Youtube was possibly one of those big ideas of 2007 - just jog your memory for which of those wacky crazy and sometimes controversial videos you would pick as the best.
Unique, out-of-the-box and the more bizarre the better - that's what people look for when they log on to Youtube. Youtubers are picky about how kooky they get something that's obvious at a glance into the top five hot videos list of 2007.
The popular website's rankings were released this week on the basis of the most shared and the most discussed clips.
The 'Obama girl' was an instant Youtube hottie and no, it was not about a girl who looked like Obama. The video featured an attractive girl professing her love for US presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama and was viewed four million times.
Topping the Obama girl's heart-felt declaration of love by three million clicks was Nora, the piano playing cat who got seven million mouse clicks.
A pair of otters who decided to take a nap while floating on their backs and - beat this - holding hands, were viewed nine million times.
And it seems that for Youtubers, almost any subject will do. A video featuring a Britney Spears fan, Chris Crocker, sob "Leave Britney Alone" was viewed 14 million times.
But the winner, by a large margin, had nothing to do with either senators or pop stars. It was the king of the jungle in the 'Battle for Kruger'.
The video, viewed 21 million times, shows a lion battling with a crocodile over his dinner - a young calf, only to be roughed up by a herd of water buffaloes.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Who killed Benazir? Pak wonders in deep crisis
The assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has thrown Pakistan into one of the worst crises in its 60-year history, raising the spectre of widespread civil unrest and the cancellation of elections.
Analysts say President Pervez Musharraf, who stepped down as army chief of the country two weeks ago under intense international pressure, is likely to seize the moment to reimpose emergency rule and cancel, or at least postpone, elections scheduled for January 8.
"It is fair to assume now that elections cannot go ahead," said Farzana Shaikh, an expert on Pakistan and an associate fellow at the Chatham House analysis group in London. "The electoral process has been stopped dead in its tracks. I think there is a very real possibility that Musharraf will decide that the situation has got out of control and that he needs to impose emergency rule again.
She said Pakistan, a key US ally in the battle against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, was entering "uncharted waters", which could lead to instability in a region that has seen three wars fought between Pakistan and India.
"This is not the first crisis Pakistan has faced since its inception in 1947, but I would be inclined to say that it is the worst convergence of crises we have seen," Shaikh said.
Bhutto, 54, died in hospital after being targeted in a combined shooting and suicide bomb attack as she campaigned in the city of Rawalpindi among thousands of supporters.
While Islamic hardliners, including members of the Taliban and al Qaeda, both of which operate in Pakistan, have been named as possible perpetrators of the attack, analysts said Bhutto's political opponents and those close to Musharraf's political party could not be ruled out of suspicion.
The truth behind the assassination
"It's going to be very difficult to establish the truth of who was behind this," said MJ Gohel, the executive director of the Asia-Pacific Foundation, a security and intelligence think-tank in London.
"As well as the Taliban and al-Qaeda elements, there are many other candidates -- there are elements within the military and elements within the intelligence services, which never had a good relationship with Bhutto.
"There are of course political opponents as well—she had a lot of enemies within Pakistan as everyone knows." Shaikh pointed to the fact that Bhutto was killed in Rawalpindi, which is a long way from the North West Frontier province where Islamic militants usually operate.
"That will raise fears that there was some level of official negligence that permitted this attack to go ahead," she said. "These sorts of events are going to raise very serious concerns about whether there was some sort of official connivance.
" Bhutto's campaign managers have complained frequently that not enough was being done at a national level to protect her. She narrowly escaped assassination on her return from exile in October when a suicide bomber blew up her campaign bus, killing 139 people.
Gohel said that as well as the domestic repercussions of Bhutto's assassination there were widespread international concerns as well. "The ramifications are enormous," he said. "There will now be more violence and if Musharraf imposes another state of emergency there could be further crackdowns and protests. "We are looking at a political vacuum if the elections don't take place. The radical Islamists could really start occupying that vaccuum and operating from within it. "Pakistan is a country that is home to al Qaeda and the Taliban and is also obviously home to nuclear weapons and long range missiles... all of which have repercussions for the West and the world."
Analysts say President Pervez Musharraf, who stepped down as army chief of the country two weeks ago under intense international pressure, is likely to seize the moment to reimpose emergency rule and cancel, or at least postpone, elections scheduled for January 8.
"It is fair to assume now that elections cannot go ahead," said Farzana Shaikh, an expert on Pakistan and an associate fellow at the Chatham House analysis group in London. "The electoral process has been stopped dead in its tracks. I think there is a very real possibility that Musharraf will decide that the situation has got out of control and that he needs to impose emergency rule again.
She said Pakistan, a key US ally in the battle against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, was entering "uncharted waters", which could lead to instability in a region that has seen three wars fought between Pakistan and India.
"This is not the first crisis Pakistan has faced since its inception in 1947, but I would be inclined to say that it is the worst convergence of crises we have seen," Shaikh said.
Bhutto, 54, died in hospital after being targeted in a combined shooting and suicide bomb attack as she campaigned in the city of Rawalpindi among thousands of supporters.
While Islamic hardliners, including members of the Taliban and al Qaeda, both of which operate in Pakistan, have been named as possible perpetrators of the attack, analysts said Bhutto's political opponents and those close to Musharraf's political party could not be ruled out of suspicion.
The truth behind the assassination
"It's going to be very difficult to establish the truth of who was behind this," said MJ Gohel, the executive director of the Asia-Pacific Foundation, a security and intelligence think-tank in London.
"As well as the Taliban and al-Qaeda elements, there are many other candidates -- there are elements within the military and elements within the intelligence services, which never had a good relationship with Bhutto.
"There are of course political opponents as well—she had a lot of enemies within Pakistan as everyone knows." Shaikh pointed to the fact that Bhutto was killed in Rawalpindi, which is a long way from the North West Frontier province where Islamic militants usually operate.
"That will raise fears that there was some level of official negligence that permitted this attack to go ahead," she said. "These sorts of events are going to raise very serious concerns about whether there was some sort of official connivance.
" Bhutto's campaign managers have complained frequently that not enough was being done at a national level to protect her. She narrowly escaped assassination on her return from exile in October when a suicide bomber blew up her campaign bus, killing 139 people.
Gohel said that as well as the domestic repercussions of Bhutto's assassination there were widespread international concerns as well. "The ramifications are enormous," he said. "There will now be more violence and if Musharraf imposes another state of emergency there could be further crackdowns and protests. "We are looking at a political vacuum if the elections don't take place. The radical Islamists could really start occupying that vaccuum and operating from within it. "Pakistan is a country that is home to al Qaeda and the Taliban and is also obviously home to nuclear weapons and long range missiles... all of which have repercussions for the West and the world."
Benazir's final journey begins amid gloom, chaos
Pakistan prepared to bury their beloved leader Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated on Thursday evening by two unidentified assassins, plunging the country into one of its worst crises.The Opposition leader and former prime minister will be buried alongside her father in her hometown Larkana at about 1130 hours (PST) on Friday.
Benazir's husband Asif Ali Zardari and her three children arrived in Pakistan from Dubai late on Thursday night. An Air Force plane carried Benazir's body to Sukkur from Islamabad early on Friday ahead of the burial.
Asif Ali Zardari, Benazir's children and a number of Pakistan People's Party leaders accompanied her body to her hometown. Pakistan’s Interior Ministry sources said Zardari and the three children had a brief chance to see her body before the plane took off.
Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Mohammad Mia Soomro has ordered a high-level judicial inquiry into the killing. Authorities have tightened security across the country and a red alert has been sounded across the nation.
Government sources said the Army will be deployed in Larkana at the time of the burial. All entry points to Larkana have been sealed off. The Pakistan Governmanrt has declared three days of state mourning.
Benazir was assassinated on Thursday by an unidentified assassin, who shot her after a campaign rally and then blew himself up. At least 20 others were killed in the attack on the rally for the January 8 parliamentary elections, where the 54-year-old former prime minister had just spoken.
Benazir's assassination led to violent protests across the country. Angry supporters rioted in the southern port city of Karachi after her killing, firing shots at police, setting tires and cars on fire and burning a gas station.
There was chaos as hundreds of people mobbed the simple wood coffin with a glass lid in which Benazir's body was carried, allowing people to see her wrapped in a white cloth.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Here's why you are better drinker at 20 than 30
Unlike the twenty-somethings, people in the age group of 30-50 years are not able to deal with the effects of heavy drinking.
It is so because as the body gets older it loses muscle and piles on fat, which increases the effects of alcohol.
"As a person gets older, less body water and more fat in the system means alcohol stays in the blood stream for longer, which helps explain why people often experience the effects of heavy drinking more than they might have done if younger,” The Sun quoted a spokesman for Alcohol Concern, as saying.
Now, a YouGov poll has substantiated this fact.
The poll found that almost half of 30 to 50-year-olds admitted to sometimes drinking too much and didn't know when to stop.
The poll also revealed that one in three of respondents said that drinking too much had ruined a night on the town at least once in the last year and 44 per cent said that they did not stay within the recommended limit.
General Practitioner Dr Sarah Jarvis said over-30s should be careful during the holiday season.
"You often hear people saying they feel worse after drinking the older they get — as you age, the body isn't as good at dealing with alcohol,” she said.
"To help you stick to your limits, you might want to try agreeing a limit with a friend, following one alcoholic drink with a soft drink, or taking time out from drinking for another activity,” she added.
It is so because as the body gets older it loses muscle and piles on fat, which increases the effects of alcohol.
"As a person gets older, less body water and more fat in the system means alcohol stays in the blood stream for longer, which helps explain why people often experience the effects of heavy drinking more than they might have done if younger,” The Sun quoted a spokesman for Alcohol Concern, as saying.
Now, a YouGov poll has substantiated this fact.
The poll found that almost half of 30 to 50-year-olds admitted to sometimes drinking too much and didn't know when to stop.
The poll also revealed that one in three of respondents said that drinking too much had ruined a night on the town at least once in the last year and 44 per cent said that they did not stay within the recommended limit.
General Practitioner Dr Sarah Jarvis said over-30s should be careful during the holiday season.
"You often hear people saying they feel worse after drinking the older they get — as you age, the body isn't as good at dealing with alcohol,” she said.
"To help you stick to your limits, you might want to try agreeing a limit with a friend, following one alcoholic drink with a soft drink, or taking time out from drinking for another activity,” she added.
Amazing e-spy on the hunt
The defence counsel in Pravin Mahajan's case had to look high and low for a software expert, but the next there is a report of a cyber crime, help is just a phone call away. Thanks to an institute called e-Forensics.This software expert group was instrumental in Pravin Mahajan's trial. e-Forensics demonstrated to a sessions court in Mumbai that it is possible to tamper an mobile text message.
If Pramod Mahajan's cell phone had been put in evidence collector bag by the police, the controversy about the SMS being tampered with simply would not have arisen for the bag completely blocks the signals coming into the mobile.
