Knowledge Kings

Airtel Offers 6 Free Mobile Alerts For Women's Day

2010-03-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Bharti Airtel is celebrating Women's day by offering their women patrons, an opportunity to get one tip on beauty, fashion, cooking, housekeeping, fitness and home remedies everyday for a period of 30 days starting from today.

'On the occasion of International Women's Day, through this celebration we would like to express our appreciation for the women patrons' incessant support,' Shivan Bhargava, COO, Airtel - Gujarat Circle, said in a statement.

As part of the same, effective March 5 to March 10, 2010, every woman who walks into Airtel Relationship Centre (ARC) would be eligible to get free beauty & health tips, innovative cooking tips, tips on the latest fashion trends, quick and useful tips on home remedies and housekeeping on a daily basis.

The offer is valid all across Gujarat.

Source: Tech2

Tata Docomo Offers Unused Talktime Rollover for 3 mths

2010-03-08T23:56:00.000-08:00

Tata Docomo, the GSM brand of Tata Teleservices Ltd, on Monday launched a tariff plan for its enterprise customers, which carries unused free talk time and SMS forward for a period of three months.

Under the 'Rollover Plan' (RO Plan), customers pay by month and enjoy the facility of carrying forward their unused free talk time and SMS for a period of three months, TTSL said in a statement.

"Today I am proud to say that we are launching yet another industry first-- The Rollover Plan-- exclusively for our Tata DOCOMO Enterprise Customers," TTSL Managing Director Anil Sardana said.

Taking the first mover advantage, we have consolidated an aggressive proposition that offers transparent tariff along with the facility of carrying forward unused free usage, Sardana added.

Under the offer, there are four variants of plans available -- RO 500, RO 799, RO 1,000 and RO 1,099.

For example, under RO 1099, the user is offered 1.5 lakh seconds of free local calls and 72,000 seconds of free STD calls per month.

The customers can carry forward the accumulated unused free talk time and SMS each month for a period of three consecutive months.

The roll over benefit will be applicable for 8 consecutive cycles with each cycle comprising of 3 months, it said.

Mercedes F-Cell Roadster Unites High Tech and Tradition

2010-03-05T02:35:00.000-08:00

Mercedes F-CELL is a concept Hydrogen-powered buggy roadster which is able to attract anyone’s attraction by adding a fiberglass body, joystick control and hydrogen-electric fuel-cell power unit. The car is supposed to contain all the technologies that the top-shelved Mercedes cars have. It boasts a fiberglass and carbon fiber body structure, a compact fuel cell of 1.2kW is being used for power generation and the top speed of this car is 25 km/h. The car remains away from the traditional steering wheel rather it is using a joystick control for driving. The silly, big spoked bicycle wheels are another attraction of this car.

[Press Release]
Mercedes-Benz F-CELL Roadster – trainees build a car of the future

* Young people unite high tech and tradition

* Alternative drive systems as a training topic

In a hitherto unique project bridging various fields of profession, the trainees of Daimler AG at the Sindelfingen Mercedes-Benz plant have built a Roadster with fuel cell drive. For about a year, more than 150 trainees and dual education system students worked on the overall concept, development, assembly, and completion of the F-CELL Roadster. This project involved junior employees from the fields of automotive mechatronics, model-building, electronics, coating technology, manufacturing mechanics, product design, and interior appointments. The prime objective of the project was to integrate the topic of alternative drive systems into training with hands-on experience.

“This project impressively demonstrates that the topic of sustainable mobility has become an integral part of our vocational training,” said Human Resources Board member and Labor Relations Manager Günther Fleig. “I am delighted to see how much initiative and creativity the young people have put into this project.”

Tradition meets the future

The F-CELL Roadster uniquely combines state-of-the-art technologies with the history of vehicle construction. As an allusion to the Benz Patent Motor Car from 1886, the vehicle is fitted with large spoked wheels. Moreover, the F-CELL Roadster incorporates stylistic elements from diverse eras of automotive history, such as the carbon-fiber bucket seats with hand-stitched leather covers and the distinctively styled fiberglass front section, based on the component from the Formula One racing bolides.

The F-CELL Roadster is controlled with drive-by-wire technology, and a joystick takes the place of a conventional steering wheel. The vehicle is powered by the emission-free fuel cell system located at the rear. With a power rating of 1.2 kW the F-CELL Roadster reaches a top speed of 25 km/h and has an operating range of up to 350 km.

Source:TUVIE

The Freight*Bus Concept Proposal for London Bus

2010-03-05T02:30:00.000-08:00

The new bus design by industrial designer, Hugh Frost, is a perfect answer for the London’s congestion and pollution problems. The concept design is run on batteries hence is environment friendly. The Freight*BUS as it is called has the concept of “On-Route” as the fundamental base of the overall system and as per the designer, this massive new vehicle features an advanced technology and it can adapt as per the no. of passengers and freight. This flexibility is in part due to ceiling-suspended pairs of seats, which can be completely folded out of the way. The bus can ply during the day to ferry passengers across the city while during the off peak hours or in the night the bus can be utilized to transport goods, thus a good transport solution for sure.

Text from the website:
The Freight*BUS is designed for several possible propulsion systems, including batteries that are automatically recharged when the bus stops and the potential for fuel cell operation in the future. Thanks to in-wheel electric motors, the bus can manoeuvre into tight bus stops in a ‘crab’ like movement.

Source:TUVIE

Futuristic eMX Car Concept by RSM Design

2010-03-05T02:24:00.000-08:00

Renault Samsung Motors (RSM) has exposed their futuristic eMX car concept. eMX stands for eco Motoring eXperience, which is based on the platform of Renault Mégane and is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine along with some other solutions to improve the fuel efficiency. The main feature of the design includes detailed soft curves and graphics which is inspired by the nature and are intended at expressing an eco-friendly sense and cutting-edge technology. The organic and smooth curves of this concept car explores a new design technology that may adopt the company’s other small cars in future.

Distinctive Names of Countries & Towns - Geographical Epithets

2010-03-02T08:01:00.000-08:00

Distinctive Name	Country/Town/Port/River
Britain of the South	New Zealand
The Battlefield of Europe	Belgium
City of the Golden Gate	San Francisco
City of Magnificent Distances	Washington D.C.
City of Popes	Rome
City of Seven Hills	Rome
City of Skyscrapers	New York
Cockpit of Europe	Belgium
Dark Continent	Africa
Dairy of Northern Europe	Denmark
Emerald Island	Ireland
Empire City	New York
Eternal City	Rome, Italy
Forbidden City	Lhasa (Tibet)
Garden of England	Kent
Gate of Tears	Babel-Mandab, Jerusalem
Granite City	Aberdeen (Scotland)
Great White Way	Broadway (New York)
Gift of Nile	Egypt
Gibraltar of the Indian Ocean	Aden
Herring Pond	Atlantic Ocean

Source : knowledgebase-script

Happy Birthday in 161 languages

2010-03-02T07:57:00.001-08:00

Language	How to say "Happy Birthday"

