Anishkumar B

Linux File System

2025-04-01T21:51:00.000+05:30

Windows PowerToys: Power Up Your Workflow with Free Utilities

2023-09-29T13:17:00.002+05:30

Windows PowerToys: Power Up Your Workflow with Free Utilities

Windows PowerToys is a set of utilities and tools designed to enhance the user experience on Windows operating systems. Developed by Microsoft, PowerToys offers a collection of handy features and shortcuts that can significantly improve productivity and customization options for Windows users. Here's a closer look at some of the key aspects of PowerToys and how you can make the most out of this powerful software suite:

1. Launcher:

PowerToys' Launcher is a fast and efficient way to launch applications, files, and folders on your Windows system. To use it, you can press Alt + Space by default (you can customize this shortcut) to bring up the Launcher. As you start typing, it dynamically filters and displays results, allowing you to quickly launch the desired item. You can use arrow keys to navigate through the search results and press Enter to launch the selected item.

What makes Launcher powerful is its extensibility. You can use plugins to extend its functionality. For instance, you can use web search plugins to directly search the internet from the Launcher.

2. FancyZones:

FancyZones is a window manager utility that helps you create custom window layouts on your desktop. When you drag a window, it will automatically snap into the specified zones. You can define different layouts for different tasks. For example, you could have a layout for video editing with a large space for your editing software, a zone for your file explorer, and another for your web browser.

FancyZones is highly customizable. You can create your own layouts or choose from predefined ones. This tool is especially beneficial for users who work with multiple applications simultaneously, allowing for a more organized and efficient workspace.

3. PowerRename:

PowerRename is a Windows Shell Extension for bulk renaming files. With PowerRename, you can search for specific text within file names, replace it with another text, or even use regular expressions for advanced renaming tasks. This is incredibly useful when you have a large set of files with inconsistent naming conventions and you want to standardize them.

4. Image Resizer:

The Image Resizer tool is a simple yet effective way to resize images. You can right-click on one or more images and select 'Resize pictures' from the context menu. This opens a dialog where you can choose from predefined sizes or set a custom size for the images. It's a quick solution for resizing images without having to open an image editing software.

5. Keyboard Manager:

Keyboard Manager is a powerful tool for remapping keys and creating custom shortcuts. You can remap keys so that pressing one key produces the effect of another key. This is particularly useful if you have a non-standard keyboard layout or if there are specific keys you rarely use and want to assign them different functions.

6. PowerToys Run:

PowerToys Run is a simpler version of Launcher. When activated (by default, it's Alt + Space), you can start typing the name of an application, file, or folder, and PowerToys Run will display the best match. It's a lightweight and fast alternative to the full-featured Launcher, perfect for users who prefer a more minimalistic approach.

7. Color Picker:

The Color Picker tool allows you to identify the color code of any pixel on your screen. When active, you can hover your mouse over any part of your screen, and it will show you the color information. This is especially useful for designers and developers who need to match colors precisely, ensuring consistency in their projects.

In summary, Windows PowerToys provides a comprehensive set of utilities that cater to different user needs, ranging from quick application launching and window management to file renaming and color picking. Its customization options and user-friendly interface make it a valuable addition to any Windows user's toolkit, enhancing productivity and streamlining various tasks.

Conclusion

Windows PowerToys stands as a versatile and indispensable toolkit for Windows users seeking to enhance their productivity and customization options. Its array of features, from the efficient Launcher and organized window management with FancyZones to the streamlined file operations through PowerRename, cater to a wide spectrum of user needs. The ability to resize images swiftly, remap keys with Keyboard Manager, and precisely pick colors with ease adds further value.

PowerToys' strength lies not only in its diverse functionalities but also in its user-friendly design, making these powerful tools accessible to both casual users and power users. By empowering users to streamline workflows, organize desktops, and simplify complex tasks, PowerToys significantly enriches the Windows experience. As an ever-evolving project backed by Microsoft, users can expect regular updates and compatibility with the latest Windows versions, ensuring a reliable and continually improving toolset for optimizing their Windows workflow. Whether you're a designer, developer, or simply someone looking to boost efficiency, Windows PowerToys stands as an invaluable companion, offering a smoother and more tailored Windows experience.

5 Amazing Sites that Pay $50 to $500 per Article

2023-02-02T11:36:00.001+05:30

5 Amazing Sites that Pay $50 to $500 per Article

Are you looking for websites where you may begin writing internet articles for pay? If you earn a living writing articles, you can work from home. There are fresh job advertisements that enable article writers to earn money every day. Being able to write and earn money online can be immensely gratifying. You can choose to work with the customers or websites that most interest you.
You'll discover that freelancing work portals are really helpful because employers frequently post new positions. Simply register as a writer and browse job posts is all that is required.

#1. Strong Whispers: $50 — $150

A variety of articles regarding culture, the environment, and other social issues are available to users of Strong Whispers. The spectrum is broad. Your involvement is unlimited. Various topics can be covered in articles, such as corporate greed, education reform, a shift in global leadership, and letting the people govern and decide how we treat the environment and exploit resources. You can write article write articles about the culture, environment social issues and you will get paid $50 to $150 per article based on article quality. Although article earnings are flexible, they normally range from $50 to $150 for each piece published. For the perfect content, they are willing to pay extra, and the website wants to publish two to three guest posts each month.

#2. Cracked.com: $100 — $200

In essence, Cracked.com is a humor website. Cracked.com is an excellent opportunity to make some additional money writing articles if you’re humorous, smart, or creative. No prior knowledge is required. This is a fantastic way to monetize your blog, provided the content is quality. You can speak with the editors directly. They publish articles, photoshopped images, infographics, and videos. You may choose. When you sign up for the website, selecting the writer’s workshop takes you to the message board where authors can submit their writings. They typically pay $100 at the time of writing. But they pay you $200 when you complete your five post.

#3. Michelle Pippin: $50 — $150

Michelle Pippin is seeking for content that will aid small businesses in boosting their revenue, stature, or impact. A large audience can get Michelle Pippin’s crisp and excellent business and marketing articles. This can be a site to take into consideration if you have any original writing, a brilliant concept, or a hack for the business or marketing area. While the site primarily focuses on women in business, it also offers a balanced selection of articles on marketing, case studies, entrepreneurial resources, and articles on profit. It also often updates with news stories about the business world. The website has a sizable audience and offers a diverse selection of content on marketing and business. Your articles should go beyond the bare minimum, but they shouldn’t be overly technical as if they were being written for a peer-reviewed publication. Michelle will count on you to do the research, and if it gets published and seen by her members-only audience (which is a print edition), you’ll probably get paid more. The average business or marketing post on the site has roughly 800 words.

#4. Watch Culture: $25 — $500

Each month, Watch Culture makes its news, commentary, and entertainment coverage available to millions of users worldwide. As a UK-based online publication, it covers the current zeitgeist. Numerous writers make money every day by submitting articles on a variety of topics to their steadily growing five million monthly readerships, including film, music, gaming, sports, television, and more. Every single week, contributors upload several hundred stories, some of which you may occasionally hear on Sky News, Metro Radio, BBC Radio, Dublin FM, and in the major newspapers. Their pay rate range from $25 to $500.

#5. Wow Women on Writing: $50–100

Wow, Women on Writing excels at one thing: caring for female writers, supporting them, and truly trying to provide possibilities for aspiring freelancers. Their varied audience is committed to delivering top-notch content for women. Wow, Women concentrate on freelance work, entrepreneurialism, and education. The articles are typically in-depth and created to assist writers in honing their craft and showcasing their work. You can choose to request payment via Paypal or, if you are in the USA, via check. Read other Wow Articles first. You should be familiar with the website’s tone. The website is enlightening, informal, and enthusiastic about exposing excellent writers. Make sure you are not simply rewriting their content or revising an old concept. Be innovative. A 3,000-word feature article can earn you up to $150 from Wow.

Format a USB drive using the diskpart utility in Windows

2022-12-21T11:40:00.002+05:30

1. Open the command prompt as an administrator by clicking on the Start menu, typing "command prompt", and then right-clicking on the Command Prompt icon and selecting "Run as administrator".
2. Type the command diskpart and press Enter. This will launch the diskpart utility.
3. Type the command list disk and press Enter. This will list all of the disks attached to your computer.
4. Identify the disk number of the USB drive you want to format. You can use the size of the disk or the label (if it has one) to determine which disk is the correct one.
5. Type the command select disk X, where X is the disk number of the USB drive. Press Enter.
6. Type the command clean and press Enter. This will delete all partitions on the USB drive and create a single unallocated space.
7. Type the command create partition primary and press Enter. This will create a new primary partition on the USB drive.
8. Type the command format fs=ntfs quick and press Enter. This will format the partition using the NTFS file system and perform a quick format.
9. Type the command assign and press Enter. This will assign a drive letter to the USB drive.
10. Type the command exit and press Enter to exit the diskpart utility.
You can use the diskpart utility to perform various other operations on disks and partitions, such as creating and deleting partitions, extending and shrinking partitions, and setting active partitions. You can use the help command to get a list of available commands and options.

10 Facts about Christmas

2022-12-21T09:27:00.000+05:30

1) Christmas is a Christian festival that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe was the son of God. For most people, it takes place every year on 25 December – the day that the Roman Catholic Church chose to mark Jesus’ birthday. But, in fact, no one actually knows the exact date Jesus was born.

2) Did you know that not all Christians celebrate Christmas on the same day? In countries with large populations of Orthodox Christians*, such as Russia, the Ukraine and Romania, Christmas Day falls on 7 January. Some Greek Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on 7 January, too. 3) The name ‘Christmas’ comes from the old English phrase Cristes maesse, which means ‘Christ’s mass’. But what about ‘Xmas’? Lots of people think this is just a modern-day abbreviation – but it actually dates back to the 16th century! The ‘X’ is said to represent the Greek letter ‘Chi’– the first letter in the Greek word for Christ, Χριστός (pronounced ‘Christos’).

4) Come Christmas, people around the world enjoy all kinds of jolly-good fun! Many of the festive traditions we have in the UK today came about in the Victorian era – such as Christmas cards, gift-giving and crackers, as well as traditional foods like mince pies and roast turkey! Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert were huge fans of Christmas, in fact!
5) Christmas trees also became popular in Victorian Britain. But these were first seen in 16th Century Germany where, at Christmas time, people decorated fir trees with fruit and nuts – and later sweets, paper shapes and candles. Amazingly, historians think the origins of this festive tradition may date back to the Romans and Ancient Egyptians, who used evergreen plants and garlands as symbols of everlasting life. Wow!

