The Reporter:

The Top 50 Christmas Toys of the Past 100 Years [Digg]

2011-12-22T02:42:14-08:00

Tweet An infographic which compiles the top 50 Christmas toys of the past 100 years and highlights a host of golden oldies that are still best sellers. Christmas Toys infographic by Cash Generator

Rs 150 Coin [Digg]

2011-10-20T03:02:35-07:00

Mediclaim | Health Insurance | Medical Insurance | Mediclaim Policies in India [Digg]

2011-06-02T07:30:32-07:00

Learn about various medical insurance & mediclaim insurance policies offered by health insurance companies in India.

Submit Infographics for Free @ Infographics Blog [Digg]

2011-05-13T00:00:45-07:00

Submit Infographics @ Infographics Blog along with a dofollow baclink...

Best Online Home Loan Comparison Tool [Digg]

2011-05-12T23:57:04-07:00

Compare home loan interest rates, emi and eligibility amounts of Home Loans of over 59 banks. Compare and choose the best home loan.

Best Home Loans in India | Apnaloan.com [Digg]

2011-05-12T23:54:56-07:00

Get the best home loans in India and Check out the Property loan guide to taking home loans from major banks including ICICI, HDFC & SBI. Learn about current home loan rates in India & use our home loan calculator to accurately calculate EMI.

How Rich Is Congress? (Infographic) [Digg]

2011-04-27T18:38:02-07:00

How rich are the politicians you vote for? The answer may surprise you. Or maybe not.

Iphone 5 Rumours: Infographics [Digg]

2011-04-13T05:15:25-07:00

Apple Iphone 5 Rumours

The Winners & Losers of Social Networking Infographics [Digg]

2011-04-13T05:14:12-07:00

The Winners & Losers of Social Networking Infographics

Your Resume Is Being Built On Social Media Infographics « The Infographics Blog [Digg]

2011-04-13T05:12:13-07:00

Your Resume Is Being Built On Social Media Infographics

Algorithm Experiments and Better Comments [Digg]

2011-04-12T13:44:18-07:00

The Digg Team brings you some new changes! Today we're experimenting with our TopNews promotion algorithm to increase number of stories and diversity, and we've also made some changes to improve the commenting experience on Digg.

Finally: a social network for hooking up [Digg]

2011-04-12T11:44:36-07:00

Combine the brazenness of Cragislist claissifieds with the power of a web app – and the libidos fo eager twentysomethings across Europe – and you’ve got Badoo, the millions-strong social network dedicated to hooking up. Thanks almost solely to word of mouth, it’s huge in places like Spain, France, Turkey and Greece (Athens is its ‘hook-up capital’. But it’s virtually unknown in the US and Europe.

Libyan woman recounts gang rape by Gadhafi troops [Digg]

2011-04-12T09:11:57-07:00

Since Iman al-Obeidi burst into the hotel housing foreign journalists in Tripoli and accused pro-Gadhafi militiamen of gang-raping her, she says many people on the streets of the capital have recognized her and praised her bravery. Supportive cab drivers have refused to take her money and in the rebel-held east, she is hailed as a hero.

20 Highest-Paid CEOs [Digg]

2011-04-12T06:59:30-07:00

These lucky corporate chiefs took home the most pay in 2010. Some saw their compensation more than double – even triple! – from a year earlier.

Cisco To Shut Down Flip Video Camera Business [Digg]

2011-04-12T06:32:58-07:00

Wow. Cisco has just issued a release stating that in a strategic plan to "align its operations" it will close down its Flip business. As part of the transition, Cisco will eliminate 550 jobs.

Top 10 Interesting Ghost Towns Around The World

2010-11-09T07:01:00.000-08:00

There are many reasons why cities are abandoned, because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as a flood, government action, uncontrolled lawlessness or war. Some abandoned ghost towns are now tourist attractions, while others might be dangerous or illegal to visit. Anyone else here fascinated by them? Meet 10 of the most fascinating ghost towns from around the world.
Bodie, California

Founded in 1876, Bodie is the authentic American ghost town. It started life as a small mining settlement, though found even more fortune from nearby mines that attracted thousands. By 1880 Bodie boasted a population of almost 10,000 – such was the boom. At its peak, 65 saloons lined the town’s main street, and there was even a Chinatown with several hundred Chinese residents.

Dwindling resources proved fatal however, and although greatly reduced in prominence, Bodie held a permanent residency through most of the 20th century. Even after a fire ravaged much of the downtown business district in 1932. Bodie is now unpopulated. The town was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and in 1962 it became Bodie State Historic Park as the few residents left moved on.

Today, Bodie is preserved in a state of arrested decay. Only a small part of the town survives. Visitors can walk the deserted streets of a town and interiors remain as they were left and stocked with goods. Bodie is open all year, but the long road that leads to it is usually closed in the winter due to heavy snowfall, so the most comfortable time to visit is during the summer months.
9 - San Zhi, Taiwan

More of a modern choice this time. Below is an abandoned City in the North of Taiwan. In the area of ‘San Zhi’, this futuristic pod village was initially built as a luxury vacation retreat for the rich. However, after numerous fatal accidents during construction, production was halted. A combination of lack of money and lack of willingness meant that work was stopped permanently, and the alien like structures remain as if in remembrance of those lost. Indeed, rumors in the surrounding area suggest that the City is now haunted by the ghosts of those who died.

After this the whole thing received the cover-up treatment. And the Government, who commissioned the site in the first place was keen to distance itself from the bizarre happenings. Thanks to this, there are no named architects. The project may never be restarted thanks to the growing legend, and there would be no value in re-developing the area for other purpose. Maybe simply because destroying homes of lonely spirits is a bad thing to do.

8 - Varosha, Cyprus

Varosha is in the Turkish occupied city of Famagusta in Cyprus. It was previously a modern tourist area, and flowered into one of the most luxurious holiday destinations. In the year of 1974 however, the Turkish invaded Cyprus and tore up the island. Citizens fled, expecting to be able to return to their homes within days. The Turkish military wrapped it in barbed wire and now controls it completely. Allowing nobody to enter to this day, aside from themselves and UN personnel. The buildings are slowly falling apart. Though on the positive side, rare sea turtles have begun nesting on the deserted beaches.

The Annan Plan had provided for the return of Varosha to Greek Cypriot control, but after the rejection of the proposal by Greek Cypriot voters this hand-over to Greek-Cypriots has not materialized. That is not the end of the story, as the Governments are working together to plan a complete revival of Varosha to its former beauty. Currently, three concept hotel complexes have been designed by Laxia Inc. And by 2010, the de facto “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” will apparently open Varosha to tourism once again.

7 - Gunkanjima, Japan

Hashima Island is one among 505 uninhabited islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture of Japan about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki itself. It is also known as “Gunkan-jima” or Battleship Island thanks to its high sea walls. It began in 1890 when a company called Mitsubishi bought the island and began a project to retrieve coal from the bottom of the sea. This attracted much attention, and in 1916 they were forced to build Japan’s first large concrete building on the island. A block of apartments that would both accommodate the seas of workers and protect them from hurricanes.

In 1959, population had swelled, and boasted a density of 835 people per hectare for the whole island (1,391 per hectare for the residential district) – one of the highest population densities ever recorded worldwide. As petroleum replaced coal in Japan in the 1960′s, coal mines began shutting down all over the country, and Hashima’s mines were no exception. In 1974 Mitsubishi officially announced the closing of the mine, and today it is empty and bare, with travel currently prohibited. The island was the location for the 2003 film ‘Battle Royale II’ and inspired the final level of popular Asian videogame 'Killer7'.

6 - Balestrino, Italy

Balestrino is quite a strange case in that it was extremely difficult to find any decent information on it. At least on the abandonment itself. No one is quite sure when the town was established, though records date back to before the eleventh century – when Balestrino was owned by the Benedictine abbey of San Pietro dei Monti. As you can see from the pictures, the upper part of the town consists of a Castle (of Marquis) and the lower part a parish church (of Sant’Andrea). Records of population go back to around 1860, when around 800-850 people lived there. Mainly famers who took advantage of the landscape to farm olive trees.

