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iOS 5 First looks - PC Free setup, keyboard shortcuts

2011-06-07T14:40:00.009+05:30

Apple's iOS 5 allows for PC Free setup over iCloud and new custom keyboard shortcuts. AppleInsider offers a first look at the developer build of iOS 5. Apple CEO Steve Jobs and fellow executives unveiled iOS 5, the next major update to iOS, on Monday at the Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco. The software update includes 200 new features, such as an updated Notification Center and a new messaging service exclusively for iOS users..

"Perhaps iOS 5’s paramount feature is that it’s built to seamlessly work with iCloud in the Post PC revolution that Apple is leading," Jobs said during the WWDC keynote.

People familiar with the matter report that the PC Free setup feature has been enabled in the beta version of iOS 5. Apple now provides three ways to set up an iPhone: Set Up as new iPhone, Restore from iCloud Backup, Restore from iTunes. Customers without a valid Apple ID can register for a free email address from iCloud. Apple's free iCloud service will support daily backups over Wi-Fi. Users can simply plugin their devices to a wall charger and the a backup will be initiated. iCloud offers 5GB of free storage for mail documents and backup, which doesn't count music, apps, books purchased from Apple.

Restoring from an iCloud backup is as easy as connecting the device to Wi-Fi and entering an Apple ID and password. According to Apple, "your personal data -- along with your purchased music, apps, and books from iTunes -- will appear on your devices. As if they'd always been there." A new Reminders app has been added to iOS 5, as well as a Newsstand app for managing newspaper and magazine subscriptions. Apple also appears to have separated the iPod function into Music and Videos sections.

iOS 5 now offers custom keyboard shortcuts that can be added under Keyboard settings. Apple has also added support for a split screen keyboard. Developers report that iMessage does not appear to be fully finished, though a FaceTime button has been added to the top of a message view. As previously reported, Apple has added system-level integration with Twitter. According to reports, Tweets can be sent from Apple's native apps, websites in Safari and photos in the Camera app via the sharing pane.

Galaxy S II vs HTC Sensation

2011-05-30T20:38:00.012+05:30

HTC Sensation couldn’t sound juicer with its 1.2Ghz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 768MB of RAM, 4.3-inch resolution with qHD resolution of 560×940 pixels. Combine that with an 8MP auto-focus camera capable of capturing 1080p full HD videos and the Samsung Galaxy S II has a real rival coming up against it. Both the phones will be directly competing with each other in the market. Hence we bring you a short comparison between the Two.
Starting with OS version :
Both HTC sensation and Galaxy S2 are having Android 2.3 Gingerbread Version, which is latest from Google, meant for Smartphones with Powerful Hardware.

Display :
Coming to display Galaxy S2 sports a 4.27 Super Amoled Display with display resolution of 400×800 pixels, large enough to be a decent smartphone.
On the other Hand HTC sensation has a 4.3 inch qHD display with 540×960 display resolution. Certainly HTC here has an edge over Galaxy S2 with a better Screen Resolution maintaining the HD standards.

Camera:
Both the smartphones have high quality front and rear camera helping you with clicking pictures, videos and initiate comfortable Video Conference calls.
HTC Sensation: 8MP rear , 1.2MP front
Samsung galaxy S2 : 8MP rear , 2MP front (S2 has a better front Camera )

Processors :
HTC Sensation will be powered By 1.2 GHz dual core processor Qualcomm Snapdragon, with Adreno 220 GPU. Now thats Some real Power. Where as Samsung galaxy S2 will come with two/three variants featuring Exynos 1.2 GHz processor, 1 GHz processor and nVIDIA Tegra 250 1 GHz dual core processors. This is something to lookout for ,if experts are to believed all the variants above mentioned are above par excellence in Mobile processing. So On the processor front Both the phones are Battling it tight.

RAM :
Now heres something you look out after processor specification that is the RAM which powers the Processor powerhouse for its working. But here thers a Big difference between the two! Galaxy S2 has a 1GB powerhouse RAM where as Sensation will be working on a 768 MB ram, the difference is quite Huge. 1GB ram means faster and smoother processing.

Software and GUI:
Both the Phones come with Android OS so you just have to go To the App market for your Apps. With Android They have GUI built over it , Samsung Galaxy S2 will be having GUI similar to Galaxy S, but HTC Sense 3.0 offers a much better experience than Samsung’s Touchwiz.

Galaxy S II vs iPhone 4

2011-05-30T12:29:00.002+05:30

I believe iPhone 4 is not a direct competitor to Galaxy S2. The direct competitor of Galaxy S2 from Apple will be iPhone 5 — or whatever else it’s called — when it launches sometimes after August. But because many people want a comparison between Galaxy S2 and iPhone 4 — most likely because both are priced over Rs 30,000 — I will do one here.