National Institute of e-Forensics (NIEF) in Mumbai uses many state-of-the-art tools to investigate cyber crimes. Much of these high-end equipments will be used to help people who call on the institutes's toll free number with their electronic grievances.
Though the service has just been started, the institute has been flooded with work requesting investigations into all kinds of cyber crimes —from credit card fraud to women getting obscene calls.
Amazing 7 medical myths busted, use your brains
London: 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:
Reading in dim light ruins eyesight : The majority of experts believe it is unlikely to do any permanent damage, but it may make you squint and blink more
Shaving makes hair grow back faster or coarser: It has no effect on the thickness or rate of hair regrowth, studies say.
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.
We use only 10% of our brains: This myth arose as early as 1907 but imaging shows no area of the brain is silent or completely inactive.
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.
Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals: Despite widespread concerns, studies have found minimal interference with medical equipment.
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:
Reading in dim light ruins eyesight : The majority of experts believe it is unlikely to do any permanent damage, but it may make you squint and blink more
Shaving makes hair grow back faster or coarser: It has no effect on the thickness or rate of hair regrowth, studies say.
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.
We use only 10% of our brains: This myth arose as early as 1907 but imaging shows no area of the brain is silent or completely inactive.
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.
Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals: Despite widespread concerns, studies have found minimal interference with medical equipment.
Parody sites start anti-social networking trend
Tired of phony online friends? Make enemies instead.Riding on the popularity of social networks such as Facebook and MySpace, new Web sites are poking fun at online friendships that connect you to the people you like, by turning attention to the ones you don't.
Over the past 18 months, sites such Snubster, Enemybook and Hatebook are appealing to Internet users who get a kick out of the tongue-in-cheek humour of mocking their friends and others who are just plain cynical.
"I didn't understand these fake-friend war chests that people were so busy building online," said Bryant Choung, a technology consultant who started Snubster last year.
"I would get Facebook requests from people I talked to for three minutes at a bar or party, and now this person wants to go online to peruse all of my photos and contacts. I just didn't get it," the 26-year-old added.
Snubster, a Facebook application and a Web site with 16,000 users worldwide, lets users compile people and things they dislike. No one from Facebook, which boasts 59 million active users worldwide, was available to comment about the sites.
When Facebook opened up its network to outside applications earlier this year, some users decided it was an opportunity to poke fun at the phenomenon.
Kevin Matulef, the creator of Enemybook, said the idea for his Facebook application started as a joke last summer when friends at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) were asking if someone was a real friend or a Facebook friend. "It started basically as a satire, sort of a parody of some of the superficial aspects of Facebook and the connections that you have, but now it's kind of evolved and it allows people to express themselves via their dislikes," said Matulef, 28.
Enemybook, which has 9,000 users, is similar to Snubster in that it lets you "enemy" so-called friends, public figures and fictitious characters.
"A lot of people like myself use it just to joke around with our good friends," said Matulef. Choung agrees."I hope that most people take it as a joke, on occasion I do get complaints from people about others who take it too seriously."
But Murray Pomerance, a professor of pop culture sociology at Ryerson University in Toronto, said most people take their online relationships very seriously.
"There are a lot of people who do not believe the friends that they have on these sites are phony," he explained. "I know people who have lots and lots of friends on these sites and who say things about themselves on these sites that they would never say to anyone straight up in public or in private."
Pomerance added that any online social networking, whether it's making friends or enemies, could be dangerous.
"Who you liked and who you hated used to be private," he said. "What they're doing is taking human feeling and emotion and making us actually register them through these online services."
Friday, December 21, 2007
Nature names Pachauri Newsmaker of the Year
International climate change campaigner R K Pachauri of India figures on the cover page of Nature, and the highly regarded science magazine has named him as its 'Newsmaker of the Year'.The magazine, published from Britain, in its latest issue said: "Nature is pleased to name Rajendra Pachauri, the Indian engineer and economist, and chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as our inaugural Newsmaker of the Year."
In its editorial, the magazine wrote that science, like history, is forged by individuals - even though both are forged on the back of a past whose inhabitants may have faded into anonymity.
"But the contribution of this year's winner to scientific affairs can be celebrated without reservation. Rajendra Pachauri's great strength is in building and organizing institutions in the fields he understands best - engineering and economics as they apply to issues of development.
"In that area, he has enjoyed a success that reflects his calm, yet fiercely driven personality. Over two decades he has built TERI, the Delhi-based energy and resources institute that he runs, into an organization with offices around the world and several hundred staff. And in the past five years, he has chaired the great collaboration that is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)," the authoritative science magazine of the world elaborated.
The weekly science magazine underlined the successful stint of Pachauri as IPCC chief and thus giving IPCC a best reward - Nobel Peace Prize of the year.
The magazine said protecting the vulnerable from the threat of climate change is about changing what we all do, and that requires political action as well as changes in personal behaviour.
"But collective action has a positive and uplifting side, too. The IPCC is a case in point. Its members have sacrificed time that they would rather have spent on new research to do something for the world at large. Their endless meetings and discussions, their intellectual clashes and warm mutual understandings, have produced an unparalleled catalogue of reliable knowledge - and authoritative assessments of remaining ignorance - on a scientific matter of utmost public concern.
"To produce something that the hundreds of authors can be proud of, and in which the nations of the world have all, to some extent, invested their trust, is no mean thing. The IPCC's collective efforts span decades. But the person sitting in the chair at its hour of greatest achievement so far is Rajendra Pachauri, and we salute him," it declared.
The magazine said protecting the vulnerable from the threat of climate change is about changing what we all do, and that requires political action as well as changes in personal behaviour.
"But collective action has a positive and uplifting side, too. The IPCC is a case in point. Its members have sacrificed time that they would rather have spent on new research to do something for the world at large. Their endless meetings and discussions, their intellectual clashes and warm mutual understandings, have produced an unparalleled catalogue of reliable knowledge - and authoritative assessments of remaining ignorance - on a scientific matter of utmost public concern.
"To produce something that the hundreds of authors can be proud of, and in which the nations of the world have all, to some extent, invested their trust, is no mean thing. The IPCC's collective efforts span decades. But the person sitting in the chair at its hour of greatest achievement so far is Rajendra Pachauri, and we salute him," it declared.
Why beetles survived and dinosaurs did not?
A new research has shown that beetles first appeared on Earth at the same time as the earliest dinosaurs but turned out to be much better survivors.Researchers said that today, there are an estimated 350,000 known species of beetle on Earth, and probably several million more yet to be discovered. The insects account for about a quarter of all life forms on the planet.
Researchers have debated over the reason for the existence of this large number of beetle species but never found an answer.
Now, a research team has shown that large numbers of modern-day beetle lineages evolved very soon after the first beetles originated, and have persisted ever since. Many modern-day lineages first appeared during the Jurassic period, when the major groups of dinosaurs appeared too.
“The large number of beetle species existing today could very well be a direct result of this early evolution and the fact that there has been a very high rate of survival and continuous diversification of many lineages since then,” said
Professor Alfried Vogler from Imperial College London’s Department of Life Sciences and the Natural History Museum’s Department of Entomology, and lead author of the study.
The team used DNA sequencing and fossil records to compile a comprehensive evolutionary ‘family tree’ for beetles.
By comparing DNA sequences from 1,880 beetle species, the team was able to group beetle species that are descended from a common ancestor, enabling them to build an evolutionary tree for all the species included.
Fossils of known ages were then used to date key moments of evolution and diversification on the tree.
Previously, the survival success of beetles had been attributed to herbivory - feeding on plants - and the rise of flowering plants in the Cretaceous era, which started some 140 million years ago.
However, mapping species numbers onto the evolutionary tree shows that many modern beetle lineages significantly pre-date the appearance of the first flowering plants.
Professor Vogler said that beetles have displayed an exceptional ability to seize new ecological opportunities and develop a great range of life styles and feeding types.
“Unlike the dinosaurs which dwindled to extinction, beetles survived because of their ecological diversity and adaptability,” he said.
The team said that understanding the evolution of beetles is an important part of understanding the natural world.
“With beetles forming such a large proportion of all known species, learning about their relationships and evolution gives us important new insights into the origin of biodiversity and how beetles have triumphed over the course of nearly 300 million years,” Professor Vogler said.
The team used DNA sequencing and fossil records to compile a comprehensive evolutionary ‘family tree’ for beetles.
By comparing DNA sequences from 1,880 beetle species, the team was able to group beetle species that are descended from a common ancestor, enabling them to build an evolutionary tree for all the species included.
Fossils of known ages were then used to date key moments of evolution and diversification on the tree.
Previously, the survival success of beetles had been attributed to herbivory - feeding on plants - and the rise of flowering plants in the Cretaceous era, which started some 140 million years ago.
However, mapping species numbers onto the evolutionary tree shows that many modern beetle lineages significantly pre-date the appearance of the first flowering plants.
Professor Vogler said that beetles have displayed an exceptional ability to seize new ecological opportunities and develop a great range of life styles and feeding types.
“Unlike the dinosaurs which dwindled to extinction, beetles survived because of their ecological diversity and adaptability,” he said.
The team said that understanding the evolution of beetles is an important part of understanding the natural world.
“With beetles forming such a large proportion of all known species, learning about their relationships and evolution gives us important new insights into the origin of biodiversity and how beetles have triumphed over the course of nearly 300 million years,” Professor Vogler said.
Amitabh Bachchan's mother Teji passes away
Actor Amitabh Bachchan's 93-year-old mother Teji Bachchan passed away on Friday due to ill-health.She had been in and out of Lilavati Hospital over the past one year for various ailments.
On November 7, Teji Bachchan was shifted to the intensive care unit of Lilavati Hospital. Her condition was reported to be critical and a spokesperson for the hospital said her health had suddenly worsened.
Amitabh Bachchan's son Abhishek's high-profile wedding to actor and former beauty queen Aishwarya Rai in February this year had been kept low key due to Teji Bachchan's
Want SRK at your wedding? Spare Rs 1 cr for him
Want your favourite celebrity to shake hands with guests, dance or sing at your wedding? All you need to do is to burn a hole in the pocket - that is, to shell out anything up to Rs 1 crore.
Shah Rukh Khan may not agree to do a jig, but he might happily be a guest for Rs 10 crore. Bollywood actors and item girls like Celina Jaitley, Malaika Arora Khan, Dia Mirza, Isha Koppikar and Rakhi Sawant charge nearly Rs 10 lakh each to perform.
Koena Mitra, Shefali Zariwala, Priti Jhangiyani, Payal Rohtagi, Neha Kakkar, Sanobar and Mandira Bedi charge between Rs 500,000-Rs 700,000 to perform at marriage ceremonies.
The schedule includes two high-voltage dance performances of eight-and-a-half minutes each.
"It was unheard of even a decade ago. But today it's different because people have more money. Weddings are no longer rituals for them," Rahul Nagpal, senior manager (entertainment) of event management firm Touchwood Entertainment, told IANS.