6) Check this out – every year, Norway sends a beautiful home-grown Christmas tree to London, where it is decorated with lights in Trafalgar Square. Standing a towering 20m tall, the terrific tree is a gift to say thank you for the help the UK gave Norway during World War II. What a tree-mendous gift!
7) We can’t talk about Christmas without a mention to the big bearded, rosy-cheeked jolly man… Father Christmas! But have you wondered how he got the name Santa Claus? It’s from Sinterklaas, which means Saint Nicholas in Dutch, the language of the Netherlands. St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop who lived in the 4th century – known for being kind and generous, he later became the patron saint of children.
8) But Santa isn’t the only Christmas character – there are many more around the world! In Italy, for example, a kind witch called La Befana is said to fly around on a broomstick delivering toys to children! And in Iceland, children leave shoes under the window for 13 mischievous trolls called the Yule Lads. If the child has been good, they’ll find sweets in their shoe – but if they’ve been bad, the Yule lads will leave them a rotten potato.
9) We all love to sing along to Jingle Bells, but have you ever noticed that the song doesn’t have the word Christmas in it? Or Jesus or Santa Claus? That’s because it wasn’t originally a Christmas song! In fact, the jolly anthem was written in 1850, entitled One Horse Open Sleigh, for the American holiday, Thanksgiving!
10) Now, imagine if there was no Christmas. Does it feel quite strange? Sad, perhaps? Well, believe it or not, in 1644 Christmas celebrations were made illegal in England, and soon after, in the English Colonies in America, too! At that time, members of the government felt that the religious meaning of Christmas had been forgotten, and so banned the holiday festivities. Some people still celebrated in secret, however, until Christmas was once again legal… almost 20 years later!

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Why Lionel Messi knows as GOAT

2022-12-20T10:53:00.000+05:30

Lionel Messi is often referred to as the GOAT, which stands for "Greatest of All Time," in reference to his outstanding skills and achievements as a professional soccer player. Messi has won numerous individual and team accolades during his career, including 10 La Liga titles, 6 Copa del Rey titles, and 4 UEFA Champions League titles with FC Barcelona. He has also won the Ballon d'Or, an award given to the best soccer player in the world, a record 6 times. In addition to his success at the club level, Messi has also had a highly successful international career, representing Argentina in numerous major tournaments like 2021 Copa América, Finalissima 2022 and 2022 FIFA World Cup. His exceptional talent, combined with his consistent performances at the highest level, have earned him widespread recognition as one of the greatest soccer players of all time.

Coronavirus Masks: Types, Protection

2020-05-26T10:19:00.001+05:30

How to install and work koplayer in windows|Android Emulator|

2016-11-21T23:04:00.000+05:30

Preparing for an interview

2015-03-03T12:16:00.000+05:30

Foods that melt fat

2015-03-03T12:13:00.001+05:30

Are you ready for your first home robot..? Meet Pepper

2014-06-21T16:59:00.000+05:30

The path to mainstream home robots is strewn with the battery-drained corpses of AIBO and lesser-known, Dalek-esque robots like Wakamaru. But now Japan's SoftBank, flush from the purchase of Sprint, has introduced its robot game changer, teaming up with Aldebaran Robotics (the team behind NAO) to make sure it gets it right. This is Pepper-kun. He's adorable... and a bit of a ditz. Is it finally time, like it was for the home PC, for the home robot revolution?

Those eyes

Pepper's giant eyes are designed to look at you wherever you are -- like the Mona Lisa. Creepy side-glances abound, but I was surprised at how comfortable I soon became when interacting with the 3-foot, 11-inch robot. The diminutive size and big eyes project that kawaii ("cute") aura that Japan loves. There's some manga-inspired design here, and it goes against the efforts to design more human-looking robots, which then inevitably tumble into the uncanny valley: Is it human? Is it a machine? It's like how parts of Blade Runner and Hiroshi Ishiguro's Geminoids might weird you out. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son talked about how he was inspired by Astro Boy, an Osamu Tezuka creation from over 50 years ago.

Fortunately, SoftBank's Pepper sidesteps that weirdness: It's designed to be inoffensive and lovable. Inside those black holes are an infrared sensor and a detector: This measures 3D depth. On the top of the head, there are four mics for directional sensitivity and a pair of speakers distributed between the ears. Confusingly, in the mouth, there's one of two high-definition cameras; the other resides between the eyes. There are touch sensors in the head and hands, as well as three bump sensors in the base. (I'll get to those; I'm working my way down.) This particular Pepper is the model that'll be working part-time in SoftBank's phone stores, although I'm told the hardware will be nearly identical to the ones the carrier will offer for sale early next year.

That voice

Pepper speaks in childlike Japanese. The software behind it can speak and detect French, English and Spanish, but again, this is the robot that'll be working phone stores in Japan, where there's not a huge need for foreign-language skills at the moment. Pepper's "personality" features a love of cheesy jokes, but you'd probably have to appreciate that Japanese humor to get most of it. Still, it's a nice touch.

SoftBank's spokesman tells me there's a difference to the behavior between the shop-centric model (Pepper starts a lot of conversations and wants to play a lot of games), and the eventual home robot. The latter will base a lot of its interactions on established information and on face detection -- it'll know who it's talking to. Less small talk and gags and more "Don't forget your umbrella," "Are you feeling okay?"-type interactions. SoftBank is reiterating Pepper's ability to read into what you're saying emotionally, from a light-and-friendly "No," to an aggressive one. The meaning is different, and Aldebaran Robotics' boss told our Japanese colleagues that it can typically tell the difference if you say, "Yes," but your heart (and probably your face and intonation) says, "No."

Pepper, though, asks if he can join your family, asks what kind of person you are. It's friendly small talk, but it's also tinged with a hint of impatience. If he can't understand your roughly pronounced Japanese (sorry), he'll move on to a new question, or ignore you outright. But I don't feel all that offended; I feel like Pepper's still learning -- he's still a kid and I humor him. Maybe it's the way he talks, or the fact that he's a couple of feet shorter than me, but I forgive him for it, and that might be how it worms its way into Japanese homes.

The hands

They aren't going to pick up anything anytime soon. As you might have seen in the intro video, the hands, nay arms, are surprisingly fluid and Pepper's numerous poses are quite natural. There's a degree of give to the hands' movement too: They've been designed to be soft and pliable, because kids. Children can get excitable and they run around a lot. So to avoid poked eyes and subsequent tears, the fingers are bendable, while joints are surrounded by flexible rubber so that they don't pinch if a hand gets trapped in there. The whole body is a combination of gentle curves and SoftBank colors (white and light gray -- it's all very interior design-friendly).

There are touch sensors on the arms, as well as the head. But during our first meeting, it was the head patting that got Pepper's attention most. I'd love for Pepper to have the ability to hold our keys or umbrella while we prepare to go out, for example. I want my robot butler.

The leg(s)

It's not a bipedal robot. ASIMO is safe for now. It's something Son mentioned at Pepper's debut, but it is a fact that wheel-based robots are far more energy efficient. SoftBank pegs the battery life of its newest sales assistant at around 12 hours. A combination of three specially designed wheels allow it to rotate on the spot, reverse and generally navigate its environment. To help, there are three bumper sensors and a trio of paired laser sensors augmented with sonar. This doesn't just avoid collisions, but also ensures that it can maintain a degree of distance -- you can keep your personal space. And if bipedal is your dream robot form, Aldebaran Robotics does have one in development.

The point

do you expect Pepper to do? That's the next challenge for SoftBank. It doesn't offer much in the way of manual labor or cleaning, but it definitely, unwaveringly, offers a glimpse into the sociable future of robots. Imagine Siri's savvy with Pepper's expressiveness and, er, Boston Dynamics' maneuverability -- that's probably the future.

But will it be a commercial success? By installing these robots in its stores (four at the moment, but rolling out further later this month), it could become a familiar sight in Japan -- and that's what Pepper will need if SoftBank's expecting normal people to stump up its 198,000 yen asking price. SoftBank's CEO Son said, "It's the first step," and the core part to this is its affordability. It may not be cheap in the world of phones and tablets, but nor is it out of this world (or your wallet). For a humanoid robot that wants to talk, $1,900 is a bargain.

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How to fix a corrupt user profile in Windows: The User Profile Service failed the logon

2014-06-05T10:56:00.000+05:30

How to fix a corrupt user profile in Windows

Corrupt user profiles are a frustratingly common problem with Windows and there are various problems and solutions depending on the exact error message you receive. Here we show you how to recover from a corrupt user profile by either fixing the problem or creating a new account and transferring your user data across to the new profile.

When you type your password and press Enter, you will typically see the error message “The User Profile Service failed the logon” and “The user profile cannot be loaded”, and you’ll be returned to the logon screen.

WARNING: Some people have lost files by using Method 1 below, so create a backup of your hard disk, or just files you cannot afford to lose before trying anything which involves editing the Windows Registry. There are various programs which will allow you to make a copy of your entire disk, but you will need a second disk with sufficient capacity, and may even need a second PC or laptop in order to copy the disk (if you can't boot into Windows). You should also make a backup of the Registry itself from Safe Mode before you start. These instructions are provided as a last resort, and we recommend you try Method 2 - below - before trying Method 1.

Method 1: Fix a corrupt profile

Microsoft says that a user profile can become corrupted if your antivirus software is scanning your PC while you try to log on, but it could also be caused by other things.

A quick fix can be to restart your PC, but if this doesn’t work you’ll need to restart again and boot into Safe mode. Do this by pressing F8 before you see the Windows loading screen and choosing Safe Mode from the menu that appears.

Safe Mode logs you into the built-in Windows administrator account, but you might find that some options don’t work.

Step 1. To fix the user profile, click Start and type regedit into the search box and press Enter.

Step 2. Registry Editor will launch and you need to navigate to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

Step 3. Click each S-1-5 folder and double-click the ProfileImagePath entry to find out which user account it relates to. (If your folder name ends with .bak or .ba follow Microsoft's instructions to rename them.)

If you can't see any file extensions at all, follow our instructions to display Windows file extensions.

Step 4. Once you have located the folder for the corrupt profile (and it doesn’t have a .bak ending), double-click RefCount and change the Value data to 0 and click Ok.

Step 5. Now double-click on State and make sure the Value data is again 0 and click Ok.

Step 6. Close regedit and restart your PC. You should now be able to log into your account.

Method 2. Create a new user profile

If you have a second account on your PC which you can log in to, you may be able to use this account to follow the steps below to create a new user account.

However, if there is no other account, boot into Safe Mode (as described above) and try to follow the steps. If that still doesn’t work, you need to enable the hidden admin account. To do this, type cmd in the search box and then right-click on Command Prompt in the list of results and choose Run as administrator.

