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Jackson's hair made into diamonds -- for real

2009-07-26T10:43:00.002+05:30

Since Michael Jackson's sudden death on June 25, the rumor mill over details of his bizarre personal life has ground away nearly non-stop, and on Friday, one company said it was turning his hair into diamonds. That one is true.

The claims this week included a report in Rolling Stone magazine that a prosthetic nose he wore apparently went missing when he was taken to the morgue, and a British tabloid trumpeted a headline that he fathered a secret love-child.

In one by-product of the "Thriller" singer's death, a Chicago company said on Friday it had obtained some of the hair Jackson burned while filming a 1984 Pepsi commercial and planned to create a limited edition of diamonds from it.

"Absolutely this is for real," said Dean VandenBiesen, founder of LifeGem, which has a patent on a process that extracts carbon from hair, turns it into crystals and then into high-quality laboratory diamonds.

VandenBiesen told Reuters he thought the company could make about 10 diamonds. No sale price has been set but VandenBiesen said LifeGem created three diamonds from locks of Beethoven's hair in 2007, and sold one of them for around $200,000.

Separately, the Aug. 6 issue of Rolling Stone magazine reported that not only was the left arm of Jackson's dead body "scored with needle marks" -- claims that have arisen before -- but he wore an artificial nose that was missing when he was taken to the Los Angeles county morgue.

"The prosthesis that he normally attached to his damaged nose was missing, revealing bits of cartilage surrounding a small dark hole," the magazine said in an unsourced report.
While that report could not be confirmed, Los Angeles coroner's officials did say earlier this week they were probing security breaches in their offices.

The coroner's office is expected to release an official cause of death next week which could shed light on some of the reports, including Jackson's possible use of powerful drugs.
And even as custody of Jackson's three children is set to be decided in court on Aug. 3, The Sun newspaper speculated the singer may have had a love-child raised in Norway.

Omer Bhatti, 25, sparked interest when he was spotted sitting with the singer's immediate family at Jackson's public memorial earlier this month. Bhatti reportedly spent time with Jackson at his Neverland Valley Ranch in the 1990s and was known as "Little Michael".
But another of Jackson's former proteges, singer Ricky Harlow, told celebrity website People.com on Friday that although they were close he doubted Bhatti was Jackson's son.
"They had a father-and-son type of connection," Harlow, 26, told People, "but I never thought he (Jackson) was his biological father."

In Jackson's 2002 will, the singer listed only three children now living: Prince Michael Jackson, Jr, Paris Michael Kathering Jackson and Prince Michael Joseph Jackson II.

World's 10 worst airports to sleep in..

2009-07-26T10:32:00.003+05:30

Delhi airport has been named among the world's worst airports for passengers to sleep in a new poll.

The poll by website www.sleepinginairports.net, asked travellers to review the best and worst airports around the world for travellers needing some shut-eye.

While Paris's Charles de Gualle was voted the worst airport to sleep in, the Indian capital's airport has also made it to the list of the world's top 10 worst airports to sleep in.he website has received more than 6200 reviews, and was created by frequent traveller Donna McSherry, a former travel agent from Canada.

The second worst airport for travellers to catch a sleep is Sheremetyevo Airport, Russia, which has been dubbed "hell on earth" by a passenger.
Third in the list is John F. Kennedy Airport, New York City, which got thumbs down from passengers for being overcrowded, dirty, and uncomfortable.

Los Angeles Airport has been named the fourth worst airport for dozing off for its dirty bathrooms, metal benches, cold and frequent and loud announcements.

Delhi airport in India grabbed the fifth spot, and has been described as being full of mosquitoes and birds, filthy, crowded, has poor signage and frequent announcements that increase at night.
"Had to change in the toilet which made the one in Trainspotting look like the Ritz," News.com.au quoted Moray as saying.

"It was dirty, with all pervasive smell of sweet over powering phenyl which they use for disinfecting. The departure lounge has this odour mixed with that of cigarettes," said another traveller Amit Mathur.
Mumbai airport has also made to the eighth spot in the list for its lack of food and shops open at night.

Travellers also get turned off the airport in India's financial capital because of its "beyond disgusting" toilets, and poor air-conditioning.

1. Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris
2. Sheremetyevo Airport, Russia
3. JFK Airport, New York City
4. Los Angeles Airport
5. Delhi Airport
6. O'Hare airport, Chicago
7. Mumbai Airport
8. Manila Airport
9. Rome Airport, Fiumicino
10. Heathrow Airport, London

Olympus E-30 SLR offers convenience and great image quality

2009-07-26T10:19:00.002+05:30

The Olympus E-30 has a well-rounded feature set that should appeal both to consumers upgrading from lower-end DSLR cameras and to buyers looking for something of a more semipro caliber. The E-30 is sold as a kit ($1350 as of 7/7/09, including a 14mm-to-54mm lens) and as the body only ($950 as of 7/7/09).

Compared with its older sibling, the Olympus E3, the E-30 has a smaller body and a lighter weight. On this model Olympus has sacrificed the weatherproof, magnesium-alloy body in favor of a plastic and fiberglass version, which may be a deal-breaker for photographers inclined toward outdoor shooting. The E-30 features a handy swiveling LCD so that you can capture shots from odd angles, or even simply rotate it and snap it inward to protect it while you're out and about.

The E-30 boosts the image sensor to 12.3 megapixels, from 10 megapixels in the E3. It also adds Art Filters, effects such as pinhole, soft focus, pop art, and grainy tone. Though you can preview these effects in Live View, you can't modify them in-camera. As for more-concrete functionality, the E-30 adds improved contrast detection focus, in-body stabilization for vertical panning, and improved electronic AF adjustments for older and third-party lenses.