In the late nineteenth century, the North-West coast of Italy was struck by numerous earhquakes. One of these in 1887 (magnitude 6.7) destroyed some villages in the area of Savona, and although no official records show Balestrino was affected it coincides with much repair work and a dip in population. Finally in 1953 the town was abandoned due to ‘geological instablility’, and the remaining inhabitants (around 400) were moved to safer ground to the west. The derelict part of Balestrino that has stood untouched and inaccessible for fifty plus years is currently undergoing planning for redevelopment. Today around 500 people remain in the town’s newer area which is a good kilometer down the road.

5 - Katoli World, Taiwan

I thought I would break out of the abandoned residential mould and look at something inspired by Miyazaki’s Oscar winning ‘Spirited Away’. Those who have seen it will know that the family stumbles across an old theme park at the start of the movie, one that was built in the eighties but has since lost popularity and been abandoned. Well this is a usual occurence in Asia, one can find many amusement parks that have been left to rust. Here is just one of them, though one that was forced to close for something other than financial loss.

Katoli World is situated in the Dakeng Scenic area just outside of Taichung, Taiwan. Opened in the mid eighties, it enjoyed moderate success as one of the few theme parks on the island of Taiwan to host a rollercoaster (two). The park was closed after a massive earthquake on September 21st, 1999. Thousands of people were killed during the quake but nobody inside the park as it struck after opening hours. Large areas of the park were destroyed and it was forced to close. A place once vivid with young laughter is now slowly turning to rust.

4 - Centralia, Pennsylvania

Johnathan Faust opened Bull’s Head Tavern in Centralia in 1841, and Centralia was incorporated as a borough in 1866. The anthracite coal industry was the principal employer in the community until the 1960s, when most of the companies went out of business. An exposed vein of coal ignited in 1962 thanks to weekly garbage burning, and as a result a huge underground coal fire commenced. Attempts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful, and it continued to burn throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Adverse health effects were reported by several people due to the carbon monoxide produced.

In 1979, locals became aware of the scale of the problem when a gas station reported a fuel temperature of 172 degrees Fahrenheit (77.8°C). This provoked widespread attention, boosted in 1981 when a 12-year-old almost plunged to his death as a 4 foot wide, 150 foot deep sinkhole suddenly opened beneath his feet. In 1984, $42 million was spent on relocation, with most residents moving to the nearby Mount Carmel and Ashland. In 1992, Pennsylvania condemned all houses within the borough, meaning that of the 1,000+ residents in 1981 – only a handful now remain – mainly priests. The fire still rages on, and according to experts could do so for another 250 years.

3 - Yashima, Japan

Yashima is an imposing plateau to the northeast of Takamatsu, the second largest city on Shikoku – which is one of Japan’s major islands. This plateau stretches out to sea, and can be seen in the fifth photo below. It is the site of a famous battle that took place on 22nd March 1185 during the Genpei War. The top of Yashima hosts the Yashima Temple, which is a well-known Shikoku pilgrimage. This is about the only thing that does draw crowds to this strangely neglected geographical anomaly, but it wasn’t always so.

During an upsurge in mid-eighties’ Japanese economy, the people of Takamatsu decided that the plateau was an excellent place to encourage tourism, so took to pouring money into developing this sacred land. Six hotels were built, along with many parks and trails – even an aquarium. Though somewhere along the line people realized that Yashima plateau wasn’t so such an attractive opportunity, especially with views of the nearby rock quarry. Visitor numbers then dropped as millions of Yen were lost on inflated real-estate deals. All the hotels and shops were forced to shut down, as was the cable car that at one point transported many to Yashima’s heights.

2 - Pripyat, Ukraine

Pripyat is an abandoned city in the Zone of alienation in northern Ukraine, Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. The city population had been around 50,000 – and had been home to most of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant workers. Then the Chernobyl disaster struck in 1986 and the place was abandoned due to threat of radiation. Afterwards Pripyat acted like a museum for a long time, perfectly showing a slice of Soviet life. However at some time at the beginning of the 21st century the place was looted heavily, nothing was left behind – even toilet seats were stolen.

The city will not be safe for human habitation for several years to come, and even then it will be a long time before people consider it healthy to develop once again. Before the power plant was built, concerns were voiced at its planned closeness to the city of Kiev. They had planned to build it only 25 km away, placing the capital at risk from pollution amongst other things. However after a long debate they decided to build Chernobyl along with Pripyat 100 km away from Kiev. A choice that would in the end prove to be a wise one.

1 - Craco, Italy

Craco is located in the Region of Basilicata and the Province of Matera. About 25 miles inland from the Gulf of Taranto at the instep of the “boot” of Italy. This medieval town is typical of those in the area, built up with long undulating hills all around that allow for the farming of wheat and other crops. Craco can be dated back to 1060 when the land was in the ownership of Archbishop Arnaldo, Bishop of Tricarico. This long-standing relationshop with the Church had much influence over the inhabitants throughout the ages.

In 1891, the population of Craco stood at well over 2,000 people. Though there had been many problems, with poor agricultural conditions creating desperate times. Between 1892 and 1922 over 1,300 people moved from the town to North America. Poor farming was added to by earthquakes, landslides, and War – all of which contributed to this mass migration. Between 1959 and 1972 Craco was plagued by these landslides and quakes. In 1963 the remaining 1,800 inhabitants were transferred to a nearby valley called Craco Peschiera, and the original Craco remains in a state of crumbling decay to this day.

Article Source: http://www.mediadump.com/hosted-id44-top-10-interesting-ghost-towns-around-the-world.html

Via {http://listverse.com}

Interesting ideas to make money online

2010-10-25T04:54:00.000-07:00

Make Money Online

If you get any online money making idea, implement it as this is an upcoming way to earn fast cash. There are several ways to make money online but you must know the ways so that you don’t falter in the way. Get acquainted with online money making idea to help save money or pay off debts that you may have incurred.
Ways to earn money online
There are some really good websites that’ll help you grasp the online money making idea well. Check out the ways to earn money online:
1.Start off with your blog
You can create your own blog and start adding your innovative ideas in it. Nothing’s better than creating a good blog that can attract visitors by leaps and bounds. You can write some very good contents for your blog and your articles can be of myriad topics from finance to entertainment. Once you get used to it, you’ll get many such ideas and you may also search for new topics on the Internet for further help. This may help your blog become popular.
2.Write content
There are some really good websites that promote content writing for their web pages. If you can search for these reputed sites and provide them with relevant articles on the topics asked, you’ll earn pretty well. You can search for the content on the Internet to help you get the ideas on how to write according to their standards.
3.Website designing
This is another online money making idea which is getting more popular by the day. You can have your own website and start getting powerful contents for it. You may go for keyword insertion as well as some good links for the purpose. But do follow the norms of website designing well as excess use of your keywords may fail your website from becoming a great one. Learn all the factors required in search engine optimization to help your website from getting a good ranking in Google search.
4.Affiliate marketing
In this you can recommend people the products you want them to buy. First thing you can do is go to a website that deals with these affiliate products. You just have to write an article of about 500 words about the products or any other things that people are looking for in the websites. You have search for the solutions and then post it for the people. You’ll get a lot of commission for the products or the solutions for the problems you write about.
The tips will give you nice online money making idea and you’ll be earning more than the regular jobs pay you. Just get all the information about the Internet well before you start earning through it.

Dodge Tomahawk: Most Expensive Concept Motorbike in World.

2010-09-09T13:57:00.000-07:00

The Dodge Tomahawk is a concept car which was produced by Dodge.
At the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, Dodge unveiled a vehicle with a futuristic and unusual design, featuring the 500 hp (373 kW) 8.3 L V10 SRT10 engine from the Dodge Viper. The vehicle has two front wheels and two rear wheels, making it a kind of motorized quadricycle rather than a typical motorcycle. The Tomahawk cost $100 million to develop.
Hand-built examples of the Tomahawk were offered for sale through the Neiman Marcus catalog at a price of US$ 555,000, and up to nine of them might have sold. The Tomahawk's impracticality was mocked by one wit as a, "rideable engine stand."

Source: wikipedia.org

What is loan against gold means?

2010-09-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

Listen to what these experts say.

