. Nice Lips is another thing men consider sexy in a woman. A woman with nice lips makes a man wonder and fantasize about how it tastes and how good of a kisser you are!. For a sexier touch, roll a little gloss over your lipstick, for a wet sexy woman and juicy effect.

For some men, the sexiest women are those who have Medium to Long soft hair. Medium and long hair really represents womanhood, for women are the ones known to have the long, soft and sweet smelling hair! Find a shampoo and conditioner that have the best smelling scent and ones that provide you with the best moisturizing results. You can also add more health to it by getting a product that adds body, shine and extra moisture to apply on after your shower, before or after you style. If you have short hair, do not worry! Just be sure to keep the volume in it and keep it soft and shiny.

Smiling is one of the biggest people magnets you can ever use! Everyone is attracted to cheerfulness and sureness. You will be surprised of just how many people respond to your smiling. Funny is one essential quality you must remember. Men just love it when a woman can laugh at their jokes, make their own tasteful jokes and being able to laugh at themselves. Get in touch with yourself and discover what makes you laugh and what funny memories you have regarding yourself, so that you may bring it up the next time you are on a date, or meet someone interesting. While you are out there laughing at jokes and making some yourself, also remember to have something intellectual to discuss, because Intelligence is considered very attractive. Bring something up you heard on the news, or bring up any subject that you think can get a conversation going, such as school and the experiences you had there.

Being Independent makes a woman sexy to a man. Men like to know that the woman they are interested in can take care of herself, has a good head on her shoulders and knows what she wants. If you do feel insecure about something, try not to advertise it in front of people. Keep your head up high, with a pretty smile, and then work on your insecurity when you get home or seek expert advice. When you and that certain someone enter your intimate stage, always remember that it is important to carry Sexy underwear beneath your clothing! This may sound like something you already know, but women tend to get lazy with it over time. If you want to keep him hooked, entertain with something sexy every time you take your clothes off!

Putting all that sexual and seducing stuff aside, men also long for a woman who is Caring. This may sound funny, but men are looking for a hot, irresistible woman, with a motherly personality. They want a woman who will nourish them and take care of them emotionally, just as we expect them to do for us. So always listen to him when he expresses himself and do your best to show that you care.

Last but not least, believe it or not, it is still important for a woman to be a good cook! There is nothing better for a man than coming home to a fresh, hot and home made dish on the table. They really admire the effort and time a woman puts into preparing a meal and they feel special and rewarded after a long day. If you need ideas for what meals to cook, you can get them at our Romantic Recipes Page! So try discovering your seductive self by keeping these ideas in and putting them to use. You will soon realize you had the seductive goddess in you all this time. After all, every woman has one!
Del.Icio.Us Tags: Women, Beauty, Sexy, Love, What does make a woman sexy?
Technorati Tags: Women, Beauty, Sexy, Love, What does make a woman sexy?

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WHY people go to church? According to Jason Weeden at Arizona State University, Tempe, it is to go forth and multiply.

After analysing questionnaire responses from more than 22,000 mainly Christian Americans, Weeden and his colleagues found that factors related to sex showed the strongest links to churchgoing. These include marital status, number of children, preferred family size, and moral views on topics like cheating and contraception. Other variables that have often been linked to religiosity such as age, gender or conscientiousness failed to explain church attendance, after controlling for differences in sexual and family values.

Weeden suggests that looking for partners within a religious community reduces the risk of adultery in couples adopting a monogamous, high-fertility mating strategy as there is a large fitness cost if the marriage fails: men risk losing substantial investment if the woman cheats; women risk being abandoned with a large brood and fewer resources to care for them.

For Weeden, mating preferences are at the very core of religious choices - and can even drive them.

"Hardly any of the students in our study were regular churchgoers," he says, "but those who saw themselves as having many kids in stable marriages were the ones who were anticipating regular church attendance in the future."

Technorati Tags: Religion, Church, Christian, WHY people go to church?

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India may lodge a formal protest at the local army commanders’ level against alleged Chinese military incursions in recent days in the ‘Finger Point’ area of Sikkim. The latest incursion took place on Monday.

According to army sources, a patrol team of the People’s Liberation Army came almost a kilometer into the Indian territory in the northern-most area of Sikkim. In recent days, Beijing has laid claim to the area, after which India is carrying out a fresh survey.

Army sources said they have recorded over 65 incursions in the area and surroundings in 2008. Minister of state for defence MM Pallam Raju said India would take up the issue at the “appropriate highest level”.

“The issue of incursions will be raised at the next flag meeting and also discussed at the appropriate highest level. As responsible neighbours, we will sort it out,” he said.

“It is unfortunate that these (incursions in the ‘Finger Point’ area) have happened and it (the issue of Sikkim) is being raised again...Sikkim is a closed chapter as far as we are concerned,” Raju said on the sidelines of a seminar on ‘Indian ways of war fighting’ by Centre for Joint Warfare Studies here.
Technorati Tags: India, China, Security, Army, Military

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Husband asks , “Do u know the meaning of WIFE??
“Without Information Fighting Everytime”
Wife replies,” No, It means ,
“With Idiot For Ever !!!”

**************

Two men met while both where looking for their lost wives.
1st: How yours look like?
2nd: She is 5″7, 36-24-36, Fair, Black eyes. What about yours?
1st: Forget mine. Lets find yours!!

**************

Three Feelings:
What’s the difference between stress, tension and panic?
Stress is when wife is pregnant,
Tension is when girlfriend is pregnant, and
Panic is when both are pregnant.

**************

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HCL Infosystems Ltd will implement the IT infrastructure as part of the pan-African e-network project which will connect 53 African countries into one network, providing electronic and knowledge connectivity to the African countries. An initiative by Indian Government to share its expertise in the fields of education and medicine, this network will benefit all the 53 African nations by providing tele-education, tele-medicine, video-conferencing and VoIP services.

With its implementation, this project will connect 53 African countries into one network, providing electronic and knowledge connectivity to the African nations. Apart from this, the network will connect all 53 heads of States of the African Continent; the communication would be through data, voice and video.

Facilitating education and knowledge sharing, the network will connect seven universities from India with five universities from Africa; the African centres will further be linked to one centre in each of 53 countries within the continent. The network will also connect 12 Super Specialty Hospitals from India with five from Africa. These hospitals in Africa will further be linked to one remote hospital (patient-end locations) in each of the 53 countries as apart of the project to extend healthcare services to rural Africa.

Addressing the recently concluded World Economic Forum in Africa, Ajai Chowdhry, chairman and CEO, HCL Infosystems Limited, shared his insights on the role Internet and ICT can play in Africa’s infrastructure and rural development. Speaking at the forum, Chowdhry said, “Having delivered and learned through the unique challenges that India poses as a country, HCL has built a legacy over three decades to enable the same for the African nations. I believe there is huge potential for increasing the pace of development in Africa by usage of IT by governments, institutions, including small and medium enterprises and citizens.”
Technorati Tags: HCL, Computers, Technology

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CCTV cameras might soon be able to capture a crime taking place not just because they ’see’ it but also because they ’hear’ it. The sounds of breaking glass, someone shouting, or the noise of a crowd gathering are being ‘learned’ by an artificial intelligence software. The technology could revolutionise the speed with which crimes are caught on camera and responded to by police.

The three-year project aims to adapt artificial intelligence software already being developed by researchers at the University’s Institute of Industrial Research to identify visual patterns. The software is so sophisticated it can identify minor visual cues such as whether a car aerial is up or if the car has a dent as well as more complex cues such as violent behaviour.

If, for example, a CCTV camera is trained on a shopping precinct, the software would use artificial intelligence to notice if someone raises their arm suddenly or runs. The operator of the camera has banks of monitors to watch but the new software will alert them immediately to any unusual activity and, if necessary, call the police.

The research team is now working on using the same software to ‘learn’ sounds and react to them by swinging the CCTV camera towards in them at the same speed a person would turn their head if they heard someone scream, which is about 300 milliseconds.

The software behind this research uses fuzzy logic to identify certain visual cues and sounds. The software will use an artificial intelligence template for the waveform of sound shapes and if the shape isn’t an exact fit, use fuzzy logic to determine what the sound it. For example, different types of glass will all have slightly different waveforms of sound when they smash but they will have the same generic shape which can be read using fuzzy logic. It’s a very fast, real-time method of identifying sounds.”

Besides alerting camera operators to potentially threatening behaviour and crimes in action, the software will mean police officers no longer have to sit through hours of recordings to identify a specific object, action or noise after a crime is known to have taken place because the software could be used to identify specific objects.

The technology would also overcome the problem of camera operators losing concentration when watching banks of television screens showing normal activity because it would alert them in real time to threatening behaviour and sounds.

By the end of the three-year programme, the researchers hope to have generated algorithms that can be used inside existing CCTV software. And because the system is underpinned by artificial intelligence, each successive generation of algorithms would become more sophisticated as they ‘learn’ what they are looking and listening out for.

The new research is being funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Technorati Tags: Camera, Pictures, Technology, Computers, CCTV Camera Will Capture Crime

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Hazardous drinking - drinking more than guidelines recommend - is common and needs to be recognized as a genuine public health problem, Finnish researchers say.

Alcohol-use disorders are divided into two categories: alcohol abuse/harmful use and alcohol dependence. Some experts believe these two categories aren’t sufficient and that hazardous drinking should be added as a diagnosis that precedes the other two. This is an issue that needs to be debated. Current tools do not allow for a phenomenon like hazardous drinking, when a person drinks too much and is at risk but is not alcohol dependent.

In a research, analyzed data on 4,477 Finns, ages 30 to 64, who took part in a national health survey in 2000 and found the prevalence of hazardous drinking was 5.8 percent. Men were defined as hazardous drinkers if they had 24 or more standard drinks a week during the preceding year, while women were hazardous drinkers if they had 16 or more standard drinks a week.

The study also found that hazardous drinking was more common among men, people older than 40, unemployed people versus the employed, and those who were cohabitating, divorced or separated, or unmarried.

A hazardous drinker may see many other people around him or her drinking as much as him or herself. This, together with not yet experiencing any alcohol-related harm, may lead the individual to wrongly think that there is no need to reduce drinking. However, hazardous drinkers do not include alcohol dependents, who usually drink a lot more. Alcohol-dependent drinkers already have significant alcohol-related harms, and it is more difficult for them to change their drinking habits.
Technorati Tags: Alcohol, Drugs, Health, Medical

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Speakers easily play the most significant role in enhancing your audio experience. So how do they actually manage to reproduce sound from the electrical signals that are fed as input? Devices such as speakers and microphones are technically called transducers. A transducer transforms one form of energy into another-in this case, a speaker converts electrical energy into acoustic energy (sound), in about the same way that a microphone converts acoustic energy into a corresponding electrical signal.

There’s more to speakers than just plugging them in and believing that the costly sound system you got is going to take you to new heights. Of course, higherend systems, with their excellent low-noise amplifiers, filters and impedance matchers reproduce crystal-clear sound even from speakers of the lowest end, but audiophiles know the difference! We need to dwell into some physics to understand its mechanism. During our school days, we all have played around with the tuning fork during our physics practicals.

On striking the tuning fork, we hear a long hum. This sound is created by the compression and rarefaction of air particles, around the vibrating fork arms. When these compressions and rarefactions hit the eardrum, it vibrates, and we perceive sound. In a speaker, this compression and rarefaction is performed by a paper diaphragm that vibrates in accordance with the electrical signal fed to it. The construction of a speaker sheds more light on its functioning. At the base is a powerful ring magnet. In the centre is a voice coil made up of fine wire, wound around a paper cylinder. As we can see in the picture, the voice coil is attached to a spider (an elastic paper sheet that holds the voice coil), such that it always returns to its fixed position under normal conditions. To start off with the functionality of a speaker, the underlying principle is electromagnetism.

The basic interaction between an electromagnetic coil and a powerful permanent magnet is what drives the speaker to produce sound. The primary source of sound is a diaphragm. One end of the voice coil is attached to the centre of the paper diaphragm. This diaphragm, in turn, compresses and rarefies the air particles around it, thereby producing sound. Speaker enclosures, in addition to the speaker itself, also play a vital role in your audio experience. The reason for this is that the air flow through the enclosure drastically affects bass and crackling sounds due to undesirable harmonics. The dimensions of the enclosure have an effect on the resonance of the sound waves.

Getting more into the technicalities, let us consider an amplifier as a block. In this case, it primarily has two signals-the input and the output. For the amplifier to have high gain, its input impedance should be as high as possible and its output impedance should be as low as possible. The reason for this is the Maximum Power Transfer theorem, which states that to get the maximum power output from a source (the amplifier, in this case), the output resistance of the source should be the same, or as close as possible, to the resistance of the load (the speaker, in this case). For those of you who haven’t heard of it, this simply means that the resistance of the speaker should be equal to that of the amplifier output.

Typical speaker impedances are 4-8 Ohms-you can get these values from the associated brochures and manuals that accompany your sound system. Finally, in a scenario of multiple speakers, positioning each speaker is of prime importance. Sound, after all, propagates in the form of waves. Although multiple reflections cause sound to be heard across all areas, sound travels in a straight path-like light. You should always consider sound to be similar to light while positioning the speakers around your home, with the prime aim to “illuminate” your living room. This is the easiest way to get it right, with minimal effort. So go ahead and enjoy those tracks!
Technorati Tags: Technology, Science, Computers, Sound
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• Fly early in the day. At airports scheduled to capacity, any delay in the morning means there will be at least that much of a delay for every flight thereafter.

• Depart a day in advance for crucial trips, such as a business meeting or a wedding.

• Check the delay statistic for your flight - how often that flight is more than 15 minutes late on a scale of 1 to 9 (the lower the number, the more often it’s late) -- before you book your tickets. Airlines are required by law to give you the stat if you ask for it; many post it on their websites. If the number is 5 or below and time is of the essence, consider another flight.

• Make a call. If you get to the gate and the airline says you’ve lost your seat, contact the Coalition for an Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights. If your flight is canceled, the group’s volunteer staff will help you book hotels, research your flight status, offer alternative routes, help with car rental, and relay weather information.

• Understand your options. When you’re stuck on the ground for hours after boarding, there’s a reason. "If the airlines lock the doors, they don’t have to provide refunds, credits, lodging, and food expenses," says Paul Hudson, executive director of the Aviation Consumer Action Project. You can circulate a petition demanding to be let off the plane and take it to the cockpit. An airline can’t hold people against their will unless there’s a safety reason, and the captain has the authority to let people off. If the situation worsens, call the police or a local TV or radio station from your cell phone. CAPBOR hotline volunteers can also put you in touch with the media.

• Don’t let it drop. If you have a truly terrible experience, write a reasonable letter afterward to the airline CEO, explaining what happened and asking for compensation. Refer to the contract of carriage listed on the airline’s website; it explains the compensation policies. It’s up to the airline whether to remedy a passenger’s bad experience. If you used plastic to buy your ticket, your credit card company can challenge the airline for violating its contract with a customer.

• Join the fight to enact an Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights, federal legislation that would mandate, among other things, that passengers be allowed to deplane when they’re held on the tarmac for more than three hours as well as require airlines to provide delayed passengers with food, water, sanitary facilities, and medical attention. The major U.S. carriers are dead set against the bill, arguing that cockpit crews should make these calls.
Technorati Tags: Travel, Flight, Tourism, Airport

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The big company Nokia from a small country Finland is planning to make some major changes in the mobile industry. The first step is to acquire the remaining shares in Symbian, the software company that develops and licences Symbian OS, an open operating system for mobile devices. Nokia, which makes 40 per cent of all phones sold globally, will pay €264 million ($410 million) for the 52 per cent of British-based Symbian it does not already own. Secondly, Nokia would gradually open up the Symbian platform, making it open source. And thirdly, it is bringing all the leading mobile players together for the Symbian platform.

Plans for the Foundation have already received wide support from other industry leaders. The industry majors who will be part of the foundation include biggies like AT&T, LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments and Vodafone. Membership of this non-profit Foundation will be open to all organisations. This initiative is supported by current shareholders and management of Symbian Limited, who have been actively involved in its development.

The Foundation’s platform will build on the leading open mobile software platform, with more than 200 million phones, across 235 models, already shipped by multiple vendors and tens of thousands of third-party applications already available for Symbian OS-based devices.
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Zoomtra.com has launched a destination and travel review application - India Dekha - on Orkut and Facebook. This travel networking application collects public reviews about various places in India and allows the Orkut and Facebook users to select a destination, review and rate it.

Once the application is added to the account, the user can select any destination from the list to add it as hometown or a place visited or a desired destination and so on. Further to this, rating and reviews can be written about the place, shopping destinations, night life, etc. The other option is to make your own map and share it with the others.

It is amazing to see the passion that people are having on destinations in India and their eagerness to express and share their views. The idea behind developing this application is to encourage peer advice amongst travellers to enable them with right decision making.

The application will also connect the Indian travel enthusiasts and aid them to share their travel experiences with each other. The best way to plan a trip is to share it with friends and find out the most excellent places to visit. The tool is designed for the same and to help the users share the unbiased ideas and views about different places in India.
Technorati Tags: Travel, Tourism, India, Internet

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Software Engineers Allow PCs to Scan Mobile Devices for Viruses

As cell phones, PDAs, and other wireless devices become more sophisticated, hackers are starting to spread viruses that can infect them. Software engineers have developed an application that allows a PC to scan the memory of a mobile device and eliminate malicious software.

It takes constant vigilance to combat the viruses that persistently lurk in cyber space. While we all know our PCs are vulnerable to data loss, you might be surprised to find out so is your cell phone! A new technology could be the key to ferreting out electronic viruses forever. That fancy cell phone you use to surf the Web and check e-mail could be infected with a computer virus.

"Our cell phones are becoming more and more sophisticated to look more and more like regular computers, and so they can also acquire viruses," says Adrian Perrig, an assistant professor of engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. While most of us take steps to safeguard our PCs, cell phone viruses are so new you might not even know about them. Engineers at Carnegie Mellon University found a key to detecting even the most evasive electronic bugs.

Perrig says, "Our technique is called SoftWare-based ATTestation, which allows an external host -- like the laptop computer or even another cell phone -- allows them to look into the memory of a device in a way that even malicious code executing on the device cannot hide." Traditional anti-virus programs scan for a list of known threats, but if a threat is not on the list, it’s not detected. With software-based attestation -- SWATT for short -- there’s no virus roster. Rather it scans the memory of a handheld device. Because all viruses must dwell in memory, any deviation signals a potential virus.

