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2010-12-31T01:35:00.000-08:00

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Padma Lakshmi: More Than Gorgeous

2010-08-31T10:54:00.001-07:00

Padma Lakshmi is just a day away from turning forty. Just look at her – drop dead gorgeous, dynamic and successful. She now has an Emmy tucked under her belt for the reality cookery show she hosts on TV, ‘Top Chef’.
For women, 40 is a fabulous age.
At the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, Padma Lakshmi looked radiant in a strapless navy chiffon Carolina Herrera gown. Complementing the gown was a somewhat unusual necklace for a red carpet appearance. The statement piece is from her eponymous jewelery collection.
The Padma Jewelry Collection by Padma Lakshmi.
The Indian American TV host, author, actor, model and mom looks set to rock the forties. A novelty in the glamour world, Padma Lakshmi is among the few Indian models to have had a career in Paris, Milan and New York. Top designers such as Emanuel Ungaro, Ralph Lauren, and Alberta Ferretti have featured her.
Padma Lakshmi has worked in films and a music video. She’s the author of two cookbooks. Her first cookbook ‘Easy Exotic’ was awarded Best First Book at the 1999 World Cookbook Awards.
A single mom, Padma Lakshmi overcame a delicate pregnancy to give birth to a daughter Krishna in February this year. But not before the public ruckus which broke out over her decision not to name the father of her baby. We now know the father is venture capitalist Adam Dell.
What baffles me is that even successful dynamic women continue to be judged by some strange puritanical thought process over single parenting and other inconsequential tabloid ‘news’ bytes.
Oh and I hate the term ‘yummy mummies’ too. Let’s look at these women in the eye, shall we.

Endhiran: Rajni returns to Chennai

2010-08-31T04:26:00.000-07:00

After filming a song for Endhiran (also referred to as Enthiran or Endhiram) in Machu Picchu, Peru with Aishwarya Rai, Rajinikanth has returned to Chennai; the filming began on September 8th. It is heard that Rajinikanth will organize a meeting with his fan club members in the first week of October. Meanwhile, Aishwarya Rai and the Endhiran film crew are working overtime to complete the scenes involving her; Aishwarya Rai needs to get back to Mumbai tomorrow to be able to attend the premiere of Dhrona, which stars her husband Abhishek Bachchan and she had requested director Shankar to help her in this regard. Following her request, Shankar made some alterations in the first schedule and expedited the filming process to ensure that Aishwarya returns to Mumbai tomorrow morning. Now, she will have to fight jet lag and participate in Dhrona's premiere to cheer and encourage her husband. Aishwarya Rai accepted Rajinikanth and ace director Shankar's offer in Endhiran. And a pleased Shankar is at his empathetic best for Aishwarya, making sure all her requests are granted and she goes home smiling.

Truly Eye 'Popping': Rajinikanth Matches Aishwarya!

2010-08-31T04:24:00.000-07:00

At 60, some individuals turn senile, while others remain their puerile or juvenile selves. And yet, there are a select few who continue to bedazzle despite the onset of age. Case in point: South icon Rajinikanth. At 60, the mega idol has managed to learn the ropes of 'Popping,' the latest "happening" dance form from choreographer Remo D'Souza for S.Shankar's sci fi flick 'Endhiran'/ 'Robot'. And his dexterous steps have set collective jaws dropping. Including that of a certain Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
Gushes Ash in an inter phew chat, "Working with Rajinikanth was a larger than life experience. His enthusiasm, passion and inclination to learn something new is simply commendable." Interestingly, Ash too has picked up the rudiments of this dance form for the maiden time.
A stunned Remo expresses admiration in a media quote stating, "The energy and finesse that both Rajinikanth and Ash have brought to this song number is something to eagerly look forward to. I simply loved choreographing this number."

