YBW BLOG

Kodak to Stop Making Digital Cameras

2012-02-14T09:38:00.003+05:30

Photography giant Kodak has said it will stop making digital cameras in the next six months, a media report said. The 130-year-old Eastman Kodak, which invented the digital camera in 1975, has now said it will try to licence its brand to other camera manufacturers, the Daily Telegraph reported. Kodak has filed for bankruptcy protection, having lost almost 90 percent of its market value in 2011. The daily said the company struggled to adapt evan as digital photography became more popular with consumers. First, the company watched demand for traditional photographic film collapse. It stopped manufacturing film cameras in 2004 and made its final roll of 35mm colour film in 2009. It also saw smartphones eat into the lower end of the digital camera market. Just six years ago, Kodak was one of the three leading digital camera makers in the world. Kodak's chief executive and chairman Antonio Perez has reportedly decided that the company's future lies in the digital printer business.

India Ranks High in Corruption-Hit Nations: Court

2012-02-13T13:17:00.001+05:30

India ranks prominently high in the list of countries plagued by corruption, a Delhi court has said while handing down one year imprisonment to two convicts in a 24-year-old graft and forgery case.

Observing that the anti-corruption measures in India were perceived by people to be ineffective, Central Bureau of Investigation Special Judge V.K. Maheshwari said that corruption was a scourge that not only affected progress and development in society but also posed a grave challenge to governance.

"Unfortunately, India ranks prominently high in the list of countries plagued by corruption. Anti-Corruption measures in India are perceived by the people to be weak and ineffective," the court said.

"The United Nations Global Report on Crime and Justice quotes public opinion surveys in a number of countries, to point out that citizenry in those countries ranks corruption as one among the five most important problems facing their society," the court said Thursday, in a verdict that has just become available.

The judge said people's doubts over the ability of the criminal justice administration to deal with the corrupt led to public cynicism and distrust in almost all government institutions.

The court awarded one year rigorous imprisonment to O.P. Dabas and A.K. Puri for helping a Tihar Jail inmate get shifted to a state-owned hospital and avail nursing home facilities in 1988. The court also imposed a fine of 60.000 each on the convicts.

Dabas and Puri helped Gurbux Biryani, arrested in a drugs case, to shift from jail to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital and then to the adjoining G.B. Pant Hospital and avail special nursing home facilities on two occasions July 28, 1988 and Aug 5, 1988. Biryani died Jan 25, 2010 during trial.

Dabas was working as reception assistant in G.B. Pant Hospital and Puri was the brother-in-law of Biryani.

The court held both of them guilty under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, criminal conspiracy and forgery.

The court acquitted Jolly Bansal, a doctor, and Sushil Kumar, an LNJP hospital employee.

"Ashok Puri in connivance and conspiracy with Dabas had got Gurbux Biryani illegally admitted to LNJP Hospital and managed false and forged admission summary/transfer summary on the basis of which in furtherance of his criminal conspiracy along with O.P. Dabas got Biryani admitted to G.B. Pant Hospital on July 28, 1988 and Aug 5, 1988," the court said.

CBI prosecutor Brajesh Shukla examined 55 witnesses in the case

Woo with Chocolates on Valentine's Day!

2012-02-13T13:15:00.002+05:30

With Valentine’s Day coming up next week, people in love are frantically looking for the perfect gift. But what better to give than chocolate?

Studies have proved that women and men react differently to chocolate—it is more of a physical reaction in women than it is to men. But this doesn’t mean men love chocolate less; in fact, members of the fairer sex in Japan and South Korea give chocolates to men on Valentine’s Day. Men in the US army were shipped Milton Hershey’s Ration D chocolates during World War II as a morale boost and as a high-energy, pocket-sized ration of energy that was bitter enough to not create cravings. Between 1940 and 1945, it is reported that over 3 billion bars of chocolate were produced and distributed to soldiers throughout the world.

But which is the best chocolate to give? Take a look and choose for yourself!

Swiss chocolate: Swiss chocolates have gained international repute because of their quality—they are hailed to be the best brands of chocolate in the world. These chocolates are always considered to be the best form of chocolate to be gifted to loved ones. An expensive brand of this type of chocolate available in India would be Lindt.

Home-made chocolate: Chocolates from Ooty, Coonoor, and Kodaikanal are all very popular as a result of their sweetness and unique texture.

Hershey’s: Any chocolate from this brand would be widely appreciated. After all, this was the company that made chocolate so widely popular! The brand is most wide-known for its “Hershey’s Kisses” line of chocolates, as well as for its chocolate (and other flavored) syrup.

Bournville: This dark chocolate from Cadbury is not for those who would prefer milk chocolate. Being highly popular with lovers of almost pure cocoa, you could gift this valentine if he/she has a craving for bitter-sweet chocolate. One can get a number of varieties in this line as well, some of which are “rich cocoa”, almond-seeded chocolate, and fruit and nut bars of Bournville.

4 Fruitful Yoga Lessons For Entrepreneurs

2012-02-11T11:04:00.000+05:30

Yoga has gained huge recognition due to its advantageous effects in all aspects of life. The aim of practicing yoga is to balance mind and body to attain healthy lifestyle to meet day to day challenges. Yoga and entrepreneurship are two different worlds but still have some similarities like discipline, balance, concentration, flexibility etc.

Entrepreneurs have to face many challenges and responsibilities to achieve goal at work and practicing yoga keeps them going to meet their day-to-day business objectives and eventually helps them in the long run, an article by Young Entrepreneur Council speaks about the pros of inculcating Yoga on routine basis.

1) Be Present:

Yoga teaches ‘Being Present’. This is a simple lesson that teaches how to keep expectations aside and minimize distractions, which will helps the mind be focused at every prospect of work. This lesson translates very well for an entrepreneur’s life as they go through a roller coaster ride to meet work responsibilities, this will help them eventually in the long run to face challenges. Practicing yoga builds concentration and improves presence of mind so that the entrepreneurs can give full attention to each new task that comes their way.

2) Be Restraint:

The lesson of being restraint teaches how to maintain a balance between challenge and comfort. This lesson interprets well into entrepreneurship, sometimes we readily accept challenges to achieve new goals and the other day we prefer to be at our comfort zone. Sticking with comfort zone sometimes probe not so fruitful in the way of success but on other hand quicker and harder does not make big achievements always. The in-depth trick of this lesson is to turn down comfortable habits and become aware of your actual needs. Be watchful of your ‘restraint’ tendencies and dig out the work that suits you the best.

3) Be diligence:

Yoga teaches practitioners to be diligent enough to achieve success. Yoga improves concentration power and persistence, the more you work hard the more expert you will become in a particular field. Sometimes shortcut route tempts entrepreneurs to attain success more quickly and easily but these shortcuts prove to be wrong as always but at times even if these shortcuts turn out to be right some of the valuable lessons are missed in the process the lesson yoga teaches here is hard-work that surely pays off when it comes to achieving goals successfully. Ensure to set practical goals and never get disheartened if your set route is taking time to reach the desired goal, the only mantra at this step would be try again and again to attain success in a diligent way.

4) Stress reduction:

Stress reduction lesson is one good essence of yoga that translates well with entrepreneurs. Though stress is a normal event that occurs in life but it has proved to be futile at many circumstances and hampered productivity. Stress for longer period is not good for mind and body because it can affect your work life to a great extent. Yoga helps reduce stress, increases resilience and also increases energy level that brings healthy work environment and concentration at work.

iPad3 with 'Retina Display' Coming in March

2012-02-10T20:53:00.000+05:30

Apple is holding an event in March where the company will introduce its latest iPad 3. The next generation iPad will have faster chips and better graphics, Xinhua reported quoting the technology news site AllThingsD. The report states, “Sources say the company has chosen the first week in March to debut the successor to the iPad 2, and will do so at one of its trademark special events. The event will be held in San Francisco, presumably at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Apple’s preferred location for big announcements like these”.

The new tablet, which will probably be named iPad 3, will feature a Retina Display or something close to it. The iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S have Retina Display. As the human eye can only see around 300 pixels per inch, the screen of these smartphones have 326 pixels per inch, making texts and images look more similar to a high quality printed version.

The AllThingsD report adds, the device will be similar in form factor to the iPad 2, but will be running a much faster chip, sporting an improved graphics processing unit, and featuring a 2048×1536 Retina Display. The Apple spoke person has not commented anything about the timing of the event and the availability of this new device in stores.

It expected that the device will follow the same schedule as that of the iPad 2, which was available in stores about a week after the event. All Indian Apple fans can hope that iPad3 will be released soon in India.

iPad 3 Coming Next Month

2012-02-10T20:51:00.003+05:30

Apple will introduce its latest iPad 3 here next month, media reports said Thursday.

The next generation iPad will have faster chips and better graphics, Xinhua reported quoting the technology news site AllThingsD.

It did not say when it will hit stores.

The new tablet, which will probably be named iPad 3, will feature a Retina Display or something close to it. The iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S have Retina Display.

As the human eye can only see around 300 pixels per inch, the screen of these smartphones have 326 pixels per inch, making texts and images look more similar to a high quality printed version.

It expected the device to follow the same schedule as that of the iPad 2, which was available for purchase about a week after the event.

Apple has declined to comment on the timing of the event.

You Can't Watch Apple iTV this Year

2012-02-08T08:55:00.002+05:30

Apple TV is been in rumors for quite long time now, the recent saying is that this Siri enabled Apple HDTV will not be launched this year. This high-end smart-TV from Apple was supposed to be launched in April or May this year, but according to Digitimes industry sources have informed them that chances of Apple launching the iTV, by this year are slim, as Sharp who is believed to be manufacturing the panels for the TV is not ready to ship.

“Apple reportedly has sought to source IGZO panels from Sharp for the production of iTVs as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, which unveiled their 55-inch Super OLED and AMOLED TV models, respectively, at CES, both have regarded OLED TVs are their killer products for 2012, and therefore the two Korea-based companies are unlikely to share OLED panel production capacities with Apple” reports Digitimes.

The exact specifications of this rumored iTV is not clear, but its sure that Apple is going to redefine this industry too with this TV which will be having power-saving sleep mode more often than actually turning off, voice controlling option with Siri and also will also be compactable with iOS devices which acts as a remote to the TV. This rumored television is going to be the hub of one’s life and is said to replace the desktops of your home.

Look at the World of Glass and Touchscreen!

2012-02-06T22:44:00.001+05:30

Corning has released a video titled “A Day Made of Glass 2: Unpacked” which takes us on a tour to have a look at what could be the future of glass touch-screen interfaces. This video is a continuation of Corning’s last year’s video “A Day Made of Glass” which received more than 17 million views on YouTube, this video explains company’s vision in the role of specialty glasses and advanced touch-screen.

Corning's Gorilla Glass has made its significance felt in the gadget world in a very short span of time. Gorilla Glass is a super-strong, lightweight glass which can withstand drops and ill-treatment, therefore these glasses are used in most of the latest touch screen-devices and are expected to come in many future products.

The new video launched by the company highlights glass tablets, multitouch-enabled desks, solar panels, augmented reality, electronic medical records and anti-microbial medical equipment. The whole video portrays a world made of interactive glass surfaces which makes you stay connected through flawless deliverance of real-time information.

Corning Chairman and CEO Wendell Weeks says, Corning’s vision for the future includes a world in which myriad ordinary surfaces transform “from one-dimensional utility into sophisticated electronic devices.”

Corning's advancements in sleek, flexible, touch-sensitive, and damage-resistant glass materials are the solution for not just the near future, but today. The company is engaged in research and partnership opportunities that will help make the vision in both videos a reality, as stated in company’s press release.

All these future technology and the contribution of glass to make them possible seems quite amazing, only time will tell which of these would take a real form and when it comes to life there are more chances that they will be having an entire new look. But to confirm anything we have to wait at least for 20 to 30 years.

UP Voters: Look, Freebies for You

2012-02-06T22:39:00.004+05:30

Laptop politics was a point of discussion in the political class during the last Tamil Nadu assembly elections where free laptops for students was the center attraction in the long list of freebies offered by different political parties. Now, as the country witnesses a fierce political battle over the state of Uttar Pradesh, an election result that can decide the fate of even the central government, the culture for shelling out freebies is back again. While it’s an undisputable truth that the practice of offering freebies during elections vitiates the spirit of democracy, political parties do not seem to give democracy a good thought during elections. Here are some of the freebies that the leading political parties in UP has offered in their manifestos.

BJP

Every BPL family in UP will get a cow if voted to power, says the BJP election manifesto which also remembered its old time promise of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. The party offered free laptops for poor students and cycles for girls. Students will be given tablets at 1000 and laptops at 5000. BJP also offered initiatives for inclusive development for Muslim, although it opposed the Muslim sub-quota by Congress and other parties. The manifesto offered debt waiver up to 1 Lakh for farmers, 24 hour free electricity for farmers and wheat at 2/Kg and rice at 3/kg for BPL card holders.

Samajwadi Party (SP)

A frontrunner for power and the favorite of opinion polls, Samajwadi Party stands a good chance of romancing with power once again and is all out to ensure this with a slew of freebies. Mulayam Singh's manifesto is centered on education and the party offers free education till class 8th for all and free school dress to girls. The party offers free education for girls till graduation and to facilitate this, free tablets will be given class 10th pass students and laptops to class 12 pass students. Fee exemption in private higher and vocational institutions is promised for students from low-income families. To woo the Muslim voters, SP promises speedy implementation of Rangnath Mishra Commission and Sachar committee recommendations. New government educational institutes in Muslim dominated areas, separate reservation in jobs for Muslims, immediate release of innocent Muslims jailed in relation to different terror cases and special budget for technical education in madarsas are a few of other freebies offered in the manifest. Eying the agricultural class, it offers loans at 4 percent to poor and marginal farmers in the state.

Congress

Pitching its best tactics and strategies, the Congress party hopes high on the UP elections and the party powerhouse at the centre expect nothing less than its resurrection to power in the state. Leaving no stone unturned, the Congress party under the umbrella of the youngest Gandhi of the Nehru dynasty has opened the box of freebies in its 'Vision Document 2020' trying to woo the vast population of Dalits and Muslims. In its election manifesto for Uttar Pradesh, Congress offered sub-quota for the most backwards Dalits, backward Muslims and free power connections for the poor. It also offered 4.5 per cent reservation for the backward minorities, 50 per cent reservation for women at panchayat polls, women police stations in every district and marriage grant of 10,000 to the SC/ST girls. Congress also claimed that the party would bring metro rail in major cities, open 500 model schools across the state, create 20 lakh jobs, offered 3000 crore package for weavers and will initiate ‘madarsa modernisation programme’ for the Muslim community.

A Smartphone Made of Bamboo!

2012-02-05T20:07:00.002+05:30

A 23-year-old British student will launch a mobile phone made largely from bamboo, The Telegraph reported Thursday.

The smartphone, called 'ADzero', is expected to launch later this year. Made from four-year-old organically grown bamboo that has been treated to improve its durability, the phone runs Google's Android operating system.

Kieron Scott-Woodhouse, from Shepherds Bush in London, designed the phone because he was frustrated that so many existing models looked similar to each other.

He is a student of Middlesex University. A technology entrepreneur had contacted him after he posted designs online.

The phone was initially intended for the Chinese market but an enthusiastic reception in Britain means it will go on sale in design retailers later this year, the newspaper said.

Cheers! To the Happiest iPhone App

2012-02-05T20:05:00.002+05:30

‘Cheers’ is an upcoming social-media app which will be launched on February 9th for iPhones. This will be an enjoyable app on you iPhone, it will support you to share your love for people, place and things and will position itself as a positivity app.

To make your day’s cheerful rating go up, just take a click of your loving object, add some fine details and share. This app can be connected to your Facebook, Twitter or E-mail to make you share more and be connected over social networks and internet.

If you are looking for a spare spell of cheerfulness start making the list of your favorite people, place and things and just wait patiently with a smile.

What do World's Richest People Buy?

2012-01-30T14:37:00.004+05:30

Most expensive, biggest and fastest is the mantra that world's richest people follow. There is no end to their million dollar buys and lavish spending. Some do outrageous spending on insignificant things while some have a class of their own and buy things that define their personality. Here is the list of the class collections of world's richest people:

Roman Abramovich
Owns: $1.2 billion Yacht.

Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich, Russian businessman who owns the private investment company Millhouse LLC. He is the ninth richest person in Russia and the 53rd richest person in the world, according to the 2011 Forbes list, with an estimated fortune of $13.4 billion. Abramovich owns the world's largest yacht called 'Eclipse'. The 557-foot boat was bought at a price of $450 million which now holds a price tag of almost double of its original price, $1.2 billion, after a slew of show-off features, two helipads, two swimming pools and six-foot movie screens in all guest cabins, to a mini-submarine and missile-proof windows to combat piracy were added on to the boat. In fact, the boat also has an anti-paparazzi 'shield' which has lasers that sweep the surroundings to detect a CCD. Once a CCD is detected, it immediately fires a bolt of light right at the camera to obliterate any photograph. According to the Times, these don't run all the time, so friends and guests should still be able to grab snaps. Instead, they will be activated when guards spot the scourge of professional photography, paparazzi, loitering nearby.

Paul Allen
Own: $200 million Yacht.

Microsoft's co-founder, Paul Allen made headlines when he bought the world's largest yacht in 2003 called 'Octopus'. As of now, it is world's 12th largest super yacht. Octopus is a 414 foot. It sports two helicopters on the top deck. The yacht also has a pool, located aft on one of her upper decks, and two submarines (one of them operated by remote control for studying the bottom of the ocean). The yacht can accommodate about 24 guests and a crew of 35. It also consists of a movie theatre and a Hinckley sailboat of about 40 feet.

Phil Ruffin
Owns: $70 million Boeing 737 jumbo jet.

King of Gambling, real estate and oil production, Phil Ruffin owns a Boeing 737 jumbo jet. Phil has a net worth of $2.1 billion according to a magazine of 2008. The Boeing 737 carries an additional price tag of $16 million for the interiors and the entertainment system. It has lavish leather upholstery for the seats and has two bedrooms. The entertainment system is about $1 million worth.

Truett Cathy
Owns: $250,000 Batmobile.

Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A, a fast-food chain is worth $1.3 billion. He is a huge fan of superhero vigilantes. In 1992, "Batman Returns" film was released, Batman's Batmobile impressed Cathy big time. Since then he made it a point to own it. Cathy bought it for $250,000.

Hassanal Bolkiah
Owns: $14 million Rolls Royce Convertible.

Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei is a huge car frenzy king. He owns more than 1,900 automobiles, including Bentleys, Ferraris, and Porsches. The Sultan is the owner of 531 Mercedes-Benzes, 367 Ferraris, 362 Bentleys, 185 BMWs, 177 Jaguars, 160 Porsches, 130 Rolls-Royces and 20 Lamborghinis, bringing the total number of cars he owns to 1,932. Rolls Royce convertible that he bought for $14 million, is the most expensive car in the world by far.

FBI Software to Scan Tweets to Predict Crimes

2012-01-30T14:28:00.001+05:30

American intelligence agency FBI is reportedly developing new software to scan social networks Twitter and Facebook to look for emerging threats and predict crimes. The FBI has asked technology firms to create software that can effectively scan the websites for words, phrases and other suspected behaviour, the Telegraph reported. It will also be able to translate from foreign languages as well as detect patterns of users misleading the police. Campaigners of free speech have now raised concerns. Jennifer Lynch, from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said it could erode the sense of freedom provided by the internet. "These tools that mine open source data, and presumably store it for a very long time, do away with that kind of privacy. I worry about the effect of that on free speech in the US," she said. Privacy International said the move risked placing large numbers of people under surveillance. Police in Britain already use Facebook routinely to ascertain the whereabouts of criminals.

HTC's surprises for MWC 2012

2012-01-29T20:05:00.002+05:30

Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2012 on February 27 in Barcelona is one of the most important annual events for the global technology giants. This year’s MWC will be coming up with new interesting and innovative mobiles from various mobile manufacturers such as Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, LG, HTC, Nokia and many more.

There are many rumors around the web about the HTC’s products which the company will be introducing in the MWC 2012. Here are the juiciest rumors about HTC mobiles.

1. HTC Edge

The HTC Edge is highly rumored as the first smartphone with quad-core processor to hit the market. The phone is powered by Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor and has a 4.7 inch touchscreen display.

The rumors over the internet also said that the Edge will be 10 mm thick and will features a 8 MP camera, 32 GB of internal storage, 1.5 GHz processor speed, 1 GB of RAM, Bluetooth, and is supposed to run on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and HTC Sense 4.0 user interface.

2. HTC Ville

HTC Ville leaked just after HTC Edge, the rumored Ville is powered by 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, Adreno 225 GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), 4.3 inch Super AMOLED display and 8 MP rear camera with backside illuminated sensor which is capable of recording 1080 pixels of HD video and will run on on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich which moves the navigation buttons on the screen.The other specifications will be same to HTC Edge but the difference is there are no physical buttons in the mobile.

3. HTC Primo

HTC Primo looks like a mid range smartphone with integrated Beats Audio support and runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 4.0 user interface. The rumored Primo is powered by 1 GHz dual core processor, 512 MB of RAM and other features includes 3.7 inch Super AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass and 5 MP rear camera capable of recording 720 pixels of videos.

4. HTC Quattro

HTC Quattro is a tablet which is going to be launched in MWC 2012. The rumored Quattro tablet will be powered by Tegra 3 processor, 1 GB RAM and this will be the first tablet to hit the market with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Other specifications include 16 GB of internal memory which is expandable via microSD card, Bluetooth 4.0, 2 MP rear camera with 720 pixels of video recording capability and 1.3 MP front facing camera.

Casino Games For Free.

2012-01-29T19:58:00.002+05:30

Hello friends welcome to my blog for the best online casino games. In the case of free casino games, players will be able to learn about the games, its house edge and game play experience without wasting any of their hard earned money. Free casino games are ideal for beginner poker players, who can play using the free play money, place wagers and try out strategies to see how they can make a winning hand. Once they learn how to manage the cards in their hand and are confident to risk money, they can move onto real money free play casinos.online casinos think of different ways to attract new players and increase their base of loyal customers. Aware that nothing attracts new players more than bonuses, a number of smart casinos have introduced the concept of “free play time.”Online casinos offer fabulous bonuses in the form of free spins casinos bonuses, free play time bonuses, no deposit bonuses, deposit bonuses, refer-a-friend bonuses, loyalty bonuses, birthday bonuses, promotional bonuses, and so on as marketing tools to popularize their online gaming services. Nothing attracts players more than a delightful deposit or no deposit bonus, and most of the prominent online casinos out there are aware of this fact. One of the most attractive forms of bonuses that an online casino can offer is a free spins bonus.

HP laucnhes All-in-One TouchSmart 3D PC

2012-01-27T17:08:00.001+05:30

HP today unveiled its new HP TouchSmart 3D Edition PC which brings the thrill of 3D entertainment to life. Users can create their own 3D videos and pictures with the TouchSmart’s built-in webcam and share them with family and friends online or via the PC’s 23-inch (58.4 cm) diagonal Full HD display. The TriDef Ignition Game Player allows everyone in the family to enjoy playing their favourite games in 3D.

“HP’s latest 3D technologies are designed to make the interaction between people and technology more intuitive and rewarding. We’re enhancing the different aspects of the 3D experience, from introducing the new entertainment experience on the TouchSmart 3D Edition PC to display technologies for presenting 3D content,” said Mr. Vinay Awasthi, Senior Director, Products & Marketing, Personal Systems Group, HP India.

The TouchSmart 3D Edition reclines up to 60 degrees, enabling users to adjust the display’s position for a comfortable experience or reduce glare while viewing 3D content with the Active Shutter 3D Glasses. In addition it has HP’s LinkUp Technology, Beats Audio, exclusive TouchSmart software, premium graphics and processors. The next-generation TouchSmart 4.0 interface allows users to customize their user experience by multiplying the workspace with a scrolling desktop that expands horizontally, and dragging and dropping their favourite files and apps onto the desktop’s carousel.

Other innovative features include: Integrated premium stereo speakers coupled with Beats Audio that offer studio-quality sound, Blu-ray and DVD playback software, to watch cinema like Blu-ray movies from the comfort of the home with Full HD 3D 23” (58.4 cm) monitor and active 3D glasses, Faster processor-Core i5 2400, for perfect computing experience, 1GB Ultra-fast GDDR5 graphics memory for stunning visual experience, Best entertainment experience with Win7 Home Premium (64-bit).

