Complete Online News

Dr Death arrested in US

2016-01-18T17:01:00.000+05:30

Narendra Nagareddy, a psychiatrist in Clayton County, Georgia, has been put behind bars on suspicion of over- prescribing prescription medication and running a pill mill.

Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration , the Clayton County District Attorneys office, the Clayton County Police Department and the Georgia Department of Community Supervision converged on Dr Nagareddys office on Thursday armed with a search warrant and an arrest warrant for the psychiatrist.

According to legal documents, 36 of Dr Nagareddys patients have died while being prescribed controlled substances from Dr Nagareddy, 12 of which have been confirmed by investigators through autopsy reports to have been the result of prescription drug intoxication.

Former and current patients have admitted to obtaining controlled substance prescriptions from Dr Nagareddy without having a legitimate medical need, the documents said.

Reputation Management

2013-12-20T22:18:00.001+05:30

Facts about Lord Venkateshwara (Tirumala)

2013-09-11T09:23:00.002+05:30

తిరుమల గురించి కొన్ని నిజాలు*******

1. గుడి ఎంట్రన్స్‌లో మహద్వారానికి కుడివైపున వెంకటేశ్వర స్వామివారిని తలపై అనంతాళ్వారు కొట్టిన గుణపం ఉంటుంది. చిన్నపిల్లాడి రూపంలో ఉన్న స్వామివారిని ఆ రాడ్‌తో కొట్టడంతో స్వామివారి గడ్డంపై గాయమై రక్తమొస్తుంది. అప్పట్నుంచే స్వామి వారి గడ్డానికి గంధం పూయడమనే సాంప్రదాయం మొదలైంది.

2. వెంకటేశ్వర స్వామి విగ్రహానికి జుట్టు (రియల్ హెయిర్) ఉంటుంది. అస్సలు చిక్కు పడదని అంటారు.

3. తిరుమలలో టెంపుల్ నుండి 23 కిలోమీటర్ల దూరంలో ఒక గ్రామం ఉంటుంది. ఆ గ్రామస్థులకు తప్ప ఇతరులకు ప్రవేశం లేదు అక్కడికి. ఆ గ్రామస్థులు చాలా పద్ధతిగా ఉంటారు. స్త్రీలు బ్లౌజెస్ కూడా వేసుకోరు అంత పద్దతిగా ఉంటారు. అక్కడి నుండే స్వామికి వాడే పూలు తెస్తారు. అక్కడే తోట ఉంది. గర్భ గుడిలో ఉండే ప్రతీది ఆ గ్రామం నుండే వస్తుంది. పాలు, నెయ్యి, పూలు, వెన్న తదితర అన్నీ.

4. స్వామివారు గర్భగుడి మధ్యలో ఉన్నట్టు కనిపిస్తారు కానీ నిజానికి ఆయన గర్భగుడి కుడివైపు కార్నర్‌లో ఉంటారు. బయటి నుండి గమనిస్తే ఈ విషయం మనకు తెలుస్తుంది.

5. స్వామివారికి ప్రతీరోజూ క్రింద పంచె, పైన చీరతో అలంకరిస్తారు. దాదాపు 50 వేల ఖరీదు చేసే సేవ ఒకటి ఉంటుంది. ఆ సేవలో పాల్గొన్న దంపతులకు చీరను స్త్రీకి, పంచె పురుషునికి ఇస్తారు. చాలా తక్కువ టిక్కెట్స్ అమ్ముతారు ఇవి.

6. గర్భగుడిలో నుండి తీసి వేసిన పూలు అవీ అన్నీ అసలు బయటికి తీసుకు రారు. స్వామి వెనకాల జలపాతం ఉంటుంది. అందులో వెనక్కి చూడకుండా విసిరి వేస్తారు.

7. స్వామి వారికి వీపు మీద ఎన్ని సార్లు తుడిచినా తడి ఉంటుంది. అలాగే అక్కడ చెవి పెట్టి వింటే సముద్రపు ఘోష వినిపిస్తుంది.