Now type the following at the prompt:

net user administrator /active:yes

The response should be: The command completed successfully. Now reboot your PC and you should see an Administrator account as well as your corrupt account. Log into the admin account (there’s no password) and follow the steps below:

Step 1. Open Control Panel and click User Accounts and Family Safety (or similar). Click on User Accounts.

Step 2. Click Manage another account and type in the password (if prompted).

Step 3. Click Create a new account and type the name. This must be different from the account which is corrupt, but you can rename the account later on if you want to have the same name as before.

Step 4. Restart your PC.

My New Blog : : :

http://tipsandtricksworld4all.blogspot.in/

2013-05-06T11:05:00.000+05:30

10 Upcoming Technology That May Change The World

We have seen great leaps in digital technology in past the past five years. Smart phones, cloud computing, multi-touch tablets, these are all innovations that revolutionized the way we live and work. However, believe it or not, we are just getting started. Technology will get even better. In the future, we could live like how people in science fiction movies did.

Today’s post is about 10 upcoming, real-life products that is set to revolutionize the world as we know it. Get ready to control the desktop and slice Ninja fruits with your eyes. Get ready to print your own creative physical product. Get ready to dive into the virtual world, and interact with them. Come unfold the future with us.

1.Google Glass

Augmented Reality has already gotten into our life in the forms of simulated experiment and education app, but Google is taking it several steps higher with Google Glass. Theoretically, with Google Glass, you are able to view social media feeds, text, Google Maps, as well as navigate with GPS and take photos. You will also get the latest updates while you are on the ground.

It’s truly what we called vision, and it’s absolutely possible given the fact that the Google’s co-founder, Sergey Brin has demo’ed the glass with skydivers and creatives. Currently the device is only available to some developers with the price tag of $1500, but expect other tech companies trying it out and building an affordable consumer version.

2 . Form 1

Just as the term suggests, 3D printing is the technology that could forge your digital design into a solid real-life product. It’s nothing new for the advanced mechanical industry, but a personal 3D printer is definitely a revolutionary idea.

Everybody can create their own physical product based on their custom design, and no approval needed from any giant manufacturer! Even the James Bond’s Aston Martin which was crashed in the movie was a 3D printed product!

Form 1 is one such personal 3D printer which can be yours at just $2799. It may sound like a high price but to have the luxury of getting producing your own prototypes, that’s a reaonable price.

Imagine a future where every individual professional has the capability to mass produce their own creative physical products without limitation. This is the future where personal productivity and creativity are maximized.

3. Oculus Rift

Virtual Reality gaming is here in the form of Oculus Rift. This history-defining 3D headset lets you mentally feel that you are actually inside a video game. In the Rift’s virtual world, you could turn your head around with ultra-low latency to view the world in high resolution display.

There are premium products in the market that can do the same, but Rift wants you to enjoy the experience at only $300, and the package even comes as a development kit. This is the beginning of the revolution for next-generation gaming.

The timing is perfect as the world is currently bombarded with the virtual reality topic that could also be attributed to Sword Art Online, the anime series featuring the characters playing games in an entirely virtual world. While we’re getting there, it could take a few more years to reach that level of realism. Oculus Rift is our first step.

4.Leap Motion

Multi-touch desktop is a (miserably) failed product due to the fact that hands could get very tired with prolonged use, but Leap Motion wants to challenge this dark area again with a more advanced idea. It lets you control the desktop with fingers, but without touching the screen.

It’s not your typical motion sensor, as Leap Motion allows you to scroll the web page, zoom in the map and photos, sign documentss and even play a first person shooter game with only hand and finger movements. The smooth reaction is the most crucial key point here. More importantly, you can own this future with just $70, a price of a premium PS3 game title!

If this device could completely work with Oculus Rift to simulate a real-time gaming experience, gaming is going to get a major make-over.

5 Eye Tribs

Eye tracking has been actively discussed by technology enthusiasts throughout these years, but it’s really challenging to implement. But Eye Tribe actually did this. They successfully created the technology to allow you to control your tablet, play flight simulator, and even slice fruits in Fruit Ninja only with your eye movements.

It’s basically taking the common eye-tracking technology and combining it with a front-facing camera plus some serious computer-vision algorithm, and voila, fruit slicing done with the eyes! A live demo was done in LeWeb this year and we may actually be able to see it in in action in mobile devices in 2013.

Currently the company is still seeking partnership to bring this sci-fi tech into the consumer market but you and I know that this product is simply too awesome to fail.

6. SmartThings

The current problem that most devices have is that they function as a standalone being, and it require effort for tech competitors to actually partner with each other and build products that can truly connect with each other. SmartThings is here to make your every device, digital or non-digital, connect together and benefit you.

With SmartThings you can get your smoke alarms, humidity, pressure and vibration sensors to detect changes in your house and alert you through your smartphone! Imagine the possibilities with this.

You could track who’s been inside your house, turn on the lights while you’re entering a room, shut windows and doors when you leave the house, all with the help of something that only costs $500! Feel like a tech lord in your castle with this marvel.

7. Firefox OS

iOS and Android are great, but they each have their own rules and policies that certainly inhibit the creative efforts of developers. Mozilla has since decided to build a new mobile operating system from scratch, one that will focus on true openness, freedom and user choice. It’s Firefox OS.

Firefox OS is built on Gonk, Gecko and Gaia software layers – for the rest of us, it means it is built on open source, and it carries web technologies such as HTML5 and CSS3.

Developers can create and debut web apps without the blockade of requirements set by app stores, and users could even customize the OS based on their needs. Currently the OS has made its debut on Android-compatible phones, and the impression so far, is great.

You can use the OS to do essential tasks you do on iOS or Android: calling friends, browsing web, taking photos, playing games, they are all possible on Firefox OS, set to rock the smartphone market.

8. Project Fiona

Meet the first generation of the gaming tablet. Razer’s Project Fiona is a serious gaming tablet built for hardcore gaming. Once it’s out, it will be the frontier for the future tablets, as tech companies might want to build their own tablets, dedicated towards gaming, but for now Fiona is the only possible one that will debut in 2013.

This beast features next generation Intel® Core i7 processor geared to render all your favorite PC games, all at the palm of your hands. Crowned as the best gaming accessories manufacturer, Razer clearly knows how to build user experience straight into the tablet, and that means 3-axis gyro, magnetometer, accelerometer and full-screen user interface supporting multi-touch. My body and soul are ready.

9. Parallella

Parallella is going to change the way that computers are made, and Adapteva offers you chance to join in on this revolution. Simply put, it’s a supercomputer for everyone. Basically, an energy-efficient computer built for processing complex software simultaneously and effectively. Real-time object tracking, holographic heads-up display, speech recognition will become even stronger and smarter with Parallella.

The project has been successfully funded so far, with an estimated delivery date of February 2013. For a mini supercomputer, the price seems really promising since it’s magically $99! It’s not recommended for the non-programmer and non-Linux user, but the kit is loaded with development software to create your personal projects.

I never thought the future of computing could be kick-started with just $99, which is made possible using crowdfunding platforms.

10. Google Driverless Car

I could still remember the day I watch the iRobot as a teen, and being skeptical about my brother’s statement that one day, the driverless car will become reality. And it’s now a reality, made possible by… a search engine company, Google.

While the data source is still a secret recipe, the Google driverless car is powered by artificial intelligence that utilizes the input from the video cameras inside the car, a sensor on the vehicle’s top, and some radar and position sensors attached to different positions of the car. Sounds like a lot of effort to mimic the human intelligence in a car, but so far the system has successfully driven 1609 kilometres without human commands!

“You can count on one hand the number of years it will take before ordinary people can experience this.” Google co-founder, Sergey Brin said. However, innovation is an achievement, consumerization is the headache, as Google currently face the challenge to forge the system into an affordable gem that every worker with an average salary could benefit from.

Source: http://www.hongkiat.com

Windows 8 : Consumer Preview

2012-10-29T10:44:00.003+05:30

Windows 8 : Consumer Preview

Windows 8 Description

The next generation of Windows, a re-imagining of the operating system from the chip to the experience

This is a detailed preview of the next major release of Windows, code-named "Windows 8". From the chipset to the user experience, Windows 8 brings a new range of capabilities without compromise.

Windows 8 is designed to be the first Windows client to support systems on a chip (SoC) architectures, including ARM, and since it will be pre-installed on a range of next generation devices, it will also feature Metro, a NUI + GUI interface on the surface combined with a new application platform under-the-hood designed to enable the creation of immersive experiences.

The latest iteration of Microsoft's operating system brings an innovative new platform and tools to developers. Windows 8 apps can use a broad set of new libraries and controls, designed for fluid interaction and seamless connectivity. Apps can add new capabilities to Windows and to other apps, connecting with one another through the new interface.

Touch-First User Interface

· Metro style - Windows 8 introduces a new Metro style interface built for touch, which shows information important to you, embodies simplicity and gives you control. The Metro style UI is equally at home with a mouse and keyboard as well.

· Touch-first browsing, not just browsing on a touch device - Providing a fast and fluid touch-browsing experience, Internet Explorer 10 puts sites at the center on new Windows 8 devices.

More Ways to Engage With Powerful, Connected Apps

· Powered by apps - Metro style apps built for Windows 8 are the focal point of your experience, filling your entire screen so there are no distractions.

· Apps can work together - Apps communicate with each other in Windows 8. For example, you can easily select and email photos from different places, such as Facebook, Flickr or on your hard drive.

· Your experience syncs across your devices - Live roams all the content from the cloud services you use most — photos, email, calendar and contacts — keeping them up-to-date on your devices. With SkyDrive, you can access your files, photos and documents from virtually anywhere with any browser or with Metro style apps in Windows 8.

Enhanced Fundamentals

· The best of Windows 7, only better - Windows 8 is built on the rock-solid foundation of Windows 7, delivering improvements in performance, security, privacy and system reliability. Windows 8 reduces the memory footprint needed - even on the lowest-end hardware - leaving more room for your apps.

· Preserving power-user favorites and making them better - For those who push the limits of their PC, Windows 8 features an enhanced Task Manager and Windows Explorer and new, flexible options for multimonitor setups.

New Developer Opportunities

· Windows Store - The Windows Store will allow developers to sell their apps anywhere Windows is sold worldwide, whether they’re creating new games or familiar productivity tools.

· Build using more languages - Windows 8 lets you leverage your existing skills and code assets to create great experiences using the programming language you prefer.

· Rich hardware integration leads to richer experiences, particularly for games - DirectX 11 gaming power underlies Windows 8, allowing the easy creation of full-screen games with smooth, flicker-free action.