The HP TouchSmart620 3D Edition PC is now available at Maximum Retail Price of 92, 999.

Branded Baseball & Softball Gear Bags

2012-01-27T16:58:00.001+05:30

Hello my friends welcome to my blog for the best baseball bag. Baseball Equipment Bags are a part of every player's needs. Baseball comes with a lot of equipment and you need something reliable to store all your stuff. From your bats, cleats, and glove, to your wallet and watch. We have a large selection of equipment/bat bags that will fit the needs of any baseball player.Baseball Express stocks high quality baseball bags designed to help players and coaches easily transport their baseball equipment to and from the field. We carry top quality bat bags, catcher bags, team equipment bags, or affordable youth player bags. Choose from a great variety of colors and sizes.

Baseball Express features a great selection of baseball equipment bags priced to provide baseball players with essential bat bags from manufacturers like Louisville, Easton, Nike, Mizuno, and more, at great prices.Rawlings is the best major manufacturer of American Baseball, hockey and even football equipment. For 34 years they have been the official supplier of Baseball bat bag equipment to Major League Baseball. Whether your using one of their many gloves, or decide to huck one out of the park with a genuine. Rawlings bat, Rawlings will have all your bases covered. Try Rawlings selction of products from one of their numerous series of gloves or their many wooden and aluminum bats.Easton bags are designed to hold the game’s best equipment, which is why we continue to set the standard in bag engineering. At Easton, we know what’s important.The batpack with enough space to store all your equipment, including your helmet. Mizuno does not recommend neatsfoot oil, linseed oil or silicon-type spray as these tend to close the pores of the leather, causing it to dry, harden, and become heavy over an extended period of time and through repeated use. There are other cleaners and conditioners that are safe, especially those scientifically developed for glove leather that keeps the pores open and in effect, keeps the leather "alive" while providing a softening condition and minimizing weight gain.Most of Mizuno’s baseball equipment comes with a limited one year warranty against manufacturer’s defects.A non-conforming triple-wall bat has three layers separated by air, working independently. The Mizuno Techfire has no air/space between layers. The three materials are bonded and work dependently, therefore, Mizuno Techfire, Techfire Rage, Techfire Fury and Techfire Crush comply with all official tournament standards.

All other slowpitch bats in the Mizuno line are 100% composite construction and are single wall bats.

Tabplus Rio tablet @ Rs 11,990

2012-01-25T22:02:00.000+05:30

A Bangalore based company has launched a new tablet, named Tabplus Rio, at Rupees 11,990. Launched by Digital Waves, the Android 2.3 tablet comes with a 1 GHz Cortex A9 processor, 7 inch screen with storage up to 32GB via Micro SD.

In the recent years, India's tablet market has witnessed increasing competition, with several local manufacturers rolling out devices at affordable rates. According to the Manufacturer's Association of IT Industry, the industry expects to sell around 3 lakh tablets in the current financial year.

"While laptop category will witness around 15% growth, tablets will grow at 100% being a new category," MAIT said in a statement.

Tabplus Rio comes with 1 year warranty and will be shipped free of cost across India.

Huawei Launches World's Thinnest Smartphone

2012-01-19T14:13:00.002+05:30

Huawei unveiled the world’s slimmest Android Smartphone at CES 2012. This slim smartphone is named Ascend P1S and is only 6.68 mm thick. Till now Motorola Droid Razr which is 7.1 mm thick was holding this position which is now taken away by Huawei Ascend P1S.

"We're excited to unveil the world's slimmest smartphone here at CES 2012," said Richard Yu, Chairman of Huawei Device. "The Ascend P1S demonstrates our ongoing commitment to innovating high quality devices that utilize the latest hardware and software technologies."

This slim phone features; a 4.3-inch, 540 x 960 Super AMOLED screen covered with Corning Gorilla Glass, a dual-core 1.5 GHz CPU paired with a SGX 540 GPU, dual LED flash and HDR effect optimization, an 8-megapixel camera capable of capturing 1080p video and a 1.3MP front-facing camera capable of capturing 720p video, 1 GB of RAM, 4 GB of internal storage, 4G connectivity via their HSPA+ antennas and runs on Google’s latest Android revision-Ice Cream Sandwich.

The slim design of Ascend P1S has caused a drawback to this smartphones i.e its 1670 mAh model battery. But Huawei comes up with a solution to this, its Ascend P1 model which is a clone of Ascend P1S in terms of specification but has an 1800 mAh battery and a slightly thicker 7.69 mm body. So customers have to decide what they want, the slimmest smartphone or a lightly thicker one with a high performing battery.

According to Huawei both Ascend P1 S and Ascend P1 will hit the world market by this April and the prices of these smartphones are yet to be announced.

Will Apple Launch iPad3 in March?

2012-01-17T13:03:00.002+05:30

The rumor about Apple’s iPad3 has started again, even though Apple has not commented any statements regarding the launch. It is said that iPad 3 will be coming this March and has already started ramping up the production, with features like high-definition retina display, latest quad-core processor and will also have LTE (long term evolution) network support, reports Bloomberg.

According to Digitimes, Apple will ship iPad 3 in March and then iPad 4 in October. iPad 3 will come with a QXGA (Quantum Extended Graphics Array) display with 1536x2048 pixels of resolution and a longer battery life. iPad 4 will be upgraded with hardware specifications and will have integrated apps to compete with Android and Windows tablets.

The iPad 3 is expected to bring up big time revenue for Apple in the upcoming year. Apple will also be cutting the price of iPad 2 to compete with other tablet makers like Samsung, Toshiba, Acer, HP and Motorola.

More Android Devices are Born than Babies

2012-01-17T13:02:00.002+05:30

Approximately 700,000 Android devices are activated each day around the globe based on the statistics from December last year.

Youtube’s Head of Content, Robert Kyncl revealed the number in CES last week. According to this, Android activations are double than the number of births, which is approximately 300,000 per day according to the UN.

The number seems to remain high at least for a short time as many manufacturers continue to launch their Android devices. An Italy based company had launched their Android based ‘Smart Watch’ at CES 2012, which has a music player, applications and is also compatible with Smartphones.

As quoted in ZDNet, Android OS is going to power a variety of devices including TV, oven and the future is going to witness an ‘in home Android revolution’.

With Androids main rival iOS, currently powering only Apple’s devices and Windows Phone7, still struggling to find the market share, the future seems bright for Android if Google can address the increasing ‘fragmentation’ problem.

Are you in love with your best friend?

2012-01-13T18:13:00.002+05:30

Telling your best friend you love them can be a little tricky

Fallen in love with your best friend and don't know how to tell them? Well, this is a tricky situation. Especially as the feeling comes with the risk of jeopardizing your relationship with them forever. So, it does become frightening to reveal those feelings to your friend, and close to impossible to remain just friends when you have fallen in love with them! It becomes necessary to think carefully on how you are going to tell them, to communicate your feelings without hurting their feelings.

For starters, it is very important to know whether you are truly in love with your friend or is it just attraction due to the amount of time spent together. If your feelings are clear and you are indeed in love, think of a good plan about how to tell them. Pick an appropriate time and place to do so. Do not burst out emotionally when you are out with him/her, because he/she is going to be taken aback. Do it in the comfort of your home, rather than in a public place. Be clear and honest about your feelings. Consider the fact that your friend might want time and wouldn't want to be close to you for a while after the revelation. Give your friend the chance to make a decision and respect the decision, whatever it is.

Alternatively, you may want to spend more time developing your relationship if the feelings are shared but would be content to stay friends as is if not. Once you are sure, leaving a few hints here and there would certainly help. Going for romantic movies and dinners, buying gifts, hugging good-byes; these are some signs that you can work on. But remember, take it slowly.

அந்தமான் பழங்குடியினரை ஆடச் செய்து ரசித்த சுற்றுலா பயணிகள் : "டிவி' காட்சியால் யூனியன் பிரதேசத்திற்கு நெருக்கடி

2012-01-12T21:54:00.004+05:30

அந்தமானில் ஜாரவா பழங்குடி பெண்களை நடனமாட செய்து, சுற்றுலா பயணிகளை மகிழ்வித்ததாக செய்தி வெளியிட்ட "டிவி' நிறுவனங்களுக்கு அந்தமான் நிகோபார் அரசு நோட்டீஸ் அனுப்பியுள்ளது. மேலும், இந்த விவகாரம் தொடர்பாக, அந்தமான் நிகோபார் யூனியன் பிரதேசத்திடமிருந்து, மத்திய அரசும் அறிக்கை கேட்டுள்ளது.
அந்தமான் நிகோபார் தீவில் உள்ள அடர்ந்த காட்டு பகுதியில், ஜாரவா பழங்குடியினர் வசிக்கின்றனர். இன்று வரை அவர்கள் எந்த ஆடையும் உடுத்தாமல், நிர்வாணமாகவே வாழ்ந்து வருகின்றனர். பெரும்பாலானோர் இறந்து விட, தற்போது 403 பேர் மட்டுமே இந்தத் தீவில் உள்ளனர். இந்த பழங்குடி இனத்தை பாதுகாக்கும் பொருட்டு, இவர்கள் வாழும் காட்டு பகுதியை நோக்கி செல்லும் சாலைகள் அடைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.

பத்திரிகை செய்தி : இதற்கிடையே வெளிநாட்டு சுற்றுலா பயணிகள் சிலர், இந்த பழங்குடிகளை பார்க்க சென்றதாகவும், இவர்களை அழைத்து சென்ற போலீஸ்காரர் ஒருவர், பழங்குடியின பெண்களுக்கு பிஸ்கெட்டுகளையும், இனிப்புகளையும் வழங்கி அவர்களை நடனமாட செய்ததாகவும், இதற்காக இந்த சுற்றுலா பயணிகளிடம் சம்பந்தப்பட்ட போலீஸ்காரர், 15 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் லஞ்சம் பெற்றதாகவும் பிரிட்டனை சேர்ந்த பத்திரிகைகள் செய்தி வெளியிட்டுள்ளன. பொதுவாக, காட்டுப் பகுதியில் சுற்றுலா செல்பவர்கள் வனவிலங்குகளை பார்வையிடுவார்கள். ஆனால், அந்தமானில் இந்த நிர்வாண பழங்குடியினரை பார்ப்பதற்காகவே உள்ளூர் போலீசார் உதவியுடன் "காட்டு மனிதர்' சுற்றுலா நிகழ்ச்சி நடப்பதாக பிரிட்டனை சேர்ந்த "அப்சர்வர்' மற்றும் "கார்டியன்'பத்திரிகைகளில் செய்தி வெளியாகியிருந்தது. இந்த செய்தியை மையப்படுத்தி டில்லியை சேர்ந்த இரண்டு "டிவி' சேனல்கள் பழங்குடி பெண்களின் நடன நிகழ்ச்சியை ஒளிபரப்பின.

படம் பழையது : அந்தமான் நிகோபார் எம்.பி., விஷ்ணு பாதா ரே குறிப்பிடுகையில், "டிவியில் காட்டப்பட்ட பழங்குடி பெண்களின் நடன படம் பழமையானது. எனினும், இந்த காட்சியை ஒளிபரப்பியது தவறாகும். எனவே, உரியவர்கள் மீது அரசு, சட்டப்படி நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும்' என்றார்.

அப்பட்டமான பொய் : இந்த "வீடியோ' காட்சிகளை எடுத்த "பிரிட்டிஷ்' டிவி நிருபர் சாம்பர்லின் ஒரு பேட்டியில் குறிப்பிடுகையில், "இந்த "வீடியோ' காட்சிகளை அந்தமான் தீவுகளில் சமீபத்தில் தான் படமெடுத்தேன். பத்து ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன் எடுத்த பழைய காட்சி என்று அந்தமான் கவர்னர் கூறியிருப்பது அப்பட்டமான பொய். "ஜாரவாஸ்' பழங்குடியின மக்கள் இன்றும் சுற்றுலா பயணிகளால் கொடுமைப்படுத்தப்படுகின்றனர். அந்தமான் போலீஸ் அதிகாரிகளில் சிலர் சுற்றுலா "ஆபரேட்டர்'களிடம் லஞ்சம் பெற்றுக் கொண்டு, பயணிகளை பழங்குடியின மக்கள் வாழும் காடுகளுக்கு கொண்டு செல்கின்றனர். அங்கு பழங்குடியின மக்களை சந்திக்கவும் ஏற்பாடு செய்கின்றனர்' என்றார்.

காட்சிப் பொருளாக சித்தரிப்பதா? : மத்திய பழங்குடியினர் நல அமைச்சர் கிஷோர் சந்திர தியோ, அந்தமான் கவர்னர் புபிந்தர் சிங்கை நேற்று தொடர்பு கொண்டு, இந்த சம்பவம் குறித்து விவரமான அறிக்கை ஒன்றை அனுப்புமாறு கேட்டுக் கொண்டார். மத்திய உள்துறை அமைச்சகமும், அந்தமான் மாநில அரசிடம் இது குறித்து ஒரு அறிக்கை அனுப்புமாறு கேட்டுக் கொண்டுள்ளது.

சம்பவம் குறித்து கி‌ஷோர் சந்திர தியோ நிருபர்களிடம் கூறியதாவது: அந்தமானில் உள்ள பழங்குடி மக்களை காட்சிப் பொருளாக சித்தரிப்பதை நான் வன்மையாக கண்டிக்கிறேன். மாநில அரசிடம் இந்த சம்பவம் குறித்து அறிக்கை அனுப்புமாறு கேட்டிருக்கிறேன். அடுத்த மாதம் அந்தமான் தீவுகளுக்கு சென்று, இந்த சம்பவம் குறித்து நேரடி விசாரணை நடத்துவேன். நேற்று முன்தினம் வெளிவந்த "வீடியோ' காட்சிகள் 10 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன் எடுக்கப்பட்டவை. இது, தற்போது நடந்த சம்பவம் அல்ல என, கவர்னர் என்னிடம் தெரிவித்தார். "ஜாரவா' பழங்குடி மக்கள் வாழும் தனிக்காடுகளில் சுற்றுலாப் பயணிகள் செல்வதற்கு அனுமதி கிடையாது. அந்தக் காடுகளின் வழியாகச் செல்லும் பஸ்களுக்கு போலீஸ் பாதுகாப்பு உண்டு. நான்கு அல்லது ஐந்து பஸ்கள் தொடர் வண்டியாக போலீஸ் பாதுகாப்போடு இந்த காட்டுப் பகுதியில் அனுப்பப்படுகிறது. இந்தப் பகுதிகளில் பயணிகள் பஸ்சை விட்டு இறங்குவதற்கு தடை விதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இவ்வாறு கிஷோர் சந்திர தியோ கூறினார்.

4 More Indian Banks to Import Bullion

2012-01-12T09:34:00.001+05:30

Now four more banks are permitted by India's Central bank to import precious metals. The move is expected to enhance the competition and help reducing premium in the world's biggest importer of gold, reported Reuters.

According to the data on the website of Reserve Bank of India, City Union Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Yes Bank and ING Vysya Bank, are added to the list of 35 banks that are now allowed to import gold and silver.
A Singapore-based bullion dealer, "It's not because they foresee huge demand coming up. They are just trying to open up for more competition in the market and customers will have more choices."

The federal government allows only the private-sector banks and the state-run bank to trade in gold as India regulates bullion tightly. Rajesh Exports, Gitanjali Gems and Titan Industries are the jewelers that are allowed to import precious metals apart from banks.

Coins and bars are sold by banks through retail outlets after a premium has been charged over the London prices. The festive season in October witnessed mere peak of $3 in premium and it remains to $1.5 since then.

Pinakin Vyas, Assistant Vice-President with gold importing IndusInd Bank, Mumbai, said, "Competition ultimately creates transparency to the price."

According to the Bombay Bullion Association (BBA), the gold import of India has reduced from 958 tonnes in 2010 to 878 tonnes in 2011 due to record breaking soaring price.

The trade body, BBA expects that imports will halve in the first quarter of 2012 due to Slow Indian economy hitting incomes.

India's Tiniest Passenger Cars v/s U.S. Biggest Passenger SUV

2012-01-11T09:02:00.001+05:30

With Tata Nano entering the battle ground of cars, the competition for economical cars has become tougher. Working on same terms, Bajaj too made an entry into this segment by launching a four wheeler vehicle of their own, RE60, which is very much similar to Tata Nano. Though the vehicle has some changes in terms of features, it is very similar to Tata Nano. The cute looking Tata Nano is already familiar to the Indian roads and scores high in terms of fuel efficiency. Best known as, the budget car of India, Nano has been blessed with 624cc engine with the capacity of generating a maximum power of 37Hp. Compared to other cars; mileage is also not an issue to worry. With solid design and comfortable interiors, Nano is dominating the auto market.

On the other hand, Bajaj RE60 has recently jumped into the market and appears to be a threat to Nano's position in the market. With excellent fuel efficiency, RE60 is also favored with low emission level. The DTSi technology will work wonders for it.

The Tata Nano is the bigger car having length 3.1m, width 1.5m and height 1.6m, whereas, the RE60 is comparatively smaller having length 2.7m, width 1.6m and height 1.3m. Both the cars can accommodate 4 passengers; hence this is a criterion that can be best decided by the users. The car does not seem to have much difference in terms of pricing. A proper comparison cannot be drawn in regard to price as RE60 has not declared its price officially.

Rumors are in the air that Bajaj will provide RE60 with some advanced features to enhance the security features of the car.

Since RE60 has not yet hit the Indian roads we have got the chance to judge it through only its launch at the Auto Expo 2012. As of now Nano sounds to be best in comparison.

Three years ago Nano was the only possible smaller and cheaper car in India, but with Bajaj RE60's entry into the market, the monopoly came to an end.

If these two miniature passenger cars are the economical and budget cars of India we have Escalade, the biggest American passenger car in U.S. A small comparison was done by CNN's Fareed Zakari. Escalade weighs around 7,100 pounds, while Indian cars weigh around 880 pounds. Nano and RE60 get 82 miles respectively, while the Escalade gets 18 miles to the gallon. Talking about the price, Escalade costs over $80,000 that is 40 times more what is expected for cars in India. The 8 seater Escalade is comfortable enough in comparison to 4 seater Tata Nano and Bajaj RE60.

Zumba Zumba to Stay Fit

2012-01-09T10:25:00.001+05:30

What better way of exercising can a person opt for than dance? Dance as a fitness exercise not only makes the body flexible but makes every muscle in the body move. It is an inexpensive and fun way to keep fit, helping one lose weight and to tone the muscles and helps inculcate grace and poise. Apart from the fitness freaks that enjoy lifting weights, dumbbells, running and stretching another way to fitness is the dance exercise. It helps burns calories, acts as a stress buster and a mental stimulator; it helps build muscle power and a healthy heart. All kinds of dances can help make anyone fit but the most well known dance exercises that one can take part in are:

Zumba: Zumba as a dance form has become more popular in the world of fitness lately. It can be described as a Latin inspired dance fitness program which incorporates choreography from a variety of dance styles. Some of the styles that Zumba uses include hip-hop, salsa, samba, meringue, mambo and martial arts. Unlike a typical dance class where counts are used, Zumba is a form where the class follows the music with repetitive steps. This form of exercise requires a lot of energy and the dance moves mainly work on the waist, hips and legs. The classes are designed for all levels of ability, including beginners. It is an exercise that puts a person in a great mood and is a good workout.

Hip-hop: It is a style of dance that originated from the USA but has become popular world-wide, and is a great way to keep fit. It is basically any style of dance that is primarily danced to hip-hop music including street dancing, breaking, locking and popping. The dance form is a great way to strengthen the abdominals and the choreography includes lots of hip, pelvic and waist rolling. The benefits of the dance form are that it strengthens the thighs, glutes, calves and other muscles in the legs and arms. It is also a cardio exercise that gets the heart pumping and the breathing rate up. Hip hop dance puts less of an impact of the feet and knees so one can use it as a new way of working out.

Jazz: Jazz is a traditional Caribbean dance. It is a high impact workout. It is a style of dance with many different influences generally high energy kicks, leaps and turns to the beat of the music. Modern jazz is influenced by other styles such as acro, ballet, contemporary and hip-hop. The slow movement of the tap technique in jazz strengthens the body and improves balance. It also helps correct posture. Jazz tones every muscle in the body and the strong sharp turns and jumps used in the dance form helps to keep the body agile. The aerobic nature of the dance builds up the physical endurance. Another important benefit of the dance is that it can help one increase the level of concentration.

Pole Dancing: Pole dancing has increasingly gained popularity in the recent years as a fitness routine. It is a dance form that helps strip off the weight. The dance is about having fun and the moves include twirling, spinning and swinging. Women of all ages and sizes are free to use this dance form in order to get fit. It helps increase flexibility, improve posture, tone up, burn calories and improve confidence. Pole dancing is a form infused with gymnastics. The benefits of this form of exercise are that it helps strengthen stomach muscles and it provides the muscle definition in the arms, bottom and thighs. It also increases the upper body strength. It is a form of dance which is definitely not boring and provides extra health benefits too.

Belly Dancing: The best way to get sexy flat abs is to try belly dancing. This form of dance exercise helps tone the glutes, belly, chest and thigh muscles. It helps improve flexibility and balance. The controlled movements in the dance help in achieving taut muscles. It is a low impact form of exercise. It makes use of muscle groups in the abdomen, pelvis, trunk, spine, and neck, working with the body instead of against it. It is also a form of dance meditation and the slow, graceful dancing is useful in reducing the stress levels. Women of all ages can enjoy this form of exercise while the dance form also helps increase self esteem.

Bollybics: Bollybics is a dance form which is a combination of Bollywood numbers and aerobics. This is a great form of cardio and is a high energy workout. It helps to tone nearly all parts of the body like legs, arms, hips and waist. This form of exercise is best suited for all the gym haters as the dance is tuned to the beats of popular filmi music. It is an aerobic workout that helps burn intense calories while dancing to one’s favorite songs. The peppy dance work out using signature movie dance steps is certainly a lot of fun.

How Can MBA Graduates Sail Through Interviews?

2012-01-08T12:48:00.001+05:30

The successful completion of a 2year course in MBA should not be your ultimate goal. You should aspire to get yourself placed in a well reputed firm. A few things need to be taken care of before attending an interview. They are:

RESUME: Make sure that you carry with you a well-prepared resume filling in all the essential details. Your CV can create a first impression about you in the mind of the interviewer. The CV carries all the personal details, but you will surely get a question like,’ so, tell me about yourself’. So be prepared to give a brief self introduction, apart from the things already mentioned in your resume.

SELF-INTRODUCTION: In the introduction section, you can share your goals, skills, reasons for joining MBA, once you get selected how you intend to serve the company and so on. You should be well aware of your strength and weaknesses and better try to stress on the positive aspects of your personality.

KNOW THE COMPANY’S BACKGROUND: Before attending an interview, try to collect maximum information about the company from websites and other reliable sources. Point out some positives of the company which attracted you. If you have previously worked in any other firm the reasons for you quitting the job and joining the new firm might be asked.

EXPECTED SALARY: For the question on salary expectations you can be bit diplomatic, by saying that it obviously depends on your caliber.

The final question from the interview board will be how you stand unique from the applicants; here you should try to convince the interviewer about your talents and how you are going to enrich the organization.

BE CONFIDENT: Be confident while attending an interview and try to dress in a modest manner.Carry all the required documents along with your resume.

Eat slowly, lose weight

2012-01-06T20:03:00.002+05:30

Researchers at the University of Rhode Island have found that eating faster increases the amount of food consumption.

Results of their two new studies revealed that men eat significantly faster than women, heavier people eat faster than slimmer people, and refined grains are consumed faster than whole grains, among other findings.

In one laboratory study, Kathleen Melanson, URI associate professor of nutrition, and her lab team found that fast eaters consumed about 3.1 ounces of food per minute, medium-speed eaters consumed 2.5 ounces per minute, and slow eaters consumed 2 ounces per minute.

The researchers also found what Melanson described as 'very strong gender differences' in eating rates.

At lunch, the men consumed about 80 calories per minute while the women consumed 52 calories per minute.

The second study, which examined the characteristics associated with eating rates, found a close association between eating rate and body mass index (BMI), with those individuals with a high BMI typically eating considerably faster than those with a low BMI.

"One theory we are pursuing is that fast eating may be related to greater energy needs, since men and heavier people have higher energy needs," said Melanson.

While the link between eating rate and obesity is still being studied, Melanson said that her research has demonstrated that eating slowly results in significantly fewer average calories being consumed.

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of The Obesity Society in Orlando this month.