8. స్వామివారి గుండె మీద లక్ష్మీదేవి ఉంటుంది. ప్రతీ గురువారం నిజరూప దర్శనం టైమ్‌లో స్వామివారికి చందనంతో అలంకరిస్తారు. అది తీసివేసినప్పుడు లక్ష్మీదేవి అచ్చు అలానే వస్తుంది. దాన్ని అమ్ముతారు.

9. చనిపోయినప్పుడు వెనక్కి చూడకుండా ఎలా కాలుస్తారో, అలాగే స్వామివారికి తీసేసిన పూలు మరియు అన్ని పదార్థాలూ అదే విధంగా పూజారి వారు వెనక్కి చూడకుండా స్వామి వెనక వేసేస్తారు. ఆ రోజంతా స్వామి వెనక చూడరు అని అంటారు. ఆ పూలు అన్నీ కూడా తిరుపతి నుండి ఇరవై కిలోమీటర్ల దూరంలో ఉన్న వేర్పేడు (కాలహస్తికి వెళ్ళేదారిలో) దగ్గర పైకి వస్తాయి.

10. స్వామివారి ముందర వెలిగే దీపాలు కొండెక్కవు. అవి ఎన్నివేల సంవత్సరాల నుండి వెలుగుతున్నాయో కూడా ఎవ్వరికీ తెలీదు.

11. 1800 లో గుడిని పన్నెండు సంవత్సరాల పాటు మూసివేసి ఉండింది అంట. ఎవరో ఒక రాజు పన్నెండు మందిని గుడి దగ్గర తప్పు చేసినందుకు గానూ హతమార్చి గోడకు వేలాడదీశాడంటా. ఆ టైమ్‌లోనే విమాన వెంకటేశ్వర స్వామి వెలిసింది అంటారు

Mouse Working Mechanism.....

2013-07-14T09:12:00.001+05:30

In computing, a mouse is a pointing device that functions by detecting two-dimensional motion relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse consists of an object held under one of the user's hands, with one or more buttons. It sometimes features other elements, such as "wheels", which allow the user to perform various system-dependent operations, or extra buttons or features that can add more control or dimensional input. The mouse's motion typically translates into the motion of a cursor on a display, which allows for fine control of a graphical user interface.

Early mice

Early mouse patents. From left to right: Opposing track wheels by Engelbart, Nov. 1970, U.S. Patent 3,541,541. Ball and wheel by Rider, Sept. 1974, U.S. Patent 3,835,464. Ball and two rollers with spring by Opocensky, Oct. 1976, U.S. Patent 3,987,685
The trackball was invented by Tom Cranston, Fred Longstaff and Kenyon Taylor working on the Royal Canadian Navy's DATAR project in 1952. It used a standard Canadian five-pin bowling ball. It was not patented, as it was a secret military project.................

Independently, Douglas Engelbart at the Stanford Research Institute invented the first mouse prototype in 1963, with the assistance of his colleague Bill English. They christened the device the mouse as early models had a cord attached to the rear part of the device looking like a tail and generally resembling the common mouse. Engelbart never received any royalties for it, as his patent ran out before it became widely used in personal computers.
The invention of the mouse was just a small part of Engelbart's much larger project, aimed at augmenting human intellect.

Mechanical mice........

The ball-mouse replaced the external wheels with a single ball that could rotate in any direction. It came as part of the hardware package of the Xerox Alto computer. Perpendicular chopper wheels housed inside the mouse's body chopped beams of light on the way to light sensors, thus detecting in their turn the motion of the ball. This variant of the mouse resembled an inverted trackball and became the predominant form used with personal computers throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The Xerox PARC group also settled on the modern technique of using both hands to type on a full-size keyboard and grabbing the mouse when required...

The ball mouse has two freely rotating rollers. They are located 90 degrees apart. One roller detects the forward–backward motion of the mouse and other the left–right motion. Each roller is on the same shaft as an encoder wheel that has slotted edges; the slots interrupt infrared light beams to generate electrical pulses that represent wheel movement. Simple logic circuits interpret the relative timing to indicate which direction the wheel is rotating. This scheme is sometimes called quadrature encoding of the wheel rotation, as the two optical sensor produce signals that are in approximately quadrature phase. The mouse sends these signals to the computer system via the mouse cable, directly as logic signals in very old mice such as the Xerox mice, and via a data-formatting IC in modern mice. The driver software in the system converts the signals into motion of the mouse cursor along X and Y axes on the screen.