Right now SWATT only detects bugs. Once they figure out how to exterminate them, it will go on the market. In addition to computers, PDAs and cell phones, this software can detect viruses in any communication device, even the navigation systems of luxury cars.There are several different ways a computer can become infected. A virus is a small piece of software that attaches itself to an existing program. Every time that program is executed, the virus starts up, too, and can reproduce by attaching itself to even more programs. When contained in an email, the virus usually replicates by automatically mailing itself to dozens of people listed in the victim’s email address book.

Unfortunately, viruses don’t just replicate, they often cause damage. There is usually a trigger -- a command or keystroke -- that causes the virus to launch its "attack." This can be anything from leaving a silly message to erasing all of the user’s data. For example, whenever the current minutes on an infected computer’s clock equaled the day (for example, at 6:27 pm on the 27th of any given month), the Melissa virus would copy the following Bart Simpson quote into the current document: "Twenty-two points, plus triple-word-score, plus 50 points for using all my letters. Game’s over. I’m outta here."

Worms are a different type of infection. A piece of worm software uses computer networks and security holes in specific software or operating systems to copy itself from machine to machine. Because Microsoft’s Windows platform is so pervasive, for example, many hackers design their worms to exploit security holes in those products. In 2001, the worm Code Red spread rapidly by scanning the Internet for computers running Windows NT or Windows 2000.

In contrast to a worm, a Trojan horse can’t replicate itself at all: it is simply a computer program pretending to be something harmless -- a game, for example -- but instead does damage when the user runs it, often erasing the hard drive.

Protect yourself from computer viruses

1.Buy virus protection software and keep it up-to-date.
2.Avoid downloading programs from unknown sources; stick with commercial software purchased on CD-ROMs.
3.Make sure that the Macro Virus Protection feature is enabled in all Microsoft applications.
4.Never double-click on an email attachment containing an executable program. These will have extensions like .exe, .com, or .vbs.
5.Consider switching to a more secure operating system, like Linux.
Del.Icio.Us Tags: Cell phones, Viruses, Softwares

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Don’t get stuck in a rut, always doing the same old thing. Use your imagination to put all your senses in a spin.

Sight
1.Make your surroundings look a little sexier. Soft lighting or candles are usually a big hit, but you might prefer bright colours to get you in the mood.
2.Throw out your greying smalls and treat yourselves to some new underwear or other outfits that you both like.
3.Agree on a secret signal. If one of you is wearing a certain item of jewellery or clothing, it is a signal to the other person that they’re feeling especially passionate that day.
4.Using a blindfold will heighten your awareness of other sensations. Or just try closing your eyes for a few minutes. If you usually have sex with the lights on, turn the lights off for a change.

Hearing
1.Try playing different types of music when you are making love. See what happens when there’s a background of calming classical; energetic dance music; or pounding rock.
2.Choose a horny theme tune that has a private meaning for you both. But don’t call it ’our tune’ because that’s just lame.
3.Each pick out a favourite soundtrack for a striptease.
4.If you both like talking dirty then go for it, but show some consideration for your neighbours if the walls are thin!

Smell
1.Use small amounts of your favourite aftershave or perfume. Spray a little on your bed sheets.
2.Do you or your partner think any other aromas are sexy? Is there something that reminds you of a passionate experience? It could be anything from suntan lotion to strawberries.
3.Try scented massage oils or lotions (but keep oil-based products away from condoms).

Touch
1.Avoid going through the same old motions, and think about all the different kinds of touch. Tickling, light touching, circling, grabbing, massaging, kneading, licking, irregular, rhythmic, speeding up, slowing down.
2.Spend an evening just touching one another all over, avoiding penetrative sex, and saying what you like and don’t like. Expect to find out things about one another that will surprise you both.
3.Change what’s against your skin. Try cotton, silk, satin, fake fur, leather, lace, water, sand, grass, or whatever else fires your imagination.

Taste
1.Go out somewhere special to eat, or cook a favourite meal as a prelude. However, don’t eat too much; indigestion, belching, and heartburn are very unsexy to most people, and you might doze off at a crucial moment.
2.Hand feed each other different fruits (e.g. grapes, slices of mango), or chocolates.
3.Slowly feed them the liqueur they like the most, drop by drop. Make them beg for more.
4.Go crazy with edible body paint, whipped cream, or syrup. Turn your date into dessert. Who cares about the state of the carpet or the sheets.

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We can only exclaim Obama an invocation that has travelled far beyond the Democratic primaries in America. Once in a while in the life of a nation, it happens: the arrival of a candidate who defies the gravity of conventional politics and concentrates the mind of a generation.

Obama is such a moment. What is it that makes this freshman senator from Illinois an American sensation and a global brand? Barack Obama as a transformative force essays not only the power of the new in politics.

By identifying with the politician who wants to end politics-as-usual, millions of Obamites, especially the affluent and the educated, have come to see themselves as some kind of velvet revolutionaries.

Romancing Obama has become a rite of redemption, almost. It certainly makes the voter feel good. It gives him a sense-or maybe an illusion-of historical worthiness.

The poetry of Obama’s text is matched by the prosaic banality of the context. Obama has happened at a time when experience means nothing more than cynicism and entitlement.

Obama has turned his political innocence- his declaration of freedom from Washington’s triangulations-into a weapon of mass seduction.

And that perhaps explains Brand Obama’s appeal beyond America as well. Look at the leader at work today.

In Washington, he does not have the intellectual or ideological sophistication to sustain his own achievement of a Saddam-less Iraq; in Moscow, he in his neo-Czarist delusion makes himself indispensable to a proud and stable Russia; in London, he is too scared to hold a general election; in New Delhi, even though he is not his own political master, he does not have the courage to stand by his convictions, nuclear or otherwise.

Politics has become an assertion of the familiar. Obama has won the nomination by defeating the politics of professionally crafted expertise.
Technorati Tags: Obama, US, Politics, World, Obama for New look of US!

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IP.access has developed the new 3G Home Routing technology, by which we can connects 3G phones into our home network via its Oyster 3G femtocell.

This 3G Home Routing uses the Oyster 3G to provide a real-time ’bridge’ between the user’s home network and any 3G handset, enabling a new generation of entertainment and communications applications for consumers, and allowing them to use their mobile phone in new and exciting ways at home.

3G phone, with femtocell, can connect directly to a home network, enabling new applications such as streaming live video from a home media server to the handset, using the phone to browse the music on the home server and select tracks to play, or displaying a slideshow of phone photos on the TV.

Femtocells can open up these applications to any 3G handset quickly and easily, putting your mobile phone at the heart of your connected home. This femtocell-powered 3G Routing technology means there’s no need to have a special WiFi-enabled phone, and you don’t have to spend time configuring any settings either. Because all the data traffic is routed locally over the femtocell, the end-user benefits from full HSDPA data rates for all their connected home applications. 3G Home Routing removes the delay associated with carrying data traffic from the phone over the mobile operator’s core network and back, which also saves costs for the operator.
Del.Icio.Us Tags: 3G Phone, Network, Computers, Technology
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During the natural ageing process, skin becomes thinner and the layer of fat beneath it thins. Ageing skin also becomes less sensitive to sensations of touch, pressure, vibration and temperature. As the skin loses this sensitivity, injuries to the skin become more likely.

Take action:
Since many skin changes are linked to sun exposure, use a quality sunscreen when outdoors, even in the winter. Dehydration increases the risk of skin injury, so be sure to drink plenty of water and eat balanced, healthy meals. Use a lotion to keep skin moist, but don’t use a lotion or soap that’s heavily perfumed.
Del.Icio.Us Tags: Beauty, Girls, Skin, Health, Protecting Skin from ageing
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Global warming is a dangerous factor to the world, presently. Now, Arctic warming has become so dramatic that the North Pole may melt this summer, report scientists studying the effects of climate change in the field. They are projecting this year that the North Pole may be free of ice for the first time in history.

Firsthand observations and satellite images show that the immediate area around the geographic North Pole is now mostly annual, or first-year, ice-thin new ice that forms each year during the winter freeze. Such ice is much more prone to melting during the summer months than perennial, or multiyear, ice, which is thick and dense ice that has lasted through multiple cycles of thawing and refreezing.

Recent models suggest that the Arctic won’t see its first completely ice-free summer until somewhere between 2013 and 2030. But this summer’s forecast-and unusual early melting events all around the Arctic-serve as a dire warning of how quickly the polar regions are being affected by climate change.

Scientists are particularly interested in the North and South Poles because they are expected to show the most dramatic effects of global warming. The temperature increases roughly three times as quickly as the rest of the globe because of an effect known as ice albedo feedback, which occurs when highly reflective ice gives way to dark water. The water absorbs much more of the sun’s energy, increasing temperatures and causing further ice melting.

Forecasts for this summer’s ice suggest the damage has already been done. An unusually cold winter had raised hopes for a recovery, but much of the ice that formed froze later than usual, ending up so thin that it has already started to break up.

But given the rapid changes now evident in the Arctic, the ultimate fate of the North Pole-in fact, all permanent ice in the Arctic-may be all but assured. Almost all models have the Arctic completely ice free in the summer by 2100.
Technorati Tags: Global Warming, Pollution, Science, Technology, ICE Free North Pole for the 1st time.

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Gartner, Inc. has named IBM as the world’s number one vendor based on market share for application infrastructure and middleware (AIM) software. The report, which analysed the total AIM market for 2007, showed IBM increasing its market share and now holding 28.9 per cent share of the overall market, with more than three times the market presence of its closest competitor.

The Gartner data shows that IBM grew 15.1 per cent, faster than the overall market which only grew at 12.9 per cent for 2007. Additionally, according to the report, IBM holds the number one market share position in eight submarkets.

"In our opinion, the results of the Gartner market report clearly illustrate the success of IBM’s client-focussed service oriented architecture strategy," said Tom Rosamilia, general manager, IBM WebSphere software. "By listening to, and working with our clients, we have developed a portfolio that meets the critical business needs of today and the future."
Technorati Tags: IBM, Computers, Software, Technology, Science
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Ingredients

For the Gravy:
1 cup: Onions (finely chopped)
1 cup: Tomatoes
1 tsp: Ginger-garlic paste
4-5: Green chilies (finely chopped)
1 tsp: Coriander leaves (finely chopped)
2 tsp:chilli powder
2 1/2 tsp: Coriander powder
1/4 tsp: Turmeric powder
3 pcs: Cloves
2-3: Cardamoms (black)
2-3: Bay leaves
1 tsp: Cumin seeds
Water to make the gravy
5-6 tsp: Oil
salt to taste

For the Koftas:
1/2 kg: Mince (mutton)
1 Egg
Coriander leaves (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp: Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp: Coriander powder
1/2 tsp: Red Chili powder
Salt To taste

Method

For the Koftas:

1.Wash mince and squeeze out water.
2.Finely chop coriander leaves and green chilies.
3.Mix all the ingredients together.
4.Make medium sized koftas and keep aside.

For the Gravy:

1.Finely chop onions and green chilies. Fry them with cumin seeds, bay leaves and ginger-garlic paste till golden.
2.Grind tomatoes, cardamoms, cloves and the powdered masalas together. Add this mixture and salt to the onions and continue frying on a low flame.
3.Immediately put the koftas into the gravy and wait till the koftas leave water and then only if required add more water and let the koftas cook on a low flame.
4.Once cooked, remove from heat and serve garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Rice:

Ingredients:

2 cups raw rice
1 medium sized onion, sliced finely
3 tablespoon ghee(clarified butter)
1 cinammon1 clove1 cardammon
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp chopped cashewnuts
3 green chillies, minced
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp garlic paste
Salt to taste
2 tsp chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

1.Heat the ghee in a pan and add the cinammon,cloves, cashewnuts, cumin and cardamom.
2.Fry for 10 seconds and add the ginger-garlic paste.
3.Fry for another 10 seconds and then add thegreen chillies and onion.
4.Fry till the onions turn light brown.
5.Now add the rice and salt to taste.Let the rice fry for about 5-6 minutes and get coatedwith the ghee mixture.
6.Now add 4 cups of water and pressure-cook or cook inthe microwave till the rice is completely done.You can also cook it on the stovetop, by keeping itcovered on a low flame.
7.Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.
Technorati Tags: Kheema Kofta, Cooking recipes, Rice, Variety rice, Gravy, Kofta

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Each house consists of various places, and if to tell the truth, I like bedroom and kitchen the most. But, tastes differ. As a rule, people want their friends, relatives and sometimes even rare guests to be amazed with their place of living, thus, they are trying to make special ambience by adding numerous stylish things, doodads and very often forget about the following steps in the interior design bedroom:

Plants and flowers

Sometimes, it is even impossible to imagine, how a single plant can change your life in a bedroom. It can fresh it up, make alive and worth coming. If you can’t cope with flowers “bringing” just buy from time to time flowers and put them in a vase.
Windows

Yeah, of course, first of all, they must be clean, in such a case you’ll understand - life is not so dull, as you thought before. Then, take care about curtains - they must be always tidy, clean and match to the room interior.

Flooring

Once I’ve heard such an expression from my friend-designer, that for your house it is not necessarily to have a fancy and expensive basic repair, if your lamps (sources of light) and flooring is neat, stylish and rather expensive, you don’t have to worry, your house will look decent. You can either to make hardwood floors or lay a carpet, also, small pieces of carpet will look wonderful and turn your bedroom into a cozy living place. It is so awful, to wake up in the morning and step onto cold floor.

Lighting

In order to be an ideal place for: sleeping, reading and even thinking, you have to make correspondent lighting. So, it is possible to have 2 sources of light: a ceiling light and a lamp on the night table. If you don’t like so many items to be in your room, so just buy a lamp-shade, for instance from Kevin McCarthy.

Bedding

Actually, it is the Queen of any bedroom: pillows, linen, bed design… Everything is important. You know, each person spends 1’3 of his of her life while… sleeping! Don’t economize on yourself, aftermaths will be unfortunate: backache, chronic weariness, depression etc. So, you’d better care what you are sleeping at! The following advice can be helpful to you:

1.right mattress (do not forget about back support);
2.consider bed of what height do you want;
3.bed’s size is an important theme to view: better buy a big bed, thus, you can invite somebody to warm your night );
4.brand and price (without any comments);
5.of course, general look - you must like it );
Technorati Tags: Bedroom, Interior design, Bedding, Windows, Flooring, Lighting

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India is likely witness over 14 per cent increase in salaries annually for the next three years even as there has been a sharp rise in input costs due to inflation, a latest study says. India, Vietnam and Indonesia are the only three countries in the Asia-Pacific region which are likely to see a double-digit increase in salaries until 2011, as per a report.

“For India, although we forecast a slight downward trend, the country can still expect one of the highest pay increases in Asia-Pacific at more than 14 per cent up to 2011,” the Asia-Pacific Compensation report by Mercer stated.

Across Asia-Pacific countries, salary increases in 2008 are expected to be higher than in 2007, with an easing expected in 2009, despite the slowing of most economies and weaker global scenario, the report forecast.

“In India the salary increases are expected to be in double-digit for the next few years as Companies are facing shortage of talent. This need for quality people is likely to boost the increase in salaries,” Mercer India business leader for information product solutions Gangapriya Chakraverti told PTI.

Besides, in China wages are forecast to rise until 2009 and then ease gradually but still remain above nine per cent.

Asked about the situation of wage rise in the IT sector, which is under pressure from the global slowdown Gangapriya said, the salary hikes in the sector would continue and Companies may employ different methods like focus on greater productivity and efficiency to control the tightening of margins.
Technorati Tags: India, Corporate, Economy, Indian salaries grow @14%
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US Governement designated the polar bear as an endangered species, last month.Now the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) stands accused of giving oil companies a "blank cheque to harass polar bears".

Theseven oil companies that paid $2.6 billion in February for the rights to look for oil in the Chukchi Sea, off the coast of Alaska. Some 2000 polar bears live in the region - a significant chunk of the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 bears worldwide, and the companies were worried that environmental groups might take legal action to prevent the animals being disturbed.

But the FWS issued regulations last week permitting firms to disturb "small numbers" of bears without fear of prosecution as long as they report each incident and take steps to minimise the animals’ stress. If underwater sonar is being used, for instance, engineers must stop surveying should a bear swim close by.

The decision will allow "essentially unlimited harassment of polar bears". Researchers are also worried.
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Internet service providers are considering charging their users by how much bandwidth they utilize. I didn’t realize it until reading about these possible schemes in the New York Times, but bandwidth under current ISP pricing schemes is essentially a commons.

Hence, it is possible that bandwidth is subject to the tragedy of the commons [hyperlink], wherein those who utilize common property overuse that property to the point where it is over-exploited and/or under-provided. If this is true, then charging consumers by bandwidth utilisation would lead to the provisions of more bandwidth in the future.

Such a change in pricing schemes will impact many online media providers, such as YouTube, whose services utilise a large amount of bandwidth. These Companies are understandably upset about the possibility of by-the-byte pricing.

Regardless, the ISPs own the bandwidth, so it is their right to price it however they want.

But, that doesn’t mean that some Coasian bargaining won’t occur-perhaps media Companies will pay ISPs to not change pricing schemes. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of media Companies buying out ISPs as a result of this either.
Technorati Tags: Internet, Computer, Technology, Charging for Internet Usage
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Scientist investigate how the oxygen content of the oceans has changed over recent time and they used an ingredient found in shampoos, and the same is widely available dietary supplement used by many people and was used to fight off alien invaders in the film "Evolution".

The ingredient, selenium, is an anti-oxidant and an essential trace nutrient in our diet. This study represents a first attempt by scientists to use selenium in this way and is part of research student, Andrew Shore’s, PhD project. It involves measuring the isotopic ratios of selenium in sediments.

One possible outcome of the project is that the results could give scientists a global picture of the changing oxygen content of the oceans through time. Previous studies have tended to focus on local variations in ocean oxygen content.

The oxygen content of oceans can also be used as an indicator of the "overall health" of the oceans. The recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states changes in fish populations are "associated with changes in oceanic oxygen levels." Therefore an understanding of oxygen in the oceans is not only important for the past but also for the future.