Image via yahoo.com

Apple to launch iPod Nano Touch

2010-09-07T14:38:00.000-07:00

: Image via Apple.com

Size and weight:

Height: 1.48 inches (37.5 mm)

Width: 1.61 inches (40.9 mm)

Depth: 0.35 inch (8.78 mm) including clip

Weight: 0.74 ounce (21.1 grams)¹

Volume: 0.614 cu inch (10,056 cu mm) including clip


Display:

1.54-inch (diagonal) color TFT display

240-by-240-pixel resolution

220 pixels per inch


Capacity:

8GB or 16GB flash drive2

" Check out the TV Commercial of Apple iPod Nano Touch "


Audio playback:

Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz

Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV

User-configurable maximum volume limit


Battery and power3:

Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery

Up to 24 hours of music playback when fully charged

Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter (sold separately)

Fast-charge time: about 1.5 hours (charges up to 80% of battery capacity)

Full-charge time: about 3 hours

In the box:

iPod nano

Apple Earphones

Dock Connector to USB Cable

Quick Start guide and Important Product Information

Added Features: Sensor>>FM radio>>VoiceOver>>

Source: [ www.apple.com ]

Futuristic (Wrist) Watch.

2010-09-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

Image Source: [ www.plai.tv/index.php ]

YouTube’s Life in a Day Gets an Interactive Gallery

2010-09-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

YouTube has just launched an official gallery showing off some of the 80,000 submissions it received as part of its Life in a Day project.

The official gallery is viewable as a matrix or as a 3D sphere. You can sort through videos based on location, time of day, mood, the type of place where the video was shot and more.

The Life in a Day project began in July with executive producer Ridley Scott (of Blade Runner and Gladiator fame) asking ordinary YouTube users to film a day in their lives and upload what they recorded to a special YouTube channel. All in all, around 80,000 entries were received.

On its blog, YouTube says that film editor and director Kevin Macdonald and his team will be adding more of these videos to the gallery as they are reviewed and using the gallery as a place to update users on the status of the project.

Macdonald will be working with editor Joe Walker and a research team to review footage as it is edited into the final film. The final result will be a feature length project produced by Ridley Scott that will debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January.

We’re big fans of the approach YouTube is taking to showcasing the video submissions. The presentation is very similar to what the Recording Academy used with its Grammy.com site this year.

Did you participate in Life in a Day? What are your thoughts about this project? Let us know.

Original Article Source: [ www.mashable.com/2010/09/06/life-in-a-day-gallery-youtube ]

Life in a Day Movie-in-Progress Goes Live on YouTube (wired.com)

Ridley Scott to crowdsource documentary via YouTube (guardian.co.uk)

Common Wealth Games Delhi (2010)

2010-09-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

Image via WikipediaImage via WikipediaWe the Indians are ready to host the commonwealth Games 2010 and welcome the world to help us show India’s unique hospitability. The unprecedented unqualified and unbound support from all levels of Governments – National, regional and state as well as tremendous backing from the sports loving population of India will surely be fruitful and will make the event a memorable one. India the best of all in one place Adventure Excitement Exhilaration Ecstasy; Experience them the way you want to. Explore native forests. Step out on some of the most fascinating and overwhelming mountains treks. Ski-down a few of the most picturesque snow slopes and enthrall your spirits. Catch your breath on the most exotic beaches. Experience the masterpiece of creation and one of the seven wonders ‘Taj’. You can get all this only in India.

Common Wealth Games (CWG): Competition Schedule-

Event		Venue	Event Dates
Opening Ceremony		JN Stadium	03 October 2010
Closing Ceremony		JN Stadium	14 October 2010
Aquatics	Diving	Dr SPM Swimming Complex	10-13 October 2010
	Swimming		4-9 October 2010
	Synchronised Swimming		6-7 October 2010
Archery		Yamuna Sports Complex	4-10 October 2010
Athletics	Track & Field	JN Stadium	6-12 October 2010
	Marathon	JN Stadium/Marathon Course	14 October 2010
	Walk		09 October 2010
Badminton		Siri Fort Sports Complex	4-14 October 2010
Boxing		Talkatora Indoor Stadium	5-11, 13 October 2010
Cycling	Track	IG Sports Complex	5-8 October 2010
	Road Mass Start		10 October 2010
	Road Time Trials	Noida Highway Express Rd	13 October 2010
Gymnastics	Artistic	IG Sports Complex	4-8 October 2010
Gymnastics	Rhythmic	IG Sports Complex	12-14 October 2010
Hockey		Maj. Dhyan Chand National Stadium	4-14 October 2010
Lawn Bowls		JN Sports Complex	4-13 October 2010
Netball		Thyagaraj Sports Complex	4-12, 14 October 2010
Rugby Sevens		Delhi University	11-12 October 2010
Shooting	Clay Target	Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range	6-13 October 2010
	Full Bore	CRPF Campus, Kadarpur	9-13 October 2010
	Pistol and Small Bore	Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range	5-13 October 2010
Squash		Siri Fort Sports Complex	4-13 October 2010
Table Tennis		Yamuna Sports Complex	4-14 October 2010
Tennis		RK Khanna Tennis Stadium	4-10 October 2010
Weightlifting		JN Sports Complex	4-12 October 2010
Wrestling		IG Sports Complex	5-10 October 2010

Competition Schedule Source: www.cwgdelhi2010.org Source: www.cwgvisit.com

Step Up "3D" is no more Coming Soon !

2010-08-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="299" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]

Step Up 3D is a 2010 American 3D dance film written by Amy Andelson and Emily Meyer and directed by Step Up 2 the Street's Jon Chu. The sequel sees the return of Adam Sevani and Alyson Stoner, who portrayed Moose from Step Up 2 the Streets and Camille Gage from Step Up, respectively.

As the third installment in the Step Up trilogy, and the first shot in 3D, the film follows Moose and Camille Gage as they head to New York University, the former of whom is majoring in electrical engineering after promising his mother that he would not dance anymore. However, he soon stumbles upon a dance battle, meeting Luke and his House of Pirates dance crew and later teaming up with them to compete in the World Jam dance contest against their rivals, the House of Samurai dance crew.

Step Up 3D premiered in Hollywood at the El Captain Theater on August 2, 2010 and was subsequently released worldwide on August 6, 2010, through conventional 2D and 3D (in RealD 3D, Dolby 3D, and XpanD 3D) formats. It was also the second movie to feature the 7.1 surround sound audio format, the first of which was Toy Story 3. The film grossed $15.8 million in its opening weekend, the lowest of the trilogy, and has received mixed to positive reviews, with some praising its dance sequences and effective use of 3D, while others criticizing the repetitive story.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

Release Date: Go Watch Step Up in 3D at theaters near you on September 3.

Click Here to check the list of Theaters in India !

'Step Up 3D': Not a terrible movie, when they shut up and dance (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Jackie K. Cooper: Step Up 3D Has All the Right Moves (huffingtonpost.com)

Justin Bieber Nabs Most-Watched YouTube Video of All Time

2010-08-25T13:59:00.000-07:00

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]

YouTube phenom Justin Bieber has succeeded in slaying Lady Gaga’s little monster, the music video for “Bad Romance,” as he has nabbed the honor of having the most-viewed YouTube video of all time.

Last night, YouTube tweeted that Bieber had beat out Gaga, only to be proven wrong, as Ms. Telephone clawed her way back to number one. As I was shuffling off the news desk last night, VEVO informed us via e-mail: “Wanted to alert you that Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga have been battling all afternoon. The prize? Whose video is the web’s most-watched!”

YouTube has yet to update its Twitter feed — or rearrange its most-watched list, for that matter — but according to the video-sharing site, the Boy King of Twitter has risen to new ranks, capturing 300,324,175 views for his vid “Baby ft. Ludacris.” Lady Gaga currently has 267,836,071 views on “Bad Romance.” How long will this mighty battle rage on? Only time will tell.

Personally, I’m hoping an adorable baby or kitten comes along to usurp one of these pop parasites — I actually watched Bieber’s vid for the first time yesterday, and was at a loss at understanding its appeal. I mean, if saccharine jams accompanied by early 2000s-esque camera work is your thing, then, by all means, geek out — but I think the viral gods can do better.

