Ramfeelz

2019-06-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

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thuppaki loaded and shot will de soon

2012-10-21T23:35:00.004-07:00

maybach

2012-05-17T09:15:00.002-07:00

DOLAN BIKES

2011-12-13T09:13:00.001-08:00

Crouching Tiger

Terry Dolan’s bikes have long been admired for their fluid lines and aggressive performance on the track – but road riders can enjoy that performance too. Frankie Andreu puts the bike building maestro’s Hercules Ultegra SL Max on trial.

Terry has been designing and building bikes for three decades ,having learnt his craft from Liverpool frame builder Harry Quinn. In addition to his branded models, Terry has supplied frames to other makers, some of which have been ridden to victory in the Classics and in a grand tour. Dolan bikes have been ridden to Olympic, national and world titles on the track.

Terry has worked with Great Britain’s national track squad since 1988, supplying frames from the 960g carbon monocoque Tuono road frame to the integrated seatpost Aurora and popular Pista track bike, as well as custom builds. Dolan’s bikes are still built at the company’s premises on Merseyside.

(NOTE: Click on any image to view an enlargement.)

WHO is responsible for the bike you ride? Ultimately, you are. If you’re a professional cyclist on a pro team, though, you often don’t get a choice; your management picks the bikes for you. Well, that’s the theory.

On rare occasions, however, it’s possible to spot a bike that’s covered with decals that actually don’t match the manufacturer – and the man behind many of the bikes that lie beneath that disguise is Terry Dolan. He’s been supplying bikes to top pros because they’ve demanded them. Dolan bikes have been ridden to national and world titles by Mark Cavendish, Rob Hayles, Bradley Wiggins and Chris Hoy. These titles came from the track, but these days, the quality and performance of Dolan bikes has carried over on to the road scene.

The Hercules, made from Japanese Toray uni-directional carbon fibre, has a very different appearance from most road bikes, because of its curved tubes. Every tube has an individually curved shape which gives the appearance of an aggressive crouching animal ready to lunge and strike its prey.

The seatstays and toptubes are concave, while the chainstays and downtube are convex, giving the bike a unique appearance. The curvature, most obvious in the toptube, increases the torsional rigidity of the frame while maintaining the dampening effect that carbon fibre offers. It’s a compact frame and, because of the curved top tube, Dolan measure the size of their bikes by the length of the top tube needed. The bike I tested had a virtual 59.6cm toptube that actually measured 57.5cm in length. This compact design keeps the tubes shorter, decreases weight, and increases the frame’s stiffness without sacrificing reach or comfort.

The Hercules has a nice-looking 5cm seat post extension about the toptube. This eliminates that odd look of having a huge amount of seatpost protruding, which can make a bike look smaller than it actually is.

The Hercules comes in white with black highlights and Dolan can fit your bike with almost any choice of components. They send their bikes unassembled, with the parts and frame in two different boxes. If you prefer, you can gather the equipment yourself and, once finished, you have a racing machine on your hands. The Dolan’s curved tubes stand out but that’s about it – it’s an inconspicuous bike without a lot of flash or pageantry. Until, that is, you take it outside – and discover the performance that has given Dolan their good name.

MY TEST RIDE began at Spencer Mountain, North Carolina, on a day when the bright red and orange colors of autumn leaves were blasted across the hillside. I took a small climb that went around the mountain instead of going up and over.

Although my route didn’t take in the radio towers at the top of the mountain, it still provided me with a good opportunity to get a feel for what this bike could do. The short wheelbase of 100cm kept the rear wheel very close to the seat-tube. The Ksyrium Equipe wheels had 700x23 Michelin Pro 3 Race tyres. I imagine it’s impossible to keep any larger-sized tyre, as there’s less than two centimeters of clearance.

At the opposite end, the Hercules had a beefy carbon semi-bladed fork, with an aluminum steerer, which tapers rearwards with a 43-degree rake. With the rear wheel tucked in close and 60.8cm between the centre of the bottom bracket and the front skewer, the bike rallied around corners. T way I could whip the bike over into a hard hairpin and just as quickly whip it back over to the other side was a test of nerves. The 19cm headtube kept me in a low-flying position, so it felt like I was anchored to the road. It was easy to push on the bars, to carve, tear up, and rip up anything thrown in front of me. “Faster!” was the Hercules’s motto, and I was the limiting factor in this high-speed game.

Much of this sensation also came from the fact that the Hercules was a sturdy and strong-feeling bike. It almost felt bombproof, with the Ksyrium Equipe wheels helping to roll out destruction on the

road. The wheels rolled very well and were tough enough to go hopping over railroad tracks, pounding through pot-holes and dodging city traffic. I’m sure the wheels helped, but the Hercules’s curved carbon fibre tubes certainly dissipated the harsh vibrations while maintaining a very stiff feel.