New Generation of Hardware

· One Windows - many shapes and sizes - Support for ARM-based chipsets, x86 (as well as x32 and x64) devices, touch and sensors means Windows 8 works beautifully across a spectrum of devices, from 10-inch tablets and laptops to all-in-ones with 27-inch high-definition screens.

· Always connected - With Windows 8, new ultrathin PCs and tablets turn on instantly, run all day on a single charge and stay connected to the Internet so your PC is ready when you are. Next-generation system on a chip (SoC) support will also enable greatly extended standby and low-power states.

· Tap the full power of your PC - Windows 8 runs on PCs and is compatible with the devices and programs you use today on Windows 7, without compromise, to deliver the performance you expect of a PC.

Requirements

· 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor;

· 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit);

· 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit);

· DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver.

· Taking advantage of touch input requires a screen that supports multi-touch

Intel Core i3, i5 and i7

2012-05-31T12:07:00.000+05:30

What's the difference between an Intel Core i3, i5 and i7..?

Intel Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 CPUs have been around for over a year now, but some buyers still get stumped whenever they attempt to build their own systems and are forced to choose among the three. With the more recent Sandy Bridge architecture now on store shelves, we expect the latest wave of buyers to ask the same kind of questions.

Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 — the difference in a nutshell

If you want a plain and simple answer, then generally speaking, Core i7s are better than Core i5s, which are in turn better than Core i3s. Nope, Core i7 does not have seven cores nor does Core i3 have three cores. The numbers are simply indicative of their relative processing powers.

Their relative levels of processing power are also signified by their Intel Processor Star Ratings, which are based on a collection of criteria involving their number of cores, clockspeed (in GHz), size of cache, as well as some new Intel technologies like Turbo Boost and Hyper-Threading.

Core i3s are rated with three stars, i5s have four stars, and i7s have five. If you’re wondering why the ratings start with three, well they actually don’t. The entry-level Intel CPUs — Celeron and Pentium — get one and two stars respectively.

The more cores there are, the more tasks (known as threads) can be served at the same time. The lowest number of cores can be found in Core i3 CPUs, i.e., which have only two cores. Currently, all Core i3s are dual-core processors.

Currently all Core i5 processors, except for the i5-661, are quad cores in Australia. The Core i5-661 is only a dual-core processor with a clockspeed of 3.33 GHz. Remember that all Core i3s are also dual cores. Furthermore, the i3-560 is also 3.33GHz, yet a lot cheaper. Sounds like it might be a better buy than the i5. What gives?

At this point, I’d like to grab the opportunity to illustrate how a number of factors affect the overall processing power of a CPU and determine whether it should be considered an i3, an i5, or an i7.

Even if the i5-661 normally runs at the same clockspeed as Core i3-560, and even if they all have the same number of cores, the i5-661 benefits from a technology known as Turbo Boost.

Intel Turbo Boost

The Intel Turbo Boost Technology allows a processor to dynamically increase its clockspeed whenever the need arises. The maximum amount that Turbo Boost can raise clockspeed at any given time is dependent on the number of active cores, the estimated current consumption, the estimated power consumption, and the processor temperature.

For the Core i5-661, its maximum allowable processor frequency is 3.6 GHz. Because none of the Core i3 CPUs have Turbo Boost, the i5-661 can outrun them when it needs to. Because all Core i5 processors are equipped with the latest version of this technology — Turbo Boost 2.0 — all of them can outrun any Core i3.

Cache size

Whenever the CPU finds that it keeps on using the same data over and over, it stores that data in its cache. Cache is just like RAM, only faster — because it’s built into the CPU itself. Both RAM and cache serve as holding areas for frequently used data. Without them, the CPU would have to keep on reading from the hard disk drive, which would take a lot more time.

Basically, RAM minimises interaction with the hard disk, while cache minimises interaction with the RAM. Obviously, with a larger cache, more data can be accessed quickly. All Core i3 processors have 3MB of cache. All Core i5s, except again for the 661 (only 4MB), have 6MB of cache. Finally, all Core i7 CPUs have 8MB of cache. This is clearly one reason why an i7 outperforms an i5 — and why an i5 outperforms an i3.

Hyper-Threading

Strictly speaking, only one thread can be served by one core at a time. So if a CPU is a dual core, then supposedly only two threads can be served simultaneously. However, Intel has introduced a technology called Hyper-Threading. This enables a single core to serve multiple threads.

For instance, a Core i3, which is only a dual core, can actually serve two threads per core. In other words, a total of four threads can run simultaneously. Thus, even if Core i5 processors are quad cores, since they don’t support Hyper-Threading (again, except the i5-661) the number of threads they can serve at the same time is just about equal to those of their Core i3 counterparts.

This is one of the many reasons why Core i7 processors are the creme de la creme. Not only are they quad cores, they also support Hyper-Threading. Thus, a total of eight threads can run on them at the same time. Combine that with 8MB of cache and Intel Turbo Boost Technology, which all of them have, and you’ll see what sets the Core i7 apart from its siblings.

The upshot is that if you do a lot of things at the same time on your PC, then it might be worth forking out a bit more for an i5 or i7. However, if you use your PC to check emails, do some banking, read the news, and download a bit of music, you might be equally served by the cheaper i3.

At DCA Computers, we regularly hear across the sales counter, “I don’t mind paying for a computer that will last, which CPU should I buy?” The sales tech invariably responds “Well that depends on what you use your computer for.” If it’s the scenario described above, we pretty much tell our customers to save their money and buy an i3 or AMD dual core.

Another factor in this deliberation is that more and more programs are being released with multithread capability. That is they can use more than one CPU thread to execute a single command. So things happen more quickly. Some photo editors and video editing programs are multi-threaded, for example. However, the Internet browser you use to access Netbank or your email client is not, and is unlikely to be in the foreseeable future.

Hopefully this gives you some insight for your next CPU selection.

Happy computing!

Winter solstice

2011-12-22T15:39:00.000+05:30

Winter solstice

The winter solstice occurs exactly when the axial tilt of a planet's polar hemisphere is farthest away from the star that it orbits. Earth's maximum axial tilt to our star, the Sun, during a solstice is 23° 26'. More evident from high latitudes, a hemisphere's winter solstice occurs on the shortest day and longest night of the year, when the sun's daily maximum elevation in the sky is the lowest.Since the winter solstice lasts only a moment in time, other terms are often used for the day on which it occurs, such as midwinter, the longest night or the first day of winter.

The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the winter solstice usually occurs on December 21 to 23 each year in the Northern Hemisphere, and June 20 to 23 in the Southern Hemisphere^.

Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied from culture to culture, but most cultures have held a recognition of rebirth, involving holidays, festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations around that time.

Date

In 46 BCE Julius Caesar in his Julian calendar established December 25 as the date of the winter solstice of Europe (Latin: Bruma). Since then, the difference between the calendar year (365.2500 days) and the tropical year (~365.2421897 days) moved the day associated with the actual astronomical solstice forward approximately three days every four centuries, arriving to December 12 during the 16th century. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII decided to restore the exact correspondence between seasons and civil year but, doing so, he did not make reference to the age of the Roman dictator, but to the Council of Nicea of 325, as the period of definition of major Christian feasts. So, the Pope annulled the 10-day error accumulated between the 16th and the 4th century, but not the 3-day one between the 4th AD and the 1st BC century. This change adjusted the calendar bringing the northern winter solstice to around December 22. Yearly, in the Gregorian calendar, the solstice still fluctuates a day or two but, in the long term, only about one day every 3000 years.

The figures in the charts show the differences between the Gregorian calendar and Persian Jalāli calendar in reference to the actual yearly time of the winter solstice of the northern hemisphere, the December solstice. The error shifts by slightly less than 1/4 day per year; in the Gregorian calendar it is corrected by a leap year every 4th year, omitting three such corrections in every 400 years, so that the average length of a calendar year is 365 97/400 days; while in the Persian calendar every eighth leap-cycle is extended to 5 years, making the average 365 8/33 days, shorter than the Gregorian average by one day every 13200 years.

What happens at the solstice?

The North Pole is tilted furthest away from the sun at the solstice. (Not to scale)

The image above shows an example of what happens during the June solstice. Illustration is not to scale

The December solstice occurs when the sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees. In other words, it is when the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun. Depending on the Gregorian calendar, the December solstice occurs annually on a day between December 20 and December 23. On this date, all places above a latitude of 66.5 degrees north (Arctic Polar Circle) are now in darkness, while locations below a latitude of 66.5 degrees south (Antarctic Polar Circle) receive 24 hours of daylight.

Use the Sunrise and Sunset calculator to find the number of daylight hours during the December solstice in cities worldwide.

The sun is directly overhead on the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere during the December solstice. It also marks the longest day of the year in terms of daylight hours for those living south of the equator. Those living or travelling south from the Antarctic Circle towards the South Pole will see the midnight sun during this time of the year.

On the contrary, for an observer in the northern hemisphere, the December solstice marks the day of the year with the least hours of daylight. Those living or traveling north of the Arctic Circle towards the North Pole will not be able to see the sun during this time of the year.

Observances

Sunrise at Stonehenge on the Winter Solstice

Direct observation of the solstice by amateurs is difficult because the sun moves too slowly at either solstice to determine its specific day, let alone its instant. Knowledge of when the event occurs has only recently been facilitated to near its instant according to precise astronomical data tracking. It is not possible to detect the actual instant of the solstice (by definition, one can not observe that an object has stopped moving until one makes a second observation in time showing that it has not moved further from the preceding spot, or that it has moved in the opposite direction). Further, to be precise to a single day one must be able to observe a change in azimuth or elevation less than or equal to about 1/60 of the angular diameter of the sun. Observing that it occurred within a two day period is easier, requiring an observation precision of only about 1/16 of the angular diameter of the sun. Thus, many observations are of the day of the solstice rather than the instant. This is often done by watching the sunrise and sunset or vice versa or using an astronomically aligned instrument that allows a ray of light to cast on a certain point around that time.

Before the scientific revolution many forms of observances, astronomical, symbolic or ritualistic, had evolved according to the beliefs of various cultures, many of which are still practiced today. The following is an alphabetical list of observances believed to be directly linked to the winter solstice.

Lawrence Hall of Science visitors observe sunset on day of the winter solstice using the Sunstones II

Flash mob

2011-12-20T11:11:00.000+05:30

Flash mob

A flash mob is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, artistic expression.Flash mobs are organized via telecommunications, social media, or viral emails.