"It is a chance to stand out among others by calling in Bollywood stars. But a lot depends on the availability of the star," he added.
Singer Sonu Nigam charges Rs 30 lakh and Shaan's tag is nearly Rs 25 lakh. While Kailash Kher charges Rs 15 lakh, Daler Mehendi is ready to entertain guests for Rs 1.2 lakh, Sukhbir charges Rs 8 lakh Mika Rs 5 lakh and Harbhajan Mann Rs 4 lakh. They are in great demand at Punjabi weddings.
Praneeta, operations head of wedding planner Luxury Weddings, said: "Apart from making weddings distinctive, people also want to reflect their personality by inviting actors to their weddings."
Fifty percent of her firm's clients demand celebrities at their weddings every year. The demand also depends on the region a customer belongs to.
"The demand is more in north Indian cities like Delhi, Chandigarh and Ludhiana. Simply because these cities are away from tinsel town, stars are more sought-after. They also have more purchasing power," said Praneeta.
The mood of the wedding - subtle or elaborate - also dictates which celebrity will grace the occasion
Shah Rukh Khan may not agree to do a jig, but he might happily be a guest for Rs 10 crore. Bollywood actors and item girls like Celina Jaitley, Malaika Arora Khan, Dia Mirza, Isha Koppikar and Rakhi Sawant charge nearly Rs 10 lakh each to perform.
Koena Mitra, Shefali Zariwala, Priti Jhangiyani, Payal Rohtagi, Neha Kakkar, Sanobar and Mandira Bedi charge between Rs 500,000-Rs 700,000 to perform at marriage ceremonies.
The schedule includes two high-voltage dance performances of eight-and-a-half minutes each.
"It was unheard of even a decade ago. But today it's different because people have more money. Weddings are no longer rituals for them," Rahul Nagpal, senior manager (entertainment) of event management firm Touchwood Entertainment, told IANS.
"It is a chance to stand out among others by calling in Bollywood stars. But a lot depends on the availability of the star," he added.
Singer Sonu Nigam charges Rs 30 lakh and Shaan's tag is nearly Rs 25 lakh. While Kailash Kher charges Rs 15 lakh, Daler Mehendi is ready to entertain guests for Rs 1.2 lakh, Sukhbir charges Rs 8 lakh Mika Rs 5 lakh and Harbhajan Mann Rs 4 lakh. They are in great demand at Punjabi weddings.
Praneeta, operations head of wedding planner Luxury Weddings, said: "Apart from making weddings distinctive, people also want to reflect their personality by inviting actors to their weddings."
Fifty percent of her firm's clients demand celebrities at their weddings every year. The demand also depends on the region a customer belongs to.
"The demand is more in north Indian cities like Delhi, Chandigarh and Ludhiana. Simply because these cities are away from tinsel town, stars are more sought-after. They also have more purchasing power," said Praneeta.
The mood of the wedding - subtle or elaborate - also dictates which celebrity will grace the occasion
It's a Net loss for Bangalore's citizens
When software engineer Rashmi was given the option of working from home by her employer, a leading software firm, she could only thank her stars. This young techie had the enviable option of pursuing her career without compromising on spending time with her four-month old son.However, now she is hand-tied. She does not have a broadband connection, despite applying for it in May this year.
"In the month of October they told me the system is being upgraded and I still don't have the connection. They keep blaming other sections," says she.
The city's top service providers confirm that they have been unable to issue any new connections or expand existing bandwidths since October this year.
While they used to issue at least 60 connections per day, it's been zero for the past two months.
The reason for this stagnation is that the Bruhat Banglore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is in the process of laying underground ducts for all cables including the optical fibres required for broadbands.
Principal General Manager, BSNL, Shubendhu Ghosh says, "In a new area coming up, if ducts are already put in place before the area is developed then the service provider can straightaway put cables and service can be provided. What we don't want is to have to wait for the ducts to come."
The BBMP says they can't allow service providers to lay ducts according to their requirement.
Citing the municipal corporation's decision to complete the job on its own as a reason, BBMP Commissioner Dr S Subramanya said, "The project is only to avoid haphazard cutting of roads and will take time."
The BBMP is yet to set a deadline for completion of the laying of the ducts across the city — not very good news for India's silicon valley which seems to be lagging behind in logging on.
Principal General Manager, BSNL, Shubendhu Ghosh says, "In a new area coming up, if ducts are already put in place before the area is developed then the service provider can straightaway put cables and service can be provided. What we don't want is to have to wait for the ducts to come."
The BBMP says they can't allow service providers to lay ducts according to their requirement.
Citing the municipal corporation's decision to complete the job on its own as a reason, BBMP Commissioner Dr S Subramanya said, "The project is only to avoid haphazard cutting of roads and will take time."
The BBMP is yet to set a deadline for completion of the laying of the ducts across the city — not very good news for India's silicon valley which seems to be lagging behind in logging on.
Common man's airline Deccan will still be affordable
The much anticipated merger between Air Deccan and Kingfisher has been formalised. But how will it affect the way you travel?Air Deccan MD G R Gopinath says, “It has already been decided by both Vijay Mallya and me that we will retain two separate identities."
Air Deccan will still fly the Indian skies but with a new name. Despite the merger with Kingfisher airlines, Air Deccan will continue to operate as a low cost carrier bringing to the table India's largest civil aviation company one that's more profitable and punctual.
Talking about the merger, UB Chairman Vijay Mallya says, “The report has highlighted the synergy potential between the two airlines and how it can bring down the cost of operations, save a lot of money and accelerate the route to profitability."
But how will this integration change the way you travel? If you are an Air Deccan regular, the first thing you will notice the restructuring will be the change in flight schedules
For example, if you fly an 0800 hrs, IST Mumbai-Delhi Air Deccan flight, it may soon be replaced with a Kingfisher one simply because there's a higher demand for premium services during the peak hours.
But if you're looking for cheaper tickets during the non-peak hours, there may soon be many more available.
So for all practical purposes the common man's airline will still be affordable to the common man, and that with a bonus of no-frills international flights as well
But if you're looking for cheaper tickets during the non-peak hours, there may soon be many more available.
So for all practical purposes the common man's airline will still be affordable to the common man, and that with a bonus of no-frills international flights as well
ICICI to implement SSL certificates for data protection
India’s largest private sector banks ICICI Bank on Thursday selected NASDAQ-listed Entrust Inc to provide standard SSL certificates.This would enable protection of customer data when conducting transactions on the institution's website.
As part of the agreement, ICICI Bank standardised on SSL certificates for a five-year contract period, Entrust Inc said in a release.
"ICICI Bank understands the value of providing a trusted environment that helps protect against online fraud schemes," PTI quoted Entrust Chairman Bill Conner.
Implementation of cost-effective SSL certificates would help the bank to address fraud and better serve the needs of their overall security approach, he added.
Based on their current purchase, they have the ability to upgrade to extended validation SSL certificates when the time is right, he added.
Acting as a centrally-managed, self-service system, the Certificate Management Service reduces administrative hassles and lessens the risk of inadvertent certificate expiration by allowing customers to synchronise and control the timing of SSL certificate expiration, it added.
ICICI Bank which has a total assets of $92 billion offers a wide range of banking products and financial services to corporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels.
It has a network of about 950 branches and 3,300 ATMs in India and presence in 17 countries.
Acting as a centrally-managed, self-service system, the Certificate Management Service reduces administrative hassles and lessens the risk of inadvertent certificate expiration by allowing customers to synchronise and control the timing of SSL certificate expiration, it added.
ICICI Bank which has a total assets of $92 billion offers a wide range of banking products and financial services to corporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels.
It has a network of about 950 branches and 3,300 ATMs in India and presence in 17 countries.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Facebook deletes account, UK MP faces identity crisis
A British member of parliament had his Facebook account suspended this week after the popular social networking site decided he wasn't real.Steve Webb, of the Liberal Democrats, tried to logon on Monday but received a message saying his account had been disabled following complaints he didn't exist.
The news was particularly disconcerting for the 42-year-old because not only has he been a member of parliament for 10 years but he is also a keen promoter of online networking.
"I sent them an email asking what the problem was and got a response a day later saying they had concluded that my profile was a fake, that I wasn't really Steve Webb," Webb told Reuters.
"I was essentially accused of impersonating a member of parliament." Within a few hours friends set up a Facebook group called Steve Webb is real! which attracted more than 200 members, and he and others contacted people who worked at the site.
A few hours later he received an apology and his profile was reactivated. "I'm very sorry for the confusion here," the apology from Facebook read. "We received a report that indicated that this was an imposter account, but after further investigation, it is obviously real."
Still, the time spent in the Internet's no man's land left Webb questioning his existence. "You realise the power these organisations really have," he said.
"If they'd been really determined, they could have deactivated me completely and then you kind of don't know where you stand. "It's actually hard for a genuine person to prove they exist." Webb, who has been on Facebook for nearly a year, has around 2,500 friends on the site, a huge number.
This is largely because he invites members of his constituency in the west of England to sign up. Asked if he might have been suspended because he had a suspiciously high number of friends, particularly for a member of parliament, he laughed. "The thought did cross my mind," he said.
Still, the time spent in the Internet's no man's land left Webb questioning his existence. "You realise the power these organisations really have," he said.
"If they'd been really determined, they could have deactivated me completely and then you kind of don't know where you stand. "It's actually hard for a genuine person to prove they exist." Webb, who has been on Facebook for nearly a year, has around 2,500 friends on the site, a huge number.
This is largely because he invites members of his constituency in the west of England to sign up. Asked if he might have been suspended because he had a suspiciously high number of friends, particularly for a member of parliament, he laughed. "The thought did cross my mind," he said.
Non-Gandhi PMs are forgotten heroes for Govt
In a country that spares no opportunity to hail its heroes, it seems that former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri is a forgotten hero. And the government has no qualms in accepting the fact.In a letter addressed to the Home Ministry, RTI applicant Dev Ashish Bhattacharya wished to know how many advertisements were issued by the government to spread the message of former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri on the occasion of his birthday.
The response by the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting made his worst fears come true – not a single penny had been spent by the government.
"Why this selective treatment? Why this policy of pick and choose to spend money?" wonders Dev Ashish Bhattacharya.
But this has however been a usual practice over the years. Many who don’t wish to be named agree that only those Prime Ministers belonging to the Gandhi/Nehru family have been remembered with full honours, while others have simply been pushed into oblivion.
Anil Shastri, the elder son of Lal Bahadur Shastri, too, is appalled by this continuing tradition.
He contends that his father, who coined what is perhaps the most popular slogan of 20th century India - Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan - deserves a little more respect.
Says Shastri, “This is regrettable. The question posed by most people is, why is he being ignored?"
There are few leaders who are remembered after they have ceased to be in power and even fewer have served as idols and inspired generations. Surely, remembering them one day in a year cannot be too difficult a task for the government.