The bottom bracket is slightly oversized – the downtube flairs vertically at the headtube and gradually changes to flair out horizontally at the bottom bracket. This shape change makes for great stability and handling in the front triangle, while also giving the bottom bracket a ton of strength to prevent any lateral movement. Sprinting in 53x12, the frame was immovable.

The headtube was didn’t sway when I pulled on the bars, and the bike accelerated very responsively. Perhaps some of the design characteristics of Dolan’s track bikes carries over to the road bikes, because hitting top speed quickly was never a problem with the Hercules.

Dolan produces some very high-end, expensive bikes – but they can also provide a great riding bike at lower cost. This bike came with an Ultegra SL gruppo, which worked flawlessly. Shifting was precise, braking fantastic, and if I closed my eyes I’d never have known the difference from the 7800 Dura-Ace groupset. A comfortable bend in the FSA Wing Pro shallow-drop bars makes it easy to reach the brakes.

On top of the fat 31.6 Alpina carbon post was a saddle that some riders consider their favorite. I didn’t’ particularly care for the 200g San Marco Concor Light saddle. It’s very short, which doesn’t leave a lot of room to move around for comfort or handling.

KITTED OUT WITH my 300g Shimano PD-R600 pedals, the Hercules SE weighed just 18lb. It would be easy to swap a few parts to bring the weight down still further, but at $3,249.99 for the complete bike as is, it’s outstanding value. No remodeling is needed – right from the off you get a sold, responsive, great handling bike.

In 2008, Andy Fenn won the junior Paris-Roubaix title on this very frame, giving testament to its durability and raceworthiness. Again, it was one of those times where the rider picked the bike that he wanted. Maybe some day soon we’ll see Dolan bikes scoring national and world titles on the road too.

CONCLUSION: The Hercules Ultegra SL Max is a great performer, inspiring confidence with its handling and ability to sweep through corners. Its strength comes through with the way it can accelerate and the 1,140g, full carbon carbon frame delivers comfort to make the long rides seem short. The Hercules’s curved tubes give it a very different appearance from most bikes, which may be an acquired taste. If you can adapt, though, you won’t be disappointed. And your wallet will thank you too, because the Hercules delivers a ride worth much more than its asking price.

2012 PINARELLO ROKH ROAD BIKE COMING

2011-12-13T08:49:00.001-08:00

We just got some lo-res sales sheets leaked our way courtesy of Queen City Bicycles in Charlotte (Thanks, Bart!) on the 2012 Pinarello ROKH carbon fiber road bikes. Priced at $3,600 to $4,100 complete, it’s a “balance between performance and value” that claims to be a full on race-ready machine. Word is the frame is a blend of the Quattro’s race worthiness and the KOBH’s relaxed geometry and slightly longer chainstays, likely making it a great bike for long days in the saddle that’ll handle a crit or two when necessary.

The frames get Pinarello’s 12K carbon and shapely ONDA forks and use the asymmetric frame designs from their higher end race machines. The Movistar Team Replica paint scheme above will be one paint option, two more with component specs after the break…

Two kits will be offered: SRAM Force ($3,599) with Rival cranks and Fulcrum 5 wheels, and Shimano Ultegra ($4,099) with Fulcrum 5 wheels. They should be hitting shops very soon.

Italian purists will scoff at the lack of a Campagnolo equipped option for the U.S., but, well, seems lower-mid-level Campy groups just don’t sell all that well.

ALEX BIKES

2011-12-13T08:22:00.001-08:00

Which is best ( NOKIA N900 vs NOKIA LUMIA 800 )

2011-12-13T00:56:00.000-08:00

INTRODUCTION:

THIS ARTICLES COMPLETELY DEALS WITH ALL THE FEATURES AND NATURE OF THE COMPETITIVE AND EFFECTIVE HANDSETS. ( NOKIA N900 VS LUMIA 800 )

SPECIFICATIONS AND COMPARISONS:

NOKIA N900

NOKIA LUMIA 800

General	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 900 / 1700 / 2100
	Announced	2009, August
	Status	Available. Released 2009, November

Size	Dimensions	110.9 x 59.8 x 18 mm, 113 cc
Size	Weight	181 g

Display	Type	TFT resistive touchscreen, 65K colors
	Size	800 x 480 pixels, 3.5 inches (~267 ppi pixel density)
		- QWERTY keyboard

Sound	Alert types	Vibration; MP3 ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes, with stereo speakers
	3.5mm jack	Yes, check quality

Memory	Card slot	microSD, up to 16GB, buy memory
Memory	Internal	32 GB storage, 256 MB RAM

Data	GPRS	Class 32
	EDGE	Class 32
	Speed	HSDPA, 10Mbps; HSUPA, 2Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, DLNA
	Bluetooth	Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
	Infrared port	Yes
	USB	Yes, v2.0 microUSB