Milagrow launches TabTop PC for women

2012-01-05T14:46:00.003+05:30

Milagrow Business and Knowledge Solutions has launched what it claims is the world's only TabTop PC for women professionals. The TabTop PC can fit in most handbags, comes preloaded with over 50 applications and has a special UI designed for women.

The connectivity options in TabTop include 3G ready, USB 2.0, SD card and WiFi. It has eight+ hours of battery life (4000 mAh). There's a 7-inch A+ grade-LED backlit 4:3 screen. It is available in four colors -- pink, sky blue, silver and black.

TabTop PC has a 1.2 GHz processor, 512DDR3 RAM and 8 GB of internal storage expndable to 32GB. The tablet runs on Android 2.3.1 version or Android Gingerbread. It also has dual cameras, Live TV capability and two USB slots. The TabTop PC is priced at Rs 13,990.

"Women have fast evolved as intelligent consumers of electronics. They know and look for features important to them and go for devices that are both easy-to-use and carry. As it weighs only 275 gram, it slides in with ease into a woman's handbag. The Woman's TabTop is created for women professionals who look for an ideal combination of a powerful device, both in terms of performance and portability without lugging around excess weight. We have also preloaded it with special women security and anti theft applications"said Rajeev Karwal, Founder, Milagrow TabTops.

Spice launches Android-powered Spice Mi-280

2012-01-05T14:45:00.001+05:30

Among the cheapest Android smartphone, Mi-280 sports a front-facing camera for video calls. The smartphone runs on Android Gingerbread version. Featuring a 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen and 3.2-megapixel camera. The phone supports 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB connectivity.

Spice Mi-280 has 600MHz processor, GPU, and 512MB RAM. Other features include GPS, A-GPS, proximity sensor, push email, Gtalk and 32GB expandable memory.

The smartphone is priced at Rs 5,123 and is available on Saholic.com.

Intel 'Clover Trail' to Power Windows 8 Tablet

2012-01-04T08:49:00.002+05:30

Computer manufacturer Acer and Lenovo are planning to launch Windows 8 tablet powered by Intel’s Clover Trail processor in the third quarter this year, reports Digitimes.

The report also says, the Clover Trail is scheduled for release until June and it’s about the same time that Windows 8 is expected to reach the market. Intel has not yet provided any details about specifications and availability of Clover Trail. However, Intel will provide a demo of Clover Trail based prototype tablet which runs on Windows 8 OS at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in January 2012.

While, Intel’s Medfield has not yet released and it seems that the company is talking about its successor Clover Trail. Intel has also said to launch Medfield processor in January 2012 at CES which is developed to improve the performance of smartphones and tablets. But the difference is that the Medfield will focus on Android based devices and Clover Trail will focus more on Windows 8 based devices.

It is clear that Intel is likely to come in two varieties of processors in 2012, Medfield in the first quarter and Clover Trail in the third quarter of 2012.

Sony Sheds its Tablet S Price

2012-01-04T08:48:00.003+05:30

Sony trying to survive in the tablet market by dropping price of tablet S models by $100. The 16 GB version of Sony tablet S is now available for $399.99 and the 32 GB model for $499.99 reduced by $100 from its original price as displayed in the Sony’s online store.

Currently Apple’s owns more than 61 percent of tablet market in the world. Previously Motorola Xyboard, BlackBerry PlayBook and HP TouchPad also reduced their price to compete with iPad. By this it is clear that every tablet maker has realized that pricing a tablet at the same price level of Apple’s iPad will surely break their sales.

The tablet S features 9.4 inch TFT touchscreen display powered by 1 GHz Nvidia Tegra-2 processor, 1GB RAM and currently runs on Android 3.1 Honeycomb but it is expected to get an upgrade of Android’s new OS 4.0-Ice Cream Sandwich. It also has 5.0 MP rear camera and a 0.3 MP front facing camera, micro USB port, SD expansion slot, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Presently 16 GB model of tablet S is available for 29,990 in India as Sony has not confirmed the discount in India but it is expected to announce the offer in due course. However the offer is only available in U.S.

Rules of office romance

2012-01-02T12:10:00.000+05:30

To navigate through potentially delicate situations at your workplace, read on...

Do: Keep your work separate from personal issues
It is very difficult to separate office issues from personal ones when both the partners are working in the same organisation. It takes two mature people to understand this and not let emotions affect your work performance.

Don't: Broadcast your relationship
Even though you might not like it, it's best to keep things quiet for as long as you can and maintain a professional relationship at work. Believe it or not, you will become the topic of discussion in the office if you're not careful.

Do: Be sure it ends amicably
When you split, it can be extremely dirty if things are not handled properly. Since both of you will be in the same workplace. You will be seeing each other regularly and it can become highly uncomfortable.

Don't: Mix business with pleasure
Don't misuse your relationship to get ahead professionally. You don't want to be tagged as the 'office slut'. For as much as you may try to keep an office romance under wraps, word does get around. And if things don't work out, unfortunately the tag will still remain.

Do: Date someone of equal status
One cannot deny the fact that power dynamics exist in the workplace. People are bound to talk if you get involved with a superior. And if you get a raise or a promotion, the only thing that will come to their mind will be that you were favoured more than the others for certain reasons.

Don't: Make out or getting physical in the office premises
Public displays of affection in office are a no-no. Not only does it blacklist you as unprofessional, it also can be very embarrassing.

Best Sporting Events of 2011

2012-01-01T23:22:00.002+05:30

Sports lovers had a great time in the year, 2011 as some of the prominent tournaments and matches took place in this year. Achievements were made in diverse fields and the world witnessed the talents of some of the excellent players.

Some of the best sporting events of 2011 are-

Cricket

The year 2011 will have special prominence in the hearts of millions of cricket lovers in India, as the country made it to the finals and arose as World Champions at the world cup final after 28 long years. India defeated Sri Lanka in the final match held at Wankhade stadium in Bombay on April 2nd. The first nation blessed with winning world cup final in its home town is India. The world cup took place between 19th February and 2nd April, which is the 10th world cup match. India won with a breathtaking six from Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the captain of Indian cricket team, who was declared as the man of the match. Yuvraj Singh became the man of the tournament.

Billiards

World Champion Pankaj Advani won his fifth national Billiards title by defeating Balachandra Bhaskar of Bangalore with a commanding 5-1. Earlier, he has won four Asian titles besides two gold medals in Asian games. He is one of the best snooker players in India who has also won many awards like Padma Sree, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award and so on.

Hockey

India won the Asian Champions Trophy, after defeating Pakistan with 4-2 in penalty strokes, in the final held at Ordos, China on 11 September. The tournament was held from 3rd September to 11th September where 6 nations, India, Korea, Pakistan, Malaysia, Japan and China participated. Malaysia won the bronze medal by securing the 3rd position in the tournament. S. Sreejas, Indian goal-keeper turned out to be the star of the match, who ensured winning of the match by making two saves in the shot-out.

Indian Grand Prix

The Indian Grand Prix, the 17th race of the Formula one season was held at the Buddh International Circuit, in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The Indian sub-continent got a chance to host the Formula one Prix for the first time. About 95,000 spectators attended the Formula one race. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel won the event which was his 11th victory in 17 races. Jenson Button came second in the race and Fernando Alonso acquired the 3rd position.24 drivers participated in the Grand Prix, but only 19 finished the race, as five of them had to retire in between. The Indian driver, Naresh Karthikeyan finished 17th at the race.

Tennis

The year 2011 will be remembered as the ‘year of Djokovic’. Novak Djokovic, world No.1 male tennis player won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open Title.The best match was held between Djokovic and Federer at the US Open semi-final. Another remarkable achievement in the field of tennis was the Twin brothers, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan assured the year- end No.1 team ranking for a record seventh time in 9 seasons. These American professional players also claimed 8 tour level titles.

Cars of 2011: The Good and the Bad Ones

2011-12-31T21:42:00.000+05:30

2011 has witnessed the debut of many varieties of cars, from affordable passenger cars to pricey SUVs and luxury ones. Some cars have been in the news for all the right reasons but some have not been so lucky. This year has seen the ups and downs of these cars and industry experts have given their opinions regarding these. Jagdish Khattar, MD Carnation Auto; BVR Subbu, Former Head Hyundai India and Hormazd Sorabjee, Editor Autocar India were asked by Economic Times about their opinion of the best and worst cars of 2011 and these were the names they took –

THE GOOD:

1) Hyundai Verna:

The new Hyundai Verna is a 7th generation automobile and is deemed to be the best of the Verna models till now. Its new features are to die for, say experts and users. Some of its stunning features are as follows - a sturdier chassis, which meets the U.S. and European standards, making it safer in case of collisions. Its ‘Fluidic Sculpture’ design gives it a superior look. Though it doesn’t have much cabin storage room and under-thigh support due to low positioning of seats, Verna still bags the list for one of the top cars in India. The Indian Verna has 2 varieties each- petrol and diesel. Gamma petrol and U2 diesel motors have 1.4 and 1.6 litres capacities respectively. The winning aspects of the diesel variety are its 126 Break Horse Power (BHP) and 26.5 KGM of torque, which are like no other in the market. Its features and performance make Verna truly deserve a spot among the top.

2) Mahindra XUV 500:

The Mahindra XUV 500 is any sports and outdoor lover’s paradise because it has the latest technology to help it become one among the top. It not only challenges other SUVs in the Indian market but also meets international standards and quality. Its stylish looks and strength are incomparable, at least in the Indian market. It has various features which make it note-worthy – it has projector headlamps, LED lights for daytime, a bigger front bumper with air dams and recessed fog lamps, excellent pick-up, speed and steering. Its bonus feature is a tidy and well-designed under-vehicle region, which is excellent for snow covered roads. It has a transverse engine and a 4-wheel drive layout. It also has a 2.2 litre diesel engine, apart from other dizzying features, which keeps it ahead of other SUVs in the Indian market. Though highly priced, this car is worth every penny.

3) Luxury Cars:

Luxury cars have slowly but steadily made their way into the Indian market. The list, though not exhaustive, consists of the best cars from all over the world, like – Mercedes Benz, Honda Accord, Audi, Maybach Exelero, BMW, Toyota Corolla, Renault Fluence and many others. Attractive EMIs for car loans have roped the Indian class to add a bit of snazz to their lifestyle. These high in class and comfort cars also come with diesel engine varieties, as preferred by current Indian market. Also, diesel engine cars provide better acceleration, speed, fuel efficiency and torque, when compared to petrol cars. According to ET, about 80 percent of the cars sold last year were of the diesel variety, including that of BMW, Audi and Mercedes. CRDi technology has made the diesel cars sales go up and are still growing. Also, various SUVs and luxury car manufactures are providing only the diesel varieties for the changing tastes of Indian customers.

4) Audi:

Audi is India’s 3rd biggest luxury car manufacturer, with speculated 40 percent increase in sales in 2012 and for good reasons. The Audi is ranked among the top luxury cars in India because of superior German technology and unmatched performance. Apart from obvious stylish looks and class factor, Audi is much more than just a pretty face. The newer models are more spacious, fuel efficient, with improved safety designs and better suspension symptoms. The 2.7 and 3 Turbo Diesel (TDI) engines are sure to keep diesel engine lovers happy. The diesel variants are no slow coaches for they give excellent speed in no time. Features like - Anti-theft Alarm System, Electronic Stability Program, Anti-lock Braking system and Servotronic for enhanced control over the car make Audi an unmatched player in the luxury car segment. Needless to say, this car is highly priced. The newest variant of Audi is going to be featured in the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo.

5) New Maruti Suzuki Swift:

New Maruti Suzuki Swift is available in diesel variants and perhaps is the best car in the passenger car segment, available at an attractive price. The newer version has improved features like – better looks and fuel efficiency. It is giving good competition to other hatchbacks, like Chevrolet Beat, Ford Figo and Volkswagen Polo. Fiat provides the 1.3 litre Multijet diesel engine, which provides great speed and torque. The K-series engines, with Macpherson strut suspension system, have been revamped with five manual gears. The interior is just as good as the exterior, with better shoulder and leg room. The safety features are improved too with airbags and ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), EBD (Electronic Breakforce Distribution) and fog lights for misty times on the road. Maruti Suzuki cars occupy about 45 percent share of the Indian car market. The diesel variant of Swift has exhibited a 30 percent increase in its sales since its launch, which only indicates that diesel cars are here to stay.

THE BAD:

1) Hyundai Eon:

Hyundai Eon has all the features to entice any Indian car lover because it has almost all the right features required in the concerned car segment. It has stylish looks and features but it lacks one very important element. It lags behind in the diesel engine section because of the small size of the car. Hyundai has recently launched a diesel variant but it will take time to test its metal. Since, Indian car lovers are looking exclusively at good diesel cars this year, it is difficult for them to wait for the new variety to be tested and tried. They have other diesel cars as alternatives, like – Swift Diesel and Indica Turbo Diesel DLX. These cars give Eon strong competition because of their strong brand presence in India. Hence, Eon will have to prove itself next year.

2) Honda Jazz:

Hyundai Jazz has features, with performance, to make Indian people buy it. However, this was one car that faced tough competition primarily because of its price. The diesel version of Jazz was a whopping 7 lakhs, which was a bit too much for the premium hatchback segment. Even after slashing its price down, the sales did not improve much because of the damage which was done. The Indian mind was made up against this car as it was too pricey for its segment. People, of course, had alternatives they could look forward to and hence, Jazz suffered. Also, Ford Figo and Nissan Micra gave Jazz tough competition this year. However, it still might have a chance to fare well next year.

3) Honda Brio:

Honda Brio was the alternative provided by Honda for its blunder of a car, Jazz, mainly because of its pricing. Brio was launched as a cheaper version of a hatchback by Honda but it clearly ate the shares of its team-mate, namely that of Jazz. Brio had the looks, feel and performance of Jazz at a lesser price. However, this too did not make an impact on the Indian car market because Brio is not available in a diesel variant. Since, 2011 has been a diesel car lover’s paradise; Brio clearly took a back seat. Not only does Brio compete with trusted names but also suffers because of lack of diesel engines. So, until Honda can improve upon this feature, Brio will not succeed in the Indian car market in the coming years.

4) Suzuki Kizashi:

Suzuki Kizashi was deemed to be a failure from the very beginning, say many experts. Unlike Swift, Kizashi was not properly thought of before being manufactured and launched in the Indian car market. Kizashi is a CBU, which means that it manufactured entirely in Japan and then shipped to India, thus raising the overall cost. This made Kizashi get priced at 18 lakhs in the Indian car market. Also, people started perceiving this car as a chauffeur driven one, making its positioning even more vague in the minds of people. Thus, its sales have been terrible. It also is not available in a diesel variant, which is the rage right now, again keeping it at a disadvantage. It superior looks, quality and performance have been overshadowed because of its price and lack of a diesel engine. Hence, Kizashi needs to tackle these in order to regain its sales.

5) Ford Fiesta:

Ford Fiesta seems to have been confused not only with its design but also its price. Ford is a trusted name but it seems to have not worked its magic in Fiesta’s case. Both its interior and exterior are disappointing. The diesel variant is priced at 9 –11 lakhs, which again acts as a disadvantage. It also lags behind in fuel efficiency and speed. Also, people have better choices when it comes to the Sedan and hatchback segments, like – Honda City and Volkswagen Vento. Car lovers might shirk away from Fiesta at the first glance but it still delivers good performance, like any other Ford car. However, it needs major design changes and also price cuts to appeal to the Indian car market in order to fare well in the coming years.

Most Popular Free Startup Tools

2011-12-30T10:05:00.003+05:30

Established companies have the necessary funds to invest in technology, but startups might have to think twice before making such a huge investment. Here are the most popular free startup tools which would ensure that you have the best in the market and are virtually free.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is one of the most popular free web analytics product used by startups. It provides a detailed analysis of the type, demography, and volume of traffic that the company website gets from various sources. This would help the startup measure the effectiveness of its online marketing strategies. Google analytics provides a detailed description on the page views over a timeline, the bounce rate, number of unique visitors, the time spend on the page, and so on. It has been used by a majority of the startups in the category of web analytics and leaves its competitors Webtrends, Omniture, and the others far behind.

Gmail

Gmail, which is trying to improve its services continually and increasing the free space available to the users is used a majority of the startups, way ahead of its competitors Outlook, Go Daddy, and Rackspace. Gmail offers around seven GB of free space and the Google App provides 10 free custom e-mail addresses for small businesses, and integrates the email with its huge platter of calendar, map, docs and many others.

Dropbox

Dropbox provides a platform to share files and folders from different locations. It provides free storage for upto two GB and is chargeable after that. The tool ensures that you are able to synchronize your folders across systems and make the updated files available to those whom you share them with. It leads its competitors, with a majority of the startups using it in the storage, backup, and virtualization category. This tool ensures that the entrepreneurs can work from various locations and provides a safe, and provides an expanded space of upto 10 GB through referrals.

Salesforce

Salesforce, the enterprise cloud computing company helps in collaborating employees and customers. It leads its competitors Sugar CRM, Highrise, ZOHO, and Saleslogix and is used by a majority of the startups. It helps companies to organize, automate and synchronize their business processes. It is available online and also as a mobile app. The various services provided by Salesforce can be integrated with Microsoft Office and various social networking sites. It helps the companies to organize the information collected from the customers and is immediately available to the managers while the salesmen are still on the field.

QuickBooks

QuickBooks provides various accounting functions and reports, where the users can send cheques, invoices, make and accept payments, calculate taxes and much more. It has a provision to import the reports to Excel so as to formulate various finance models, and has various add-ons depending on the type of business. It is used by a majority of the startups, and leads the competitors Excel, Xero, Freshbooks, and Great Plains.

LG to unveil 55-inch OLED TV

2011-12-29T11:31:00.000+05:30

LG Display has announced that it has developed the world's largest 55-inch OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) TV panel.

Boasting of a high image quality in an ultra-thin design, LG claims that the 55" OLED TV panel produces remarkable image quality with no after image due to its high reaction velocity, as well as high contrast ratio of over 100,000:1.

The 55" OLED TV panel will be displayed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) scheduled to be held on January 9 in Las Vegas.

"Our objective has always been to actively define and lead emerging display technology markets," said Dr Sang Beom Han, CEO and Executive Vice President of LG Display. "Although OLED technology is seen as the future of TV display, the technology has been limited to smaller display sizes and by high costs, until now. LG Display's 55-inch OLED TV panel has overcome these barriers."

OLED, a medium that controls pixels is a departure from LCD panels which utilize liquid crystals. The new technology allows light emitting diodes to self-generate light and features a reaction velocity to electric signals over 1000 times faster than liquid crystal. The OLED panel allows diodes to be turned on or off which enables lower power consumption than conventional LCD panels.

According to LG, the panel adopts an Oxide TFT technology for backplane which is different from a Low Temperature Poly Silicon ( LTPS) type generally used in existing small-sized OLED panels. The Oxide TFT type that LG Display utilizes is similar to the existing TFT process, with the simple difference lying in replacing Amorphous Silicon with Oxide.

Although industry watchers anticipate OLED as the future of TV display, the technology has faced challenges due to limitations on the sizes of displays it can be applied to and a high level of investment required.

China Launches World's Fastest Passenger Train

2011-12-28T23:11:00.003+05:30

Raging an exceptional speed capability of 500km (310 miles) per hour,China has successfully launched this Christmas weekend, the fastest speed, so far, as reported by State Media.

The train resembles an ancient Chinese sword and was built by a subsidiary of China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corporation Limited (CSR), which is China's largest rail vehicle maker. “The super-speed train design resembled the design of China’s ancient sword. The bodywork uses plastic materials reinforced with carbon fiber,” Ding Sansan, the company’s Chief Technician, said to the agency. This has contributed to reducing the train’s weight at a considerable rate while increasing its speed level.

China kept postponing its plan of launching high speed train fearing the havoc followed by the deadly collision between two super fast trains killing nearly forty people and injuring 210 passengers in July, 2008. However, after the July incident, most of the Chinese trains made by CSR continued to provide service with reduced speeds.

Significantly known as six-car train for its ultra - high speed, the train has a tractive driving power of 22,800 kilowatts, compared with 9,600 kilowatts for the CRH380 trains, Chinese electric high-speed train developed by CSR running is currently running for Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway with the world’s fastest speed of 300 km per hour. Ongoing plans are in progress to extend the railway route till Hongkong by 2015.

Shen Zhiyun,a locomotive train expert asserted that the current speed of 500 kmph will serve a useful reference for existing high- speed railway operations. However, the CSR chairman Zhao Xiaogang clarified that in future Chinese trains will not run at this speed levels. He added "We aim to ensure the safety of trains operation." However, it is not clear when the train would be made accessible for commercial service.

Motorola Unveils Droid Xyboard Tablets

2011-12-27T10:08:00.001+05:30

Motorola this week unveiled its two newest entries in the tablet game, the Droid Xyboard 10.1 and Droid Xyboard 8.2. Both units will come packed with 1.2-GHz dual-core processors, 1GB of RAM, and will run on Verizon’s 4G LTE network. Initially the devices will come loaded with Google’s Android Honeycomb, but according to Motorola, they will both be receiving over-the-air updates for Ice Cream Sandwich.

A 16GB version of the 10.1-inch Xyboard will cost you 28,277 with an included two-year Verizon Wireless data contract, while the 32GB and 64GB versions will charge you 33,625 and 38,971, respectively. A 16GB 8.1-inch Xyboard will be available for 22,935, while a 32GB version will cost 28,277. There is no 64GB version.

Motorola says they will be hitting the street later this month. Keep it locked in for our full reviews of both of these tablets when we get them. The tablets will come wrapped in magnesium-reinforced bodies with aluminum housings that are sure to help in the durability department.

Their displays will also be covered in Corning Gorilla Glass to help protect them when you inevitably drop them on the floor. Motorola says both tablets are thinner than an AAA battery and thinner lighter than a paperback book. For the business set, the Xyboards will be loaded with Quickoffice HD and Citrix GoToMeeting. The 10.1inch will also offer stylus support, as well as an included precision-tip stylus. And when you are done with work, you can open the included Dijit app and use your Xyboard as a universal remote.

How to fix iPad update error

2011-12-27T10:04:00.004+05:30

Question: I recently upgraded my iPad (1st generation) to iOS 5. After the update the performance of the tablet has gone down with the navigation being a bit sluggish and apps often crashing. How can I fix this?

- Hemant Sahni

There have been reports of the older generation iPod Touch and iPad slowing down after the iOS 5 upgrade. There are two ways to fix this issue. First, update to the latest iOS 5.0.1 via iTunes or over the air update on your device.

If this does not work, then do a backup and restore of the iPad by the following steps -Connect your iPad to the PC/Mac and launch iTunes. In iTunes, select the iPad in the left column and take a fresh backup of all your content.

Once the backup is finished, click on the restore button and wipe the iPad clean. Next, restore all your content using the backup file created. This should significantly improve the performance of your iPad.

Question: I bought an Apple iMac 3 months ago, but from the past few days it takes a lot of time to start up. Even after starting it runs slow and keeps freezing every now and then for a few seconds. Please help.

- Pranav Ranawat

There can be multiple reasons for your iMac acting like this. For starters, go to Applications > Utilities and launch Activity monitor. It will show you all the apps running on your MAC with details on how much CPU and RAM is being consumed by each. Quit any app that you are not using and is heavy on resources.

Also, do keep in mind that OS X does not quit an application if you just click the cross button on top. You need to quit the program via the menu or by using the 'Command + Q' keyboard command. Too many files and folders on your desktop can also be a reason for your machine getting slow and. We suggest to move the data on desktop into a single folder.

Also check if there are too many program starting at login, widgets on dashboard and animated wallpapers also lead to slowdown. If this does not help, then download Onyx for Mac from www.onyxmac.com. It is a system maintenance application to optimize OS X.

Now, Power Your Home With 'Solar Paint'

2011-12-23T22:10:00.004+05:30

New research led by an Indian origin professor in the U.S heralds the day when one can apply a coat of paint on the outside walls of a house to generate electricity from sunlight that can be used to power the appliances and equipment on the inside.

The team of researchers at the University of Notre Dame in the U.S has developed an inexpensive "solar paint" that uses semiconducting nanoparticles to produce energy.

The research led by chemistry professor Prashant Kamat in Notre Dame's Center for Nano Science and Technology is described in ACS Nano, a journal published by the American Chemical Society. The scientists have appropriately christened their product as "Sun-Believable Solar Paint".

"By making use of recent advances in semiconductor nanocrystal research, we have now developed a one-coat solar paint for designing quantum dot solar cells," Kamat and co-workers said.