When paired with its bundled, short, f2.8-to-f3.5, 14mm-to-52mm Zuiko lens, the E-30 is reasonably lightweight. Even so, this camera may feel a bit hefty to anyone upgrading from an entry-level Olympus DSLR, such as the E-520 or E-530. Its controls are also slightly more intimidating, as it has no fewer than 23 buttons and three dials. Some settings (such as the cool multiple-exposure one, which shows layers building in Live View) require quite a bit of digging, but after a session of manual study (and maybe checking some crib notes) they become easier to access. Luckily, you can save your favorite settings in the Super Control Panel on the camera's 2.7-inch LCD. Like its Olympus brethren, the E-30 is highly customizable, including several RAW+JPEG settings, white balance controls, noise-control levels, multiple spot-metering modes, and wireless flash controls.

Scene selections are available on the dial, sharing a spot with the Art Filters. You'll also see icons for portrait, landscape, macro, sports, and night portrait. Naturally, you can go all-manual whenever you choose.

The E-30 shares the Gradation settings of the E-520 and E-530. These settings, which you access through the menu, work reasonably well when used judiciously. You can switch among Off, Normal, High-Key, and Low-Key. The proprietary Gradation technology will open up a picture's shadowed areas (and tone down blown highlights) in closer approximation with what the human eye sees. In my hands-on tests, the Gradation settings brought out additional midtone detail and kept extreme darks and lights from going flat. However, Gradation is meant to be used only under certain circumstances, such as a landscape with low foreground light and high sky lighting, and it will not do you any good if you leave it on all the time. And I found that Gradation was no substitute for spot-metering of highlights in a high-contrast image, because the E-30 tended to blow out highlights in my tests.

Generally, though, the E-30 was capable of taking incredible, sharp shots outdoors at ISOs of 400 and below. The camera produced saturated but realistic landscapes (it offers Vivid, Natural, and Monochrome settings if you're in the mood to mess about). The 14mm-to-52mm lens's autofocus was quick and almost always accurate, except in low light and indoors. Regrettably, the image quality falls off from ISO 400 depending on the lighting situation, and the performance of the Live View screen also declines, losing saturation and sharpness. The noise rendered in indoor shots taken above ISO 400 was muddy. In low light, I also found that, even with the AF assist lamp, the lens hunted for focus and the shutter often fired regardless of my AF point, doing so long after the subject had moved away.

The new features and extra megapixels of the Olympus E-30 may be enough to draw some current E3 users, or people wishing to graduate from a more entry-level model. This camera, with its high degree of customizability and the good-quality optics of its kit lens, could be an attractive upgrade. However, at $1350 it's competing with the Nikon D300 and the Canon EOS 50D, and its performance is outclassed by both.

Where is Osama Bin Laden? An analysis

2009-07-26T02:09:00.002+05:30

This analysis had been made by Robert Windrem, NBC News Producer..

It isn’t a comforting assessment.

A "Western military analyst" was asked earlier this month about reports that Osama Bin Laden was seen on the slopes of K2, the world’s second highest mountain on the Pakistan-China border, or in the Khost Province of Afghanistan.

His response was stunning in both its honesty and its frustration.

"We don't have a clue where he is or even may be,” the Western analyst said. “We have had NO credible intelligence on OBL since 2001. All the rest is rumor and rubbish either whipped up by the media or churned out in the power corridors of western capitals."

In fact, say U.S. officials, the last time U.S. operatives saw Osama Bin Laden--other than in his own videos--was in the famous Predator video shot in August 2000 where he is seen walking with a security contingent near his compound at Tarnak Farms in eastern Afghanistan. The Predators had not been armed yet.

The last time the U.S. heard Osama Bin Laden was at the battle for Tora Bora, when an NSA operative overheard him giving orders on a frequency not normally monitored and not recorded. There were some initial concerns about the identification but the agency later learned from other sources and materials that indeed that had been him.

But that unfortunately is it.

There have been suggestions Bin Laden was wounded, and some speculation he has died. One piece of evidence that suggested he had been hurt was the long interval between videotaped messages from him, but those were a long time ago. A tape released around Christmas 2001--and thus after the Tora Bora battle--was later determined (through time references in the tape) to have been made about November 17, 2001. After that, there were no contemporaneous videos until the October 29, 2004, tape, the infamous one released just before the U.S. presidential election. (Don’t be surprised if he does that again; al-Qaida is very cognizant of election dates.)

Still, the US is confident about some aspects of Bin Laden’s life on the run, drawn from interrogations of other high value targets as well as notebooks and computer hard drives captured with al Qaeda officials or found after they were killed.

Where does he live?

Not in caves. The general belief, gleaned from interrogations of his compatriots, is that Bin Laden lives in one of the many mud-walled compounds that can be found along the border with Pakistan and Afghanistan. If you fly in a chopper, you will see them--large multi-walled buildings that are continually expanded. The largest ones are those of the clan leaders.

How often does he move?

Bin Laden is NOT believed to move that often, either. He does not normally change locations every night or even very frequently. He is believed to stay long periods of time--months in some instances--in one place. In some cases, al-Qaida security personnel have married into local tribes and clans, making them part of the extended family and giving Bin Laden and others additional protection. When he does move, it is not with a large convoy of trucks. (He used to be driven around in a white Mitsubishi Pajero, accompanied by white Toyota Tundras, but those days are long gone.) The latest information--and it is not current--is that he moves on motorbikes. One reason is that cars and trucks can be spotted by the roving “J-Stars” aircraft. Motorbikes cannot be as easily seen. According to Pakistani officials, Bin Laden and other al-Qaida officials move mostly late at night. In the hours after the sunset prayers, they will move into a village and take over a guesthouse in a large compound.

How is his health?

As for his health, he is 50 years old, turning 51 (according to the best estimates) in July. He does NOT have kidney failure and does NOT need dialysis. He has had kidney stones. He is also seen as somewhat of a hypochondriac. He is missing a toe, lost in a battle against the Soviets. He reportedly has an enlarged heart and chronically low blood pressure, which he treats with drugs. There is even some dispute over his height. Is he tall? Yes. Is he 6’5”? Maybe not. As one intelligence official told me, “If you see a guy who is 6’4” tall and looks like him, kill him.”