Michael Clarke backed up his unbeaten double century

2012-11-22T17:15:00.001+05:30

Clarke became the first person in the history of Test cricket to post four 200s in a calendar year as Australia ended Day 1 at Adelaide on 482 for 5.

Michael Clarke posted a successive double century and David Warner and Michael Hussey unleashed whirlwind hundreds as Australia demoralised South Africa in the second Adelaide Test on Thursday.
Clarke backed up his unbeaten double century from last week's drawn Brisbane series-opener with another overpowering innings, becoming the first person in the history of Test cricket to post four 200s in a calendar year.

Warner and Hussey compounded the misery for the Proteas with quickfire tons as Australia romped to 482 for five on the opening day.

It was just the fifth time in all Tests that Australia have scored more than 400 runs in a day's play.
Unchallengeable Clarke has yet to be dismissed in this series and has amassed 483 runs. He is also this year's highest-scoring Test batsman with 1,265 runs at 140.55. At the close he was unconquered on 224. Hussey was bowled by Dale Steyn in the final over for 103 after raising his 18th century with a six off dispirited legspinner Imran Tahir.
South Africa looked far from the world's best team as their bowlers were hammered, after having the home side in trouble at 55 for three in the morning session.
Warner wrested back control with a belligerent 119 off 112 balls and Clarke and Hussey carried on the run plunder.
It was a thoroughly miserable day for the Proteas with three of their leading bowlers having injury concerns -- Vernon Philander withdrawing before the match with a back problem and Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn leaving the ground during the day with hamstring trouble.
Clarke survived a referral on 73 and made the Proteas pay dearly with another commanding knock. He is averaging over 70 with the bat since he became captain last year.
In one Morkel over the sublime Clarke hit five boundaries to raise his 150 and earn a standing ovation from the home crowd.
The home side seized control with a blistering 178 runs off just 26 overs in the middle session.
Warner was in belligerent mood after lunch, smashing spinners Tahir and Faf du Plessis and racing to his third Test century off 93 balls. He reached his hundred with a six and a four off successive Tahir deliveries.
But Warner perished on 119 when he attempted to glide Morne Morkel through the slips, only to edge to Graeme Smith at first slip. He had crashed four sixes and 16 boundaries, putting on 155 runs with Clarke in 24.2 overs.
It was a rousing fightback by Australia after they lost three wickets in the morning session as South Africa suffered two injuries.
Ed Cowan was caught and bowled for 10 off Kallis's third ball, an attempted yorker which struck him on the boot and spooned up off the bat for a dolly return catch. Rob Quiney, who kept his place when Shane Watson failed to recover from a calf injury, went for an eight-ball duck when Morkel enticed him to edge to Smith at first slip.
Ricky Ponting's woes continued when he was bowled third ball for just four, playing inside Kallis.
The former Test skipper was out for a five-ball duck in Brisbane for his third duck in four Test innings against the Proteas. He fared little better in Adelaide, stumbling and losing his footing.

Pakistan Taliban vow to attack Indian targets over Mumbai gunman

2012-11-22T16:58:00.001+05:30

Pakistan's Taliban movement threatened on Thursday to attack Indian targets to avenge the country's execution of Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, the lone survivor of the militant squad responsible for a rampage through Mumbai that killed 166 people in 2008.
Kasab was hanged on Wednesday amid great secrecy, underscoring the political sensitivity of the November 26, 2008, massacre, which still casts a pall over relations between nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India.
"We have decided to target Indians to avenge the killing of Ajmal Kasab," said Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan by telephone from an undisclosed location. Ehsan demanded that India return Kasab's body.
"If they don't return his body to us or his family we will capture Indians and will not return their bodies," he said, adding that the Taliban will try to strike Indian targets "anywhere".
The Taliban, who are close to al Qaeda, are seen as one of the biggest security threats in Pakistan and are blamed for many of the suicide bombings across the country. They have not carried out major attacks abroad.
The sole surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks was executed on November 21 to the relief of survivors and victims' families, nearly four years after 166 people died in the three-day rampage.