NB: The numbers that YouTube quotes on its music video pages come from VEVO, which is a number that it compiles based on views across its network where VEVO powers music video (YouTube, AOL, CBS Interactive).

Source: www.mashable.com

Justin Bieber Beats Lady Gaga In YouTube Video Popularity -- For Now ... (mtv.com)

Lady Gaga Now Reigning Queen of Twitter (cbsnews.com)

Justin Bieber Gets Revenge on His Best Friend's Twitter Hacker (jsyk.com)

Car Care in the Rains

2010-08-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="267" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]

It’s been raining cats and dogs and the challenge the monsoons pose to your car is not trivial. The following tips will help you not only keep your car shining and smiling, but also ensure you have a safe and enjoyable drive in the rains.

1. We all know bald tyres drastically reduce your traction on wet roadways and offer little resistance to hydroplaning. Ensure that your tyres’ tread level never falls below 3mm.

2. Get your car polished. Teflon coating protects the car’s panels and metal parts. Even very minor scratches on the car’s body cause rust, so don’t forget to touch up the scratches.

3. Replace your wiper blades regularly. Older vehicles may need to have the whole wiper arm replaced. The arms wear out over time and can’t keep enough pressure to clear the windscreen, even with new blades installed. Use the windshield washer fluid generously as recommended by the manufacturer. Using a blend of water and washer fluid will clean the windscreen more effectively than washing with plain water.

4. Rain water moistens the brake drums which can cause lower braking efficiency. Brake well ahead of your stop and with reduced force when roads are slick. Avoid using your brakes; if possible, take your foot off the accelerator to slow down.

5. It’s very crucial to protect the car’s under-body from rust and the best measure is to give it a coat of anti-rust at an authorised service station or other professional after-market outfit.

6. Fill the battery to the brim and ensure the battery is fully charged. Apply petroleum jelly on the connecting point of the battery so that it remains dry; grease is also advised but it could damage the battery outlet joints.

7. Headlights illuminate the darkened conditions around you and help other drivers to see you coming. So it is important to check all your lights and ensure they’re all in good health. Do not use your high beams; they can reflect off droplets and make it even more difficult for you to see.

8. Ensure your defrosting and air-conditioning units are working properly so that you can de-fog the windows in rainy conditions. Use the de-frost mode with AC ON, in fresh air mode to clear the windscreen of condensation whenever the windscreen gets fogged up.

9. Every car should have a good emergency kit. The kit should meet your individual needs and be equipped with items ranging from spares, torch, fuses, tyre inflators, to safety kits and other items to attract or provide help. You can even keep cigarettes in your emergency kit, but not to relieve stress during an emergency. Rub the tobacco all over your windscreen and it causes water to form droplets and quickly roll off the glass rather than stay there and hinder your vision.

10. Water may sneak into the car’s interior and damage the car mats, flooring, seat covers and even some of the electronic wirings under the carpet. Moreover, it will also create a bad odour. Replace the existing mats, covers and carpets with rubber or plastic ones. It’s also advisable to roll a waterproof electrical tape on the electrical wires to prevent any kind of short circuit in the car. Also buy a waterproof car cover and keep the car covered when not in use.

Source: http://in.yfittopostblog.com

Exterior Care for a Black Car (brighthub.com)

Common Auto Maintenance - How to Change a Windshield Wiper (brighthub.com)

Car Care 101: How To Wash A Car (ridelust.com)

Car Care Products for the Best Looking Car on the Block (brighthub.com)

Your Guide on How to Clean Chrome Rims (brighthub.com)

Cabinet approves bill to hike MPs' basic salary

2010-08-20T06:09:00.000-07:00

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Image by markhillary via Flickr"][/caption]

New Delhi, Aug 20 : Salaries of MPs will be hiked by more than three times with the Union Cabinet today approving a bill over which differences among ministers had surfaced earlier this week.

A meeting of the Cabinet gave its nod to the bill under which the basic salary of the MPs will be hiked from Rs 16,000 to Rs 50,000 per month.

However, this is much less than the figure of Rs 80,001 recommended by the parliamentary committee which had said the MPs should get more than government secretaries as the former are above them in the hierarchy.

The Cabinet also approved increase in office expenses of parliamentarians from Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 per month. The constituency allowance has also been doubled from Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 per month, government sources said.

Source: www.ptinews.com

Dissatisfied with 300% pay raise, MPs hold up Lok Sabha (thehindu.com)

Indian MPs get 300% salary hike (bbc.co.uk)

BJP, Left to push for nuclear bill changes in House (thehindu.com)

Gandhi's long shadow | Isabel Hilton (guardian.co.uk)

"Anand refuses to accept honorary doctorate" and related posts (asianetindia.com)

Kenyan MPs vote to give themselves £2,000 monthly pay rise (guardian.co.uk)

where do i go?

2010-08-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

Home Loan in India

Overview of Home Loan Rates

Compare Banks Home Loan

Visit Site for more details

$$ SoLuTiOn $$

Life Insurance in India

Overview of Life Insurance Policy

Compare Insurance Premiums

Visit Site for more details!

$ SoLuTiOn $

Once a darling of students, pens now only plastic waste!

2010-08-17T04:33:00.000-07:00

Treasured by many students once upon a time, pens are now quickly turning into plastic waste as the thrift practise of refilling them is dying a slow death. A far cry from till the early 1990's, when writing instruments, in their earlier avatar of fountain pens, had to be recharged from an ink bottle frequently, most of the users now end up throwing away branded pens as they avoid refilling at Rs 3 to buy a new one for as low as Rs 5. Besides, use-and-throw pens are also much in demand with dirt-cheap prices beginning from Rs 2. "We have noticed that 80 per cent of the Indian consumers buy pens worth below Rs 10. And since these pens are cheap, they die well before its time," Deepak Jalan, Managing Director of Linc Pen & Plastics Ltd told PTI. One of the top three players in the organised writing instrument industry in the country, Linc struggles to sell only 30 refills against every 100 pens. "It can therefore be presumed that roughly 70 per cent of such pens get discarded off early," he says. With longer life a decade earlier, even the nondescript of pens were the prized possession of many a students, for whom holding their favourite fountain pen between their fingers used to be a memorable experience reflecting timeless elegance, personalisation and sentimentality. Nikita Bhatt, a 33-year-old advertising professional in the city, who has preserved her pen collection from her student days, boasts of precious memories attached to the writing instruments. "I had an emotional attachment with my pens. These days people might throw them away when it needs a refill, but I would love refilling the barrel of my favourite fountain pen even while writing examinations," she recalls. Professor Parul Dave Mukherji, dean of the arts and aesthetics department of Jawaharlal Nehru University at New Delhi, regrets that the relationship between the pen and the student has seen a decline in the last few years. "In a way, pens are almost fading away. The attachment is no more there, its vanishing fast as pens become a disposable object. But once it used to be a precious object while holding it in between your fingers," she says adding that the choice of pens also reflect upon the quality of writing.

"I somehow feel that if you are not serious about the pen you use, you are also not serious about writing. People have become very casual about words and language, similar to their attitude towards pens," the professor says.

Sharing similar sentiments, school teacher Nandini Guha says, "Gadgets like Apple's iPad, latest cell phone s and laptops catche the fancy of all students immediately. Who talks of the small little old pen nowadays?"

With modern technology and user-friendly features, a new generation of pens - ball pens, fibre-tips, gel pens and roller balls – were introduced by brands like Luxor, Linc, Reynolds, Cello and Rotomac late last century.

Marred by the onset of digitalisation and the highly fragmented nature of the Rs 3000 crore writing instrument industry in India, branded pens quickly dropped their prices to match those from the unorganised manufacturers.

"The market for fountain pens has become very much limited now. The new generation buys things which are modern, fast, cheap and without any hassles," says Bipin Sanghvi, president of the Bombay Fountain Pen Manufacturers and Traders Association.

Leading pen manufacturer Flair’s director Vimalchand Rathore justifies the new trend of quick disposal of pens.

"When we can produce and sell them for cheap, then why should not the people buy it? This is how they get new products each time with new colour and designs. Students also enjoy buying new pens," says the company official.