Who are his bodyguards?

His security personnel are directed by his brother-in-law and believed to include Chechen and Uzbeks as well as Arabs. And yes, there are reports that if he is about to be captured, his bodyguards have orders to “martyr” him. However, the default position of U.S. forces has always been to kill him, not capture him. Don’t expect heroic efforts to save him, as in the case of Abu Musab al Zarqawi. The same holds true for Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, Bin Laden’s deputy. The U.S. has Bin Laden’s DNA, which the Saudis provided. It’s always helpful when you have 52 siblings.

How important is he now?

The U.S. believes that OBL is more of a titular, inspirational leader, with Zawahiri as CEO and the leading philosopher. There has been some tension, the U.S. believes, between their Saudi and Egyptian underlings. The Egyptians are in charge, but virtually every counter-terrorism official we talk to notes that North Africans, particularly Libyans, are rising within what they call al-Qaida Central.

Do Bin Laden and Zawahiri travel together?

OBL and Zawahiri have not traveled together since mid 2003, for security reasons. Although the U.S. does not have a clue where OBL is, they have been able to track and target Zawahiri multiple times, by his own accounts. The most recent targeting was January 13, 2006, in Damodola in Pakistan. The U.S. fired volleys of Hellfire missiles at two guesthouses, but Zawahiri had already left. U.S. and Pakistani officials have told us that they believe he was tipped off. Zawahiri himself has admitted he was there.

Who is the next most important leader?

The U.S. has deliberately put a high priority on taking out al-Qaida’s Number Threes, killing or capturing five of them since September 11. They are the directors of international operations, the men who would organize attacks against the United States and United Kingdom. The big prize in each takedown are the computer hard drives, phonebooks and notebooks. To maintain operational security, al-Qaida requires that new courier and computer networks be formed. This obviously slows down planning. Moreover, the U.S. believes such takedowns are one of the few things that can push OBL’s security team to pick up and move. The hope is that U.S. spy planes see some of that movement.

Al Qaida’s current No. 3 is Sayed Sheikh, an Egyptian confidante of Zawahari.

Now Shahid Kapoor linked to Anushka

2009-07-26T01:52:00.007+05:30

Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor is now linked to Anushka Sharma. Shahid has started shooting of a Yash Raj flick with the actress.

According to the latest media reports, the film is being shot behind closed doors at Yash Raj Studios.

Sources close Shahid Kapoor says, “Shahid has also been SMSing her quite a lot and no one can even believe that Shahid is the same guy who just ended a relationship.”

“The film has just gone on the floors ten days ago and Shahid seems to be getting along famously with the leading lady Anushka Sharma ,” sources added.

Shahid Kapoor and Anushka Sharma have been signed by the Yash Raj Films for a yet-untitled film directed by actor-turned director Parmeet Sethi.

A source reports, “Shahid is acting in an underproduction film titled as ‘Hadippa’ for the Chopras. Shahid is paired with Rani Mukeherjee in this film.

It reports doing the rounds around Bollywood are true then the famed production banner has roped in Shahid and Anushka as lovebirds in a new, yet-to-be-titled romance story. The film will be directed by a debutant director Parmeet Sethi and the story will have Punjab as its back drop.

According to reports, Aditya Chopra instantly liked the script written by Parmeet and decided to fund the project.”

Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR digital camera

2009-07-26T01:10:00.002+05:30

Fujifilm has announced to launch its FinePix S200EXR digital camera in the market.

The 14.3x zoom lens designed for the S200EXR / S205EXR comprises 13 elements in 10 groups including aspherical and low-dispersion glass elements.

The aspherical elements ensure low distortion and superior light-gathering abilities, for outstanding performance despite the relatively small number of elements.

The low-dispersion glass elements meanwhile minimize the optical aberrations that cause color smearing and fringing when shooting at longer focal lengths.

The result is high resolution and outstanding overall imaging performance throughout the entire zoom range. A number of the elements also employ multi-coating technology to reduce reflections, minimizing ghosting and flare.

To achieve true image quality, the S200EXR / S205EXR processor employs an advanced electric charge to control the output from the Super CCD EXR sensor.

This simultaneously minimizes all forms of noise while allowing more natural colors, higher resolution, and quicker processing.

This technology also makes possible rapid continuous shooting and the new Multi Frame technology that allows the S200EXR / S205EXR to automatically align a number of separate exposures into one image.

Flying cars to be unveiled in 2011

2009-07-26T00:08:00.002+05:30

An American company Terrafugia Transition, based near Boston, is set to unveil the dual-purpose car-cum-plane vehicle called 'The Flying Car' as early as 2011. The two-seater vehicle can let you fly if you wish to avoid the congested city traffic.

If you want to drive on the road, just touch the road. The vehicle will fold up its wings in 30 seconds and transform itself into a car.

"The Flying Car" can travel up to 725 kilometres in the air at a speed of more than 115 kilometres per hour.

Fuelled by gasoline, it has front wheel drive on the road and a propeller for flight.

With its wings folded, it can be parked in your ordinary car garage.

Its initial cost is expected to be around $200,000 (nearly Rs.1 crore), says the company which has already orders for 60 vehicles.

The CEO of the company told Canadian TV (CTV) network here that they have successfully test-flown "The Flying Car" as many as 28 times.

The tests have shown that the vehicle can drive, fly and switch from being a plane to a car in just 30 seconds.

"It (testing) has been very successful," Carl Dietrich, co-founder and CEO of Terrafugia, told the television network.

He said: " We have got a very good handling vehicle and our test pilot said that the flights were just remarkably unremarkable - it just flies like a really nice, little airplane."

He said this miracle vehicle will ease problems for pilots who currently face problems like weather which sometimes doesn't allow them to take off or land.

"This vehicle allows a pilot any time, if the weather changes, to divert to the nearest airport, fold up their wings and drive safely under the weather."