Design and build quality: Galaxy S2 feels cheap and iPhone 4 stylish. Both feel fragile. Though, in reality, the plastic on S2 is likely to deal better with falls and bumps due to its flexibility. iPhone 4 is all glass and doesn’t take very well to falls.

In terms of usage, iPhone 4 fits well in hand and is comfortable to use. S2 may feel too big for people with smaller palms.
Winner: iPhone 4

Screen: S2 screen is drop-dead gorgeous due to the use of Super AMOLED Plus technology. Colours pop out and its 4.3-inch screen, compared to the 3.5-inch screen on iPhone 4, gives it an advantage. In terms of resolution, iPhone 4 is better. It has a resolution of 960x640, compared to 800x480 pixels of Galaxy S. This means sharper display on iPhone 4.

Text indeed looks sharper on iPhone 4. For everything else, S2 screen is better. Unlike the older Android phones, screen responsiveness is no issue on S2. The bigger size of S2 screen means a lot better web browsing and video playback experience.
Winner: Galaxy S2

OS & user interface: Galaxy S2 runs on Android, customized with TouchWiz 4.0. The iPhone 4 uses iOS 4.3. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. While it’s difficult to cover the Android vs iOS debate in a few lines, here is a summary: iOS is very simple to use. It is simple, effective and efficient. There are no hidden options, few ‘long press’ options and mostly you get what you see.

But this same simplicity may not appeal to everyone. Android, in comparison, is highly customizable. And it's not as complex as many would like you to believe. Most of the settings are easy to access, and if you are familiar with computers, you will not have much trouble. For power users, Android opens up a host of opportunities that can make a smartphone truly a ‘magical experience’.

The performance, especially the speed of navigating between apps and scrolling through web pages is great on both iPhone 4 and Galaxy S2. Earlier, Android had issues with browsing performance. They are not there anymore. As a bonus you also get Flash content on Android. The iOS doesn’t allow any Flash content.
Winner: Tie (iOS is simpler to use. Android gives more options)

Camera: S2 sports an 8MP primary camera. iPhone 4 has a 5MP camera. In still photography, the S2 camera slightly edges out the one in iPhone 4. In video capture, there is no comparison as S2 can record some decent quality full HD videos while iPhone 4 can only manage 720P recording.
Winner: Galaxy S2

Multimedia: This one is easy. Galaxy S2 is hands down the best smartphone when it comes to playing videos. On iPhone 4, you can play only 720P videos. This too depends on the kind of codec used and quality of encoding. The S2, on the other hand, can handle all popular video formats and codecs in 1080P.
Winner: Galaxy S2

Ecosystem and apps: Apple claims that it has better ecosystem (read number of apps and their quality) than its competitors. And we agree. On iPhone 4, you will have access to better quality of apps. On Android, even though all popular apps are available, there could be a time when you do not find the app you want. Also, many apps — especially games — on Android may lack quality and optimization similar to what is found on the iOS side.
Winner: iPhone 4

Worth the money: As far as I see it, Galaxy S2 is rightly priced (Rs 32,890 MRP) and iPhone 4 (Rs 34,500) overpriced for what the devices do. As I said earlier, it will be iPhone 5 that will be the natural competitor to S2. iPhone 4 is too old now. Galaxy S2 is simply a better device.

Of course, if you prefer Apple (as many do, supposedly because of better brand image, better aftersales service and the ‘premium’ tag attached to it), all this doesn’t matter. Still, my two cents: wait for iPhone 5. Once it arrives, go for it. Through a friend or relative who lives abroad. Or, maybe, by some other means. Or, maybe, it will come to India within weeks of its global launch. But iPhone 4 is too costly for what it does.

58th National Awards

2011-05-19T17:30:00.011+05:30

The most prestigous awards for films in India-The National Awards were announced this afternoon. The jury declared Malayalam film Adaminte Makan Abu as the best film and many artists from the Tamil industry have been declared winners.

Aadukalam had a very good showing, picking up six awards. Vetrimaaran was given awards for best direction and best screenplay and Dhanush was adjudged the best actor for his inspired performance while Salman Khan's Dabaang won an award for 'wholesome entertainment'.

Endhiran also impressed scooping up three awards for special effects, art direction, and production. Saranya Ponvannan received an award for her turn in Thenmerku Paruvakattru and Vairamuthu, got an award for his lyrics in the same movie. Thambi Ramiah won in the best supporting actor category for his delightful role in Mynaa.