The researchers said they wanted to do something transformative, to move beyond current silicon-based solar technology.

"By incorporating power-producing nanoparticles, called quantum dots, into a spreadable compound, we've made a one-coat solar paint that can be applied to any conductive surface without special equipment."

According to the researchers, their paint is based on nano-sized particles of titanium dioxide coated with either cadmium sulfide or cadmium selenide. Describing the work they said the particles were suspended in a water-alcohol mixture to create the binder-free paste which was then applied to conducting glass surface and annealed at 200 degrees C.

"When the paste was brushed onto a transparent conducting material and exposed to light, it created electricity."

This paste of nanoparticles when applied on surfaces using simple conventional paint brush "could turn large surfaces into solar cells", says a statement by the Notre Dame University.

The best light-to-energy conversion efficiency reached so far is 1 percent, which is much less than the usual 10 to 15 percent efficiency of commercial silicon solar cells. "But this paint can be made cheaply and in large quantities," the researchers claim.

"If we can improve the efficiency somewhat, we may be able to make a real difference in meeting energy needs in the future."

"Whereas further improvements are necessary to develop strategies for large area, this initial effort to prepare solar paint offers the advantages of simple design and economically viable next generation solar cells," the researchers said.

Kamat and his team also plan to study ways to improve the stability of the new material.

Guide to the perfect chicken roast

2011-12-23T09:11:00.001+05:30

There are more ways than one to plate up grandma's roasted succulent chicken recipe. With Christmas around the corner, choose the one that's easiest for you. A few options...

Unlike how magnificent a well-roasted and garnished chicken looks on a dinner table, in reality, cooking the dish is not as tedious and fussy. With the right ingredients, roasting-gear and a few seasoning tricks, you too can easily whip up a brilliant roast chicken for your family get-togethers! We guide you on how to make your chicken taste delicious.

How to roast your chicken
Pick the right chicken: While choosing chicken, Executive Chef Suresh Thampy suggests, "For roast chicken, always buy a chicken with its skin on. So that while roasting it, the skin helps in retaining moisture and gives it a golden brown texture." After you have removed the chicken from its packaging, remove the giblets (i.e. the organs like heart, liver, etc.,) from the body cavity.

Clean it thoroughly: To clean the chicken, hold it under cold running tap water and rinse it. Pat it dry with a kitchen towel. Cleaning the chicken will ensure that you kill most of the bacteria.

Seasoning: "Marinate your chicken before putting it to roast. Rub it with herbs like thyme, rosemary, oregano, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cut aromatic vegetables like carrots, turnips, celery, onions and potatoes and place it under the chicken in your roast pan, so that they will cook in the juice of the meat," says Thampy. Executive Chef Rejeev Basak suggests another way, "Grease the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, rubbing it all over the bird as well as inside the cavity for additional flavour. Prick a lemon with a fork and place it inside the cavity along with a bunch of herbs. You can also fill the cavity with orange or lemon wedges."

If you find that the chicken is browning too quickly during roasting, cover it with aluminum foil until it is done. It will also keep the meat from drying out. Another option is drizzling it with white wine. Once you have roasted the chicken for the correct amount of time, remove it from the oven.

Resting the roast: As soon as your chicken is out of the oven, don't get tempted to cut it. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute into the meat, making it moist and tender. The juices from the roasting tray can also be used to make a delicious gravy.

The different ways of roasting at home
Like there are countless ways to season a roast chicken, there is more than one way to roast it too. While the end result of all these methods is spectacular, you need to choose one that is better suited to your style.

Quick-roasting method
Traditionally, roasting chickens came from older, tougher birds, and the only way to get them to be tender and juicy was to cook them at a low temperature for a long time. That's not so much the case nowadays, so if you don't have a lot of time, a quick way to cook the chicken is to quick roast it. The main reason this technique is used is to brown the outside of the chicken, similar to browning food in a pan before pot roasting or stewing it. Also, quick roasting gives more variety of flavour, because the outside is brown while the center is much less done.

Method
Preheat your oven to 450 F. Place the chicken in the oven. Roast it for about 45 minutes, or until your meat thermometer tells you the chicken is cooked. The best thing to do for this method is to add a little butter inside and out to baste it.

Slow-roasting method
This method for roasting chicken takes a long time. But according to Rejeev, "The slow roasting of chicken is a much preferred way, as the chicken is cooked completely and stays more juicier that quick roasting. It's especially good if you're using a chicken that's a bit older and tougher. The result is great when roasting with whole chickens."

Method
Preheat your oven to 275 F. Roast the chicken for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or until your meat thermometer tells you the chicken is cooked. Roasting chicken at such a low temperature means that the white and dark meat will cook much more evenly, so you won't end up with dry breast meat. The low cooking temperature will keep the skin from getting brown and crisp. Also, because the cooking temperature is so low, there won't be as much evaporation as the other method. More of the collagen that makes meat tough is dissolved in slow cooking. This technique also gives you an incredibly juicy and tender chicken, though the taste is a bit less intense.

Roasting at 350 F
Roasting a chicken at 350 F takes a bit more time than the quick-roasting method. The chicken generally ends up a lot more tender though because the tough fibers like collagen have more time to melt.

Method
Preheat your oven to 350 F. Place the chicken in the oven. Roast it for about 20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 20 minutes till it is cooked. This technique cooks chicken at a fairly high heat for a longer period of time. The goal is to get it nice and tender, but you also have to be sure it doesn't dry out or burn. Baste the chicken with water, or wine every half hour or so. You can also place butter under the skin or inside the cavity. Remember to roast the chicken breast side down for the first two thirds of the cooking time.

Stuffed Roast Chicken

Indian Style
Ingredients:1 whole chicken, roughly 1.5 kg

For the marinade:
- 2 tbsps yogurt
- 2 tbsps lemon juice
- 3 tsp ginger& garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp salt.

For the filling:
- 3 tbsps oil
- 3/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 finely chopped onions
- 3 tsps ginger& garlic paste
- 1 tbsps coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 300 gms minced lamb meat
- Salt to taste
- 2 finely chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped potatoes
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped coriander

Method:
- Put all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and mix well.
- Put the whole chicken into this marinade and coat it well. Cover the dish with cling wrap and keep aside for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator.
- While the chicken marinates, you can prepare the filling.
- Heat 3 tbsps of cooking oil in a wok or deep pan, on medium heat.
- Add the cumin seeds and fry for a minute. Add the onions now. Fry till they turn a golden color.
- Add the ginger& garlic paste and fry for a minute.
- Add the minced meat and all the powdered spices - coriander, cumin, garam masala and salt.
- Continue to brown the minced meat, stirring often to prevent burning. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, peas and potatoes, stir and cook.
- Once you turn the fire off, add the lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator and fill the stomach cavity with the minced meat stuffing.
- Try and get all the stuffing in if possible. Place it on a roasting dish and drizzle all over with oil.
- Roast the chicken, uncovered for 75 minutes. You can serve it with parathas

Forgotten Vacation Spots

2011-12-22T10:53:00.000+05:30

Destinations that were hot and happening only a decade ago have since gone lackadaisical, hanging on to the reminiscence of their grandeur days. But what rooted the flux in the fad? Read on to find out why the hotspots on a traveler's former bucket list fell out and whether or not they should have been forgotten!Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Most people are familiar with Fort Lauderdale's scandalous Spring Break reputation, especially ayone who's ever seen the 1960 film Where the Boys Are!This coastal revelry haven ruled the coastal party scene from the 1940s to the 1980s with its sunny weather, gold-sand beaches, cheap hotels and a vibrant nightlife scene. Fort Lauderdale's infamy as Spring Break Central started to decline a few decades prior, when the seaside wickedness came to a shrieking arrest back in the mid 1980s. All because an attempt to clean up the city's reputation was made! Revellers turned to other, more tolerant towns like Cancun, Mexico and South Padre Island, Tex.Spring Break made Fort Lauderdale famous, but its recent revamps have made it luxurious. Now that its wild ways have been tamed, Fort Lauderdale makes for an ideal (and family-friendly) beach getaway. Lake Placid, New York

This snug village snuggled among the peaks of the Adirondack Mountains has been the winter sports mecca of upstate New York for years, but once upon a time, this tiny town captured the attention of sports fans across the world! The 1980 games truly solidified Lake Placid's place in Olympic history: It was here at Lake Placid that the U.S. men's ice hockey team crushed the profoundly preferential Soviets 4-3. The win, which has since been christened the "Miracle on Ice," enthused a invigorated sense of partisanship amid Cold War tensions. And as the drone of the 1980 Winter Olympics wore off it took Lake Placid's popularity as a wintertime getaway along! Skiers soon turned their attention westward towards Aspen, Coloumbia, and Lake Tahoe, California.Lake Placid persists to hold fast to its Olympic history, offering visitors the option to ski, skate and sled on the former Olympic facilities. With local shops, family-owned restaurants and romantic ski lodges encased in Lincoln-log architecture, this idyllic town looks just the way it did back in the 80s. Lake Placid radiates an antediluvian lure found only in the Adirondacks. Acapulco, Mexico

Hot and very popular in the 1950s, Acapulco was the place to go. Mexico's west coast fascinated the hippest of the hip with its blond beaches and swanky repute. It was here that Frank Sinatra enjoyed oceanfront martinis, Elizabeth Taylor got married and Elvis filmed Fun in Acapulco. The year-round warm weather constantly engrossed sun-seekers, but it was Acapulco's flourishing nightlife that fixed the interest of travelers around the world. Only here could you dine at midnight before dancing till dawn. This was where you came to see and be seen. Acapulco lost its luster ss the 20th century set in. More modern resorts were popping up along Mexico's east coast in places like Cancun and Cozumel, drawing interest away from the Pacific and toward the calmer turquoise waters of the Gulf.Frommer's contrasts Acapulco to "a diva -- a little past her prime, perhaps overly made up, but still capable of captivating an audience." As for the glitz, Acapulco still tries to live up to its momentous repute, but evils with trash, drugs and prostitution distorted this once-beloved hangout from enchanting to grungy. Pismo Beach, California

Many a Bugs Bunny escapade began with an anticipated trip to Pismo Beach, but a missed left turn at Albuquerque always hexed debacle. But what caught Bugs' eye in the first place? While the warm weather and hushed shorelines were undeniably perquisites, this Looney Tune was after some seafood. This small seaside town -- located about 200 miles north of Los Angeles -- earned America's love during the 1950s, '60s and '70s with its chowders, clam sauces and everything in between. But before Bugs lost his way, Pismo Beach acted as a safe haven for partiers during the 1920s. The town's saloons and brothels were other major tourist draw. Pismo welcomed so many tourists that its two hotels -- the Pismo Beach Hotel and the El Pismo Inn -- had to erect tents to accommodate them.While it may not be as hopping as it was in the 1920s or as trustworthy as it was in the '50s, Pismo Beach still has plenty to offer. This comfy Californian town features a excellent shoreline, lush golf courses and abundant opportunities to surf, boat and fish. Add on the promise of at least one gorgeous clam bake, and you'll see why Bugs Bunny was so unwavering to visit.

Happy being single forever

2011-12-21T09:15:00.001+05:30

They are smart and funny. Wherever they go, they tend to strike a chord in women's hearts. Yet, they stay away from commitment and are happy being single and forever ready to mingle.That is just how they like it. Media professional Rahul Sharma says it's great to be single. "It's cool as you don't have to worry about being in a binding relationship. You have the freedom to do what you want. And since you're not tied down to anyone, you have the opportunity to meet many women. You can use this opportunity to have a nice fling," he winks. Many men believe that being a bachelor allows them to be more expressive and live life to the fullest. IT professional Aneet Jhaveri is one such guy. "I like being single as you don't have the burden of putting someone else's needs and desires before your own. I love to travel, and experience cities through their nightlife and restaurants. I make it a point to visit cities within the country and abroad at least once a year. I don't think I would have been able to do that if I was married with a wife and kids." For some, it is not so much a choice but simply a part of life. Marketing manager Rohit Kapoor is a typical single and available guy who loves hanging out with his friends at his favourite bar and has had many relationships. "I always knew that I wasn't the kind of person who would get into a serious relationship. I like it this way. And I have made some cool friends along the way." When Bryan Adams sang 18 Till I Die he would have hardly imagined that many guys would make it the motto of their lives. At least this is what seems when you speak to interior designer Akash Roy. He enjoys being single, and says that it's all about feeling young. "No one can say that being married with a family is an easy task. Being single gives me the opportunity to live every single dream of mine and not worry about responsibilities. I can take risks, and I don't have to worry about ruining someone else's life." While many people may shy away from the concept of bachelorhood always, these men are embracing the joys of single hood happily.

LG launches Optimus Hub for Rs 13,000

2011-12-20T08:19:00.002+05:30

LG Electronics has refreshed its smartphone line up in India with the launch of LG Optimus Hub (LG-E510). Sporting a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen, the phone packs 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash. Powered by an 800MHz processor, the LG Optimus Hub runs on Google Android v2.3.4 Gingerbread and comes with Optimus UI 2.0. The phone also offers support for DivX, Xvid media, 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS. The phone's battery boasts of up to 7 hours of talk-time on a single charge. LG Optimus Hub is priced at Rs 12,990.

Secret Escapes in India

2011-12-20T08:11:00.003+05:30

India is a land of attractive places. Apart from the famous beaches and well known tourist locations, there are still some unexplored places in India which are equally amazing and exotic and not yet fully exploited. Below are the lists of such places.

Cherrapunji

Cherrapunji of Meghalaya is one of the most amazing and exotic places in India which is not yet fully explored to its potential for tourism. In India Cherrapunji is the only place that receives maximum rainfall throughout the year. It is known for its wet land and weather. The Mawsmai falls is the most famous attractions in Cherrapunji, which is the fourth utmost waterfall in India with an altitude of 1035 feet. Khasi Monoliths with its secret tunnels and passages is a must-visit adventurous place . Another beauty is the Orchid gardens, which has many lush green hills and waterfalls which are still untouched. Cherrapunji is 56 km away from Shillong and is easily accessible by road.

Daman & Diu

The beautiful Union Territory is one of the secret escapes in India. Damao or Daman is located on the west coast of India bordered by Arabian Sea. Daman is divided by the Daman-Ganga River. The southern part is known as Big Daman or Moti Daman and the northern part is called Nani Daman or Litttle Daman. Moti Daman has old ‘Se Cathedral’ Church and a lighthouse and Nani Daman has the ‘Our Lady of Rosary’ Church. The other attractions are Jain Temple, Somnath Mahadev Temple, Devka Beach and Jampore Beach. The small island Diu is one of the amazing places in India. It is the perfect match of sky, sand and sea. The attractive places of Diu are Bunder Chowk, Fort, Panikota, St. Paul’s and St. Assisi Church. Nagoa Beach, Jalandhar Beach and Ghoghla Beach are the striking beaches of Diu. The wildlife safari is another interest of this place. Daman & Diu is easily accessible by air, road and rail.

Tarkarli Beach

Tarkarli in Sindhudurg is an awesome beach in costal Maharashtra. The wide and narrow stretches of beach with calm and clear waters are the most appealing. The two famous sea forts are Sindhudurg and Padmagarh. Other striking places are like Rock garden, Malvan Market and Sangam. The water adventures in Tarkarli are Snorkeling, Scuba diving and Boating. The best place to stay in Tarkarli beach is the MTDC resort which includes 20 cottages facing the beach. Well connected roads are there from Mumbai to reach Tarkarli.

Auroville Beach

Auroville, also known as the city of Dawn, was the vision of Sri Aurobindo and is an experimental township of Pondicherry founded in 1968. It is 12 km away from Pondicherry. This beach is one of the major attractions of Pondicherry. Sand, green palm trees, shell fragments and the shingles are the beauty of the beach. This beach is less visited and mostly untouched by tourists. The calm beach is ideal for a relaxing and rejuvenating holiday experience. The other beauty is the gold plated temple Matrimandir situated at the heart of Auroville, which with its tranquil surroundings, is said to be one of the most spiritual and peaceful places in India. This place of utmost calmness and can be easily reached from Pondicherry by road.

Wayanad

Wayanad or the land of paddy is located in the north-east of “God’s own Country”, Kerala. Wayand is the green paradise of India. Pookat Lake is a must-visit location in Wayanad. The natural lake is surrounded by rich greeneries and hills. Pakshipathalam is one of the most adventurous places in South India which can be reached only by trekking where very rare species of birds are found. Edakkal Caves are the natural caves where the Stone Age pictorial writings are written all over on the walls. Species, tea, coffee and cocoa are the major cultivation in Wayanad.

Facebook Loosing U.S. Users

2011-12-19T23:01:00.003+05:30

Facebook the world’s largest social network site with more than 800 million active users around the world and roughly 200 million in the United States or two-thirds of the population, as of December 2011. According to Inside Facebook, a leading source of news and analysis on Facebook’s global growth says, Facebook in the U.S. has lost nearly 6 million users, falling from 155.2 million at the start of May 2011 to 149.4 million at the end of it.

This is the first time that Facebook has lost the U.S. users. Even Canada also fell significantly, by 1.52 million down, although it has been fluctuating around that number. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, Norway and Russia all posted losses of more than 100,000 users.

Facebook has prepared most-expected public offering and it is eager to show off its thrust by building on its huge membership. But the company is still losing its users in U.S. Some people just refuse to participate and including people who have given it a try.

A study from eMarketer has released expressing user’s dissatisfaction over recent changes in Facebook. Many of the users mention concerns about privacy settings, confusing changes to the newsfeed. The study also reveals that 42 percent of users will use Facebook less than what they used to do and with 17 percent claiming they are stopped Facebook outright.

Inside Facebook also said, it could be even mean people have secret account that they made to spy on someone and maybe it is government shutting down spy operations or something bot accounts getting deleted or fake accounts of famous celebrities account are being suspended. Despite the possible losses, Facebook is still growing with more than 800 million users, having reached 687 million monthly actives.

Costliest Hotel Rooms in India

2011-12-18T19:46:00.003+05:30

Hotel room matters a lot for travelers, as it can make or break the essence of a trip. A good comfortable hotel room is like an icing on cake for travelers as it adds more joy to their expedition. However if you want your trip to be more relaxing and fun filled, by experiencing the best comforts and luxuries of life, you will have to shell out a handsome amount of money. The listed below hotels are some which offer costliest rooms in India.'

1. Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur: Referred to as the most romantic hotels in India, Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur tops the chart of hotels that offer the costliest rooms in India. This beautiful palace situated in the middle of the serene lake Pichola, offers a wide variety of rooms to suit the taste of every tourist. Their most basic option will cost you around 36,000 per night, while the grand presidential suite will damage you 6 lakh per night. The Taj Lake Palace Hotel belongs to the Mewar dynasty, the hotel treasures historical rooms with miniature paintings and intricate glasswork. You can make your stay in Udaipur memorable by booking a room facing the beautiful lake pichola. The hotel also offers leisurely boat ride on the placid waters of Pichola.

2. The Leela Palace Kempinksi, New Delhi: One of the finest hotels in the country, Leela Palace Kempinksi, comes next in the list. The elite Leela Palace is situated in the posh Chanakyapuri in New Delhi. The 260 rooms in this hotel are said to be the largest in the capital as it spreads more than 550 sq ft. The Presidential Suite itself extends 4425 sq. ft. The grand deluxe will compel you to spend 25,000 per night, while the Maharaja Suite will cost about 4.5 lakh for a night. The hotel has bullet proof glass windows. It also offers a 6,500 sqft ESPA spa, a heated infinity pool on the rooftop, a whisky and wine bar and a tea lounge. 18 billion was spent to build this luxuary hotel.

3. The Oberoi, Gurgaon: The hotel treasures a contemporary Indian art gallery and an exclusive cigar lounge which makes it exceptional in the country. A single deluxe room will charge you about 30,000, whereas the presidential room will squeeze you 3 lakh per night. Ideal for business conferences, the hotel boasts 202 guest rooms and suites, planned with a set of contemporary features. The comfortable rooms are detailed with landscape windows facing the pools and landscaped gardens. 24 hour butler service is available in the hotel while the selected suites are provided with private heated swimming pools.

4. The Oberoi, Mumbai: The Oberoi is one of the top hotels in Mumbai. Nested on the Marine Drive, the grand hotel overlooks the city’s famous Arabian bay. If you opt to stay in the deluxe room you will have to spend about 25,000 and a presidential suite will cost you 3 lakh per night. The well planned hotel is redesigned to fit in new security features. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has also availed the luxury services here. The hotel is ideal for business meetings and conferences.

5. Taj Lands End, Mumbai:This luxury hotel is the right choice for travelers seeking five star luxury and comfort of life. Situated in the elite Bandstand area of Bandra, the hotel offers luxury rooms facing the scenic view of Arabian Sea. Apart from the other amenities, the 18 storey hotel has rooms that feature a mini-bar. The deluxe rooms here can be availed for 23,000, while the presidential suites cost about 2.5 lakh per night. The hotel offers spacious and sophisticated guest rooms and is quite near to the city’s airports.

iPhone 4S: Not Made for India?

2011-12-17T20:43:00.004+05:30

Since the release of iPhone 4S last month, Siri has received some criticism for not coping well with the Indian accents. Already the phone is not wwell accepted by Indians for the high price and the Siri not working makes it more frustrating to Indian users.

The most innovative features of iPhone 4S is the intelligent voice assistant Siri, but some people who have used it, say Siri does not work with Indian accents. Meanwhile the iPhone 4S page on the Apple India website is exactly same as the U.S. version but the difference is Apple does not mention Siri feature anywhere on the India site where as the U.S. website is filled with screenshots and videos of Siri.

Siri can recognize some simple voice commands like setting alarm, scheduling meetings, adding a reminder, sending text message or e-mail, looking up stock market, weather reports and currency conversion. But Siri's big problem is when it tries identifying Indian names from the address book, searching nearby restaurants and coffee shops in the Indian streets and browsing over the net. Interestingly Siri does all these functions in U.S.

"My Siri does not understand anything I say. I have an Indian accent but most other voice recognition software work well with me. Is it Siri or is it me? It's a big disappointment as I bought an IPhone 4S to use Siri extensively!!" says an Indian customer of iPhone 4S in Apple's discussion forum.

Apple introduced Siri in India like in many other countries as beta version. That is why it still lacks location-based service. Moreover, Siri is just in a beta stage and this can be one of the reasons why Apple is not promoting Siri in India.

The beta version has built-in support of American, British and Australian accented English, but it has problems recognizing commands in strong accented English, including certain regional in Scotland, and some parts of India. However, as many Indian users have pointed out accents vary quite dramatically throughout.

Apple says, Siri will support additional languages in 2012 including Japanese, Chinese, Korean,Italian, and Spanish.

Not only Siri the iPhone 4S was itself a trouble maker in India . It had network compatibility issues. Some users have experienced a peculiar situation where the device stops recognizing their SIM cards. Users also reported that they receive error messages on the iPhone 4S stating that they either have no SIM card installed or their SIM is invalid. This carrier issues are reported only when the device is purchased outside India. A lot of users have been constantly talking about this issue on the Apple support forums and surprisingly there has not been any statement by Apple in this regard.

Indulge in guilt-free pleasures

2011-12-15T22:14:00.004+05:30

Have a hankering for a vada pav or kheer nothing else can fix? We know the feeling. Here are healthier variations to a few of your soft spots.

Indian food is infamous for being too rich, too spicy, too fried, too motherly. Well, it all depends on how you adapt. Packed with an aromatic combination of crunchy vegetables, whole grains, fresh herbs and spices, Indian food can also be the perfect blend of nutrition and taste, sans the generous smatterings of ghee.

Keep cholesterol and acidity at bay with these few alterations suggested by Chef Nityanand Shetty from Calorie Care, a calorie-counted meal service. He takes on the champions; a few beloved Indian favouries.

Butter less chicken

Original calorie: 400 / kcal 100 / gms

Original calorie: 123 / kcal 100 / gms

Substitute the heavy cream and butter with a dash of yogurt or low fat curd. Add boiled vegetables if you want to increase the fiber intake.

Ingredients:

- 300 gms chicken breast

- 5 gms turmeric powder, green chillies

- 50 gms tandoori masala

- 1 spring of coriander (chopped)

- 100 gms onion

- 250 gms tomato

- 50 gm cashew nuts (boiled and ground)

- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

- 1 tsp chilli powder

- 50 gms kasuri methi

- 200 gms low fat curd

- Salt

- 100 gms yogurt

- powder of 4 cardamom, 2 cloves, 4 whole peppercorn, 1 tej patta, pinch jeera

Method:

- Marinate the chicken pieces in a mixture of low fat curd, salt, red chilli powder and ginger garlic paste.