It is worth noting that the key factors that distinguish a flash-mob and any other performance in a public place are: 1. Organisation: Flash-mobs are open social organisations, usually mobilised in virtual circles or through social networking. A performance is usually coordinated and led in a closed group, who practice together to achieve synchronisation in advance of the performance. 2. Participation: As the name indicates, a flash-mob must both be open to, and involve, members of the common public, whilst a performance may be merely limited to a specific practised group participation. 3. Motive: The motive for participation in a flash-mob is much similar to the motive behind authoring an article on Wikipedia. The participants are primarily motived to collaborate and co-create, without deriving any firm benefits, monetary or otherwise, from it. A performance on the other hand is carried out with foreseeable benefits in mind, ranging from recognition to monetary incentives.

The term, coined in 2003, is generally not applied to events and performances organized for the purposes of politics , commercial advertisement, publicity stunts that involve public relation firms, or paid professionals.In these cases of a planned purpose for the social activity in question, the term smart mobs is often applied instead.

First flash mob

One of the first flash mobs was created in Manhattan in May 2003, by Bill Wasik, senior editor of Harper's Magazine.The first attempt was unsuccessful after the targeted retail store was tipped off about the plan for people to gather. Wasik avoided such problems during the second flash mob, which occurred on June 3, 2003, at Macy's department store, by sending participants to preliminary staging areas – in four prearranged Manhattan bars – where they received further instructions about the ultimate event and location just before the event began.

More than 130 people converged upon the ninth floor rug department of the store, gathering around an expensive rug. Anyone approached by a sales assistant was advised to say that the gatherers lived together in a warehouse on the outskirts of New York, that they were shopping for a "love rug", and that they made all their purchase decisions as a group.Subsequently, 200 people flooded the lobby and mezzanine of the Hyatt hotel in synchronized applause for about 15 seconds, and a shoe boutique in SoHo was invaded by participants pretending to be tourists on a bus trip.

Wasik claimed that he created flash mobs as a social experiment designed to poke fun at hipsters and to highlight the cultural atmosphere of conformity and of wanting to be an insider or part of "the next big thing".The Vancouver Sun wrote, "It may have backfired on him ... [Wasik] may instead have ended up giving conformity a vehicle that allowed it to appear nonconforming." In another interview he said "the mobs started as a kind of playful social experiment meant to encourage spontaneity and big gatherings to temporarily take over commercial and public areas simply to show that they could".

Precedents and precursors

In 19th-century Tasmania, the term flash mob was used to describe a subculture consisting of female prisoners, based on the term flash language for the jargon that these women used. The 19th-century Australian term flash mob referred to a segment of society, not an event, and showed no other similarities to the modern term flash mob or the events it describes.

An early literary example can be found in a famous German novel for children by Erich Kästner. At the end of Emil and the Detectives (1929) the protagonist captures a thief by organizing a large crowd of children through a kind of self-organized intelligence service. The mob of children first drives the thief into a corner and then keeps him from escaping.

In 1973, the story "Flash Crowd" by Larry Niven described a concept similar to flash mobs.With the invention of popular and very inexpensive teleportation, an argument at a shopping mall—which happens to be covered by a news crew—quickly swells into a riot. In the story, broadcast coverage attracts the attention of other people, who use the widely available technology of the teleportation booth to swarm first that event—thus intensifying the riot—and then other events as they happen. Commenting on the social impact of such mobs, one character (articulating the police view) says, "We call them flash crowds, and we watch for them." In related short stories, they are named as a prime location for illegal activities (such as pickpocketing and looting) to take place.

Flash mobs began as a form of performance art.While they started as an apolitical act, flash mobs may share superficial similarities to political demonstrations. Flash mobs can be seen as a specialized form of smart mob, a term and concept proposed by author Howard Rheingold in his 2002 book Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution.

Aakash Tablet – World’s Cheapest Tab

2011-12-15T16:59:00.000+05:30

Aakash Tablet – World’s Cheapest Tab

After a huge success of the world’s cheapest car manufactured by India, the country is all set to step into the tech-world with the same strategy of offering good quality product at the best possible price. After a wait of about one year since a prototype was shown to the reporters, the Indian officials have finally launched the world’s cheapest tablet i.e. Aakash Tablet (also known as Akash Tab or $35 Tablet) is available at a price of just $60 (Rs 3000) in retail stores and probably much cheaper for students. The commercial version of Aakash Tablet is Ubislate which will be available from November with a few more features than the Government’s version.

The makers of Akash Tab are IIT Rajasthan in partnership with DataWind, a leading manufacturer of wireless web access products and services which is based in Montreal and is owned by Suneet Singh Tuli who is a Canadian of Indian descent.

Features and Specifications of Aakash Tablet

Display  :- Aakash Tablet has a 7 inch resistive touch screen with 800 x 480 pixel resolution. 

Operating System :- Akash Tab runs Android 2.2 (Froyo). 

Processor :- It has got a single core 366 MHz processor plus a HD video co-processor, 256 MB RAM and 2GB internal flash memory.

Supported Multimedia Formats :- Aakash Tablet supports  Image formats like .png, .jpg, .gif, .bmp. Supported Video Formats  include MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI and FLV. The Tablet also supports audio  formats such as MP3, AAC, AC3, WAV and WMA.

External Connectors :- Aakash Tablet supports Mini and  Full USB, has got two SD card slots (memory expandable up-to 32GB), a  SIM card slot, Video Out, a 3.5 mm headphone jack support and HDMI port.

Internet Connectivity :- Aakash is a Wi-Fi 802.11  a/b/g enabled Tablet with a Web Browser having Standards Compliance,  xHTML 1.1 compliant, JavaScript 1.8 compliant and safety compliance. It  also offers separate software for online YouTube videos. 

App Store :- Akash Tab supports more than 150000 apps to keep you entertained throughout the day. 

Battery :- The 50 gram Tablet has a 2100mAh battery with a standby time of 3-4 hours.

Supported Document Formats- The supported document  formats include DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, ODT and ODP. The Tablet  has also got PDF Viewer and Text Editor.

 Aakash in Hindi Language means ‘Sky’ and probably the device is ready  to reach the same height. The main target of this tablet is students  who always admired Tablets but had to murder their feelings due to lack  of money. Aakash has all the basic features which are frequently used by  everyone and can be easily bought by the students just by saving their  pocket money for a few days. Though it is disappointing that the Tablet  does not have a camera and will not have access to Android Market, we  cannot expect so much at such a price. Overall the Tablet is a very good  deal for everyone.

Aakash tablet goes on sale for Rs 2500 online

DataWind, the Canadian company that is manufacturing Aakash, has started the online booking and pre booking of the much anticipated low cost Android tablet. Online booking is for students' version of the tablet and pre booking is for UbiSlate 7, the upgraded version of Aakash.
Students' version of Aakash will be available for Rs 2,500 and will be delivered in seven days. The commercial version, UbiSlate 7 is priced at Rs 2,999. The payment mode for both the tablets is cash on delivery.
The commercial version of Aakash tablet will be powered by Android 2.3 and will have a resistive touchscreen, Cortex A8-700 MHz processor and graphics accelerator HD video processor, 256 MB of RAM and 2 GB of internal memory.
Other specifications are a one standard USB port, 3.5 mm audio jack, a 7 inch display with 800 x 480 pixel resolution, resistive touchscreen, GPRS and WiFi support.
"The improved version of Aakash tablet will be available in retail outlets by January end," a spokesperson of DataWind told The Mobile Indian.
The tablet was to be made available in retail stores by the end of November. "The delay in the availability of the tablet has been due to upgradation in the tablet and some unforeseen delay in manufacturing," the spokesperson said.
To book and prebook student and commercial versions respectively of Aakash tablet, users have to visit DataWind's website and fill up the required form. In case of booking they will get a booking ID and a message which will state, "You will shortly receive an email confirmation from our support team with further details."
In case of pre booking users will get a confirmation message which will state, "The commercial version of the Akash UbiSlate 7 would be launched in early weeks of December. After the commercial launch we would get in touch with you to deliver your device as soon possible."
As a matter of fact, the confirmation message a reader will see is factually incorrect as The mobile Indian had reported earlier the Aakash tablet will be available only by January end.
Datawind has however not cleared how it is going to establish the identity of students who will book the cheapest version of Aakash tablet. When The Mobile Indian contacted spokesperson of Datwind he said, "Anyone can book the student version of Aakash tablet."
This defeats the purpose of providing students an affordable tablet as now anyone can place an order to get the tablet. Interestingly, now it has been revealed that the government has procured only 10,000 Aakash tablets for distribution in schools and colleges of the initial 1 lakh proposed.
It looks like the company was in a hurry to start the online booking process and has not done not proper homework before staring it.

http://www.akashtablet.com/

Mullaperiyar Dam

2011-12-08T10:25:00.000+05:30

Mullaperiyar Dam

Mullaperiyar Dam is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River.It is located 881 m (2,890 ft) above mean sea level on the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats in Thekkady, Idukki District of Kerala, South India. It was constructed between 1887 and 1895 by the British Government to divert water eastwards to Madras Presidency area. It has a height of 53.6 m (176 ft) from the foundation and length of 365.7 m (1,200 ft).^[1] The Periyar National Park in Thekkady is located around the dam's reservoir. The dam and the river are owned by and located in Keralabut the dam is controlled and operated under a period lease by neigboring Tamil Nadu state. The safety of the dam has been a matter of concern and a point of dispute between Kerala and Tamil Nadu States.

Purpose

The Periyar river which flows westward into the Arabian Sea was diverted eastward to flow towards the Bay of Bengal and provide water to the arid rain shadow region of Madurai in Madras Presidency which was in dire need of a greater supply than the small Vaigai River could give.The dam created the Periyar Thekkady reservoir, from which water was diverted eastwards to via a tunnel to augment the small flow of the Vaigai River. The Vaigai was dammed by the Vaigai Dam to provide a source for irrigating large tracts around Madurai. Initially the dam waters were used only for irrigation. Later, the Periyar Power Station in the lower Periyar, Tamil Nadu was built which generates hydro-electricity from the diverted waters.

Design

The Mullaperiyar Dam is a gravity dam made with limestone quicklime). Gravity dams use their weight and the force of gravity to support the reservoir and remain stable. The main dam has a maximum height of 53.6 m (176 ft) and length of 365.7 m (1,200 ft). Its crest is 3.6 m (12 ft) wide while the base has a width of 42.2 m (138 ft). It consists of a main dam, spillway on its left and an auxiliary dam (or "baby dam") to the right. Its reservoir can withhold 443,230,000 m³ (359,332 acre·ft) of water, of which 299,130,000 m³ (242,509 acre·ft) is active (live) storage.