Afrikaans	Veels geluk met jou verjaarsdag!
Albanian	Urime ditelindjen!
Alsatian	Gueter geburtsdaa!
Amharic	Melkam lidet!
Arabic	Eid milaad saeed! or Kul sana wa inta/i tayeb/a! (masculine/feminine)
Armenian	Taredartzet shnorhavor! or Tsenund shnorhavor!
Assyrian	Eida D'moladukh Hawee Brikha!
Austrian-Viennese	Ois guade winsch i dia zum Gbuadsdog!
Aymara (Bolivia)	Suma Urupnaya Cchuru Uromankja!
Azerbaijani	Ad gununuz mubarek! -- for people older than you Ad gunun mubarek! -- for people younger than you
Basque	Zorionak!
Belauan-Micronesian	Ungil el cherellem!
Bengali (Bangladesh/India)	Shuvo Jonmodin!
Bicol (Philippines)	Maogmang Pagkamundag!
Bislama (Vanuatu)	Hapi betde! or Yumi selebretem de blong bon blong yu!
Brazil	ParabŽns a voc ! ParabŽns a voc , nesta data querida muitas felicidades e muitos anos de vida.
Breton	Deiz-ha-bloaz laouen deoc'h!
Bulgarian	Chestit Rojden Den!
Cambodian	Som owie nek mein aryouk yrinyu!
Catalan	Per molts anys! or Bon aniversari! or Moltes Felicitats!
Chamorro	Biba Kumplianos!
Chinese-Cantonese	Sun Yat Fai Lok!
Chinese Fuzhou	San Ni Kuai Lo!
Chiness-Hakka	Sang Ngit Fai Lok!
Chinese-Mandarin	qu ni sheng er kuai le
Chinese-Shanghaiese	San ruit kua lok!
Chinese-Tiociu	Se Jit khuai lak!
Chronia Polla	NA ZHSHS
Croatian	Sretan Rodendan!
Czech	Vsechno nejlepsi k Tvym narozeninam!!
Danish	Tillykke med fodselsdagen!
Dutch-Antwerps	Ne gelukkege verjoardach!
Dutch-Bilzers	Ne geleukkege verjoardoag!
Dutch-Drents	Fellisiteert!
Dutch-Flemish	Gelukkige verjaardag! or Prettige verjaardag!
Dutch-Frisian	Fan herte lokwinske!
Dutch-Limburgs	Proficiat! or Perfisia!
Dutch-Spouwers	Ne geleukkege verjeurdoag!
Dutch-Twents	Gefeliciteard met oen'n verjoardag!
Dutch	Hartelijk gefeliciteerd! or Van harte gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag!
English	Happy Birthday!
Esperanto	Felichan Naskightagon!
Estonian	Palju onne sunnipaevaks!
Euskera	Zorionak zure urtebetetze egunean!
Faroes ( Faroe island )	Tillukku vid fodingardegnum!
Farsi	Tavalodet Mobarak!
Finnish	Hyvaa syntymapaivaa!
French (Canada)	Bonne Fete!
French	Joyeux Anniversaire!
Frisian	Lokkiche jierdei!
Gaelic (Irish)	L‡ breithe mhaith agat!
Gaelic (Scottish)	Co` latha breith sona dhuibh!
Galician (Spain)	Ledicia no teu cumpreanos!
Georgian	Gilotcav dabadebis dges!
German-Badisch	Allis Guedi zu dim Fescht!
German-Bavarian	Ois Guade zu Deim Geburdstog!
German-Berlinisch	Allet Jute ooch zum Jeburtstach! or Ick wuensch da allet Jute zum Jeburtstach!
German-Bernese	Es Muentschi zum Geburri!
German-Camelottisch	Ewllews Gewtew zewm Gewbewrtstewg. Mew!
German-Frankonian	Allmecht! Iich wuensch Dir aan guuadn Gebuardsdooch!
German-Lichtenstein	Haerzliche Glueckwuensche zum Geburtstag!
German-Moselfraenkisch	Haezzlische Glickwunsch zem Gebordsdach!
German-Plattdeutsch	Ick wuensch Di allns Gode ton Geburtsdach!
German-Rhoihessisch	Ich gratelier Dir aach zum Geburtstag!
German-Ruhr	Allet Gute zum Gebuatstach!
German-Saarlaendisch	Alles Gudde for dei Gebordsdaach!
German-Saechsisch	Herzlischen Gliggwunsch zum Geburdsdaach!
German-Schwaebisch	Aelles Guade zom Gebordzdag!
German-Wienerisch	Ois Guade zum Geburdsdog!
German	Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!
Greek	Eytyxismena Genethlia! or Chronia Pola!
Greenlandic	Inuuinni pilluarit!
Gronings (Netherlands)	Fielsteerd mit joen verjoardag!
Gujarati (India)	Janma Divas Mubarak!
Gujrati (Pakistan)	Saal Mubarak!
Guarani (Paraguay Indian)]	Vy-Apave Nde Arambotyre!
Hawaiian	Hau`oli la hanau!
Hebrew	Yom Huledet Same'ach!
Hiligaynon (Philippines)	Masadya gid nga adlaw sa imo pagkatawo!
Hindi (India)	Janam Din ki badhai! or Janam Din ki shubkamnaayein!
Hungarian	Boldog szuletesnapot! or Isten eltessen!
Icelandic	Til hamingju med afmaelisdaginn!
Indonesian	Selamat Ulang Tahun!
Irish-gaelic	La-breithe mhaith agat! or Co` latha breith sona dhut! Or Breithla Shona Dhuit!
Italian	Buon Compleanno!
Italian (Piedmont)	Bun Cumpleani!
Italian (Romagna)	At faz tent avguri ad bon cumplean!
Japanese	Otanjou-bi Omedetou Gozaimasu!
Javaans-Indonesia	Slamet Ulang Taunmoe!
Jerriais	Bouon Anniversaithe!
Kannada (India)	Huttida Habba Subashayagalu!
Kapangpangan (Philippines)	Mayap a Kebaitan
Kashmiri (India)	Voharvod Mubarak Chuy!
Kazakh (Kazakstan)	Tughan kuninmen!
Klingon	Quchjaj qoSlIj!
Korean	Saeng il chuk ha ham ni da!
Kurdish	Rojbun a te piroz be!
Kyrgyz	Tulgan kunum menen!
Latin	Fortuna dies natalis!
Latvian	Daudz laimes dzimsanas diena!
Lithuanian	Sveikinu su gimtadieniu! or Geriausi linkejimaigimtadien io progal
Luganda	Nkwagaliza amazalibwa go amalungi!
Luxembourgeois	Vill Gleck fir daei Geburtsdaag!
Macedonian	Sreken roden den!
Malayalam (India)	Pirannal Aasamsakal! or Janmadinasamsakal!
Malaysian	Selamat Hari Jadi!
Maltese	Nifrahlek ghal gheluq sninek!
Maori	Kia huritau ki a koe!
Marathi (India)	Wadhdiwasachya Shubhechha!
Mauritian Kreol	mo swet u en bonlaniverser!
Mbula (Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea)	Leleng ambai pa mbeng ku taipet i!
Mongolian	Torson odriin mend hurgee!
Navajo	bil hoozho bi'dizhchi-neeji' 'aneilkaah!
Niederdeutsch (North Germany)	Ick gratuleer di scheun!
Nepali	Janma dhin ko Subha kamana!
Norwegian	Gratulerer med dagen!
Oriya (India)	Janmadina Abhinandan!
Papiamento (lower Dutch Antilles)	Masha Pabien I hopi aña mas!
Pashto (Afganistan)	Padayish rawaz day unbaraksha!
Persian	Tavalodet Mobarak!
Pinoy (Philippines)	Maligayang kaarawan sa iyo!
Polish	Wszystkiego Najlepszego! or Wszystkiego najlepszego zokazji urodzin! wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji urodzin
Portuguese (Brazil)	Parabens pelo seu aniversario! or Parabenspara voce! or Parabens e muitas felicidades!
Portuguese	Feliz Aniversario! or Parabens!
Punjabi (India)	Janam din diyan wadhayian!
Rajasthani (India)	Janam ghaanth ri badhai, khoob jeeyo!
Romanian	La Multi Ani!
Rosarino Basico (Argentina)	Feneligiz Cunumplegeanagonos!
Russian	S dniom razhdjenia! or Pazdravliayu s dniom razhdjenia!
Sami/Lappish	Lihkos Riegadanbeaivvis!
Samoan	Manuia lou aso fanau!
Sanskrit (India)	Ravihi janmadinam aacharati!
Sardinian (Italy)	Achent'annos! Achent'annos!
Schwyzerduetsch (Swiss German)	Vill Glück zum Geburri!
Serbian	Srecan Rodjendan!
Slovak	Vsetko najlepsie k narodeninam!
Slovene	Vse najboljse za rojstni dan!
Sotho	Masego motsatsing la psalo!
Spanish	Feliz Cumplea–os!
Sri Lankan	Suba Upan dinayak vewa!
Sundanese	Wilujeng Tepang Taun!
Surinamese	Mi fresteri ju!
Swahili	Hongera! or Heri ya Siku kuu!
Swedish	Grattis pŒ fšdelsedagen
Syriac	Tahnyotho or brigo!
Tagalog (Philippines)	Maligayang Bati Sa Iyong Kaarawan!
Taiwanese	San leaz quiet lo!
Tamil (India)	Piranda naal vaazhthukkal!
Telugu (India)	Janmadina subha kankshalu!
Telugu	Puttina Roju Shubakanksalu!
Thai	Suk San Wan Keut!
Tibetan	Droonkher Tashi Delek!
Tulu(Karnataka - India)	Putudina dina saukhya!
Turkish	Dogum gunun kutlu olsun!
Ukrainian	Mnohiya lita! or Z dnem narodjennia!
Urdu (India)	Janam Din Mubarak
Urdu (Pakistan)	Saalgirah Mubarak!
Vietnamese	Chuc Mung Sinh Nhat!
Visayan (Philippines)	Malipayong adlaw nga natawhan!
Welsh	Penblwydd Hapus i Chi!
Xhosa (South Afican)	Imini emandi kuwe!
Yiddish	A Freilekhn Gebortstog!
Yoruba (Nigeria)	Eku Ojobi!
Zulu (South Afican)	Ilanga elimndandi kuwe!