- In a pan, heat oil and saute the onions until brown.

- Add in the green chillies, cumin and tandoori masala.

- Add the chicken along with the marinade and let the gravy cook for a few minutes.

- Add the kasuri methi and salt and mix well.

- Pour in the cashew mixture and stir well.

- Garnish with coriander and a swirl of yogurt.

Chole bhature

Original calorie: 202 / kcal 100 / gms

Original calorie: 142 / kcal 100 / gms

A combination of black chana and chick peas increases fiber content and lowers glycemic index. Add spinach for an iron boost.

Ingredients:

- 250 gms kala channa (soaked overnight)

- 250 gms chickpeas (soaked overnight)

- 2 bunches of spinach (blanched)

- 3 black cardamom

- 1 cinnamon stick

- 3 cardamom

- 50 gm kokam

- 5 gms ajwain

- 50 gms coriander seeds

- 25 gms cumin seeds

- 50 gms chana masala

- 25 gms red chili powder

- 15 gms kashmiri chili

- 1 ½ tsp amchoor

Method:

- Roast the dry spices and grind finely. Pressure cook the lentils with salt, black cardamom and cinnamon for 20 to 30 minutes.

- Strain the beans and retain the water. In a pan tip in both the beans, the retained water and add the ground masala to it.

- Stir in dried kokam and chopped spinach and simmer. Add water if it seems too dry.

- Cook for 15-20 minutes. Garnish with chopped onions.

- Serve with tandoori rotis or whole wheat puris.

High fiber vada pav

Original calorie: 445 / kcal 1 / gms

Original calorie: 235 / kcal 1 / gms

Replaces starchy potatoes with raw bananas. Chana dal boosts the protein content.

Ingredients:

- 4 raw bananas (boiled)

- 100 gms chana dal (boiled)

- 5 gms cumin seeds

- 10 gms mustard seeds

- few curry leaves

- 50 gms onions (finely chopped)

- 10 gms ginger-garlic paste

- 5 gms turmeric powder

- 2 green chillies (finely chopped)

- 15 ml lemon juice

- 10 ml oil

- fresh coriander for garnish

- salt to taste

- 2 multi grain or whole wheat buns

Method:

- Peel the bananas and grind them in a food processor along with the dal.

- Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chillies, curry leaves and ginger-garlic paste followed by the onions to hot oil.

- Saute briefly and season with salt and turmeric powder.

- Once cooled, add the banana mix along with coriander leaves, lemon juice and mix it well.

- Make small patties and grill.

- Serve with whole wheat or multi grain buns along with green mint and garlic chutney.

Airsoft Safety Gear and Equipment

2011-12-15T21:59:00.002+05:30

Airsoft masks are designed to absorb any direct shot, from any distance or range. An ordinary pair of goggles will supply only a false sense of security and put one at great risk since it they are not constructed to block a airsoft bullet. All airsoft mask manufactures measure up to DOT safety criteria and safety standards.The face mask or airsoft mask is the greatest warm gear in playing the sport of airsoft. It mainly shields the eyes from balls with a traveling speed of up to three hundred “feet per second”. Most completely cover the face and the ears, but there are those who prefer to wear goggles, protecting only the eyes. Before firing your gun, be aware of what you may hit if you miss your intended target. Awareness of your surroundings is highly important and every moment should be taken with complete seriousness to avoid chaos. By following these safety guide lines, you can enjoy airsoft without harming yourself or others. When everyone is aware of the rules and understands the terms of how to be safe your experience will be fun and safe. Be smart, be safe and have fun. This section will be updated weekly with tactical tips for airsoft, thus this section is called tactical airsoft, tactical airsoft section will contain information that most players should know when playing airsoft tactically at least, most of these tips will be just like the military, after all this is a military simulation game though rules between both are totally different. As a club we also create other social activites among the members and also do some voluntarily work in some areas that we use in order to show our gratitude for the permission given to us to use that area, we also do activities like the annual dinner which is usually a "Suckling Pig", BBQ in summer, etc.If you are interested in participating in one of our activities do not hesitate to contact us, we will be more than pleased to guide you and give you a hands on of what we do, obviously you must meet certain requierments in order for us to be in line with the local rules and regualtions. If you have any queires be sure to check our F.A.Q section were most probabily all of your questions will be answered, in case there is not the answer you are looking for do not worry, contact us and we will get back to you ASAP.

Sony to launch 3G tablets next month

2011-12-15T20:10:00.003+05:30

Electronic consumer device maker Sony launched its first tablet PC in India and unveiled 3G tablets which will be launched in the mid of next month.

"Today we are launching tablets that support Wi-Fi connectivity. In mid-January we will launch tablets that will have both 3G connectivity and Wi-Fi. We expect 3G-enabled tablets to contribute 80 per cent to our total tablet sales in this financial year," Sony Managing Director Masaru Tamagawa told reporters here.

Sony launched Wi-Fi-enabled tablets, S and P models, based on Google's Android platform at a price starting from Rs 29,990.

"We are in discussion with some operators to bundle these tablets with their services," Tamagawa said.

Sony Tablet P which will be available in 3G version will be first tablet to have dual screen and which can be folded. The dual screen can be used as single and also for two separate functions. This tablet will be launched at price of Rs 36,990.

The company has plans to invest Rs 10 crore in promotion of these tablets in last quarter of this financial year.

"These tablets are compatible with DLNA which will allow user to connect their tablet with other DLNA supporting devices," Sony Corporation's Deputy President for VAIO and Mobile Business Group Hideyuki Furumi said.

DLNA will provide features like watching movie available in the tablet on a DLNA compatible TV or listening to music on speakers supporting DLNA technology within premise of a user.

Both the tablets will be available across 500 stores in India from mid-January.

Tom Cruise escapes serious injury

2011-12-13T09:00:00.003+05:30

Actor Tom Cruise escaped serious injury as he kept slamming into the world's tallest building Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai while performing the stunts.

The actor reprises his role as agent Ethan Hunt in "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol". The stunt was far trickier than Cruise made it look like and he was left battered after the first few takes.

"I remember I came slamming into the building, when I didn't quite make it around because I had to figure out actually how to fly," thesun.co.uk quoted Cruise as saying.

"I had to figure out how to use my feet as a rudder because you have cross winds up there. It took a while to figure out how to not come into the building head first. So the first couple of times I was slamming into the building... and I'm like, 'It's OK, it's OK, I'm all right.' So it was really fun," he added.

Cruise also revealed he turned down the chance to wear a parachute during the sequence, adding, "I remember the first safety briefings we were getting and Gregg Smrz - he's the stunt co-ordinator - said, 'Look Tom, I've just had a five-hour meeting and they want everyone to wear parachutes.' I said, 'Parachutes on the thing? That's more dangerous.' So I said, 'We need a new safety officer who's going to says it's OK.'"

What Can Startups Unlearn From MNCs?

2011-12-12T09:37:00.002+05:30

It is said that “There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from”. So true. Big corporate houses and MNCs make huge mistakes that sometimes led to the downfall of the product or sometimes even the organization. Being a startup entrepreneur, one gets a chance to unlearn from these acts and set a chance for the survival.

Over Branding

Edsel from Ford Motor Company has become a synonym with failure. It was introduced with considerable publicity and also promoted by a top-rated television special, The Edsel Show, but failed due to over branding. Edsel failed to standout to the public expectations. Being a startup, it is not important to focus more on making your brand appealing, rather it is to make the product or services according to the need of the market. With cutthroat competition, the products or services available in the market has become par with each other, so it is important to create a distinctive factor rather than over branding your product.

Pre Announcement Of Launch

A company pre-announces a new product that ends up being delayed and sales of the current product suffer as buyers hold off purchasing while waiting for the new release. One good example is Apple. The first iPhone was shown off six months ahead of general availability. In such cases, the companies need to suffer from Osborne effect that occurs when the pre-announcement is made either unaware of the risks involved or when the timing is misjudged.

Over Confidence

“A day that will live in marketing infamy”, is what Coca-Cola quotes for its attempt to change its classic recipe. This backfired the company and the confidence on the product and their strategy turned out to be over confidence and the consumer torment likes of which no business has ever seen. According to Roberto Goizueta, the then Chairman and CEO of the company, they set out to change the dynamics of sugar colas in the U.S., and did exactly that – albeit not in the way they had planned.

For a startup, that has very few opportunities in terms of penny to experiment with, they should be confident enough on the actions that they take on and should follow the scheduled plans. Change is the fact of life, and no stubborn will live for long. Accept changes to the plans when and where needed and let the others involved know about it.

Maxx Mobiles launches touchscreen projector phone

2011-12-11T14:14:00.002+05:30

Indian handset maker Maxx Mobiles introduced a full touchscreen projector phone Maxx Focus. The 2.8 inch touch screen phone has a 5 megapixel camera and a built-in projector.

Ajjay Agarwal, Chairman & Managing Director, MAXX Group said, "With the MAXX Focus MTP9, we are introducing new features that include the in-built projector and a touchscreen. We believe in the concept of 'entertainment mobility' and have therefore ensured our users experience the best in both visual and audio with our wide range of applications and features."

MAXX Focus MTP9 will be made available across India through MAXX Mobiles' widespread distribution network. MAXX has its presence in about 40,000 retailers across India through its strong dealer distribution network supported by more than 500 after sales service centers.

The modern retail outlets through which MAXX sells its brand of mobile phones and accessories include Planet M, Tata Croma, Hyper City, Star Bazar, Mobile & Gadgets, Indian Naval Canteen, Kings Electronics, Hotspot, Reliance Web World and NEXT electronics.

Shopping Apps for Indian Users

2011-12-09T08:29:00.003+05:30

Apps are invading the market for various platforms; it has been available for shopping too. As people indulge in more shopping to guide them about the offers these apps have been brought up. There are numerous apps available today in the market which users can explore for a pleasant shopping experience. Even shopaholics who frequently shops and also malls have fancied using them.

Shopping Apps for Indian Users in order to keep them aware of the discounts and prices of various products.

eBay India

The eBay India Android app supports the barcode scanning technology of RedLaser so users can prefill the item details just by scanning the barcode of the product. The app comes with a nice home screen, where users can easily revise their Active Selling list, edit their unsold list and can even schedule an auction.

Those who use feature phones can also use the app through their phone browsers. It gives country options where users will have to select their country, accept terms and they are ready to shop. Through the eBay India app, users are able to do almost everything like browse, shop and sell along with managing their eBay activity.

They are also allowed to save their default search options so conducting the same search next time would not be difficult for them. The app is especially good for the sellers who can easily enter their shipment details, or can simply list what they intend to sell with the help of barcode scanner.

Ngpay

The ngpay Android app meets most of the shopping, entertainment and travel needs of the users. Every time users shop with the app, they earn reward points called ngPoints which can be later redeemed through exciting offers and deals. Ngpay android app is the best android app to book Travel tickets, movie tickets and shopping which can be done from your mobile phone.

The app allows users to pay using various types of credit or debit cards. The Android app makes sure the transactions are secure by asking for a six digit PIN every time. The PIN is not stored on the mobile handset either, so there is no risk for the users. The ngpay Android app is free for download.

Naaptol

This Android app from Naaptol allows people to shop easily on the Naaptol website. Here the users can browse more than 2 lakh products across 500 categories and they can get detailed information about those products as well. The app makes it very easy for the users to browse through the Naaptol database where even user generated sorting is also allowed.

With this app the buyers can have better shopping experience and meet their needs according to their budget. All these shopping apps are specially meant for people who do not have the idea of prices and discounts in the stores.

Avoid street coffee during pregnancy

2011-12-08T10:54:00.002+05:30

Pregnant mothers should avoid consuming coffee from high street cafes as they contain more caffeine than recommended levels, researchers say.

The soon-to-be mothers inadvertently put the health of their unborn babies at risk by drinking coffee from such cafes.

The researchers analysed espressos from 20 coffee shops and found that there were huge variations in the amount of caffeine they contain - with the strongest having more than six times as much as the weakest.

The most worrying part was that the strongest example contained over 50 per cent more caffeine in a single cup than a pregnant woman is advised to take over the course of an entire day.

Fears about birth defects, miscarriage and premature delivery imply that pregnant women are advised to limit themselves to 200mg of caffeine a day.

This is generally equivalent to four cups of strong coffee, expected to contain 50mg of caffeine each.

But only one of the 20 coffees studied - the one from Starbucks - contained around this amount. All of the others were stronger, the Daily Mail reported.

According to the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Food and Function, four had more than 200mg in a single cup, with the strongest having more than 300mg.

Researcher Alan Crozier said that caffeine, which crosses the placenta to the unborn baby, usually takes five hours to break down in the body to half its previous level.

"There is clearly a problem. People at risk could unwittingly ingest far more caffeine than they would ever dream of," he said.

But the process can take up to 30 hours in certain groups, including children, liver disease sufferers and pregnant women.

An unborn baby's liver will struggle to break down caffeine, with potential long-term consequences.

Top 3 Portable Speakers

2011-12-07T20:21:00.003+05:30

Although speakers are not a very important accessory, they do come as a default feature for any music based systems. Speakers on phone or any other portable device is limited. To make a bigger “boom boom” you wish to have portable speakers.

Here are Top 5 Portable Speakers which gives better user experience anywhere and anytime.

iMainGo X

The iMainGo X is teeny, powerful, playing loudly for such a compact speaker. Protecting your MP3 player from knocks and bumps with its zip-up case, it can play continuously for up to 12 hours. That’s almost long enough to keep user entertained. The price of this speaker is 3,595.

The user gets the same volume boost, audio quality, and case enclosure too. The iMainGo X features dual-headphone jacks, so in addition to letting you share tunes loud on the go. User can also chain several units together using headphone port, as plugging into that jack will not silence the speakers.

In addition, there's a mic input, which can presumably turn the unit into a portable karaoke system. The user get access to his music controls on whatever device he has attached. Most MP3 players and music phones will fit into the case compartment, which features a clear, plastic window for operating playback and it does work for touch screens as well as tactile controls.

There are a couple foam pieces to help with a snug fit, and an integrated 3.5mm plug serves to pipe tunes from the audio player to the speakers. Sound quality is decent for a unit this size; it's clear of any background. Audio is solid enough for portable use.

It's kind of heavy overall, so even though it's compact, user will probably notice the difference. In addition to the iMainGoX unit, the package includes a removable strap and soft pouch for travel purposes. There's also an AC adapter for charging the internal battery.

Speaker Boombox

The original music culture icon is back to life combining dynamic sound performance, premium surfaces and features that let you customize the music your way. The 2 Speaker Boombox Audio System is designed to play music out loud. Inspired by the social art of sharing music and the boombox heritage, the 2 Speaker Boombox is a catalyst, a center for shared moments for those who still care about the music. It is priced at 20,507.

Like the music itself, the TDK Boombox is an out-loud expression of your musical identity. It is the perfect combination of digital precision and analog ideals. With dynamic sound performance, premium surfaces and advanced features, it recalls a time when music was tactile, warm and vibrant. The 2 Speaker Boombox is made to move, not to gather dust and the Speaker Boombox is the expression of the best of now and then, out loud.

It has salient features of two powerful 6-inch coaxial drivers that deliver full range sound, can play your iPod/iPhone music while charging using the USB to 30 pin cable. Using the rotary dial and front facing screen, play and control music directly from storage devices including USB flash and external hard drives.

Shoulder strap and soft-touch handle let you take your music along. Input options let you connect most audio devices and mix with an instrument.

Eco Extreme

Eco Extreme used excellent materials throughout, using a nice textured plastic for the front and back, and wrapping the edges in durable rubber. The bottom of the case has some feet to stand the Eco speakers upright, as well as a carabiner clip hooked onto the top with a rubber strap to hang it on your backpack. The volume knob and a pressure outlet are located on the front of the case, with the 3″ speaker positioned on the top half of the case. The price of this speaker is 2,569.

The sound comes out very well rounded throughout the whole spectrum. There is actually real bass output. The rest of the sound spectrum is well represented and there is a warm feel to the sound, giving solid performance.

Dhanush much more than 'Kolaveri' song: Abhishek

2011-12-07T08:43:00.001+05:30

Hindi film actor Abhishek Bachchan feels that it is unfair that people associate Tamil star Dhanush, who has an impressive body of work, just with the " Kolaveri di" song.

"He is a very dear friend of mine, Dhanush. Very famous and very prominent actor from Chennai. Off late, unfortunately they only seem to know him because of 'Kolavari Di' but, he has done great work down there. He is a wonderful actor," said the 35-year-old actor.

"Kolaveri Di" has received over 17 million hits on Youtube till now and Abhishek terms it as one of the greatest hits of the year.

"I think it's outstanding and I think it's wonderful because it has been made by two very dear friends of mine, Dhanush and his wife Aishwarya. I think it's a fantastic song. He is a very talented guy and Anirudh, the music director has done a great job. I wish them all the best. It's one of the greatest songs of the year," said Abhishek who is awaiting his next release "Players" by director duo Abbas-Mustan.

"Players", which is releasing Jan 6, also stars Bobby Deol, Bipasha Basu, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Sonam Kapoor.

Abhishek is also working on Rohit Shetty directed "Bol Bachchan" and "Dhoom 3".

Samsung unveils dual screen flip phone

2011-12-06T11:15:00.003+05:30

Korean giant Samsung has teamed up with China Telecom to unveil an Android-powered dual-screen flip phone, SCH-W999, successor to W899.

Featuring two 3.5-inch super AMOLED displays with resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, the phone packs Android 2.3 Gingerbread with Samsung's TouchWiz UI. The phone is powered by 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor with a MSM8660 chipset.

The dual-SIM phone comes with a 5 megapixel rear camera and dual connectivity modes (GSM and CDMA2000). Other features include Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi and WAPI (WLAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure).

Though no information on the pricing of SCH-W999 is available, it is interesting to note that its predecessor was priced at a whopping $1400 (Rs 70,000).

Fastest Trains in the World

2011-12-06T11:06:00.003+05:30

In the last half centuries, several countries seriously transformed their public train service from coal base transportation to electric base rail and magnetic levitation. Some of the trains are so powerful that they can even reach a speed of 500km per hour and it is clearly faster than any Formula 1 car ever made.

Here are the fastest trains around the world.

China CRH2

The CRH2 is one of the high-speed train models in China. This train is a modified E 2-1000 series of Shinkansen design and is one among the fastest train models in China.

In 2004, the Ministry of Railway in China purchased an initial 60 sets of the train from Kawasaki Heavy Industries of Japan with a maximum speed of 350 km per hours. CRH2 is operating since 2007 the train can run 350 km per hours and it is the fastest train at this time.

Train is formed of eight coaches with a capacity of passengers between 588 to 568 people for 8-car train or 1100–1200 people for 16-car train, depending on the formation of the train. It is built by a joint venture, Bombardier Sifang Power Transportation in Qingdao, Shandong Province.

JR-Maglev MLX01 – Japan

R-Maglev is a magnetic train system developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute (association of Japan Railways Group). JR-Maglev MLX01 is one of the latest designs of a series of Maglev trains in development in Japan since the 1970s. It is composed of a maximum five cars to run on the Yamanashi Maglev Test Line. On 2 December 2003, a three-car train reached a maximum speed of 581 km per hours.

The JR-Maglev system uses an Electro-dynamic Suspension (EDS) system. The maglev-trains have superconducting magnetic coils, and the guide ways contain levitation coils. As the train moves, its moving magnetic fields create a current in the levitation coils because of the magnetic field induction effect. These currents create a magnetic field that interacts with the magnetic field of the superconductive coils to create a force that holds up and stabilizes the train.

Taiwan THSR 700T

The THSR 700T is high-speed electric multiple unit train set derived from the Japanese Shinkansen family for Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) of Taiwan's high-speed rail line. The THSR 700T is based primary on the 700 Series Shinkansen, with the "T" referring to Taiwan.

The trains were manufactured in Japan by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Nippon Sharyo, and Hitachi, marking the first time Japanese Shinkansen trains have been exported overseas. 30 trains were delivered to THSR operator Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation, and are in regular service with a top speed of 300 KM per hour and started its journey on January 5, 2007.

Shinkansen of Japan

The Shinkansen also known as The Bullet Train, it is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tokaido Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of 2,387.7 km of lines with maximum speeds of 240–300 km per hours, 283.5 km of Mini-shinkansen (Mini Bullet Train) with a maximum speed of 130 km per hours and 10.3 km of spur lines with Shinkansen services.

The network presently links most major cities on the islands of Honshu and Kyushu, with construction of a link to the northern island of Hokkaido underway and plans to increase speeds on the T?hoku Shinkansen up to 320 km per hours. Test runs have reached 443 km per hours for conventional rail in 1996, and up to a world record 581 km per hours for maglev train sets in 2003.

AVE Spain

Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) is a service of high-speed rail in Spain operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company, at speeds of up to 362 km per hours. The name is literally translated from Spanish as Spanish High Speed, but also a play on the word ave, meaning bird.

The first line was opened in 1992, connecting the cities of Madrid and Seville. Unlike the rest of the Spanish broad-gauge network, the AVE uses standard gauge, permitting direct connections outside Spain in the future.

Best Portable External Hard Drives

2011-12-02T10:03:00.002+05:30

Today portable hard drives pack greater capacities into small devices. This unsung hero of the gadget world can be found on almost any geek’s desk, usually tucked away behind a monitor or stuffed in a drawer. These are light and powered by the data transfer bus, so no additional power supply is needed. They are the ideal solution for carrying around large amounts of data.

But it's not all about small form factor. Yet it is of great importance, as it is often used to back up critical data or store a library of music, videos and photos. There are plenty of drives available out in the market here are the best 5 portable external hard drives.

Western Digital Elements Desktop

Western Digital Elements external hard drive is an easy-to-use, reliable way to add more storage to your PC or Mac. Simply plug it in to a USB port and start saving or backing up your photos, music, video, and files. It is preformatted for immediate use so there is no software or CD to load. It is designed for use with Windows-based computers and it can be easily reformatted for use with Macs. The compact, durable metal case provides extra data protection helping keep data safe from loss.

This external hard drive is equipped with a high performance with the transfer speed from 28MB per second to 38MB per second. This is because it operates at 7200RPM, so it is pretty fast. It is designed with the same commitment to quality that made WD external drives the number one selling drives in the world. It has a price of 4,627 for 2 TB.

Iomega Prestige

he Iomega Prestige portable hard drive provides a simple and affordable solution for all your storage needs and an ideal for adding capacity to your system. This stylish drive offers a strong aluminum construction and included stand which will resist good shots without damage and also can be used both horizontally and vertically as the user likes.

It has a very beautiful finishes making it ideal to be on your desktop but is a little slower than some of its competitors. It connects via USB 2.0 port, FireWire, or eSATA and does not come with any software. Within the range of Prestige it runs at 7200rpm, has an 8MB cache and data transfer speed is 25 MB to 20 MB of reading and for writing. It is priced at 5,913 for 1.5 TB.

LaCie Design by Neil Poulton

The LaCie hard disk, design by Neil Poulton adds a sleek, sophisticated style to your desktop to delivering high-speed performance as a hard drive. Neil Poultion is a Scottish designer worked for many technology companies to design to order any of their products.

The design is simple in fact it is rectangular and looks like a brick. It is made of glossy black plastic for a visual impact, but it’s a bit sensitive to fingerprints. It works via USB 2.0 ports, FireWire and eSATA and has 1TB of storage capacity. This device is certainly one of the best there is around in the market for its beautiful design. The transfer speed is not the best but without doubt it is something we can ignore considering its beauty.

With Hi-Speed USB 2.0, this efficient hard drive makes a great companion to your PC or Mac. The setup is nearly effortless it is plug & play and offers customizable formatting. This beautiful hard drive has a price of 3,856 for 1 TB.

Suryanamaskar is more than weight loss

2011-12-01T08:20:00.002+05:30

Suryanamaskar can do to your body what months of dieting cannot. And it can do to your mind what no spiritual discourse can.

Not surprising, the world is going crackers over this ancient yogic tradition of worshipping the rising sun. What with the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Victoria Beckham and Kareena Kapoor endorsing it over gym workouts and bizarre diets.