Avatar technology powers Rajnikant in Robot

2010-08-30T00:18:00.001-07:00

South superstar Rajinikant reportedly charged a whopping 45 crore for the sci-fi thriller Robot (Enthiran). The actor plays a scientist who makes a robot who is his own replica. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan falls in love with the robot. Before the film went on floors, director Shankar and Rajinikant spent two weeks in Los Angeles to prepare the mould for the robot's body with the latest technology. "The first step was scanning Rajinikant's entire body to create a prototype. Using this prototype, Hollywood technicians created a robot that everyone said was literally like his double," says a source from the production house.
Shankar collaborated with Hollywood's Stan Winston for visual effects and make-up. Almost 40 percent of the 150-crore budget was spent on special effects and animatronics. Hollywood experts were called in and the technology used in films like Avatar and The Curious Case of Benajamin Button was also employed in Robot.
The film has a futuristic look, and it is also the first in the world to be shot in Machu Picchu in Peru, which was voted as one of the new Wonders Of The World in an online poll in 2007. Earlier, permission for shooting at this location was denied even to The Quantum Of Solace. Rajinikant and Aishwarya will be seen romancing on the sparkling white sands here.
"Interestingly, Shankar had earlier shot at all the erstwhile seven wonders of the world for his film Jeans in the late '90s, which was also one of the costliest films of its time!" informed the source.
In the making for over two years, Robot has also been shot in Brazil and the US, with a foreign crew that included the famous costume designer E Vogt, who is designing clothes for Men In Black III, and Yuen Woo Ping, one of the most successful Chinese martial art choreographers and film directors.
This science-fiction entertainer is said to be the costliest Indian film ever, but Shankar says that the budget is justified considering that it is a complete entertainer with the most advanced special effects seen so far on the Indian screen. Robot releases in September.

BlackBerry standoff: Some questions and answers

2010-08-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

While India's 800,000 BlackBerry users struggle to figure out what the government wants and what its Canadian developer Research in Motion (RIM) has featured in these devices, here are some answers:

Q: What are BlackBerry services? Which aren't?
A: Mobile push-email and messenger. RIM delivers these two services through mobile operators, such as Airtel and Reliance Communications. All other services you use on your BlackBerry handset, such as SMS, internet access or phone calls, are directly from the mobile operator, and are not BlackBerry services. Push email is so called because mail is pushed out to your handset as soon as it is received without your needing to download email periodically.

Q: What does India's government want?
A: To intercept email and instant messages sent via BlackBerry, just as it can tap a phone. When it suspects someone of perpetrating a crime, it wants to be able to read, armed with a specific written order, any encrypted email sent on BlackBerry. The government can order interception of messages, under Section 5 of the Indian Telegraph Act,1885, only with a written order, granted only when required to prevent a major offense involving national security or terrorism. Economic offenses were once covered, but withdrawn in 1999 by a Supreme Court order.

Q: Why is BlackBerry mail encrypted?
A: Most email systems, including Gmail, use encryption. Enterprises don't trust public email systems for business data; so they use their own secure, firewalled systems. Now, when they need to use a mobile push-email system, they want to be certain that no third party can read the mail, not even the email provider. That is BlackBerry's USP: Mail so secure that RIM itself cannot read it.

Q: What's BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) and does the government have access to it?
A: BIS is the lighter flavour of RIM's two email services. Meant for individuals, it uses weaker encryption. BIS users buy convenience more than ironclad security. Airtel or Vodafone 'pipes' the encrypted mail from your handset to RIM, which then decrypts it and sends it out, to the recipient. So RIM 'can' let investigative agencies read such mail, and India now has an agreement for BIS access.

Q: Is BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES) then the only problem? Can RIM really not 'access' that?

A: BES is RIM's flagship product, designed to be so secure that not even RIM can read mail on it. It requires BES server software in the user company's network. Email is encrypted on the BlackBerry, using a generated key shared only between the handset and the BES server. Such mail goes out via, say, Airtel, to RIM in Canada, and back to the company's BES, staying encrypted all the way with a key that only that enterprise knows. Then it's decrypted, within the enterprise, and moved to the email server. If the mail is to someone outside the company, it is sent out - decrypted - by the company's mailserver. RIM itself does not have the key to 'crack open' BES encrypted mail. That is the published design. Does RIM have a secret backdoor? One really does not know.

Q: Then how can government agencies access such mail, on a terror threat?
A: By going to the enterprise where the suspected terrorist is working. That company, which runs the BES, does not even need to decrypt the mail...for all mail is sitting within its own servers, or in its backups.