With a huge number of pens being discarded off each year, a rising concern is its contribution to plastic waste and an absence of recycling methods.

Plastic granules, an unavoidable raw material for making the shells of most pens, are non-biodegradable.

"This is a significant problem as plastic waste is increasing by the day. There is no check on the manufacturers as to how much toxic is the plastic they use," says environment activist Ravi Agarwal of Toxics Link.

Linc Pen’s Jalan opines that the problem can be solved if Gen-X students revive the age-old practice of refilling.

"The problem can be solved if consumers go back to the good old days of refilling as an ordinary refill contains at least five times less plastic than a pen," he says.

The Kolkata-based company had recently launched a new corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative aiming at decreasing the usage of environmentally-harmful plastics.

"It is actually a risk for us as the sale of our pens might decrease by a little due to this campaign. But we genuinely feel that we must contribute to the cause of a healthy environment, and therefore we want people to inculcate the habit of refilling," Jalan says.

Source: PTA (Press Trust of India)

10 Tax Filing Tips To Avoid Tax Problems

2010-08-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]

Finance:    Yes, its that time of the year again when we need to prepare our tax returns. The July 31 deadline is closer than we think. And, to get us in good shape for filing tax returns here is a handy guide with 10 tips to keep in mind.

1.    Fill out your correct Permanent Account Number (PAN) number

We come across 100s of tax filers who fill their wrong PAN details and then get into complications as a result of this carelessness. It might sound obvious, but make sure you put the right PAN details on your form and on any challans used to pay taxes. An incorrect PAN number might also result in a problem in getting your tax refund. And finally, you might have to pay a penalty of Rs10,000 for not quoting or mis-quoting your PAN.

2.    July 31 deadline – avoid coming close to it

Don’t wait till the July 31 deadline, file your return today. You will gain nothing by procrastinating. In fact, if you attempt to squeeze in your return in the last minute you will cause yourself a lot of stress, and are exposing yourself to careless errors that can be avoided if you were to start the process early and leave enough time to review your return to your satisfaction.

If you have any overdue taxes you can avoid paying penal interest on this overdue liability. By starting early, you are also giving yourself the chance to pay off these dues a lot sooner.

Also, keep in mind that closer to the deadline, the tax department servers get overloaded. If you are choosing to e-file your return, you might get delayed if you can’t get connected to the tax department’s server.

3.    You don’t need a CA to prepare your returns, consider online filing

If you want, you can fill out your own tax return online, or use the services of many of the online tax filing companies. You don’t always need to rely on going to a chartered accountant.

4.    File a return even if your employer has deducted tax at source

Many of us suffer from the wrong perception that if tax has already been deducted at source then no tax return has to be filed. You must file taxes if your combined annual income from all sources is above the exemption limit depending upon your age and gender.

5.    Organize TDS certificates from all deductors

TDS certificates are proof that you have already paid certain tax dues. Your employer has to give you your Form 16 that states the amount of tax that has been paid by you. Additionally, you will need to obtain a TDS certificate in Form 16A if you have rental income, interest income, professional/consulting receipts, contractual or commission receipts.

6.    Fully disclose all sources of income

Why invite trouble by not disclosing all sources of income you might have? With increasing digitization of financial services and the use of your PAN number for almost all substantial financial transactions, its easy to investigate what are the different sources of income you might have. Yet, many tax filers willingly don’t disclose even interest income earned from one’s savings balance, fixed deposits or small savings schemes. Don’t expose yourself by omitting any obvious disclosure.

7.    Pay off any self-assessment tax if required, before you file your return

In case you have a tax liability then this needs to be paid off. In technical terms, the tax so paid is called self-assessment tax. Nowadays this self-assessment tax can even be paid online.

8.    Annual Information Return (AIR) details must be filled

ITR forms require you to declare certain types of large transactions such as:

•    Single purchase or sale of an immovable property valued at Rs.30 Lacs
•    Single payment of Rs.5 Lacs or more for acquiring bonds or debentures of a company Credit card payments aggregating to Rs.2 Lacs or more on a single card
•    Mutual fund purchase aggregating to Rs. 2Lacs or more in a single fund
•    Cash deposits aggregating Rs.10 Lacs or more in one bank account
•    Single investment of Rs.1 Lacs or more in shares of a company
•    Payment aggregating to Rs.5 Lacs or more for investment in RBI bonds

Even if you don’t make these disclosures, its likely that your counterparty might have already done so, and then the mismatch of disclosure might lead to an investigation into your finances.

9.    State your correct bank details to ensure timely refunds

You can file for a tax refund if you don’t have a taxable income and you have faced undue tax deduction. In case you are filing a return for a tax refund, then you need to ensure that you have mentioned your bank details correctly, because the refund amount will be credited directly to your account. The following details must be correctly stated on your return: Account type - Savings or Current, account number and MICR code of your bank branch (this is the 9 digit number at the bottom of your cheques).

10.    State complete details related to your tax deductions

Your tax credit depends upon the authenticity and completeness of the data you transcribe on your ITR from the TDS certificates, Advance Tax Challans and Self Assessment Tax Challan. Ensure that there are no errors when stating the TAN of the employer or deductor, the amount and date of the deduction. Also, in case of self assessment or advance tax challans, ensure that the name, branch address and the BSR code of the bank where the tax is deposited, challan serial number, amount and date of the deposit are clearly stated.

Source: www.itrust.in

Tax Deductions and Credits for Students (distance-education.org)

Last-Minute Tax Filing Tips (mint.com)

CompleteTax Offers Five Tips to Save Time and Money on Taxes (eon.businesswire.com)

Taxpayers may use IRS free filing to bypass tax-refund loans (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

A do it yourself guide to making your crores.

2010-08-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]

Finance: You are well paid, well off, have a good lifestyle. But can you afford to stop working? If your answer is 'No', then you are just financially stable — as long as you get your monthly cheque — but far from being financially independent. You're also not alone — a large number of people retire without
being financially independent.

Financial independence is a state where you are free from all liabilities and have created sufficient wealth that can generate a constant stream of income that allows you to maintain your lifestyle without having to work them.

Getting there requires meticulous planning and disciplined investment. It also means revisiting your portfolio and investment strategy to ensure that your plan is not getting derailed by external factors like market forces and interest rate variables.

Manish Sharma, 33, who works with a multinational firm in New Delhi, is a perfect example of a man moving towards attaining financial independence. Married to Shelly who also works, Sharma feels that he would need Rs 75 lakh for his three-year-old son, Lakshit's higher education, marriage and their own retirement. Manish invests Rs 24,000 per month in a disciplined manner in mutual funds, Public Provident Fund and National Savings Certificate to meet these goals.

To be financially independent you need just six simple steps — finding out how much money you have today, knowing how much you need for tomorrow, getting adequate life cover (through a pure term plan only, do not buy any other insurance product), investing the surplus as per your risk taking ability, and writing a Will (See graphic above).

Home buying tops the priority list of all individuals and also is one of the most important asset that one builds. Also, with the availability of loan, which offers tax benefits, it becomes more beneficial. While experts advise not to take loan for a depreciating asset, they say that individuals should careful while taking a home loan and not over-leverage in a bid to build the asset.

"One should not stretch to buy the house, buy only when the income is sufficient to support the purchase and keep headroom to meet increase in EMI (equated monthly installment)," said Amar Pandit, a Mumbai-based financial planner. The EMI should be such that it offers room for saving.

"Ensure that you save 10-30 per cent of your income after you have paid your EMIs as it will act as a cushion in rainy days and you will be able to pay the EMI from the corpus built," said Lovaii Navlakhi, managing director of the Bengaluru-based financial planning firm International Money Matters.

Once basic needs are covered, it is time to plan for wealth creation. Simple projections show that you do not need millions to make millions. All you need to do is begin investing — and begin early. An investment of Rs 5,000 per month started at age 25 can become Rs 1.6 crore by the age of 50 if invested in an instrument that returns an annual rate of 15 per cent.

But not all can take such a high equity risk. Your investments, therefore, need to be balanced in different baskets — small savings, fixed deposits, equity funds, gold and so on.