Kasab was charged with 86 offences, including murder and waging war against the Indian state, in a charge-sheet running to more than 11,000 pages.
It was the first time a capital sentence had been carried out in India since 2004. There was celebration on the streets of Mumbai and other cities as news of the execution spread, but militant groups in Pakistan reacted angrily, as did residents of his home village of Faridkot.
People set off fireworks and handed out sweets in Indian cities. Some held up photos of Kasab with a rope noose superimposed over his head.

South Africa In Australia Test Series Schedule

2012-11-08T18:47:00.001+05:30

1st Test 09 Nov - 13 Nov 2012 Brisbane
2nd Test 22 Nov - 26 Nov 2012 Adelaide Oval
3rd Test 30 Nov - 04 Dec 2012 W.A.C.A. Ground, Perth

Skipper Michael Clarke wants Australia's batsmen to blunt the vaunted South African pace attack by waging a war of attrition.
The Proteas boast Test cricket's two top-ranked bowlers -- Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander -- but Clarke says Australia's best chance of dethroning the number one ranked South Africans is to wear down their strike weapons.

The tourists have only brought four pace bowlers to Australia and Clarke senses an opportunity to erode their effectiveness throughout the three Tests.
Clarke, who has still to decide on his own bowling attack, wants batsmen to occupy the crease for long periods to test the physical endurance of Steyn, and Philander.
"It's certainly the hardest time to bat against the bowler's first spell," Clarke told a Test-eve press conference in Brisbane on Thursday.
"The longer they are out in the field the heavier their legs become so as a batting group we're really keen to spend as much time out in the middle as possible.
"They have only four fast bowlers in their touring party and if we can make them spend as much time in the field as possible, hopefully that we will put us in good stead for the next two Tests."
Steyn, 287 wickets in 57 Tests, and Philander, 63 wickets in just 10 Tests, are likely to be backed up by Morne Morkel, all-rounder Jacques Kallis and leg-spinner Imran Tahir in South Africa's first Test in Brisbane in 49 years.
"They are experienced and they have a very good attack," Clarke said.

Andhra High Court lifts the ban on Azharuddin

2012-11-08T18:20:00.003+05:30

The Andhra Pradesh High Court Thursday struck down the life ban imposed on former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) 12 years ago.
A division bench of the high court set aside the order of a lower court which had upheld the ban.

It was on December 5, 2000, that the BCCI banned Azhar from playing cricket for life after being found guilty of match-fixing.
The Hyderabadi had challenged the Indian cricket board's decision in the City Civil Court, which upheld the ban. He then moved to high court against the lower court's order, his lawyers arguing that the BCCI imposed the ban without any evidence.
The 49-year-old is currently a member of parliament from Moradabad constituency in Uttar Pradesh.
Azhar, one of India's successful captains, played 99 Tests scoring over 6,215 runs during his career. He also played 334 One-Day Internationals scoring 9,378 runs in his 15-year international career.
"I am a relieved man. I fought this battle for so long with patience. It has been a tough battle and I am grateful to everyone who has supported me during this difficult period," Azhar told reporters at a press conference at his residence here shortly after the high court order.

How College Students Spent Election Day

2012-11-08T18:11:00.002+05:30

The presidential campaigns are over, political ads no longer lead each commercial break, and Election Day 2012 has come and gone with one candidate standing: President Barack Obama has been re-elected for a second term.
While the youth vote—which includes voters between the ages of 18 and 29 years old—made up a large piece of the voting pie in 2008, these voters comprised 19 percent of the electorate in 2012, up 1 percent from 2008.