Q: Is the BlackBerry a terrorist's choice of communication tool?
A: No. The BES-user is working in a company. Any mail he sends is not only traceable, but also stored and backed up. As for BIS, that is in RIM's control: so access is easier for government agencies. The smarter terrorist would go to a cybercafe, and use a Gmail or Yahoo mail account. He'd simply read and save mail in draft mode without sending mail. So there's nothing to intercept. Then there's fileshare: sites like YouSendIt, where he can keep encrypted files - leaving almost no trace, unlike with a BES mail.

Q: How about Messenger?
A: BlackBerry popular instant messenger uses a weaker encryption than BES. And RIM has access to the keys used -- which is why it can promise Saudi Arabia and India access. And while BlackBerry Messenger can indeed be used for real-time chat during a terror attack, so can regular, cheap cellphones, as they were during 26/11. The answer to both is part of anti-terror standard operating procedure: Cellphone jammers.

Q: Is such strong encryption legally allowed? Doesn't India have any restrictions?
A: A creaky old law says you can't use encryption greater than 40 bits in India without special permission, which includes depositing the key with the authorities. Now, the weakest encryption possible in a modern web browser is 40 bits and 128-bit is the most common. But then, way back in 2001, the Reserve Bank of BI recommended 128-bit encryption as the 'minimum level of security' for online transactions. The recent 3G auctions were conducted using 3,000-bit technology. All in violation of Indian law!

Author --> Prasanto K. Roy is the chief editor at CyberMedia, publishers of 15 specialty titles. He can be found on twitter and web and at PKR@CyberMedia.co.in)

Muslim-born Miss USA is against Ground Zero mosque

2010-08-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

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New York, Aug 21 (ANI): Reigning Miss USA Rima Fakih has spoken out against the Ground Zero mosque.

Fakih, 24, is the first Muslim winner of the Miss USA contest and is preparing for the Miss Universe Pageant, scheduled for August 23 in Las Vegas. "I totally agree with President Obama with the statement on Constitutional rights of freedom of religion," the New York Post quoted Fakih as telling Inside Edition during an interview. "I also agree that it shouldn't be so close to the World Trade Center. We should be more concerned with the tragedy than religion," she added. (ANI)

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2010-08-22T07:20:00.000-07:00

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Miss Universe Goes Topless

2010-08-19T09:24:00.001-07:00

The universal truth – controversy sells. So does sex. Club them together and they are likely to breathe life into a dead beauty pageant. Once upon a time the ticket to easy fame and money, beauty pageants are now struggling to remain afloat. Even the Grand Slam or Big Four of the pageant world – The Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Earth and Miss International – are encountering tough times. TV viewers have plummeted and sponsors are hard to come by. In an age of women’s emancipation, women have so many means to achieve the life of their dreams. Look at self-made hi-achievers among women around the world. They haven’t taken the pageant route-far from it. This year the contestants are grabbing eyeballs without the twirl of a single gorgeous gown. In a new form of pre-event hype, some of the contestants are posing topless and/or covered in body paint. Of the 83 contestants, Miss USA, Miss Japan and Miss Trinidad and Tobago faced the camera with body paint on. Miss USA 2010 has already stirred up controversy in this year’s Miss USA competition when she wore lingerie and fishnets. When she won the Miss USA crown, “TMZ” reported that she was the winner of a stripping contest in 2007.
Rima Fakih has said that she was well aware that there would be controversy when she decided to pose topless for her publicity shots. “Well, there were options and we were all asked what we would feel comfortable [doing],” she told “Access Hollywood.” “I told them I feel comfortable with beauty and with being unique. I’m known to stand out and always wanting to do something different.” Miss USA Discusses Topless Miss Universe Photos Controversy At the end of the day, the Miss Universe pageant judges a contestant on beauty attributes. Each one may interpret beauty and what makes them beautiful in their unique way. Posing topless cannot be a great or unique idea. If anything, it is likely to bring down the already flimsy image of the pageant where contestants pledge to spread peace, tolerance and mutual understanding. After this, who will take them seriously? Update: Uh oh. India’s contestant, Ushoshi Sengupta isn’t lagging behind in grabbing eyeballs. For completely wrong reasons though. Take a look at the image alongside. It’s not a gown borrowed from Barbie as the Island Princess. That could be the inspiration though. This is the gown Ushoshi Sengupta wore for the National Costume round of the Ms Universe pageant, in Las Vegas, US, on Monday. Designed by Kolkata-based designer duo Dev R Nil, the dress, which seemed to lack structured tailoring, looked like a gown gone horribly wrong, say Indian designers. What the designers were aiming for is anybody’s guess. I am wondering why Ritu Kumar, who has been designing for the national costume round at the pageant for years, was overlooked. This appears to be a pageant India forfeits before it begins.