Malayalam director Vetriraman Raman won the award for best direction for Adaminte Makan Abu. Best actress award has been shared between Mitali Jagtap for Babnu Band Bajaa (Marathi) and Saranya for Pirivannam (Tamil). Malayalactor Salim Kumar won the best actor award for Adamante Makan Abu (Malayalam).

Vishal Bharadwaj's score for Ishqiya bagged him the award for the best music director while his wife Rekha bagged the award for best playback singer. Quite a musical family this! The Rishi & Neetu Kapoor starrer Do Dooni Chaar has been crowned the best Hindi film.

Samsung's Foldable AMOLED Display

2011-05-16T14:15:00.003+05:30

Tiny tablets' major advantage over the 10-inch crowd: They'll fit in your pocket (especially if you're the type of person who wears cargo pants). Samsung's latest foldable, creaseless AMOLED display will let you fold a tablet in half—effectively making bigger tablets pocketable.
Back in 2008, the South Korean company showcased a foldable OLED mobile phone at the FPD conference for display manufacturers. The technology was stunning back then but it suffered from one major flaw — the hinge required for folding produced a crease in the middle of the display.
Full sizeThe electronics manufacturer has removed this imperfection using a combination of silicone rubber, two protective glass panels and a pair of AMOLED displays. The AMOLED displays are mounted seamlessly next to each other on a flat piece of silicone rubber, two glass panels are placed on top of the AMOLED panels, both to protect the displays and let you use them as touchscreens. This rubber sandwich is then mounted in a case and folded in half.

The magic in this equation lies in the silicone rubber which is hyper-elastic and lets you fold it 180 degrees with a hinge less than 1mm. The researchers were able to fold the display over 100,000 times with minimal effect on the optical quality of the AMOLED (just a 6 percent brightness loss at the crease) or the elasticity of the rubber. This system is better than other foldable OLED technologies as it uses components that are readily available and relatively inexpensive. Though I can't see this technology adding much to smartphones, who wouldn't want a foldable tablet?

Rajinikanth's Rana To Starts April 29' 2011

2011-04-29T12:08:00.004+05:30

Want to know all about Rana? Here is the news that you’ve been looking for! The film will go on floors today, 29th April, 2011. Rana, which is being directed by KS Ravi Kumar, will begin after the customary pooja.

The film will have Rajinikanth playing the hero while Deepika Padukone and Ileana D’Cruz are his onscreen pairs and Sonu Sood is the baddie who will fight Rajini in Rana. Speaking about this film, KS Ravi Kumar has said, “Rana has a strong story, a very interesting ensemble cast of actors coupled with super star Rajinikanth in a triple role and promises to have some stunning visual effects that will surely take Indian cinema to the next level.”

The press note from the producers states, “Eros International along with NextGen Films, will produce the film through Rana Production Ltd., UK.”

Music for Rana will be scored by Oscar award winner AR Rahman. Rathnavelu will wield the camera and editing by Anthony. The technical director is Soundarya Rajnikanth, of Ocher Visual Effects UK, a subsidiary of Ocher Studios Pvt Limited. Emmy award winner Charles Darby of Eyeqube Studios, will be the creative and special effects director on the film.

Super Mario 3DS

2011-04-26T21:53:00.002+05:30

The Nintendo 3DS has been on the market for quite some time receiving positive reception pretty much across the board. Quite obviously, the biggest selling point of the console is the fact that it features a glasses-free 3D display and a 3D camera. However, while this is certainly enough to lure people in, it’s going to be up to the game library to keep those people around.
As of now, the Nintendo 3DS definitely has some great games but hard hitting franchise like Zelda, Mario, Kirby and more have yet to make the jump. While we’ve known for quite some time that an Ocarina of Time remake would be making its way to the 3DS at some point in the near future, we haven’t heard of an official release date for a Mario 3DS title.

Luckily, Shigeru Miyamoto himself recently commented to Gamesblog.fr regarding the release date of Super Mario 3DS saying the following:

“I promise to do all I can to deliver the new Mario game this year.”

So, while that does not officially confirm that the game will be out this year, it’s nice to at least know the folks over at Nintendo are doing everything they can to get it out of the door.

Ferrari for Dhoni

2011-04-06T10:39:00.008+05:30

India won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 after 28 long years. In 1983, Kapil Dev led the team India through the glory which M S Dhoni repeated after 28 years with wonderful Indian cricket team. Its raining gifts for Indian cricket team after the momentous and giant Victory! In the series of these events, automobile companies of India are coming forward to show their gratitude and a good gesture by announcing gifts for the team.