Source: knowledgebase-script

Highlights of Union Budget 2010-2011

2010-02-26T21:42:00.000-08:00

Finanace minister Pranab Mukherjee began presenting the Union budget for 2010-11 in the Lok Sabha today after the Cabinet approved the document. Here are some of the highlights of his budget speech.

The Indian economy was facing grave uncertainty. Growth had started decelerating when the interim and full budget for 2009-10 were presented.
At home there was added uncertainty because of subnormal southwest monsoon.
Yet, the economy now in a far better position than it was
eight years ago.
India weathered the economic crisis well and emerged from the global slowdown faster than any other country.
First challenge before the government is to quickly revert to
high GDP growth path of 9%.
Expects 10% economic growth in the near future.
Second challenge is to harness economic growth to make it more inclusive and consolidate gains.
Third challenge is to overcome weakness in government's public delivery mechanism; a long way to go in this.
Impressive recovery in the past few months. Can witness
faster recovery in the coming months.
Food security has been strengthened.
But bottleneck of the public delivery mechanism can hold us back.
Fiscal year 2009-10 was challenging for the economy.
Focus shifted to non-governmental actors and an enabling government. Government now concentrates on supporting and delivering services to the poorer sections.
Economy stabilised in the first quarter of 2009 itself.
18.5% manufacturing growth in December was the highest in two decades.
Figures for merchandise exports for January encouraging
after turnaround in November and December last year.
Double digit food inflation last year due to bad monsoon
and drought-like conditions.
Government conscious of the price rise and taking steps to tackle it.
Erratic monsoon and drought-like conditions forced supply-side bottleneck that fuelled inflation.
Need to review stimulus imparted to economy last year to overcome the recession.
Need to ensure that the demand-supply imbalance is managed.
Need to make growth more broad-based.
Need to review public spending and mobilise resources.
Status paper on public debt within six months.
Government hopes to implement direct tax code from April 2011.
Earnest endeavour to implement general sales tax in April 2011.
Government will raise Rs25,000 crore from divestment of its stake in state-owned firms.
Kirit Parekh report on fuel price deregulation will be taken up by petroleum minister Murli Deora in due course.
Nutrient-based fertiliser subsidy scheme to come into force from April 1 this year.
Nutrient-based fertiliser subsidy will reduce volatility of subsidy and also reduce it.
Market capitalisation of five public-sector undertakings listed since October increased by 3.5 times.
FDI inflows steady during the year. Government has taken
series of steps to simplify FDI regime. Intends to make FDI policy user friendly by compling all guidelines into one document.
Government has decided to set up apex-level Financial
Stability and Development Council.
RBI considering issuing banking licences to private companies. Non-banking finance companies will also be considered if they meet the criteria.
Government to provide Rs16,500 crore to public-sector
banks to maintain tier-I capital.
Government to continue interest subvention of 2% for one more year for exports covering handicrafts, carpets,
handlooms and small and medium enterprises.
Government to provide Rs300 crore to organise 60,000 pulse and oilseed villages and provide integrated intervention of watershed and related programmes.
Rs200 crore provided for climate-resilient agriculture
initiative.
Government committed to ensuring continued growth of
special economic zones.
Need to take firm view on opening up of the retail sector.
Deficit in foodgrains storage capacity to be met with private-sector participation.
Period for repayment of loans by farmers extended by six months to June 30, 2010, in view of the drought and floods in some parts of the country.
Interest subvention for timely repayment of crop loans raised from 1% to 2%, bringing the effective rate of interest to 5%.
Road transport allocation raised by 13% to Rs19,894 crore.
Proposal to maintain thrust of upgrading infrastructure in rural and urban areas. IIFCL authorised to refinance infrastructure projects.
Rs1,73,552 crore provided for infrastructure development.
Allocation for railways fixed at Rs16,752 crore, an increase of Rs950 crore over the last financial year.
Government proposes to set up Coal Development Regulatory Authority.
Mega power plant policy modified to lower cost of generation; allocation to power sector more than doubled to Rs5,130 crore in 2010-11.
Government favours competitive bidding for coal blocks for captive power plants.
Rs500 crore allocated for solar and hydro projects for the Ladakh region in Jammu & Kashmir.
Clean Energy Fund to be created for research in new energy sources.
Allocation for new and renewable energy ministry increased by 61% to Rs1,000 crore.
One-time grant of Rs200 crore provided to Tirupur textile cluster in Tamil Nadu.
Allocation for National Ganga River Basin Authority doubled to Rs500 crore.
Alternative port to be developed at Sagar Island in West Bengal.
Draft of Food Security Bill ready, to be placed in the public domain soon.
Outlay for social sectors pegged at Rs1,37,674 crore, accounting for 37% of the total plan allocation.
Plan allocation for school education raised from Rs26,800 crore to Rs31,036 crore in 2010-11.
25% of plan outlay earmarked for rural infrastructure development.
Plan allocation for health and family welfare increased to Rs22,300 crore from Rs19,534 crore.
For rural development, Rs66,100 crore have been allocated.
Allocation for National Rural Employment Guarantee Authority stepped up to Rs40,100 crore in 2010-11.
Indira Awas Yojana's unit cost raised to Rs45,000 in the plains and Rs48,500 in hilly areas.
Allocation for urban development increased by 75% to Rs5,400 crore in 2010-11.
1% interest subvention loan for houses costing up to Rs20 lakh extended to March 31, 2011; Rs700 crore provided.
Allocation for development of micro and small-scale sector raised from Rs1,794 crore to Rs2,400 crore.
Rs1,270 crore provided for slum development programme, marking an increase of 700%.
Government to set up National Social Security Fund with initial allocation of Rs1,000 crore to provide social security to workers in the unorganised sector.
Government to contribute Rs1,000 per annum to each
account holder under the new pension scheme.
Exclusive skill development programme to be launched for textile and garment-sector employees.
Allocation for woman and child development increased by 80%
Plan outlay for the social justice ministry raised by 80% to Rs4,500 crore.
Plan allocation for minority affairs ministry raised from Rs1,740 crore to Rs2,600 crore.
Financial-Sector Legislative Reforms Committee to be set
up.
Rs1,900 crore allocated for Unique Identification Authority of India.
A unique identity symbol will be provided to the rupee in line with the US dollar, British pound sterling, euro and Japanese yen.
Defence allocation pegged at Rs1,47,344 crore in 2010-11
against Rs1,41,703 crore in the previous year. Of this, capital expenditure would account for Rs60,000 crore.
Planning Commission to prepare integrated action plan for
Naxal-affected areas to encourage "misguided elements" to eschew violence and join the mainstream.
Gross tax receipts pegged at Rs7,46,656 crore for 2010-11, non-tax revenues at Rs1,48,118 crore.
Total expenditure pegged at Rs11.8 lakh crore, an increase of 8.6%.
Fiscal deficit at 5.5%.
Fiscal deficit seen at 4.8% and 4.1% in 2011-12 and 2012-13, respectively.
Non-plan expenditure pegged at Rs37,392 crore and plan expenditure at Rs7,35,657 crore in budget estimates. Proposed increase of 15% in plan expenditure and 6% in non-plan expenditure.
Cash subsidy for fuel and fertiliser instead of previous practice of bonds to continue.
Fiscal deficit pegged at 6.9% in 2009-10 as against 7.8% in the previous fiscal.
Government's net borrowing to be Rs3,45,010 crore for 2010-11.
Income-tax department ready with two-page Saral-2 returns
form for individual salaried assesses.
Personal income-ax rates pruned:
Income up to Rs1.6 lakh — nil
Income above Rs1.6 lakh and up to Rs5 lakh — 10%
Income above Rs5 lakh and up to Rs8 lakh — 20%
Income above Rs8 lakh — 30%
Additional deduction of Rs20,000 allowed on long-term
infrastructure bonds for income-tax payers; this is above Rs1 lakh on savings instruments allowed already.
Investment-linked tax deductions to be allowed to two-star hotels anywhere in the country.
Weighted deduction of 125% for payments to approved associations doing social and statistical research.
One-time interim relief to housing and real-estate sector.
Businesses with a turnover of up to Rs60 lakh and professionals earning up to Rs15 lakh to be exempted from the obligation to audit their accounts.
Housing projects allowed to be completed in five years instead of four to avail of tax breaks.
Revenue loss of Rs26,000 crore on direct tax proposals.
Central excise duty on all non-petroleum products raised to 10% from 8%.
FM increases customs duty on crude oil to 5%, on diesel and petrol to 7.5%, and on other petroleum products to 10%.
Structural changes in excise duties on cigarettes, cigars, and cigarillos.
Clean energy cess of Rs50 per ton to be levied on coal produced in India.
Concessional excise duty of 4% on solar cycle-rickshaws.
Balloons exempted from central excise duty.
Customs and central excise proposals to result in a net revenue gain of Rs43,500 crore.
More services to be brought under the service tax net.
Certain accredited news agencies exempted from payment of service tax.
Net revenue gain from tax proposals pegged at Rs20,500 crore.