Feasability studies

The unique idea of harnessing the westward flowing water of the Periyar river and diverting it to the eastward flowing Vagai river was first explored in 1789 by Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai, a minister of the Ramnad king Muthuramalinga Sethupathy, who gave it up as he found it to be expensiveThe location of the dam had first been scouted by Captain J. L. Caldwell, Madras Engineers (abbreviated as M.E.) in 1808 to reconnoitre the feasibility of providing water from the Periyar river to Madurai by a tunnel through the mountains. Caldwell discovered that the excavation needed would be in excess of 100 feet in depth and the project was abandoned with the comment in his report as "decidedly chimerical and unworthy of any further regard".

The first attempt at damming the Periyar with an earthen dam in 1850 was given up due to demands for higher wages by the labour citing unhealthy living conditions. The proposal was resubmitted a number of times and in 1862, Captain J. G. Ryves, M.E., carried out a study and submitted proposals in 1867 for another earthwork dam, 62 feet high. The matter was debated by the Madras Government and the matter further delayed by the terrible famine of 1876-77. Finally, in 1882, the construction of the dam was approved and Major John Pennycuick, M.E., placed in charge to prepare a revised project and estimate which was approved in 1884 by his superiors.

Lease

On 29 October 1886, a lease indenture for 999 years was made between the Maharaja of Travancore, Visakham Thirunal Rama Varma and the Bitish Secretary of State for India for Periyar Irrigation Works. The lease agreement was signed by Dewan of Travancore V Ram Iyengar and State Secretary of Madras State J C Hannington. This lease was made after 24 years negotiation between the Maharaja and the British. The lease indenture granted full right, power and liberty the Secretary of State for India to construct make and carry out on the leased land and to use exclusively when constructed, made and carried out, all such irrigation works and other works ancillary thereto to. The agreement gave 8000 acres of land for the reservoir and another 100 acres to construct the dam. The tax for each acre was 5 per year. The lease provided the British the rights over "all the waters" of the Mullaperiyar and its catchment basin, for an annual rent of 40,000.

In 1947, after Indian Independance, the lease agreement expired. After several failed attempts to renew the agreement in 1958, 1960, and 1969, the agreement was renewed in 1970 when C Achutha Menon was Kerala Chief Minister. According to the renewed agreement, the tax per acre was increased to 30, and for the electricity generated in Lower Camp using Mullaperiyar water, the charge was 12 per kiloWatt per hour. Tamil Nadu uses the water and the land, and the Tamil Nadu government has been paying to the Kerala government for the past 50 years 2.5 lakhs as tax per year for the whole land and 7.5 lakhs per year as surcharge for the total amount of electricity generated.The validity of this agreement is under dispute between the States of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The matter is currently pending before a Division Bench of the Supreme Court.

Construction

In May 1887, construction of the dam began. As per "The Military Engineer in India" Vol II by Sandes (1935), the dam was constructed from lime stone and surkhi (burnt brick powder and a mixture of sugar and calcium oxide, one of the archaic construction techniques of 19th century) at a cost of 104 lakhs, was 173 feet high and 1241 feet in length along the top and enclosed more than 15 thousand million cubic feet of water. Another source states that the dam was constructed of concrete (no real evidence or reference for this) and gives a figure of 152 feet height of the full water level of the reservoir, with impounding capacity of 10.56 thousand million cubic feet along-with a total estimated cost of 84.71 lak.

The construction involved the use of troops from the 1st and 4th battalions of the Madras Pioneers as well as Portuguese carpenters from Cochin who were employed in the construction of the coffer-dams and other structures.The greatest challenge was the diversion of the river so that lower portions of the great dam could be built. The temporary embankments and coffer-dams used to restrain the river waters were regularly swept away by floods and rains. Due to the coffer dam failures, the British stopped funding the project. Officer Pennycuick raised funds by selling his wife's jewelry to continue the work. In Madurai, Major Pennycuick's statue has been installed at the state PWD office and his photographs are found adorning walls in peoples homes and shops. In 2002, his great grandson was honoured in Madurai, a function that was attended by thousands of people.

The dam created a reservoir in a remote gorge of the Periyar river situated 3,000 feet above the sea in dense and malarial jungle, and from the northerly arm of this manmade waterbody, the water flowed first through a deep cutting for about a mile and then through a tunnel, 5704 feet in length and later through another cutting on the other side of the watershed and into a natural ravine and so onto the Vaigai River which has been partly built up for a length of 86 miles, finally discharging 2000 cusecs of water for the arid rain shadow regions of present-day Theni, Madurai District, Sivaganga District and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamil Nadu, then under British rule as part of Madras Province (Sandes, 1935).

The Periyar project, as it was then known, was widely considered well into the 20th Century as "one of the most extraordinary feats of engineering ever performed by man". A large amount of manual labour was involved and worker mortality from malaria was high. It was claimed that had it not been for "the medicinal effects of the native spirit called arrack, the dam might never have been finished". 483 people died of diseases during the construction of this dam and were buried on-site in a cemetery just north of the dam.

Protected area

The Periyar National Park in Thekkady, a Protected area of Kerala, is located around the dam's reservoir, the 26 km² (10 sq mi) Periyar lake. 62 different kinds of mammals have been recorded in Periyar, including many threatened ones. Periyar is a highly protected tiger reserve and elephant reserve. There are an estimated 53 tigers (2010) in the reserve. Tourists come here to view the Indian elephants in their natural habitat. The elephant number around 900 to 1000 individuals. Other mammals found here include gaur, Bison, sambar (horse deer), barking deer, mouse deer, Dholes (Indian wild dogs), mongoose, foxesand leopards. Also inhabiting the park, though rarely seen, are the elusive Nilgiri tahr. Four species of primates are found at Periyar - the rare lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri Langur, the commonlangur, and the Bonnet Macaque. According to a report by the Kerala Forest Research Institute, the protected area surrounding the dam and reservoir is classified as a biodiversity hot spot.

Safety Concerns

After the 1979 Morvi Dam failure which killed up to 25,000 people safety concerns of the aging Mullaperiyar dam's leaks and cracks were raised by Kerala Government. A State agency, Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS), Thiruvananthapuram, had reported that the structure would not withstand an earthquake above magnitude 6 on the Richter scale. The dam was also inspected by the Chairman, CWC (Central Water Commission). On the orders of the CWC, the Tamil Nadu government lowered the storage level from 142.2 feet to 136 feet, conducted safety repairs and strengthened the dam. Construction of a new dam was proposed by the CWC but was not pursued.

Current safety concerns hinge around several issues:

A- Risk /Threat Factors

Age of the dam: The dam is 116 years old as of 2011. It has outlived its expected life span of 50 years . Strengthening the existing dam has its limitations and may not prove to be effective in the event of a disaster (reference: Morvi Dam)
Construction Material: The dam was constructed using stone ruble masonry with lime mortar grouting following prevailing 19th century construction techniques that have now become archaic. Seepage and leaks from the dam have caused concern.
Earthquakes: The dam is situated in a seismically active zone . An earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale occurred on June 7, 1988 with maximum damage in Nedumkandam and Kallar (within 20 kms of the dam). Several earthquake tremors have occurred in the area in recent times. These could be reservoir-induced seismicity, requiring further studies according to experts. CESS, IIT Roorkee and IISc have reported that the dam cannot withstand earthquakes above 6 point on the Richter scale.
Global warming and changing weather patterns leading to incessant rains, flooding and overflow of the dam: Determination of the Probable Maximum Flood and Probable Maximum Precipitation parameters for the dam, is important to ensure dam safety.
Inadequate safety maintenance and safety monitoring of the dam

B- Negative impact of dam collapse

Loss of human life and property by catastrophic flooding
Loss of flora and fauna including identified endangered species in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Loss of tourism: Thekkady Reservoir and Periyar Wild Life Sanctuary are important and popular eco-tourism revenue sources in Kerala.
domino effect of collapse of Idukki Dam and the disastrous consequences of an Idukki Dam disaster
Loss of agriculture irrigation, drinking water supply and power generation in southern Tamilnadu.
Huge impact on the general economy of Kerala and Tamilnadu. This includes large unbudgeted private and public expenses of flood cleanup and rebuilding the economy.

Construction of a new dam

Kerala enacted the Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2006 to ensure safety of all 'endangered' dams in the State, listed in the second schedule to the Act. Section 62A of the Act provides for listing in the schedule, "details of the dams which are endangered on account of their age, degeneration, degradation, structural or other impediments as are specified" The second schedule to the Act lists Mullaperiyar (dam) constructed in 1895 and fixes 136 feet as its maximum water level. The Act empowers Kerala Dam Safety Authority (Authority specified in the Act) to oversee safety of dams in the State and sec 62(e) empowers the Authority to direct the custodian (of a dam) "to suspend the functioning of any dam, to decommission any dam or restrict the functioning of any dam if public safety or threat to human life or property, so require". The Authority can conduct periodical inspection of any dam listed in the schedule.

In pursuance of Kerala's dam safety law, in September 2009, the Ministry of Environment and Forests of Government of India granted environmental clearance to Kerala for conducting survey for new dam downstream^.Tamil Nadu approached Supreme Court for a stay order against the clearance; however, the plea was rejected. Consequently, the survey was started in October, 2009. On Sept. 9, 2009 stated it had already communicated to the Government of India as well as to the Government of Kerala that there is no need for construction of a new dam by the Kerala Government, as the existing dam after it is strengthened, functions like a new dam.

Winter -The dolphin

2011-12-06T12:11:00.000+05:30

Winter -The dolphin

Winter is a bottlenose dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, Florida, widely known for having a prosthetic tail. She is the subject of the film Dolphin Tale, a dramatization of her story. Winter was found off the coast of Florida in December 2005, caught in a crab trap, which resulted in the loss of her tail. She was fitted with a silicone and plastic tail which enables her to swim normally. She has since become a highly popular attraction at the aquarium, which led to the film's making.

Winter the dolphin gets bionic tail

As she glides through the water, Winter the dolphin appears to be completely normal. But she is the world's first bionic sea creature after being fitted with an artificial tail.

Only closer inspection reveals the dolphin's rear end is entirely prosthetic.

Winter, an Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin, lost her own tail after being caught in a harsh crab trap.

She was found at just two-months old in 2006, floating in distress off the coast of Florida.

Rescuers rushed her to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, in Clearwater, Florida, where they battled to save her life.

David Yates, the director, said: "For the first few days, we really didn't think she'd live at all.

"She had 24-hour around-the-clock care by our veterinary staff, our animal care staff, and our volunteers.

"We literally watched her every second of the day."

Winter survived, but she lost her tail and was left with just a stump.