After Sachin its time now for Dhoni to get a Ferrari. Ferrari has gifted Indian captain Dhoni with a Ferrari 599 GTO India edition as a token of appreciation. The 599 boasts of a V12 engine with a 670 HP of max power and 620 Nm of torque. This is a dream machine for most automobile enthusiasts who dream of running one of the most powerful and sporty cars on the planet.

Yuvraj Singh will also be gifted with an Audi car. Audi has not revealed which car model they will be gifting Yuvraj as yet, but “The Man Of The Series” Yuvraj Singh has displayed a wonderful performance on field during the ICC World cup 2011 and deservers the best of the lot. As per the official announcement from Audi India:

Supermoon on March 19th 2011

2011-03-11T13:55:00.002+05:30

On March 19th 2011, the moon will make its closest approach to Earth in almost 20 years, possibly triggering earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other disasters.

The phenomenon, called lunar perigee or Supermoon, happens when the moon reaches its absolute closest point to Earth. On March 19, the natural satellite will be only 221,567 miles away from our planet.
There were Supermoons in 1955, 1974, 1992 and 2005, and these years had their share of extreme weather conditions, too. Although there are scientific laws that say the moon affects the Earth, it's still ambiguous whether the lunar perigee and natural disasters is coincidence or not.

British freelance weatherman John Kettley was quoted as saying "A moon can't cause a geological event like an earthquake, but it will cause a difference to the tide. If that combines with certain weather conditions, then that could cause a few problems for coastal areas."

While hoping for a non-disastrous ‘moon giant’, point your eyes and camera lenses toward the night sky on 19th. If the sky is clear, you’re gonna get an exceptional celestial treat.

7aam Arivu Audio Release

2011-03-03T09:28:00.002+05:30

Get Ready for Ezham Arivu Audio Songs. Sources said Red Giant Movies, we hear that the music launch of ‘7aam Arivu’ is scheduled to be held during mid-of-March. The makers of this movie are keen on completing the project at scheduled time as Udhayanidhi Stalin has plans of releasing it by April.

7aam Arivu will release in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi as Suriya, Shruthi Haasan and A.R. Murugadoss have bigger brands in Hindi and Telugu film industry as well. Harris Jayaraj composed background music. Let’s wait for Musical Treat from 7aam Arivu.

Playback Singer 'Malaysia' Vasudevan Passes Away

2011-02-20T23:38:00.003+05:30

பிரபல பின்னணிப் பாடகரும் நடிகருமான மலேசியா வாசுதேவன் இன்று சென்னையில் காலமானார். அவருக்கு வயது 70.

தமிழ் சினிமாவின் மிகச் சிறந்த பாடகர்களுள் ஒருவர் மலேசியா வாசுதேவன். எவ்வளவு கடினமாக பாடலையும் அழகாகப் பாடிய அசாத்திய திறமைசாலி. இவரது தமிழ் உச்சரிப்பு அட்சர சுத்தமாக இருக்கும்.

மலேசியாவில் பிறந்த இவர், சினிமா வாய்ப்புக்காக சென்னை வந்தார். எம்எஸ் விஸ்வநாதன் இசையில் டெல்லி டு மெட்ராஸ் படத்துக்காக முதல் பாடல் பாடினார். ஆனாலும் அவருக்கு பெரிதாக அப்போது வாய்ப்புகள் இல்லை.

இசைஞானி இளையராஜாதான் மலேசியா வாசுதேவனுக்கு மிகப் பெரிய வாய்ப்பை வழங்கினார், தான் இசையமைத்த பதினாறு வயதினிலே படத்தில். கவியரசு கண்ணதாசனின் 'ஆட்டுக்குட்டி முட்டையிட்டு..' என்ற அந்தப் பாடல் ஒரே இரவில் வாசுதேவனை முன்னணிப் பாடகராக்கியது.

அதன் பிறகு ஏராளமான படங்களில் சூப்பர் ஹிட் பாடல்களைப் பாடினார். கோடைகால காற்றே, அள்ளித் தந்த பூமி, அடியாடு பூங்கொடியே, தங்கச் சங்கிலி என அவர் பாடிய மெலடிப் பாடல்கள் காலத்தால் அழியாதவை.

ரஜினி - கமல் இருவரின் படங்களுக்கும் தொடர்ந்து பாடியவர் மலேசியா வாசுதேவன். குறிப்பாக ரஜினிக்கு இவர் குரல் பொருத்தமாக இருந்ததால், அவர் படங்களில் 'அருணாச்சலம்' வரை தொடர்ந்து பாடி வந்தார்.