Source: DNAindia

50 Amazing Facts

2010-02-26T21:40:00.000-08:00

If you are right handed, you will tend to chew your food on your right side. If you are left handed, you will tend to chew your food on your left side.
If you stop getting thirsty, you need to drink more water. For when a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off.
Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.
Your tongue is germ free only if it is pink. If it is white there is a thin film of bacteria on it.
The Mercedes-Benz motto is 'Das Beste oder Nichts' meaning 'the best or nothing'.
The Titanic was the first ship to use the SOS signal.
The pupil of the eye expands as much as 45 percent when a person looks at something pleasing.
The average person who stops smoking requires one hour less sleep at night.
Laughing lower levels of stress hormones and strengthen the immune system. Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.
The roar that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear.
Dalmatians are born without spots.
Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.
The 'v' in the name of a court case does not stand for 'versus', but for 'and' (in civil proceedings) or 'against' (in criminal proceedings).
Men's shirts have the buttons on the right, but women's shirts have the buttons on the left.
The owl is the only bird to drop its upper eyelid to wink. All other birds raise their lower eyelids.
The reason honey is so easy to digest is that it's already been digested by a bee.
Roosters cannot crow if they cannot extend their necks.
The color blue has a calming effect. It causes the brain to release calming hormones.
Every time you sneeze some of your brain cells die.
Your left lung is smaller than your right lung to make room for your heart.
The verb "cleave" is the only English word with two synonyms which are antonyms of each other: adhere and separate.
When you blush, the lining of your stomach also turns red.
When hippos are upset, their sweat turns red.
The first Harley Davidson motorcycle was built in 1903, and used a tomato can for a carburetor.
The lion that roars in the MGM logo is named Volney.
Google is actually the common name for a number with a million zeros.
Switching letters is called spoonerism. For example, saying jag of Flapan, instead of flag of Japan.
It cost 7 million dollars to build the Titanic and 200 million to make a film about it.
The attachment of the human skin to muscles is what causes dimples
There are 1,792 steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
The sound you hear when you crack your knuckles is actually the sound of nitrogen gas bubbles bursting.
Human hair and fingernails continue to grow after death.
It takes about 20 seconds for a red blood cell to circle the whole body.
The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.
Most soccer players run 7 miles in a game.
The only part of the body that has no blood supply is the cornea in the eye. It takes in oxygen directly from the air.
Every day 200 million couples make love, 400,000 babies are born, and 140,000 people die.
In most watch advertisements the time displayed on the watch is 10:10 because then the arms frame the brand of the watch (and make it look like it is smiling).
Colgate faced big obstacle marketing toothpaste in Spanish speaking countries. Colgate translates into the command "go hang yourself.”
The only 2 animals that can see behind themselves without turning its head are the rabbit and the parrot.
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
The average person laughs 13 times a day.
Do you know the names of the three wise monkeys? They are: Mizaru (See no evil), Mikazaru (Hear no evil), and Mazaru (Speak no evil).
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
German Shepherds bite humans more than any other breed of dog.
Large kangaroos cover more than 30 feet with each jump.
Whip makes a cracking sound because its tip moves faster than the speed of sound.
Two animal rights protesters were protesting at the cruelty of sending pigs to a slaughterhouse in Bonn. Suddenly the pigs, all two thousand of them, escaped through a broken fence and stampeded, trampling the two hapless protesters to death.
If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural cause.
The human heart creates enough pressure while pumping to squirt blood 30 feet.

10 things about death

2010-02-26T21:33:00.000-08:00

1. When a person dies, hearing is the last sense to go -- the first is usually sight, followed by taste, smell and touch.

2. A human head remains conscious for about 15 to 20 seconds after it has been decapitated.

3. 100 people choke to death on pens each year. One is more likely to be killed by a champagne cork than by a spider.

4. Alexander's funeral would have cost $600 million today. A road from Egypt to Babylon was built to carry his body.

5. When inventor Thomas Edison died in 1931, his friend Henry Ford captured his last dying breath in a bottle.

6. Over 2500 left-handed people are killed each year from using products made for right-handed people.

7. It takes longer than ever before a body to decompose due to preservatives in the food that we eat these days.

8. An eternal flame lamp at the tomb of a Buddhist priest in Nara, Japan has kept burning for 1,130 years.

9. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry is the first person to have his ashes put aboard a rocket and 'buried' in space.