Company vice president Richard Gersh told IANS: "The Transition (the name for "The Flying Car") is not designed to replace the automobile. However, it will solve transportation issues for a variety of circumstances."

Asked whether the vehicle will be mass produced one day, he said: "That is certainly a possibility, but a number of years away."

He said the vehicle will be able travel on ordinary roads.

"Our depositors represent a wide-cross section in terms of age, interests, and intended use of the vehicle. We have deposits from both experienced pilots and non-pilots who intend to earn their Sport Pilot certificate," said the vice president of Terrafugia.

Set up in 2006, Terrafugia is run by trained aeronautical engineers and MBAs from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Ericsson buys Nortel's wireless business for $1.13 bn

2009-07-26T00:03:00.002+05:30

Swedish telecom major Ericsson has bought Nortel's wireless business for $1.13 billion.

In a statement Saturday after Friday's court-monitored auction in New York, Ericsson said it has acquired Nortel's CDMA and futuristic long term evolution (LTE) technology.

LTE will allow carriers to offer cell phones with advanced features such as online gaming and video streaming.

The transaction is subject to court and regulatory approvals.

The Swedish giant said the acquisition will expand its base in North America.

"Acquiring Nortel's North American CDMA business allows us to serve this important region better as we build relationships for the future migration to LTE," said Ericsson chief executive Carl-Henric Svanberg.

"Furthermore, by adding some 2,500 highly skilled employees, of which about 400 are focussed on LTE research and development, Ericsson reinforces and expands a long-term commitment to North America," he said.

The agreement also includes CDMA contracts with North American operators such as Verizon, US Cellular, Bell Canada and Leap.

After a troubled decade, the 127-year-old Nortel went under the hammer Friday in New York to sell its wireless business. Its other divisions -- the enterprise unit and the metro Ethernet networks unit -- are also lined up for sale.

Nokia Siemens Networks with an initial offer of $650 million, American private equity firm MatlinPatterson with $725 million and Sweden's Ericsson with $730 million were in the fray.

Despite its offer of $1.1 billion, Canada's Research In Motion (RIM), the maker of BlackBerry, was shut out of the bidding process by Nortel after refusing to sign non-disclosure agreements.

An angry BlackBerry co-chief executive Jim Balsillie had even appealed to the Canadian government to stop Nortel from selling its crucial next-generation wireless technology LTE to foreign players. But analysts here suspected that the BlackBerry maker was interested only in having a peek at the crucial technology.

Nortel, which once employed 90,000 people worldwide, has been operating under bankruptcy protection since January after posting losses of $5 billion last year.

A further loss of $507 million in the first quarter of this year sank it deeper.

The telecom giant's accumulated problems -- from the bubble burst to internal accounting scandal to the current meltdown -- forced it to seek bankruptcy protection in the US and Canada this January, just ahead of its $107 million interest payment.

IPL 2010 : Ganguly captain, Wright coach of KKR

2009-07-25T23:26:00.003+05:30

Sourav Ganguly is almost certain to be reinstated as the captain while John Wright is likely to take over as the coach of Kolkata Knight Riders in the third edition of the Indian Premier League in 2010, team sources said today.

Even as an official announcement is awaited, sources said that there could be a major reshuffle with former India coach Wright likely to replace John Buchanan as Knight Riders coach, while former Australian middle-order batsman Michael Bevan will be in the coaching panel.

Sources said Ganguly would be back at the helm in 2010 when his contract with the Kolkata team ends and the iconic Bengal cricketer had a one-on-one with principal owner Shah Rukh Khan when the duo met in London to receive doctorates by the University of Central Lancashire last week.

Katrina Kaif left Salman Khan

2009-07-25T23:20:00.000+05:30

If someone is expecting Katrina Kaif with Salman Khan, they all are disappointed by the fact. She has left Salman Khan. She doesn't have a good time with the macho.

Salman Khan has tried a lot to convince her till the last minute and promised her that nothing ugly would happen any more time again but Katrina denied his proposal, by leaving him disappointed.

Last time Salman spoilt Katrina's birthday bash last year. He got into a brawl with SRK while the party was on and spoiled the celebration. Katrina seems to be in no mood to take another chance, as she has chosen to keep Salman away.

The latest move of Katrina has confused many. She said a few days ago that Salman has a great soul. Katrina also added that Salman has been her teacher and guided her all these years but she has left him in her happy moments.

Now-a-days, Salman is busy in Mumbai for his forthcoming movie “Wanted” under the direction of "Michael Jackson of India" Prabhudeva.

Canon investing Rs 200-crores in Indian market

2009-07-25T23:10:00.002+05:30

Canon the manufacturer of the digital imaging equipment in India is planning to invest up to Rs 200-crores this year for the launching of the new products and Promotions.

The president and CEO, Kensaku Konishi said that, this launching of more than hundread new products in the market is cash based investment this year for the Indian market apart from this Canon will spend about Rs 80-100-crores in advertising and promotional activities.

The Capital requirement would be fulfilled by the internal buildup and investment by Canon Singapore.

Konishi said, the company is also gazing for a growth of 20-25 per cent each year for next two years. In the last year in 2008 Canon had a turnover of Rs 665-crore and this year they are planning for revenue of Rs 800-crore.
Canon is having a good range of 200 products which includes Digital cameras, camcorders, printers, scanners, SLR cameras and photocopiers among others.

Nokia enters the market with 8 MP cell phones

2009-07-25T23:02:00.000+05:30

Nokia entered the category of high-megapixels mobile phones with Nokia N86 in the Indian market.

Nokia being the world best cell phone maker entered by carrying the competitors like Samsung and Sony Ericsson

They are providing 8-10 megapixels camera phones.

Other than 8 megapixels camera the N86 has several other high-end features too

This N86 is a dual-slide design with rounded corners. It measures 103.4mm x 51.4mm x 16.5 mm (4.1in x 2.0in x .6in) and has a display of 16 million colors.