Meet the Brit entrepreneur who has become a millionaire at 16!

2010-08-14T23:07:00.001-07:00

A school going entrepreneur in Britain has turned a millionaire at the age of just 16. Computer whizz Christian Owens set up his first firm with his pocket money at 14 and another a year later. Start-up venture Mac Box Bundle, which sells cut-price packages of Apple Mac computer applications, has earned 700,000 pounds since 2008. Christian, who has used computers since he was seven, then launched advertising website Branchr in 2009, working after school and on weekends. It made 500,000 pound in its first year and counts bookies William Hill and social networking site MySpace as clients. Christian, of Corby, Northants, employs eight adult workers around the UK and America as sales and technical assistants. Christian said he is inspired by Apple supremo Steve Jobs and plans to turn Branchr into a 100million pound business. "I really wanted to create something simple that would revolutionise the way advertising works. I don''t know where I will be in ten years but I won''t leave Branchr until it has reached 100million pound," the Sun quoted him as saying. "There is no magical formula to business - it takes hard work, determination and drive," he added.

Monika's Red Hot Invitation

2010-08-14T22:03:00.001-07:00

Monica (born 25 August 1987 as Rekha Maruthiraj)[1] is a Tamil Indian film actress. A former child artist, she has mainly appeared in supporting roles. She is probably best known for performances in the films Azhagi, Imsai Arasan 23m Pulikesi and Silandhi.[2

Independence Day in India

2010-08-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

What do people do?

Independence Day is a day when people in India pay homage to their leaders and those who fought for India's freedom in the past. The period leading up to Independence Day is a time when major government buildings are illuminated with strings of lights and the tricolor flutters from homes and other buildings. Broadcast, print and online media may have special contests, programs, and articles to promote the day. Movies about India's freedom fighters are also shown on television.

The president delivers the '"Address to the Nation" on the eve of Independence Day. India's prime minister unfurls India's flag and holds a speech at the Red Fort in Old Dehli. Flag hoisting ceremonies and cultural programs are held in the state capitals and often involve many schools and organizations.

Many people spend the day with family members or close friends. They may eat a picnic in a park or private garden, go to a film or eat lunch or dinner at home or in a restaurant. Other people go kite flying or sing or listen to patriotic songs.

Public life

Independence Day is a gazetted holiday in India on August 15 each year. National, state and local government offices, post offices and banks are closed on this day. Stores and other businesses and organizations may be closed or have reduced opening hours.

Public transport is usually unaffected as many locals travel for celebrations but there may be heavy traffic and increased security in areas where there are celebrations. Independence Day flag raising ceremonies may cause some disruption to traffic, particularly in Dehli and capital cities in India's states.

Background

The struggle for India's Independence began in 1857 with the Sepoy Mutiny in Meerut. Later, in the 20th century, the Indian National Congress and other political organizations, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, launched a countrywide independence movement. Colonial powers were transferred to India on August 15, 1947.

The Constituent Assembly, to who power was to be transferred, met to celebrate India's independence at 11pm on August 14, 1947. India gained its liberty and became a free country at midnight between August 14 and August 15, 1947. It was then that the free India's first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru gave his famous "Tryst with Destiny" speech. People across India are reminded of the meaning of this event - that it marked the start of a new era of deliverance from the British colonialism that took place in India for more than 200 years.

Symbols

The sport of kite flying symbolizes Independence Day. The skies are dotted with countless kites flown from rooftops and fields to symbolize India's free spirit of India. Kites of various styles, sizes and shades, including the tricolor are available in the marketplaces. The Red Fort in Dehli is also an important Independence Day symbol in India as it is where Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru unveiled India's flag on August 15, 1947.