10. Japanese factory worker Kenji Urada became the first know fatality caused by a robot in July, 1981, in a car plant.

100 Interesting Facts

2010-02-25T00:28:00.000-08:00

Shakespeare invented the word ' assassination' and 'bump'.
Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand.
The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.
Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear By 700 times.
Ants don't sleep.
Owls have eyeballs that are tubular in shape, because of this, they cannot move their eyes.
A bird requires more food in proportion to its size than a baby or a cat.
The mouse is the most common mammal in the US.
A newborn kangaroo is about 1 inch in length.
A cow gives nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.
The Canary Islands were not named for a bird called a canary. They were named after a breed of large dogs. The Latin name was Canariae insulae - "Island of Dogs."
There are 701 types of pure breed dogs.
A polecat is not a cat. It is a nocturnal European weasel.
The animal responsible for the most human deaths world-wide is the mosquito.
The biggest pig in recorded history was Big Boy of Black Mountain, North Carolina, who was weighed at 1,904 pounds in 1939.
Cats respond most readily to names that end in an "ee" sound.
A cat cannot see directly under its nose. This is why the cat cannot seem to find tidbits on the floor.
Pigs, walruses and light-colored horses can be sunburned.
Snakes are immune to their own poison.
An iguana can stay under water for 28 minutes.
Cats have more than one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.
The biggest member of the cat family is the male lion, which weighs 528 pounds (240 kilograms).
Most lipstick contains fish scales.
Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over a million descendants.
Each day in the US, animal shelters are forced to destroy 30,000 dogs and cats.
A shrimp's heart is in their head.
A pregnant goldfish is called a twit.
A cockroach will live nine days without its head, before it starves to death.
The cat lover is an ailurophile, while a cat hater is an ailurophobe.
A woodpecker can peck twenty times a second.
It may take longer than two days for a chick to break out of its shell.
Dragonflies are one of the fastest insects, flying 50 to 60 mph.
Despite man's fear and hatred of the wolf, it has not ever been proved that a non-rabid wolf ever attacked a human.
There are more than 100 million dogs and cats in the United States.
Americans spend more than 5.4 billion dollars on their pets each year.
Cat's urine glows under a black light.
The largest cockroach on record is one measured at 3.81 inches in length.
It is estimated that a single toad may catch and eat as many as 10,000 insects in the course of a summer.
Amphibians eyes come in a variety shapes and sizes. Some even have square or heart-shaped pupils.
It would require an average of 18 hummingbirds to weigh in at 1 ounce.
Dogs that do not tolerate small children well are the St. Bernard, the Old English sheep dog, the Alaskan malamute, the bull terrier, and the toy poodle.
Moles are able to tunnel through 300 feet of earth in a day.
Howler monkeys are the noisiest land animals. Their calls can be heard over 2 miles away.
A quarter of the horses in the US died of a vast virus epidemic in 1872.
The fastest bird is the Spine-tailed swift, clocked at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour.
There is no single cat called the panther. The name is commonly applied to the leopard, but it is also used to refer to the puma and the jaguar. A black panther is really a black leopard. A capon is a castrated rooster.
The world's largest rodent is the Capybara. It is an Amazon water hog that looks like a guinea pig; it can weigh more than 100 pounds.
The poison-arrow frog has enough poison to kill about 2,200 people.
The hummingbird, the loon, the swift, the kingfisher, and the grebe are all birds that cannot walk.
The poisonous copperhead snake smells like fresh cut cucumbers.
A chameleon's tongue is twice the length of its body.
Worker ants may live seven years and the queen may live as long as 15 years.
The blood of mammals is red, the blood of insects is yellow, and the blood of lobsters is blue.
Cheetahs make a chirping sound that is much like a bird's chirp or a dog's yelp. The sound is so intense; it can be heard a mile away.
The underside of a horse's hoof is called a frog. The frog peels off several times a year with new growth.
The bloodhound is the only animal whose evidence is admissible in an American court. 98% of brown bears in the United States are in Alaska.
Before air conditioning was invented, white cotton slipcovers were put on furniture to keep the air cool.
The Barbie doll has more than 80 careers.
To make one pound of whole milk cheese, 10 pounds of whole milk is needed.
99% of pumpkins are sold for decoration.
Every 30 seconds a house fire doubles in size.
The month of December is the most popular month for weddings in the Philippines.
A one ounce milk chocolate bar has 6 mg of caffeine.
Carbon monoxide can kill a person in less than 15 minutes.
The largest ever hailstone weighed over 1kg and fell in Bangladesh in 1986.
Ants can live up to 16 years.
In Belgium, there is a museum that is just for strawberries.
The sense of smell of an ant is just as good as a dog's.
Popped popcorn should be stored in the freezer or refrigerator as this way it can stay crunchy for up to three weeks.
Coca-Cola was originally green.
The most common name in the world is Mohammed.
The name of all the continents ends with the same letter that they start with.
The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.
TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men!!
You can't kill yourself by holding your breath.
It is impossible to lick your elbow.
People say "Bless You” when you sneeze because when you sneeze, your heart stops for a millisecond.
It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.
The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.
If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib. If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die.
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents great king from history. Spades - King David, Clubs - Alexander the Great, Hearts – Charlemagne, Diamonds - Julius Caesar.
111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
If a statue of a person in the park on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
What do bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers all have in common? Ans. - All invented by women.
This is the only food that doesn't spoil. What is this? Answer: Honey.
A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
A snail can sleep for three years.
All polar bears are left handed.
American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.
The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.
Most lipstick contains fish scales.
Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different.
Tapeworms range in size from about 0.04 inch to more than 50 feet in length.

Girl with X-ray Eyes

2010-02-25T00:27:00.000-08:00

A teenage girl from Saransk, Russia, claims to have X-ray-like vision, which lets her see inside of human bodies, to make diagnoses that often are more accurate than those of doctors. First widely hailed in Russia as "the girl with X-ray eyes," 19 years old Natasha Demkina has a growing following of patients, doctors, journalists, and others who are convinced her powers are real.

One hundred and twelve years ago, German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen announced his discovery of an invisible form of radiation that could make photographs of bones and organs inside a living human body. At first, many scientists called the discovery of "X-rays" a hoax, but when the skeptics put Roentgen's claims to the test, they quickly were convinced about one of the greatest discoveries in science and medicine. Indeed, just six years after his discovery, Roentgen was awarded the first Nobel Prize in physics.

In March 2004, the producer of a Discovery Channel documentary on Natasha asked the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) and the affiliated Commission for Scientific Medicine and Mental Health (CSMMH) to scientifically test the young woman's claims. In response, CSICOP research fellows Ray Hyman, Ph.D. and Richard Wiseman, Ph.D., and I designed a preliminary test for judging whether her abilities warranted further, study. After Natasha, her mother, her agent, and the producer agreed to the test rules, we all flew to New York for filming the test on the City College of New York campus.

Dr. Hyman, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Oregon, in Eugene, and Dr. Wiseman, professor of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, in the United Kingdom, have extensive experience in testing people who claim paranormal powers. I served more than nine years as an associate editor and investigative reporter for the Journal of the American Medical Association. Based on our preliminary research, we suspected Natasha may be using a remarkably simple but convincing technique called "cold reading," which is commonly used by psychics, astrologers, and other fortune tellers. It works especially well with people who are eager to believe the reader and therefore inclined to interpret misses as hits. Typically, the psychic offers a smorgasboard of statements while looking for any that are confirmed or get a reaction. In most cases, the client willingly twists what was said to fit his or her experiences -- "a male relative with a name like James or John" is interpreted as meaning "Aunt Jane who passed away last year."

Similarly, Natasha scans her patients from head to toe and describes a long list of abnormalities she says she sees. When she gave me a reading, preciously few organs passed the inspection. My neck vertebrae were too tight, too close. The bronchial tubes of my lungs had phlegm. The muscle on the left side of my heart is a bit weak and the valve closes late. The mucosa of my stomach is abnormal. A segment of my liver was enlarged and I was suffering poor bile circulation. The head of my pancreas is increased and abnormally dark (although not seriously). My duodenum has a little scar. My prostate gland has a nodule and is inflamed. My right kidney has "sand," while my left kidney's urethra is enlarged. In other words, I should forget about ever again signing an organ donor card.

Neither my physician nor I are aware of any of these problems. Nevertheless, Natasha and her supporters claim she sees what doctors and their tests often miss. The only way I could prove her wrong would be to submit to an autopsy -- which I'm not quite ready to do.

So we designed a simple test that would eliminate the possibility of using cold reading to fish for correct information and to prevent Natasha from making diagnoses that could not be disproved without an autopsy. We recruited six volunteers, who each had a different medical condition visible on X-rays, plus a "normal" subject who had none of the six target conditions. Natasha was handed six test cards, each with a description of a target medical condition, in English and Russian. We also provided her with anatomical drawings to make sure she understood exactly what to look for and where to look.

The target conditions were: a removed appendix, a removed lower section of the esophagus, metal staples left in the chest after surgery; an artificial hip joint; a surgically removed upper section of the left lung; and a metal plate covering a removed section of the skull.

Natasha claims she can see abnormalities down to the cellular level and her mother says her readings are 100 percent accurate. So the test which required her to match at least five of the target medical conditions to the correct subjects should have been a breeze. She didn't have to scan their entire bodies for unknown conditions. She was told exactly what to look for and exactly where to look. Yet, it took her more than fours to complete the test and she only matched four of the conditions correctly a score that everyone prior to the test had agreed upon would not justify further testing.

Natasha's most dramatic misdiagnosis was her failure to see a large metal plate covering a missing section of skull in a man who had a large brain tumor removed. Instead, she indicated that she "saw" a metal plate and missing skull section in a man who had a removed appendix but normal skull.

Source: http://www.livescience.com/

Cheerleading

2010-02-25T00:20:00.000-08:00

Cheerleading is an activity that uses organized routines made up of elements from gymnastics, dance or performance stunting/action to cheer on sports teams at games and matches, and/or as a competitive sport. A cheerleading performer is called a cheerleader. It is most common in North America, but has spread elsewhere in other countries.