Camera	Primary	5 MP, 2576x1936 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, Dual LED flash, check quality
	Features	Geo-tagging
	Video	Yes, WVGA(848 x 480)@25fps
	Secondary	Yes, VGA

Features

Maemo 5

CPU

600 MHz Cortex-A8

GPU

PowerVR SGX530

Sensors

Accelerometer, proximity

Messaging

SMS (threaded view), Email, Push Email, IM

Browser

xHTML, HTML, Adobe Flash

Radio

Stereo FM radio (via thi

- Skype and GoogleTalk VoIP integration
- MP3/WMA/WAV/eAAC+ music player
- WMV/RealVideo/MP4/AVI/XviD/DivX video player
- TV-out
- PDF document viewer
- Photo editor

Battery		Standard battery, Li-Ion 1320 mAh (BL-5J)
	Stand-by	Up to 278 h (2G) / Up to 250 h (3G)
	Talk time	Up to 6 h 30 min (2G) / Up to 4 h 30 min (3G)
	Music play	Up to 24 h 30 min

Misc	SAR US	0.92 W/kg (head) 0.82 W/kg (body)
Misc	SAR EU	0.80 W/kg (head

rd party software); FM transmitter

GPS

Yes, with A-GPS support; Ovi Maps

Java

Colors

Black

General	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
	Announced	2011, October
	Status	Available. Released 2011, November

Size	Dimensions	116.5 x 61.2 x 12.1 mm, 76.1 cc
Size	Weight	142 g

Display	Type	AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	480 x 800 pixels, 3.7 inches (~252 ppi pixel density)
	Multitouch	Yes
	Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass
		- Nokia ClearBlack display - Touch-sensitive controls

Sound	Alert types	Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes

Memory	Card slot	No
Memory	Internal	16 GB storage, 512 MB RAM

Data	GPRS	Class 33
	EDGE	Class 33
	Speed	HSDPA 14.4 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
	Bluetooth	Yes, v2.1 with A2DP, EDR
	USB	Yes, microUSB v2.0

Camera	Primary	8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, dual-LED flash, check quality
	Features	Geo-tagging
	Video	Yes, 720p@30fps, check quality
	Secondary	No

Features	OS	Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5 Mango
	Chipset	Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon
	CPU	1.4 GHz Scorpion
	GPU	Adreno 205
	Sensors	Accelerometer, proximity, compass
	Messaging	SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
	Browser	WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML5, RSS feeds
	Radio	Stereo FM radio with RDS
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support
	Java	No
	Colors	Black, Cyan, Magenta
		- MicroSIM card support only - SNS integration - Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic - MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA player - MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV player - Document viewer/editor - Video/photo editor - Voice memo/command/dial - Predictive text input

Battery		Standard battery, Li-Ion 1450 mAh (BV-5JW)
	Stand-by	Up to 265 h (2G) / Up to 335 h (3G)
	Talk time	Up to 13 h (2G) / Up to 9 h 30 min (3G)
	Music play	Up to 55 h

BULLET POINTS BY THE USERS:

Ø The Lumia boasts of all standard camera jargons, such as an f/2.2 aperture, high performance optics courtesy Carl Zeiss and zero shutter lag, but let's get real - the 8 megapixel camera is no N8.

Ø 1080p video is not supported by the single core chipset powering the device but since Windows Phone cannot support dual core chips.

Ø What really differentiates the Lumia 800 from the orphaned N9 is the software running under the hood. No MeeGo out here, Nokia welcomes you to the world of Metro!

Ø The live tile based Metro UI came to life on this panel with deep blacks and superlative viewing angles.

Ø As mentioned above due to Windows Phone hardware cap, Nokia could only implement a WVGA 800x480 panel, but nonetheless it is a stunning panel.

Ø Nokia adopts their Clear Black AMOLED technology for the Lumia 800's 3.7-inch display. It is of the same type as on the N9, with the only variance being in the screen size and resolution.

Ø Its curved glass clear black AMOLED display is a work of art and looks like the famous crystal crafted in Prague. The display floats on top of the body giving us an illusion of water on top of a surface.

NOKIA N900

Ø Our goal here is to test the N900, of course, but fundamentally, that's the question we tried to keep in the backs of our minds for this review: could Maemo ultimately become the platform of Nokia's future? Let's dig in.

Ø Linux-based Maemo project has quietly been incubating in the company's labs for over four years. What began as a geeky science experiment (a "hobby" in Steve Jobs parlance) on the Nokia 770 tablet back in 2005 matured through several iterations -- even producing the first broadly-available WiMAX MID -- until it finally made the inevitable leap into smartphone territory late last year with the announcement of the N900.