"We are using samples from an ocean basin off the Venezuelan coast which previous studies have shown to have changed its oxygen content over the last 500,000 years," explained Andrew.

Without oxygen living things suffocate. Six hundred million years ago, the only life that could survive was tiny single-celled organisms. Then suddenly 540 million years ago complex life began to thrive, possibly as the "miracle molecule", oxygen, became abundant on Earth.

Andrew added: "Our understanding of the changes in atmospheric oxygen is good, but our planet is 70% covered by oceans. Determining the oceanic oxygen content is very difficult - it is linked to the atmosphere, plankton growth, and ocean circulation patterns."
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1. Can love really last a lifetime?
Absolutely -- but only if you chuck the fairy tale of living happily ever after. A team of scientists recently found that romantic love involves chemical changes in the brain that last 12 to 18 months. After that, you and your partner are on your own. Relationships require maintenance. Pay a visit to a nursing home if you want to see proof of lasting love. Recently I spoke to a man whose wife of 60 years was suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s disease. He came to sit with her every day and hold her hand. "She’s been my best friend since high school," he told me. "We made a promise to stick together." Now, that’s a love story.

2. Why do married folks begin to look like one another?
Watch any two people who like each other talking, and you’ll see a lot of mirroring. One smiles, and so does the other. One nods or raises her eyebrows, and so does the other. Faces are like melodies with a natural urge to stay in sync. Multiply those movements by several decades of marriage, all those years of simultaneous sagging and drooping, and it’s no wonder!

3. Can a marriage survive betrayal?
Yes. It takes time and work, but experts are pretty unanimous on this one. In her book The Monogamy Myth, Peggy Vaughan estimates that 60 percent of husbands and 40 percent of wives will have an affair at some point in their marriages. That’s no advertisement for straying -- but the news is good for couples hoping to recover from devastating breaches of trust. The offended partner needs to make the choice to forgive -- and learn to live with a memory that can’t simply be erased. Infidelity is never forgotten, but it can gradually fade into the murky background of a strong, mature marriage.

4. Why does summer zoom by and winter drag on forever?
Because context defines experience. As Albert Einstein once said: "When you are courting a nice girl, an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder, a second seems like an hour."

5. Do animals really have a sixth sense?
Or seventh or eighth! A box jellyfish has 24 eyes, an earthworm’s entire body is covered with taste receptors, a cockroach can detect movement 2,000 times the diameter of a hydrogen atom -- and your dog’s sense of smell is up to 100,000 times greater than yours (some dogs have been known to smell human cancers). It’s safe to say that animals experience a much different world than we do.

6. Why does the line you’re in always move the slowest?
Because you’re late for your kid’s band practice, and you curse your luck and envy those speeding by. Conversely, when you’re in the fast line, unfettered by stress, you don’t even notice the poor schlubs in the slow lane. Good luck rarely commands one’s attention like bad luck. (See answer on buttered toast, "The Ultimate Test," below.)

7. By what age should you know what you want to do with your life?
Any moment now. This used to be a question the young asked. Now it’s a quandary for baby boomers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that younger boomers have abandoned the American ideal of picking a job and sticking with it. Between the ages of 18 and 36, these boomers held an average of 9.6 jobs. That’s a lot of exploration. The wisdom of elders in all cultures seems to be this: There’s nothing to do with a life but live it. As Gandhi pointed out, "Almost anything you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it."

8. Where do traffic jams come from?
Scientists are hard at work on this one, studying computer models of the physics of gridlock and inventing all new traffic-light algorithms. Some of them postulate that the rhythms of automobile traffic are influenced by the same cyclical forces that cause waves in the ocean. For the average commuter, though, it may be helpful to think of it this way: congestion. There are just too many darn people trying to do the same thing at once. (Flush every toilet in a single office building simultaneously, and see what happens.) All of this by way of saying: Buy a newspaper, load up some favorite tunes on your MP3 player, and take the bus.

9. When is your future behind you?
When you stop chasing dreams. So don’t stop!

10. Do you have to love your job?
No. Love your children, your spouse and your country. Love your parents, your neighbor and your dog. Loving is too important an emotion to attach to the way you make a living. But it’s OK to strive for satisfaction. According to a recent Harris Poll, across America 59% of workers say they are extremely, somewhat or slightly satisfied with their jobs, but a depressing 33% feel as if they’ve reached a career dead end. If you’re among the latter and thinking about a new job, consider the fact that employees in small firms said they felt more engaged in their work than did their corporate counterparts. .

11. Can a man and a woman ever just be friends?
For a short time perhaps. Making the friendship last requires that you find each other at least vaguely repulsive. Good luck!

12. When do you take away Grandpa’s car keys?
Twenty-two states currently require frequent testing for senior drivers. The American Medical Association and the AARP, however, say safe driving has more to do with functional ability than age. True, seniors are more at risk for reduced vision, hearing loss and impairments associated with arthritis -- but all of these conditions depend on the individual. So when it seems to you that Pop is becoming a danger to himself and a danger to others, tell him straight. Point out that his reactions have slowed or his judgment is losing its edge. Suggest he not drive anymore. Be firm, but at the same time, don’t treat him like a child. Allow him his dignity. Offer him a ride.

13. Do siblings who fight really end up liking each other?
I surveyed my older sisters, both of whom have vivid memories of how I tripped, pummeled, and whacked them with various large plastic dolls (hey, they started it -- they teased me!), and both confirmed my suspicion that nowadays they like me just fine. I sure like them. All the experts will tell you that fighting among siblings is normal. The key is how parents handle it. Rule No 1: Don’t take sides. Never get into a discussion of who started what or what is more fair. Stop fights with a time-out for all offenders. My mother would send us to separate rooms. So we invented string phones and a pulley system to transport necessary treats and toys. And whatever we were fighting about was forgotten.

14. How do you know when to end a friendship?
As soon as you get that sneaking suspicion that it never really began.

15. Why do we turn into our parents when we swore we wouldn’t?
Because really, when all is said and done, we admire them.

16. Can a half-empty person become a half-full person?
A current theory is that people have an "emotional set point." Some folks are just made happier than others. Pessimists will see this as bad news, believing it really doesn’t matter what you do -- they are never going to be any happier. But there is hope -- as any optimist will see! Happiness has more to do with how you construe the events in your life than the actual events themselves.

17. When do kids become adults?
Biologically, it’s happening earlier; emotionally, it seems to be happening later. Nowadays puberty occurs in females between ages 8 and 14, between 9 and 15 in males. A generation ago, when you turned 18, you were out the door and on your own. Now we see kids in the Boomerang Generation coming home to Mom and Dad after college, hoping for a hand with bills, laundry, meals and other responsibilities of adulthood. It’s cute for a while, less adorable the older the kid gets.

18. Can a mother be friends with her teenage daughter?
No. Most teens aren’t ready for anything close to a mature friendship. According to current research, the brain continues to develop into a person’s 20s. Mothers often want to befriend their daughters; fathers, their sons. But this is not in anyone’s best interest. Teenagers need to form identities distinct from their parents. That means: lots of privacy, even some secrets. It’s usually easier for a teenage girl to befriend the friend of her mother, and it’s usually best for the mother to leave it at that.

19. Does money really buy happiness?
No. Because happiness isn’t for sale. Many people get tripped up by this one, amassing wealth only to find themselves cycling into a bottomless pit of unsatisfiable yearning. Turns out, joy and misery are not that far apart when it comes to very big wads of cash. Consider the case of a Kentucky couple who won $34 million in 2000. Thrilled to be released from the demands of their boring old jobs, they frittered their fortune away on fancy cars, mansions, all the usual stuff -- losing everything that mattered in the process. They divorced, he died of an alcohol-related illness, and she died alone in her new house just five years after cashing the winning ticket. When it comes to happiness, only people you love, and who love you, can bring it. If you have enough dough to buy yourself a luxurious yacht, but no real friends to sail with, you’re sunk.

20. Can spenders and savers stay married?
Sure - and they won’t run out of things to talk about either. Disagreements over money are a leading cause of divorce, so experts advise lots of work around this issue if, financially speaking, you’ve found yourself married to your opposite. Tip: Always talk in terms of "ours" instead of "mine" or "yours," and work your strengths. The saver should be allowed to draft the budget; the spender gets to be in charge of vacations, celebrations and ordering extra toppings on the pizza.

21. Is money the root of all evil?
No. Greed is. Elvis nailed this one when he said, "Sharing money is what gives it its value."

22. What do you do if you see a parent berating a child?
Cringe. Take a deep breath. If you truly believe you can help the situation, approach as someone showing sympathy -- not as an accuser or member of the parent police. Empathize with the over-stressed parent. Suggest that he take a deep breath. Tell him it worked for you.

23. Why is it so hard to say you’re wrong?
Because it often involves saying, "I’m sorry," which is even harder. Throughout history people have found it easier to stop speaking to one another, punch, slander, shoot and bomb rather than apologize. Tip: Next time just say, "Whoops," and see what happens.

24. When should you reveal a secret you said you wouldn’t?
It’s a matter of damage control. Is the person who asked you to keep the secret in danger of hurting himself or others? If so, intervene. Otherwise, mum’s the word.

25. Does the toast really always fall buttered-side down?
Scientists in the Ask Laskas Kitchen conducted a study for which they first toasted an entire loaf of bread, one slice at a time. They buttered each slice, and dropped it from a variety of heights ranging from tabletop to ceiling. Among their findings: A dropped piece of toast never lands on its edge; stomping your foot and yelling "Darn!" does not change a thing; and the floor in the Ask Laskas Kitchen is not nearly as clean as we’d like. Well, life’s like that. Never as neat as you’d like it to be. But keep buttering your toast. And savor every slice you’ve been given.
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You know tobacco is a killer and how hard it is to quit. The average smoker dies an average 10 years sooner than his freshlunged friends. Not convincing? How about money? Here’s what one year of smoking can cost you.

Research says The average adult inhales 7,300 sticks a year.
You’ll need 365 packs of smokes.
You’ll pay Rs 29,200

Research says Tobacco yellows teeth and restricts blood flow to the gums, causing eventual tooth loss.
You’ll need Tooth whitening.
You’ll pay Rs 1,200

Research says Lighting up incites heartburn and peptic ulcers. It can also damage the liver and may cause gallstones.
You’ll need Antacids and a trip to the gastroenterologist.
You’ll pay Rs 1,580

Research says Smokers are four times likelier to go blind from age-related macular degeneration.
You’ll need Lutein supplements for your eyes.
You’ll pay Rs 760

Research says Puffers have a higher risk of skin cancer.
You’ll need Visits to a dermatologist or even a surgery.
You’ll pay Rs 42,500

Research says Men with high BP who smoke a pack a day are 60 per cent more likely than non-smokers to suffer from erectile dysfunction.
You’ll need Some little blue pills for the bedroom.
You’ll pay Rs 450

TOTAL: Rs 75,690 Time to kick the butt!

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Punching your way out of a paper bag could soon become a lot harder, for researchers in Europe claim to have developed a new kind of paper which is stronger than cast iron.

A team at the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology has produced the "nanopaper" from a biological material found. in conventional paper - cellulose. This long sugar molecule is a principal component of plant cell walls and is the most common organic compound on Earth. "The new paper could be used to reinforce conventional paper, produce extra-strong sticky tape or help create tough synthetic replacements for biological tissues," according to Lars Berglund, who led the team.

Cellulose is extracted from wood to make paper. But the mechanical processes used to pulp wood and process it into paper damage the individual cellulose fibres, greatly reducing their strength. So, the Swedish team have developed a gentler process that preserves the fibres’ strength, the ’New Scientist’ has reported. The new method involves breaking down wood pulp with enzymes and then fragmenting it using a mechanical beater. The shear forces produced cause the cellulose to disintegrate into its component fibres.

The end result is undamaged cellulose fibres suspended in water. When the water is drained away, they found that the fibres join together into networks held by hydrogen bonds, forming flat sheets of “nanopaper”.
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Mozilla has released Firefox 3, a major Mozilla browser release since the launch of Firefox 2 in October 2006. Available today in approximately 50 languages, Firefox 3 is two to three times faster than its predecessor and offers more than 15,000 improvements, including the smart location bar, malware protection and extensive under the hood work to improve the speed and performance of the browser.
“We’re really proud of Firefox 3, and it just shows what a committed, energised global community can do when they work together,” said John Lilly, CEO, Mozilla.

What’s new in Firefox 3: The new Firefox 3 smart location bar, also known as the Awesome Bar learns as people use it, adapting to user preferences and offering better fitting matches over time. The Firefox 3 Library archives browsing history, bookmarks and tags, where they can be easily searched and organised. One-click bookmarking and tagging make it easy to remember, search and organise websites. The new full-page zoom displays any part of a Web page, up close and readable, in seconds.

Firefox 3 is built on top of the new Gecko 1.9 platform, resulting in a safer, easier to use and more personal product. Firefox 3 now uses less memory while it’s running, and its redesigned page rendering and layout engine means users see Web pages two to three times faster than Firefox 2.

Firefox 3 also raises the bar for security. The new malware and phishing protection helps protect from viruses, worms, trojans and spyware to keep people safe on the Web. Firefox 3’s one-click site ID information allows users to verify that a site is what it claims to be. Mozilla’s open source process leverages the experience of thousands of security experts around the globe.

Everyone uses the Web differently, and Firefox 3 lets users customise participating in online auctions, uploading digital photos, seeing the weather forecasts and listening to music, all from the convenience of the browser. The new Add-ons Manager helps users to find and install add-ons directly from the browser.

The Mozilla servers have been experiencing problems due to high demand for Firefox 3. This actually delayed the full release of Firefox 3 by more than an hour. According to a Mozilla Developer News weblog post, Firefox 3 is being downloaded more than 14,000 times a minute. With the launch of Firefox 3, Mozilla is hoping to set a Guinness World Record for the most downloads in 24 hours.

Mozilla Firefox 3 is available now for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X operating systems.
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LG Electronics has launched ’LG Secret’ at CommunicAsia 2008. In the same Black Label Series that had LG Chocolate and LG Shine, LG Secret includes motion games that have a gyroscope-like effect enabled by the accelerometer sensor. With a tilt or rotation of the handset, the user can throw a dart, hook a fish, or navigate a maze.

"The meaning of the product name, ’LG Secret’, is to tantalise the user with the intrinsic features of the phone and engage in a continual process of exploring the inner workings of the handset that will never go out of style," according to LG.

This phone was launched in Singapore, the phone will also be available in India, Indonesia, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines by the end of July 2008. Pricing has not been released yet.

Equipped with a 5.0 mega-pixel camera, LG Secret boasts 120 fps video recording and playback. It has photo and video editing features including morphing (facial editing). The phone has Touch Media feature that takes advantage of the touch screen to directly access five multimedia functions in a single button - music, photos, games, documents and FM radio. In addition, users can also use the Movie Maker software in the handset to create their own music videos.

LG Secret features Bluetooth auto-sync that automatically synchronises with the PC and users do not have to be hassled by tangled USB cables. The Auto Rotating Display shifts the image on the screen for viewing in any position. The phone also features Neon Touch Navigation buttons, SmartLight and Auto Luminance Control. The phone is loaded with a Google Package that enables the user to surf the Internet, log into Gmail, use Google Maps and watch YouTube videos.
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Cancer is one of six killer disease and treating the cancer is difficult one in certain cases. More research and analysis have been carried out by scientists throughout the world. Now, as a breakthrough, a new computer-based method of analyzing cellular activity has correctly predicted the anti-tumour activity of several molecules. New research published in Molecular Cancer describes ’CoMet’ -- a tool that studies the integrated machinery of the cell and predicts those components that will have an effect on cancer.

Jeffrey Skolnick, in collaboration with John McDonald, led a team from the Georgia Institute of Technology who have developed this new strategy. As Skolnick explains, "This opens up the possibility of novel therapeutics for cancer and develops our understanding of why such metabolites work. CoMet provides a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cancer".

The small molecules that are naturally produced in cells are called metabolites. Enzymes, the biological catalysts that produce and consume these metabolites are created according to a cell’s genetic blueprints. Importantly, however, the metabolites can also affect the expression of genes. According to the authors "By comparing the gene expression levels of cancer cells relative to normal cells and converting that information into the enzymes that produce metabolites, CoMet predicts metabolites that have lower concentrations in cancer relative to normal cells".

The research proves that by adding such putatively depleted metabolites to cancer cells, they exhibit anticancer properties. In this case, growth of leukemia cells was slowed by all nine of the metabolites suggested by CoMet. The future for this treatment looks bright, in McDonald’s words, "While we have only performed cell proliferation assays, it is reasonable to speculate that some metabolites may also exhibit many other anticancer properties. These could be important steps on the road to a cure".
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Reading in dim light won’t damage your eyes, you don’t need eight glasses of water a day to stay healthy and shaving your legs won’t make the hair grow back faster. These well-worn theories are among seven “medical myths” exposed in a paper published on Friday in the British Medical Journal, which traditionally carries light-hearted features in its Christmas edition.

Two US researchers took seven common beliefs and searched the archives for evidence to support them. Despite frequent mentions in the popular press of the need to drink eight glasses of water, they found no scientific basis for the claim.

The other six “myths” are:

1. Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight: The majority of eye experts believe it is unlikely to do any permanent damage, but it may make you squint, blink more and have trouble focusing, the researchers said.


2. Shaving makes hair grow back faster or coarser: It has no effect on the thickness or rate of hair regrowth, studies say. But stubble lacks the finer taper of unshaven hair, giving the impression of coarseness.


3. Eating turkey makes you drowsy: It does contain an amino acid called tryptophan that is involved in sleep and mood control. But turkey has no more of the acid than chicken or minced beef.


4. Eating lots of food and drink at Christmas are probably the real cause of sleepiness.


5. We use only 10 percent of our brains: This myth arose as early as 1907 but imaging shows no area of the brain is silent or completely inactive.


6. Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death: This idea may stem from ghoulish novels. The researchers said the skin dries out and retracts after death, giving the appearance of longer hair or nails.


7. Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals: Despite widespread concerns, studies have found minimal interference with medical equipment.

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Quick facts on Antibiotics

1. 
   
   Increasing use of antimicrobials in humans, animals, and agriculture has resulted in many microbes developing resistance to these powerful drugs.


2. 
   