85 திரைப்படங்களில் நடித்துள்ளார் மலேசியா வாசுதேவன். முதல்வசந்தம், ஒரு கைதியின் டைரி, ஊர்க்காவலன், ஜல்லிக்கட்டு என வெற்றிப்படங்கள் பலவற்றில் வில்லனாகவும் குணச்சித்திர வேடத்திலும் நடித்துள்ளார்.

தமிழக அரசின் கலைமாமணி விருதினையும் பெற்றுள்ளார்.

புதிய பாடகர்களின் வரவு மற்றும் அவரது உடல்நிலை காரணமாக சில ஆண்டுகளாக அவரால் பாட முடியவில்லை.

சில ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன் பக்கவாத நோயால் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட அவர் தொடர்ந்து சிகிச்சைப் பெற்று வந்தார். சிகிச்சைப் பலனின்றி இன்று பகல் 1 மணிக்கு மரணமடைந்தார்.

மலேசியா வாசுதேவன் மறைவுக்கு தமிழ்த் திரையுலகம் தனது ஆழ்ந்த வருத்தத்தைத் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

அவருக்கு மனைவியும், யுகேந்திரன் என்ற மகனும், பிரசாந்தினி என்ற மகளும் உள்ளனர். யுகேந்திரன் நடிகராகவும் பின்னணிப் பாடகராகவும் உள்ளார். பிரசாந்தினியும் இப்போது பின்னணி பாடி வருகிறார்.

English summary:

Popular playback singer Malaysia Vasudevan (70) passed away today at his residence, Chennai. Tamil film industry expressed its deep condolence for the death of the veteran singer.

Chennai to host IPL opening game and final

2011-02-16T19:32:00.006+05:30

The 2011 season of the IPL will begin with defending champions Chennai Super Kings taking on Kolkata Knight Riders at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The preliminary schedule released by the BCCI has the ten franchises playing at 13 venues over 51 days. The schedule may undergo changes keeping in view the state assembly elections to be held in a number of the host venues.

The board has also said that the four playoff games after the league stage - as per the revised format announced last year - will be split evenly between the Wankhede Stadium and the Chidambaram Stadium, with Chennai hosting the final on May 28.
The finalists and the losing team from the third playoff match will qualify for the Champions League Twenty20 2011.

Meanwhile, the new Kochi franchise has announced that the side will be called "Indi Commandos."

Sony unveils Xperia Play

2011-02-14T15:29:00.003+05:30

Sony Ericsson unveiled its long-awaited PlayStation smartphone, taking video game console wars to cellphones. Sony's PlayStation will take on Microsoft's Xbox Live, available on Windows Phone 7.

"Console wars are moving to the mobile platform, but Microsoft and Sony Ericsson have significant ground to cover if they are to close the gap to Apple," said Geoff Blaber, an analyst at CCS Insight.

The model, named Xperia Play, will open better access to the world's largest smartphone market for the a 50-50 venture of Sweden's Ericsson and Japan's Sony Corp. Sony Ericsson said Verizon Wireless would sell the model in the United States.

Sony Ericsson also unveiled two other smartphone models running Google's Android software and said it plans to launch at least eight Android phones this year.

"We want to become the largest Android phone maker," Bert Nordberg, chief of Sony Ericsson told Reuters in an interview, adding the company would need to increase its market share in Android to around 25 percent from 14 percent now.

Android has risen fast to be the platform of choice for many smaller phone makers who have rolled out dozens of similar models to battle against Nokia and Apple.

"The Xperia Play offers something refreshingly different amidst a sea of homogenous Android devices. Sony Ericsson needs to maximize its first-to-market advantage before the inevitable rush to join the PlayStation party," said CCS's Blaber.

Bert Nordberg, chief executive of Sony Ericsson, told Reuters the company will focus increasingly on growth this year, after turning profitable in 2010.

Nordberg said the company aims to increase both revenue and profits in 2011.

All new models will go on sale from early April, leaving the group with an awkward gap having already had to slash prices to attract Christmas shoppers to its aging handsets.

Back In Business

2011-02-06T20:41:00.001+05:30

Hi all, its been long time since i updated my blog.

Planning to start my page works where i left.

Your support is appreciated.

The dissimilar leisure sabotages another antique underneath the trapped crossroad.