This sporty phone has scratch-resistant glass front and fine metal body. The camera has a mechanical shutter and Automatic Motion Blur Reduction which decreases blurs nature of the image so that person can take photographs of fast-moving targets free from blurredness.

Nokia's first phone featuring an 8 megapixels camera comes with a Carl Zeiss wide angle lens, LED flash and sliding lens cover.

When we talk about storage capacity of this phone then nokia N86 has an internal memory of 8GB which can further be extended to 16GB compatible with mini SD card.

This phone works on S60 3rd edition OS. The phone also offers TV-output option so that one can see his videos, images on the television directly.

Nokia claims a battery time up to 6.9hrs for GSM and 4.5hrs for the UMTS network and a standby Up to 312 h (2G) / 264 h (3G) for N86.

The phone offers an Integrated FM Transmitter which can play up to 30 hours and dedicated music keys for music on the go.

This phone has also taken care for the gaming fans as phone offers dedicated gaming keys and some 17 pre-loaded N-Gage labels.

The Nokia has also taken care for the connection supports as Nokia N86 includes WiFi, HSDPA, Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0 and GPS.

This phone is packed with Nokia's Ovi Suite and is available in Indigo Black and White colours.

As by seeing the features and graze this phone has been M.R.P for Rs 27,359

Kingston to introduce 256GB USB Flash Drive

2009-07-25T22:51:00.001+05:30

Kingston is planning to launch his world first Data Traveler 300 USB Flash Drive which can hold up to a data of 256GB at a particular time with a good data transfer speed.

This is seen to be the first data traveler with this much capacity along with it 90% of the data of the Flash Drive can made be password protected. This password is access by the use of the new password traveler software.
Kingston's new Flash Drive (DT300) made a very easy way of storing, carry and transfer files along with this 256GB capacity Data Traveler 300 contains huge area for storing photos, music and important files.

This Password Traveler Software allows user to create and access a Password Protected Data and this secure area of the drive is said to be ‘Privacy Zone'.
This Flash Drive is available only in Far East, Europe, Middle East and Africa only.Kingston's 256GB Data Traveler 300 USB Flash Drive will soon be available in India.

Solar Eclipse view from differrent countries

2009-07-22T17:21:00.002+05:30

World beyond the stars - Space Exploration

2009-07-22T06:51:00.002+05:30

Chonmipem Horam

Human curiosity is boundless. We are forever willing to go where, so to say, angles fear to tread. The quest and the race to go beyond the known, the explored and where others have already gone, is a perennial urge.

The conquest of space, the ultimate frontier, was made possible with the development of rockets. What followed was a rapid launch of satellites, probes, space shuttles and manned missions which have travelled to the Moon and have extended our knowledge of all other planets in the Solar system.

Here's a brief recap of our exploration of different planets of the solar system.

Mercury- Scientists from USA launched a mission called 'Mariner 10'. The spacecraft reached Mercury in 1974 and collected over 10,000 images covering 57% of the planet surface. After this, US launched another mission 'Messenger Probe' in 2004. NASA's first image from Mercury probe reveals unusual dark-rimmed craters. Messenger probe is also scheduled to fly by Mercury planet in September in 2009 before it goes to orbit around the planet in 2011.

Venus- Several missions were launched by the USA and USSR scientists way back in 1960's to 1990's. While some landed successfully, others failed to reach the surface. These missions were called Venera 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16, Mariner 2, 5, Zond 1, Pioneer Venus 1(Pioneer12), Pioneer Venus 2 (Pioneer 13), Vega 1, Vega 2, Galileo, Magellan. It delivers data of the planet, obtains black and white pictures of the surface and even conducted soil analysis.

In 2005, European Space Agency launches 'Venus Express' that reached Venus in 2006. It reveals astounding detail of the planets cloud system, temperatures and chemical composition of the atmosphere.

Earth- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US launched an 'IMP-8 'spacecraft that measures Earth's magnetic fields, plasmas, cosmic rays of the sun way back in the 1970's.

In the 1990's, another mission was carried by the USA and France called 'The Ocean Topography Experiment'(TOPEX) that measures sea levels. This was followed by several missions such as Geotail, Upper Atmospheric Satellite (UARS), POLAR, WIND, Fast Auroral Snapshot (FAST) that study, analyse, and measure high altitude polar region, upper atmosphere and Earth's region.

In 2000, European Space Agency’s 'Cluster mission' was launched that started working in 2001. It gives information about Earth's magnetosphere and the effects of solar activity on the near-Earth environment.

Mars- Russian and American spacecrafts Mariner 4, 6, 7, 9 were sent to Mars in the 1960's. They captured pictures of the planet showing Mars as a barren land with no sign of life or water.

Then in 1970's, USSR sent Mars 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 to the planet. These missions studied Martian atmosphere, surface, gravity, planet's canyons and volcanoes.

In 1992, Mars Observer mission was launched but was lost due to explosion. After which NASA launched the Mars Surveyor Program comprising of Mars Pathfinder and Mars Global Surveyor.

'Mars Odyssey' was launched in 2001 by USA exploring what chemicals and minerals make up Martian surface. In 2003, European space Agency's 'Mars Express' was launched and made a number of discoveries. It studied the density of the Martian surface and detected methane in Mars’ atmosphere.

Again in 2004- '08, NASA's Rovers mission, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), Phoenix Mars Lander were launched. Rovers mission sent two Robotic rovers for exploring the sites of Mars. 'Phoenix' landed on Mars in 2008 and sent back samples of the Martian soil confirming the presence of water ice on Mars.

Jupiter- In 1970's and 80's, the USA sent mission to Jupiter such as Voyager1, 2 and Galileo. In voyager 1, 2 mission, scientists discovered that Jupiter's moon'Io' has active volcanism. Galileo went into orbit around Jupiter in 1995. It made many discoveries, it sent back pictures of Jupiter's moon 'Io', 'Europa', 'Ganymede' and 'Callsito'. It measured the atmospheric pressures, density, planet's radiation belts, volcanic activity. But this mission ended in 2003 when mission managers crashed Galileo intentionally to avoid crashing with Jupiter's moon 'Europa'. According to scientists, Jupiter is believed to have an Ocean below its surface which is capable of supporting life.