"She had to learn how to swim without a tail, which no dolphin has ever done in captivity," said Mr Yates.

'We didn't know if she could do that."

Winter tried to master the art – but couldn't swish up and down like a normal dolphin, and could only waggle from side to side.

Vets were worried this unusual swimming might alter the long-term health of her spine.

So, they decided to make an artificial tail for Winter.

Kevin Carroll, one of the world's leading prosthetists, offered his services.

Besides his work with people, he has designed prosthetics for dogs, an ostrich, and even a duck.

"I came straight down, saw Winter and felt really sorry for her," he said.

"I said, 'OK, we'll fit a her little tail. Not a big deal.' Little did I know it was going to take a year and a half."

He explained: "With a person, when we fit a socket on them, we have one long, solid bone.

"We don't have to have the socket moving in every direction.

"With a dolphin, it needs to move along with her full spine."

Casts were used to monitor Winter's growth and body shape and to provide the mould for her new tail.

Finally, in August last year, Winter was fitted with her new silicone and plastic tail, which is 2 1/2 feet long.

Now she is swimming and splashing about in normal dolphin-style.

"Winter's spirit was very positive and she had a never-say-die attitude," said Mr Yates.

"She adapted very quickly."

Dolphin Tale is a 2011 family drama film directed by Charles Martin Smith from a screenplay by Karen Janszen and Noam Dromi and a book of the same name. It stars Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd, and Morgan Freeman.

The book and film are "inspired by the amazing true story of Winter", a bottlenose dolphin that was rescued in December 2005 off the Florida coast and taken in by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. It lost its tail after becoming tangled in as rope attached to a crab trap and had to be fitted with a prosthetic one.

http://seewinter.com is the official Web site of Winter

http://seewinter.com/winter/media/webcam-3 Winter Live Webcam

Tomato Festival (La Tomatina)

2011-10-18T12:17:00.000+05:30

Tomato Festival (La Tomatina)

La Tomatina is a festival that is held in the Valencian town of Buñol, a town located only 30 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea in which participants throw tomatoes and get involved in this tomato fight purely for fun. It is held on the last Wednesday of August, during the week of festivities of Buñol.

History

In 1945, during a parade of gigantes y cabezudos, young men who wanted to participate in the event staged a brawl in town's main square, the Plaza del Pueblo. Since there was a vegetable stand nearby, they picked up tomatoes and used them as weapons. The police had to intervene to break up the fight, and forced those responsible to pay the damages incurred.

The following year the young people repeated the fight on the same Wednesday of August, only this time they brought their own tomatoes from home. They were again dispersed by the police. After repeating this in subsequent years, the party was, albeit unofficially, established. In 1950, the town allowed the tomato hurl to take place, however the next year it was again stopped. A lot of young people were imprisoned but the Buñol residents forced the authorities to let them go. The festival gained popularity with more and participants getting involved every year. After subsequent years it was banned again with threats of serious penalties. In the year 1957, some young people planned to celebrate the "the tomato's funeral", with singers, musicians, and comedies. The main attraction however, was the coffin with a big tomato inside being carried around by youth and a band playing the funeral marches. Considering this popularity of the festival and the alarming demand, 1957 saw the festival becoming official with certain rules and restrictions. These rules have gone through a lot of modifications over the years.

Another important landmark in the history of this festival is the year 1975. From this year onwards, "Los Clavarios de San Luis Bertrán" (San Luis Bertrán is the patron of the town of Buñol ) organised the whole festival and brought in tomatoes which was being brought by the local people before this. Soon after this, in 1980, the town hall took the responsibility of organizing and making the festival big.

Description

At around 10 AM, festivities begin with the first event of the Tomatina. It is the "palo jabón", similar to the greasy pole. The goal is to climb a greased pole with a ham on top. As this happens, the crowd work into a frenzy of singing and dancing while being showered in water from hoses. Once someone is able to drop the ham off the pole, the start signal for the tomato fight is given by firing the water shot in the air and trucks make their entry. The signal for the onset is at about 11 when a loud shot rings out, and the chaos begins. Several trucks throw tomatoes in abundance in the Plaza del Pueblo. The tomatoes come from Extremadura, where they are less expensive and are grown specifically for the holidays, being of inferior taste. For the participants the use of goggles and gloves are recommended. The tomatoes must be crushed before being thrown so as to reduce the risk of injury. The estimated no. of tomatoes used are around 150,000 i.e. over 90,000 pounds. After exactly one hour, the fight ends with the firing of the second shot, announcing the end. The whole town square is colored red and rivers of tomato juice flow freely. Fire Trucks hose down the streets and participants use hoses that locals provide to remove the tomato paste from their bodies. Some participants go to the pool of “los peñones” to wash. After the cleaning, the village cobblestone streets are pristine due to the acidity of the tomato disinfecting and thoroughly cleaning the surfaces.

Rules of the festival

The city council follows a short list of instructions for the safety of the participants and the festival:
1. The tomatoes have to be squashed before throwing to avoid injuries.
2. No other projectiles except tomatoes are allowed.
3. Participants have to give way to the truck and lorries.
4. The festival doesn't allow ripping off T-Shirts.
5. After the second shot indicative of ending the tomato hurl, no tomatoes should be thrown.

Machu Picchu

2011-09-23T11:42:00.000+05:30

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", it is perhaps the most familiar icon of the Inca World.

The Incas started building the "estate" around AD 1400, but abandoned it as an official site for the Inca rulers a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Although known locally, it was unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction. Most of the outlying buildings have been reconstructed in order to give tourists a better idea of what the structures originally looked like. By 1976, thirty percent of Machu Picchu had been restored. The restoration work continues to this day.

Since the site was never known to the Spanish during their conquest, it is highly significant as a relatively intact cultural site. Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide Internet poll.

Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its three primary buildings are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. These are located in what is known by archaeologists as the Sacred District of Machu Picchu. In September 2007, Peru and Yale University almost reached an agreement regarding the return of artifacts which Yale has held since Hiram Bingham removed them from Machu Picchu in the early 20th century. In November 2010, a Yale University representative agreed to return the artifacts to a Peruvian university.

History

Machu Picchu was built around 1450, at the height of the Inca Empire. It was abandoned just over 100 years later, in 1572, as a belated result of the Spanish Conquest.It is possible that most of its inhabitants died from smallpox introduced by travelers before the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the area. The latter had notes of a place called Piccho, although there is no record of the Spanish having visited the remote city. The types of sacred rocks defaced by the conquistadors in other locations are untouched at Machu Picchu.

Hiram Bingham theorized that the complex was the traditional birthplace of the Incan "Virgins of the Suns". More recent research by scholars such as John Howland Rowe and Richard Burger, has convinced most archaeologists that Machu Picchu was an estate of the Inca emperor Pachacuti.In addition, Johan Reinhard presented evidence that the site was selected because of its position relative to sacred landscape features such as its mountains, which are purported to be in alignment with key astronomical events important to the Incas.

Johan Reinhard believes Machu Picchu to be a sacred religious site. This theory stands mainly because of where Machu Picchu is located. Reinhard calls it "sacred geography" because the site is built on and around mountains that hold high religious importance in the Inca culture and in the previous culture that occupied the land. At the highest point of the mountain in which Machu Picchu was named after, there are “artificial platforms [and] these had a religious function, as is clear from the Inca ritual offerings found buried under them” (Reinhard 2007). These platforms also are found in other Incan religious sites. The site’s other stone structures have finely worked stones with niches and, from what the “Spaniards wrote about Inca sites, we know that these [types of] building[s] were of ritual significance” (Reinhard 2007). This would be the most convincing evidence that Reinhard points out because this type of stylistic stonework is only found at the religious sites so it would be natural that they would exist at this religious site. Another theory maintains that Machu Picchu was an Inca llaqta, a settlement built to control the economy of conquered regions. Yet another asserts that it may have been built as a prison for a select few who had committed heinous crimes against Inca society. An alternative theory is that it is an agricultural testing station. Different types of crops could be tested in the many different micro-climates afforded by the location and the terraces; these were not large enough to grow food on a large scale, but may have been used to determine what could grow where. Another theory suggests that the city was built as an abode for the deities, or for the coronation of kings.

Although the citadel is located only about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Cusco, the Inca capital, the Spanish never found it and consequently did not plunder or destroy it, as they did many other sites. Over the centuries, the surrounding jungle grew over much of the site, and few outsiders knew of its existence.

On 24 July 1911, Hiram Bingham announced the discovery of Machu Picchu to scholars. An American historian employed as a lecturer at Yale University, Bingham had been searching for the city of Vilcabamba, the last Inca refuge during the Spanish conquest. He had worked for years in previous trips and explorations around the zone. Pablito Alvarez, a local 11 year-old Quechua boy, led Bingham up to Machu Picchu.Some Quechuas lived in the original structures at Machu Picchu.

Bingham started archaeological studies and completed a survey of the area. He called the complex "The Lost City of the Incas", which was the title of his first book. Bingham made several more trips and conducted excavations on the site through 1915, collecting various artifacts which he took back to Yale. He wrote a number of books and articles about the discovery of Machu Picchu.

The site received significant publicity after the National Geographic Society devoted their entire April 1913 issue to Machu Picchu.

In 1981 Peru declared an area of 325.92 square kilometers surrounding Machu Picchu as a "Historical Sanctuary". In addition to the ruins, the sanctuary includes a large portion of the adjoining region, rich with the flora and fauna of the Peruvian Yungas and Central Andean wet puna ecoregions.

In 1983 UNESCO designated Machu Picchu a World Heritage Site, describing it as "an absolute masterpiece of architecture and a unique testimony to the Inca civilization".

The World Monuments Fund placed Machu Picchu on its 2008 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites in the world because of environmental degradation. This has resulted from the impact of tourism, uncontrolled development in the nearby town of Aguas Calientes, which included a poorly sited tram to ease visitor access, and the construction of a bridge across the Vilcanota River, which is likely to bring even more tourists to the site, in defiance of a court order and government protests against it.

Geography

Machu Picchu lies in the southern hemisphere, 13.164 degrees south of the equator. It is 80 kilometers northwest of Cusco, on the crest of the mountain Machu Picchu, located about 2,450 metres (8,040 ft) above mean sea level, over 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) lower than Cusco, which has an altitude of 3,600 metres (11,800 ft). As such, it had a milder climate than the Inca capital. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in South America, one of the most visited tourist attractions in all of Latin America and the most visited tourist attraction in Peru.

The year at Machu Picchu is divided between wet and dry seasons, with the majority of annual rain falling from October through to April. It can rain at any time of the year.