The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), an independent youth research organization based at Tufts University, announced today that roughly 22 to 23 million youth voters, or at least 49 percent of all Americans in this age group, voted in the presidential election, based on results from national exit polls, demographic data, and current counts of votes cast.
"Young people are energized and committed voters," said Peter Levine, director of CIRCLE, in a press release. "Youth turnout of around 50 [percent] is the 'new normal' for presidential elections. Considering that there are 46 million people between 18 and 29, this level of turnout makes them an essential political bloc."
Obama won the majority of votes among youth voters—receiving 60 percent of the votes, compared to Governor Mitt Romney's 36 percent, according to the national exit polls conducted by Edison Research.
"The role young people would play during this election has been a major question in American politics for over a year, and it seems the answer is that they have been as big a force at the polls in 2012 as in 2008," Levine noted.

women rights

2012-10-19T18:47:00.002+05:30

Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls of many societies worldwide. In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed. They differ from broader notions of human rights through claims of an inherent historical and traditional bias against the exercise of rights by women and girls in favour of men and boys. Issues commonly associated with notions of women's rights include, though are not limited to, the right: to bodily integrity and autonomy; to vote (suffrage); to hold public office; to work; to fair wages or equal pay; to own property; to education; to serve in the military or be conscripted; to enter into legal contracts; and to have marital, parental and religious rights.

women rights

Jayawardene quits T20 captaincy

2012-10-08T13:54:00.004+05:30

Mahela Jayawardene stepped down as Sri Lanka’s Twenty20 captain after losing the World Twenty20 final against West Indies by 36 runs on Sunday.
“I think we need a young leader,” Jayawardene said. “It’s a great opportunity for somebody to start (captaining) in the T20 format.”
Angry fans want players like Sangakkara and Malinga to be axed to make way for youngsters

Jayawardene said he had informed the selector about his decision before the tournament began last month and they were quite happy with the choice he had made.
However, Jayawardene said he would continue to lead the side in test matches and one-day internationals until the tour of Australia later this year, and if the new Twenty20 captain wanted him to compete as a player in that format he would continue.
“I haven’t stepped down from the other formats (test matches and ODIs), obviously I took over until December. … I will assess what I want to do after that.”
He led Sri Lanka in 19 Twenty20s, winning 12 and losing 6 with one tied match.

Sri Lanka was well placed to win a first major title in 16 years up until the 10th over as West Indies struggled at 32-2.
But Marlon Samuels smashed six sixes and three fours in his blistering knock of 78 off 56 balls to guide the West Indies to a competitive 137-6.
Jayawardene top scored with 33 in the unsuccessful run-chase to the much disappointment of 35,000 home fans at R Premadasa Stadium.
“It hurts a lot because you want to do something special, not just personally but for the public as well,” Jayawardene said. “We’ve been playing some really good cricket, but unfortunately we haven’t been able to cross that (final) hurdle.”
Sri Lanka lost just one game in the tournament before Sunday’s final — a rain-shortened seven-over-a-side group match against South Africa at Hambantota.
Jayawardene’s team was trying to become the first host nation to win the tournament, and looked to be on their way to an elusive title as they defeated defending champion England in Super Eights, won one-over eliminator against New Zealand and had an easy nine-wicket win over the West Indies.
Even against a dangerous Pakistan, Sri Lanka’s bowling attack looked far superior as they won the semifinal by 16 runs.
But when it really mattered, Jayawardene’s reliable pace bowler Lasith Malinga came under the hammer of Samuels in the final.
Malinga gave away precious 54 runs off his four overs with Samuels hitting the sling-arm fast bowler for five towering sixes.
“We did not bowl particularly well in that last six, seven overs,” Jayawardene said. “We never looked having any momentum chasing down that run rate as well, credit to them, they played good cricket in the big final which we did not.”
Since that famous victory in the 1996 World Cup final, Sri Lanka just once shared the Champions Trophy with India in 2002. They came close to winning the 50-over World Cup, but twice they stumbled in the final — in 2007 and in 2011.
Pakistan also made sure a major trophy eluded Jayawardene when it beat Sri Lanka in the 2009 World Twenty20 final at Lord’s.
“Every defeat has been different how we approached,” a dejected looking Jayawardene said. “Couple of the finals obviously we did not start well …. and kept chasing the game.”
Even on Sunday night, while chasing a trickier target on slow wicket, Sri Lanka lost its experienced opening batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan in the second over.
Kumar Sangakkara and Jayawardene tried to rebuild the innings, but their cautious approach kept the run-rate increasing which put the pressure on the home team.
“We wanted to attack obviously,” Jayawardene said. “The first six overs were crucial for us … but Dili got out off the first ball of the second over, that kept us back.
“They bowled very well, they took the pace of the ball…we never had momentum going in the chase, we lost wickets regularly so it was tough.”