He contends that his father, who coined what is perhaps the most popular slogan of 20th century India - Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan - deserves a little more respect.
Says Shastri, “This is regrettable. The question posed by most people is, why is he being ignored?"
There are few leaders who are remembered after they have ceased to be in power and even fewer have served as idols and inspired generations. Surely, remembering them one day in a year cannot be too difficult a task for the government.
Al-Qaida email threatens terror at Delhi HC, Taj
The Delhi High Court on Thursday said it received a threatening email from terrorist outfit al-Qaida a few days after the serial blasts in Uttar Pradesh district courts last month.According to court sources, the email was forwarded to the Home Ministry following which the security in the High Court was beefed up.
Delhi Police, which has taken the threat seriously and intensified security, has launched an investigation to trace the culprits and check the authenticity of the email.
According to court sources, the Delhi High Court's security department received the email about 10 days ago.
Refusing to disclose the contents of the email, the sources said it had issued threats to the High Court, Parliament and the Taj Mahal in Agra.
Denying the receipt of any fresh threat mail, they said a meeting of the Delhi Police officers as well as court officials has been convened on Thursday.
Delhi Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Karnal Singh and senior police officials reviewed security arrangements at both the courts.
Staff in the court complexes was asked to remain in uniform and wear identity cards. Directions were issued to allow nobody inside the premises without the necessary passes and a mandatory security check-up. Metal detectors were also put in place.
"We have taken unprecedented security measures and are fully prepared. Bomb disposal squads and dog squads have been put on high alert. Additional police personnel have been deployed around the Supreme Court and high court premises," a police official told IANS on the condition of anonymity.
Delhi Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Karnal Singh and senior police officials reviewed security arrangements at both the courts.
Staff in the court complexes was asked to remain in uniform and wear identity cards. Directions were issued to allow nobody inside the premises without the necessary passes and a mandatory security check-up. Metal detectors were also put in place.
"We have taken unprecedented security measures and are fully prepared. Bomb disposal squads and dog squads have been put on high alert. Additional police personnel have been deployed around the Supreme Court and high court premises," a police official told IANS on the condition of anonymity.
Cops offer $5k for credible info on LSU murders
US Police have offered a USD 5,000 reward for credible information about the killers of two Indian doctoral students at Louisiana State University, as tips poured in after the release of sketches of two suspects.Earlier on Thursday, the police had released the sketches of two men wanted for questioning in the murder of two Indian students in the university campus, after meeting the Indian diplomats.
The sketches were made from descriptions given by witnesses who saw two people around the apartment.
They were seen hurriedly leaving the apartment complex in a car with one or two other people, police said, adding the sketches were available for download at http://www.lsu.edu/pa/photos.
According to the police, "All indications so far are that the suspects were looking for someone to rob when they killed the two victims".
One of the men, believed to have been the driver of the car, was a black male estimated to be in his 20's, they said.
"His hair was done in twists in rows. He was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt," police said.
The second man, wearing a white long sleeve shirt with a high collar and dark jeans, is also allegedly a black male in his 20's, possibly even over 30, 5'8"-5'10" tall, with a muscular build and a receding hairline, they said.
They are believed to have left in an older model, light-coloured Oldsmobile Alero.
It is believed that one of the victims was spotted arriving at the apartment complex and was followed to the other victim's apartment, where both men were killed.
Police have not yet released the descriptions of other two men involved in the crime.
The suspects were seen on the complex property at 9:00 pm on the night of December 13th, and may have been in the general area or on property even earlier.
Kiran Kumar Allam (33) and Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma (31), both resident of Andhra Pradesh, were shot dead on Thursday last at the Edward Gay Apartments on the edge of the LSU campus. They were pursuing doctoral degrees at LSU and the apartment belonged to Allam.
"His hair was done in twists in rows. He was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt," police said.
The second man, wearing a white long sleeve shirt with a high collar and dark jeans, is also allegedly a black male in his 20's, possibly even over 30, 5'8"-5'10" tall, with a muscular build and a receding hairline, they said.
They are believed to have left in an older model, light-coloured Oldsmobile Alero.
It is believed that one of the victims was spotted arriving at the apartment complex and was followed to the other victim's apartment, where both men were killed.
Police have not yet released the descriptions of other two men involved in the crime.
The suspects were seen on the complex property at 9:00 pm on the night of December 13th, and may have been in the general area or on property even earlier.
Kiran Kumar Allam (33) and Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma (31), both resident of Andhra Pradesh, were shot dead on Thursday last at the Edward Gay Apartments on the edge of the LSU campus. They were pursuing doctoral degrees at LSU and the apartment belonged to Allam.
Paes ready to join Bhupathi for Beijing Olympics
Leading tennis player Leander Paes is ready to team up with Mahesh Bhupathi to bid for a doubles medal at next year's Beijing Olympics.The duo have had a stormy relationship and criticised each other following their successful defence of the Asian Games doubles title last December.
"The obvious choice is for Mahesh and myself to play. I am looking forward to that," multiple grand slam winner Paes told reporters on Wednesday.
Bhupathi, who is recovering from a back surgery, has already expressed his interest in a reunion.
The pair, nicknamed "Indian Express", who won three men's doubles grand slam titles together, split on the tour after a high of reaching the final of all grand slams in 1999, winning two of them.
Beijing is considered the final chance for the two to claim Olympic glory after they lost the bronze medal playoff at Athens in 2004. Paes, 34, said he would partner Australian Paul Hanley in the new ATP season.
Zoo tigress attacks visitor, severs hand
A man's excursion to the zoo here along with his family turned into a tragedy when he was killed by a tigress after crossing the barrier and went near the animal's enclosure this afternoon to take photographs.Zoo divisional forest officer Narayan Mahanta said 50-year-old Jai Prakash Bezbarua, who had gone to the zoo with his family, had crossed the line outside the enclosure for tigers from where visitors see the animals at Assam State Zoo.
He gave a slip to the guards on duty, who had stopped him from venturing near the barrier, and crossed to reach the last level from where the iron grills start to take photographs of tigers basking in the sun, he said.
As soon as the man put his hand inside the iron grill with his camera, the tigress, named 'Divya', caught it and was immediately joined by another tiger 'Gobardhan'.
Together, they severed Bezbarua's hand from his shoulder within a few seconds. Bezbaruah was rushed to Guwahati Medical College Hospital
Green dream bust? Delhi chokes on CNG
The green colour on autorickshaws is perhaps an indicator that Delhi is the only city to have introduced the CNG and made it mandatory on public transport .But Delhi is more polluted today than it was five years ago when the CNG was introduced. A latest analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) finds that pollution levels are on the upswing again after a few years of control.
In 2002, when CNG programme was initiated, RSPM or respirable suspended matter stood at 143 microgram per cubic metre. In 2005, they dropped to 115 microgram per cubic metre
In 2006, the levels of RSPM in winters were as high as 350 microgram per cubic metre - which means, more than double.
So what has offset the benefits of CNG? Delhi has more than four million registered vehicles and adds about 1,000 vehicles to its roads every day. Cars fueled by petrol and diesel- fossil fuels that emit toxic gases in Delhi's air.
So what's the solution?
“We need to do something to restrict the number of personal cars. It is really ironical that the public transport meets 60-70 per cent of the transport demand. Our policies are not encouraging public transport. In fact the tax burden on a person traveling in a bus is much higher than one traveling in a car. We are building flyovers for car owners and are not thinking about moving people but moving cars,” says Anumita Roy Chowdhary of CSE.
The automobile industry continues to add flashy models on the roads each day with little thought to how much carbon they emit. Until the government considers a tax for polluting vehicles, Delhi will continue choke in this toxic gas chamber.
“We need to do something to restrict the number of personal cars. It is really ironical that the public transport meets 60-70 per cent of the transport demand. Our policies are not encouraging public transport. In fact the tax burden on a person traveling in a bus is much higher than one traveling in a car. We are building flyovers for car owners and are not thinking about moving people but moving cars,” says Anumita Roy Chowdhary of CSE.
The automobile industry continues to add flashy models on the roads each day with little thought to how much carbon they emit. Until the government considers a tax for polluting vehicles, Delhi will continue choke in this toxic gas chamber.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
India eyes 10 pc growth by 2012, US spoiler a risk
India's economy could be growing by 10 per cent a year by 2012 with the right set of policies, but the US subprime crisis might trim exports and capital flows, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Wednesday.
Annual growth dipped to 8.9 per cent in the September quarter, falling below 9 per cent for the first time in three quarters, as industrial output slowed due to monetary tightening designed to trim inflation.
Top officials are confident they can maintain growth momentum despite a surge in the value of the rupee against the dollar this year, which is hurting exporters, and high interest rates.
"It is possible that with the correct set of policies... we will not only be able to maintain this momentum of high growth into the near future but may be able to raise it to 10 per cent," Manmohan Singh told top policy makers.
India, the world's fastest-growing major economy after China, grew 9.4 per cent in the last fiscal year, its strongest in 18 years.
Its surging expansion has attracted global investors, fuelling a stock market boom and pushing firms to expand capacity.
"This high growth rate has become possible because of the historically high savings and investment rates which we are witnessing," Singh said at a meeting of the National Development Council set to approve a policies for the 5 years to 2012.
"Our savings rate after stagnating for almost two decades has touched 34 percent of GDP and the investment rate has crossed 35 per cent. These high rates... are likely to go up in future because of our young population profile."
Trade Minister Kamal Nath said on Tuesday expansion in the 2007/08 fiscal year to March 31 would be in excess of 9 per cent, and analysts say the central bank's forecast of 8.5 per cent should be met in Asia's third-largest economy.
The PM said global credit worries would not completely skirt India's economy, despite it being largely driven by domestic demand. "There are some clouds on global financial markets following the subprime lending crisis. There are worries that the growth of the US and other leading economies may slow down and some may even go into a recession," he said.
"This may impact both our exports as well as capital flows."
Such concerns mean India must redouble efforts to maintain domestic drivers of growth, the Prime Minister said. The government is discussing ways to minimise the impact of the rupee's appreciation on exporters, who have seen their margins squeezed by a 12 per cent rise in the currency this year.
The Reserve Bank of India, keen to cool price pressures and stop the economy from overheating, raised interest rates five times between mid-2006 and March this year, but has since held them steady.
Many economists now expect the next move to be down.
Annual growth dipped to 8.9 per cent in the September quarter, falling below 9 per cent for the first time in three quarters, as industrial output slowed due to monetary tightening designed to trim inflation.
Top officials are confident they can maintain growth momentum despite a surge in the value of the rupee against the dollar this year, which is hurting exporters, and high interest rates.
"It is possible that with the correct set of policies... we will not only be able to maintain this momentum of high growth into the near future but may be able to raise it to 10 per cent," Manmohan Singh told top policy makers.
India, the world's fastest-growing major economy after China, grew 9.4 per cent in the last fiscal year, its strongest in 18 years.