Machu Picchu is situated above a loop of the Urubamba River, which surrounds the site on three sides, with cliffs dropping vertically for 450 metres (1,480 ft) to the river at their base. The area is subject to morning mists rising from the river. The location of the city was a military secret, and its deep precipices and steep mountains provided excellent natural defenses. The Inca Bridge, an Inca rope bridge, across the Urubamba River in the Pongo de Mainique, provided a secret entrance for the Inca army. Another Inca bridge was built to the west of Machu Picchu, the tree-trunk bridge, at a location where a gap occurs in the cliff that measures 6 metres (20 ft). It could be bridged by two tree trunks, but with the trees removed, there was a 570 metres (1,870 ft) fall to the base of the cliffs.

The city sits in a saddle between the two mountains Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu,with a commanding view down two valleys and a nearly impassable mountain at its back. It has a water supply from springs that cannot be blocked easily, and enough land to grow food for about four times as many people as ever lived there. The hillsides leading to it have been terraced, not only to provide more farmland to grow crops, but to steepen the slopes which invaders would have to ascend. The terraces reduced soil erosion and protected against landslides. Two high-altitude routes from Machu Picchu go across the mountains back to Cusco, one through the sun gate, and the other across the Inca bridge. Both could be blocked easily, should invaders approach along them. Regardless of its original purpose, it is strategically located and readily defended.

The site

The ruins of Machu Picchu are divided into two main sections known as the Urban and Agricultural Sectors, divided by a wall. The Agricultural Sector is further subdivided into Upper and Lower sectors, while the Urban Sector is split into East and West sectors, separated by wide plazas.

The central buildings of Machu Picchu use the classical Inca architectural style of polished dry-stone walls of regular shape. The Incas were masters of this technique, called ashlar, in which blocks of stone are cut to fit together tightly without mortar. Many junctions in the central city are so perfect that it is said not even a blade of grass fits between the stones.

standards this was quick, shoddy construction, and was not used in the building of important structures. Peru is a highly seismic land, and mortar-free construction was more earthquake-resistant than using mortar. The stones of the dry-stone walls built by the Incas can move slightly and resettle without the walls collapsing.

Inca walls had numerous design details that helped protect them against collapsing in an earthquake. Doors and windows are trapezoidal and tilt inward from bottom to top; corners usually are rounded; inside corners often incline slightly into the rooms; and "L"-shaped blocks often were used to tie outside corners of the structure together. These walls do not rise straight from bottom to top, but are offset slightly from row to row.

The Incas never used the wheel in any practical manner. Its use in toys demonstrates that the principle was well-known to them, although it was not applied in their engineering. The lack of strong draft animals, as well as steep terrain and dense vegetation issues, may have rendered the wheel impractical. How they moved and placed the enormous blocks of stones remains a mystery, although the general belief is that they used hundreds of men to push the stones up inclined planes. A few of the stones still have knobs on them that could have been used to lever them into position; it is believed that after the stones were placed, the Incas would have sanded the knobs away, but a few were overlooked.

The space is composed of 140 structures or features, including temples, sanctuaries, parks, and residences that include houses with thatched roofs. There are more than one hundred flights of stone steps — often completely carved from a single block of granite — and numerous water fountains. These were interconnected by channels and water-drains perforated in the rock that were designed for the original irrigation system. Evidence suggests that the irrigation system was used to carry water from a holy spring to each of the houses in turn.

According to archaeologists, the urban sector of Machu Picchu was divided into three great districts: the Sacred District, the Popular District to the south, and the District of the Priests and the Nobility.

The Popular District, or Residential District, is the place where the lower-class people lived. It includes storage buildings and simple houses.

The royalty area, a sector for the nobility, is a group of houses located in rows over a slope; the residence of the Amautas (wise persons) was characterized by its reddish walls, and the zone of the Ñustas (princesses) had trapezoid-shaped rooms. The Monumental Mausoleum is a carved statue with a vaulted interior and carved drawings. It was used for rites or sacrifices.

As part of their road system, the Incas built a road to the Machu Picchu region. Today, tens of thousands of tourists walk the Inca Trail to visit Machu Picchu each year. They acclimate at Cusco before starting on the two- to four-day journey on foot from the Urubamba valley, walking up through the Andes mountain range to the isolated city.

The people of Machu Picchu were connected to long-distance trade, as shown by non-local artifacts found at the site. As an example, Bingham found unmodified obsidian nodules at the entrance gateway. In the 1970s, Burger and Asaro determined that these obsidian samples were from the Titicaca or Chivay obsidian source, and that the samples from Machu Picchu showed long-distance transport of this obsidian type in pre-Hispanic Peru.

http://www.tipsandtricksworld4all.blogspot.in/

ALT KEY USE FULL SHORTCUTS

2011-08-27T12:57:00.000+05:30

ALT KEY USE FULL SHORTCUTS

© is copyright symbol and its shortcut key is ALT+0169

™ is trademark symbol and its shortcut key is ALT+0153

® is registered symbol and its shortcut key is ALT+0174

£ is pound sign and its shortcut key is ALT+0163

€ is euro sign and its shortcut key is ALT+0128

¥ is yen sign and its shortcut key is ALT+157

¢ is cents sign and its shortcut key is ALT+0162

½ is sign of one-half and its shortcut key is ALT+0189

∞ is sign of infinity and its shortcut key is ALT+236

☺ is smile sign and its shortcut key is ALT+1

♫ is music sign and its shortcut key is ALT+14

☼ is may be a sun icon and its shortcut is ALT+15

Use Keys between ALT+48 to ALT+57 to type numbers

Use Keys between ALT+65 to ALT+90 to type Capital Letters A to Z

Use Keys between ALT+97 to ALT+122 to type Lowercase Letters a to z

Alt 1 ☺ Happy Smiley

Alt 2 ☻ Sad Smiley

Alt 3 ♥ Heart

Alt 11 ♂ Male Sign

Alt 12 ♀ Female Sign

Alt 13 ♪ Quaver

Alt 14 ♫ Joined Quavers

Jan Lokpal Bill

2011-08-19T12:29:00.000+05:30

Jan Lokpal Bill

The Jan Lokpal Bill , also referred to as the citizens' ombudsman bill, is a proposed anti-corruption law in India. It was proposed by anti-corruption social activists as a more effective improvement to the original Lokpal bill which is currently being proposed by the the Government of India. The prefix Jan (translation: citizens) was added to signify the fact that these improvements include inputs provided by the ordinary citizens through a activist driven non-governmental public consultation.

The Jan Lokpal Bill aims to effectively deter corruption, redress grievances of citizens and protect whistle-blowers. If made into into law, the bill seeks to create an independent ombudsman body similar to the Election Commission of India called the Lokpal (Sanskrit: protector of the people). It will be empowered to register and investigate complaints of corruption against politicians and bureaucrats without prior government approval. First introduced in 1968, the bill has failed to become law for over four decades.

In 2011, Gandhian rights activist Anna Hazare started a Satyagraha movement by commencing a fast unto death in New Delhi to demand the passing of the bill. The movement attracted attention in the media, and thousands of supporters. Following Hazare's four day hunger strike, the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that the bill would be re-introduced in the 2011 monsoon session of the Parliament.

Accordingly, a committee of five Cabinet Ministers and five social activists attempted to draft a compromise bill merging both the version but failed. The Indian government went on to propose its own version in the parliament, which the activists reject on the grounds of not being sufficiently effective.

Background

The Lokpal bill was first introduced by Shanti Bhushan in 1968 and passed in the 4th Lok Sabha in 1969. But it did not get through in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India. Subsequent versions were re-introduced in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and in 2008, but none of them passed.

Renewed calls for the bill arose over resentment of the major differences between the draft 2010 Lokpal Bill prepared by the government and that prepared by the members of the associated activists movement — N. Santosh Hegde, a former justice of the Supreme Court of India; Lokayukta of Karnataka; Shanti Bhushan; Arvind Kejriwal; Prashant Bhushan, a senior lawyer in the Supreme Court; and members of the India Against Corruption movement.

The bill's supporters consider existing laws too weak, full of contradictions and insufficiently empowered to combat corruption. On the other hand, critics of the Jan Lokpal Bill argue that the bill attempts to supercede existing constitutional bodies and attempts to create a super-institution with sweeping powers, which can be dangerous for the future of democracy^.

Key features of proposed bill

Some important features of the proposed bill are:

To establish a central government anti-corruption institution called Lokpal, supported by Lokayukta at the state level.
As in the case of the Supreme Court and Cabinet Secretariat, the Lokpal will be supervised by the Cabinet Secretary and the Election Commission. As a result, it will be completely independent of the government and free from ministerial influence in its investigations.
Members will be appointed by judges, Indian Administrative Service officers with a clean record, private citizens and constitutional authorities through a transparent and participatory process.
A selection committee will invite shortlisted candidates for interviews, videorecordings of which will thereafter be made public.
Every month on its website, the Lokayukta will publish a list of cases dealt with, brief details of each, their outcome and any action taken or proposed. It will also publish lists of all cases received by the Lokayukta during the previous month, cases dealt with and those which are pending.
Investigations of each case must be completed in one year. Any resulting trials should be concluded in the following year, giving a total maximum process time of two years.
Losses caused to the government by a corrupt individual will be recovered at the time of conviction.
Government officework required by a citizen that is not completed within a prescribed time period will result in Lokpal imposing financial penalties on those responsible, which will then be given as compensation to the complainant.
Complaints against any officer of Lokpal will be investigated and completed within a month and, if found to be substantive, will result in the officer being dismissed within two months.
The existing anti-corruption agencies (CVC, departmental vigilance and the anti-corruption branch of the CBI) will be merged into Lokpal which will have complete power and authority to independently investigate and prosecute any officer, judge or politician.
Whistleblowers who alert the agency to potential corruption cases will also be provided with protection by it.

Rio (2011)

2011-07-06T12:49:00.000+05:30

The makers of ICE AGE series have presented Rio this time. Here, Blu is a domesticated Macaw who never learned how to fly. He lived his own comfortable life in the small town of Moose Lake. Suddenly he meets an exceptionally independent person, Jewel. He takes this Macaw bird of his desire for an adventure to the land of Rio de Janeiro. And the story is about this high shoot occasion only.

Director: Carlos Saldanha

Release date: 15th April'2011

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Kids & Family, Comedy

Screen play writers: Don Rhymer, Joshua Sternin, Jeffrey Ventimilia

Cinematographer: Renato Falcão

Produced by: John C. Donkin, Bruce Anderson, Chris Wedge

Official website: http://www.rio-themovie.com/

Strengths: This is a very good children movie. It has passed in the point of its moving with a purpose. So, it can turn out to be a fine entertainment venture!!!

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