Ø Nokia's been absolutely emphatic with us -- Maemo's intended for handheld computers (read: MIDs) with voice capability, while S60 continues to be the choice for purebred smartphones.

Cummins sidelined until mid-January

2011-12-06T23:38:00.002-08:00

The fast bowler Pat Cummins might not play another Test this summer after being diagnosed with a bone stress injury in his foot. Cummins, 18, was a revelation during his Test debut in Johannesburg last month, where he took seven wickets, hit the winning runs and was Man of the Match.

However, he is not expected to bowl again until early to mid January due to his injury, which initially ruled him out of the New Zealand series. The lack of Sheffield Shield cricket in January, when the Big Bash League takes centre stage, means Australia would be gambling if they reintroduced Cummins into the Test side for the end of the series against India, which finishes in Adelaide in late January.

"Patrick injured his heel early into the second Test against South Africa," Australia's physio Alex Kountouris said. "By the end of the match he was quite sore and we had scans done after the game that confirmed heel 'fat pad' injury. On return to Australia, he was given some time to recover and was reviewed throughout last week by NSW medical staff and then by myself in Brisbane during the first Test versus New Zealand.

"By the end of last week it was apparent to all of us managing him that he was progressing slower than expected for a soft tissue injury of the heel. As such we arranged for him to see a foot specialist and had further scans that have identified a bone component to his injury, that was not evident on the original scans.

"We now believe that Patrick has a bone stress injury as well as the 'fat pad' injury. This means that his recovery will take longer than first expected. He is not likely to resume bowling until early to mid-January 2012."

Pat Howard, the Cricket Australia general manager of team performance, said alarm bells had rung when Cummins appeared to be recovering slower than expected on his return home.

"The medical staff took a decision that Patrick's recovery versus previous scans did not seem consistent and proactively made the decision that further scans were required," Howard said. "These scans have revealed a bone stress injury which pushes out his recovery by a few weeks.

"This wasn't picked up in the initial scans done in South Africa. Unfortunately this, when combined with Patrick's young age to reprepare for Test cricket, means that he will miss much of the Indian series."

Australia are already without Mitchell Johnson for the whole Test summer due to a foot injury, while Ryan Harris is confident that he is on track for the Boxing Day Test as he recovers from a hip problem. Australia may need to rely heavily on the young fast men James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc, who made their debuts in Brisbane, during the Indian series.

Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

Symonds echoes Gilly's view, says India can beat Australia

2011-12-06T23:38:00.000-08:00

MUMBAI: Former Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds on Tuesday echoed ex-teammate Adam Gilchrist's view, saying India have a good chance to score their first Test series win Down Under when they tour the country later this month.

"Indians can put pressure on the young Australian players. They have a good opportunity to beat Australia in their home country. I think there are good chances of India beating them," the 36-year-old all-rounder said.

"However, the young Australian players too have an opportunity to beat the Indians. There are positive chances for both the sides. One needs preparation and also needs to respond properly in big games," he added.

Gilchrist had on Monday said that India had a great opportunity to beat the former world number one side as it is undergoing a transitional phase.

India are slated to play four Tests, beginning December 26 in Melbourne, followed by two T20s and a tri-series tournament also involving Sri Lanka.

Symonds felt his Mumbai Indians skipper Sachin Tendulkar, who is on the threshold of scoring a record 100th international century, can achieve the feat in Australia.

"Sachin is an enormous person. There is lot of pressure on him for the 100th ton. I hope he gets the century at the earliest so that the burden that he faces is reduced and he can carry on with the game.

"He has the ability to do it soon. There are chances that he might score the century during the India-Australia series. It would be a great thing for him to score it in Australia," he added.

Symonds said talks about the retirement of his former skipper Ricky Ponting were unnecessary and the Australian batting great should be left alone.

"It is disappointing that reports of that sort are coming out. They are unnecessary. He is a good batsman. It is up to him to decide whether to be in the game. He should be left alone," he said.

India can register first Test series win in Aus: Gilchrist

2011-12-06T23:36:00.001-08:00

MUMBAI: India have the best chance to score their first-ever Test series win Down Under since the Ausies are going through a rebuilding phase, feels Adam Gilchrist.

"It's a good chance for India, with Australia being through somewhat of a transitional period. They are still finding their way. India have got a few good results in the last couple of series (against Australia). I think Australia are aware of that. They need to be on top of their game to hold on to their (undefeated) record at home against India," said the wicketkeeper-batsman, who is on a promotional to India.

The 40-year-old, who represented Australia in 96 Tests and 287 ODIs, scoring 5570 and and 9619 runs respectively, was of the view that unlike England, pitches in Australia would favour the Indians. He was also full of praise for young Indian batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and felt that they would do well in Australia.