Saturn- From 1970's – 2000, NASA’s and ESA's missions such as Pioneer 11, Voyager 1, 2, and Cassini have unraveled the unexpected complexity of Saturn's rings, moons, nature of Titan's atmosphere and magnetosphere. Voyager probes confirmed the presence of Saturn's 7th ring and 9 satellites.

Cassini spacecraft is currently in orbit around Saturn studying the planet and its many moons. Recently in 2009, Cassini's camera spotted for the first time high-vertical waves on the edges of a gap in Saturn's outer ring. Mission managers are pushing to extend Cassini's flight by seven years till 2017.

Uranus- 'Voyager2' mission of the USA in 1977 discovered a strange magnetic field around Uranus caused by the tilt of the planet's axis.

Neptune- The planet, which is not visible to naked eye but can be seen through a telescope, was observed by the USA's 'Voyager 2 mission' in 1997. It discovered that the strongest winds in the solar system exists on Neptune.

Pluto- The smallest planet in the solar system was discovered in 1930 and is visible only through a telescope. In 2006, NASA launched the New Horizons probe which is expected to fly by Pluto in 2015. Besides these existing missions, space agency NASA and ESA have announced that they will conduct several more missions in future. This includes sending multiple spacecraft to explore Jupiter's ice-covered moon Europa and Saturn's shrouded moon Titan.

NASA said it will launch the spacecraft in 2020 from different spaceports with the goal of reaching Jupiter by 2026. The Saturn expedition will consist of both NASA and ESA spacecraft.

Now, a device that 'translates a dog's barks into words'

2009-07-22T06:41:00.001+05:30

Your dog will soon start talking to you, all thanks to Japanese inventors who have come up with a device that can detect a dog's emotion from its bark and translate it into human words.

The talking gadget called Bowlingual Voice is developed by Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy.

It detects six emotions in total- including sadness, joy and frustration - with a recorded repertoire of spoken phrases such as "play with me".

The revolutionary gadget comprises of a microphone placed around the dog's neck and a hand-held unit-operating device for pet owners to carry, reports The Telegraph.

When the dog barks, the microphone records the sound and transmits the data to the owner's hand-held device, which then "translates" it into what the dog is apparently suggesting.

A speech synthesizer audibly makes the owner aware of the dog's intentions, which also appears on the screen of the wireless hand-held unit.

An answering machine function can also record the dog's expressions of desire when owners are absent.

The technologically modified version of a basic model introduced seven years ago will be available for 129 pounds in Japan from next month.

The original Bowlingual translated emotions onto a screen without sound.

Earth may become 'Waterworld' if rise in sea level continues

2009-07-22T06:37:00.002+05:30

If the alarming rise in sea level is anything to go by, the fictional world depicted in the Hollywood movie 'Waterworld' may soon be a reality.

According to a report in the Telegraph, this grim picture of planet Earth has been painted by climate scientists, who say that sea-level rise is now inevitable and will happen much quicker than most of us thought - and will last for centuries.

Even if greenhouse gas emissions stopped tomorrow, the oceans will continue to swell as they warm and as glaciers or ice sheets slide into the sea.

Scientists say that the "official" estimate of sea level rise by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - 20cm to 60cm by 2100 - is misleading.

It could well be in the region of one to two metres, with a small risk of an even greater rise.

"When we talk of sea level rising by one or two metres by 2100 remember that it is still going to be rising after 2100," said climate expert Dr Eric Rignot, of California University.

According to Dr Stefan Rahmstorf, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, ""There is a very close and statistically highly significant correlation between the rate of sea level rise and the temperature increase above the pre-industrial background level."

His calculations suggest sea level will rise between 0.5 and 1.4 metres - and the higher estimate is more likely because emissions have been rising faster than the IPCC's worst case scenario.

"I sense than now a majority of sea level experts would agree with me that the IPCC projections are much too low," he said.Most of my community is comfortable expecting at least a metre by the end of this century," said Dr Robert Bindschadler, of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland.

For many islands and low lying regions including much of the Netherlands, Florida and Bangladesh even small rises will spell catastrophe.

Large parts of London, New York, Sydney and Tokyo could be among cities submerged beneath the waves unless a massive engineering effort can protect them against the waves.

Sony to release film of Jackson's final days

2009-07-22T06:27:00.002+05:30

Sony is to release a movie based on more than 80 hours of footage filmed during Michael Jackson's final days as he was rehearsing for his comeback concerts in London, trade paper Variety reported Monday.

Sony is expected to pay over $50 million for the rights to the footage, which was offered by concert promoter AEG to Hollywood film studios over the weekend.

The film will include several videos that were shot and meant to be shown during the concerts, including an alternative version of Jackson's most famous video, 'Thriller'.

'High School Musical' director Kenny Ortega, who shot the rehearsal footage, is expected to become the director of the film, which could be released before year's end.

Though Universal, Paramount and 20th Century Fox were also interested in the footage, Sony had the inside track since the studio owns the music publishing rights to Jackson's songs.

The report said that AEG is also selling TV and video rights to the tribute concert featuring Justin Timberlake and other artists, scheduled for Aug 29, on what would have been Jackson's 51st birthday.

The singers will perform the songs that the King of Pop had planned, accompanied by the band that rehearsed with him.

Total solar eclipse in four places of Assam

2009-07-22T06:24:00.001+05:30

The total solar eclipse will be visible in four places of Assam tomorrow with Dibrugarh witnessing the total phase for over three minutes. Regional Meteorological Centre''s Assistant Meteorologist R K Goswami said here today that besides Dibrugarh, the eclipse would be visible at Guwahati, Sibsagar and Silchar.