Call US/Canada for free using Gmail

2010-11-22T11:01:00.002+05:30

I woke up today morning to check my Gmail, only to be pleasantly surprised by a "Call Phone" option right at the top of my Google Talk chat window. I clicked it, accepted the Terms and Conditions and was presented with a num-pad; much like the one you'd find in VOIP services like Skype. While I was almost about to yawningly say, "You can now make international calls via your Gmail for cheaper than using regular telephones...yada yada...", this one small line at the end made me jolt off my chair! In bid to popularize this service, Google is allowing free unlimited calls to the US and Canada till the end of the year 2010.

I instantly ran to my phone-book and made an hour worth calls to the US and here are the three things I observed: 1) The phone started ringing the moment I hit the call button, 2) The call quality was absolutely clear on my end and was reported to be equally clear from the other side as well, 3) There were no disconnections during the two different half-hour long calls I made. FYI: I'm using a 512 Kbps broadband internet connection.

Calls to other countries can be made after purchasing pre-paid credits on their Google Voice website. After doing a quick comparison of the call rates, you'll realize it isn't a good bargain for people in India to use this service to make calls to the US or Canada (after the free period is over, of course). For example, India to any other country is charged at 6 cents (Rs. 2.7) per minute whereas Skype charges almost one-third the cost - 2.2 cents (roughly a rupee) to call specifically to the US/Canada.

Now the sad thing is that after making those hour long free phone-calls, that option has all of a sudden disappeared from my window after I logged back again to take some screenshots; I hope it returns again soon. After talking to my colleague, he too said that he hasn't got that option yet. So, we can assume that the roll-out will be gradual and everybody should eventually get it. So, check your Gtalk window in your Gmail to see if you've got that "Call Phone" option right underneath your status change drop-down menu. It's the end of November, so even if most of us get it before the month ends, we'll still have one whole month to make free US/Canada phone-calls! We leave you with the introductory video of the same.

So, has Google Voice started working for you? Or, like my case did it show up only to disappear? I'll report back once it starts working again. Please check on your end and let us know

Apple's first computer on sale

2010-11-12T15:27:00.000+05:30

LONDON: One of the first computers assembled by Apple in 1976 which was sold by the company's founder has been put in an auction in Britain with an estimated price of 150,000 pounds.

Apple's founder Steve Jobs sold the first generation computer Apple-1 from his parents' garage. The Apple-I, the forerunners of the iPad, iPhone and other latest gadgets, first went on sale in July 1976 at a price of $666.66. The device will be sold at London-based auction house Christie's on November 23.

According to the Daily Mail, Apple-1s came with a tiny 8K memory - 524,000 times less than today's Apple computers' standard memory. It would not have the capacity to store one song.

The device comes with the original packaging, instruction manuals and a signed letter by Jobs, who is still head of the company.

Julian Wilson, of Christie's, was quoted as saying: "Before the Apple-1 you would have to put together your own motherboard and would need soldering skills.

"This is the forerunner of the iPod, iPad and iPhone. It worked straight out of the box, which was the original concept."

Flintoff named in CSK squad

2010-07-26T04:37:00.000+05:30

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is one step closer to a return to top-flight cricket after being named in the Chennai Super Kings’ preliminary squad for the Airtel Champions League Twenty20.

The 32-year-old, who has not played first-class cricket since the Ashes series in England last year, has been named in a star-studded 20-player CSK squad for the second edition of the 10-team tournament which will be played in South Africa from 10-26 September.

With eight of the nine confirmed teams for the tournament having named their preliminary squads – with the exception of Wayamba – just three weeks remain before the final squads of 15 are selected on 9 August.

A number of players have been named by more than one team, making each of the final selections an important strategic and financial decision for the teams. As was the case in 2009, if a player is selected to play for an ‘away’ team rather than his ‘home’ team (the team from the country he is eligible to represent in international cricket), the ‘away’ team must pay US$200,000 compensation to the ‘home’ team.

Flintoff is among world cricket’s biggest names who have been named in the preliminary squads, including:

Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai Indians - MI),

MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings - CSK),

Mahela Jayawardene (Wayamba Elevens),

Dale Steyn (Royal Challengers Bangalore - RCB),

Rahul Dravid (RCB), JP Duminy (MI),

Matthew Hayden (CSK),

Ross Taylor (Central Stags/Victorian Bushrangers/RCB),

Muttiah Muralidaran (CSK),

Kieron Pollard (South Australian Redbacks/MI),

Harbhajan Singh (MI) and Mike Hussey (CSK).

Endhiran coming on September 3?

2010-07-23T19:39:00.000+05:30

Kollywood's master film-maker S. Shankar's forthcoming science fiction film Endhiran, starring superstar Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai in the lead roles, will grace theatres on September 3, 2010 (Ramzan-Vinayaka Chaturthi weekend). There are reports that the film will release in 2000 screens worldwide, the highest ever for a Tamil film. Reportedly the director is currently busy with the post production works.