History of Cheerleading

Cheerleading first started at Princeton University in the 1880s with the crowd chant, as a way to encourage school spirit at football games. A few years later, Princeton graduate Thomas Peebles introduced the idea of organized crowd chanting to the University of Minnesota in 1894, but it was not until 1898 that University of Minnesota student Johnny Campbell stood in front of the crowd, and directed them in a chant, making Campbell the very first cheerleader. Soon after that, the University of Minnesota organized a "yell leader" squad of 6 male students. Although it is estimated that 97% of today's cheerleading participants are female, cheerleading started out as an all-male activity. Females started to participate in cheerleading in the 1920s, due to limited availability of female collegiate sports. This is also when gymnastics and tumbling were incorporated into the cheers, the University of Minnesota was first to do this. By the 1940s, it was a largely female activity.

Cheerleading is most closely associated with American football, and to a lesser degree basketball. Sports such as soccer, ice hockey, volleyball, baseball, and wrestling rarely have cheerleaders. The only Major League Baseball team with cheerleaders as of 2006 is the Florida Marlins.

In 1948, Lawrence "Herkie" Herkimer formed the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) as a way to hold cheerleading clinics. The National Cheerleaders Association held its first clinic in 1949 with 52 girls in attendance. The next year, the clinic had grown to 350 cheerleaders. By the 1950s, most American high schools had formed cheerleading squads. By the 1960s, cheerleading had grown to be a staple in American high school and collegiate sports. Organized cheerleading competitions began to crop up with the first ranking of the "Top Ten College Cheerleading Squads" and "Cheerleader All America" awards given out by the International Cheerleading Foundation (now the World Cheerleading Association or WCA) in 1967. In 1978, America was introduced to competitive cheerleading by the first broadcast of Collegiate Cheerleading Championships on CBS.

In the 1960s National Football League (NFL) teams began to organize professional cheerleading teams. It was the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders who gained the spotlight with their revealing outfits and sophisticated dance moves, which debuted in the 1972-1973 season, but were first seen widely in Super Bowl X (1976). This caused the image of cheerleaders to permanently change, with many other NFL teams emulating them. Most of the professional teams' cheerleading squads would more accurately be described as dance teams by today's standards; as they rarely, if ever, actively encourage crowd noise or perform modern cheerleading moves.

The 1980s saw the onset of modern cheerleading with more difficult stunts and gymnastics being incorporated into routines. Cheerleading organizations such as the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors (AACCA) started applying safety guidelines and offering courses on safety training for coaches and sponsors. In 2003, the National Council for Spirit Safety and Education (NCSSE) was formed to offer safety training for youth, school, all star and college coaches. The NCAA requires college cheer coaches to successfully complete a nationally recognized safety training program. The NCSSE or AACCA certification programs are both recognized by the NCAA.

According to latest studies, there are nearly 3.5 million cheerleaders in the USA alone, and half as many dance team members and gymnasts, taking the total number of participants involved in cheerleading and allied activities in the USA to above 5 million. There are also tens of thousands of cheerleaders in Europe, Central America, Australia, and Asia.

Source: Knowledgebase-script

Massive storage with this latest video player watch

2010-02-23T07:51:00.000-08:00

In our effort to always bring you the latest and greatest gadgets, ThinkGeek presents this Stainless Steel Video Watch with a massive 8GB of internal flash memory as well as a full color 1.8" screen. Made completely from shiny stainless steel for the ultimate in style and coolness.

High pixel count and frames per second make viewing a joy. Plus this watch has a built-in voice recorder, multiple OSD languages to choose from, a built-in high quality speaker as well as a earphone jack, the ability to view JPEG pictures and listen to music at the same time, and so much more. What more could you ask of such a beautiful looking watch? Be the envy of all your friends and blow them away with your shiny new toy.

Display: 1.8 Inch TFT LCD
Built In Speaker
Video Format: MTV
Conversion formats: AVI, MP4, WMV, ASF, MPG, MPEG, DAT, RM, MOV
Video Resolution: 160x128
FPS (Frames per Second): 20
Music Format: MP3, WMA, WAV
Bit rate: 32~320Kbps
Built In Watch with Digital Time Display
24 Hour Style Time
Time/ Date/ Day Display
Built in MIC
Record Format: WAV
Languages: English, Chinese, Portuguese, French, Korean, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, Polish
USB 2.0
System: Windows 98/SE/ME/2000/XP/Vista
Power Source: Built-in Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
Dimensions: Watch Face- 45x55x13mm (LxWxD)

Source:Thinkgeek

Modular Open-Source DIY Gadget Factory

2010-02-23T07:43:00.000-08:00

What is BUG?

BUG is a baby monitor. BUG is a security system. BUG is a GPS device. BUG can read barcodes, draw pictures, update your twitter feed, and control robots. BUG is a platform for learning, rapid prototyping, and experimentation. BUG is just about whatever you want it to be. So, the BUG can be anything, but what is it?

BUG is a set of tools that lets you create personalized gadgets and devices. It's open-source and modular, letting you literally snap together the device you need. Backed by a community of enthusiastic developers, BUG development continues to grow more exciting and diverse.

Because BUG is open-source, it doesn't impede your creativity. If you've got an idea for a gadget, it's easy to throw it together. For example, your garden is being chomped on by some unseen entity. Snap a motion-detector and a camera onto the BUGbase, write some Java, and you've got gadget that'll catch the family of deer that roams through your yard. Unhappy with Google maps street view? Snap on the GPS module and the camera, and code your BUG to take geotagged photos at specific intervals and roll your own. Got an RC helicopter? Snap on the vonHippel breakout-board module and the touch-screen module and code an interface to fly your helicopter on your BUG. Are you a cartographer? Snap the GPS and the touch-screen modules on, a smidgen of Java, walk to the corners of your property, and bang zoom, you've got a map.

The point of BUG is to create gadgety loveliness without all the hassle of reverse-engineering, DMCA restrictions, or closed-API PIA AEIOU and sometimes Y. The BUG and all its modules are open, well documented, and free to hack away. Nothing is standing between you and your dream gadget except that Buy Now button over there.

Features
Open-source linux-based gadget-creation platform
Modular architecture lets you snap on expansion-devices as needed
BUGbundle includes:
BUGbase 1.3 Wi-Fi Edition
BUGview touchscreen module
BUGmotion accelerometer and motion detector module
BUGlocate GPS module with remote antenna
BUGvonHippel breakout module

Note: Some Java programming is required to create your gadgets, but it's easy to learn.
Modules will not operate without the BUGbase.

Source:Thinkgeek

Robot Land amusement park set for South Korea

2010-02-21T08:22:00.000-08:00

,What you’re seeing here is the Robot Land theme park, scheduled to be completed in 2013 at Incheon, South Korea.

This theme park is planned to feature all manner of robot entertainment mostly from films that featured robots such as I, Robot and The Matrix as well as Minority Report. I actually don’t remember any robots in Minority Report. As far as rides go, there is a robotic arm ride, as well as some sort of aquarium that allows visitors to watch and manipulate robotic fish.

I’m told that there will be robotic performers and cashiers, which should save money on human labor. Just kidding. Robot Land is expected to boost the national economy by creating 18,000 jobs to serve the 2.8 million visitors. By the way, there is more to populate Robot Land than just robots. Robot Land is also a technological park for residential complexes and office buildings.

Of course, I think we all know what is going to happen next. Remember that episode of The Simpsons where they went to a park inhabited by Itchy and Scratchy robots? As I recall, it didn’t take them long before the robots just up and attacked the humans. Yeah, it’s Westworld after all.

However, we have hopefully learned from science fiction and won’t make the robots in Robot Land sentient, yet.

Source

Dreamate Sleep Inducer

2010-02-21T08:18:00.000-08:00

If you’re one of those people that suffers from unusual sleep patterns and you want to get your body back in to check you might be able to do it with this acupuncture sleeping gadget, the Dreamate Sleep Inducer.