"Virat is an aggressive player and has a good understanding of the game. He knows how to adapt in difficult situations. He is definitely made for the big league," said Gilchrist. On Rohit, he said, "I see him as an extremely talented youngster. He needs to be given more opportunities and I am convinced he has more to offer and needs to be elevated to the Test squad."

About the bouncy Aussie pitches, Gilchrist was of the view that they may not be as "spicy" and would suit the Indians more. "The general view is that wickets have tamed somewhat and the Indian players will certainly find ways to score hundreds in those conditions. I wouldn't say there will be dead wickets but maybe not as spicy as they used to be."

Comparing the forthcoming series to India's forgetful sojourn in England, Gilchrist said, "English conditions were a difficult challenge. From what I saw, there were pretty tired players in the Indian set-up in England. Hopefully they are fresh when they come to Australia."

Gilly termed young India pacemen Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron as bright prospects. "Both are bright young prospects and don't look like stereotypical Indian bowlers. They are strongly built and have a good bowling action. Moreover, they generate good pace. I will be looking forward to watch them bowl in Australian conditions," he said.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/s...w/10993593.cms

Mithun replaces Praveen for Australia tour

2011-12-06T23:35:00.001-08:00

Abhimanyu Mithun, the Karnataka fast bowler, has been named as Praveen Kumar's replacement in India's Test squad for their tour of Australia. Irfan Pathan, the Baroda allrounder, has been picked for the last two one-dayers against West Indies, marking his return to the international setup after more than two years.

After Praveen was ruled out of the Tests with a fractured rib, the selectors had to add another seamer to the 17-man squad for Australia and the place was expected to go to either one of Mithun, Vinay Kumar or Irfan Pathan. Mithun got that spot, but a place in the ODI squad was vacated because Umesh Yadav is departing for Australia early. Irfan's performances in the ongoing domestic season have been rewarded with that spot for the final two one-dayers.

Irfan has not played for India since 2009, but drew attention because of his performance in this season's Ranji Trophy, in which he is the leading wicket-taker in the Elite division, having taken 21 wickets in three games.

Mithun took six wickets in three Tests on the tour of Sri Lanka in July 2010, his debut series. However, he had to make way for the returning Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth after that series, and his next opportunity did not come until May 2011 in the Caribbean. He took three wickets in the Test against West Indies in Barbados but was subsequently left out of India's tour of England.

He has also been in and out of India's one-day squads, typically only being called up as a replacement for other players. He replaced Praveen for the home ODIs against West Indies. He and Vinay both played the third ODI, at Motera; Vinay took 2 for 39 in eight overs while Mithun took just one wicket and conceded 47 runs from his seven overs. Vinay has been a more regular member of India's one-day team - he has 11 wickets from his last eight ODIs - but has never been part of an India Test squad.

Mithun joins Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron and Ishant Sharma in India's pace department for the Australia tour, with Zaheer Khan selected provisionally, subject to him proving his fitness before the squad's departure. Seven of the players from the Test squad - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha and Wriddhiman Saha - will leave early for Australia, on December 8, to prepare for the series. The first tour game is a two-day match that starts on December 16, while the first Test starts December 26.

Irfan's inclusion is the only change to the ODI squad for the home series against West Indies, which India lead 2-1. Rahul Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Manoj Tiwary, none of whom have played a game in the series so far, remain in the squad.

India squad for last two ODIs: Virender Sehwag (capt), Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Parthiv Patel (wk), Rohit Sharma, Vinay Kumar, Irfan Pathan, Abhimanyu Mithun, Varun Aaron, R Ashwin, Manoj Tiwary, Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul
Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/co...ry/543904.html

Space Telescope Spots 'Earth-Like' Planet 600 Light Years Away

2011-12-06T23:30:00.001-08:00

Astronomers working with NASA's orbiting Kepler space telescope say they have discovered the smallest and most Earth-like planet ever seen outside our solar system. They say it orbits a sun-like star in the so-called “habitable zone” - a distance from the parent star where moderate temperatures on the planet would make liquid water - and life - possible.

The newly found planet, named Kepler-22b - is one of a growing inventory of nearly 50 newly discovered super-Earth planets orbiting neither too close nor too far from their parent stars and where conditions might exist that could support life.

Kepler-22b is 600 light years away - meaning it would take a light beam from Earth 600 years to reach it. But even at that enormous distance, the Kepler astronomers were able to discern that the planet is about 2.4 times the diameter of Earth, orbits its sun in an Earth-year-like 290 days, and because of its mid-range location in the "habitable zone," probably enjoys balmy daytime temperatures of around 22 degrees Celsius.

But Jon Jenkins, co-investigator for data analysis with the Kepler mission, says it is not yet known whether the surface of Kepler-22b is rocky like Earth and could actually support life.