With a budget of Rs. 200 crores, Endhiran is the costliest Tamil film ever made. The music launch of Endhiran will be held in a magnificent event organised by HBO (who has also brought the overseas rights of the film) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The film will be released in over 300 screens outside India, which makes Endhiran the largest worldwide release after Spiderman.

Entertainment for Less

2010-07-23T19:36:00.000+05:30

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of iNetVideo. All opinions are 100% mine.

Having two toddlers can be a very tough job for a Mom especially for those working Moms who need to divide their time for work and at home. Even for a stay-at-home-mom, it is quite a challenge sometimes. Thanks to some entertaining shows and movies that we can play once in a while when we are busy. It makes a good alternative for the kids to get busy while you are doing something. I do it whenever I have some online tasks and I need some quiet space.

iNetVideo sales DVD's, HD DVD's, Blu-Ray, CD's, and Video games! Currently they have a sale running through July 26th where you can get blu-ray movies for just $13.99 each! In addition to their current sales they also have a Daily Deals section of their website! Today's deals include $2 DVD's, .98c HD DVD's, and $2 Music CD's along with lots of other cheap offerings. All their daily deals are only available for 24 hours and are limited to a quantity of one per order.

I can't believe how much the difference of the prices are compared to other online retailers that I looked into. This is definitely the place to buy your favorite movie, be it DVD, HD DVD, Blu Ray, video games, and music CD's . InetVideo is a great place to shop for entertainment for less, so check it out folks. Don't forget to check out their blog for a chance to win a blu-ray player.

Big B’s Voice for Endhiran Robot

2010-07-22T19:00:00.000+05:30

Amitabh Bachchan, widely called as the Big B in the industry, is voicing the robot in “Endhiran”. Sankar, director, sensed his voice absolutely apt for his robot in the movie. Amitabh's to dub in Endhiran Shankar paid visit at Mr. Bachchan’s abode and has been constantly in contact with him since then. Shankar aspires to fill every nook of the movie with perfection that is why he is seeking Big B’s acceptance.
“Endhiran” is a science fiction that has robot as pivot around which the whole plot is woven. The robot, played by Rajnikanth, gets transformed into human being and fused in the society. He becomes humane and falls in love with Aishwarya and here comes the twist. The invented story of the movie is set up in the backdrop of 23rd century.

Mr. Bachchan has taken Shanker’s proposal into consideration. If the robot gets the voice of Big B, it will intensify the feelings of robot. It is mega project of Rs.190 crores that was accomplished recently with the shoot of the song on Rajnikanth and Aishwarya.

The whole cast and crew painted the town red in the party thrown by producer of the movie, Kalanithi Maran. Shanker was too in high spirits and performed conventional pumpkin-breaking pooja for the first time.

ampm secret menu items

2010-07-22T17:15:00.001+05:30

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of ampm. All opinions are 100% mine.

Are you hungry and want to try something new without worrying about the fat or scrutinized food that you take regularly? You might have visited many sandwich points but you might not have tasted a burger which is as tasty as ampm sandwiches. They have all kinds of beverages, treats and fountain drinks. If you think that you have tasted all the items that are available in their brochure and then you are wrong, you can find more items, secret items from their facebook page. You can check all their latest and secret items from that page. They are unveiling them slowly, one in every week.

If you would like to learn about the secret menus, go log in to your facebook account and find different stuff from ampm’s page like secret menu tab, videos, photos, and participate to their discussion. Come August 2, you will be able to share your secret menus too. Please check out the link and leave some comments to the item that interests you. Whether you are hungry or thirsty, you can always turn up to ampm, who will never fail you.

Rajini’s emotional gift to Kamal

2010-07-21T16:49:00.001+05:30

Admiration is something that ‘Superstar’ Rajinikanth receives naturally because of his deeds and actions. In one such action, he has proved yet again that he’s not only a superstar but also a true friend.

The friendship about Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan is incredible and all of us know it. They have acted in many movies together and both consider director K. Balachandar as their mentor. During a function to facilitate Kamal’s fifty years in the film industry, Rajini had reportedly said that all the actors were ‘children of the Goddess of Art’, but ‘Kamal was so special that the Goddess had carried him in her own arms and let the other actors follow her’. This speech of Rajini had indeed received a lot of applause from the audience and the guests and especially Kamal who turned emotional by saying Rajini is his closest friend in the Tamil industry.