Dreamate uses accupressure techniques to gently massage the “sleeping golden triangle” on your left wrist. Used 30 minutes before bedtime, you can retune and reset your biological clock and train your body to relax and sleep. See results in as little as a week’s worth of use, with best results after eight weeks. These precise pressure points, when gently massaged, calm the body, lower stress levels, and induce sleep. Unlike addictive sleeping pills that knock you senseless, but offer little improvement in your sleep quality.

I’ve no idea how effective this is but it sounds kind of cool. The Dreamate is available from TG for $79.99.

Source:Thinkgeek

Google Offers Free Advertising to Small Indian Businesses

2010-02-19T08:18:00.001-08:00

World's leading search engine Google would offer free advertising coupons for small and medium businesses (SMBs) across the country, the global firm's Indian subsidiary said Thursday.

"All SMBs with online presence will be able to avail our advertising coupons worth Rs.2,500 by calling toll free number 1860 266 6622 and registering their websites with our AdWords platform," Google India online sales head Sridhar Seshadri said in a statement here.

The SMBs can register at http://adwords.google.co.in.

As part of this novel initiative, Google India also launched a new service JumpStart to offer free expert support to help SMBs build an online advertising campaign for attracting new customers.

"The AdWords programme provides marketers a cost-effective platform where-in they can measure RoI (return on investment), monitor and optimise their campaign. SMBs can start advertising online with a budget as low as Rs.200 a day and grow it as per their business demand, thus having control over their ad-spends and flexibility," Seshadri pointed out.

The new service will provide a quick-and-easy way to SMBs to get their advertising campaign off to a good start. Google India specialists will work with SMBs to set up their AdWords account and build a customised campaign suitable to their business and budget.

The initiative received a good response when it was launched as a pilot project in Chandigarh recently.

The SMBs sector, which constitutes 80 percent of the country's industrial enterprises faces an uphill task for advertising due to prohibitive costs involved.

"Recognising this roadblock and the huge potential for SMBs to grow, the company launched offline and online initiatives to partner with them and educate these businesses about the power of internet advertising," Seshadri noted.

Google AdWords enables SMBs to target precisely, pay only for results, and stay firmly in charge of costs.

"We foresee a vast opportunity in the small businesses sector and are committed to extend support to all SMB advertisers to help them gain from the internet medium," Seshadri added.

Sharda University launches Tomorrow4u.com to clarify students' exam-related queries

2010-02-19T08:16:00.000-08:00

Sharda University, a unit of Sharda Group of Institutions (SGI), has launched Tomorrow4u.com, an online platform to clarify the examination queries of board students as well as engineering, medical and MBA aspirants. Tomorrow4u.com also offers an online counselling tool that aims to help students pick the best possible career choice.

“The main objective of this platform is to encourage dialogue and create understanding required to pursue academic excellence at the school level. We continuously try to promote the practice of application based learning as we believe it is critical for all-round development of students,” R P Singh, vice chancellor, Sharda University, has said.

According to P K Gupta, chancellor, Sharda University, 98 per cent of the students are not clear about their career objectives as they do not have enough information about different courses in the field of engineering, medical, paramedical and management. “Our website will assist students in seeking information on prospective careers,” Gupta has said.

Source:alootechie.com

Info about Azim Premji

2010-02-17T03:34:00.000-08:00

Born: July 24, 1945
Achievements: Chairman of Wipro Technologies; Richest Indian for the past several years; Honored with Padma Bhushan in 2005.

Azim Premji is Chairman of Wipro Technologies, one of the largest software companies in India. He is an icon among Indian businessmen and his success story is a source of inspiration to a number of budding entrepreneurs.

Born on July 24, 1945, Azim Hashim Premji was studying Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, USA when due to the sudden demise of his father, he was called upon to handle the family business. Azim Premji took over the reins of family business in 1966 at the age of 21.

At the first annual general meeting of the company attended by Azeem Premji, a shareholder doubted Premji's ability to handle business at such a young age and publicly advised him to sell his shareholding and give it to a more mature management. This spurred Azim Premji and made him all the more determined to make Wipro a success story. And the rest is history.

When Azim Premji occupied the hot seat, Wipro dealt in hydrogenated cooking fats and later diversified to bakery fats, ethnic ingredient based toiletries, hair care soaps, baby toiletries, lighting products and hydraulic cylinders. Thereafter Premji made a focused shift from soaps to software.

Under Azim Premji's leadership Wipro has metamorphosed from a Rs.70 million company in hydrogenated cooking fats to a pioneer in providing integrated business, technology and process solutions on a global delivery platform. Today, Wipro Technologies is the largest independent R&D service provider in the world.

Azim Premji has several achievements to his credit. In 2000, Asiaweek magazine, voted Premji among the 20 most powerful men in the world. Azim Premji was among the 50 richest people in the world from 2001 to 2003 listed by Forbes. In April 2004, Times Magazine, rated him among the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. He is also the richest Indian for the past several years. In 2005,Government of India honored Azim Premji with Padma Bhushan.

JRD Tata Biography

2010-02-17T03:26:00.000-08:00

Born: July 29, 1904
Died: on November 29, 1993
Achievements: He had the honor of being India's first pilot; was Chairman of Tata & Sons for 50 years; launched Air India International as India's first international airline; received Bharat Ratna in 1992.

JRD Tata was one of the most enterprising Indian entrepreneurs. He was a pioneer aviator and built one of the largest industrial houses of India.

JRD Tata was born on July 29, 1904 in Paris. His mother was a French, while his father was Parsi. JRD's full name was Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and he was popularly known as Jeh to his friends. JRD's father Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and Sri Jamsetji Tata shared their greatness from the same great-great-grandfather, Ervad Jamsheed Tata, a priest of Navsari.

JRD Tata was the second of four children. He was educated in France, Japan and England before being drafted into the French army for a mandatory one-year period. JRD wanted to extend his service in the forces but destiny had something else in store for him. By leaving the French army JRD's life was saved because shortly thereafter, the regiment in which he served was totally wiped out during an expedition in Morocco.

JRD Tata joined Tata & Sons as an unpaid apprentice in 1925. He has great interest in flying. On February 10, 1929, JRD became the first Indian to pass the pilot's examination. With this distinctive honor of being India's first pilot, he was instrumental in giving wings to India by building Tata Airlines, which ultimately became Air India. His passion for flying was fulfilled with the formation of the Tata Aviation Service in 1932.

In 1938, at the age of 34, JRD was elected Chairman of Tata & Sons making him the head of the largest industrial group in India. He started with 14 enterprises under his leadership and half a century later on July 26, 1988, when he left , Tata & Sons was a conglomerate of 95 enterprises which they either started or in which they had controlling interest.

JRD was the trustee of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust from its inception in 1932, which remained under his wings for over half a century. Under his guidance, this Trust established Asia's first cancer hospital, the Tata Memorial Center for Cancer, Research and Treatment, Bombay, 1941. It also founded the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, 1936 (TISS), the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1945 (TIFR), and the National Center for Performing Arts.

In 1948, JRD Tata launched Air India International as India's first international airline. In 1953, the Indian Government appointed JRD as Chairman of Air-India and a director on the Board of Indian Airlines-a position JRD retained for 25-years. For his crowning achievements in Aviation, JRD was bestowed with the title of Honorary Air Commodore of India.

In 1956, JRD Tata initiated a program of closer "employee association with management" to give workers a stronger voice in the affairs of the company. He firmly believed in employee welfare and espoused the principles of an eight-hour working day, free medical aid, workers' provident scheme, and workmen's accident compensation schemes, which were later, adopted as statutory requirements in India.

JRD Tata cared greatly for his workers. In 1979, Tata Steel instituted a new practice; a worker is deemed to be "at work" from the moment he leaves home for work till he returns home from work. The company is financially liable to the worker if any mishap takes place on the way to and from work. Tata Steel Township was also selected as a UN Global Compact City because of the quality of life, conditions of sanitation, roads and welfare that were offered by Tata Steel.