In Dibrugarh, the eclipse would begin at 5.31 am and its greatest phase be observed at 6.32 am. It would end at 7.41 am.

In Guwahati, the eclipse would begin at 5.30 am. With its greatest phase at 6.29 am, the eclipse would end at 7.36 am.

Beginning at 5.31 am in Sibsagar, the greatest phase of the eclipse would be at 6.32 am. It would end at 7.40 am here.

In Silchar, the eclipse would begin at 5.30 am with its greatest phase be observed at 6.29 am. Here the eclipse would end at 7.37 am.

The Guwahati Planetarium and Pragjyotish Astronomers'' Association have set up public observation centres at Dibrugarh University, Tezpur University, Goreswar Higher Secondary School near here.

Eclipse Effect : Major temples, including Tirupati, to close during eclipse

2009-07-22T06:22:00.000+05:30

Major Hindu temples across India will shut their doors for a day July 22 to ward off the negative energy said to be generated by the total solar eclipse, which, priests and spiritual gurus say, weaken the natural 'positive aura' of idols in shrines.

While the Venkateswara temple in Tirumala will close its gates at 9 p.m. July 21 to 8 a.m. July 22, the Lakshmi-Narayan temple in the capital, also known as the Birla Temple, will remain closed during the period of the eclipse .

'The temple usually opens at 4.30 a.m. But on Wednesday, it will open at 7.30 a.m. During the eclipse, we will keep tulsi leaves, holy water from the Ganges, kusha (grass) and rudraksha inside the sanctum as a shield. After the eclipse, we will sprinkle water from the Ganges to purify the temple before getting on with the morning rituals. The scriptures day it is inauspicious to invoke the deities during eclipse because the shadow on the sun depletes psychological strength,' Ravindra Nagar, the head priest of the Birla Temple, told IANS.

All Birla temples across the country will remain shut during the eclipse.

A statement by the Tirumala Turupati Devasthanam, which manages the famous temple at Tirupati, said 'ekantham' or service to the lord, performed in the morning, will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

The famous Sri Kanakdurga temple at Indrakeeladri hill in Vijaywada, Brahmarambika Mallikarjuna Swamyvari Devasthanam at Srisailam, Sitaramachandra Swamy temple at Bhadrachalam and Satyanarayana Swamy temple at Annavaram in Andhra Pradesh and almost all temples in Kerala will remain closed.

'However, the dhyanalinga shrines remain open. As all temples in India are energy centres, the extreme pull exerted by the combined energies of the sun, moon and the planets during solar eclipse makes it a good time for devotees to visit Dhayanlinga temples and make use of the energy. Dhyanalinga temples are usually meditation space,' spiritual guru Jaggi Vasudev, head of the spiritual organisation, Isha Foundation, told IANS from Coimbatore.

As the core of the Dhyanalinga deity, usually Lord Shiva, is solidified mercury, eclipse activates the energy centre and makes it more easily avilable to people, he explained.

In most temples across south India which will remain shut druing the eclipse, the idols and sanctums will be covered by organic material like 'grass, leaves of the neem or vila trees or raw silk shroud to prevent the natural aura from being destroyed', the seer from Coimbatore said.

Usually, deities in temples which have been consecrated by mantras and rituals have an external energy field around the form which combined pull of the sun and moon during the can weaken during the eclipse.

Why raindrops come in different sizes!

2009-07-22T06:07:00.002+05:30

The mystery why raindrops come in different sizes has puzzled scientists for years. Now, a team in France claims to have finally cracked it -- it's all due to air resistance.

For their study, researchers at Aix-Marseille University filmed a single falling drop of water -- about six millimetres in diameter -- with a high-speed camera. In fact, they recorded how air resistance caused it to deform and eventually break up.

Air resistance causes a raindrop to deform as it falls, and eventually to fragment. The large, round drop fell, gradually flattened out and, as it got wider, "captured" the air in front of it to form the shape of an upturned bag.

This bag finally "inflated" and burst apart into many smaller droplets - all within six hundredths of a second.

This happened because drops were too large and heavy to remain intact, according to the researchers.

Each large, heavy drop accelerates as it falls and "has to displace the air molecules" on its way down, explained the study's lead author Emmanuel Villermaux. "This produces the air resistance or drag."

At a certain speed, the number of air molecules -- and therefore the intensity of this drag -- is greater than the surface tension holding the round drop together, so the drop starts to deform.

"When it bursts, the fragments match exactly what we find in raindrops. This is a precise, quantitative explanation for their distribution and size," Villermaux told 'BBC News'.

The study has been published in the 'Nature Physics' journal.

Thousands throng to Bihar's Taregna for eclipse

2009-07-22T06:02:00.002+05:30

Scientists, students and nature enthusiasts prepared Tuesday for the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, while millions planned to shutter themselves indoors, giving in to superstitious myths about the phenomenon.

The eclipse will first be sighted at dawn on Wednesday in Gulf of Khambhat, just north of the metropolis of Mumbai, before being seen in a broad swath moving north and east to Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan and China.

The eclipse -- visible only in Asia -- will reach its peak at about 6:20 a.m., and will last 6 minutes and 39 seconds at its maximum point.

It is the longest such eclipse since July 11, 1991, when a total eclipse lasting 6 minutes, 53 seconds was visible from Hawaii to South America. There will not be a longer eclipse than Wednesday's until 2132.

Wednesday's eclipse will be seen for 3 minutes and 48 seconds in Taregna, where scientists say residents will have the clearest view.

Over the past week, this village has been swamped by researchers who will study scientific phenomena ranging from the behaviour of birds and other animals to atmospheric changes affected by the eclipse.

Hotels in Patna were fully booked while taxis raised their rates -- sensing a brief opportunity in the sudden interest in the village.

Scientists set up telescopes and other equipment in Taregna a day in advance to make the most of the window of opportunity provided by the eclipse.