"While equity and debt investment will differ individually, as a thumb rule one can allocate 100 minus your age in equity and the rest in debt," said Surya Bhatia, principal consultant at the Delhi-based financial planning firm, Asset Managers. "Gold can also form a part and one can invest 5-10 per cent in it."

Source: Hindustan Times

Saving For College: How Much Is Enough? (npr.org)

Worried About Money? Your Top 12 Questions - Answered! (lifescript.com)

Taxes, Taxes And More Taxes (video.forbes.com)

How India's Rich Invest Their Money (online.wsj.com)

Salman Khan to work with Anees Bazmee in a 100 Crore Film (teabreak.pk)

15 Ways to Save $100 (lifescript.com)

Five Expenses That Will Consume 50 Percent Of Your Lifetime Earnings (blogs.forbes.com)

Suddenly Single and Strapped for Cash? (lifescript.com)

The Most Controversial Video on My Facebook Profile.

2010-08-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

Reason to Become a Vegetarian

News: RBI Announces New Guidelines on Credit Cards

2010-08-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

Economic Times: "The RBI on Friday warned banks and financial institutions to strictly follow its guidelines on credit cards regarding transparency in charging interest rates and levying other fees on customers or face penal action.

"All banks are once again advised to strictly adhere to the guidelines... both in letter and spirit," an RBI circular said, adding that the violation would invite penal action.

The RBI has issued fresh directives in view of the numerous complaints from credit card holders, especially with regard to excessive finance charges and issuance of unsolicited cards, it said.

Besides, complaints like charging annual fee on what were being offered as free cards, issuance of loans over phone, disputes over wrong billing, difficulty in accessing the credit card issuers and poor response from the call centres, it said.

Giving detailed guidelines for credit card operations, the RBI had earlier asked the banks to declare upfront the interest rate, various charges and the methodology of calculation of finance charges with illustrative examples.

As per an RBI circular issued in 2007, card companies should prescribe a ceiling rate of interest, including processing and other charges in case of small value personal loans and loans similar in nature.

There should be transparency in levying differential interest rates, it had said, adding, the banks should publicise through their website and other means, the interest rates charged to various categories of customers.

The circular also advised banks to indicate to the credit card holder upfront, the methodology of calculation of finance charges with illustrative examples, particularly in situations where only a part of the amount outstanding is paid by the customer.

RBI had also asked banks to ensure that wrong bills are not raised and issued to customers. In case, a customer protests any bill, the bank should provide explanation and, if necessary, documentary evidence to the customer within a maximum period of sixty days with a spirit to amicably redress the grievances, the circular had said.

There are host of banks, which issue credit cards, including ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, SBI Cards, Punjab National Bank. Besides, many foreign banks like Standard Chartered, HSBC, Citibank also offer them.

There are about 1.9 crore credit card users in India."

Article Source: The Economic Times.

The Base Rate regime - Will it make a difference?

2010-07-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

The biggest complaint of loan consumers in India who have taken loans on a floating rate has been that lenders are quick to raise rates for them when interest rates rise in the market but are very reluctant to reduce their interest rates when market interest rates drop. Till June 30, 2010 the floating rate products were priced with reference to their Benchmark Prime Lending Rate (BPLR). Clearly the BPLR system was not functioning in a transparent manner. After setting up a committee to examine the issue and a draft note inviting public suggestions the guidelines relating to the new Base Rate system have been made effective for all loans issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2010. So will this new Base Rate system be effective?

This article examines the difference between BPLR and Base Rate regime and the potential impact of the Base Rate system.

The rate is 'to be computed taking into consideration (i) cost of funds; (ii) operational expenses; and (ii) a minimum margin to cover regulatory requirements of provisioning and capital charge, and profit margin. No this RBI pronouncement is not about the Base Rate but about the Benchmark PLR. If you see the non-binding illustrative methodology for the Computation of the Base Rate in the guidelines, it also more or less lays out the same set of parameters but just in greater detail.

So if the calculation method is similar how will Base Rate system make a significant difference?

For starters there are two big differences. Whilst each bank can choose its own benchmark for the cost of funds they will have to document the detailed formula for the calculation of the Base Rate and the method of calculation and follow it consistently (except during a brief six month transition period). This formula will need to be disclosed to RBI, which can also scrutinize that it is being followed consistently. This is unlike the BPLR regime where the BPLR was supposed to take into account the same set of parameters but no documentation was required and it was not open to RBI scrutiny. This is a significant difference between the two regimes since this forces the banks to follow a consistent method of calculating the Base Rate unlike the BPLR.

The second big difference is that, unlike the BPLR, banks are not allowed to lend below the Base Rate (again there are a few exceptions but they are not very relevant for this purpose). Now we all know that blue chip corporates are always able to get good rates from the banks. They are likely to be borrowing at interest rates very close to the banks current Base Rates. When market interest rates fall they will naturally expect to get better rates and naturally the banks will be forced to drop their Base Rates if they still want to maintain their share of this market. So apart from the point mentioned in the first paragraph, this factor will also exert downward pressure on the Base Rate when market interest rates fall.

If the transparency is so built in then why the doubt on whether the Base Rate system will be effective or not? Clearly the Base rate system is designed to be more transparent than BPLR. But unfortunately there is no requirement that the detailed formula of each bank's Base Rate be made public (it is only to be available for review and scrutiny by RBI). Clearly RBI will need to set up a machinery to monitor and review these calculations to ensure that they are consistent, which given their focus on ensuring transparency is likely to function as an effective check on the proper implementation of the Base Rate system. It would be very interesting to find out whether the general public under RTI can access a specific bank's calculation of Base Rate that is available with RBI.

As is likely the effective functioning of the Base Rate regime will significantly change the retail lending industry in India. Firstly as changes in the effective interest rate for the customer will depend on the average cost of funds rather than the marginal cost of funds any increases in market rates will take time before they are fully passed on to the borrower (see box for difference between average and marginal cost of funds). Whilst this is beneficial when interest rates increase it is also not so bad when interest rates decrease as, unlike the current situation, the consumer is likely to get some decrease immediately compared to none or very little in the current scenario.

Difference between average and marginal cost of funds:

Assume a bank currently has funds of Rs. 100 crores at an average cost of 10% (total cost of funds is Rs. 10 crores or Rs. 2.50 crores per quarter). Now the cost of funds in the market goes up by 1% pa. On an arithmetic basis the banks cost of funds should go up by Rs. 1 crore per annum or Rs. 25 lacs per quarter. However since a lot of the bank's funds are in time deposits which are at a fixed cost - where the cost will rise only when the deposit comes up for renewal - immediately its cost may go up by only say 12.50 lacs for this quarter or only 0.50% p.a. Of course over a period of time as all the fixed deposits mature and are renewed at new higher rates the cost of funds will go up to Rs. 11 crore per annum or 2.75 crores per quarter). Thus the average cost -10% in this example changing to 10.50% or a change of 0.50% only - will always change slower than the marginal cost - +1% in this example)

If you have an existing loan should you shift to the new Base rate regime?

Firstly there is no automatic shift to the new regime. You will have to ask your bank to shift you to the new Base rate regime for which they are not supposed to charge you any fees. If you are on an existing fixed rate loans (or in the teaser period where rates are still fixed) where the rate is lower than the current floating rate of 8.50% - 9% than wait till you are on a floating rate basis for shifting to the new regime. If you are paying interest rate in double digits then shift to the new regime immediately. If your existing lender is not giving you good terms for the shift or is not acting fast enough to shift you to the new regime then you should seriously consider shifting to a new lender altogether)

The National Housing Bank (NHB) which regulates the housing finance companies HDFC, LIC Housing Finance, etc.- will also be forced to come out with a similar system for HFCs which will be good for the home loan consumers. Similarly the scheme will have to be extended to NBFCs also by RBI though that is likely to have a smaller impact on the loan consumers.

In any case the impact of this fundamental change will be felt only over a period of time at least 6-12 months as interest rates change (likely to increase) during that period. Here's hoping that this change has a fundamental impact on all loan consumers.

This Article was written by ApnaPaisa CEO, Harsh Roongta.

Article Source: www.apnapaisa.com

Why Take it on Rent if you can Buy? by Adhil Shetty.