Its surging expansion has attracted global investors, fuelling a stock market boom and pushing firms to expand capacity.
"This high growth rate has become possible because of the historically high savings and investment rates which we are witnessing," Singh said at a meeting of the National Development Council set to approve a policies for the 5 years to 2012.
"Our savings rate after stagnating for almost two decades has touched 34 percent of GDP and the investment rate has crossed 35 per cent. These high rates... are likely to go up in future because of our young population profile."
Trade Minister Kamal Nath said on Tuesday expansion in the 2007/08 fiscal year to March 31 would be in excess of 9 per cent, and analysts say the central bank's forecast of 8.5 per cent should be met in Asia's third-largest economy.
The PM said global credit worries would not completely skirt India's economy, despite it being largely driven by domestic demand. "There are some clouds on global financial markets following the subprime lending crisis. There are worries that the growth of the US and other leading economies may slow down and some may even go into a recession," he said.
"This may impact both our exports as well as capital flows."
Such concerns mean India must redouble efforts to maintain domestic drivers of growth, the Prime Minister said. The government is discussing ways to minimise the impact of the rupee's appreciation on exporters, who have seen their margins squeezed by a 12 per cent rise in the currency this year.
The Reserve Bank of India, keen to cool price pressures and stop the economy from overheating, raised interest rates five times between mid-2006 and March this year, but has since held them steady.
Many economists now expect the next move to be down.
Britney Spear's sister Jamie is pregnant at 16
Britney Spears' 16-year-old sister, who stars as a schoolgirl in Nickelodeon's popular TV show Zoey 101, is pregnant.
The cable channel confirmed a report in the forthcoming edition of celebrity gossip magazine OK! that Jamie Lynn Spears is expecting a child.
"We respect Jamie Lynn's decision to take responsibility in this sensitive and personal situation. We know this is a very difficult time for her and her family, and our primary concern right now is for Jamie Lynn's well being," Nickelodeon said in a statement e-mailed to Reuters.
A high school student who lives in Louisiana, Jamie Lynn Spears reportedly met the father, Casey Aldridge, the son of a Tennessee papermill worker, at church.
Jamie Lynn Spears' personal publicist was not available for comment.
Her big sister, Britney Spears, may not be the best source of parenting advice.
The 26-year-old pop star lost primary custody of her two sons, aged 2 and 1, to ex-husband Kevin Federline after their divorce last year and is engaged in a bitter custody battle that has shone a harsh spotlight on her maternal shortcomings.
Zoey 101, which wrapped production on its fourth and final season in September, revolves around a headstrong student at a co-ed boarding school in California.
Fresh episodes will air through 2008, a spokeswoman for the Viacom Inc-owned network said.
The cable channel confirmed a report in the forthcoming edition of celebrity gossip magazine OK! that Jamie Lynn Spears is expecting a child.
"We respect Jamie Lynn's decision to take responsibility in this sensitive and personal situation. We know this is a very difficult time for her and her family, and our primary concern right now is for Jamie Lynn's well being," Nickelodeon said in a statement e-mailed to Reuters.
A high school student who lives in Louisiana, Jamie Lynn Spears reportedly met the father, Casey Aldridge, the son of a Tennessee papermill worker, at church.
Jamie Lynn Spears' personal publicist was not available for comment.
Her big sister, Britney Spears, may not be the best source of parenting advice.
The 26-year-old pop star lost primary custody of her two sons, aged 2 and 1, to ex-husband Kevin Federline after their divorce last year and is engaged in a bitter custody battle that has shone a harsh spotlight on her maternal shortcomings.
Zoey 101, which wrapped production on its fourth and final season in September, revolves around a headstrong student at a co-ed boarding school in California.
Fresh episodes will air through 2008, a spokeswoman for the Viacom Inc-owned network said.
Amazing Body scanner that sizes you up for perfect fit
Amazing Technology plays an integral part in fashion, right from the sketching board to your closet — clothes that glow and sparkle and designs that change with your touch. That is the latest technology from Philips.Philips has developed a glass chamber called the Intellifit Body Scanner. It works just like your neighborhood tailor, except it sizes you up with radio waves instead of a measuring tape. That means, perfect fitting clothes every time. And this is coming soon to a mall near you.
The best part is Intellifit issues a smart card that stores all your measurements so it can be used every time you shop. Or if you want your boyfriend or someone else to shop for you online, just give them your user name and password to access your size details.
For the problem of the stores that don't stock your size, this is the perfect solution. Shop floor arguments will soon be history with a radio frequency chip, with everything there is to know about a piece of garment recorded inside the chip. Tagged to every garment, the salesperson will know immediately if they have your size and where exactly in the store to find it.
CEO Avaana Software Bimal Sareen, says “RFID will allow the shopkeeper to recognize the clothes you take into the changing room, and flash matching accessories on the mirror for you that have been matched by a designer.”
Of course, fashion and technology are much deeply intertwined. What once took hours of sketching is today achieved in minutes on a designer's desktop.
Fashion Designer JJ Valaya,says, “Software like Photoshop and CorelDraw allow us to see many versions of a drawing with we couldn't do earlier. It now helps us to produce much faster.”
Once a design is completed, it’s uploaded onto the web through software like WFX. After global partners approve it, it’s then sent to the factory floor, where the smallest of details like, cut, color, measurements are faithfully reproduced. Thus, every garment that reaches the shop floor ends up exactly the way the designer wanted it.
Director, WFX, Jatin Paul, adds, “It is not uncommon for large brands like Nike or Gap to cancel million dollars worth of Shipments because a sleeve is too long or a pocket manufactured is crooked. Technology like WFX stops this from happening. “
Who knew so much technology was involved in helping one select the perfect outfit.
Diana was against marrying Dodi
Princess Diana denied any intention of marrying Dodi Fayed in a conversation just a few days before the couple died, a friend testified on Monday.Lady Annabel Goldsmith, testifying at the British inquest into the couple's deaths, said Diana had remarked that she needed another marriage "like a rash on my face."
Goldsmith, 73, said she would never forget those words because they were the last she had heard from Diana.
Fayed's father, Mohamed Al Fayed, has claimed the couple was the target of a plot directed by Queen Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Philip -- partly motivated, he alleges, by a desire to prevent Diana from marrying a Muslim.
Al Fayed says Diana and his son were on the brink of announcing their engagement when they died on August 31, 1997.
French and British police blamed the accident on their driver, Henri Paul, based on evidence that he was over the legal alcohol limit and was speeding through a tunnel at more than 60 mph when the car slammed into a concrete pillar. Paul also died in the crash.
Goldsmith said Monday that Diana clearly was having a "wonderful" time with Fayed, reporting that she had "never been so spoiled."
Reflecting on Diana's comment about a rash, Goldsmith testified: "I took it to mean that she was not serious about marriage to Dodi. She might have been having a wonderful time with him, I'm sure, but I thought her remark that she needed marriage like a rash meant that she was not serious about it."
Other witnesses have questioned whether the romance had developed to the stage of an intention to marry.
Diana's friend Rosa Monckton last week testified that it was "difficult to judge" the intensity of Diana's romance with Fayed, but Monckton said "it was clear to me that she was really missing Hasnat" Khan, a heart surgeon with whom she had had an affair.
Monckton testified that Diana said nothing of an engagement during a telephone conversation on August 27.
"She would have called me if she was going to do that," Monckton said.
Monckton also disputed Al Fayed's claim that Diana was pregnant. She said Diana had had her period during a holiday the two women shared in Greece 10 days before the princess died.
Goldsmith also rejected the pregnancy claim. "I would say 'impossible.' There was a reason for that (belief)," she said.
"I'm confident, on the face of it, that she would not have been" pregnant, Goldsmith said.
Diana's stepmother, Raine, Countess Spencer, testified that she also doubted the couple were engaged but thought it "highly likely" that the relationship could have progressed to marriage.
The countess also doubted that Diana, who "was brought up in quite an old-fashioned way," was pregnant.
"It would have been out of the question for her," she said.
Amazing Brand Bangalore gets bigger, IT will get only better
Brand Bangalore has not lost its sheen yet - that's what the Information Technology Department has to say. While the state government has cleared the path for investments worth Rs 60,000 crore in August, September and October had over 40 projects worth over Rs 38,000 crore cleared.The state IT secretary Vidyashankar says the numbers for November and December will be just as encouraging and proves that Bangalore has not suffered because of the state's political instability.
"We are seeing, on the contrary, an increase in participation not only from IT but also from telecom, biotech and nano industries. Bangalore is acting more,” he says.
The reason? Brand Bangalore is still synonymous with outsourcing, making it easier to market to client overseas.
"Bangalore is a global entity and is top of the mind recall for it honchos all over the world. If the country is going to continue to grow, Bangalore will grow as well,” says Vidyashankar.
Other senior government officials tell CNN-IBN that the absence of an elected government may have made the state more business friendly. This is because the governor's executive committee is not making decisions that are purely based on merit and there is very little room for vested interests.
The city's infrastructure continues to be the bone of contention. But officials say changes are being made.
"The kind of initiatives we are putting in will take care of infrastructure for the next 20 years. Be it water, roads or metro, it's all being taken care of," says Vidyashankar.
While the city exported Rs 49,000 crore worth software in 2006-07, its nearest competitor Chennai managed just about Rs 21,000 crore. This year, the exports are estimated to touch a record Rs 70,000 crore.
The I-T secretary says the target of Rs 100,000 crore in exports for the year 2010-11 is more than achievable
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
India's Hollywood man finds gay role challenging
Actor Irrfan Khan, who is tasting rare success in Hollywood, says playing a homosexual man in his latest film was a challenge."For a heterosexual role I need no preparation," Khan, who won a Spirit Award nomination for best supporting actor in The Namesake, told the Times of India in an interview published on Friday. "It's always more challenging to do something untried."
Known to experiment with roles, Khan plays a homosexual in a short film about AIDS by Mira Nair, a character most Bollywood heroes would avoid lest their romantic or macho images suffer.
In Migration, Khan does not portray the homosexual character as effeminate, breaking away from the stereotype in most Indian films.
"That would have been the easy and boring way," said the actor, adding that he was inspired by similar roles played by Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Khan has been acclaimed for his role in The Namesake as an Indian immigrant in the United States.
He has also starred alongside Angelina Jolie in A Mighty Heart, a film on American journalist Daniel Pearl who was killed in Pakistan.
Spice girls sizzle in London after 9 years
Still on their much-hyped world tour, the Spice Girls have made their UK comeback in London.This was their first appearance as a group on their home turf, in nine years.
It was huge crowd that welcomed the pop stars, many of whom dressed up as the Spice Girls.
The all-girl group made it big in the late 1990s. The Spice Girls kicked off the reunion tour in Vancouver, Canada earlier this month.