ICC World Twenty20 CUP - Team Captians

2012-09-17T14:17:00.000+05:30

This T20 World Cup looks wide open with India slight favourites in terms or odds and sentiment. But you could throw a blanket of even terms over the next seven teams with New Zealand and Bangladesh being the outsiders. Whatever else can be said about Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe, they cannot win the big thing.
It will however be quite interesting to observe whether the minnows, Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe are more competitive in the T20 than in the 50-over format.
There is a very good chance that in T20 games such as India versus Afghanistan will be more interesting in T20 than in 50 over form.

The toughest group is that of Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh where one of those teams will miss out making it to the Super Eights.
All the other favourite sides should make it comfortably through the group stages unless the weather intervenes.

India’s success appears to depend on how desperate they are to win the cup. Can they match the intensity of their long journey in the 2011 World Cup where it seemed almost imperative for the team and nation that they prevail?

In those tough and defining moments of tournament play, it is this hunger and desire that can carry you through those moments of crisis. In my time as coach with the team, the biggest enemy at various times seemed to be success.
Any major win or forward step of progress seemed to be followed by a period of time where our results were mixed. It wasn’t until we found ourselves in the situation of having to win a game from all the outside pressures that our quality of play would pick up.
Among India’s main opponents, three teams stand out in terms of hunger and desire. South Africa, New Zealand and Bangladesh have never won a World Cup of any significance (This is outside the Champions Trophy which is now on its last legs).
Bringing home the trophy would have real meaning for those three countries. You can add to them by including Sri Lanka.
There is nothing more motivating than playing in front of your own fans. One of the reasons in sport of the advantage in playing at home is not just about geography.

Yes, you will get to sleep in your own bed and you will know every blade of grass on your territory and how the wicket plays and where the wind blows, but the main factor in home games is that you are playing in front of your own. They haven’t come to watch you fail and if they do they will let you know.
Failure in performance is recognised more personally at home so Sri Lanka will be proud and primed.
Of the rest, Australia will compete hard because they of all teams are the most consistent day-in, day-out competitors whatever and wherever they play.
Pakistan seem more organised these days and dangerous with momentum and as we all know, tough for any Indian side to beat.

England seem to have a bit much going on off the stage with the Kevin Pietersen shenanigans. They may miss his runs but they won’t miss him and his puerile texting.
That leaves the West Indians. T20 almost seems to have been invented for these outrageously talented strikers of a cricket ball.
Their bowling is patchy and their eventual success may depend upon the effectiveness of their mystery spinner, Sunil Narine.

The Elephant Inspired Robotic Arm

2012-09-15T18:38:00.001+05:30

It’s not every day that elephants inspire technological advances, let alone make existing technologies safer. Robotic arms can be quite dangerous, a single malfunction can cause frantic motion that could easily cause severe damage to us poor biological creatures. But the robotic arm ISELLA is built to minimize potential of such malfunction, and it’s design is inspired by an elephant’s trunk.

The arm was created by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing, Engineering and Automation IPA in Stuttgart, who pondered the extreme agility of elephants’ trunk and consequently came up with the designs. An elephant’s trunk contains around 40,000 muscles which he uses for a variety of tasks, including tearing down trees and carrying heavy loads — but also for more delicate tasks, such as manipulating objects. Herald Staab who invented the technology in ISELLA, says that “Its suppleness and agility gave us the idea for a bionic robot arm, ISELLA”.
The main difference when compared to conventional robotic arms is that while standard arms are equipped with one motor for each articulated joint, ISELLA has two. If one motor fails, the other takes over and prevents the arms jerking out of control. The arm is actuated by a simple and low cost muscle that consists of a motor and a cord attached to moving parts — similar to how muscle tendons are attached. The motor’s drive shaft is attached to the midpoint of the cord, so that when it turns the cord pulls in both directions. Their newsrelease states they’ve dubbed this mechanism “DOHELIX” due to it’s visual similarity to the double helix.