From improving your posture, strengthening muscles to whittling extra inches around the waist, the benefits of Suryanamaskar are many, provided you adapt it the right way. A set of 12 fixed, cyclic postures define Suryanamaskar which when performed repeatedly at an easy pace can bring a sense of well being, almost immediately. However, those with a heart condition, arthritis or slip-disk, need their doctor's consent before starting the routine. Suryanamaskar's surging popularity notwithstanding, jumpstarting a schedule is most definitely not the best thing to do for a fitness novice. If you have been gravely out of form in a way that you haven't stretched your muscles in ages, first give your body some time to open up, which you can do with some flexibility and stamina-building exercises before embarking on the more arduous 'Suryanamaskar'.

And once your body has registered a certain fitness level, you can begin with a set of three Suryanamaskars in the first instance and increase it to five then ten and more depending on your stamina. Anymore than clocking up numbers, it is important to get each posture right, for the very essence of this yogic ritual lies in perfecting every move. To say the least, it can be an uphill task for beginners. But our expert-backed warm-up exercises are sure to make Suryanamaskar less strenuous and ever so graceful.

1. Neck: Breathe in while you turn your neck to the right and breathe out as you come back to the starting position. Again, breathe in while turning your neck to the left and breathe out in the centre. Repeat this movement thrice. Rotate your neck first clockwise and then anti-clockwise.

2. Arm and shoulder: Stretch your arms out in front of your chest and move your palms up and down, then sideways. Further on, rotate your fist clockwise and anti-clockwise. To relax your arms, place your palm on your shoulder and move your shoulders first clockwise then anti-clockwise.

3. Knee: Bend forwards with your palms resting on your knees, join your knees and move forwards and backwards. End the routine by rotating your knees clockwise and anti-clockwise.

4. Stomach and back: Interlock your fingers over your chest and slowly raise your hands upwards while you breathe in and stand on your toes. Return to Position 1 as you breathe out. Repeat this cycle three times.

5. Legs and waist: Stretch your legs wide in standing position, touch you left toe with the right hand, then the right toe with the left. Keep your knees straight while you do so. Repeat a few times.

By now your body is suitably warmed up to begin the Suryanamaskar routine. Here is a step-by-step account of the 12 postures. Don't try this routine on a mat, you are better off on the bare floor or on the grass.

Posture 1# Stand erect, ideally facing the morning sun. Fold your hands in prayer close to your chest and chant 'Om Suryadevaya Namah' thrice.

Posture 2# With your hands together raise your arms up in the air while you breathe in. Bend over backwards forming an arch from the hands to your feet. The flexibility of the spine is ensured in this posture.

Posture 3# Bring your hands down while you breathe out to touch the floor on either side of your feet. In this posture, it is imperative to keep your knees straight as you bend forward from the waist, and your head as close as possible to the knee. This posture helps melt the excess fat around the stomach by aiding digestion.

Posture 4# While breathing in, put your hands flush with the floor and lower your hips and stretch your left leg back, allowing it to balance on your toes, and your right leg bent in a crouching stance. With your hands firmly on the ground and your arms straight as a die, raise your head upwards to face the sky. This one is for the flexibility of spine and leg muscles, and boosts immunity from diseases.

Posture 5# As you breathe out, let your hands stay firmly on the ground and push your right leg back parallel to the left. Make sure your feet firmly touch the ground and your hip raised high. With your arms and knees straight lower your head to face your navel.

Posture 6# Hold your breath as you bring your hips down while keeping your hands and feet in the same position, and stretch your whole body near the floor. With your face downward, bring your chest and knees to lightly brush the floor, and hold your hips slightly high. At this juncture, 8 points of your body are touching the floor - your palms, forehead, chest, knees and toes.

Posture 7# This posture is a mere extension of Posture 6, in that you breathe in and straighten your arms and lift your chest upward in an arching stance, and your head thrown back facing the sky. Your arms, at this point, carry the weight of your body, with you knees and toes resting on the floor.

Posture 8# Bring your body back to Posture 5 by raising your hips and lowering your chest and head. Keep your arms and knees straight while you do so, and place your feet flush with the floor. Then lower you head to face your navel.

Posture 9# As you breathe in, return to a similar position as Posture 4, only this time you will be crouching on the left knee and stretching back your right leg. Place your hands firmly on the ground, and with the weight of your body on your arms move your chest forward and arch your head up to face the sky.

Posture 10# From here, flow back to Posture 3 while keeping your hands flush with the floor and bringing your right foot side by side with your left one. As you straighten your knee, raise your back to arch in a standing position with your head as close as possible to the knee and your hands on either side of your feet.

Posture 11# Take a deep breathe and raise your arms up in the air as you straighten your back and gradually bend over backwards, akin to Posture 2. Your knees stay straight all the while.

Posture 12# Bring yourself to Posture 1 from here with your hands folded before your chest in prayer, and your spine erect, your knees straight and your eyes shut in meditation.

With Posture 12 you complete one full circle of Suryanamaskar. From here you can flow back to Posture 2 to continue the routine. However, always follow up your Suryanamaskar regime with Savasana, better known as Corpse Pose. In this posture, you lay down on the floor with your legs and arms apart, your palms facing the sky, and eyes deep shut. Breathe in and out heavily and try to focus your thoughts on something happy. Stay on this way for a few minutes and you will feel a sense of calm run down your body like a drug.

Weight loss is just one consequence; you can so much as put your life together with this ancient yogic tradition.

5 Wi-Fi Plus 3G Phones Under 10,000

2011-11-29T11:28:00.004+05:30

Phones have been packed with enormous features concentrating more on the needs of end users. Now there are mobile phones featuring Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity for the lowest price in the market. Users opt more on such phones in order to download videos and many more.

Through 3G connectivity one can access fast internet to get needed information. Here are 5 phones which has both features that makes it a more adorable by the users in the trend existing.

Micromax Q80

The Q80 is a Smartphone, but it has a marked improvement over the Q75 and with added 3G and Wi-Fi support for almost the same price, offers really good value. The Java-based phone comes with a host of built in apps like Nimbuzz, Newshunt, Ngpay and Bloomberg.

It is available at the price of 4,900. The keypad is fairly comfortable to type on and the optical trackpad is a change from the trackball used in the Q75. Overall it’s a good phone for the price with plenty of features to boot. The packed in features of the Q80 has a 2.4-inch TFT display with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution,3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi Bluetooth and USB 2.0.

It also has a 3 megapixel camera, a video capture up to 640 x 480 resolution, VGA resolution secondary camera, a 3.5mm earphone socket and an expandable memory up to 8GB.

Lava S12

Lava S12 is certainly worth a phone to be chosen by the users. The phone sports a unique design and texture. Having a 600MHz processor and running a fancy 3D UI, the interface is pretty slick. Homescreens engages cool 3D transition effects that add to the visual appeal. It is available at the price of 9,999.

The phone also comes pre-loaded with India specific apps like SAAVN and Times of India news app, among many others. It even has a decent camera, but lacks auto-focus. The battery life in the S12 will easily last you two days without a charge.

It features a 3.2 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen with a 480 x 320 pixel resolution, a 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi with hot spot creativity, GPS with A-GPS support, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and USB 2.0,

It has a 5 megapixel fixed-focus camera, video capture up to 640 x 480 resolution, 3.5mm earphone socket and an expandable memory up to 32GB

Samsung Galaxy Fit S5670

The Galaxy Fit from Samsung is another phone with a slightly larger screen and runs on Android 2.2. The bundled music player features DNSe sound enhancements along with SWYPE pre-installed. The phone also features a 5MP auto-focus camera with plenty of settings to choose from like Shot Mode, Photo Effects Smile Detection, etc.

With a price of 9,100, Samsung has also provided its TouchWiz 3.0 UI, which makes the phone simpler to use with plenty of shortcuts and tweaks. Other main features of the Fit are its 3.3 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution, 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi with hot spot creativity, GPS with A-GPS support, and a Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and USB 2.0.

It is packed with a 5 megapixel auto-focus camera, video capture up to 320 x 240 resolution, 3.5mm earphone socket and an expandable memory up to 32GB.

Nokia E5

The Nokia E5 is one of the best phones under 10K and fits in for user needs. With both 3G and Wi-Fi support, the Symbian v9.3 running Smartphone sports a very comfortable QWERTY keypad and a simple functional design. It is available at the price of 8,700.

Some of the features include the audio quality, which is crisp and loud, a good selection of productivity apps. A very good battery life that makes most Nokia handsets a worth product. Other features includes a 2.3 inch TFT display with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution, 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi, GPS with A-GPS support.

It also features a Bluetooth v2 with A2DP and USB 2.0, a 5 megapixel fixed-focus camera, video capture up to 640 x 480 resolution and a 3.5mm earphone socket with an expandable memory up to 32GB.

Micromax A70

This one is a Smartphone, and a rather good one for the users who are selective. The A70 has a 600MHz processor, and the phone is quick and fluid to use. The handset is comfortable to use and sports a decent 3.2-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen with a 480 x 320 pixel resolution that responds well to touch. It is available at the price of 6200.

The battery life gives much back up, and the phone runs on Froyo. It features expandable memory up to 32GB, and has a front facing camera. It comes pre loaded with a bunch of useful apps. It has 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi with hot spot creativity, GPS with A-GPS support, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and USB 2.0.

It is also packed with a 5 megapixel autofocus camera, video capture up to 640 x 480 resolution, VGA resolution secondary camera, and a 3.5mm earphone socket.

Opera Mini, India's Second Popular Web Browser

2011-11-29T11:24:00.003+05:30

Opera Mini browser is the second popular web browser in India, reveals Opera: ‘state of Mobile web’ report. Huge amount non-Smartphone users prefer to browse through opera mini which is installed in maximum phones as it comes as free software and moreover, most smartphones support opera mini 4.1 version. State of the mobile web is the latest findings of opera which tracks down the usage of opera mini browser.

More on the findings say that over 22 countries have crossed the million marks for the number of opera users around the world including Russia, Indonesia, Ukraine, U.S, china among others. Last month 140 million users used opera mini globally, marking a huge increase of 83 percent last year. Again, 86 billion pages were viewed by users, which is about 103 percent increase from the previous year.

Moreover, Google, Facebook and YouTube are the three most popular website on the along with websites such as vuclip.com, songs.pk, zedge.net rank amongst the top 10 websites accessed from Opera Mini users in India. Nokia 2690, 2700c and 5130 are the most preferred phones to use Opera. The united operation of Nokia Phones and Opera Mini browser in India adds up millions of users in the country.

The most recent version of Opera Mini is now accessible in Android, Blackberry and Apple Smartphones. The major sensation of Opera is that it compresses Web-pages before sending to Smartphones with good speed.

Dance is a great way to stay fit

2011-11-28T10:49:00.002+05:30

Gone are the days when dancing was pursued only as a hobby or a childhood passion.

We all know how people today have made dancing a way of life because it comes with its own health benefits and it is an excellent way to remain fit! Today, people are taking up different forms of dancing as an interesting form of exercise. It is looked upon as a more exciting option than going to a gym.

"Dance does not follow a fixed pattern like exercise," says Akash Karnatki, owner of a famous dance academy. "It has a different routine every day. Every form of dance comes with its own set of benefits. Hip Hop is a very good cardio workout as it involves a lot of up and down body movements which need a lot of strength. Salsa is great for the upper body and it helps improve flexibility. B-Boying is best for building muscles as the moves are very athletic. Three minutes of dancing is as good as sprinting if you look at it in terms of calories lost."

Dancing also works wonders for people who have to follow fixed routine schedules. Saket Tibrewal, a young professional who enjoys doing Salsa, Tango, Samba, has been dancing for the last three years and finds dancing to be very refreshing. He says, "I go to my dance classes two days a week. Those two days are the refreshing days in the entire week. I suffered from backaches earlier, but ever since I started dancing, the backaches have gone. I can even walk long distances at a stretch without getting tired. Most importantly, dance works as a stress buster."

Dance is suitable for people of all ages to remain in perfect shape and size. Meeta Shah, a graphic designer, 40, has been regularly going to dance classes with her husband and son for the last seven years. She says, "Going to the gym or for morning walks is very boring.

Dance, apart from keeping me fit, helps me look much younger. It is a great way to socialize and meet new people. Even at my age, I can do Hip Hop with my son, isn't that great?" Classical dancing also comes with its health benefits. Vanita Nagarajan, teacher at a renowned dance academy says, "The different postures of Bharatnatyam, if done correctly, largely benefit the digestive system and one never faces any spinal problem. It helps pregnant women have a smooth delivery." Mahima Pandya, who has been practising Kathak for the last 11 years, says, "It really helps in toning the body and increase stamina.

It requires perfect mind and body synchronization, thus making it as good as any other exercise." "It is as good as yoga and increases concentration levels," adds Vanita. Akash also agrees with her and says, "Dancing requires concentration which helps the mind." No wonder then, dancing is the newest best way to reduce the monotony of gym workouts and remain in the pink of health.

Body basics

Bharatnatyam

Helps increase blood circulation Kathak Improves balance and helps combat arthritic pain

Bhangra

Strengthens the heart and regulates breathing

Salsa

Controls blood pressure

Belly dancing

Helps attain flexible muscles which helps in painless childbirth

Hip Hop

Increases stamina and helps losing extra flab

BSNL launches education content services

2011-11-27T12:49:00.002+05:30

State-run telecom operator BSNL has launched its online education service 'Topper Education' in partnership with Greycell 18 for its landline broadband customers.

Using this service, BSNL subscribers can access education resources from a comprehensive library of video lessons covering the entire curriculum, online tests with assessment tools and study material, BSNL said in a statement.

This will help students do their home work and prepare them for the exams, it added.

The video lessons are delivered by the finest faculty integrating conventional teaching tools with 3D graphics, real life examples to make understanding of concepts easier and effective for the students, BSNL said.

BSNL offers broadband services with plans for as low as Rs 99 per month in rural areas and Rs 250 per month in urban areas.

Apart from plain vanilla broadband, it offers variety of value added services ( VAS) like music and video on demand, games on demand, voice and video over broadband etc.

Under the new service, education content for Mathematics and Science curricula of Class 9-12 of CBSE, ICSE and other boards will be made available.

The service will be offered at subscription price of Rs 150 per month per class and there will be no separate data download charges. As a special introductory offer, BSNL is offering free 15 days trial of service.

Most Indians Prefer Cheaper Phones

2011-11-26T10:09:00.003+05:30

Internationally, the mobile device manufacturers are facing a tough competition, but in India, they have a huge prospect to grab the market by fulfilling the criteria of making cheap phones. As India has always been price sensitive and they like pocket-friendly phones. This budget segment has become the Unique selling proposition (USP) for global players of handset market, such as, Nokia, Samsung, and HTC.

According to Anshul Gupta, principal research analyst at Gartner, these mobile manufacturers are mostly focusing on low- end, value conscious Indian consumers. In India, the average selling price (ASP) of mobile devices is around 2,200 and 75 percent of the total sold devices are below 4,000.

The most popular handset equipment brand, Nokia, has launched dual sim devices in both, the C2 and Asha series of phones which are priced less than 4000. Similarly, Samsung has also launched Chap, Champ, and Star Duos series to cater to the need of budget conscious customers. These phones come in very reasonable prices with full company assurance as well. Due to such assurance, it is grabbing attention of Indian buyers.

In the “Handset Hotlist” conducted by ‘The Mobile Indian Website’, in July, this year, among 25 handsets, 12 were Nokia and 6 were Samsung. Hence these two have become the mostly preferred brands in India.

It’s been stated that, about 230 million phones will be sold in India next year and only 6 percent will be smartphones, which means these high-tech and expensive devices are still far way behind to grab the common man’s attention in India.

Ind vs WI: West Indies 81/2 in second innings on Day 4

2011-11-25T21:47:00.002+05:30

Sachin Tendulkar came agonisingly close to an unprecedented 100th international ton only to miss it by six runs but R Ashwin notched up his maiden century as India conceded a lead of 108 runs in the third Test against the West Indies which seemed headed for a draw on Friday.

While the packed Wankhede Stadium was stunned into silence after Tendulkar's dismissal, Ashwin's innings of 103 (118 balls; 15x4, 2x6), after his five-for with the ball, lifted India to 482 all out and helped him join an elite club on the fourth day.

The hosts hit back strongly when West Indies batted for the second time as left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha claimed the wickets of opener Adrian Barath (3) and Kirk Edwards (17) quickly but the visitors recovered to finish the day on 81 for two, an overall lead of 189 runs.

Kraigg Brathwaite (34 not out) was lucky to escape being caught at slip off Ashwin, and first-innings centurion Darren Bravo (27 not out), too, was let off in the last over by Virat Kohli at short leg off Tendulkar.

Ojha got the ball to turn and bounce to get rid off Barath, caught while driving, and Edwards was lured out of his crease and stumped.

With only a day left, it is difficult to imagine a result unless the visitors suffer a dramatic collapse.

Earlier, eager to see Tendulkar score the 33 runs required to compile his landmark hundred, and his 52nd in Test, the packed crowd was left disappointed when the batsman edged Ravi Rampaul to Darren Sammy at second slip for 94 (153 balls; 8x4, 2x6).

Ashwin, who had grabbed five for 156 in West Indies' huge first-innings total of 590, surprised everyone with his batting abilities during his 180-minute stay at the crease before becoming the last Indian wicket to fall.

The 25-year-old's fine all-round show helped him join Vinoo Mankad and and Polly Umrigar. Mankad had scored 184 and took five for 196 against England at the Lord's in 1952, while Umrigar followed his 172 not out with five for 107 against the West Indies at Port of Spain in 1962.

The off-spinner put on 97 runs for the seventh wicket with Kohli (52), who compiled his maiden half century in 111 balls and with the help of with five boundaries, as the duo helped India avoid follow-on after the West Indian pacers removed VVS Laxman, Tendulkar and MS Dhoni.

Before Ashwin's arrival, Kohli had added 95 runs for the fifth wicket with Tendulkar, who got out with India 69 runs short of avoiding the follow-on.

Dhoni fell when the team score was 331. Ashwin advanced to 84 as India lost Ishant Sharma and Varun Aaron to be 463 for nine. The off-spinner completed his ton with a steer to third man for a four before being dismissed off the next ball.

Thanks to Ashwin's effort, who was 16 short of the three-figure mark and in danger of missing a century in only his third Test when last batsman Ojha joined him, India added 106 runs in the second session.

When Kohli was dismissed by Devendra Bishoo whom he drove to Fidel Edwards at mid on, India were trailing by 162 runs.

But Ashwin batted with purpose and was well supported by Sharma who kept the bowlers at bay for 44 minutes.

During his knock, Ashwin struck leg-spinner Bishoo for two sixes over long-on, besides playing some delicate glances and drives through the off side.

In the morning, Tendulkar looked in imperious form as he drove and cut with authority before Rampaul, who was treated with disdain till then, got the batsman to edge one to slip after batting for 39 minutes.

The 38-year-old cricketer was shocked as he made his way back to the dressing room, leaving the West Indians jubilant.

He had slammed his 99th ton (111) against South Africa in a World Cup league match at Nagpur.

Resuming on 281 for three, India lost Laxman early but Tendulkar negotiated the new ball with ease, cruising towards the landmark, much to the delight of the 15,000 people assembled inside the 33,000-capacity arena.

The two sixes he hit during his innings came off upper cuts off fast bowler Fidel Edwards. He faced 20 balls this morning and added 27 runs with the help of three fours and a six.

Tendulkar started in a positive fashion and scored most of his initial runs with flicks. He flicked Rampaul for a two and a four.

This was the 10th time he has been dismissed in the 90s, same as Rahul Dravid and Steve Waugh. He had scored 91 in the Oval Test against England earlier this year.

With Tendulkar for company, Kohli looked confident and played a glorious straight drive off Rampaul which raced to the boundary even before the bowler could finish his run up.

Then came the over from Edwards that proved extremely fruitful as Tendulkar took 14 runs, which included a classical front-footed off drive. He then cut the pacer over third man for a six, taking his score to 93.

Kohli hit a four off Rampaul in the next over before giving the strike back to Tendulkar who ended up edging while trying to play through square.

Tablets You Have Never Heard of

2011-11-24T11:06:00.004+05:30

Tablets have been booming since its entry into the market. Many companies have been recognized by their well built featured tablets. As the market is flooded with enormous tablets, only few have reached the users, many other fail to compete with strong rivals and are fade away with no identity.

Though the prices of these tablets are cheap and affordable, the users make their choice through brand names though they much costlier than these tablets.

Here are 10 Tablets that have faded without identity before reaching the hands of users, and are vanished from the sight in the market too.

1. Maylong M-150

The Maylong M-150 TabletPC is an Android-based device sold by Walgreens for a mere 5, 161. It has a 7" screen, but is limited to a resolution of 800x480. It has a resistive touchscreen instead of a capacitive one like the iPad or Galaxy Tab, a 400MHz processor, 256MB of RAM and 2GB of built-in storage.

It comes with 802.11b/g for Wi-Fi and no 3G support, though it claims to be able to use USB-based 3G cards via the extra dongle that comes in the box. It weighs less than a pound and comes with Android 1.6. The M-150's built-in apps have trouble functioning correctly most of the time.

It's hard when you are trying to achieve a simple task like entering a Wi-Fi password or searching for an app on the "App Market", takes minutes per task. In the App market, it's a slimmed-down version of the regular Android Market, though any apps could not be worked properly, largely because they would not connect to the Internet.

The built in e-mail application had the same problem as the Kindle app. And the camera application, for instance, makes use of the built-in camera and slaps a number of ugly frames on top.

2. Augen GenTouch 78

Augen's 7, 820 Gentouch Android tablet is the Android 2.1 version tablet. The Augen tablet is satisfactorily light and it's easy to hold up to read a website or e-book. The 7 inch tablet is an ideal size for holding in one hand and Augen throws in a faux leather case. Surrounding the tablet is a micro-USB port, a 2.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot.

The display is resistive and only has an 800x480 resolution. In the video, the application panel jiggers across the screen, scrolling is quite delayed and launching applications takes a noticeable few seconds. Still the tablet is capable of doing things like loading and watching YouTube videos as well as surfing the web.

There is 2GB of onboard memory, but the microSD slot should support up to 16GB cards. The Gentouch does come preloaded with the Google Market, but the applications would not install.

3. Blackberry Playbook

Running on a dual-core, 1GHz TI OMAP processor that's expertly massaged and manipulated by the QNX OS. QNX is an efficient and bulletproof operating system that powers everything including tablets. It is packed by 1GB of RAM and 16, 32, or 64GB of storage, with the smallest costing 26, 104.

The light weight certainly makes it easier for reading and the more hand-friendly size makes it feel more comfortable to carry. Graphics are handled by a PowerVR design, which quite handily offloads video decoding and gaming acceleration from the processor, enabling this thing to decode and display 1080p video over HDMI working quite smoothly and running productivity apps on the seven-inch display.

The device doesn't support simple USB mass storage and a user cannot just plug it in to the laptop and dump a bunch of files on it.

4. Coby Kyros

The Coby Kyros tablet offers a large screen for relatively little money, 10, 427 that runs on Android 2.2 OS. It has an 8” display which is weak to operate as the Kyro’s resistive screen requires a forceful touch (a plastic stylus is included) and is covered in a sheet of plastic that is easy to scratch.

The worse is that the LCD panel and the resistive plastic covering are spaced so far apart that the screen appears as though it is underwater. As a result, viewing angles are problematic, e-book text is washed out, and outdoor viewing is nearly impossible. Users get the open-sourced Android experience that is common to most of the low-end tablets and e-book readers.

5. Kobo Vox

At 10,427, the Kobo Vox is lacking the video/music downloads and streaming options that distinguish its competitors, the Vox should notice for coupling e-reading capabilities with the multimedia functions of a basic Android tablet. The Vox is an Android 2.3 Gingerbread tablet which is both good and bad.

The good part is that a user gets many of the stock Android apps that come with Gingerbread (email, calculator, contacts, calendar, clock, browser, gallery, YouTube), minus Google apps such as those for Gmail and the Android Market, since this is not a Google device

Indian Rupee Getting Cheaper: Opportunity or Curse?

2011-11-23T19:53:00.003+05:30

The day has come where the Indian rupee bagged the title "Asia's worst performing currency" when it hit rock bottom of 52.73, a 16.8 percent weaker than its 2011 high reached in late July. Probably India is showing consistency in only two things- inflation and currency decline. Question arises who is actually in crisis. Is it U.S. or India? Is it some gain and just lots of pain? Let's take an areal view of the situation. The rupee suffered its second biggest fall in history.