While that speech of Rajini would have been forgotten by many, sources say the ‘superstar’ apparently had called a reputed artist to his house to paint what he felt about the description of Kamal with the Goddess of Art. He had expressed his feelings and told his idea of how the painting can be portrayed. Rajini wanted the painting to include superstars from other industries as well and wanted them to be depicted as children. After a few days, the artist had come up with his version and Rajini was awestruck seeing it. He was so grateful to the artist and he immediately packed the painting and sent it to Kamal’s office. Sources say that after Kamal opened the package he was so happy to see the painting which made him feel so special. Apparently there was a telephonic conversation between the two, where Kamal was reported to have told Rajini, he was moved by this gesture.

The painting has Goddess of Art carrying Kamal in her arms, and superstars Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Mohanlal, Kannada superstar Vishnuvaradhan and Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi as kids who are playing and following them. Only photos of two stalwarts of Tamil Cinema hang on Kamal’s walls and they are Sivaji Ganesan and Nagesh. Now he has another painting and that too from a special friend. A tale of friendship that all Tamil fans would love to see it blossom.

Endhiran Audio launch announced

2010-06-23T17:40:00.005+05:30

The audio launch of Endhiran will take place on July 18th(rumors.) This is a strong indication that the film is gearing up for a release sooner than expected. Endhiran, the upcoming Superstar starer film directed by Shankar has been in production for the last two years. Recently Shankar claimed in his blog that the shooting of the film is over and the post production works are going on.
Shankar aslo has exclaimed in his blog that the entire edited film has been given to A.R. Rahman for Background Score. Producers of Endhiran, Sun Pictures has planned to release the much awaited audio a few weeks prior to the release of the film which is to released in September(rumors.) Recent sources in the industry has revealed that Sun Pictures has planning to make the Audio Release Function a great event.They are also planning to make the function in Dubai and make it an International Event. Endhiran is also special for its choreography by Prabhu Deva. Lyrics by Vairamuthu, art direction by Sabu Cyril and cinematography by Ratnavelu comprise a regular Shankar team. The director has also roped in Oscar winner Resul Pookutty for sound effects; it is also said that a unique sound effect has been created for the film.

Source: encdhiran.co.in, behindwoods

Mercedes Benz Points to 2050

2010-06-11T10:44:00.003+05:30

You heard it here first, folks, 2050 is the new 2010. Remember when the year 2000 was the tag people put on their projects to push them conceptually into the future? It’s not that anymore, it’s the year 2050, and that’s exactly when designer Felipe Palermo places his “Mercedes-Benz Arrow” concept. You’re gonna be driving this in 40 years. That’s a long time from now! You’ll have to buy it for… your grandchildren? Man. Future!

One of the big ideas here is that in the future, during the week, suspended rail systems will be used by the majority of the citizens of the major cities. Thus, this car must be a recreational vehicle made for use for fun on the weekends. The layout of this “Arrow” vehicle is done by TANDEM, the designer aiming to draw comparisons to other leisure vehicles such as motorcycles, jet skis, and personalized aircraft.

This car works with a system of opposing magnets, MAGLEV, which allows the vehicle to take on some amazing curves. The tires allow for rubber to be re-injected once breakdown of the first set occurs, allowing for longer life and less (maybe even NO) dumping of waste because of wheels.

Avalon Waterways River Cruises - The Panoramasm

2010-06-11T10:29:00.003+05:30

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Avalon Waterways. All opinions are 100% mine.

To make the most of your trip to Europe, get off the highways and onto the waterways that wind through the picturesque towns and villages missed by most travelers. Therefore, I have searched the Internet for River Cruise Deals and I found www.avalonwaterways.com.

Discover the luxury and the entertainment offered by AVALON PANORAMA. A cruise vacation is no longer just for the rich and famous, AVALON PANORAMA cruise ship offer an affordable and enjoyable river vacation. All those beautiful places, open air balcony, nice dining, amazing amenities, lots of entertainment will make your vacation truly unforgettable.

The Panorama is the first ship that has 1550 percent more suites than any other river cruise vessel on Europe’s waters. This vessel's Panorama Suites are, on average, 30 percent larger than the standard industry stateroom, 100 cruisers could fit in one 200 square foot Panorama Suite. Cruisers can enjoyed the the open air balcony at any time of day, in any weather condition.

They run these boats primarily on river cruises through scenic locations. So you get to see the constantly changing sites outside your room. Not just ocean to look at, but architecture and history sliding by while you enjoy the cool air and warm sun in luxury. Since 2005, Avalon Waterways has developed and christened more new ships in Europe than any other cruise company in the world.

Here are a couple of more links with more information including, Request a free cruise brochure and see the amazing River Cruise Deals that are being offered right now.