2010-07-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]

Rohan, 30, relocated to Mumbai to explore better work opportunities a couple of years back. Since then, he’s been staying in a rented accommodation and shelling out almost a third of his income every month on this. Even though he wanted to invest in a house, he was a little iffy about the financial constraints that might arise. He would have to pay rent until the property is ready for occupancy and bear the EMIs (equated monthly instalments) of the home loan.

Like Rohan, many tenants find it difficult to manage both — pay the rent as well as home loan payments. In order to help individuals who plan to buy a house (fresh sale), developers and builders have introduced an innovative concept of ‘EMI sharing’ to help customers find the EMI payment during the construction phase burdensome.

What is it?

EMI sharing is an arrangement whereby the home-loan borrower does not have to pay the EMI until he/she gets the occupancy. Instead, the developer building the property will pay the home loan instalment on his behalf for a stipulated period. Typically, this period is up to the possession of the property and therefore, could be between one to three years. The developer, during this period, will pay only the interest portion and not the principal amount.

Some of the builders that are currently offering this option include Emaar MGF Land, SG Estates and Ramprastha.

How does it work?

First, the homebuyer gets the loan sanctioned from the bank. Thereafter, in case of an EMI sharing option, the builder or the developer gives a post-dated cheque for the specified period of time. The borrower then needs to deposit this in his/her account. Of late, banks have started offering subvention scheme in case of selected projects. Through this scheme, banks take the EMIs directly from the builder. However, such schemes are very few in number.

Types of plans:

Builders or developers can either pay off the full EMI for the specified period, which is only the interest or they could come out with a partial EMI sharing option.

*Full EMI sharing scheme: Builder will pay the entire EMI amount on your behalf for the specified period of time which is made up of only the interest element.

*Partial EMI sharing option: There is an arrangement between the home loan taker and the builder on the sharing of the EMI payment. For instance, builder may pay 50 per cent of the interest portion of your EMI and the balance will have to be paid by you.

The table This Is How It Works shows a partial EMI sharing option where the flat buyer has to pay some amount of the EMI for the first 18 months after which he/she will have to pay the entire EMI amount.

EMI sharing option can be opted with down payment, construction linked loans or flexi loans. Down payment option with EMI sharing will be the most beneficial for investors because the under construction linked loans or flexi loans payments to the builder are milestone based and the EMI is charged accordingly to the home loan taker. So the builder’s participation in the EMI will not result in as much saving as in case of down payment. But the big disadvantage of the down payment option is that the builder receives the entire flat cost upfront reducing your bargaining substantially if there is any problem later.

Benefits:

*The main advantage for a home loan taker is he is not financially strained by the EMI payments when he has to pay rentals on the house he has taken on lease. This helps him manage his cash flows better.

*The proportion of the EMI paid by the developer is a discount offered by him which will certainly reduce the cost of the flat. It is made up for in the sq ft price quoted by the builder which he would have discounted in case down payment or any other payment option. But it serves your need because you do not have to worry about EMI payments during the construction phase as you already have a committed outflow in terms of rentals.

Things you need to know:

*All EMI sharing schemes are time bound - 24 months, 30 months etc. So the builders’ obligation is restricted to the predefined deadline. In case of any delay in the project, the obligation of payment of EMI after the predefined deadline rests with the home loan taker. So it is essential for you to look for this clause in the agreement and bargain for the payment to be up to possession which means even if the project construction is delayed, you are covered.

*For the bank, you are the home loan taker and hence all payment obligations will rest on you. Your account will be debited every month expect in rare cases where banks have started the subvention scheme.

*The interest rate at which the builder will pay the EMI will be fixed at a particular rate. So if it is a floating rate loan and interest rates were to rise, the payment obligation to the extent of the rise will be borne by you. The builder will not pay for it.

Who should opt for this?

Builders or developers attractively market this scheme by calling it ‘Zero EMI’ payment till possession, or low EMIs before possession. The EMI payment before possession done by the builder is taken into consideration by him while quoting the price of the flat. So do not get fooled by the marketing strategy. EMI sharing option does not provide you with additional discount and hence do not opt for this scheme for this reason. If discount is what you want then down payment mode of payment without EMI sharing will be the most beneficial because the builder will offer maximum discount as he receives the entire payment at the beginning itself.

EMI sharing scheme is best suited for those who find it difficult to manage cash flows because of dual payments of rent and EMI on the loan, before getting the possession of the property.

If you trust the builder then opt for down payment with EMI sharing to enjoy maximum cost advantage. Here since the builder receives the entire amount upfront and so you are at the mercy of the builder. If there is any issue such as delay in construction you will not have any say as the full payment to the builder has already been made. If you are not sure of the builder’s credentials then construction linked plan or flexi plan is the best option. Although you may not end up saving as much money, it is still a much safer option as the full payment is not made to the builder.

Buying a house is a big investment which requires sometimes more than one decade of financial commitment. So let it not be a situation where you initially save some money by way of discounts but later find yourself in a mess where your huge investment is at stake. Don’t lose sight of the big picture for small gains.

The writer is chief executive officer at the BankBazaar.com

EMI Supply Inc. Announces Business Partnership with The M.K. Morse Company (pr.com)

Beatles help EMI to reduce losses (bbc.co.uk)

UPDATE 3-EMI may need more funds to deal with debt (reuters.com)

EMI cuts losses but warns of debt pressure (independent.co.uk)

An Inexpensive Term Life Insurance Cover

2010-06-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

When we was in our childhood,our parents/guardians helped us doing it by caring us and making our every wish list fulfilled and never let us go alone anywhere. And when we were in our teenage they started saving for our future! And now when we are well settle in our life with their blessing, it is your prior duty to give them financial security in their old age. We actually are very busy with our professional life, we don’t even get time to take care of ourselves properly then how could we care of our parents or fulfill their retirement dream. You know that ‘Life is full of uncertainties and risk’, you never know what could happen to you tomorrow! Why not protect your family for the future. Insure yourself with term life insurance cover, so that if any unfortunate happen to you to tomorrow your family will be fully secured with finance. It will be a great step taken by you for your lovely family.

Review on Social Media Platform.

2010-06-23T05:59:00.000-07:00

Social Media is a platform through which users can share information and interact online. Various websites together form this huge platform and they all are what we call various forms of social media. Though they all are social media websites, their approach, audience differ completely. While one may use social networking sites to connect and socialize with other users, social news sites are source of sharing and finding information on various topics.
Various forms of social media sites need to be treated differently. Not everyone can be fond of all these websites and they all find their visitors in different sets of people.
Lets looks at what are these different kind of websites that make the part and parcel of social media:

Social Networking Sites:
These are one of the most common and popular form of social media. These kind of sites help you socialize in the online communities. You can find new people or meet old friends with the help of these sites. They are also one of the best ways to help you connect with your friends and family on a daily basis. Social Networking sites are all about communication and you mostly get to post your updates either in your own profile or you can also post a message on a certain user’s profile. You can also send personalized messages or mails to different users.

Sites such as Facebook have been highly criticized for privacy invasion issues. Since your online profile includes all information associated with you including pictures and personal updates are available on the World Wide Web, risk such as privacy intrusion and cyber crime could pose serious threats. One needs to be really careful with the kind of information they make available.

Some popular Social Networking sites are:
Facebook: This is hands down the most popular social networking site. It is the second most visited website globally after the search giant Google. The site lets you connect with old friends, meet new people, form groups or online forums. Facebook has brought a revolution in terms of engaging visitors on its site. Facebook games and various other activities have been a huge hit all over.

Myspace: Once a very popular social networking site, Myspace seems to be losing out to the competition. It became the most popular social networking site in as early as June 2006. Though the site operates in similar fashion as Facebook, it failed to keep up to the pace Facebook brought what user wanted on its plate.

Twitter: Originally a micro-bloging site, this website has seen one of the most phenomenal growths. The 140 characters magic created such a hype that Facebook had to redesign itself to make itself on the likes of Twitter. The site lets you connect with people in terms of friends and followers. You can follow anyone you want and you will automatically start following their updates. It not only helps you connect with your friends on a daily basis but also follow new people and follow their posts. One of the best part about Twitter was the fact that you didn’t need the users permission to start following them. The site became a favorite with celebrities and marketers alike.