The opportunities if rupee gets cheaper:

1. More rupees for dollars:

Families of those working overseas will get more rupees for the dollars remitted by them. If you have been working for long time away from India and want to come back and settle down then 'Make hay while the Sun Shines'. The Indian rupee will fetch you fortunes if you have someone from abroad sending you lucky charm notes. For example, One euro can get you 70 now, which is 16.5 percent more than what it did at the beginning of this year. The British pound brings 81.40 rupees now, up nearly 17 percent, and the Australian dollar can get you 51.47 rupees, 12.5 percent higher than the start of this year. The Kuwaiti dinar is worth nearly 17 percent more at 187 for every dinar. On an individual level, however, the rupee's losses can be good for some and bad for others depending on the situation.

2. Medical Tourism in India will get a boost:

Fall in Indian currency value has created an opportunity for Medical Tourism to India as overse as patients have benefits of already low cost of treatment in India compared to U.S. and falling Indian Rupee is giving extra edge to Dollar paying patients. Calculation of packages in Rupee value has given a double bonanza to the overseas visitors visiting India for Plastic Surgery and Cosmetic Surgery, as Indian packages were already 60-70 percent less than those in US and on top of that a further 20 percent reduction due to Indian currency depreciation is an icing on cake for patients from USA and Europe.

3. Diamonds and Gems makers look to capitalize:

For the diamonds and gems industry, the falling rupee coincides with the peaking demand during the Christmas-New Year season. Diamantaires in Surat, the world's biggest diamond cutting and polishing centre, are hoping to cash in on the weakening rupee. Diamond companies import rough diamonds, paying cash and the rupee depreciation helps the industry pay out lower on imports than what it earns through export.

"The dipping rupee helps the industry in all the merchandize and non-merchandize jewellery export as it hedges its risk against raw material well in advance," said Rajiv Jain, chairman of Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC).

India Ranks 112th Globally in Internet Speed

2011-11-22T21:23:00.004+05:30

India has crossed the 100 million internet users mark; however, the speed of browsing is still quite slow. Over the past few years, Indian government is trying hard to raise Internet invasion and the average internet speed that users avail, though it has made little difference to ground realities.

Leading global Internet content delivery network, Akamai rolled out its quarterly report on "State of Internet" which reveals that comparing to the previous quarter, India has an improved internet usage, both in number and speed, though in larger scheme of things, the numbers are very disappointing. When it comes to internet speed, India is ranked at 112th globally, much lower than other Asian countries like Malaysia and Thailand which have four times faster internet speeds than India. The report also highlighted that having 100 million users is not enough, better and faster internet connectivity is equally important to avail the benefits of internet and suggested the listed below facts:

1. The quarterly comparison of state of Internet highlights

The percentage of broadband connections (connections to Akamai at speeds above 2 Mbps) grew at 45 percent quarter over quarter. The percentage of narrowband connections (connections to Akamai at speeds below 256 kbps) remains one of the highest globally at 31 percent. India's average connection speed increased 13 percent quarter over quarter to 844 kbps. India was ranked eighth globally in terms of attack traffic origination with 2.7 percent of observed global attack traffic.

2. Internet Penetration Worldwide

In the second quarter of 2011 more than 604 million unique IP addresses from 238 countries and regions W ERE connected to the Akamai Intelligent Platform. Amid those countries that are listed in the top ten list for the number of unique IPv4 addresses connecting to the Akamai Intelligent Platform during the quarter, Brazil topped the list for the quarterly increase at 9.0 percent, growing to over 15 million IP addresses, followed by Japan's 8.7 percent growth to nearly 45 million IP addresses a close second. Among the European countries in the top 10, Italy claimed the greatest quarterly gain at 5.4 percent, growing to just over 14 million IP addresses while Germany gathered an increase of only 0.4 percent, staying just below 35 million IP addresses. U.S. managed to add only 0.6 percent to its unique IP address count, remaining just below 143.5 million IP addresses.

3. Mobile Connection Speeds and Data Consumption

The average measured connection speed for global known mobile providers ranged from a high o f slightly more than 5 Mbps to a low of 209 kbps in the second quarter of 2011. Approximately three-quarters of the surveyed providers had average connection speeds above 1 Mbps. With regard to average peak connection speeds for the 108 mobile providers worldwide for which Akamai analyzed data, the report highlights a range of 23.4 Mbps as the fastest to 1.2 Mbps as the slowest. Of all such mobile providers, three boasted average peak connection speeds above 20 Mbps, 27 achieved average peak connection speeds above 10 Mbps and 47 recorded average peak connection speeds greater than 5 Mbps. Only one mobile provider located in South Africa did not record an average peak connection speed above 2 Mbps. Over the second quarter of 2011, mobile consumption figures remained fairly persistent with data from the first quarter. Consumers at 10 of the surveyed mobile providers consumed an average of 1 GB or more per month from the Akamai platform. Users at 74 of the surveyed providers consumed greater than 100 MB per month of content, and users at the remaining 20 providers consumed less than 100 MB per month. Through its relationship with Ericsson, Akamai continues to include data collected by the equipment provider in the State of the Internet report. According to Ericsson, the volume of mobile data traffic in the second quarter of 2011 doubled year-over-year and grew eight percent quarter-over-quarter.

4. Attack Traffic and SSL Trends

In the second quarter of 2011, Akmai observed that Taiwan generated the most attack traffic, hitting Myanma r, the last quarter's newcomer to the list, to second position. Observing that the total attack of traffic aggregated by region Asia Pacific/Oceania generated 47 percent of such attack traffic, Europe 30 percent, the Americas 20 percent, and Africa a mere 3 percent. SSL is widely used across the web to enable secure communications with social networks, e-commerce sites and financial services applications. Akamai observed that the use of the SSL cipher AES 128-SHA-1 has nearly tripled while the use of SSL cipher RC4-MD5-128 has declined by almost two-thirds. Interpreting the observed trends, as well as data observed for other SSL ciphers, Akamai regarded the use of RC4-based ciphers may reach near zero levels over the next several years. Furthermore, these trends may indicate a shift towards stronger ciphers, which could lead to SSL becoming more secure over time.

5. High Broadband Connectivity

In the second quarter of 2011, 27 percent of all connections to the Akamai Intelligent Platform were mad e at high broadband speeds (>5 Mbps). Netherlands took the top spot in high broadband adoption boasting 68 percent of its country's connections to Akamai above 5 Mbps. Hong Kong and South Korea attained 59 percent and 58 percent high broadband adoption respectively. Seven European countries are within the list of top 10 countries in high broadband adoption.

GSM Operators Add 7.12 Million Users in Oct: COAI

2011-11-22T10:51:00.002+05:30

GSM operators added 7.12 million new subscribers in October, compared to 6.52 million additions in the previous month.

With this, the GSM subscriber base in the country stood at 625.41 million on October 31, 2011.

In October, Bharti Airtel, the largest GSM player, added 0.94 million users, taking its total subscriber base to 173.73 million, the data released by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) showed.

The company had a 27.78 percent market share at the end of October.

Vodafone Essar, with a 23.33 percent market share, notched up 0.92 million new subscribers during the month. Its subscriber base reached 145.91 million in October.

Aditya Birla group firm Idea Cellular saw the highest number of additions during the month, with 1.63 million new users taking its total subscriber base to 101.81 million, while Aircel added 0.48 million customers to take its subscriber base to 60.28 million.

State-owned telecom firms BSNL and MTNL added 0.51 million and 34,919 new users, respectively, taking their subscriber base to 91.58 million and 5.36 million.

In addition, MTS added 0.79 (rpt) 0.79 million customers in the month of October 2011, taking its total customer base to 14.06 million.

The COAI data excludes data from Reliance Communications. GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is the most popular standard for mobile telephony systems in the world.

The other technology platform on which Indian telcos offer services is CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), where players such as Tata Teleservices (TTSL), RCom and MTS are the main operators. TTSL and RCom offer both GSM and CDMA services.

The Young Royals of India

2011-11-21T11:45:00.003+05:30

India being a land of kings and queens, has a rich cultural heritage endowed with diverse conventions, customs, rituals and ideas culminating in one central core of self-identity. Most of the royal families in India do not retain their past glories anymore.

The descendents of the erstwhile royal families are doing their best to preserve these. While these royals are extremely dashing and magnetic, they also command respect for their royal lineage and made themselves to live socially without any egoism of being a royal. While a few own their own businesses and some involved in serving the country through politics, charitable trusts and social organization proving there is more to royalty and wealth, power and good looks. These are the young royals of India that you might have not come across.

1. Manvendra Singh

Manvendra Singh was born at Ajmer on 23 September 1965, as the son of Maharana Shri Raghubir Singhji Rajendrasinghji Sahib, he belongs to the royal family of the former princely state of Rajpipla in India.

He is also known as the first and perhaps the only gay Prince in India. His sexuality has been more talked about than his family legacy. In January 1991, he married Chandrika Kumari from Madhya Pradesh and the marriage ended in divorce when Manvendra revealed his homosexuality to his wife. He plans to adopt a child in order to keep his family heritage alive.

In 2000 he started the Lakshya Trust, which is dedicated to HIV/AIDS education and prevention. The trust also creates employment opportunity for gay men and support for other organizations. Lakshya won the Civil Society Award 2006 for its contribution in preventing HIV/AIDS among homosexual men.

2. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar

Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar of Udaipur is the youngest child of Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar and Smt Vijayraj Kumari Mewar. Belonging to the royal family of Mewar, he is a direct descendant of Maharana Sanga and Maharana Pratap.

Lakshyaraj is keen to continue his family`s involvement in social and development causes in India and is a trustee of Mewar Charitable Foundation, set up by his grandfather Maharana Bhagwat Singhji Mewar. He is also a trustee of the Vidyadan Trust, and takes a keen interest in the administration of the schools under its remit.

He has a passion in art and photography, he is a skilled tabla player, and a keen follower of Indian classical, as well as folk and Sufi musical traditions of Rajasthan.

3. Jaivardhan Singh

Jaivardhan Singh is the son of politician Digvijay Singh, the erstwhile Raja of Raghogarh belonging to the Rajput clan and is being groomed to be among India's generation next young leaders. He is following his father's footsteps and beginning an active career in politics.

He belongs to a royal family which had many great kings and saint like, saint Pepaji, Raja Shree Lal Singhji, Raja Shree Deeraj Singhji, the courageous king Raja Jai Singhji and his father Raja Shree Digvijay Singhji.

Digvijay Singh is a senior leader of the Indian National Congress political party and a former CM of Madhya Pradesh. He first became CM of Madhya Pradesh on 7 December 1993 and continued to hold the post till Congress was voted out of power in the November 2003. He is currently a General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee.

4. Kirit Pradyot Deb Barman

Kirit Pradyot Deb Barman was born on July 4, 1978 hails from the royal family of the Manikya dynasty. He is the current head of the royal family. His grandfather Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Deb Barman was one of the last rulers of the princely states to accede their throne to the Union of India.

He has brought in a lot of development in his state and also serves as the Chairman of the Royal Heritage Hotel, member of the All India Congress, advisor to the North East Students Committee in Delhi and North East Regional Development Association (NERDA) and many social and cultural organizations in north eastern India.

He is also responsible for the launch of The Northeast Today, a magazine targeted at residents of the North Eastern states of India. He has also shown interest in running for political office from Tripura.

5. Shivraj Singh

Shivraj Singh was born on 30 September 1975, he is the son of erstwhile Maharaja Gaj Singh and erstwhile Maharani Hemlata Rajye belongs to the royal family of Jodhpur.

He is a passionate polo player and a known face in Delhi high society, where he stands out for both his royal lineage and striking good looks. He is primarily responsible for training the Jodhpur polo team, whose fortunes revived under his sponsorship.

He got married last year to Gayatri Kumari Pal, belonging to the royal family of Askot. It was one of the grandest weddings that the country had seen in recent times and was the talk of the town for quite a long time.

Top 10 PlayStation 3 Games

2011-11-18T13:56:00.005+05:30

Over the years, PlayStation 3 has undoubtedly established itself to be a one of the best gaming consoles ever made it arguably has one of the best libraries ever. PlayStation 3 was first unveiled in Japan on 11 November 2006 followed by United States on 17 November 2006. Facing many struggles PS3 has come a long way to complete five years. Listed below are the top ten PS3 games of all time.

1.Mass Effect 2

BioWare's Mass Effect saga is an epic space adventure in its own right, Mass Effects 2 narrates a stunningly realistic story set in a futuristic, science fiction-heavy galaxy. This is the continued saga of Commander Shepard, an individual who commands incredible access in a galaxy full of hostile aliens. So much power, in fact, that a private corporation revives Shepard after he or she dies and sets him or her off on a choice-laden adventure. Mass Effect 2 is diffused with high quality and aesthetics.

2. Heavy Rain

Next in our list comes the heavy rain which packs a crazy motion and quicktime control scheme. The game is developed by Quantic Dream and is written and directed by Quantic Dream's founder and CEO David Cage. The story of Heavy Rain is a dramatic thriller starring four protagonists involved with the mystery of the Serial Killer who avails longer periods of rainfall to submerge his victims. Heavy Rain requires you to change between four characters that are all linked up in the kidnappings and murders diffused by the Serial Killer. Loading 22 ending movies, your choices matter and directly influence what happens in the story.

3.Portal 2

The awesome Portal 2 PS3 game is created and published by Valve Corporation. The players in this game are a test subjects in the halls of Aperture Science and need to use a portal gun to solve crazy puzzles. You are sure to love the comedy, interesting twists, clever writing and robot characters in this game. Caste in multiplayer that could connect with PC players, and you can enjoy one hell of a game.

4.Borderlands

Borderlands is a brilliant science fiction based on a first-person shooter with RPG elements. This innovative game is strange and addictive. The game is just too much fun to play through it. The upgrading and customizing of weapons is satisfying and enjoyable. Although the story of the game is not that great, the addictive nature of the game is more than made up for a dull narrative.

5.God of war III

Based on Greek mythology, God of War III is an action-adventure video game. God of War III gives prominence to gameplay similar to previous sections. The player instructs the character, Kratos, in a battle between the first and the third person, platforming and puzzle game elements. With other new weapons, Kratos' main weapons are the Blades of Exile, including the Nemean Cestus, the Claws of Hades and the Nemesis Whip. A pair of fist gauntlets, the Nemesis Whip and Nemean Cestus, are important to the game as they are required to proceed in the game.

6.Braid

The puzzles of Braid are challenging and the music is quite better as compared to many other video games. This inexpensive game requires very little thought. The story of the game demonstrates the protagonist, Tim, who attempts to save a princess from a monster. Text passages put throughout the game highlights a versatile narrative, giving hints about Tim's contemplations and motivations. The game features traditional aspects of the platform types while integrating various powers of time-manipulation. Using these abilities, the player progresses the story by finding and assembling jigsaw puzzle pieces.

7. Limbo

Limbo was developed by Playdead. The beautiful game with a 2 D effect is black and white. The platforming in this game is great and the puzzle solving involves lot of fun including the innumerable deaths. Limbo is a 2D sidescroller, incorporating a physics system that rules environmental objects and the player character. The player escorts an unnamed boy through dangerous environments and hooks as the boy searches for his sister. The creator of this game developed the game's puzzles anticipating the player to fail before finding the right solution. Playdead termed the style of play "trial and death", and utilized visually awful imagery for the boy's deaths to guide the player from absurd results.

8. The Heavenly Sword

Developed by Ninja theory, the outstanding feature of this game is the six-axis implementation and the beautiful motion capture for the characters. The gameplay of Heavenly Sword is related to a martial arts title targeted on battles while featuring opportunities for ranged attacks. Nariko, the main character uses a weapon called the "Heavenly Sword" which changes into one of three forms depending on what attack position the player uses as part of a unique fighting style. Gameplay wise, the game is quite decent, however, if you love action-adventure games, you need to check this out.

9. Dead Rising 2

If you love killing Zombies, coupled with an open world setting, then this game is sure to give you a lot of satisfaction. Featuring a ton of upgradeable and modifiable weapons, your creativity is the only limit. This action-adventure horror-comedy video game is developed by Capcom in partnership with Blue Castle Games. Dead Rising 2 admits players to manufacture their own custom weapons at various points in the game by collecting items and combining them together in maintenance rooms scattered across the game map. The player also has the ability to unlock "combo cards" that disclose weapons that can be connected together.

10. ModNation Racers

ModNation Racers allows players to accelerate and drift. Successful drifts allow players to fill their boost meter. Alike a multi-tiered thermometer, the meter permits the players the choice of activating a turbo boost to increase the kart's speed or a shield to protect their kart from incoming attacks. Players are able to collect weapons as they race which can be upgraded up to three levels of power, weapons include sonic attacks, missiles and lightning strikes. This game is Sony's own take at the popular Mario Kart series, ModNation Racers is a blast to play through.

Aakash gets 3 lakh pre-booking orders

2011-11-17T16:00:00.002+05:30

The world's cheapest tablet, Aakash, costing about Rs 3,000, has received about 3 lakh pre-launch bookings for its commercial version that goes on sale later next month.

A subsidised model of this tablet, made by UK-based Datawind, is already being distributed free in schools and colleges. Aakash's retail bookings exceed India's estimated 250,000 tablet PC market, dominated by Apple, Samsung and Reliance.

"The bookings for Aakash have been done without any money received in advance. We have identified an operator for a data plan at Rs 99 a month," said Datawind CEO Suneet Singh Tuli, who claimed the data streaming technology offered by his company could make internet access costs virtually free.

"We hope to make internet free on our devices with that technology." Tuli is experimenting with a technology that can stream a 700MB file compressed into a 25MB on a tablet. Aircel could be the likely operator, said executives of the two companies, requesting anonymity.

Datawind has supplied about 10,000 tablets to the government's National Mission for Education at a price of Rs 2,250. The devices are being used by students from colleges such as the IITs, RECs, BITS Pilani, Teri University and others.

Aakash, in its next version, will be upgraded with a capacitive touch screen and a processor with double the speed. Datawind plans to supply an attachableRs 400 keyboard, turning the device into PC-lookalike at Rs 3,400.

The government is also considering a proposal to procure the next lot, called Aakash 2, with a faster 700 MHz processor, albeit at the same price. Tuli says there have been invitations from other nations for their digital inclusion programs, seeing India's success.

"The governments of Mexico, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Thailand, Brazil, Bangladesh have requested us to participate in programs similar to India. None, though have come out with tenders for supply of low cost devices as of now," Tuli said. KPMG's telecom head Jaideep Ghosh, however, says that the low-cost tablet success might not be as specatcular as that of the mobile handsets.

"About 185 million new handsets being sold in India this year. But the number of tablets to be sold in a year would be in the range of 250,000 to 500,000 units." The low price is attractive only for students and the youth, who are aspiring to buy new products, he said.

Cheapest download

The tablet market is expected to see a price war as Reliance Industries and Bharti Group are also gearing up to offer cheaper data plans on tablets. RIL may slash the cost of data download to as low as Rs 10 per GB on its upcoming Rs 6,000 tablet. Data downloads cost around Rs 100 per GB for most operators now.

Delhi-based Bharti Group's Beetel is also gearing up. "We were the first to introduce a tablet (Magiq) at Rs 9,999, this year. From January we will be going fullsteam and launch a third version of the tablet," says Vinod Sawhny, chief executive of Beetel Teletech. Samsung India is also launching a third model of the Galaxy Tab next month.

As per KPMG, Samsung has about 80% share of the market, followed by Apple with 5% share. Reliance Communications' group head for marketing and branding Sanjay Behl said the tablet market has doubled in a year. "Reliance Tab has become the third largest after Apple and Samsung tablets."

A Nano Car Worth 22 crore

2011-11-17T15:20:00.003+05:30

The Tata Group Monday unveiled a Nano car - made with gold and silver, and studded with precious stones - worth an astronomical over 22 crore.

But, it's not for sale - the valuable and fully functional car is a unique branding and promotional initiative by Goldplus Jewellery, part of Titan Industries, a Tata Group company, an official said.

The mega-value Goldplus Nano Car was unveiled Monday evening by Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata.

The Goldplus Nano Car pales the average 1.40 lakh Nano, which started with a 1 lakh price tag at its launch.

The Goldplus Nano Car is billed as the world's first ever gold jewellery car and celebrates the 5,000 years of jewellery making industry in India.

The car's body is made with 80 kg 22 carat solid gold, 15 kg silver, precious stones - including diamonds, rubies - and other expensive gemstones, the official said.

After its glittering launch in Mumbai Monday evening, the Goldplus Nano Car will travel to all the Goldplus showrooms at 29 locations around the country.

The car incorporates beautiful designs, made with the precious stones of different colours, set on the gold and silver body of the car.

Top 7 skincare tips for winter

2011-11-16T11:51:00.002+05:30

It's that time of the year when you need to be extra careful about your body. The following tips will help you deal with those dreaded winter woes.

1. Start using a creamy facial cleanser. Cleansers, which you use to remove make-up usually, strip away moisture and during winter, this problem gets magnified.

2. Moisturise throughout the day. Use a moisturizing facial mask. Try using body lotion even before you've left the shower, right after rinsing soap or body wash. It will help lock in some extra moisture.

3. Of course, hot water showers feel great in winter, but they wreak havoc on dry skin. Try a lukewarm shower instead, and then pat your skin dry with a towel.

4. Avoid skin products and hairstyling products that have a high alcoholic content. When alcohol evaporates, it feels cool and refreshing, but it also strips away moisture, so opt for alcohol-free products, when the air is already dry.

5. When it comes to hair, if you're already dealing with dry, brittle hair, resist the urge to reach for the hair dryer. It'll only make things worse. Dry and style your hair with a towel, and if you still want to use a dryer, time yourself and try to use it a little less.

6. One of the biggest problems during winter are chapped lips. Use a lip balm with at least SPF 15 and preferably one with antiseptic agents to aid in healing. Some lip balm products are made with tea tree oil, which helps heal painful cracks.

7. Your hands, feet, knees and elbows need to be looked after too, during winter. Use products containing shea butter, petrolatum, mineral oil, tea tree oil or glycerin. For intense relief, moisturise hands and feet at night, and then slip on gloves or socks to lock in the moisture

3G services on roaming may go soon

2011-11-15T17:18:00.003+05:30

The telecom department plans to ask mobile phone companies to terminate 3G-roaming agreements, a move that will prevent telcos from providing high-speed data facilities on a pan-India basis and deprive customers from accessing them in areas where their operators don't have permits.

Operators such as Bharti, Idea, Vodafone and Aircel have signed up 3G customers across the country riding on bilateral roaming agreements that allow these firms to use each other's airwaves and offer high-end data services even in regions where they do not have third-generation spectrum.

This has resulted in, for instance, a Bharti customer in Kolkata being able to access 3G services even though the company does not have a licence for West Bengal. This is different from 2G roaming agreements where a telco cannot offer services in a region for it does not hold a licence.

While telcos say the licensing terms allow for 3G roaming pacts, sector regulator Trai and the telecom department say these alliances violate licence rules. A senior DoT official said his department planned to issue notices terminating these agreements after getting the law ministry's clearance.

This will restrict Bharti, Vodafone, Idea and Aircel to providing 3G services such as high-speed internet, video calls and interactive gaming in only those circles where they won airwaves in last year's auctions. But the ban will not impact Tata Teleservices, Reliance Communications and S Tel as they have not entered into roaming pacts.

It will also mean customers currently accessing high-speed internet and other services in areas where their operator does not own 3G spectrum will either have to switch to an operator who has these airwaves or be deprived of accessing these services.

Only customers of Bharti, Vodafone and Reliance Communications will be able to avail 3G services in Delhi and Mumbai circles, once the ban comes into force.

But the proposed ban will not impact customers who are travelling outside their home networks. They will continue to enjoy 3G services as the ban will apply to 'intra-circle' roaming deals and not 'inter-circle' pacts.

At present, India has 10-12 million 3G subscribers but it is not known how many of them are using these services through the roaming pacts.

Last week, the chief executives of four mobile phone companies - Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Tata Teleservices and Idea Cellular - had come together to defend 3G roaming deals and said the agreements to use each other's airwaves were 'legal and permissible'. In their joint letter to Communications Minister Kapil Sibal, Bharti Airtel CEO Sanjay Kapoor, Idea Cellular MD Himanshu Kapania, Vodafone India MD and CEO Marten Pieters, and Tata Teleservices MD Srinath N said prior to the 3G auctions, the industry had a clear understanding with the government that such deals would be permitted.