Diwali in jail was saddest moment of my life: Dutt
Sanjay Dutt, in his first one-to-one interview after being released from Pune's Yerwada Jail has spoken out candidly about his experience in jail. Spending Diwali in jail, he says, was one of the saddest moments of his life.“Diwali was a really sad moment of my life, that I couldn't be with the family and I was locked up and I could see crackers bursting. I prayed and I meditated. I thought of Dad and I thought of Mom,” Dutt recounted.
“Freedom is something everyone takes for granted. But it’s something which you can't buy, as much of money as you may have. So it’s great to be free,” he said.
On being in jail, he said it’s not a good place to be in, but if one looks at the positive side, that’s the only connection with God that is direct.
“When I first went there, you know you don’t feel hungry and they sat there and said 'You got to eat', and I said 'Is it because I am an actor?' They said, 'No, we do it with all the prisoners, everybody is the same here.' It really made me feel good,” he said.
“There is a good part and there is a bad part. The bad part is that you have to be locked up at a certain hour, so I mean you are locked up at 6 whether it is Diwali or Independence day - that time you are locked up at 3 in the afternoon till the next day. I mean I used to wonder 'It’s Independence Day, why have you locked us up, I'm an Indian you know’,” Dutt said.
Revealed: Why beer bellies make men bend over
Pregnant women may stand out a mile away with their characteristic backward-leaning stance, but that clumsy-looking position is a unique adaptation that evolved over millennia, anthropologists said on Wednesday.Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for men with large beer bellies!
Pregnant pre-humans appeared to have stood the same way. And it may save women from even more back pain than they already have, the researchers report in this week's issue of the journal Nature.
The bodies of women do two things when they are pregnant -- they adjust their stance to move the center of gravity to accommodate the growing fetus, and the lower vertebrae have evolved a distinct shape to allow this shifting to take place without damaging the spine, Katherine Whitcome of Harvard University and colleagues found.
"It was one of these things like, 'Oh my god, no one's ever thought of this,' and it looks so obvious," Liza Shapiro of the University of Texas at Austin, who helped supervise the work, said in a telephone interview.
Whitcome and Shapiro followed 19 women through their pregnancy, using digital cameras and motional analysis equipment to map the changes in stance and movement as the months passed.
"What women do when their pregnancy reaches about half of the expected mass ... they shift backwards," Shapiro said.
"If you didn't have any of those mechanisms, the only way to offset a load in front of you is to contract your back muscles. The more you have to use your muscles, the more discomfort you would have. It would be worse otherwise, and there would be more potential damage to the vertebrae."
Without this change in shape, the vertebrae could be subject to shearing forces, with one sliding over another, damaging the fluid-filled discs in between or pulling on ligaments and muscles.
"The shape of the vertebrae allows her to rotate the upper body," Shapiro said.
When she moved to Harvard, Whitcome continued the study and looked at the fossils of pre-humans known as australopithecines, as well as at the bone structure of our nearest living relatives, the chimpanzees.
"These differences are absent in the chimpanzee. So there is something unique about humans," Whitcome said. "We also see some evidence for these adaptations in early australopithecines."
Men do not have this adaptation, either, Shapiro said.
"We can only conclude that men can't resist the forces of their big bellies as well as women. They are at a disadvantage," she said.
"They probably lean back the same way to try and balance that load, but they are kind of putting their vertebrae more at risk. I am sure there has got to be a correlation between having a big beer gut and having back pain," Shapiro laughed.
Amazing thing to feel woman Beautifull
The next time you want to make your woman feel beautiful, give her that perfect lover’s kiss, says a new poll.The poll, conducted to determine as to what makes a woman feel beautiful, has revealed that a simple smooch from their man puts a spring in a girl’s step better more than anything else.
According to the survey of more than 1,000 British women aged over 18, a kiss from their man was preferable than lingerie, a shopping splurge and even sex.
Perfumes, jewellery and beauty treatments did not even feature in the top ten.
In the survey, more than 60 per cent women reported that a smacker on the lips from their man made them feel more attractive.
Second on the list was new underwear, followed by having sex.
Receiving a wolf whistle came fourth, followed by having a long soak in a bubble bath, going on a shopping spree and buying a new pair of shoes.
At number eight was applying a splash of colourful lipstick and next was a fat-burning gym workout, with a chocolate fix at tenth place.
The survey was carried out for cosmetic company Blistex.
“This research allows us a peek into what boosts women’s confidence,” The Sun quoted Nick Lang, Blistex spokesman, as saying.
"Little did we know something as simple as a passionate kiss could be enough to make women feel so beautiful,” Lang added.
Big B, SRK better role models than historical figures: Study
Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai serve as more influential role models for youngsters than any of the famous figures from history, a new study from the University of Leicester suggests.The research in the University of Leicester Department of Media and Communication examines interest in celebrities and gossip about them. It was carried out by Charlotte De Backer who sought in her study to explain interest in celebrity culture.
"Life is about learning, gaining experience and in that process we have a tendency to observe and mimic the actions of others. Ideally we mimic what makes others successful and avoid unsuccessful actions others have trialed (and paid for),” De Backer said.
"In reality, humans seem to have the tendency to mimic the overall behaviour pattern of higher status or more successful others. This explains why celebrities act as role models for broad ranges of behaviour they display – good or bad,” she added.
De Backer also examined another theory for interest in celebrity, known as the Parasocial Hypothesis.
In this case, the bonds are parasocial or one-way because the celebrity reveals private information (often involuntary), and the audience members respond emotionally to this, but there is no feedback of the private life of the audience going to the celebrity (or hardly ever), and nor do celebrities display emotions towards their audience.
Her study of 800 respondents and over 100 interviews confirmed that younger participants showed greater interest in celebrity gossip, even if it was about celebrities who were a lot older than them and even when they did not know the celebrities. They showed greatest interest in internationally known celebrities, because they considered those as more prestigious.
De Backer study also found that older people were interested in celebrity gossip not because they wanted to learn about the celebrities, but because it helped them to form social networks with other people.
"We did find in the interviews that older people do not gossip about celebrities as much because they want to learn from them or feel befriended with them, but they use celebrity gossip to bond with real life friends and acquaintances,” De Backer said.
"Living in scattered societies, we often don't know who to talk about with the many people we know, and celebrities can act as our mutual friends and acquaintances,” she added.
De Backer’s research was published in the journal Human Nature.
Monday, December 17, 2007
London Inn offers free stay for Marys and Josephs
London: Josephs and Marys in search of a room at the inn this Christmas are being made an offer they can't refuse.A British hotel chain is promising free accommodation to couples who share their first names with the couple from the Christian Nativity story.
Almost 30 Josephs and Marys have already signed up for the free night's stay at the Travelodge, said Shakila Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the hotel chain.
"The 'gift' of free night's stay is to make up for the hotel industry not having any rooms left on Christmas Eve over 2000 years ago when the original 'Mary and Joseph' had to settle for the night in a stable," the company says on its Web site.
The offer is good at any one of the chain's 322 hotels in the United Kingdom, the Web site says. The couples must bring proof of identity and must prove that they are in a long-term relationship.
"If you satisfy the criteria, you get a free night in a family room for two adults and two children," Ahmed said. "There's also parking space for a donkey if needed," she joked.
Ahmed said the offer, which will run from Christmas Eve to Twelfth Night — December 24 to January 5 — had been very well-received.
"We've had a lot of interest. I think people like the fact that it resonates with the Nativity story at a time when the actual meaning of Christmas often becomes forgotten in festive overkill," she said.
Couples can register their names at a special e-mail address set up by Travelodge, which has hotels across the Britain, Ireland and Spain, Ahmed said.
One-film-old Gemma bags next 007 girl role
London: Actress Gemma Arterton of the show St. Trinian will be the next Bond girl. It will be her second film.Thesun.co.uk reports that the 22-year old beat 1,500 other women to co-star with Daniel Craig in the movie is tentatively titled Bond 22. Filming starts in January.
After getting the confirmation, Arterton sent an SMS to her mom saying, "I got Bond!"
An insider at the Bond studios Eon Productions said, "She has the modern look."
Cyclone Sidr damaged 40% of Sundarbans: UNESCO
Cyclone Sidr that left more than 3,000 people dead as it raged through Bangladesh in November has devastated the Sundarbans World Heritage Site, UNESCO has said.A report prepared by the UN body found "serious damage" after its experts visited the mangrove forest on the delta of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, spread between Bangladesh and India.
"The experts found that 40 per cent of the site has been seriously damaged by Cyclone Sidr. It struck at the heart of the East Sundarbans, the biologically richest part of the Bangladeshi World Heritage property," UNESCO said.
"Foliage has been stripped from the branches of trees in over 30 per cent of the property. Large trees have been felled by the wind and the crowns of many others have been severely damaged," it added.
A complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands intersects the 140,000-hectare Sundarbans, one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in the world.
It is home to a wide range of fauna, including 260 species of birds, the Bengal tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python.
UNESCO experts who visited the world heritage expressed their concern that this development would help poachers do further damage to the ecosystem.
"Poaching and other intrusions could jeopardise the regeneration of the Sundarbans ecosystem, which should normally take 10 to 15 years," the report stated.
The November 15 cyclone that left Orissa and West Bengal untouched - contrary to meteorological predictions - damaged field stations and many boats in Bangladesh.
Several pieces of equipment of the Bangladeshi forest department in the area have been washed out to sea by the storm, severely compromising the authority's capacity to manage the site, which was inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1997.
The Sundarbans are breeding grounds for fish, shrimp and crab, which migrate to areas beyond the site boundary, providing livelihood for 300,000 people in the area, the UN body explained.
Wikipedia faces Google-y, rival Knol launched
Web search leader Google Inc is testing an Internet site for sharing knowledge about any subject under the sun, one that could eventually compete with the popular user-edited encyclopedia Wikipedia.Google's "knol" project started earlier this week and is working with a group of writers by invitation only, Google vice president of engineering Udi Manber wrote in a company blog post.
"There are millions of people who possess useful knowledge that they would love to share, and there are billions of people who can benefit from it," Manber said in the post.
"The goal is for knols to cover all topics, from scientific concepts, to medical information ... to how-to-fix-it instructions."
The word "knol" is used to refer to the project and to an entry on the shared website.
Google's site will identify the authors posting the information. It will not serve as an editor of the information or endorse what is written on the site.
The site will eventually be opened to the general public and allow users to submit comments, questions or edits, as well as rate posts.
Knol writers will be able to include ads in their posts, sharing the revenue with Google.
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales is working on a community- developed Web search service that would compete with search engines such as Google and Yahoo Inc.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Weekend wine fiesta in Pune for Rs 250
With Christmas round the corner, the coming weekend will see wine lovers across Maharashtra getting together in Pune for a one-of-a-kind festival.Being organised by the Pune Gourmet Club at Koregaon Park, the wine tasting fiesta will be a standalone event.
"Wine tasting festivals are always a part of an agri-fest or some other festival, so we thought it would be a good idea to have an exclusive wine tasting event," says B Shankarnarayanan, an organiser.
More than 40 types of wines from Indian wineries like Chateau Indage, Vindura and ND Wines will be available for tasting.