India's national flag is a horizontal tricolor of deep saffron (kesaria) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The ratio of the flag's width to its length is two to three. A navy-blue wheel in the center of the white band represents the chakra. Its design is that of the wheel which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. Its diameter approximates to the white band's width and it has 24 spokes.

Independence Day Observances
Note: During a gazetted holiday, government offices and most businesses are closed so people have a day off work.

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2010-08-14T10:02:00.001-07:00

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Hot Mugdha Godse

2010-08-14T03:56:00.000-07:00

Mugdha Godse (born 26 July 1985) is an Indian model-turned-actress. Godse was the runner up in the Femina Miss India 2004 competition. She made her Bollywood debut in Madhur Bhandarkar's 2008 film Fashion. In 2009, she appeared in two films, All The Best:

Fun Begins and Jail. Her next release is Help which hits theaters on 13 August, 2010. Godse was born in 1985 to a small middle class family in Pune, Maharastra, India. She has one sister, Madhura, who is married and has a son named Aarnav. Godse sold oil and only earned Rs. 100 a day. She then started fixing the way she dressed, how she talked, and her manners. She also started working out in the gym. She then participated in local beauty contests. After that, she participated in the Gladrags Mega Model Hunt 2002, and won. In 2004, Godse took part in the biggest modeling contest in India, the Miss India contest. Even though she was the runner up, she won the Miss Perfect Ten title. She moved to Mumbai, where she was offered many modeling jobs. During this she was offered the biggest break in her life, Fashion, directed by the acclaimed director, Madhur Bhandarkar. [1]

Asin Reveals Her Juicy Cleavage

2010-08-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

The hot Malayalam beauty Asin has always been known for her reserved nature when it comes to skin show but it appears that Bollywood has taught her few lessons. Here she is, posing boldly and giving an ample view of her juicy cleavage. Draped in a sensuous outfit, Asin’s eyes are filled with passion and while her luscious cascade of hair falls over her smooth shoulders, the deep neckline sure blows the wits out of the lookers. No doubt, Asin is a looker and her oomph is a show stopper.

Rajinikanth upsets his fans!

2010-08-11T01:43:00.001-07:00

Several of the Superstar's fans are upset with him! Not because he has not joined politics as yet... that is an old and ongoing issue. This time, it is because of something that he said at the Enthiran (also known as Endhiran) music launch in Malaysia. Enthiran, produced by Kalanithi Maran under the Sun Pictures banner and directed by Shankar, is one of the biggest and most awaited movies not just for Tamil audiences, but for movie enthusiasts all over India and even all over the world. At the music launch, when Rajinikanth came on stage to talk about the movie and his experience working in it, he said the real stars of the movie are Kalanithi Maran, Shankar, A.R. Rahman and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. This humble comment has upset his fans who felt that their Thalaivar was underestimating his position as the Superstar. We all know that Rajni has always been very humble; maybe his humility and sometimes over-humility has made his fans feel that he is letting them down. What can we say, except that irrespective of what the Superstar says, it cannot be denied that Enthiran is such a huge film not because it is one of the most expensive movies in India or it will be have the widest release ever for an Indian film or it brings together some of the biggest names in Indian cinema.
None of this would have happened unless Rajni was the captain... So Enthiran is huge beacuse it has Thalaivar Superstar Rajni in the lead role! So Rajni sir on behalf of all your fans, we at Galatta have only one thing to say... we respect your humility, but our admiration for you is so high that we are unhappy even if you hide your talents and strengths.

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2010-08-10T18:40:00.001-07:00

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Priyanka Chopra to be India's green ambassador

2010-08-10T02:24:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra has agreed to be the national green ambassador to initiate eco-friendly campaigns in India, environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh announced on Monday.
"I have been talking to Priyanka about how she can be a part of environment friendly campaigns nationally and be involved with projects such as tiger conservation and river cleaning, especially the Ganga river. I have said that this would be like her public service," Ramesh said at a press conference here. "She (Priyanka) has been very kind and has given her consent for it," he added. The 28-year-old actress is currently the green ambassador for NDTV-Toyota's environment campaign Greenathon. She was also present at the event, which was organised to announce Green Awards which are aimed at encouraging and acknowledging people who contribute towards environment conservation. Dressed in a burnt orange dress, Priyanka said: "I will be very happy to do so." Also present were Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) chief RK Pachauri, NDTV chairman Prannoy Roy and officials from Toyota. Pachauri told Priyanka: "You must be a part of the national movement for river cleaning, so that one day we can swim in the Ganga without any pollution." Priyanka said it was small efforts by individuals that go a long way in keeping the surroundings clean and green. "I would never want that my children or grandchildren don't see forests or not go for picnics in gardens. People should not throw tissues and garbage on the streets. Small things do make a difference," she said.