“Although this planet is over twice the size of the Earth, if it were indeed rocky, you could have liquid water pooling on the surface," said Jenkins. "And as far as we know, liquid water is required by all life that we know about. So, it’s an incredibly necessary ingredient for life as we know it.”

Kepler-22b has been formally confirmed by other telescopes. The Kepler team says it has discovered nearly 1,100 candidate exoplanets with the aid of the sharp-eyed space telescope.

Kepler is currently scanning a narrow segment of the cosmos, continuously observing an estimated 150,000 stars within the segment for orbiting planets.

Jon Jenkins says he is thrilled by the discovery of Kepler-22b, after years of searching for Earth-like planets.

“It’s great to be at this point where we have this milestone of finding this first super-Earth planet in the habitable zone of a sun-like star," he said.

Jenkins says it will be up to future missions and more powerful telescopes to determine if there actually is life on Kepler-22b and the other exoplanets, but Jenkins says as more data is gathered on these distant worlds, life beyond Earth seems increasingly in the realm of possibility.

2011-12-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

OSTHE MOVIE PREVIEW
Review by : Behindwoods Review Board

Starring: Silambarasan, Jithan Ramesh, Richa Gangopadhyay, Sonu Sood, Revathi, Mallika Sherawat Direction: S. DharaniMusic: Thaman. SProduction: Mohan Apparao T. Ramesh

After slowly evolving into the performance zone in Vaanam, Silambarasan is back to what he does best - entertain. And he hopes to do it with much fanfare in Osthe, the Tamil remake of the Hindi blockbuster Dabangg that set the box office on fire last year. Coming to think of it, Dabangg's Chulbul Pandey is tailor-made for STR and his personality in movies.

Silambarasan has rechristened Chulbul Pandey as Osthe Velan and the film is directed by Dharani, who is well-known for his commercial entertainers. Taking Sonakshi Sinha's place is the beautiful Richa Gangopadhyay who debuted in Mayakkam Enna. Going by Dabangg's story, Osthe will be fun and action filled with the lead character - a brash and unapologetic cop from the bad lands of Tamil Nadu who takes on the goons and badmen. Sonu Sood, who played the villain in Hindi, is reprising his role again.

Silambarasan and Dharani have managed to rope in Mallika Sherawat for the item song, famously done by Malaika in the Hindi version. And the song, sung by LR Eswari and STR's dad TR, has already proven to be a hit with it repeatedly being broadcast in radio. The Mallika song is expected to go viral after the movie is released.

Osthe also has Jithan Ramesh, Saranya Mohan, Santhanam, Ganesh, Nassar, Revathi, Vijayakumar and Mayilsamy. Made with a budget of 30 crores, the movie is distributed by Reliance Entertainment. Osthe is opening in India and overseas simultaneously this weekend.

Don 2 (2011) - Don in Jail Images -

2011-12-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

THUPAKI VIJAY UPCOMING MOVIE POSTER

2011-12-06T12:26:00.001-08:00

Ye Stupi Pyar (2011) - Wallpapers

2011-12-06T12:25:00.002-08:00

Son Of Sordar (2012) - EXclusive Stills -

2011-12-06T12:25:00.000-08:00

Marvel's "Avengers(2012) Movie " Stills -

2011-12-06T12:23:00.001-08:00

Tamanna Latest Very Cute pose - Don't Miss It N/W ♥♥

2011-12-06T12:19:00.001-08:00

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Samantha Latest Cute Stills in White Chudi N/W ♥♥

2011-12-06T12:18:00.000-08:00

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♥♥ Trisha Hot in Galatta Cinema December Edition N/W ♥♥ ~

2011-12-06T12:16:00.001-08:00

Fantastic Hotel

2011-12-03T01:44:00.001-08:00

Marina Bay Sands is the world’s most expensive hotel, it’s boat-shaped ‘SkyPark’ perched atop the three 55 storey towers. This three towers are connected with a one hectare roof sky park offering 360-degree views of Singapore’s skyline and featuring beautifully sculptured gardens, restaurants and a swimming pool.

The SkyPark will be home to the world’s longest elevated swimming pool, with a 475-foot vanishing edge, perched 200 meters above the ground. While the water in the infinity pool seems to end in a sheer drop, it actually spills into a catchment area where it is pumped back into the main pool. At three times the length of an Olympic pool and 650ft up, it is the largest outdoor pool in the world at that height.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TAMIL CINEMA: GLANCE AT THE PAST!

2011-12-02T01:07:00.001-08:00

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TAMIL CINEMA: GLANCE AT THE PAST!