   Many infectious diseases are increasingly difficult to treat because of antimicrobial-resistant organisms, including HIV infection, staphylococcal infection, tuberculosis, influenza, gonorrhea, candida infection, and malaria.


3. 
   
   Between 5 and 10 percent of all hospital patients develop an infection, leading to an increase of about $5 billion in annual U.S. healthcare costs.


4. 
   
   About 90,000 of these patients die each year as a result of their infection, up from 13,300 patient deaths in 1992.


5. 
   
   People infected with antimicrobial-resistant organisms are more likely to have longer hospital stays and may require more complicated treatment.

Antibiotics have become part of our life style, and then specifically when we talk about health issues one cannot imagine any adult who has not yet been prescribed a course of antibiotics. But what exactly are antibiotics?

Antibiotics are drugs that kill bacteria, and take note, they are only effective against bacteria and therefore they have no effect on viruses. Unfortunately, antibiotics do not cure the common cold, flu or any other viral infections. It is also advisable only to take antibiotics as the last resort when you have a bacterial infection because antibiotics may have some adverse effects on the human body, which may include the following:

Side-effects and allergic conditions: The most general side-effects of antibiotics include nausea, diarrhoea, and an increased sensitivity to sunlight. Although most side-effects may be mild in appearance, some may be severe like allergic reactions and it may even be life-threatening allergic reactions. Should you experience any unexpected reaction to an antibiotic you use for the first time, immediately consult with your health professional.

Secondary infections: Although antibiotics main purpose is to kill all harmful bacteria, it is unfortunately a fact that they also target bacteria that are necessary for your body. Here we talk of the bacterial balance in the body and when this balance is thus disturbed, the results are stomach upset, diarrhoea and other minor infections.

Bacterial resistance: When antibiotics are used too often, bacteria have the ability to change in order to counter the effectiveness of such antibiotics. The end result is that it makes it just more and more difficult to teat bacterial infections.

Health professionals are there to prescribe antibiotics only as a last resort and when prescribed, it is of utmost importance to follow the instructions carefully. The course must be finished and it is important to take note that tablets work in tandem with each other and from there the importance to keep with the time intervals and finish all the tablets. Remember, antibiotics kill as many bacteria as possible quite quickly with the result that after a few days you may feel better and also inclined to stop taking it further. If you stop taking the antibiotic too soon, the weaker bacteria will have been killed but the stronger ones will survive and actually flourish. At any time, if there are side effects experienced, stop taking it immediately and contact your health professional.
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Newly married couple enjoying their Honeymoon

Is She longing for a Partner? If so, are you ready?

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One of the most famous geological areas in the world and around 250 million years ago there was vulcanic activity here. This is one of the only places in Norway where vulcanic rocks still are visibly present as this place sunk 2000 meters down and was fairly protected from the elements through time. Other places in Norway being in higher altitudes have no visible remnants of vulcanic-activity rocks due to millions of years of exposure to elements of weather. Only in Southern America and Kilimanjaro in Africa have the same type of rocks. Some of the vulcanic rocks found in Asdoel Gorge: - red and green alum shale - quarzite - conglomerate - basalt - porphyry The first people settling nearby this area came around 2500-1500 B.C We, as humans, don`t have a long history on this unique planet and I think every single one of us should incorporate 2 or 3 simple things in our lives, that does good for our environment. Some think "Why, after I`m dead nothing really matters anymore". So wrong that is. Think about todays children who will still live in the world we leave, and their children too. - The movie "The Call Of The Wild", starring Charlton Heston, was made in this gorge in 1974. A book I dearly remember reading the first time as a small boy. Never would have imagined that the movie was filmed in Norway though.
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Earthquake, the hidden danger under the earth, no matter where they hit, large earthquakes can trigger a multitude of tiny tremors right across the globe. Yes, it is true. Now, Geologists have long suspected that this was the case, the culprit being waves that travel along the Earth’s surface, including Love waves and Rayleigh waves.

Aaron Velasco of the University of Texas at El Paso and colleagues have found this that large earthquakes cause many more tiny tremors than previously thought. The team gathered data on 15 earthquakes of magnitude 7 or greater from more than 500 seismographic stations worldwide.

In the 5 hours before the waves from a distant earthquake passed through these regions, the mean number of quakes detected globally was around 600. In the 48 minutes after the passage of Love waves, the average rate of these tremors rose by 37 per cent; for Rayleigh waves, the jump was 60 per cent.

"It means that this remote triggering is much more common than anyone supposed." Roger Musson of the British Geological Survey says.
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I die rather living in this filthy world

Hurray, My mission Accomplished

My Sunday Sunrise- in my seashore

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IBM and Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd are collaborating to establish new, low-cost methods for bringing the next generation of solar energy products to market - products that will be more affordable and easier to install than those available today.

Specifically, TOK and IBM have agreed to jointly develop processes, materials and equipment suitable for the production of CIGS (Copper-Indium-Gallium-Selenide) solar cell modules. Currently, the relatively high cost of electricity produced by solar cells compared to electricity from other energy sources is an inhibitor to a more widespread adoption of solar energy. Use of thin film technology, such as CIGS, has great promise in reducing the overall cost of solar cells and further enabling their widespread adoption.

"Our goal is to develop more efficient photovoltaic structures that would reduce the cost, minimise the complexity and improve the flexibility of producing solar electric power," said Dr Tze-Chiang Chen, vice president, science and technology, IBM Research. "Now, IBM’s advanced technology combined with TOK’s expertise in equipment design and manufacture, have the potential to broaden the use of alternative energy sources."

Despite the abundance of solar power, current solar cell systems, which largely rely on silicon for their conversion function, are comparatively less efficient and more expensive than other energy sources. Thin-film CIGS solar cells can be 100x thinner than silicon-wafer cells, can be deposited on cheap glass substrates and thus have correspondingly lower cost.

Thin-film solar cells also have the advantage that they could be arranged on a flexible backing, suitable for the tops and sides of buildings, tinted windows, and other surfaces. Solution processing allows ’printing’ onto a rolled backing of a flexible module, or a glass plate, eliminating many of the high energy and equipment intensive processes that are typical in conventional photovoltaics manufacturing.
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As, we know the impact of the global warming, now another large plate of ice has broken off the rapidly disintegrating Wilkins Ice Shelf in the Antarctic Peninsula, the above satellite images show.

While the ice shelf, located directly below South America, shrank significantly in previous months, this is the first documented occurrence of an ice shelf collapsing during the Southern Hemisphere’s winter.

The European Space Agency’s Envisat satellite revealed that approximately 62 square miles (160 square kilometers) of ice detached from the ice shelf between May 30 and May 31. This most recent loss narrowed the strip to a width of 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers).

The Wilkins Ice Shelf connects the islands of Charcot and Latady and protects many miles of Antarctica’s ice shelves from additional collapse. A trend of "extraordinary warming" over the past 50 years in Antarctica has caused the loss of several ice shelves, Matthias Braun of Bonn University, and Angelika Humbert of Münster University, said in a statement.

The researchers also warned that the last strip of ice on Wilkins would disappear soon. "The remaining plate has an arched fracture at its narrowest position," they said, "making it very likely that the connection will break completely in the coming days."
Technorati Tags: Pollution, Global warming, Satellite, Research, Satellite shows antartica ICE caps melting
Del.Icio.Us Tags: Pollution, Global warming, Satellite, Research, Satellite shows antartica ICE caps melting

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1 You don’t pick up after yourself at our place.
Actually, women really don’t mind if you’re a little messy. An empty beer bottle here or dirty T-shirt there-no problem. But when she starts seeing pieces of you (literally) all over the place, she tends to go off. Like when she finds your pubes all over her bar of Dove, or toenail clippings on the nightstand. Please clean that up before she sees it and wants to gag. And she can promise to be better about leaving globs of her hair in your shower drain. Have a deal?

2 You ask how much our new haircut or handbag costs...
yet conveniently don’t mention your guy party account. Until she is sharing a bank account with you, she’s not all that interested in your opinions on how she should or should not spend your money. And if you are sharing a bank account, here’s something you should know: reminding her when she’s in the throes of post-retail bliss that she just blew all your disposable income for the month is not going to endear you to her. The perfect response: "Wow, (sexy/hot) new (haircut/handbag/lingerie item). I guess dinner is on me tonight!" Then wait a few days to bring up your financial concerns- propose that both of you start saving for something you want to buy together.

3 You talk to us as if we’re one of the guys.
If you have any romantic inclinations towards her, please don’t call her by her last name. Otherwise she’ll assume she has already been relegated to buddy status and start thinking of you that way, too. Also, you’ll rarely find her holding entire conversations in some code language. Similarly, women don’t talk in numbers the same way men tend to. They’re happy to see evidence of your improvements at the gym, but they really don’t need to know how much you can bench-press. Fantasy-league anything will make them flirt hard with the waiter. No, the conversation doesn’t have to be all about them, but they do want you to shoot for topics of mutual interest.

4 You speak of the future vaguely.
Men seem to have perfected a special way of talking about the future that makes it unclear whether women are a part of it or not. Or maybe you don’t know you’re doing this? For instance, you frequently mention your friend’s wedding six months from now and haven’t asked her to go with you (or if she wants to). If you picture her in your future, try talking about these things in a way that she’ll stick around for it.

5 You stop trying.
You have her as your wife or girlfriend. She’s committed to the situation, and all is good. But pretty soon you stop trying to impress her-and women don’t like that. "Now that we’re married, he never tries to ’win me’ any more," says 29-year-old Preeti. "If he wants to come on to me, he needs to ditch his gross dress socks and gym clothes and make an effort. Otherwise he ain’t getting any. Also, there is less foreplay and it’s more routine, which I hate. After seven years, a man’s got to bust some new moves." Or at least bring back a few of the retired ones that used to work. Like simply bringing home a pizza, a bottle of wine and some flowers when she has had a bad day. Bring back the woo. Women want the woo!

6 You blatantly look at porn.
Women don’t care that you masturbate and women can’t change the fact that you might occasionally browse the fine and varied selection of naked ladies on the Internet. But if you’re looking at porn on a computer she also uses, kindly delete your history. Women don’t want amazonbabes.com to pop up every time they want to look up something on the Net.

7 You turn down sex.
When it so happens that she’s the one who wants sex and you’re the one who doesn’t, she finds your refusal to be confusing and irritating. Reassure her that she’s attractive and that you love her, but that you just aren’t in the mood. It helps to throw out a hint at what’s going on-that you’re tired, depressed, anxious at work, whatever. That way she won’t obsess or be too pouty or aggressive. If she happens to be fresh off a girls’ night out liquored up and ready for sex, which you’re refusing, tread extra carefully. Horny can change to emotional, crying wreckage very quickly when your girl has a couple of glasses of whiskey in her.

8 You ask us out via text.
Texting is fast and easy and leads to sexy banter-but save it until after the first date. Calling a woman to ask her out is much more personal. It takes more effort (and balls), which is exactly what women find so sexy. Okay, it’s an unfair burden, but it comes with an advantage: it makes you stand out from the mass of other men who text. People are so conditioned to communicate through SMS that to receive a phone call or even an e-mail feels like a generously romantic gesture. Also don’t include her in any mass texts you bang off to half the female names in your phonebook at 10 pm, expecting one of them to meet you for the night. Women know when your ’plans 2nite?’ texts are generic, and when they’re intended to specifically address them.
Technorati Tags: Women, Life, Love, Dating
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Do you know Why INDIA is in trouble..?..........................

Population: 100 crore
Out of which : 9 crore retired

From the remaining: 30 crore in state Govt; and 17 crore in central Govt. (Both categories don’t work)

1 crore IT professional (don’t work for India )

And, 25 crore in school, 1 crore are under 5 years, 15 crore unemployed, 1.2 crore u can find anytime in hospitals

Statistics says u find 79,99,998 people anytime in jail

The Balance two are U & Me.

U are busy " checking Mails /voting stories and giving comments.. "..!!

HOW CAN I HANDLE INDIA alone? Aiyyyyo......

-Rsk4you

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Readers discretion is advised, below 18, please exit this page.

Hey guys, think you know everything there is to know about having sex with women? That erotic encyclopedia you carry around in your head may contain a lot of basic errors and omissions about women’s sexuality -- errors that can lead to sex mistakes.

That’s because - after learning the facts of life - most of us are left to figure out sex for ourselves. Guys tend to take a lot of cues from adult movies, and we all know how true-to-life those are. Experience may help, but many women can be shy when talking about what they like.

To help us with some sex tips,

Sex Mistake No.1: You Know What She Wants

Men often make assumptions about what a woman wants based upon what they’ve done with other women. But women aren’t all the same. "You develop a repertoire as you mature sexually, but you should never assume that what worked for the last person is going to work for this person," That applies not only to sexual predilections, but also to relationships, "There are women who can have no-strings-attached sex, and women who can get attached very easily, and then everyone in between."

Sex Mistake No. 2: You Have All She Needs

Some women can’t have an orgasm with less than 3,000 rpm. No human tongue or fingers can generate that kind of vibration. But men typically think something is wrong if a woman needs a vibrator. Think of a vibrator as your assistant, not your substitute. Many couples use vibrators together. "While you’re doing one thing, or two things, the vibrator can be doing something else,"

Sex Mistake No. 3: Sex Feels the Same for Men and Women

There tends to be a "huge disconnect" between men and women in the ways that sex feels good. "When a man has intercourse with a woman, and his penis goes into her body, that sensation is so off the charts for most men, they cannot imagine that it isn’t feeling the same way for her," "It couldn’t be further from the truth." The inside of the vagina is probably less sensitive than the outer parts for most women. Also, deep thrusting may not feel so nice on the receiving end. If the penis is too long, "it feels like you’re getting punched in the stomach, It makes you feel nauseous."

Sex Mistake No. 4: You Know Your Way Around a Woman’s Anatomy

Most guys know generally what a clitoris is and where to find it. That’s not to say that they really understand it. More than 30 years ago, at the start of the "sexual revolution," a best-selling book called the Joy of Sex got Americans hip to the orgasmic importance of the clitoris. But the belief that women must be able to orgasm from vaginal penetration stubbornly persists.

"I still get letters from people who say things like, my wife can’t [orgasm] from intercourse unless she has clitoral stimulation -- please help," people says. For the majority of women, it’s not going to happen that way," A touch that’s bliss for one woman may feel like nothing special, or may even be painful for someone else. Some prefer indirect stimulation.

Sex Mistake No. 5: Wet = Turned On

Guys sometimes get hung up if a woman doesn’t get slippery enough for easy penetration. Don’t worry about it. There’s a myth that if you’re turned on, you’re wet. Not necessarily. Some women tend to get wetter than others, and how much natural lubrication a woman has can change from day to day. It varies by the phase of her menstrual cycle, and it’s subject to influences like stress and medications.

Sex Mistake No. 6: Silence Is Golden

A lot of guys think they should be silent during sex, but unless you speak up, your partner has to guess what’s doing it for you and what isn’t. If you’re respectful about it, a woman who wants to please you will probably appreciate some directions.

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HP has recently launched the new HP TouchSmart family of PCs which features HP software designed specifically for touch. With this new generation of all-in-one PCs from HP, a finger tapped or swept across the high-resolution screen gives access to information, entertainment and social networks. Without using a keyboard or mouse, consumers can play music and create playlists, zoom in or out of photos, and quickly check the weather or watch TV.

“Our engineers have created a fun, engaging and simple touch experience for the home,” said John Cook, vice president, marketing, worldwide consumer PC business, HP. “We’re changing personal computing from just feeds and speeds to an experience influenced by consumer trends and design that anticipates customer’s needs. The HP TouchSmart PC is all about reinventing the personal computer experience.”

HP said the HP TouchSmart IQ500 series PC software brings a new level of enjoyment to photos, videos and music by making it easier for people to access and interact with their media. For example, consumers can browse a music collection by album art in a tiled fashion or fan view. People can crop, edit and share photos as well as upload them directly to Snapfish from HP without the need to use a keyboard or mouse.

Consumers also can watch and record their favorite TV shows, burn personal videos with the built-in DVD burner, upload videos they create directly to YouTube and enjoy high-quality sound with the integrated premium stereo speakers. The built-in webcam and microphone help users keep in touch with friends and family anywhere they have Internet access through video chat and conference.

HP TouchSmart PCs offer the low-profile wireless keyboard and integrated WLAN; the adjustable screen can be tilted up and down. The HP Ambient Light lets consumers see the keyboard in the dark. In addition, the HP TouchSmart PCs are ENERGY STAR qualified and come in new packaging that reduces plastic foam cushioning materials. Other features include 4 gigabytes of memory, a media card reader and a high-speed hard drive, HP said.

Prices for the base model HP TouchSmart IQ504 PC and the TV-tuner equipped IQ506 PC are expected to start at $1,299 and $1499, respectively. Customers can shop for the new TouchSmart PCs by calling +1 800 230 5752, via chat, online or at retail outlets nationwide. Models are expected to be available in retail outlets on 13 July 2008.
Technorati Tags: Technology, Computer, Science, World
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Get hard, then get soft
Not only does Viagra pep you to do the deed, it can even make you want to stay around to hug and talk afterwards. Studies by the University of Wisconsin-Madison have shown that slidenafil, the active drug in Viagra, can raise levels of the touchy-feely hormone, oxytocin, involved in bonding, orgasm and feelings of sexual pleasure. "This is one piece in a puzzle in which many pieces are still not available," said lead researcher Meyer Jackson. "But it raises the possibility that erectile dysfunction drugs could be doing more than just affecting erectile dysfunction." Jackson believes this could lead to the development of drugs that would increase social bonding.
Technorati Tags: Viagra, Sex, Male, Science

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More Ways to Protect Yourself

Here are 10 additional tips from fighting backnow.com that will help you protect your identity online and in mail:

1. Monitor your credit report regularly. You can request one free report a year, and you can also sign up with the three major credit bureaus to be alerted of any unusual activity.


2. Stop giving out your Social Security number. Only a few places have the authority to ask for your Social Security number-your employer, the Department of Motor Vehicles, welfare services, the IRS, and institutions that deal with your taxes, like your bank or a brokerage house.


3. Make sure you’re getting all of your bills each month. If one goes missing, contact the company right away. Have a lot of bills? Keep a list of them so you don’t lose track.


4. Review your credit card statements diligently. 5. Make sure each purchase is yours and if not, notify the company immediately.