Infosys CEO sees US visa costs passed to customers

2010-08-10T02:17:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: Infosys Technologies said the cost from US plans to hike visa application fees on some technology firms operating in the United States would over time be passed on to customers as it was an industrywide issue. The US House of Representatives is expected to vote on Tuesday on border security legislation, which also significantly raises visa application fees on a select group of companies that operate in the United States, including Infosys.Infosys Technologies chief executive Senapathy Gopalakrishnan told reporters late Monday that the new fees would however in the immediate future have a minimal impact on India's second largest outsourcer. Indian outsourcing companies have come under recent criticism from some US politicians who say they add to unemployment in the United States by outsourcing jobs to foreign workers. "What happens over time is that this (visa cost) is transferred to customers because this is industrywide. It will be built into the cost," Gopalakrishnan said. He said that in the short term, the cost of new visa regulations would be approximately $4 million to $6 million as it would affect 2,000-3,000 Infosys employees. The beefed-up US border security measures were approved by the Senate last week and the sponsor, New York Democrat Charles Schumer, said that the bill was also targeted at a select group of companies that "exploit" US law to import workers from abroad. Senate aides said this would affect four companies from India that operate in the United States: Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro and Mahindra Satyam. Gopalakrishan said he felt "sad and disheartened" by the move, but said the company needed to better educate sceptics. He said he believed the Indian government was putting pressure to find a solution to this. "We hope the government will continue to support us."

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2010-08-09T21:49:00.001-07:00

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2010-08-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

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2010-08-08T05:00:00.001-07:00