JRD Tata received a number of awards. He received the Padma Vibhushan in 1957 on the eve of silver jubilee of Air India. He also received the Guggenheim Medal for aviation in 1988. In 1992, because of his selfless humanitarian endeavors, JRD Tata was awarded India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna-one of the rarest instances in which this award was granted during a person's lifetime. In the same year, JRD Tata was also bestowed with the United Nations Population Award for his crusading endeavors towards initiating and successfully implementing the family planning movement in India, much before it became an official government policy.

JRD Tata died in Geneva, Switzerland on November 29, 1993 at the age of 89. On his death, the Indian Parliament was adjourned in his memory-an honor not usually given to persons who are not Members of Parliament.

Source: iloveindia

Compaq Airlife 100 – 10.1-inch Touchscreen Android Smartbook

2010-02-14T02:19:00.000-08:00

The new Compaq Airlife 100 is a 10.1-inch Touchscreen display Smartbook (Smartphone + Netbook) pre-loaded with the Android operating system.

The key specs of the new Compaq Airlife 100 Smartbook are:

Snapdragon Processor
Android OS
16GB SSD
3G
WiFi
10.1-inch touchscreen display
up to 12 hour battery life
up to 10 days of standby

Compaq Airlife 100 Price : The new Compaq Airlife 100 smartbook price is not revealed yet.

Google Introduces Smut Censor for YouTube

2010-02-14T02:09:00.000-08:00

Google has introduced a "safety mode" for YouTube watchers that filters out smut and other objectionable material, the company announced.

Customers can opt in to the "safety mode", which also automatically hides comments on any videos. If the user decides to view the comments, all objectionable words are censored by Google's smut filter.

The web's top video-sharing site has long banned pornography, gratuitous violence and animal abuse. But the new filter will target such images even if they occur within a legitimate context such as a news report, the company said in its blog Thursday.

"An example of this type of content might be a newsworthy video that contains graphic violence, such as a political protest or war coverage," said product manager Jamie Davidson. "While no filter is 100 percent perfect, 'safety mode' is another step in our ongoing desire to give you greater control over the content you see on the site."

Sourc: Tech2

35 Reasons I Love You

2010-02-13T03:42:00.001-08:00

I can be myself when I am with you.

Your idea of romance is dim lights, soft music, and just the two of us.

Because you make me feel like, like, like I have never felt before.

I can tell you anything, and you won't be shocked.
Your undying faith is what keeps the flame out of love alive

You and me together, we can make magic.

We're a perfect match.

Thinking of you, fills me with a wonderful feeling.
Your love gives me the feeling, that the best is still ahead.

You never give up on me, and that's what keeps me going.

You are simply irresistible

I love you because you bring the best out of me.
Your terrific sense of humor

Every time I look at you, my heart misses a beat

You're the one who holds the key to my heart

You always say what I need to hear (You are perfect).

You have taught me the true meaning of love.
Love is, what you mean to me - and you mean everything.

You are my theme for a dream.

I have had the time of my life and I owe it all to you.

When I look into your eyes, I can see your heart.

Your love for me is a natural anti-depressant.
I love to hear your voice.

Your love has helped me to rediscover myself.

Your love is an effective anti-dote to despair.

I love to wake up with you by my side...It makes my days better.

You always make me feel that you are by my side no matter what.
I love that feeling of being secure when you wrap your arms around me.

I love the way you keep your cool when I do something stupid.

Just being with you feels like I can defy the whole world.

You mean the world to me.

I like your small gestures that speak volumes about how much you care.
I love the way you treasure the gifts that I gave you.

I love the way you patch up with me after a tumultuous fight.

And, of-course, your intelligence, 'cause you were smart enough to fall in love with me ;-)

10 Romantic Ideas for Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T03:32:00.000-08:00

Create a LoveSpace:
A splendid idea on Valentine's Day is to open your heart to your sweet one and let know your feelings for her. An easy way to do this would be to create a "lovespace". If you are not already registered to myspace, you can sign up for a free account and within minutes you'll have a page dedicated to your sweetie. Keep it focused on romance with weekly love notes, romantic poems, and photos. You can even add a romantic love song that she loves very much in your 'lovespace'. That way she will get to listen to her favorite song whenever she visits the page! If you both are private persons and don't like to let the world know about your relationship, you can sure make the page private. That way you'll also feel free to open your heart and write about your inner feelings without a care.

Send an e-Card
You may have doubts whether sending an e-card will not be an impersonal way of communicating with your special someone. But trust us, this is a great way to add a little romance to your sweet one's day. Browse the various free e-card sites, such as DeepestFeelings.com, for a gamut of romantic e-cards ranging from the funny 'n flippant to the poetic and passionate. It is even better if you can send a personalized message with your card and sites like DeepestFeelings lets you do that. Put in a bit of thought to your message and rather than ending it casually, think deep and write from the heart. It will work wonders with your lover. Imagine your sweet one's delight on finding a cute, romantic e-greeting with a romantic message in his/her inbox on Valentine's Day. Doesn't that seem great?

Make a Video
Another splendid idea is to make a short video declaring your love for your honey. If you have a camera phone or a webcam at your disposal, you can easily make a video and upload it online in sites like YouTube for free. You can then send a link via email to him/her to check out your valentine video! If you don't prefer a public declaration of your love, you can keep it personal and have a private viewing of your video with your sweetheart who'll surely love the idea.
A nice tip is to use windows movie maker in your video-making.

Buy roses for your love
This one is specially for men. Buy a dozen roses for your sweetie, hide them in different spots of a place like a park or a mall. Invite her and hide in some nearby spot from where you can watch the proceedings. Arrange a person to hand over a rose to her as soon as she arrives. Attach a note to it informing her where to find the next rose. This should be the case with each rose and the last one should lead her to you waiting with a bouquet of flowers. You should take the authorities into confidence for this plan to work out smoothly. Thereupon, treat her to a sumptuous lunch/dinner.

Candle-lit dinner
Treat your honey to a romantic dinner by candle-light. That doesn't mean you don't have to take your sweetheart to a posh restaurant and spend a lotta bucks. Rather, you can arrange your own candle-lit dinner at home. Cook up a splendid dinner together. Even a simple pasta would work; buy dessert from the bakery in the grocery store. Set the table; create a romantic atmosphere with candles, sweet snacks and wine. Have soft romantic music playing in the background, and dim the lights so that it's mostly the candles lighting the room. Then dress up and "attend" the dinner walking up to the table hand in hand with your love. You'll be amazed how much more fun it gives to have a candle-lit dinner at home. Once dinner is over, dance slowly to your song. Then snuggle as you watch a romantic flick together.

Prepare a dessert
This one is specially for the ladies. Invite your honey and treat him to a dessert dish. Find out about the favorite dessert of your partner and prepare it yourself on Valentine's Day. Even if it doesn't turn perfect and your cooking skills don't prove amazing, he'll pleasantly surprised and love you for your serious attempt.

Balloons in the car
Sneak into your sweet one's car while he/she is busy at work and fill it with roses and balloons upto the roof. Also leave a note inside telling how much your sweetheart means to you. It will amaze and touch your love to no less measure.

Walk on the beach
Take a ride to a secluded beach at sunset and park your car nearby. Slip your hand into your partner's and take a stroll along the beach bare foot, watching the sunset together. It will be better to stay awhile after the sunset and enjoy the sight and sound of the waves crashing into the shore, as the water covers your feet. Look up at the starry sky and feel the magic of the universe.

Have a beach-dinner
If you can arrange it, treat your love to a candlelit dinner under the stars, preferably to the accompaniment of some music playing off somewhere in the background. You can arrange it all near a lake or pond to make the ambience even more romantic. To top it all, you can rent a small boat and row it after dinner to go out to the middle of a lake and watch the stars.

Love-letter
Believe it or not, writing love letters is still as cool. Yes, the world may have changed and e-mails and text messages may be the order of the day, but a passionate letter of love still posseses that eternal charm and out-of-the-world romanticism which many would die for. So put your pen to paper and pour your feelings out for the love of your life. Say in simple words what your sweetheart means to you, and how your life has changed since his/her arrival. Then hide it in some spot where your sweet one is likely to lay his/her hand soon. Don't worry if you're not too good with words, your sweetheart will surely appreciate your gesture. Your effort will culminate into a moment which both of you'll treasure forever, trust us.

Source:holidayspot