5. Check your bank statement each month. This is time consuming, but worth it! Bank policy is that you only have one month to put in a claim of fraud if you want the bank to recover your money.


6. Strip your computer before donating it. Make sure all of your information is removed from your personal computer before donating it by wiping the hard drive or taking it out and destroying them.


7. Get a second (or third) e-mail-account.8. Establish a separate e-mail account and use it specifically and exclusively for online purchases. That should make your private accounts less vulnerable.


8. Consider a different browser. The most popular browser is Internet Explorer, which is pre-installed on most personal computers. Most viruses and spyware programs target this browser as a result, so try using alternative browsers such as Firefox or Opera, which can be downloaded free of charge.


9. Just say no. Sign up for the Do Not Call list; stop pre-approved credit card and insurance offers from reaching you by mail or phone.


10. Box junk mail. Use the Direct Marketing Association to help you stop receiving mailings.
    
    Technorati Tags: Security, Online, Email, Hacking, Computers
    Del.Icio.Us Tags: Security, Online, Email, Hacking, Computers

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Fight Back - 8 Simple Ways

1. Opt out of unsolicited credit card offers by calling 888-567-8688 (supported by the consumer credit reporting industry).


2. Get spy ware protection for your computer, such as Ad-Aware.


3. Don’t return warranty cards for purchased items. Save your receipt - that’s all you need to make a claim.


4. Have all your mail sent to a post office box rather than to your home address.


5. Never open e-mail from people you don’t know.


6. Use different passwords for your online accounts.


7. Mix numbers and letters, upper and lowercase, in passwords.


8. Shred all documents, especially from credit card companies, before discarding.

Del.Icio.Us Tags: Security, Hacking, Computers, Credit cards
Technorati Tags: Security, Hacking, Computers, Credit cards

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Indian top cellphone service provider Bharti Airtel and Apple will be bringing the iPhone 3G to customers in India later this year, while Vodafone will make the iPhone available in Australia, Italy, New Zealand and Portugal on 11 July 2008, and in the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, India, South Africa and Turkey later this year.

iPhone 3G has all the features of iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast as the first-generation iPhone, built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services and iPhone 2.0 software that support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs the hundreds of third-party applications already built with the recently released iPhone SDK.

“We are delighted with the opportunity to bring the innovative iPhone 3G to India,” said Manoj Kohli, president and CEO, Bharti Airtel. “As India’s leading telecom operator, Bharti Airtel has always stood for innovation and customer delight. With our reach across the country and iPhone’s revolutionary features, we have a valuable proposition for our customers in India.”

“We are thrilled to be working with Bharti Airtel, India’s leading integrated telecom company, to bring iPhone 3G to millions of mobile customers in India,” said Tim Cook, COO, Apple. “We can’t wait to get this revolutionary product in the hands of even more people around the world.” Airtel customers will be able to purchase iPhone 3G at Airtel Relationship Centers. Details of pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.

"We are very excited to bring iPhone 3G to many of our customers across Europe and emerging markets this summer,” said Frank H. Rövekamp, global CMO, Vodafone Group. “Vodafone’s extensive, high-speed and reliable networks mean customers can enjoy a great Internet and communications experience on their iPhone 3G.”

Australia, Italy, New Zealand and Portugal will be the first Vodafone markets to offer customers iPhone 3G for purchase on 11 July 2008. iPhone 3G will be available via Vodafone on both prepay and contract price plans which will include great value data bundles. Other markets will follow later this year; and full details of specific launch dates and price plans will be made available soon by individual Vodafone operating companies. Customers in Vodafone’s 10 markets where iPhone 3G will be available can pre-register online and in retail stores in the next few days.
Technorati Tags: Iphone, Telecommunication, Technology, India
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Computer manufacturing gaint IBM has announced the release of a one-petaflop supercomputer that runs on open-source Linux software from Red Hat. The computer is named Roadrunner and is built for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. It will primarily be used to ensure the safety and reliability of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile and also be used for research into astronomy, energy, human genome science and climate change.

It costs about $100 million, and runs twice as fast as the No.1 rated IBM Blue Gene system at Lawrence Livermore National Lab. It is world’s first hybrid supercomputer with mixture of i86 Opteron processors, running on IBM Model LS21 blade servers and Cell processors running on IBM Model QS22 blade servers. The machine is composed of a total of 3,060 tri-blades, each tri-blade unit can run at 400 billion operations per second (400 Gigaflops).

The Roadrunner system has 98 terabytes of memory and is fitted in 278 refrigerator-sized, IBM BladeCenter racks occupying 5,200 square feet. Its 10,000 connections, both Infiniband and Gigabit Ethernet, require 55 miles of fibre optic cable. Roadrunner weighs 500,000 lbs. The companies that contributed in components and technology include Emcore, Flextronics, Mellanox and Voltaire.

IBM is developing new software to make Cell-powered hybrid computing broadly accessible which includes calculating cause and effect in capital markets in real-time, and visualising 3-D renderings of tissues and bone structures in real-time, as patients are being examined. With corporate and academic partners, IBM is developing an open-source ecosystem that will bring hybrid supercomputing to financial services, energy exploration and medical imaging industries
Del.Icio.Us Tags: Technology, Computer, Science, Invention
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Breastfeeding can begin within minutes after birth for most babies. Most babies take a few licks or sucks and then pause at the beginning. Frequent bursts of sucking interrupted by pauses is the usual pattern for the first few hours and sometimes even the first few days.

The first milk the mother produces, called colostrum, is the best food for a newborn. The nipple stimulation that occurs during breastfeeding also helps the uterus contract and can help stop uterine bleeding.

When a baby begins to open its eyes, look around, and put his or her fist into his or her mouth, then it is time to offer your breast. Breastfeeding experts recommend that the baby not be given sugar water or other types of bottle feedings in the hospital unless specifically prescribed by the doctor.
Technorati Tags: Breast, Baby, Childcare, When to start BreastFeeding?
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Catholic bishops condemned the destruction of human embryos for stem cell research as a "gravely immoral act". The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted 191-1 to adopt the statement, without debate or discussion.

"Harvesting these ’embryonic stem cells’ involves the deliberate killing of innocent human beings, a gravely immoral act," the organization said. The identity of the one dissenter or the reason for his dissent was not made public at the gathering in Orlando.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, said ballots are signed but are destroyed after they are counted. Naumann said the reason for the ’no’ vote could be as simple as a disagreement with the phrasing in the document. "I’m assuming the person isn’t going against the pope’s teaching," Naumann said.

The bishops’ vote to adopt the statement, which will be distributed to Catholics in a brochure, came without debate. Hot button issues like abortion and stem cell research mobilized the Republican Party’s conservative Christian base to help keep President George W. Bush in the White House in 2004.
Del.Icio.Us Tags: Science, Technology, Research, Stem cell research - gravely immoral act?
Technorati Tags: Science, Technology, Research, Stem cell research - gravely immoral act?

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NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander provide the most magnified view of Martian soil, showing particles clumping together even at the smallest visible scale. In the past two days, two instruments on the lander deck - a microscope and a bake-and-sniff analyzer - have begun inspecting soil samples delivered by the scoop on Phoenix’s Robotic Arm.

"This is the first time since the Viking missions three decades ago that a sample is being studied inside an instrument on Mars," said Phoenix Principal Investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, Tucson. Stickiness of the soil at the Phoenix site has presented challenges for delivering samples, but also presents scientific opportunities. "Understanding the soil is a major goal of this mission and the soil is a bit different than we expected," Smith said.

"There could be real discoveries to come as we analyze this soil with our various instruments. We have just the right instruments for the job." Images from Phoenix’s Optical Microscope show nearly 1,000 separate soil particles, down to sizes smaller than one-tenth the diameter of a human hair. At least four distinct minerals are seen. "It’s been more than 11 years since we had the idea to send a microscope to Mars and I’m absolutely gobsmacked that we’re now looking at the soil of Mars at a resolution that has never been seen before," said Tom Pike of Imperial College London.

He is a Phoenix co-investigator working on the lander’s Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer. The sample includes some larger, black, glassy particles as well as smaller reddish ones. "We may be looking at a history of the soil," said Pike. "It appears that original particles of volcanic glass have weathered down to smaller particles with higher concentration of iron."
Technorati Tags: Mars, NASA, Science, Technology, Space
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A Cute baby bathing happily

Funny picture

Yet another, nice boy washing his face.!

Del.Icio.Us Tags: Funny, Pictures, Pics, Images
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Scientists have long believed that temperature of tree leaves is controlled and altered by the outside environment, but a study at Pennsylvania University has challenged this, by finding that healthy, photo synthesizing tree leaves have an inherent tendency to control their own temperature. The researchers surveyed 39 tree species from subtropical to boreal climates, and found that the temperature in tree leaves was almost constant.

Now, scientists gets new insights in how tree branches and leaves maintain a homeostatic temperature, which is ideal for photosynthesis. It also indicates that plant physiology and ecology should also be considered vital by biologists to tap trees for investigating climate change.

Such homeostasis of leaf temperature indicates that in colder climates leaves increase their temperatures and in case of warmer climates tree leaves cool to reach optimal conditions for photosynthesis. Thus, the old belief that leaf temperature is fixed needs a re-thinking.

"It is not surprising to think that a polar bear in northern Canada and a black bear in Florida have the same internal body temperature. They are endothermic mammals like us ,and they generate their own heat. However, to think that a black spruce in Canada and a Caribbean pine in Puerto Rico have the same average leaf temperature is quite astonishing, particularly since trees are most definitely not endothermic," Nature quoted Brent Helliker, professor of biology in the School of Arts and Sciences at Penn, as saying.

Now, one can consider leaf temperature, cooled by the physiological and morphological techniques of evaporation, leaf angle or reflection and heated by a decrease in evaporation and an increase in the number of leaves per branch, as adaptations in the run to achieve homeostasis.

Also, the study offers a new hypothesis asking the reason behind certain trees growing specifically in certain climates. It may also lead to a new theory for how and why trees in the north will suffer from global warming, by overheating due to the mechanisms they have evolved for keeping their leaves warm.
Technorati Tags: Science, Research, Plants, Botony
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As we know, Iran is a country rich in oil fields and natural gas reserves. Now, archaeologists have found a 5000-year-old site in Iran, which could be as large as the Burnt City and belong to an important civilization.

According to a report, the site, which dates back to BC 3000, was discovered during the latest excavations in Bampur region in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, Iran.

"In the Bampur valley, there is an ancient site covered with sand mounds, which is as large as the Burnt City and may belong to a civilization as great as the civilization of that the city," Mehdi Mortazavi, an archaeologist of the University of Sistan-Baluchestan, told the Persian service of CHN.

Covering an area of 152 hectares, the Burnt City, located 57 kilometers from the city of Zabol in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, is the largest prehistoric site of the province.

It was one of the world’s largest conurbations at the dawn of the urban era and was well developed during the third millennium BC. It thus constitutes one of the country’s most important prehistoric sites.

"It is felt that there are a large number of sites like this here. Such sites may even exist in nearby regions like Saravan. It’s better for the site to remain covered for the time being, because it will be plundered by illegal excavations if the precise location of the site is revealed," archaeologist said.
Del.Icio.Us Tags: World, Science, Discovery, Iran
Technorati Tags: World, Science, Discovery, Iran

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The starting point of every human life: ovulation occurring inside a woman’s body, has been photographed clearly. The release of the oocyte from the ovary is a crucial event in human reproduction, says Jacques Donnez, researcher. "These pictures are clearly important to better understand the mechanism."

Observing ovulation in humans is extremely rare, and previous images have been fuzzy. Donnez captured the event by accident while preparing to carry out a partial hysterectomy on a 45-year-old woman. The release of an egg was considered a sudden, explosive event, but his pictures, to be published in Fertility and Sterility, show it taking place over a period of at least 15 minutes.

Shortly before the egg is released, enzymes break down the tissue in the mature follicle, a fluid-filled sac on the surface of the ovary that contains the egg. This prompts the formation of a reddish protrusion, and after a while a hole appears, from which the egg emerges, surrounded by support cells. It then enters a Fallopian tube, which carries it to the uterus.

"In animals, even when we control hormone levels - allowing us to predict the time at which ovulation will occur - it is very rare to see it in progress."
Technorati Tags: Science, Medical, Technology, Sex
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A Japanese robotics company was going to be launching its new creation Lisa, an android programmed to be an expert on cooking to cleaning to massage. Lisa will be available dressed casually or revealingly and with the hair length of your choice: short, medium or long. Lisa has been developed by two Kobe students, Etienne Fresse and Yoichi Yamato, and the claim is that they have developed a technology called Recognition Krax System (RKS) which gives Lisa “vocal, tactile and visual recognition.

”What will Lisa do next? Just imagine, now you don’t have to look endlessly for that elusive maid around the house to do all the chores. Maybe Lisa does not even require a day off. While we editorially advise a healthy dose of scepticism over this development. It will give you a basic idea of what Lisa looks like and what she might be capable of. In Japan, so far as robots are concerned, there is really no saying what is real and what is fantasy.

Even if this one turns out to be false, consider where Japan already is in terms of robots. Three years ago Mitsubishi began delivering a yellow coloured robot called Wakamaru, described as a home robot. All of three feet tall, reports said Wakamuru came equipped and programmed to do a very impressive range of chores. Wakamuru could talk and could function as a pet, part security guard and part secretary. The recognition software in Wakamuru enabled it to recognise ten people and greet each individually with a wave. If a stranger entered the house in the owner’s absence, Wakamuru was equipped to send pictures to the mobile phone. If you were a natural worrier you could tell Wakamuru to check if you forgot to turn your gas off and the machine would trundle along and do it. It could keep your child company in its baby sitter role. Endless possibilities. Just imagine, if a Wakamuru could be trained to write editorials, could Lisa be far behind?
Technorati Tags: Japan, Robot, Science, Invention, Technology
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Do we underestimate the Crude reserves?

This week oil prices escalated to a record $139 per barrel, but that may partly be because the amount of available oil in known reserves has been significantly underestimated. Black gold might not be as scarce as we thought.

Oil companies produce a bell-shaped probability distribution for how much each oil reservoir might hold, and then quote as an indicator of the reservoir’s capacity a figure they are 90 per cent certain they can exceed. When publishing a result for multiple reservoirs, they simply add up the figures for each one. And this is where the problem lies.

"They should be combining the bell curves for each reservoir," says Pike former oil-industry adviser,UK Royal Society of Chemistry. Adding the numbers for each reservoir ignores statistical information about the extremes of the distribution, giving a result which underestimates the true total figure for all the reservoirs.

According to published estimates, there are 1200 billion barrels still to be extracted, but Pike says there could in fact be twice as much. "The figures are almost meaningless and just provide a conservative estimate for shareholders."
Technorati Tags: Crude, Petrol, Science, Technology

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Researcher, Toyohiko Ariga and colleagues point out that allicin is one of the main active ingredients in garlic. Other studies have shown that allicin has beneficial effects in preventing blood clots, cancer, and bacterial infection. Though commercially bottled garlic is often stored in oil or water, researchers did not know how various storage and preservation methods affect levels of allicin, which is fragile and disappears quickly.

So, When you buy garlic for its antibacterial effects, consider fresh garlic instead of those bottles of chopped garlic. Researchers in Japan report that fresh garlic maintains higher levels of a key healthy ingredient than preserved versions and may be better for you.

Ariga’s group compared allicin levels in extracts of fresh garlic after 1-2 weeks of storage in water, alcohol, and vegetable oil. Garlic stored in water at room temperature lost about half its allicin in 6 days and garlic in vegetable oil lost half its allicin in less than an hour. The garlic lost its antibacterial action as allicin broke down. However, allicin broke down into materials that still are believed to have some anticancer and anti-blood clot effects.
Technorati Tags: Garlic, Health, Life, Medicine

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Many a times, the doctors cant always explain why a person gets cancer and another does not. However, scientists have done research and found the general patterns of cancer in the population to learn what things around us and what things we do in our lives may increase our chance of developing cancer.

Anything that increases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a risk factor; anything that decreases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a protective factor. Some of the risk factors for cancer can be avoided, but many cannot. As an example, though you can choose to quit smoking, you cannot choose which genes you have inherited from your parents. Both smoking and inheriting specific genes could be considered risk factors for certain kinds of cancer, but only smoking can be avoided. Prevention means avoiding the risk factors and increasing the protective factors that can be controlled so that the chance of developing cancer decreases.

Although many risk factors can be avoided, it is important to keep in mind that avoiding risk factors does not guarantee that you will not get cancer. Also, most people with a particular risk factor for cancer do not actually get the disease. Some people are more sensitive than others are to factors that can cause cancer. Talk to your doctor about methods of preventing cancer that might be effective for you.

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A lot of research has been carried out throughout the world and now researchers have confirmed that a certain type of cell provides a "hideout" for HIV during drug treatment and is a reservoir of HIV in humans.

These follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) are located throughout the body in specialized sites known as lymphoid tissues, and FDCs act as vaults to store material needed to maintain the immune system’s legions of antibodies. When there’s a drop in a particular kind of antibody, FDCs release proteins that trigger an immune response to increase levels of those antibodies.

The researchers discovered that FDCs have such an effective vault mechanism that HIV can remain out of reach of drugs flowing through the blood stream. This finding that FDCs harbor HIV may help scientists find ways to attack HIV taking shelter in these reservoir cells. The study has been published in the June issue of the Journal of Virology.

One of the biggest obstacles in treating patients with HIV is the establishment of these reservoirs that resist treatment. The ability to understand the virus in these reservoirs, and to characterize the reservoir itself, provides information with which we can begin to try to devise strategies that target the virus in these reservoirs.

Previous research has shown that two other types of cells - macrophages and latently infected CD4+ T-cells - are reservoirs of HIV. It was suspected that FDCs also acted as HIV reservoirs, and this new study confirmed that suspicion.
Technorati Tags: HIV, AIDS, Health, New HIV Reservoirs found

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VIOXX was on the market for five years before the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) figured out it could kill and withdrew it - by that time tens of thousands may have been affected. But what if the painkiller’s fatal side effects had been spotted within months?

Early identification of dangerous drugs like Vioxx is the goal of a computer monitoring system introduced last week by the FDA. The Sentinel Initiative will check patients’ prescription claims and doctors’ invoices from Medicare, a publicly funded health insurance plan, to see if those taking certain drugs are also being treated for side effects.