According to Shankarnarayanan, the fest will give wine lovers an opportunity to taste even the smaller and the rarer brands for a one-time cost of Rs 250.
"In many places, for Rs 150 you get to taste only six wines, so one only tastes the best brands, and the other smaller bands lose out on the opportunity. So this time we thought by fixing the price and not the number of wines, the smaller players too will have a good opportunity," says Shankarnarayanan.
More than 10 wineries from different parts of the country have already registered. Wine expert Marie Juhasoo from Sula Wines will participate and offer her comments on various wines. Chef Parag Kanhere from Nasik will have a live cookery show with Indian wine.
Food stalls with delicious gourmet recipes paired with free exotic wines will be part of the festival. The event has no sponsors - it's purely the voluntary effort of 200-odd members of this club who are fond of good food and some tangy wine.
Prez Bush might just be on 'The Simpsons' show
Prez Bush will now be on 'The Simpsons' showIANS
And now for the final feather in the cap for faux pas king, US President Bush. After making repeated headlines with his gaffes, goof-ups and bloopers, seems like Pres Bush might just meet his animated-television twin, Homer Simpson.
Popular animated comedy series, The Simpsons writer James L Brooks is hoping to get US President George Bush to appear on the show.
Thesun.co.uk reports Brooks as saying: "A vulnerable moment with George would be great. You cannot go wrong with George. George and Homer, George and Bart, even George and Comic Book Guy. We've never got a US president. We will take any US president willing to pass his or her love of us."
Brooks is one of the original writers of the show and was in Britain promoting The Simpsons Movie, which he co-wrote and co-produced.
Talking about the movie he said: "One of the toughest things was we cared so much and our profile was so high that it became intimidating. For a while we had to work to get past it and then we could start having fun."
So far while many celebrities have made their appearance on The Simpsons, no US president has been seen on the show. Given how Pres Bush is a favourite topic for lampooning for media, commentators and cartoonists, having him on the show will be a coup of sorts for The Simpsons.
Sania bows, apologises for ad shoot at mosque
Tennis star Sania Mirza bowed before public sentiment on Thursday and tendered an 'unequivocal' apology for shooting a commercial at the historic Mecca Mosque in Hyderabad and hurting religious sentiments.
Sania's public apology came barely hours after a case had been registered against the tennis star and the advertising agency, charging them with trespassing on the Mecca Masjid.
The tennis star later sent an e-mail to Hyderabad's Police Commissioner, apologising for the ad shoot "with a deep sense of remorse".
Sania also sent a letter to the Imam of the Masjid, saying: "I would like to apologise to all my brothers and sisters and respected elders who are anguished by my unwittingly entering a portion of the land belonging to Mecca Masjid."
"While I am fully aware that a woman must not enter the sanctity of the mosque, I was unaware that even entering the outside gates of a mosque was seriously objectionable, specially without permission, which I was assured by the agency they possessed."
Sania's public apology came barely hours after a case had been registered against the tennis star and the advertising agency, charging them with trespassing on the Mecca Masjid.
The tennis star later sent an e-mail to Hyderabad's Police Commissioner, apologising for the ad shoot "with a deep sense of remorse".
Sania also sent a letter to the Imam of the Masjid, saying: "I would like to apologise to all my brothers and sisters and respected elders who are anguished by my unwittingly entering a portion of the land belonging to Mecca Masjid."
"While I am fully aware that a woman must not enter the sanctity of the mosque, I was unaware that even entering the outside gates of a mosque was seriously objectionable, specially without permission, which I was assured by the agency they possessed."
tender my apology to all my brothers and sisters for hurting their sentiments," she said.
She, however, maintained that the commercial was aimed at promoting the heritage monument of Charminar, which is a symbol of Hyderabad.
Sania and the ad agency had upset local groups by shooting for an ad at the mosque without taking the requisite permission from the authorities concerned. The shoot evoked strong protest from the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen.
Mosque employees had alleged that the attitude of some of the members of the shooting unit was objectionable. They were reportedly wearing shoes when they entered the mosque and pushed away a watchman who tried to stop them.
The complaint was filed by the District Minority Welfare Officer Kareemullah, who said: "Sania has hurt the religious sentiments of people visiting the mosque."
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Charminar), B Reddenna, however, said it was a "petty case" involving unauthorised entry and photography. He, however, insisted that "the law will take its course in the matter."
The superintendent of the mosque, Khaja Nayeemuddin, had earlier claimed that he had no information about the shooting and that the advertisement had already been shot before he or other custodians could reach the mosque.
Reddanna says that the unit had obtained permission to shoot in and around Charminar, but not inside the Mecca Masjid.
The ad shoot has also evoked strong protest from the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), a powerful Muslim political party in the Muslim-majority old Hyderabad city. The MIM also objected to Sania Mirza's participation in it.
She, however, maintained that the commercial was aimed at promoting the heritage monument of Charminar, which is a symbol of Hyderabad.
Sania and the ad agency had upset local groups by shooting for an ad at the mosque without taking the requisite permission from the authorities concerned. The shoot evoked strong protest from the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen.
Mosque employees had alleged that the attitude of some of the members of the shooting unit was objectionable. They were reportedly wearing shoes when they entered the mosque and pushed away a watchman who tried to stop them.
The complaint was filed by the District Minority Welfare Officer Kareemullah, who said: "Sania has hurt the religious sentiments of people visiting the mosque."
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Charminar), B Reddenna, however, said it was a "petty case" involving unauthorised entry and photography. He, however, insisted that "the law will take its course in the matter."
The superintendent of the mosque, Khaja Nayeemuddin, had earlier claimed that he had no information about the shooting and that the advertisement had already been shot before he or other custodians could reach the mosque.
Reddanna says that the unit had obtained permission to shoot in and around Charminar, but not inside the Mecca Masjid.
The ad shoot has also evoked strong protest from the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), a powerful Muslim political party in the Muslim-majority old Hyderabad city. The MIM also objected to Sania Mirza's participation in it.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
How to compose music on your computer
New Delhi: Can't carry a tune if your life depended on it? Well, you can still groove, with a little help from technology. Making music on your computer is now easy. You don't need to play any musical instruments to do it, just some snazzy software.If you want a really easy way to make music without knowing how to play a musical instrument, here's Fruity Loops software.
The software is basically a collection of loop sounds and instruments, which can be manipulated with absolute ease. It's a great software to learn the basics of music production. And it's so easy anyone can use it. Just click on the sound you want and press play.
When it comes to video editing, it can't get any easier than window's movie maker. Put in a video clip and the software allows you to make whatever cuts you want.
The on board effects in this software look really cool. And you just have to drag and drop to apply even beginners can use this to produce professional looking clips.
To record vocals, use any good mike and you can use the software on windows to record voice. So now you can make your own song and video without any professional know how whatsoever.
Love chatting? Your online suitor could be a comp
Internet chatroom romantics beware: your next chat may be with a clinical computer, not a passionate person, trying to win your personal data and not your heart, an online security firm says.
A Russian website called CyberLover.ru is advertising a software tool that, it says, can simulate flirtatious chatroom exchanges. It boasts that it can chat up as many as 10 women at the same time and persuade them to hand over phone numbers.
An Australian anti-virus software firm, PC Tools, has warned that the software could be abused by identity fraudsters trying to harvest people's personal details online. The Russian site denied it was intended for identity fraud.
The program, so far available only in Russian, will go on sale around February 15, just after St Valentine's Day, said the CyberLover.ru website.
"Not a single girl has yet realized that she was communicating with a program!" it said, adding that the program could also simulate virtual sex online.
"It's happened - a program to tempt girls over the internet!" said the site. "Within half an hour the CyberLover program will introduce you to ... girls, exchange photos and perhaps even a contact phone number," it states.
Chatrooms have developed into a popular social networking section of the internet, where people can converse anonymously by keyboard on any topic, from flirting to fishing.
CyberLover's website explains that the settings on its program can be changed to attract men, persuade people to visit a website or encourage them to top up mobile telephone credit, and that all the data collected will be stored.
CAN FOOL USERS
A spokesman for PC Tools said the program had a "terrifyingly well-organized" interaction that could fool users into giving up personal details and could easily be converted to work in other languages.
"As a tool that can be used by hackers to conduct identity fraud, CyberLover demonstrates an unprecedented level of social engineering," Sergei Shevchenko, Senior Malware Analyst at PC Tools, said in a statement.
"It employs highly intelligent and customized dialogue to target users of social networking systems."
He said the program "can monitor Internet browser activity, automatically recognize and fill in the fields in the web pages, generate keystrokes and mouse clicks, and post messages, URLs, files and photos."
"It can do exactly what users normally do when they are online, only in an automated pre-programmed way."
The CyberLover.ru site denied the program did anything wrong, saying it only gathered information that chatroom users themselves were volunteering.
"The program can find no more information than the user is prepared to provide," one of the site's employees, who gave his name only as Alexander, said in an emailed reply to Reuters questions.
"It maintains a dialogue with a person, but is not engaged in hacking or any other such schemes, I think this should be obvious," he said.
If you have someone who is ready to hand over secret information to the person they are chatting to after having known them for all of five minutes, then in that case a leak of information is possible."
A Russian website called CyberLover.ru is advertising a software tool that, it says, can simulate flirtatious chatroom exchanges. It boasts that it can chat up as many as 10 women at the same time and persuade them to hand over phone numbers.
An Australian anti-virus software firm, PC Tools, has warned that the software could be abused by identity fraudsters trying to harvest people's personal details online. The Russian site denied it was intended for identity fraud.
The program, so far available only in Russian, will go on sale around February 15, just after St Valentine's Day, said the CyberLover.ru website.
"Not a single girl has yet realized that she was communicating with a program!" it said, adding that the program could also simulate virtual sex online.
"It's happened - a program to tempt girls over the internet!" said the site. "Within half an hour the CyberLover program will introduce you to ... girls, exchange photos and perhaps even a contact phone number," it states.
Chatrooms have developed into a popular social networking section of the internet, where people can converse anonymously by keyboard on any topic, from flirting to fishing.
CyberLover's website explains that the settings on its program can be changed to attract men, persuade people to visit a website or encourage them to top up mobile telephone credit, and that all the data collected will be stored.
CAN FOOL USERS
A spokesman for PC Tools said the program had a "terrifyingly well-organized" interaction that could fool users into giving up personal details and could easily be converted to work in other languages.
"As a tool that can be used by hackers to conduct identity fraud, CyberLover demonstrates an unprecedented level of social engineering," Sergei Shevchenko, Senior Malware Analyst at PC Tools, said in a statement.
"It employs highly intelligent and customized dialogue to target users of social networking systems."
He said the program "can monitor Internet browser activity, automatically recognize and fill in the fields in the web pages, generate keystrokes and mouse clicks, and post messages, URLs, files and photos."
"It can do exactly what users normally do when they are online, only in an automated pre-programmed way."