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BlackBerry Torch

2010-08-04T09:55:00.001-07:00

When you have a product that has been successful for several years, but has fallen somewhat behind the times, it can be difficult to figure out what to change and what to leave alone. With its new BlackBerry Torch 9800 smartphone, RIM seems to have navigated this line successfully. While it's unlikely that the Torch will draw consumers away from their iPhones and Android devices, at least BlackBerry users won't be completely left in the dust. RIM introduced its new BlackBerry today in a joint press event with AT&T in New York. Mike Lazaridis, president and co-chief executive officer for RIM, talked a bit about how the company came out with its first BlackBerry in 1999 -- and then produced the new product. Small and solid
After the formal presentation, I got some actual hands-on time with the Torch. The new BlackBerry smartphone offers a 3.2-in., 480 x 360 resolution touch display. While it's clear and fairly sharp, the display isn't really comparable to the leading consumer smartphones -- for example, the iPhone 4's 3.5-in. display boasts a 960 x 640 resolution, while the Droid X has an even larger 4.3-in. display with a resolution of 854 x 480. On the other hand, the unit weighs 5.7 oz., about the same weight as the Droid X, and is, at 2.4 x .57 x 4.4 in., about the same size as the iPhone 4. I found it very comfortable to handle and use, and it is small enough to drop into a shirt pocket without a second thought. The phone features a slide-out vertical keyboard -- bringing it to a length of 5.8 in. when open -- that still has the rounded look and small but well-engineered keys typical of BlackBerry devices. Personally, I found the keys a little too tiny for comfort, but as is typical of BlackBerrys, I was able to "thumb-type" short messages with relative ease. Current BlackBerry users should be pleased. The phone also includes four hard keys, including one to begin and one to end a call -- which, as a Droid user who only has access to virtual buttons, I've often wished for. Other features include a 5-megapixel camera, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi along with 3G broadband, a 4GB microSD Flash card, 512MB RAM and 4GB built-in storage. Introducing BlackBerry 6 The new BlackBerry 6 OS is elegant and simple to use and understand. All your apps reside on a "tray" that can be raised or lowered over your home screen. Your main apps are represented by icons on the home screen (you can also have icons for individual contacts and bookmarks). You swipe left and right to see other screens, including Favorites and Recent (for recently used apps). One of the new OS features that RIM emphasized at the launch event is the new universal search. Just start typing, and the Torch will look for apps and information both on and off your phone that might be a fit. For example, I tried typing "weather" and got icons for a weather application and links to several weather-related Web sites. I started typing the name "Michael" and by the third letter, I was seeing relevant news items and contact names. Another feature that was pumped up by company executives, and really did work nicely when I tried it, is the universal inbox. All e-mail, social network messages, etc. are visible on one display -- touch on a specific message, and it opens it in the application pertinent to that message. Hit the back key, and you're back in the inbox. Swipe sideways, and you have access to your RSS feeds. According to RIM, the phone has full multitasking so that, for example, music downloads can occur in the background while you're in the browser or working in other parts of the OS. Adding apps No self-respecting smartphone today would dare to show its face without some kind of apps store. In this case, additional apps can be obtained using BlackBerry App World, which is accessible through an icon on your home screen. The phone comes preloaded with a number of apps, including the Weather Channel, CNN, Bloomberg, Web Video Search and Slacker Radio Plus. At the introduction, David Yach, CTO, software at RIM, explained that currently, when users purchase new apps, the price will be reflected on their AT&T bill. For the future, though, third-party developers are being given APIs that will allow users try apps before they buy them, purchase subscriptions, buy different levels (for, say, games) or include ads within the application. The bottom line For business users who want something lightweight and practical, but with the multimedia and apps featured in the newest generation of mobile devices, the BlackBerry Torch 9800 could be their next smartphone. The emphasis here is on access to information; because the display is smaller and the resolution less powerful than most consumer devices out there, this can't compete with the more multimedia-centric consumer smartphones. But it should offer enough flexibility and ease-of-use to keep most BlackBerry users from leaving the fold.
The BlackBerry Torch, which is currently only available through AT&T, goes on sale August 12, and will cost $199 when you buy it with a two-year contract and a data plan (200MB of data for $15/month or 2GB for $25/month).

Solar Tsunami to Hit Earth!

2010-08-04T09:41:00.001-07:00

Washington: Some people have been urging fellow-earthlings to look toward the north for rippling curtains of red and green light. Others have been worried about an electronic Armageddon. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which captures high-definition views of the sun at a variety of wavelengths, snapped an X-ray photo of the Sun early in the morning of Sunday, August 1st. The satellites recorded a dark arc, identified as a large filament of cool gas stretching across the Sun's northern hemisphere also exploded into space. The explosion, called a coronal mass ejection, was aimed directly towards Earth, which then sent a "solar tsunami" racing 93 million miles across space. When a coronal mass ejection (touted as a ‘solar tsunami’) reaches Earth, expected to happen on August 4, solar particles stream down the planet’s magnetic field lines toward the poles. In the process, the particles collide with atoms of nitrogen and oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere, which then glow, creating an effect similar to miniature neon signs. The interaction between solar particles and the magnetic field has the potential to create geomagnetic storms in Earth's magnetosphere. And while aurorae are normally visible only at high latitudes, they can light up the sky even at lower latitudes during a geomagnetic storm. However, the atmosphere filters out nearly all of the radiation from the solar blast, while the magnetic field deflects any magnetic particles produced." Experts said the radiation "almost never" makes it to ground, though pilots and passengers in airplanes may experience increased radiation levels akin to getting an X-ray. The solar particles also could affect satellites, though scientists think that possibility is remote. But it can have serious consequences too. Orbital Sciences Corp. believe a similar blast may have knocked its Galaxy 15 satellite permanently out of action this year. NASA scientists warned recently that high-energy electric pulses from the sun could cripple our electrical grid for years, causing billions in damages.
The sun's activity usually ebbs and flows on a fairly predictable cycle. Typically, a cycle lasts about 11 years, taking roughly 5.5 years to move from a solar minimum, a period of time when there are few sunspots, to peak at the solar maximum, during which sunspot activity is amplified. The last solar maximum occurred in 2001, but was particularly weak and long lasting. The most recent solar eruption is one of the first signs that the sun is waking up - and heading toward another maximum. But other media reports said this solar storm is likely to fizzle out, and that a much more intense solar storm, in fact, happened in April. Experts said the wave of supercharged gas will likely reach the Earth on Tuesday, when it will buffet the natural magnetic shield protecting Earth. It is likely to spark spectacular displays of the aurora or northern and southern lights.