Currently, the FDA is forced to rely on drug makers, patients and doctors to report side effects, which many fail to do, so it can take a long time for dangerous drugs to be spotted. Health insurer WellPoint of Indianapolis, Indiana, which used its patient records to test a system similar to Sentinel, says the system would have flagged up Vioxx just six months after problems started to emerge.
Technorati Tags: Medicine, Health, Science, Dangerous Drugs in Markets

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India has been blamed for the recent food crisis around the world. The World Bank put the blame for rising food prices in South Asia on export controls by India and others, while the US criticised India’s handling of the crisis, pointing the trade bans have increased the food prices in the international markets.

Surging food prices have become a serious concern in South Asia, where food insecurity is relatively high, the World Bank Report on Global Development Finance has said. "The situation has become increasingly acute across the region, especially in Afghanistan and Bangladesh," the report said.

India, China and Vietnam, the top rice producers, had imposed export restrictions to keep stocks for domestic use and to prevent price increase in the domestic market. These policies have contributed to the increase in international grain prices.

The export bans were designed to increase short-term food security, by imposing the restrictions, these policies make the situation worse. Export restrictions take food off the global market, drive prices higher and discourage farmers from investing in future production, he added.

Besides the South Asian neighbours, several other countries, particularly from Africa, have asked India to lift the ban on foodgrain export.
Technorati Tags: India, World Bank, US, Politics, Food Security

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Presently, the food prices have skyrocketed throughout the world, developed countries no exceptions. Scientists and world leaders are searching for quickfix solution for this, so as to keep their inflation under control.

A senior US official at UN food summit said "Biotechnology can help solve the world’s food crisis with benefits such as flood-resistant rice in Bangladesh". U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said "Biotechnology is one of the most promising tools for improving the productivity of agriculture and increasing the incomes of the rural poor."

Apart from its benefits, it also used to combat high food prices when climate change may aggravate shortages.

However, the green groups say genetically-engineered crops threaten biodiversity while many European consumers are wary of eating products dubbed by critics as "Frankenfoods".

Scientists says, genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), could help produce more food by raising yields and producing crops in developing nations that are resistant to disease and pests and offers long-term solutions to some of our major crop production problems.
Technorati Tags: Biotechnology, Science, Technology, Genetics

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In factories, if a machine breaks down, it’s hard to know what to do. Production will get affected and problem identification can take hours. Many manufacturers have long been hoping for a technology that will work without vulnerable power and data cables and is now basically feasible, using small devices that harvest energy from their surroundings and provide their own power supply rather like a solar calculator.

Experts speak of energy self-sufficient sensor-actuator systems. These high-tech components normally consist of a sensor, a processor and a radio module. They measure position, force or temperature and transmit the data instantaneously by radio. In this way, vital machine data reach the control center without using cables at all.

Is the machine causing malfunction? These are hardly any off-the-shelf solutions with their own energy supply. Scientists trying to build a transportable demonstrator which is a miniature conveyer system driven by compressed air that transports small components in an endless cycle.

The round workpieces are picked up by a vacuum gripper, transported a short way and set down on a small carrier, which conveys the parts back to the starting point. All steps of the process are monitored by sensors as usual. The special feature of the demonstrator is that the sensing elements have no need of an external power supply.

Within the next two years, the various system components are expected to make their way into everyday industrial use.
Technorati Tags: Instruments, Industry, Technology, Sensors with own power supply

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There are over 200 million children between the age of five to 14 years employed across the world. In India, still child labour is a potential problem. Even though, there is a Anti-Child Labour law is effective, the rate of child labour has not been reduced much. Now, the Big brother has come up for help.

The United States has invested 20 million dollars in India to eliminate child labour from hazardous industries. US has contributed 20 million dollars to the INDUS project, it is the largest programme ever supported by the department outside the United States, which aims to ensure child labour elimination from hazardous industries in 21 districts.

This project were spread across Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. and works in conjunction with the government’s National Child Labour Project. India has also contributed 20 million dollars for the project.

The Asia Pacific region holds the dubious distinction of having the highest number of working children - over 122 million. Many of the worst forms of child labour are still important concerns for the region, including bonded forced labour, child trafficking and prostitution..

Investing in education is a sound economic decision, he said. According to a recent ILO study, elimination of child labour and its replacement by universal education will yield major social and economic benefits.
Technorati Tags: India, Labor, Politics, US

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Yahoo! has launched a new India-focused website that contains information about business listings, maps and directions, events and movies, starting with cities Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Bangalore. And it plans to provide information about the other parts of the country as well.

"Depending on the success of the site we will introduce it in tier-II cities as well," Yahoo! India Head of Audience Gopal Krishna told reporters here. In this website Yahoo! India Local, users can get listings on a range of categories such as restaurants, pubs, shopping malls, hospitals, schools, banks, health and fitness centres and 24-hour pharmacies. The local businesses across categories can get listed for free on the website.

"Yahoo! India exemplifies our strategy to be leading starting point on the web by providing the most relevant and compelling experience for local needs," Krishna said. By integrating web and mobile, the site allows users to download or share information via SMS or e-mail, he added.
Technorati Tags: Yahoo, India, Internet, Local Beta Site from Yahoo!

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Reliance Petroleum Limited chairman Mukesh Ambani said his team is set to create a world record by constructing the new refinery at Jamnagar in less than 36 months.

The company, a unit of country’s most-valued firm Reliance Industries, is constructing an export-oriented 29 million tonne refinery adjacent to RIL’s existing 33 million tonne refinery at Jamnagar in Gujarat. The project was conceptualized in December 2005 and construction started in April 2006, sources in the industrial house said.

Addressing the third annual general meeting of RPL at Moti Khavdi in Jamangar, Ambani said the company will ensure the refinery project is completed in less than 36 months, which will be a record. "I am happy to announce that refinery will start generating revenues from this year itself," he said. He said on completion, this mammoth project will be the world’s sixth largest refinery.

"With the existing RIL refinery at Jamnagar, it will have a total processing capacity of 1.24 million barrels per day. This will make Jamnagar the refining capital of the whole world," Ambani said. "On completion, the RPL refinery will have the ability to process heavy and sour crude. It will also produce value added products meeting the highest quality specifications in the world," Mukesh added.

He said "during this year, the number of shareholders of RPL went up from close to 12 lakh to nearly 20 lakh. This reflects the immense confidence investors have placed in company’s future. RIL’s existing refinery was also set up in 36 months.
Technorati Tags: Reliance, Business, Petroleum, Refinery

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New Delhi leads as the crime capital of the country, experts attribute lack of resources, police-criminal nexus and slow judicial process as some of the reasons behind the rising crime graph.

The Union Home Ministry, in its latest study has listed Delhi as on the top in incidence of crime in the country for the fifth consecutive years.

"The main reason of increasing crime graph is primarily absence of resources and attitude of keeping figures low," says retired super cop Kiran Bedi.

"Delhi has become a ’mayanagri’ of artificial development. There is a huge gap between the rich and the poor. About one-third of the city population lives in slums. They live in inhuman conditions devoid of any basic amenities. In these inhuman conditions crime flourishes," says the Social activist Swami Agnivesh.

The Union Home ministry says Delhi occupies the top slot for almost all violent crimes, including murder, rape, dowry death, molestation, kidnapping and abduction.

Psychiatrist Samir Parekh agrees with Swami. "Owing to the vast socio-economic disparity, there is an aggression among the people. This aggression has not properly been dealt with which results in the growth of criminal psychology among the masses," he says. "Also, people have become habituated with crime. Owing to the slow judicial process, there develops a feeling where a criminal think that he/she can easily get away with after doing crime," says Parekh.

The NCRB study reveals the streets of Delhi cannot really be considered safe for a midnight stroll. As many as 53,244 criminal cases, including 467 murders, 581 rapes, 1764 dacoity and other heinous crimes, were registered in the city during the year. The cases of attempted murders also rose by 1.22 per cent in 2007 from 493 to 499.

"With slow judicial procedure coupled with low conviction rate, criminals have developed ’since others have escaped punishment, so can I’ thinking pattern," says Dr Parekh.

The NCRB report says India has earned the dubious distinction of being the country where maximum number of murders take place in the world.

According to the report, in 2006-07 India recorded 32,719 incidences of murder. The numbers in the US was 16,692 murders and 9,631 in Pakistan.

The report also reveals that of the people arrested in rape cases, 340 were neighbours, 94 were friends and 62 were relatives. Only in ten cases, the accused were strangers.
Technorati Tags: India, Crime, Politics, Rising Crime in New Delhi!

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The US Department of Energy has claimed a new record for the fastest computer in the world. They have designed this fastest computers using computer chips for a video game console.

Built from 13,000 of the Cell processors first used in the PlayStation 3 console, teamed up with nearly 7,000 AMD processors designed for desktop computers, the "RoadRunner" can process information at speeds around twice as fast as the previous fastest computer.

RoadRunner managed to run 1000 trillion calculations per second, compared to the 500 trillion per second of the best IBM BlueGene supercomputer. BlueGene designs have dominated and topped the TOP500 rankings of the world’s fastest computers for years, but now look to have lost the top spot.

A trillion calculations per second is known as a teraflop. RoadRunner has become the world’s first petaflop computer.

A spokesperson for the lab said that RoadRunner’s daily output was equivalent to each of the 6 billion people on earth using a calculator to crunch numbers for 24 hours a day for 46 years.

"Roadrunner will be used by the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration to perform calculations that vastly improve the ability to certify that the US nuclear weapons stockpile is reliable without conducting underground nuclear tests," the department said in a statement.

"Roadrunner will also contribute to solving our global energy challenges, and open new windows of knowledge in the basic scientific research fields," it added.
Technorati Tags: Technology, Playstation, Game, Computer, World’s fastest computer

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Scientists are developing a new type of glass that dissolve and release calcium into the body. This will enable patients to regrow bones and could signal a move away from bone transplants.

The porous glass, originally developed at Imperial College is capable of acting as an active template for new bone growth, dissolving in the body without leaving any trace of itself or any toxic chemicals. As it dissolves it releases calcium and other elements such as silicon into the adjacent body fluids, stimulating bone growth.

The glass activates genes present in human bone cells which encode proteins controlling the bone cell cycle and the differentiation of the cell to form bone matrix and rapid mineralisation of bone nodules. It is the release of soluble silica and calcium ions in specific concentrations that activate the genes. Gene activation occurs only when the timing sequence of the cell cycle is matched by that of the glass surface reactions and controlled release of the ions.

Further research is planned at the ISIS Second Target Station when it opens later this year. This will investigate glass/polymer hybrids and could be instrumental in developing mechanically stronger versions of the glass that would be load bearing and available for medical use in the context of joint replacement. If the extensive research goes as expected, clinical trials could be in place in the next five years.
Technorati Tags: Medicine, Life, Health, Science

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Lung cancer cases has been increasing around the world, and this has been related to pollution and narcotics. There are some treatments available and research are going around the world.

A new inhalable form of gene therapy - based on technology recognized in the 2006 Nobel medicine prize, shows increasing promise for treating lung cancer, and inflammatory lung disease, scientists have concluded.

In the article, Sally-Ann Cryan, Niamh Durcan, and Charlotte Murphy focus on research efforts to develop an inhalable form of RNA interference (RNAi), a gene-therapy technique that interferes with or "silences" genes that make disease-causing proteins. The authors explain that RNAi has advantages over other gene therapies. It is potent, very specific, and appears to have a low risk of side effects too.

They shows encouraging results with RNAi in laboratory studies in cells and animals with a range of lung diseases, including lung cancer, certain respiratory infections and inflammatory lung disease. Keys to successful therapy in humans include careful design of the gene-silencing agents, determining the most effective doses, and developing better ways of delivering RNAi agents to the lungs, the scientists say.
Technorati Tags: Health, Cancer, Medicine, Life, Inhalable Form Of Gene-therapy for Lung Cancer

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We already know that excessive alcohol consumption causes damage to organs such as the liver, heart, and brain. Now, the study has been conducted to understand how excessive alcohol consumption causes damage to the pancreas, and new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying pancreatic damage in mice following alcohol exposure has now been provided by Herbert Gaisano and colleagues at the University of Toronto and University Health Network, Canada.

Rodents who have been fed alcohol in their diet and then exposed to a drug known as carbachol develop an inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) that resembles the pancreatitis seen in individuals who consume an excessive amount of alcohol.

These rodents develops pancreatitis because the alcohol and carbachol exposure cause cells in the pancreas to release vesicles containing degradative proteins known as enzymes at inappropriate places.

In the study, a protein known as VAMP8 was found to have an important role in coordinating the inappropriate release of enzyme-containing vesicles in mice exposed to alcohol and carbachol. As such, mice lacking VAMP8 showed reduced pancreatitis after exposure to alcohol and carbachol.
Technorati Tags: Health, Alcohol, Drugs, Life

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An environmental friendly washing machine that uses as little as a cup of water for each washing cycle could go on sale to in Britons next year.

Xeros Ltd to commercialize the technology, and said that the new machines would use less than 2 percent of the water and energy of a conventional washing machine.

Plastic chips are used to remove dirt and stains from clothes, leaving them dry and reducing energy consumption as there is no need to use a dryer after the washing cycle, Xeros said in a statement.

The company, which recently secured investment of almost $984,400 from IP Group Plc, told that the price of the new machines was "not expected to be dramatically different from (conventional) washing machines."

Washing machine usage has risen by 23 percent in the past 15 years. The average UK household uses almost 21 liters of water daily on clothes washing, 13 percent of daily household water consumption, according to Waterwise, an NGO focused on decreasing water wastage in Britain. A typical washing machine uses about 35 kilograms of water for every kilogram of clothes, in addition to the power needed to heat the water and dry the clothes.
Technorati Tags: Technology, Science, News, Waterless Washing Machine discovered

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The World Bank priced a $25 million bond linked to UN-approved carbon emission offset credits, the market’s first such bond, lead manager Daiwa Securities SMBC Europe said.

Payments on the bond are linked to CERs (Certified Emissions Reduction credits) , which are issued under the Clean Development Mechanism, a trading scheme that allows rich nations to invest in clean energy projects in developing countries.

Trade in CERs, which holders can either sell for profit or use to meet emissions targets under the Kyoto Protocol, more than doubled to $13 billion last year, according to a World Bank report published in May.

This 5-year bond initially pays a coupon of three percent, but then switches to a coupon linked to the future performance of CER market prices and the actual versus estimated delivery of CERs generated by a hydropower plant in China’s Guizhou province, Daiwa SMBC said.

"Investors in this bond will be able to indirectly participate in the market for greenhouse gas emission reductions and support demand for CERs generated from a specific UNFCCC-registered clean energy project," it said. UNFCCC is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

"The market for CERs contributes to a reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions and the transition to a low carbon growth economy," Daiwa SMBC said.
Technorati Tags: Bank, Pollution, Green House, World Bank prices Carbon offset Bond

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Kaginele Development Authority (KDA) had taken up excavation work in April at Bada, the birthplace of Kanakadasa to find historical evidence of his life. A team of archaeologists from Shimoga unearthed an ancient palace belonging to the 16th century Vijayanagar Empire at Bada in Haveri district.

Archaeologist S G Samak and his team including KSIDC AEE Jagadish, journalist Sripad Bichchugutti Srinivas and research scholar of Kuvempu University, Srinivas unearthed the structure belonging to Vijayanagar period at Bada village about 6 km from Bankapur.

History reveals that Thimmappanayaka, who later got the name Kanakadasa was a chieftain under Vijayanagar Empire and ruled about 78 villages. The place excavated at Bada is said to be the palace where Kanakadasa lived with his parents Beerappa and Bachamma, before he took spirituality.

It took nearly 40 days round the clock to unearth a huge structure measuring 40x40 metres. The main structure was damaged when the villagers constructed the Ranganath temple on the mound in 1960s.

According to Samak, the structure has a portico, a large hall, royal bedroom, kitchen and other structures built with bricks and black stone. A few copper and one silver coin (Arab script), glass and ivory bangles, beads, earthenware, and other interesting objects were also found. Lingas and terracotta pipes were also found at the site.

"Till now we found that the palace had a main entrance from the southwest and exits at both north and east side. As the structure is at an elevation, it may belong to a ruler," said Jagadish.
Technorati Tags: India, Ancient, Culture, Temple, 16th Century Ancient temple Discovered

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In a year from now, nobody in India except the Tirumala Tirupati Devesthanam (TTD) would be allowed to sell laddus in the name of Tirupati laddus.

The TTD has applied for geographical indications registry (GI) of its sacred laddus at the Intellectual Property India here. The TTD prepares over 1 lakh laddus everyday as prasadam for thousands of devotees who throng the hill shrine of Sri Balaji.

The laddus are also sold through TTD information centres across the country. The information centre located in Chennai sells about 10,000 laddus a month.

The laddu prasadam has been in existence for the last 300 years and is prepared by priests called archakas. The skill is passed down generations of archakas. The laddus are prepared in potu, the temple’s special kitchen. The laddus are made using besan flour (kadalai mavu), sugar, cashew nuts, cardamom, ghee, oil, raisins and almonds. While a normal laddu weighing 175 grams is sold for Rs 5, there is a huge Tirupati laddu weighing about 750 grams.

According to the officials at Intellectual Property India, the TTD authorities approached the office for geographical indications registry two months back. If the registry is granted, then nobody, except TTD, can sell Tirupati laddus. But, it will take a year to complete various processes, the officials added. The geographical indications registry in Intellectual Property Office, Guindy, was constituted in 1999 through an Act in the Parliament. Source: NewIndianExpress
Technorati Tags: Lord, India, Tirupathi, Religion

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There’s beauty all around in Andaman and Nicobar: on land, under water and in the monuments that tell you fascinating stories about its history. Although the region is famous mostly for its spectacular islands, there’s a lot more to see and do.

And, a good place to discover these options is tourism.http://andaman.nic.in. Their home page is refreshingly clear-cut and offers you information on tourist destinations, accommodation, cuisines, travel tips, a map of the area and photo and video galleries.

By clicking on the Tourist Spot link, you get a list of categories worth exploring, including museums, picnic spots and specific places of interest with a short summary of each.

Since the website’s layout is uncluttered, navigation is simple and it’s easy for visitors to draw up quick lists of sights to see.

There’s information on the background of each museum and national monument and also details on entry fee and show timings.