By Arun Gopinath

October 31 2011 was a memorable day for Tamil cinema. But, it was not perhaps observed in a fitting manner. The 80th anniversary of a landmark event is definitely worth celebration; most of you would agree on that. And, no one can deny that the release of the first ever Tamil talkie film is a landmark event. Yes, it is on 31st October 1931 that the first Tamil talkie movie released. Now, you might be more convinced of the reason that the 31st October of 2011 was definitely a date that deserved at least a nominal commemoration of such a momentous event.

It is 80 years since Tamil was first spoken on the silver screen. We have been born into a world where Tamil booms off the silver screen aided by Dolby, DTS and other world class technologies, where there is no shortage of avenues to watch a Tamil feature film on the big screen. So, it does take some time and a vivid imagination to fully understand what the first Tamil talkie film, Kalidas, would have meant to the Tamils of the 1930s who had up to that point only been treated only to silent cinema; and in some very rare cases, silent cinema accompanied by live and synchronized performances by musicians and the animated descriptions of professional narrators.

Yes, sitting in front of a computer screen in 2011, it is indeed difficult to imagine the era where cinema did not speak. That is all the more reason we appreciate the pioneering efforts of Ardeshir M Irani and HM Reddy; producer and director of Kalidas respectively. On October 31 1931, the boxes carrying the reels of the first ever Tamil talkie film arrived at the Madras port and it was escorted to the Liberty Theater in Parrys by a huge procession replete with bands and garlands. Unlike the processions of today which are mostly in celebration of a film’s star, this one was for the sheer joy of the fact that cinema would actually speak Tamil for the first time. The film had a mind boggling 50 songs.

But, October 31 is not just a day to remember this landmark event in Tamil cinema. It is also a chance to commemorate some of the other pioneers and their pioneering achievements which were instrumental in making Tamil cinema one of the biggest forces in the Indian film industry.

After bringing sound to the screen, what else? The fact remained that Kalidas was not a fully Tamil talkie film; many characters spoke different languages in the film, of which Telugu was a major part. Therefore, the 1932 film Galava directed by P.P. Rangachari is recognized as the first full length Tamil talkie film. That was a period when mythology was the biggest source of stories for film making; no wonder then there were multiple films based on some of the favorite mythological stories. Amongst this was the 1933 flick Seethakalyanam which had S. Rajam playing Rama and Jayalakshmi playing Seetha. The catch here being that Jayalakshmi was the real life sister of S. Rajam. Now, one is led to wonder about how such a casting decision would have been received in our times. We are currently passing through a phase when even the slightest suggestion about caste, community or religion is beginning to stir a lot of ‘feelings’. The example of Seethakalyanam shows us that perhaps people in the 1930s were very broad minded; seeing cinema as nothing but a medium of entertainment, not taking on screen things too seriously. In comparison, we seem to have regressed in our way of thinking. Or perhaps there is the fact that the people of the 30s had far more important issues like the freedom struggle and they left such smaller matters alone!

There are many more such examples which show that the earliest film makers of the Tamil film industry were daringly experimental, sometimes even more than the current makers. Part of that is the 1935 film Nandhanar which had K.B.Sundarambal play the hero! Yes, a lady played the hero of the film. Think of it, turning a 60 year old Rajnikanth to a 30 something youngster is hailed as a feat in make up even now. With the kind of facilities available those days, this was truly a great achievement. And, she was paid a monstrous Rs. 1 lakh for the role. To give you an exact idea about the huge nature of this remuneration you have to know the fact that Kalidas was made on a lavish budget of Rs. 8000! If you adjust the Rs.1 lakh for inflation to 2011, one can be pretty sure that she will be the highest paid actor ever in India.

1936 was an eventful year in Tamil cinema with the debut of director Ellis R Duncan; a British directing Tamil movies! But, the year is most remembered for the debuts of T.S. Baliah and the iconic M.G.Ramachandran in Sati Leelavati. An often forgotten fact however is that the year also marked the debut of the first lady director of Indian cinema, T.P. Rajalakshmi through Miss Kamala. Even in 2011, a lady director is a rarity in Tamil cinema; they are considered path breakers into a male bastion. So, we can only imagine the sheer magnitude of T.P. Rajalakshmi’s achievement.

This period can also be remembered for the debut of some of the most influential personalities of Tamil cinema. Kalaivaanar N.S. Krishnan who was perhaps the first person to make comedy staple to Tamil cinema and one of the biggest pillars of Tamil cinema A V Meiyappa Chettiyar became fully active in cinema during this time.

This was also perhaps the period during which marketing techniques started to come to the fore in Tamil cinema. S.S. Vasan’s film Nandanar showed the way by organizing a contest wherein audiences had to nominate the best song in the picture, with attractive prizes being given away to winners. There are also instances of producers getting really smart and releasing the same movie twice under different names! Well, that technique would not work today. AVM introduced dubbed cinema to Tamil through Harischandra, dubbed form Kannada.