``We are hoping to make some valuable observations on the formation of asteroids around the sun,'' Pankaj Bhama, a scientist with Science Popularization Association of Communicators and Educators, said on Tuesday.

A 10-member team of scientists from the premier Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bangalore and the Indian Air Force will be flying and filming the eclipse as it becomes visible in different parts of the country, an air force press release said.

Thousands of people lined up outside a planetarium in Patna on Tuesday to buy solar viewing goggles.

In Punjab, authorities ordered schools to begin an hour late to prevent children from venturing out and gazing at the sun.

Others saw a business opportunity: one travel agency in India scheduled a charter flight to watch the eclipse by air, with seats facing the sun selling at a premium.

Additional police and paramilitary troops were posted around Patna and Taregna after Maoist rebels called for a strike on Wednesday to protest increases in the price of gas and other essentials.

``Adequate numbers of forces have been deployed at Taregna where top scientists and researchers are gathering to view the celestial wonder,'' said R. Mallar Vizhi, a senior superintendent of police in Patna.

IAF flight to catch dark sun

2009-07-22T05:58:00.004+05:30

Four astronomers will fly in an air force plane over northern India and a larger group will use a hillside in eastern China early Wednesday to steal science attainable only from the beauty of the moon hiding the sun.

A team of four scientists from the Udaipur Solar Observatory will fly in an Indian Air Force AN-32 transport aircraft and climb above the clouds to seek an unobstructed view of the July 22 solar spectacle, the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century.

The AN-32 will take off from Agra, fly towards Khajuraho and enter the belt-shaped region of totality that stretches in India from Surat to Patna and beyond. “Monsoon clouds threaten to block the view from the ground over most parts of India,” said Shibu Mathew, a scientist from the Udaipur Solar Observatory. “High in the sky, may be able to avoid clouds,” he said.

But a trial flight into the eclipse belt early this morning didn’t look too promising, scientists said. The plane climbed up to 25,000 feet but patches of cloud persisted. “They were not ideal conditions, but we are hoping for better conditions tomorrow morning,” said P. Venkatkrishnan, director of the Udaipur Observatory.

The total solar eclipse caused by the moon’s shadow moving across the Earth many times faster than the speed of sound will begin at 6.23am in the Gulf of Cambay and pass over Surat, Indore, Bhopal, Varanasi and Patna and Arunachal Pradesh before heading into China and beyond along a path that curves over the Pacific Ocean.

Eclipse observers in India will have two disadvantages — the sun will hang low above the horizon so early in the morning and clouds may frustrate attempts to view the event.

An analysis by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration suggests that Patna with 48 per cent sunshine is the best place to watch the eclipse in India.

But clouds aren’t expected to be a problem at Anji, a hillside near Hangzhou in eastern China where 16 astronomers from India have joined scientists from the US, Europe and Asia for a clearer and longer view of the eclipse.

Satellites and space-based telescopes now provide enormous data about the sun, but there are some observations that can be done only during a total solar eclipse, Venkatkrishnan told The Telegraph.

Scientists say the beauty of the total solar eclipse allows them to capture images of the corona — the superhot material around the sun — whose high temperature is an unresolved solar mystery. At other times it is not easy to study the corona because of the sun's brightness.

“There’s this big puzzle about the corona that has yet to be resolved,” said Harish Bhat, dean at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore. The temperature of the surface of the sun is about 6000°C, but the temperature of the corona is more than a million°C.

Scientists know that magnetic fields somehow contribute to the corona’s high temperature. “During an eclipse, we’re trying to get observations that will help us understand the mechanism of this heating,” said Venkatkrishnan.

While the totality interval -- the period during which the moon completely blocks the solar orb — in India will last about 3 minutes, the period of totality in Anji will last for 5 minutes 38 seconds.

“We’ve got a favourable forecast and we’re hopeful of seeing the eclipse clearly," Siraj Hasan, director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, told The Telegraph tonight from Anji.

This patch of land the size of a football field in eastern China will at dawn on Wednesday turn into the world’s busiest solar observatory. Anji is also hosting scientists from Udaipur and another Indian observatory. It has also drawn scientists from Azerbaijan, France, South Korea and the US — in addition to Chinese teams.

World view from 114 floor tall building

2009-07-21T22:22:00.003+05:30

This is the world view from dubai's 114 floor,one of the tallest building. The picture was taken when construction work of the building was going on. Even you can see the employee involved in working,in this picture. The Special feature of this picture is,this shows the curve shape,indicating the world end. The entire world can be seen from one building's top and also shows the earth shape curve,is the highlight feature of the image..

Soon, compulsory registration for students going abroad

2009-07-21T16:34:00.000+05:30

Calling for stringent action against recruiting agencies cheating Indian students with false offers, Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said the Centre is planning to introduce compulsory registration system for those studying abroad.

Consultancy and recruiting agencies offering higher education and part-time jobs to Indian students abroad were engaged in another form of visa fraud, the Minister told reporters after inaugurating the Aluva Press Forum office in Aluva.

"The students are cheated by recruiting agencies by giving false offers that they can take up jobs to earn $1200 per month while continuing their studies. Most of the students are underpaid and living in pathetic conditions," he said.

Police should take stringent steps by registering cases against fraud consultancy and recruiting agencies under IPC for cheating, he said.

Referring to the attacks on Indian students in Australia, he said compulsory registration would help in tracing students in any distress situation and extending help expeditiously.

Presently, the voluntary registration scheme is in force for Indian students studying abroad.

Indian embassies in US and Australia have been instructed to launch websites to ensure smooth sailing of the registration process.

The Minister sought the state government's assistance in providing information about the expatriates returning from abroad, especially from the Gulf.

He also said the Centre was committed to helping the state government especially during natural calamities.

The MPs from Kerala have apprised the Agricultural Minister of the crop damage in the rains. However, due to the infighting in the CPM, the state administration has come to halt delaying the completion of formalities for availing Central assistance, Ravi alleged.