Travel tips
Miscellaneous tips, dos and don’ts for first-time tourists, details on transport and entry formalities are available in the Travel Tips section.

While you might not be interested in knowing what the Mean Relative Humidity at Port Blair was in 1999, you should still go to the General Information link to check out details about its climate and take pleasure in knowing that their population is low enough to put the Emerald Islands on top of the list of best getaways.
Technorati Tags: Andaman, India, Tourism, Heaven on Earth, Andaman

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The top 10 hells on earth to prove how much more dire it could have been.

1. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Type of hell: Disease

With over 115 new HIV and AIDS cases diagnosed every month, the capital of Papua New Guinea is in trouble. With the population expanding at an uncontrollable rate, unemployment levels have rocketed, income levels plummeted and gang members, known as raskols, have been known to carry out bank robberies with M16 machine guns and hijack cars wielding machetes.

2. Linfen, China
Type of hell: Darkness

Linfen, China, is sooty and dark, located in a 12-mile industrial belt, and affected by the 50 million tons of coal mined each year in the nearby hills of Shanxi. There’s no escaping the smog.

3. Bujumbura, Republic of Burundi
Type of hell: Corruption

With the lowest GDP per capita in the world, Burundi is the poorest country on the planet and is scarred by a history of genocide, mass killing and assassinated political leaders. Not only that, but a pool of 178 countries found that Burundi’s people had the poorest satisfaction of life in the world.

4. Pyongyang, North Korea
Type of hell: Oppression

While its modern-day facade may look like any other Western city, underneath it’s entirely autocratic. Radios and TVs have only one channel which broadcasts special programs controlled by the government, bicycles are banned as part of a political regime to restrict movement and interaction.

5.Oklahoma City, United States
Type of hell: Natural disasters

Located in the direct path of "Tornado Alley," the worst time to visit would be from March to August. Tather is pretty much expected. The severe weather season makes Dorothy’s Kansas look positively calm, with Oklahoma City being the city worst affected by tornadoes in the United States.

6. Chernobyl, Ukraine
Type of hell: Radiation

Famed for a nuclear explosion that tore through the city in 1986 and contaminated most of its living organisms, Chernobyl is certainly not the kind of place you’d like to vacation in. Everything is still largely abandoned and remains as it was 20 years ago, with hundreds of miles of uninhabitable space, deserted buildings and poisoned lakes and rivers.

7. Mogadishu, Somalia
Type of hell: Lawlessness

With the collapse of central government in 1991, Mogadishu is largely lawless, with no structure of real peacekeeping present, despite a failed effort in 1992 by the U.S. marines. Indeed, Mogadishu certainly won’t be found in any glossy vacation brochure anytime soon.

8. Yakutsk, Russia
Type of hell: Environmental extreme

Officially the coldest place on earth, temperatures here often drop to a hypothermia-inducing -58°F, and if it drops below this (which it often does), children get the day off school. Another hellish aspect of Yakutsk is its isolation -- a whole six time zones away from Moscow.

9. Dhaka, Bangladesh
Type of hell: Pollution

Despite enduring political instability, military suppression and devastation from war and natural disaster, the capital of Bangladesh faces a new crisis over critically high pollution levels. Rapid industrial development has filled the city with so much smog it is causing environmental damage, with 9.7 million tons of waste dumped in the river by the city each year.

10. Baghdad, Iraq
Type of hell: Conflict

The city has been irreversibly damaged by the Gulf War and years of Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, bringing the once vibrant city to its knees. Lootings, robberies, kidnappings, and sexual assaults have been rife, but it is the daily slaughter of troops, journalists and civilians that terrify the most.

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In Asia, India is still labelled an emerging market, but the Forbes magazine has argued that the country’s economy has already emerged. And as the economy spreads its wings, its companies are turning to new international markets, perhaps beginning a reverse imperialism.

For proof, the US business magazine lists not only the recent high profile acquisitions by Indian firms, but also facts such as four of the top 10 billionaires in the world are Indian, and that with an annualised five-year total return of 42.2 percent, India comes second after Brazil in terms of the growth of the world’s largest public companies.

In comparison, the growth percentage in Britain and the US are 17.1 per cent and 11.1 per cent respectively, indicating that the balance of economic power in the world is starting to shift, the magazine said in a commentary piece in its latest issue on Friday.
Business expansion

During the 18th century, when the British colonised India and started exploiting the subcontinent’s vast natural resources and to expand trade, tea became an important commodity and came to symbolise British colonial rule. In a case of reverse imperialism, Tata Tea, part of the diversified Tata Group, bought Tetley, Britain’s largest tea company, in 2000. Tata Tea has since become the second largest tea manufacturer in the world by volume, surpassed only by Unilever, based in London and Rotterdam.

Indian companies going global

This March, in another example of British brands being picked up by an old colony, Tata Motors acquired Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford for $2.3 billion. Tata Motors hopes the acquisitions will boost its ability to be a "meaningful player" in the global market.

India’s monetary muscle is strengthened by a cheap domestic labour market and its companies’ high price-to-earnings ratios, the magazine quoted Tarun Khanna, a professor at Harvard Business School, as saying.

The author of "Billions of Entrepreneurs: How China and India Are Reshaping Their Futures and Yours" added: "Unlike China where companies are state- and government-led, in India, it is people’s own money."

Now even smaller Indian companies are able to collaborate with bigger counterparts in other markets - even those in other former colonies.

Last week India’s biggest telecom firm, Bharti Airtel, called off merger talks with South Africa’s largest provider of cellphone service, MTN Group, because of disagreements over the deal’s terms.

Promptly, Reliance Communications, India’s second largest telecom firm, entered talks with MTN. The potential MTN-Reliance merger will result in over 100 million customers, a network larger than that of AT&T, the largest in the US.

The shared colonial past, actually, is an advantage for Indian companies, Khanna told Forbes. "Imperialism is laying the seeds of global chess with Indian companies naturally capitalising on their shared history," he said.
Technorati Tags: India, Economy, Asia, Reverse imperialism in India!

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Considering United States vast mango market, India has launched a major drive to get non-Indians hooked to the taste of the king of fruits by lining ten restaurants that will serve mangoes.

Though the Indian mangoes are among the costliest in the US, the biggest importer of the fruit with the annual consumption 250,000 tons, officials have suggested several measure to the US regulators to cut down its price. After lifting of the 18-year ban on the import of the fruit from India, mangoes worth USD one million were exported to the US last year and the figure is likely to go up to around $7 million this year, Asit Tripathy chairman of Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority (APEDA), told.

APEDMA, the apex body of exporters which is spearheading efforts to popularise mangoes, has lined up ten restaurants to serve mangoes as also mango based dishes, he said.

Indian officials are hoping that the prices will come down and Americans would prefer the Indian fruit to thos imported from Central and South American because of its distinctive taste.

The potential is huge as currently only the diaspora form the majority of consumers, the official said while speaking at the Indian Consulate that organised a Mango Fair. Tripathy said mangoes are irradiated before being exported to the United States as per the requirements of the regulators and that adds to the cost, around $150,000 per year. He expressed the hope that as the volume increases, the cost would come down. APEDA is discussing with regulators the possibility of mangoes being tested on arrival in the US and of random checking rather than each batch being certified separately. Also laboratories in India could be authorised to certify the fruit is safe. Also, mangoes have to be airlifted as due to their thin skin, their shelf life is short through irradiation increases it by a few days. India, which is the biggest producer of mangoes, has two irradiation facilities already exit and another two are being set up, one in the private sector, Tripathy said.

At present, a box of 12 Indian mangoes, mostly available at ethnic grocery stores, costs between 30 and 35 dollars but officials said it could be brought down to around $15.

During an interaction held at the Indian Consulate here between those trading in the fruit in the two countries, several...
Technorati Tags: India, US, Food, Export, India Capture US Mango market

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In a moving ceremony, India’s UN Ambassador Nirupam Sen presented a bust of Mahatma Gandhi to President-elect of the United Nations General Assembly Father Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, who described the apostle of peace as a "great gift" to the world.

"This is the best present that I have ever got and I will cherish it forever," Father d’Escoto, who has been greatly influenced by the Gandhian philosophy and had also been a close friend of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, said making no attempt to suppress his emotions.

Describing Mahatma Gandhi as a "great gift" to the world, he said he plans to keep the bust on the main podium of the General Assembly hall as a reminder to the delegates of the importance of following the principles espoused by the Mahatma in fighting the ills of the world.

The world, he stressed, has no choice but to follow Mahatma Gandhi’s principles if it is to survive.

He would also ensure that the world body observes the Mahatma’s birth anniversary, which it has declared a "Day of Non-Violence", in a big and befitting manner, he said.

People forget, he said, that non-violence is not the only message that the Mahatma had given to the world. His message to fight poverty and ensure equality should not be forgotten.

Asked how the Mahatma would resonate in the UN, he replied that he hoped Gandhi’s spirit would take over and guide him and the UN General Assembly if they are to achieve results that would benefit mankind.

The bust was presented at a luncheon reception hosted by Sen on Friday in honour of Father d’Escoto, who has visited India several times.

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The high-level meeting in Rome to deal with the world food crisis bogged down in bickering over statements about biofuel.

Delegates not admitted to the closed bickering sessions, however, heard about something that may turn out to be more important - the world’s biggest food donor says it is on the verge of a revolution in food aid.

Most people think of food aid as a good thing. The traditional view is that the rich world has too much, so it gives it away. Images of famine zones invariably include feel-good photos of sacks of flour marked "gift from the people of (fill in the blank)."

When there’s a lot of free donated flour about, grain prices sink, and local farmers can’t earn enough selling their own crops to make it worthwhile to invest extra in the fertiliser or irrigation or labour they need to grow more - which means the hunger will just continue and even worsen.

Vanishing surplus

But there has been a shift in the nature of food aid. "We now get 80% of our food aid from the developing countries," Josette Sheeran, head of the World Food Programme told a briefing in Rome.

Whereas 10 years ago the WFP was a way for rich countries to give their surplus grain away, these days rich countries give the WFP money to buy food. "We now live in a post-surplus world," Sheeran said.

Only the US still insists that the money must buy US grain. With the rest, the WFP buys as much as it can from local producers to get money flowing onto farms.

"We have more patience than ordinary buyers, and more infrastructure, which lets us go to the producers, not middlemen," said Sheeran. "We buy all our salt from 7000 village producers in Senegal, mostly women. We buy from farmers in Lesotho and the Democratic Republic of Congo who have no other way of getting their crops to market."

Funding local profit
And it isn’t only the WFP that’s buying. When famine is a matter of market failure rather than crop failure, Sheeran said, it makes more sense to give people money to buy food than to give them food that just undercuts local farmers - even in cyclone-ravaged Burma.

"There is food in markets near Rangoon, but people have lost their livelihoods so they can’t buy it," she said. WFP is giving them 50 US cents a day.

Now, with money from the Gates Foundation, WFP is looking at ways to improve the system.

"We want to go to farmers and say, if you can produce 10,000 tonnes this year, we will give you this price. Then they can organise around that," Sheeran told the meeting. The farmers will get credit for the fertiliser and other inputs they need, knowing they’ll be able to make a profit.

Subsidy rethink
But even with a guaranteed buyer, many farmers cannot afford to grow more due to the increasing price of oil, and therefore of tractor fuel and fertiliser, which led farmers in Kenya’s Rift Valley to plant only a third as much this year compared with the previous season.

Subsidies are a dirty word in current economic circles, but Donald Kaberuka, head of the African Development Bank, told journalists in Rome that it might be time to reconsider them for fuel for African farmers.

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Many people in asia still feels that drink beer is hazardous to health and in some occasions its true too. But, Scientists in Venezuela are reporting an advance in the centuries-old effort to preserve the fresh taste that beer drinkers value more than any other characteristic of that popular beverage.

In the new study, Adriana Bravo and colleagues point out that past efforts to keep beer fresh have focused on protecting beer from contact with the air throughout the brewing process. That focus, however, has resulted in only a relatively small improvement in flavor stability.

The research identified a group of poorly understood substances called alpha-carbonyls as important culprits in the decline in fresh flavor that occurs as beer ages. It also showed that levels of some of these substances could be reduced by adding ingredients that block their formation, thus making beer taste fresher longer.

They have also doing research in other beverages and their effects.
Technorati Tags: Health, Drugs, Medicine, Health, How to Keep BEER Fresh?

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The food at a top restaurant may be note-worthy but what about the view? Food and Wine Magazine has come up with a list of the top 10 restaurants where the food is delicious but the view is as memorable.

This list was compiled by foodandwine.com

1.The Aquarium, Dubai (Dubai’s Creek)
A floor-to-ceiling aquarium stocked with hundreds of exotic fish is the centerpiece of this stylish restaurant, which also boasts stunning views of Dubai’s Creek. The specialty? Seafood.

2. C5 Restaurant Lounge, Toronto (skyline)
Cantilevered over the city in Daniel Libeskind’s new addition to the Royal Ontario Museum, C5 has a view of the skyline. In the open kitchen, chef Ted Corrado, who has worked at Rain and Luce, produces refined "Toronto cuisine" - meaning multicultural.

3. Catch, Los Angeles (Santa Monica beach)
No restaurant captures SoCal beach chic as beautifully as this new seafood place with floor-to-ceiling windows off the beach in Santa Monica. Chef Michael Reardon prepares exceptional crudo, but he’s also adept with kurobuta pork loin.

4.Diwan Al-Sultan Brahim, Beirut (the Mediterranean)
This restaurant has several branches, but the one in an Ottoman building in the port area is the most appealing, due to its waterfront location and exceptional seafood. The terrace overlooking the Mediterranean is a prime spot to snack on mezes (like baba ghanouj and tabbouleh) and fresh cooked fish.

5.Herbert Samuel, Tel Aviv (prime seaside location)
This buzzy new spot has luxurious interiors by architect Alon Baranowitz and a prime seaside location. The imaginative neo-Med menu from local celebrity chef Yonatan Roshfeld includes regional specialties such as Jerusalem artichoke soup with chestnuts.

6.Kaiwa, Honolulu (Waikiki Beach)
Set near Waikiki Beach, the ambitious new Kaiwa has a wall-size waterfall in the dining room and a space-age tatami room decorated with gleaming fiber-optic strands. Best of all is the crisply executed contemporary Japanese cooking from husband-and-wife team Isamu and Motoko Kubota.

7.Muzedechanga, Istanbul (the Bosporus)
The owners of Changa, Istanbul’s coolest fusion restaurant, opened this new spot inside the elegant Sakip Sabanci Museum on the Bosporus’s European shore. The modern-Mediterranean mezes and entrees are fantastic as is the cocktail list.

8. Papadakis, Athens (Acropolis)
In the three years since Argyro Barbarigou relocated her restaurant from the island of Paros to Athens’s residential Lycabettus neighborhood, she has become a media darling, with her own TV show and cookbook series. Papadakis is known for Barbarigou’s outstanding seafood and the superb view of the Acropolis.

9.Pierchic, Dubai (Palm Jumeirah island)
Housed in a wooden structure modeled on a traditional Emirati home, this spot overlooking the Persian Gulf has amazing views of the man-made Palm Jumeirah island. The menu reflects its waterside setting with imaginatively prepared seafood.

10.The Wharf Restaurant, Sydney (harbor)
At one end of a historic warehouse, this grand waterside restaurant brings in guests via a walkway lined with posters of past performances from the Sydney Theatre Company to a dining room with views of the harbor and bridge. In the kitchen, chef Aaron Ross (formerly of Claude’s) cooks contemporary Australian food with precisely

Technorati Tags: Restaurants, Hotels, Travel, Tourism

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TO LIVE longer, skip lunch rather than skipping off to the treadmill. In rodents, eating less prolongs life and now we know one of the key molecules involved.

It’s probably down to depressed insulin levels, which regulate blood glucose. While at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Derek Huffman kept mice on a variety of diets and exercise regimes. He found that insulin was lowest in animals eating the least, even if they didn’t exercise.

We don’t yet know if the effect translates to humans, so keep exercising, says Huffman. "The benefits of exercise in humans are overwhelming."

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Bacteria is linked to the cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or cot death. But, there are now more reasons that links to SIDS.

The link was proposed decades ago, but evidence was scarce. Now researchers from the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, who trawled through the results of about 500 autopsies, have shown that Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli are more prevalent in SIDS babies than in those whose cause of death was known.

Bacteria are unlikely to be solely to blame, but the body’s immune response to bacterial toxins may help explain how several known environmental and genetic risk factors for SIDS might become fatal. Sleeping on the front increases bacteria in the baby’s upper windpipe, smoking during pregnancy alters the fetal immune response and some genetic differences in SIDS babies relate to immune response.
Technorati Tags: Death, Health, Life

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A study conducted by the University of Melbourne shows that oestrogen could help prevent HIV infection by blocking entry of the virus into the human penis. This has been published in PLoS ONE journal which reveals that application of oestrogen to the human penis increased the thickness of the natural keratin layer on the skin, which could prevent HIV from infecting the male.

The epithelium of the human penis is richly supplied with oestrogen receptors suggesting it could respond to topical oestrogen.

Dr Andrew Pask from the Department of Zoology at the University of Melbourne analysed the tissue samples from 12 foreskins and made the discovery.

“This suggested that oestrogen could induce a thickening of the keratin layer of the foreskin epidermis in the same way as it acts in the vagina,” said Dr Pask. “Keratin on our skin acts a barrier to viral infection. We hope to be able to enhance this protection with the use of a naturally occurring, weak oestrogen,” said Professor Roger Short of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences who lead the research.

To confirm its effect, topical oestrogen was applied to the human foreskin for a two week trial. This resulted in a rapid and substantial increase in keratin thickness.

“We have found a new avenue to possibly prevent HIV infection of the penis.” HIV is one of the greatest health crises the world has ever seen, and affects over 40 million people worldwide. Professor Short says that HIV is on the rise particularly in countries where males are not circumcised.

“In countries where circumcision is not religiously or culturally accepted, oestrogen treatments to the penis could be very effective in reducing the spread of the disease.”
Technorati Tags: HIV, Circumcision, AIDS, Health, Medicine

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Advertising drugs directly to patients by pharmaceutical companies claim provide valuable health information? They just make certain drugs seem attractive, even if they aren’t necessarily the best choice for the person concerned?