The mid 1940s produced the biggest hit ever in Tamil cinema! Yes, we could say so, not on terms of collection, but by the sheer number of days it occupied theaters. Haridas, starring M K Thyagaraja Bhagavadar (the first superstar of Tamil cinema) released on Diwali 1944 and remained in theaters for 3 consecutive Diwalis; no mean achievement; unparalleled to date.

The daring of Tamil film makers with themes even during World War periods can be gauged by Burma Rani (1945). Inspired by the happenings of the war, the film follows a plot that would be considered path breaking in Tamil cinema, if attempted even today. It involves 3 soldiers of the Indian Airmen landing up in Burma and joining hands with the Indian resistance to free it from the clutches of Japan, an Indian girl named Rani helps them in this quest; a truly international subject made in Tamil, before independence.

Immediately after independence, Tamil cinema produced what one may call the first on screen wonder through Chandralekha; the most expensive Tamil movie of its times, at a budget of Rs. 30 lakhs. It is remembered as the first Tamil film to become an all India phenomenon and for its mind boggling art work and production values; the drum dance in particular is still talked about.

The period from 1945-1950 can also be marked as the one where dialogues rose in prominence in Tamil cinema. Yes, talkie cinema had come to Tamil in the 1930s, but it took the advent of literary geniuses like Annadurai and M.Karunanidhi to take cinema dialogues to new and great heights. It is also worth noting that in the film Mandiri Kumari (1950), the heroine’s character is depicted as a free thinking and independently acting warrior princess; something that would be considered a brave move even in contemporary cinema. The 1950s were also a period during which politics and social reform became dominant presences in Tamil cinema, mostly through dialogues.

From 1950 onwards the technical milestones for Tamil cinema started coming very regularly. The first color film (Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum) and later moving on to cinemascope through Raja Raja Cholan etc. Now, we are in a period where technical advances are made at a rapid pace, be it digital photography, digital projection, live sound or CGI.

But, the point to be pondered over more carefully is whether Tamil cinema has regressed in terms of the themes and liberality of outlook. Some of the examples of daring and out of the box themes have been mentioned above. That was a period during which censors never unduly cut into a film maker’s space, except when the British objected to political content. That was also a period when actresses/heroines where given roles of substance and not used as fillers and glamour dolls. We can also see some highly experimental themes in the form of films like Andha Naal (1954). In the 1950s, one could say that the average number of songs in a film was around 10. But, here was a team that went against all norms and produced one without any songs at all. Nearly 60 years later, making a Tamil movie with no songs or even one song is still considered path breaking. While the 10 roles of Kamal in Dasavatharam were celebrated as a great achievement, we perhaps forgot that more than 40 years ago, Sivaji Ganesan did 9 roles in a single film, Navarathri. It goes to show that even though technique has progressed in leaps and bounds, the will to experiment has not grown proportionally.

Finally, as we remember the great architects who laid the foundations of Tamil cinema and thank them for what they did, we can also remind ourselves of the tribute that we can pay them. We can start by reiterating the fact that no print of Kalidas, the first Tamil talkie film, is known to exist. And, the same can be said of almost all the films of that period; yes, there are exceptions. In contrast, look at Hollywood archives, a 1930s film can still be downloaded on the net. Perhaps as a token of respect to these legends, we could preserve their works better.

Vikram and Vijay Thandavam in USA

2011-11-30T07:39:00.000-08:00

Vikram who is waiting for his December release Rajapattai has got some big news for his fans. The Chiyaan will be flying to USA within a short period of time accompained by director Vijay and crew. The Deivathirumagal team is back with Thandavam and this time it is going to Massive says trade sources.

Vikram will be shooting for Thandavam in the United States for more than 50 days and will complete the first schedule of the film.

The official annoucement will be held in December, director Vijay says once Rajapattai releases we will speak further details regarding this mega project. He also says that Thandavam will be an action thriller where Vikram will be portrayed in a new avatar.

Dhanush '3' song Pethana Senjana leaked

2011-11-30T07:37:00.001-08:00

After the rampage hit of 'Why This Kolaveri Di' from Dhanush and Shruti Hassan starrer '3' movie. Here comes one more song titled 'Pethana Senjana' which is spreading around the internet as the second song of Dhanush's '3'. With still Kolaveri song leading the records, will Pethana Senjana overtake it.

When contacted Aishwarya R Dhanush regarding this Second song which got leaked around the internet. She asked us the title of the song, when we said Pethana Sejana. She started bursting out in laughter saying 'if there is a song like this from my movie '3' then please let me know it first'.

She said it's really cool to see how the Kolaveri song has reached and made a mark for my debut film '3'. Now its funny to see a song titled 'Pethana Senjana' is doing the rounds claiming it to be from '3'. I think we got free promotions done for our film she giggles.