Companies need to make use of collected data

2010-08-01T06:28:00.001-07:00

Your telecom service provider knows how many times you've called a number and exactly how long the calls lasted. Your bank keeps tabs on how many times you call the service centre and what your enquiry was. If there is one thing companies have become good at these days, it is collecting data. But it is all this data that companies are sitting on that is emerging as the biggest problem, says Tom Davenport, co-author of Analytics At Work. "Companies have access to extremely sophisticated data, but they are at a loss as to how to make sense of it," he says. "Companies accumulate data and keep it in databases stored underground, safe from nuclear attack — but they aren't using it." However, there is hope. Davenport, who is the President's distinguished professor of information technology and management at Babson College, Massachusetts says that the world is in the middle of an analytics revolution as people realise that raw data can provide them an opportunity to manage more effectively. His earlier book, Competing On Analytics, was about how to build your strategy around analytical capability. But that was rather niche, and over time, Davenport realised that while companies may not want to base their entire strategies on analytics, there was an increasing number who wanted to take decisions based on analytics. "Even now, about 40% of business decisions are based on intuition and gut feel, but there are companies like Google where no decision will be made without research and data analysis," he says. Davenport teamed up once more with Jeanne Harris to provide a 'how-to' framework to build analytical capability. Called the DELTA framework, it explains how to build an analytical framework focusing on data, enterprise, leadership, targets and analysts. While most people focus on obtaining clean data without duplication, Davenport's emphasis is on finding unique data and identifying aspects that could give the company a perspective on business or customers. Further, he says that it is important to have an enterprise perspective on analytics-based decisions rather than focusing on silos within the organisation. A co-ordinated approach would bring in greater focus and consistency, as well as access to various data sources. If the project is being undertaken at the enterprise level, it clearly needs to be supervised by somebody at the top, but it is equally important to empower people at all levels. When undertaking such a project, it is important to decide what aspects of the business are best suited to analytics-based decisions and are likely to be successful. "While every aspect of the business can benefit from becoming more analytical, you cannot apply analytics to everything at once and it is important to set your targets accordingly," says Davenport. The general rule is that if you want to make money, focus on pricing related issues. And finally, there is no avoiding the investment in smart people. "Computers can analyse data, but you need smart people at different levels with different capabilities to make sense of that and tell you how to apply those findings," he says. Even with this structure in place, certain challenges remain. "We are putting sensors on just about every aspect of our environment and each of these generates a lot of data. Analysing this data will be a big issue for organisations. For the longest time, we have been working with structured data, but now, the challenge is making sense of unstructured data," says Davenport. Today, unstructured data accounts for almost 80% of data conversations and this could range from the content of the calls made by the customer to a service provider's helpline to the warranties of white goods and automobiles. Another difficult area is navigating the social media and social networking arena. While these platforms can provide excellent insights as to what customers really want and think of your product, it isn't always easy to understand what is being said. "Most require a fair bit of linguistic analysis to understand what the comments actually mean, whether they are positive or negative. The current level of sophistication is such that beyond basic trends and identifying whether the comment is positive or negative, we cannot glean too much information from social media," he says. However, companies are developing tools for social media analysis and going forward, this is expected to get more sophisticated. Another area where analytics is increasingly gaining importance within the service business is how to cross sell and up sell products to members of the same network who are likely to fit into a similar profile. This is already visible in certain areas like insurance and telecom in India. Long term, there is a shift away from gut-feel based decision making towards an analytical approach, but Davenport says there have been setbacks like Malcolm Gladwell's bestseller Blink! which promotes going by gut feel. "Clearly something went wrong with our decision making abilities, or else we wouldn't have seen a financial crisis of the proportion we did," he says. Well, the global economy's recent track record certainly suggests there is room for improvement.