A study based on marketing theory suggests the latter - at least for antidepressants.

Advertisements tend to fit into one of two categories. With goods like washing powder, where there is little difference between rival products, advertising simply raises awareness of a particular product or brand. But when one product has a genuine advantage over its rivals - like superior acceleration in a sports car, for example - an ad can help consumers make better choices by pointing out that attribute.

Marketing theory says that each type of advertisement has a distinctive impact on a product’s demand curve, which describes how sales of a product vary with price. To find out which category drug advertising falls into, Chad Meyerhoefer and Samuel Zuvekas, at the US government’s Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in Rockville, Maryland, examined data on antidepressant ads and sales between 1996 and 2003. They found that antidepressant promotions skewed the demand curve in the same way as washing-powder ads.

The US and New Zealand are the only two countries that allow prescription drugs to be promoted directly to patients. The researchers say that antidepressant advertising in those countries should be supplemented by more detailed health information.

But they also say that ads which simply raise awareness can be good for patients in some cases. Pharmaceutical companies point out that depression is under-treated in the US, so just mentioning the condition could be beneficial.
Technorati Tags: Drugs, Medicine, Health, Life, Hot

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THE gender gap in maths ability disappears in more sexually equal societies, suggesting that boys’ knack for algebra is more nurture than nature.

Paola Sapienza at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and her colleagues compared test scores from a survey of 276,165 teenagers in 40 countries with measures of gender equality in each country, including the percentage of women who are educated and working.

Boys outscored girls in maths in most countries. The margin was largest in highly unequal societies, such as Turkey. But in countries with the greatest gender equality, such as Norway and Sweden, girls and boys performed nearly identically
Technorati Tags: Maths, Girls, Research, Study

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Under all-round attack for hiking petroleum prices, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said the increase is “bare minimum” and “inevitable” to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply.

“It must be appreciated what has been done is the bare minimum with a substantial burden being borne by the government and the oil companies,” the Prime Minister said in an address to the nation.

Singh’s address is being seen as an attempt at damage control in the wake of strident attack by the main opposition BJP, left allies and other parties which have asked the government to roll back the hike in prices.

“There are limits to which we can keep consumer prices unaffected by rising import costs. Our oil companies cannot go on incurring losses. This way they will have no money to import crude oil from abroad,” he said.

“I know that the price increases we have had to announce today will not be popular, even though they are only modest,” Singh said in his address explaining the circumstances which forced the UPA coalition government for a fuel price revision.

With the centre having taken a revenue hit of Rs 22,660 crore by cutting duties, the Prime Minister asked the state governments to reduce their taxes and levies as well.

“The central government, oil companies and consumers are bearing a part of this immense burden. It is, therefore, incumbent on state governments, many of whom tax petroleum products substantially, to also contribute to this National effort by suitably reducing state taxes and levies,” he said.

“We cannot remain captive to uncertain markets and unsure sources of supply. We have to develop renewable sources of energy, including nuclear energy,” he said.
Technorati Tags: India, Crude, Oil, Inflation

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The UN Food and Agriculture Organization asked the world’s countries today for $30 billion a year to "re-launch world agriculture" and deal with food shortages that have caused soaring food prices, hunger and unrest worldwide.

The call came at the start of a three-day intergovernmental meeting at FAO headquarters in Rome to deal with the doubling of average world food prices since 2000, which has accelerated sharply in the past six months. In an indication of the seriousness of the situation, 44 heads of government are attending.

It was told that nations were warned last year of the gathering crisis, and asked for $1.7 billion last December to maintain food production in poor countries by giving farmers emergency access to seed, fertilisers and animal feed, the prices of which had jumped from 60 to 98% in the preceding year.

Yet those emergency responses are against a background of steadily falling assistance for food production in poor countries, since 1980, it fell from 17 to 3% of all development aid.

Food production will have to increase 50% by 2030 just to deal with projected population increase.

"Countries must support promising research into the optimal production of crops and better animal production," he said, as well as applying known technologies to the existing food chain.
Science investment

One bone of contention is likely to be the extent to which production of biofuels has contributed to the price crisis.

President Lula da Silva of Brazil strongly defended his country’s production of biofuel from sugar, and the Rome meeting is unlikely to call for much more than a "dialogue on sustainable biofuels". Delegates will also have to decide whether to set up a global food reserve to deal with emergencies, starting with rice as a test case.

"Countries could well afford to contribute to such stocks," said Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, calling for regional food funds as well as actual food stocks to help expand production, storage and distribution of food and help with food crises.

French president Nicolas Sarkozy called the neglect of aid for agriculture over the past decades "a historic, strategic error". He called for the setting up of an international scientific body like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, but for agriculture, "to provide scientific analyses that are global, objective and incontestable."

Efforts at the World Bank to set up such a body, partly by scientists who helped set up the IPCC, are already underway.

"There will not be peace and stability," said Sarkozy, "if we do not put all the money possible into developing agriculture in countries that need it."

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Research results on Circumsition in Rakai district of Uganda, Ron Gray of the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University and colleagues found approximately a 3% rate of moderate or severe surgical complications - primarily infections - in both HIV-positive and HIV-negative men, when circumcision was performed under optimal conditions. Healing was slower in the HIV-infected men, however, and men who resumed sexual intercourse before complete wound healing were at higher risk of complications. Men with symptoms of HIV infection or low CD4 T-cell counts were not included in the study.

A separately reported analysis from one of these trials found that women partners are more likely to become HIV infected by HIV-positive men who resume sex prior to complete wound healing. Therefore, for protection of both men and their women partners, refraining from intercourse after circumcision is essential until the wound has completely healed, which may take 6 weeks or longer.

Three clinical trials have already shown that circumcision reduces the risk of becoming HIV infected by about 60% in HIV-negative African men, with infrequent side effects. However, the side effects in HIV-positive men have not been previously reported. Because this study found no increased risk of surgical complications in HIV-positive men who undergo circumcision, it should not be necessary to screen men who have no symptoms of HIV in future circumcision programs. Not requiring screening should reduce the complexity of implementing such programs and also reduce any stigma resulting from exclusion, making it likely that more men will be willing to be circumcised.
Technorati Tags: Sex, Men, HIV, Circumcision Safe

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Vacation in a beach usually makes up to enjoy with images of lying on white sand relaxing not dicing with death but do you know the list of the world’s most dangerous beaches.

Strong currents and deadly jellyfish are among the dangers that spring to mind but the biggest fear is sharks, in Miami beach and there were only 112 incidents globally of shark bites in 2007.

Following is a list of the most dangerous beaches by category which was prepared by Forbes.com and focuses mainly on the United States.

1. Shark Attacks/Bites, New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County, Florida.

The were 112 incidents of shark-human "contact" in 2007, according to the International Shark Attack File released in March but only one resulted in a human fatality. New Smyrna, an inlet on the eastern coastline of Florida, had the most attacks, with 17 bites recorded.

2. Pollution, Hacks Point Beach, Kent County, Md./Beachwood Beach West, Ocean County, N.J.

According to the National Research Defense Council, an environmental action group, these two beaches had the highest percentage of samples exceeding U.S. health standards in 2006.

3. Jellyfish Attacks, Northern Australia

The coast of Northern Australia serves as a home to chironex fleckeri, also known as the box jellyfish, which has caused 60 deaths in the last 100 years, according the Center for Disease Control, Australia. While fatalities are rare, about 40 people are hospitalized each year in the Northern Territory. Last year, a 6-year-old boy died in the Tiwi Islands, north of Darwin.

4. Lightning, Florida

Florida tops off the list as the most dangerous spot for lightning, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Between 1997 and 2006, there were 71 deaths caused by lightning in Florida, more than any other state.

Popular beaches such as New Smyrna and Clearwater are often evacuated and then closed for days because of the threat of lightning.

5. Boating Accidents, Florida

Data by county or beach is not available, but according to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Division, the state of Florida reported 633 boating accidents and 68 fatalities in 2006, the highest number of any state in the country with more people actively involved in boating in Florida.

6. Rip Current Drowning, Brevard County, Florida

In 2007, 10 people drowned in Brevard County due to the rip current alone, according to the United States Life Saving Association.

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World highest populous China is now trying to kick a 3 billion-a-day plastic bag habit. But breaking the addiction, in a bid to save energy and protect the environment, will be easier said than done.

China will join a growing list of countries, from Ireland to Bangladesh, that are aiming to change people habits when a ban on the production of plastic bags comes into force.

Shopkeepers will also be barred from handing out free plastic carrier bags except for fresh and cooked foods. Those breaking the law face fines and could have their goods confiscated. Ultra-thin bags are the principal target of the crackdown because they are typically used once and then discarded, adding to waste in a country that is increasingly conscious of the air and water pollution caused by its breakneck economic growth.

China consumes 37 million barrels of what is now very expensive crude oil each year to churn out the 3 billion plastic bags that its 1.3 billion people use on average each day, according to official figures. "Domestic demand for plastic bags will drop drastically from 1.6 million tonnes a year to around 1.1 million tonnes," said Ma, who has nearly 20 years’ experience in the industry.

Bag makers have already felt the pinch from the looming restrictions. Some have even been forced out of business.

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Rising acidity in the ocean caused by seas absorbing greenhouse carbon dioxide could make low-lying island nations like Maldives more vulnerable to storms, say scientists.

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is at its highest level in the past 650,000 years, possible 23 million years, and half has now been dissolved into the oceans making them more acidic. Ocean acidification, which is projected to spread extensively north from the Antarctic by 2100, makes it difficult or impossible for some animals, like coral and starfish, to produce their shells and skeletons.

"If ocean acidification weakens the structure of reef-forming corals and algae, tropical systems (islands) will be more vulnerable to physical impacts from storms and cyclones," said a new report by some of the world’s leading marine scientists.

"By 2100, it is expected that some reefs will become marginal and reef calcification will decline," said the report, by the Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre..

The report cited Kiribati in the South Pacific and the Maldives in the Indian Ocean as being more vulnerable to tropical storms if ocean acidification continues to rise.

Ocean acidification is when carbon dioxide dissolves in the sea forming a weak acid, carbonic acid. Human-induced carbon dioxide has largely been produced by burning fossil fuels, agricultural practices and concrete production. "The ocean is a major sink for CO2 emissions and has absorbed about 48 percent of the CO2 emitted by human activities since preindustrial times," said the report.
Technorati Tags: Pollution, Earth, Ocean

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Sachin Tendulkar feels that the glamorous twenty20 series should be used for globalising the game.

"I don’t personally feel that, you know, (IPL is) dumbing down the game. It’s just another version of cricket," Tendulkar said.

"Test cricket is there and then they started one-day cricket many years ago and one-day cricket has been a tremendous success and if the game is going to get globalised in the form of IPL, then why not?

"It’s better for cricket," he added in defence of the league that has been criticised for being too glamorous and money-centric.

The veteran right-hander said despite playing the game for the past 19 years, he still gets child-like excited every time he steps out to bat in an international game, especially at his home ground-- the Wankhede stadium.

"It’s a special place. That is what I’ve dreamt of as a kid and then I’m living that dream and that’s just fabulous. Every time I walk out, you hear the crowd going crazy, I mean it’s just a special feeling."
Technorati Tags: Cricket, Sports, India, Sachin

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Travel magazine has come up with its third annual list of the top 30 best new hotels of 2008 with ten top hotels listed below. So, planning to go for a tour, pick the best hotel that suits your needs.

1. Banyan Tree Maldives Madivaru (beach hotel)

Banyan Tree, accessible by seaplane, is built in safari style: elaborate tents, a jungle setting, and its own aquarium lapping from the shore. The price is steep, but this is a camping trip without comparison with staff to indulge your every whim.

2. J.K. Place Capri, Italy (beach hotel)

Surely one of Europe’s most stylish recent openings, this nautical design hotel feels like staying at a chic friend’s house. Drink Bellinis on the terrace while watching the beach below.

3. Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya, Mexico (beach hotel)

One of the most anticipated hotel openings this year, the winning Mandarin formula of exemplary service, forward-reaching design, a first-rate spa-has taken root in a pristine Mexican coastal environment. Acres of mangrove forest surround 128 boxy white villas with sculptures by prominent Mexican artists, creating the most sophisticated resort on Mexico’s eastern coast.

4. Six Senses Hideaway, Yao Noi, Thailand (beach hotel)

All the beauty of a remote destination without the hassle of being entirely off the grid. On the island of Yao Noi, 45 minutes by boat from Phuket, guests are surrounded by lush jungle, tiny fishing villages, and untouched beaches. The resort has 56 villas and private plunge pools in a pristine environment.

5. Qualia, Hamilton Island, Australia (beach hotel)

Billing itself as Australia’s first seven-star hotel, Qualia has the requisite luxury trappings -- personal infinity pools, a 1,000-bottle wine cellar -- but the real stars here are architect Chris Beckingham and chef Stephane Rio, who have modernized the notion of an Australian reef resort. Airy one-bedroom pavilions combine native styles and materials with Rio using indigenous ingredients in unexpected ways.

6. Haymarket Hotel, London (city hotel)

Kit Kemp has released an arsenal of bold colors and supergraphic effects on the former American Express London headquarters in the heart of the theater district. Kemp and her husband/business partner Tim Kemp have struck a balance between a classic English manor and a buzzy film- and-art world haunt.

7. Regent Bal Harbour, Florida (city hotel)

Regent’s first property in the United States has got the beautiful beachfront, the country’s first Guerlain Spa, a $4 million art collection, but no Euro-lounge sound track pumping into the lobby. It’s all about the signifiers of luxury: Anichini bedding, plasma television screens embedded in bathroom mirrors, and a dazzling crystal chandelier.

8. Hotel Fasano, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (city hotel)

In his second property, restaurateur Rogerio Fasano has designed spare, breezy rooms environments with leather-upholstered Mies daybeds, Amazonian wood side tables.

9. JIA Shanghai, China (city hotel)

Ensconced in a 1920’s building on fashionable West Nanjing Road, the 55-room hotel adds a needed dose of boutique intimacy to the city’s booming hotel scene. Its Asian-contemporary hideaway of dark wood floors, embroidered fabrics, and elegant birdcages sit alongside Knoll and Moroso furniture and free Wi-Fi.

10. Onguma Plains, The Fort on Fisher’s Pan, Etosha, Namibia (rustic hotel)

Northern Namibia is Africa’s Next Great Safari Frontier, partly due its wildlife, but also because of its wealth of high-quality luxury lodges, like this camp on a private

50,000-acre game reserve, five minutes from Etosha National Park. Carved antique doors, billowy curtains, and reflecting pools, it’s as if a casbah were relocated to the continent’s south. Two of each guest room’s walls are made of canvas and can be opened to reveal the plains like an Impressionist painting.

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Shane Warne, Captain of Rajasthan Royals of IPL have offered his services to mentor the country’s spin bowlers but the Cricket Board feels it’s too early to give a thought to the leg spin legend’s proposal.

"It’s too early to even think about this when we are yet to come out of the hangover of IPL," said BCCI officials.The day after brushing aside the challenge of Delhi Daredevils, Warne told that he would like to return to India to guide the emerging and young slow bowlers.

"I could come back as a spin bowling mentor for young spinners," Warne had said when asked if he would like to come back to India in a coaching position.

He has claimed 708 wickets in Tests and 293 in ODIs, also rated Piyush Chawla, Amit Mishra and teammates Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja as bright futures and said there was a lot of young talent available in india.
Technorati Tags: Cricket, Hot, Sports, India

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"It’s really an attention problem, not really about holding the phone in your hand," said Dr. Amit Almor, an associate professor of psychology at the University of South Carolina.

Why is driving while talking on a cellphone so dangerous? American researchers have shown that language interferes with visual tasks and why speaking is more taxing on the brain than listening.

Almor and his colleague Tim Boiteau, who measured attention levels in 94 people, found that talking or preparing to speak was four times more distracting than listening.

"People can tune in or out as needed when listening," said Almor.

In this study, the participants were asked to perform visual tasks such as tracking a fast-moving target across a computer screen with a mouse, while listening to pre-recorded narratives and then responding. The voice would also shift around the room, either front, back or side to side.

The research, published in the journal "Experimental Psychology", showed visual tasks were completed more easily when voices came from the front, though the effect was not as dramatic as the difference between listening and speaking.

"When the voice came from the front the interference was minimized," said Almor, suggesting that people find it easier to have everything that requires our attention occupying the same space.

The experiment was repeated using 20 pairs of friends involved in live conversations and even stronger results are expected when they are compiled this summer, Almor said.

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What an Exciting view and wonder how one would cross this Railway lane safely?

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Exposure to the toxic element during development makes people more likely to get into trouble with the law as adults.

We have heard that paint, exhaust fumes and plumbing have contaminated the environment with lead, which is known to interfere with the formation of children’s nerve synapses and parts of the brain involved in arousal, emotion, judgement and inhibition. Epidemiological studies have also tentatively linked lead exposure to an increased likelihood that a person will commit crimes.

To test this theory, Kim Dietrich at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio and colleagues analysed blood from 250 pregnant women between 1979 and 1984, who lived in a poor district of Cincinnati where houses were contaminated with lead. They also sampled their children’s blood several times a year for the next six years. As they grew up, the team checked public records for any history of arrests.

After allowing for factors including family income and mothers’ intelligence and arrest history, the team found a correlation, both with prenatal and childhood exposure to lead. On average, each increase of 50 micrograms of lead per litre of blood resulted in a 26 per cent higher rate of arrests.
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Bollywood, India’s thriving movie business, is set to take on the West and will one day threaten Hollywood’s control, a report said.

"Bollywood are at the inflexion point - where Hollywood was in the 1930s and 1940s. In five years there will be a lot of marriages that will shape the industry for the next 50 years," Kishore Lulla, chief of Eros International, told.

Lulla expected a spate of consolidation that would boil India’s 25 film producers - many of them regional players working in Tamil or Telugu - into five main Bollywood players.

The report said India’s cinema scene, where 4 billion tickets are sold annually, has always been big business. Since the government relaxed rules on banks and investors lending money to filmmakers, expansion has taken off both at home and abroad.

According to Price Waterhouse Coopers, the leading audit firm, domestic Indian film revenue would almost double from Rs 96 billion (1.14 billion pounds) in 2007 to Rs 176 billion in 2012. In Britain, Bollywod accounted for just under 2 per cent of box-office takings last year - 3 million pounds.

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