The CyberLover.ru site denied the program did anything wrong, saying it only gathered information that chatroom users themselves were volunteering.
"The program can find no more information than the user is prepared to provide," one of the site's employees, who gave his name only as Alexander, said in an emailed reply to Reuters questions.
"It maintains a dialogue with a person, but is not engaged in hacking or any other such schemes, I think this should be obvious," he said.
If you have someone who is ready to hand over secret information to the person they are chatting to after having known them for all of five minutes, then in that case a leak of information is possible."
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
B'day Boss: Everybody loves Rajini
Chennai: Over 175 days and still going strong, the success of Rajinikant's latest release Sivaji demonstrates the superstar's power over cinegoers in Tamil Nadu. And that’s not all, it's celebration time once again for Rajinikant fans as the superstar turns 58 on Wednesday.
But, besides being a star and a mentor, people close to the cine icon say that what makes Rajinikant truly unassuming is his simple nature.
“It’s the way he behaves with people on the sets. He is punctual and honest. There's something so special about the man which cannot be described easily,” actress Nayanthara says.
While Rajinikant’s daughter Aiswarya says that he is a great friend and much more than a father. “We could sit and have a conversation with him like I can have with any of my friends.”
Agreeing with Aiswarya, his other daughter Soundarya also says that the superstar is a “great dad”.
“On his special day I would like to wish him a very happy birthday. We will be spending a good time together. It's going to be a close family evening, so I am looking forward to it,” she says.
Reverentially referred to as thalaivar in Tamil, it's not just family, his co-stars, too, are completely in awe of the actor.
“For all that he has achieved in the last so many years, he's so humble and so nice to people and you can see that in his behavior. He's the same with everybody, he doesn't differentiate nor is there any hierarchy in his life,” actor Ajith Kumar says.
In a career spanning over three decades Rajinikant has acted in over 150 films. Having started as a bus conductor in the State Transport Corporation in Bangalore, Rajini's rise to stardom is a lot like the legendary rags-to-riches stories.
Today, Rajinikant remains one of the highest paid actors in Asia and his latest blockbuster has just re-affirmed his position at the box-office.
Rajini will be seen next in Tamil cinema's first big budget animation film Sultan: The Warrior which is being directed by his daughter Soundarya. At 58, there is still no stopping his mega performer as he conquers greater heights.
But, besides being a star and a mentor, people close to the cine icon say that what makes Rajinikant truly unassuming is his simple nature.
“It’s the way he behaves with people on the sets. He is punctual and honest. There's something so special about the man which cannot be described easily,” actress Nayanthara says.
While Rajinikant’s daughter Aiswarya says that he is a great friend and much more than a father. “We could sit and have a conversation with him like I can have with any of my friends.”
Agreeing with Aiswarya, his other daughter Soundarya also says that the superstar is a “great dad”.
“On his special day I would like to wish him a very happy birthday. We will be spending a good time together. It's going to be a close family evening, so I am looking forward to it,” she says.
Reverentially referred to as thalaivar in Tamil, it's not just family, his co-stars, too, are completely in awe of the actor.
“For all that he has achieved in the last so many years, he's so humble and so nice to people and you can see that in his behavior. He's the same with everybody, he doesn't differentiate nor is there any hierarchy in his life,” actor Ajith Kumar says.
In a career spanning over three decades Rajinikant has acted in over 150 films. Having started as a bus conductor in the State Transport Corporation in Bangalore, Rajini's rise to stardom is a lot like the legendary rags-to-riches stories.
Today, Rajinikant remains one of the highest paid actors in Asia and his latest blockbuster has just re-affirmed his position at the box-office.
Rajini will be seen next in Tamil cinema's first big budget animation film Sultan: The Warrior which is being directed by his daughter Soundarya. At 58, there is still no stopping his mega performer as he conquers greater heights.
Saying The Right Thing While Drunk - PRICELESS
A husband wakes up at home with a huge hangover. He forces himself to open his eyes, and the first thing he sees is a couple of aspirins and a glass of water on the side table. He sits down and sees his clothing in front of him, all clean and pressed. He looks around the room and sees that it is in perfect order, spotless, clean. So is the rest of the house. He takes the aspirins and notices a note on the table. "Honey, breakfast is on the stove, I left early to go shopping. Love You!"
So he goes to the kitchen and sure enough there is a hot breakfast and the morning newspaper. His son is also at the table, eating. He asks, "Son, what happened last night?" His son says, "Well, you came home around 3 AM, drunk and delirious. Broke some furniture, puked in the hallway, and gave yourself a black eye when you stumbled into the door". Confused, the man asks, "So, why is everything in order and so clean, and breakfast is on the table waiting for me? I should expect a big quarrel with her!"
His son replies, "Oh, that! Mom dragged you to the bedroom, and when she tried to take your clothes n shoes off, you said, "LADY LEAVE ME ALONE! I'M MARRIED!"
Moral
Self-induced hangover - Rs. 2000.00
Broken furniture - Rs. 20, 000.00
Breakfast - Rs. 100.00
Saying The Right Thing While Drunk - PRICELESS
There are some things that money can't buy
So he goes to the kitchen and sure enough there is a hot breakfast and the morning newspaper. His son is also at the table, eating. He asks, "Son, what happened last night?" His son says, "Well, you came home around 3 AM, drunk and delirious. Broke some furniture, puked in the hallway, and gave yourself a black eye when you stumbled into the door". Confused, the man asks, "So, why is everything in order and so clean, and breakfast is on the table waiting for me? I should expect a big quarrel with her!"
His son replies, "Oh, that! Mom dragged you to the bedroom, and when she tried to take your clothes n shoes off, you said, "LADY LEAVE ME ALONE! I'M MARRIED!"
Moral
Self-induced hangover - Rs. 2000.00
Broken furniture - Rs. 20, 000.00
Breakfast - Rs. 100.00
Saying The Right Thing While Drunk - PRICELESS
There are some things that money can't buy
Touching one to Stop Abortion
Dear Mommy,
I am in Heaven now... I so wanted to be your little girl. I don't quite understand what has happened. I was so excited when I beganrealizing my existence. I was in a dark, yet comfortable place. I sawI had fingers and toes. I was pretty far along in my developing, yetnot near ready to leave my surroundings. I spent most of my time thinking or sleeping. Even from my earliest days, I felt a specialbonding between you and me.
Sometimes I heard you crying and I cried with you. Sometimes you wouldyell or scream, then cry. I heard Daddy yelling back. I was sad, and hoped you would be better soon. I wondered why you cried so much. Oneday you cried almost all of the day. I hurt for you. I couldn'timagine why you were so unhappy.
That same day, the most horrible thing happened. A very mean monster came into that warm, comfortable place I was in. I was so scared, Ibegan screaming, but you never once tried to help me. Maybe you neverheard me. The monster got closer and closer as I was screaming andscreaming, "Mommy, Mommy, help me please; Mommy, help me." Complete terror is all I felt. I screamed and screamed until I thought Icouldn't anymore. Then the monster started ripping my arms off. Ithurt so bad; the pain I can never explain. It didn't stop.Oh, how I begged it to stop. I screamed in horror as it ripped my leg off. Though I was in such complete pain, I was dying. I knew I would neversee your face or hear you say how much you love me. I wanted to makeall your tears go away. I had so many plans to make you happy. Now I couldn't; all my dreams were shattered. Though I was in utter pain andhorror, I felt the pain of my heart breaking, above all. I wanted morethan anything to be your daughter. No use now, for I was dying apainful death. I could only imagine the terrible things that they haddone to you. I wanted to tell you that I love you before I was gone,but I didn't know the words you could understand.And soon, I no longer had the breath to say them; I was dead. I felt myself rising. I was being carried by a huge angel into a bigbeautiful place. I was still crying, but the physical pain was gone.The angel took me away to a wonderful place... Then I was happy. Iasked the angel what was the thing was that killed me. He answered, "Abortion". I am sorry, for I know how it feels." I don't know whatabortion is; I guess that's the name of the monster. I'm writing tosay that I love you and to tell you how much I wanted to be your little girl. I tried very hard to live. I wanted to live. I had thewill, but I couldn't; the monster was too powerful. It sucked my armsand legs off and finally got all of me. It was impossible to live. Ijust wanted you to know I tried to stay with you. I didn't want todie. Also, Mommy, please watch out for that abortion monster. Mommy, Ilove you and I would hate for you to go through the kind of pain Idid. Please be careful. Love,Your Baby Girl
I am in Heaven now... I so wanted to be your little girl. I don't quite understand what has happened. I was so excited when I beganrealizing my existence. I was in a dark, yet comfortable place. I sawI had fingers and toes. I was pretty far along in my developing, yetnot near ready to leave my surroundings. I spent most of my time thinking or sleeping. Even from my earliest days, I felt a specialbonding between you and me.
Sometimes I heard you crying and I cried with you. Sometimes you wouldyell or scream, then cry. I heard Daddy yelling back. I was sad, and hoped you would be better soon. I wondered why you cried so much. Oneday you cried almost all of the day. I hurt for you. I couldn'timagine why you were so unhappy.
That same day, the most horrible thing happened. A very mean monster came into that warm, comfortable place I was in. I was so scared, Ibegan screaming, but you never once tried to help me. Maybe you neverheard me. The monster got closer and closer as I was screaming andscreaming, "Mommy, Mommy, help me please; Mommy, help me." Complete terror is all I felt. I screamed and screamed until I thought Icouldn't anymore. Then the monster started ripping my arms off. Ithurt so bad; the pain I can never explain. It didn't stop.Oh, how I begged it to stop. I screamed in horror as it ripped my leg off. Though I was in such complete pain, I was dying. I knew I would neversee your face or hear you say how much you love me. I wanted to makeall your tears go away. I had so many plans to make you happy. Now I couldn't; all my dreams were shattered. Though I was in utter pain andhorror, I felt the pain of my heart breaking, above all. I wanted morethan anything to be your daughter. No use now, for I was dying apainful death. I could only imagine the terrible things that they haddone to you. I wanted to tell you that I love you before I was gone,but I didn't know the words you could understand.And soon, I no longer had the breath to say them; I was dead. I felt myself rising. I was being carried by a huge angel into a bigbeautiful place. I was still crying, but the physical pain was gone.The angel took me away to a wonderful place... Then I was happy. Iasked the angel what was the thing was that killed me. He answered, "Abortion". I am sorry, for I know how it feels." I don't know whatabortion is; I guess that's the name of the monster. I'm writing tosay that I love you and to tell you how much I wanted to be your little girl. I tried very hard to live. I wanted to live. I had thewill, but I couldn't; the monster was too powerful. It sucked my armsand legs off and finally got all of me. It was impossible to live. Ijust wanted you to know I tried to stay with you. I didn't want todie. Also, Mommy, please watch out for that abortion monster. Mommy, Ilove you and I would hate for you to go through the kind of pain Idid. Please be careful. Love,Your Baby Girl
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