Social News Sites:
Mostly used as a source of information, social news sites are great channels for finding and exchanging information. These sites have lot of useful features to help user find relevant and useful information. Some of these sites also have rating facility where users can vote for a particular news or information they like the most. The links appear on the site in order of these user ratings in addition to various other factors such as date and time of upload etc.

Some of the popular Social News sites are:
Digg: This is the largest and most popular social news site. This provides a lot of features to help user find the right news. It covers everything from entertainment politics, technology, and humor to general news.
Slashdot: This is primarily a tech news site but it also covers topics such as books, games, politics and entertainment.
Reddit: This is another popular social news site which also covers specific topics like programming and science.
Propeller: This site is very similar to Digg in its operation. It covers a wide range of topics including technology, politics and entertainment.
Flickr: This popular photo sharing site is commonly used for uploading and sharing pictures. It is the largest Photo sharing site and claims to host more than 3.6 billion images.

Social Bookmarking Sites
Social Bookmarking is one of the easiest way to manage your links online. Users can manage the bookmark of the websites and webpages they visit online. Social Bookmarking Sites offer a channel for the users to save the links of the web pages that they want to use in the future. Users have the flexibility of keeping their bookmarks private or public. They can also choose to share their bookmarks with a mimited number of people.

Some of the popular Social Bookmarking Sites are:
Delicious: One of the most popular social bookmarking site. Delicious has brought lot of changes to its look and feel recently. This site lets users find, store and share bookmarks. Users can view the most recent as well as most popular bookmarks here.
Blinklist: This is one of the oldest social bookmarking site and is used for personal and social bookmarking services.

Social Sharing Sites:
These sites are used as channels for sharing information. The kinds of information that can be shared through these sites include photos, videos or reviews. These sites have been very popular and the content generated on the sites is huge compared to any other site.
Some of the popular Social Sharing sites are:

YouTube: This is one of the most popular Social Media Sites and also the third most visited website globally. Users can upload and share their videos here. You have the flexibility to create dedicated channels and subscribing to other users.

StumbleUpon: Another very useful site that allows users to discover and rate Web pages, photos, and videos. It is kind of a personalized recommendation engine that adheres to the peer to peer and social networking principles.

Wikis:
Wikis are one of the best ways of creating, editing and sharing knowledge online. They are collaborate websites where users can create and edit the contents of web pages. They are very popular for the simplicity and ease of use. User need not have much technical knowledge to create or edit wikis.

One of the best example of a wiki is Wikipedia which is not only the largest source of information online but also the most preferred destination for search. Wikipedia has about 13 million articles from users all over the world.

Source: Globalthoughtz.com

FiFa 2010 Anthem Song Waving Flag by K'naan.

2010-05-26T04:41:00.000-07:00

Wavin' Flag" is a song by K'naan from his album Troubadour, reaching #2 on the Canadian Hot 100 and #1 in Swiss Music Charts. A remake by a supergroup of Canadian artists, credited as Young Artists for Haiti, became a charity single, with this new version going straight to #1 on the Canadian charts. A version of the song featuring will.i.am and David Guetta is targeted for international release. The song also appears on the soundtrack for the video game NBA 2K10.

The song was chosen as Coca-Cola's promotional anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, to be held in South Africa. The English version was released as "Wavin' Flag (The Celebration Mix)" by K'naan and many other bilingual and country-specific versions have been released. Notes from Wikipedia

What is Twitter and How to use It.

2010-03-29T10:26:00.001-07:00

Many Teenagers in India do not use twitter like they use other social networking platforms, In fact they doesn’t even know what twitter is all about?

In simple term, twitter is an status update tool or short message update (up to 140 character) tool. It is formally called as micro-blogging platform and the number of people using this tool is approximately 50million and still counting. Well, Facebook leads with 410 millions Users and we know that many of us use facebook or any similar social networking platforms to stay connected to our friends and update our status regularly. Unlike Facebook, Twitter is also a similar kind of platform where you can update your status, follow people and get followers. You just share your view or gossip or your latest happenings with the world.

Benefits of Twitter:-

Many companies, TV Channels, Websites of every category and famous personalities are on Twitter.

Just follow the user you are interested in like for example, I want to know the updates of IPL, I’ll just follow IPL and can get through the latest match scores and upcoming matches and every single happening……!

You can follow your friends, share messages, make him read boring PJ’s , chat like, follow your favorite people like i follow Apple to get information and latest Apple Gadget updates. There is even lots more you can explore……………!

Famous People’s Twitter Account:-

Things to do when creating a new Blog.

2010-03-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

Some most important things you should do when creating a blog.

· Take your time and choose a suitable “Title, Description & Template ”.as well. These are also very important things for a beginner to get started with.

· After you have selected the blog title, Add Content! Don’t skip blogging. You can publish on an average one content/article weekly.

· Don’t forget to mention category and Add Tags (these are also very important aspects that will help you drive traffic from search engines) when publishing an article.

· If you are publishing content that is not yours than do mention the article source where you have taken it from.

· Integrate your blog with social media like –

1. Twitter

2. Rss Feeds

3. Bookmarking Sites (Delicious, Digg, Google Reader, Yahoo Buzz, etc)

4. Facebook

5. Youtube (for videos if you have uploaded it on youtube.)

· Add Gadgets/Widgets like –

1. Email Subscription

2. Rss Feed

3. Twitter

4. Blog Stats

5. Labels/Recent Post

· Backlinking is another important thing; so never forget to bookmark your content post by post in social bookmarking sites.

· If you want to earn money on free webhosting blogs than there are sites like Infolinks, Bidvertiser, etc. to publish ads your blog should support Javascript/html.

· Happy Blogging.

The Reporter:

The Top 50 Christmas Toys of the Past 100 Years [Digg]

Rs 150 Coin [Digg]

Mediclaim | Health Insurance | Medical Insurance | Mediclaim Policies in India [Digg]

Submit Infographics for Free @ Infographics Blog [Digg]

Best Online Home Loan Comparison Tool [Digg]

Best Home Loans in India | Apnaloan.com [Digg]

How Rich Is Congress? (Infographic) [Digg]

Iphone 5 Rumours: Infographics [Digg]

The Winners & Losers of Social Networking Infographics [Digg]

Your Resume Is Being Built On Social Media Infographics « The Infographics Blog [Digg]

Algorithm Experiments and Better Comments [Digg]

Finally: a social network for hooking up [Digg]

Libyan woman recounts gang rape by Gadhafi troops [Digg]

20 Highest-Paid CEOs [Digg]

Cisco To Shut Down Flip Video Camera Business [Digg]

Top 10 Interesting Ghost Towns Around The World

Interesting ideas to make money online

Dodge Tomahawk: Most Expensive Concept Motorbike in World.

What is loan against gold means?

Apple to launch iPod Nano Touch

Added Features: Sensor>>FM radio>>VoiceOver>>

Futuristic (Wrist) Watch.

YouTube’s Life in a Day Gets an Interactive Gallery

Related Articles

Common Wealth Games Delhi (2010)

Step Up "3D" is no more Coming Soon !

Related Articles

Justin Bieber Nabs Most-Watched YouTube Video of All Time

Related Articles

Car Care in the Rains

Related Articles

Cabinet approves bill to hike MPs' basic salary

Related Articles

where do i go?

Home Loan in India

Overview of Home Loan Rates

Compare Banks Home Loan

Visit Site for more details

$$ SoLuTiOn $$

Life Insurance in India

Overview of Life Insurance Policy

Compare Insurance Premiums

Visit Site for more details!

$ SoLuTiOn $

Once a darling of students, pens now only plastic waste!

10 Tax Filing Tips To Avoid Tax Problems

Related Articles

A do it yourself guide to making your crores.

Related Articles

The Most Controversial Video on My Facebook Profile.

News: RBI Announces New Guidelines on Credit Cards

The Base Rate regime - Will it make a difference?

Why Take it on Rent if you can Buy? by Adhil Shetty.

Related Articles

An Inexpensive Term Life Insurance Cover

Review on Social Media Platform.

FiFa 2010 Anthem Song Waving Flag by K'naan.

What is Twitter and How to use It.

Things to do when creating a new Blog.