"Any determination now that this might not be the case would fundamentally alter the legal and economic basis on which the business case of 3G bids was evaluated, inevitably leading to a requirement to either refund the bidders or rerun the auction," the heads of the four mobile companies warned. They also said 'assertions that these perfectly legal arrangements have led to revenue loss for the exchequer were baseless'.

DoT wings,Trai say 3G roaming deals violate licence rules

A senior telecom department official said termination notices were inevitable as all four internal wings that studied the issue had concluded that 3G roaming deals were 'illegal'. Last week, the department's advisor (finance) had asked the ministry to decide if 3G airwaves of operators should be revoked for the alleged violation. "The 3G spectrum assignment may be revoked if the licensor determines the user of spectrum to be in serious breach of any of the allotted spectrum (including adherence of auction rules) and the consequent rollout obligations," the department's wireless planning and finance wing had said in an internal note that was reviewed by ET. This wing had also warned that 3G roaming deals would have 'negative revenue implications for the government'.

"Telcos pay higher spectrum charges in areas where they hold 3G airwaves, which are used to provide high-end data services. This wing of the department, therefore, holds the view that these roaming deals allow telcos to offer data services even in areas where they don't have 3G spectrum without having to pay the respective spectrum usage charges," it had added.

ET first reported last month that the access services wing of the DoT, which looks into all operational issues linked with the sector, had ruled that telcos cannot enter into 3G roaming deals with each other in regions where they have not bagged thirdgeneration airwaves. Just prior to that, the Telecom Enforcement, Resource and Monitoring (TERM) Cell of the DoT had also asked the department to initiate action against all mobile phone companies, including issuing showcause notices and imposing financial penalties.

Trai has also written to the government stating it has "prima facie come to a conclusion that (3G roaming) arrangements are a violation of the terms and conditions of the licence". It also warned that if such arrangements were permitted, "it can lead to a situation where operators, after entering into commercial agreements for use/leasing of spectrum, will launch any type of service on intra-circle roaming, without having the commercial rights to use the spectrum in that particular service area".

Apple releases iPhone 4S battery fix

2011-11-11T12:34:00.003+05:30

Apple Inc released a software update for its iOS 5 operating system to fix complaints on the performance of the new iPhone 4S battery.

Apple, after facing a rash of complaints on the new phone's short battery life, had promised earlier to release an update to address the issue.

The software update also addresses some security issues, including a flaw in the operating system that may allow hackers to build apps that secretly install programs to steal data.

Tips to Save On Car Insurance

2011-11-08T00:07:00.003+05:30

You have just kick started your career life and you have successfully ticked off one item from your priority list, 'to own a car.' In such a case car insurance can be an expensive thing, because you don't have that sufficient income after such a heavy purchase. The most essential priority after buying a new vehicle is to get it covered by insurance. For many newer drivers car insurance is more a pain than a benefit, with the pain part being located in the higher premiums they have to pay. And driving around without car insurance is like skating on thin ice. Because one single accident can force you into bankruptcy if you are not protected by car insurance.

It is very important for a car owner to grab the best insurance deal at the most convenient rate. While there is no way to get car insurance for free, there are plenty of ways to save money on it.

Shop Around

There are plenty of car insurance companies out there, all offering different quote. Never just accept the renewal quote you are offered. You have to shop around to get the best deal. Make some calls, check online and ask question online and make a comparison to check which deal would work the best for you. Ask the car insurance company outright what they can offer you that other companies can't or if they can give you any sort of discount. You might be flabbergasted to know that you can save 15000 on an average when you shop around for the best quote.

Pay Upfront

Try to pay for your insurance in one go, rather than monthly. Because by doing so you will pay less. Do not be tempted to pay for any type of insurance monthly just because it appears to be cheaper or more manageable. You should know that you will be charged interest, which can be as high as 24pc per annum.

Watch Your Usage

Be careful while you driving. Because the more accidents you get into, the more your premiums will go up. Accidents are not the only thing to watch out for. It is important to have a clean driving record.

Buy What You Want

Every policy differs, and this is something that you can usually add in. It would be best if you buy something you want. A policy that wou ld suit you better. Example comprehensive insurance or third party insurance. comprehensive coverage covers damage to your vehicle caused by certain events. These include fire, theft, vandalism and falling objects. This also comes with a deductible you volunteer to pay and which you are obliged to pay before the insurance company pays the remainder. While third party insurance covers for Personal Injury. By opting for third party insurance you save a lot of money.

3 Tips to Lending Money to Family Members

2011-11-05T09:05:00.007+05:30

If you have more money than any of your relative then you are the person to whom your family members will go when they need a loan. It is much easier to ask a family member for money than it is to grovel at a bank, especially since relatives usually feel more of an obligation than financial institutions. Shakespeare once rightly said, "Loaning money to a friend is a good way to lose both - friend and money." Lending money to family members is a risky business. Not only do your relatives feel comfortable asking you for money, but they also feel more comfortable paying you back late.

Here are some tips to conduct a financial transaction between family members and make sure you get back your money and your relationship grows.

Find Out the Purpose

You talking about money, you have every right to know where your money is going. If you are not comfortable with the purpose you can decline on your offer of lending money. Is the money used to pay off some long pending loan or due to an emergency situation like loss of job or unexpected medical bills, or because they made poor spending decisions? Analyze whether the money you offer, will it be used for something that will improve their life, like a down payment on a home or education? Only once you confirm the reason you plunge into this business of lending money.

Have a Contract

When you lend money to your family members get it in writing. The contract should state the amount of money offered and the te rms to which you agreed it should be paid back. Both you and your family member should sign and date it and you should both keep a copy. This protects both of you from any misunderstandings or miscommunications. By ignoring this you don't want to get stuck with your own bad debt later.

Use a third party

If the amount is substantial you should consider using a peer-to-peer lending company. They can help you with any disputes a nd make the transaction less personal. A witness can be valuable in helping you win your case.

The Investment Environment Appears to Be Down Beaten in India

2011-11-04T20:06:00.002+05:30

The investment environment system appears to be downbeat during the first six months of this year relative to last year with a total of 4.22 lakh crore from all sources compared to 4.61 lakh crore last year according to a survey conducted by the care ratings. Overall flow of funds for production and investment purposes appears to have slowed down during the first half of the year. The Investment environment can be captured on the financial side by looking at the various sources of funding such as bank credit and capital markets on the domestic front and ECBs and FDI with respect to external capital.

Bank credit has grown at a much slower rate this year in terms of both conventional credit as well as credit-like instruments. This may be attributed to lower demand for credit due to lower growth in industry as well as higher cost of credit which was a restraint.

A study carried out by CARE Ratings on the capital market funds of Debt and Equity issuances have moderated during the month of April-September 2011 by 27.09 percent and 67.06 percent as compared with the same period last year. However once again the share of financial services companies was highest in this market and accounted for 71.6 percent of the total fresh issuances during the month of April-September 2011 followed by Services sector with 11.7 percent. Manufacturing sector raised 9.5 percent in April-September 2011 compared with 19.0 percent raised in the same period last fiscal. This could be attributed to the hike interest rate stance taken by the RBI as well as depressed secondary market conditions which discouraged IPOs. Also the weak global economic conditions had an impact on the state of the secondary markets. FII inflows in particular were lower at $ 2.1 billion as against $ 20 billion in the first half of FY11.

While the high flow of FDI so far this year has been encouraging, it needs to be monitored carefully as the global environment too has been subject to shocks emanating in the Euro zone in particular. Foreign sources of finances have been healthy in this scenario as there are advantages to be had from differing interest rate regimes across the global markets. However, the exchange rate volatility will narrow these differences. The RBI's future stance of monetary policy should take into account the overall availability of liquidity in the system as the central bank actually controls one significant part of the options open for the borrowers.

Has the Internet become your wife

2011-11-02T08:51:00.003+05:30

Ever imagined technology turning into a nagging spouse? Well, if one goes by the latest joke doing the rounds, it already has.

An interesting Web post that is fast becoming a viral states, "Facebook wants to know "what's on my mind?", Twitter wants to know "what's happening", Foursquare wants to know "where I am?" and Orkut wants me to "say something" DAMN! The INTERNET is turning into a WIFE." Reacting to this post are social networking users who admit that the World Wide Web has indeed taken over the reins of their lives completely and always wants to know too much!

In fact, the Internet is more demanding than a wife, says actor Sammir Dattani, who got married to girlfriend Ritika Jolly recently. "The Internet asks me more questions than my wife. It is attention seeking, always wants to know whether I like something and also nags me by reminding me of events and birthdays. My wife does not demand so much from me!" quips the actor who admits he is a slave to the Web too. "The Internet has taken over my life just like my wife did. So, the Net is kind of like my wife too."

Just like interrogative questions start pouring in right from the 'girlfriend stage', networking sites too start prodding you no sooner you sign up for it. Says actor Aamir Ali, who has been in a long term relationship with Sanjeeda Sheikh, "But at least online, you can write or post only what you are comfortable with. If you don't want to share any information, you don't have to. With your wife or girlfriend, you have to explain every single detail even if you are not at home for a while," he says.

It's one vicious cycle of social addiction - the more you are hooked, the more frustrated you get. Ethical hacker Ankit Fadia can't help but laugh at the joke that compares the Web to a wife. "Yes, the Internet demands way too much from us these days. Most of us feel compelled to post stuff and are under constant pressure to keep posting details, just to ensure your life seems cool enough for your friends to 'like' and 'follow'. Let us live life the way we want to instead of constantly telling the Net what we are doing!"

Time To Retire; Do You Think You're Ready For It?

2011-11-01T10:43:00.003+05:30

One question which pop in everybody's mind is Am I ready to retire? Don't take retirement lightly; make decision to see whether everything is in order. Prepare yourself to be mentally and physically strong for a new change in your life. It's just like a new phase in your life and time to relax from your hectic work you have been doing for years. Plan your retirement ahead so that so that you can have a good time ahead. Most of the people focus more on finance and don't concentrate on time to relax or spend time with family. So, plan it in such a way that you enjoy an equal balance in both sides. Here are few things to keep in mind for those who are nearing to retire, let's have a look at them.

Financially are you ready, is it enough?

Consider your retirement with the state of the recent economy. Plan your financial status so as to have enough money to last for few more years. But if you're ignoring the situation then it isn't going to help you in any way. The most important is to analyze about your financial status. Don't think that you have enough money left after retirement. You never know where it vanished in a year's time. You might even consider working for some more time after retirement. But have you thought that like you there might be many people searching for a job. Instead of wasting your time on searching and being too optimistic that you have enough money, start planning to save your money which you have earned all these years. Then it's high time you invest your money.

Investing money after retirement

After your retirement, you get some money. It can be from your provident f und (PF), superannuation, public provident fund (PPF), life insurance policies, fixed deposits, or any combination of these. The question is that how and where to invest all these money? To begin with estimate your retirement. Make an account on how much have you saved? What are the expenses that are going to do? How can I generate more money from my saving? There are many schemes to save money such as the Senior Citizens Savings Scheme this is one of the safest schemes to go for. As it's a government owned there will be regular interest payments in a quarterly basis. Also offers a reasonable interest rate and the best part is you can invest more. Another option to invest is in fixed deposit. FDs provide stable returns. The advantage is that the money can be broken or withdrawn in any emergency situation. There is also another way to invest and it's in Post Office Deposit. It is similar to FD, but kept in the post office. And it is also owned by the government. Utilize all these benefits for a relaxed retirement life. Also one can invest in gold or real estate as these will always give you more money in the future.

Things to clear before retirement

Retiring in comfort, a debt free life isn't it sounding nice to hear. Try to imply this in your life too. Retire not only from your work but also from all the financial tensions. When it's time to retire one by one clear your debt. It includes credit cards, the loans and your insurance. By the time you retire clear as much as you can so, that you can live your life peacefully. Preserve your property so as to not live in fear. Otherwise you end up still working to pay back the debts. Don't waste your retirement time worrying about money. Be ready for a peaceful retirement life. Don't think Retirement is the end but feel that it's the beginning of your life.

How to optimize your expenses

You know you're about to retire so it's better that you plan and make an acco unt of your expenses. Choose an enjoyable lifestyle with little expense. Keep your health fit to save money from any medical expense. Live in a peacefully low income place, and spend on things which you think is really worth. Modify your expenses to support your living. Try to reduce expenses as much as you can, just to increase your saving. Move out of the house if the rents are high; instead opt for a small house.

Top Women Chefs in India

2011-10-29T08:21:00.004+05:30

A decade ago, being a chef was not considered a best career for a young woman; today it is seen as a profession. Women have stormed into almost every field and are considered equal to male colleagues. So, when it comes to the kitchen, no wonder they are bridging their gap and reaching higher levels than men. Women have had a long hard road in being recognized as a chef or even allowed to work in this industry. Traditionally, women have been responsible for making simple meals at home. But here are a few who took this everyday job as a passion and made an impact in the culinary world. Meet five young women chefs and find out what makes them a star attraction.

Tarla Dalal

A well-known Indian food writer, who has published more than 100 books and sold over 3 million copies, Tarla Dalal's first cook book'The Pleasures of Vegetarian Cooking', was published in 1974. Her cookery show 'Cook It up with Tarla Dalal' was a hit in the early 90s. She also runs the largest Indian food web site, and a bi-monthly magazine, which has been translated into many languages. She has also been conducting cooking classes. In 2007 she started her 'Total Health Series' cookbooks with recipes related to health. Tara Dalal manufactures her own range of ready-to-cook mixes which made work easier for women to cook.

Anjum Anand

Anjum is considered as one of the first food writers to give a twist to Indian recipes that not only tickled taste buds but also catered to the taste of a diet conscious person. Her recipes consisted of mixed traditional dishes, recreated with healthy ingredients and limited oil. She has worked in the kitchens of restaurants based in New York, for Park Royal Hotel in New Delhi, and Tommy Tang at Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles. Her first book 'Indian Every Day: Light Healthy Indian Food' was published when she was 25. Anjum also became a usual guest on UKTV from 2004 to 2007, and was featured in BBC for a two series of Indian Food in 2007.

Madhumita Mohanta

An Executive Chef at Clardiges, Surajkund; she is a well known person who loves food, and that's the reason behind her becoming a chef. Her other interests are reading, exploring and experimenting new types of food. Mohanta has worked in Singapore, Bahrain and Kuwait before she joined Claridges. Her best food includes cooking Italian, Indian and Far Eastern food but when it comes to eating, she loves Bengali food, and wishes to host cookery shows someday.

Kamini Jha

Jha has been proving her determination through complete hard work and willpower. She is the Queen in preparing Tandoori d ishes in The Oberoi. She has not only survived in the industry but also made it big. Cooking was always her favorite pastime; she first entered her home kitchen where she feels comfortable at the age of 10. She's a prominent person in the Oberoi kitchens who focused on chicken tikka, tandoori naan, tandoori aloo, and ajwaini machhi.

Madhu Krishnan

Madhu Krishnan, an Executive Chef in Bangalore, was recognized by her hard work and enthusiasm. Her big moment was wh en she set up the 'West View' at the ITC Maurya, New Delhi in the late 1990s. It was exciting to bring in a new concept of fresh ingredients like scallops, cheeses, olives and Parma ham, which is lightly cooked and served. In those days, no one was seen doing it and people were not prepared to believe anything which was raw and uncooked. Krishnan's next big assignment was at the Grand Maratha, where again, she was able to maintain high standards as an executive chef.

cheap paintball guns

2011-10-29T07:59:00.002+05:30

Hi friends welcome to blog for the best cheap paintball guns Let's take a look at covering the necessities of Paintball. Not just for the looks or comfort, but for the safety of yourself finding the perfect Paintball Mask should be top priority. The JT Spectra series are known for being affordable and durable. Their flexible design allows balls to bounce which keep you in the game for as long as possible. Some are available with a Single lens or Thermal lens depending on which model. Our leading manufacturer of Boards comes from Virtue Paintball. Virtue Paintball Boards are known for giving your paintball gun a major boost in performance. Most electronic guns have only a few operating modes such as Semi-Automatic, Full Auto & some type of burst. With the Virtue Board there are many more modes to play around with. Having these options gives you the advantage over other players. Keeping you firing at a fast rate and for a much longer game time with its increase in battery life. Paintball has grown so much in the last decade and there is no doubt that there is much more you can do to customize your appearance, your gun, your comfort, and your overall paintball experience. At Zephyr we make sure all Paintball related items are available for our customers. Paintball products are constantly being released and we take it upon ourselves to make sure our site has the newest and greatest on hand. A paintball marker, also known as a paintball gun, is the main piece of equipment in the sport of paintball. Markers use an expanding gas, such as carbon dioxide (Co2)orcompressed air, to propel paintballs through the barrel. Some paintball players refer to the piece of equipment as a "marker" rather than "gun".[1][2] The term is derived from its original use as a means for forestry personnel and ranchers to mark trees and wandering cattle.[3]The muzzle velocity of paintball markers is approximately 300 ft/s (91 m/s). While greater muzzle velocity is possible due to fluctuating gas pressure or through the adjustment of internal spring tension, it has been ruled unsafe for use on most commercial paintball fields.[4] When paintballs hit an object at high speed they have potential to cause damage; a paintball colliding with human skin may cause bruising or further tissue damage. However, the damage depends entirely on the paintball's velocity, its angle of attack, and which part of the body it hits.

Buying Home; How to Work On It

2011-10-27T10:44:00.003+05:30

Owning a home is a dream come true and, and quite challenge for the ones buying it for the first time. But it is haunting for many when it comes to the price range which would decide whether will want to own a house or continue with a rented one. One needs to have certain knowledge and skills for buying a house and in these hectic times one must be patient enough to know all before taking the decision. Now if you have decided to buy a house, be prepared and get into the process of owning a house. Here are a few basic steps involved in a search for the wonderful home.

Are you really ready for a house?

You need to ask this question to yourself. This is because you have to be prepared for the consequences ahead. So, never buy a home if you're not ready to take up the responsibility. Owning a house is no child's game as it needs a very serious commitment and is a huge responsibility. Also see why you want a house now? Is it because of a changed lifestyle, or to have a property of your own? Think whether you have the money to buy, or need to go for loan. Since loans are not available easily to everyone, one must have a good balance in their account and see to it that there are no other debts you have.

Have a Proper Idea Of The location

There are so many houses and choosing the best is a challenge. Everybody has a different taste so list out the features you want in a house. For example, how many bedrooms you want? The location, size, is the price valid, think about your future in long terms as you have to stay in the house. Be more specific when it comes searching a house as, this would help you to find a house easily. Also talk to the neighbors as they play an important role in owning a house. If the neighbors are good then the location would also be good and safe. Inspect the house for safety, transportation, markets, schools and other services which are available nearby.

Financial Consideration

An important thing to consider is, are you financially ready to own a house because it is one of the biggest investments one makes. Apart from the house rates, other costs such as property taxes, loans, legal fees, and the insurance would add up to your expense. The best time to buy home is when the interest rates are down. Also, large down payment helps in finding a low interest rate. Eventually, the lower you have a loan, the lower you'll have to repay. Keep all the documents filed safely for any future inquiring. Calculate for an affordable home which you can be able to pay the loans.

Now that you've got your dream home don't think it's the end. Things like maintaining your house, reducing your expenses to pay back loans, cutting on other bills. All these have to be looked after to keep your home secured and to lead a peaceful life.

4 Steps For Your Child's Education Investment

2011-10-26T08:09:00.003+05:30

For every parent, their child's happiness is a bundle of joy. You want to give the best of everything, and education is no exception. Providing quality education for your child is very important, as it gives your child a bright future. Education is getting expensive day by day and parents are finding it impossible to fulfill their child's dream. So make sure you have enough money to finance your child's education. the time is running start investing the earlier you invest, the better it is. Here are few steps in preparing investment for our child's education.

Get Yourself Insured

Planning for child's future is important. But, as a parent you must get insured first. insurance in life and health benefits the most. This is to ensure your family need not worry in your absence. Guard yourself with insurance and then start guarding your child.

Choosing the Right Investments

Choosing a right investment will help you generate better capital in future.Different investments have different benefits, so be careful in selecting the best suited for you. Explore the different types of investment to get a fruitful return.Investments in PPF is a safest options with assured returns as, it is Government owned and free of risk. Mutual funds investments is another best option for long term investment. You can also invest in real estate or land which gives better return than you invested.

Don't Invest in all Option

Best way to invest is by choosing one investment at a time rather than three to four. If you have too many investment it only makes you confused. Keep all the related documents safe for any further enquiries. This will help you not to get tensed every month on how to pay the money. Choose the best plan suitable and invest on it. Be alert in selecting the right kind of investments as they all come with risk factors. Repenting later will not help, so before signing anything check all the investments related documents carefully and then go ahead for it.

Evaluate Investments Periodically

As you finish all the investment procedures that's not the end. Don't just leave your money, review the performance yearly. If any adjustments are necessary then change it accordingly. Do visit your bank once in six month and see the benefits you have got. As your interest increases you can shift the money into a safer account for your child's future.

How Safe Is Internet Banking?

2011-10-21T22:13:00.003+05:30

Online banks have made banking services so much easier by saving lot of time. Gone are the days, when people used to stand in queues filling the forms. Now it's no more an annoying work for making any transaction with the banks. Online banking has become so popular that it has expanded the services with more websites and better features but, the problem here is with your computer which can be easily tracked.

Many prefer online banking as it is very convenient. Internet banking opens its services for 24hours and 365days a year. Money can be easily transferred at a normal cost. Payments and deposits are done easily. Online is also environment friendly and no paper work is required, also reducing traffic. The customer can immediately log on to his account from any place, at anytime and can check on the transaction even out of state or country. Nevertheless, as they say there are two sides of coin, internet banking also has its own drawbacks. The personal relationship with the banks is lost. The requirement of the customer is not known and hence, making it difficult for the customers to clarifying doubts. Other problems are slow in connections and spending more time accessing the internet.

Most computers are shot of securities. The hacker can access your account and make the banker believe that it's you, and transact all your money. If you decide to take on internet banking then don't forget to take few security measures to be on the safer side. If you have a computer at home then make sure it is first secured by the network manager. Learn on the security software and anti virus software to be away from hackers. All these will make it possible to use internet banking safely. Have a strong password which cannot be traced easily. Never save your password in your computer system, anybody with computer basics can easily trace out your password and misuse it. Always keep your system updated with the latest versions.

Online banking still has a long way to go. Before starting an account, learn the basics of using a computer and the securities. It's better to wait for few more years for the technologies to get advanced, and for internet banking to become safer.

Five Money Mistakes College Students Make

2011-10-20T10:47:00.004+05:30

College life is always considered great. As the school year ends, the students enter not only the college life but also the real world. College life for many students is an announcement of freedom. Freedom also means handling money in the form of pocket money either from elders or a few bucks you earn by doing part time jobs. But this new found financial freedom can turn into a disaster if you are not careful about the way you handle money. Here are a few top 5 money mistakes that many of the students make:

Not Listening to Elders Who Know Better

It's always good to keep your elders informed about what you're spending and where you're going. In Case if you land up in any financial trouble then you can always look upon them. As elders have passed all these years they would know what is good for you. Do not feel that they are advising but take it in the right sense and always be with them.

Not Budgeting Your Income and Expenses

Budgeting is an essential planning tool for a college student. It shows how you need to manage your bills and expenses and wisely use your money. It helps you to plan ahead by knowing about how much money you will have, and your expenses shows you where it has gone out and when. After all, if you end up spending more money then you're likely to end up with problems. So always be aware and have a small account on whatever you're spending.

Getting a credit card

A lot of students feel having a credit card is considered cool in college campus. Well there' s nothing wrong in owning a credit card, but the mistake is when they start using the card unnecessarily. This is the worst mistake done by any student because of the high interest which comes out when one has to pay back the debt. At the moment using a credit card will relieve you from the situation but later to pay back the debt it's really hard. The recent research found out that an Average Students Loan Debt is 23, 000/- by the time they graduate. So it's advised to use the credit cards only in emergency cases.

Inappropriate spending of student Loan money

Student loan is to finance your education, and not for your other expe nses. Student loan is for tuition, room rent, food, and for books are the smart ways to spend your student loan money. But, spending it for going out and treating your friends is not a good idea. Students feel that it would be easy to repay the loans back but what if you don't have a job. So think before you spend. Keep the student loan only for academic expenses and not for other purposes.

Lending Money to Friends

Making good friends is very important for a student entering college. There would be so ma ny different people in your class, but be sensible in choosing your friend. At the same time see to it that if your friend needs your help financially then he/she should be able to repay you back. And if they regularly ask for money then it's high time you leave them.