There are ten DOHELIX muscles in the ISELLA arm which act as flexors and extensors for each of the 9 articulated joints. Without giving any specific degrees of freedoms, they say it’s as flexible as a human arm, and that they are currently working on the elbow. Amongst the uses of this tech, Staab mentions medical rehabilitation and prosthetic devices (Dude… you forgot humanoid robots!).
On the issue of prosthetics, the Icelandic company Ossur was recently awarded the gold Medical Design Excellence Award for their robotic Proprio Foot which uses A.I. technologies to a great extent (not their first award, either). Basically, instead of having the user of the robotic foot need to learn how to use it, the embedded intelligence of the foot learns how the user walks: how he moves his leg, when he puts pressure on it, etc. That way, the act of rehabilitation becomes much easier and the consequent adaptation to the leg can feel much more natural. You no longer have a dead metal stick where your leg used to be — it’s somewhat alive and aware of your movements; a more coherent part of your body.

That’s todays two cents on elephants and robotic body parts. Stay tuned for penguins and brain-machine interfaces.

The Robotic Artificial Elephant

2012-09-15T18:36:00.000+05:30

Artificial elephant is a robotic elephant made from 45 tons of recycled materials, measuring 12 meters high and 8 meters wide and the beauty of it is that it can carry up to 49 passengers.

The arm was created by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing, Engineering and Automation IPA in Stuttgart, who pondered the extreme agility of elephants’ trunk and consequently came up with the designs. An elephant’s trunk contains around 40,000 muscles which

he uses for a variety of tasks, including tearing down trees and carrying heavy loads — but also for more delicate tasks, such as manipulating objects. Herald Staab who invented the technology in ISELLA, says that “Its suppleness and agility gave us the idea for a bionic robot arm, ISELLA”

8 tax haven countries in the world

2012-09-11T16:54:00.000+05:30

While some of us file taxes dutifully every year, others enjoy the benefit of skipping personal tax because they live in countries with no income taxes. Here’s a list of eight countries which do not impose income tax, based on a survey conducted by KPMG.

Kuwait

Officially the State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. Being a tax-free country, Kuwait's oil industry accounts for 80 percent of government revenue.

Oman
Situated in Southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman exempts tax as an incentive to encourage their expansion and development, with the industrial sector expected to contribute 15 percent to the country's GDP by 2020.

Qatar
Qatar is a sovereign Arab state, located in Western Asia. With no income tax, Qatar is one of the countries with the lowest tax rates in the world.

United Arab Emirates
The UAE is a federation of seven emirates, each governed by a hereditary emir, with a single national president. The UAE does not have any federal income tax on wages or salaries. Each emirate can impose income taxes but none do.

The Bahamas
Located in the Atlantic Ocean, The Bahamas consist of more than 3,000 islands, cays, and islets. The economy has a very competitive tax regime. The government derives its revenue from import tariffs, license fees, property and stamp taxes, but there is no income tax, corporate tax, capital gains tax, value-added tax, or wealth tax.

Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory located in the western Caribbean Sea. The Cayman Islands historically have been a tax-exempt destination. The government's primary source of income is indirect taxation.

Bermuda
Located off the east coast of the United States, Bermuda’s local tax system depends upon import duties, payroll taxes and consumption taxes.

Bahrain
Officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a small island country situated near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is a tax free economy with no withholding tax, corporate tax, income tax and VAT.

Remembering 9/11

2012-09-11T16:46:00.000+05:30

It was a terror attack that shook the world’s most powerful nation. The attack on the World Trade Center in New York was an attack on the very symbol of prosperity and unity. On its 11 anniversary, here is a look at the day terror gripped America.

A fiery blasts rocks the World Trade Center after being hit by two planes September 11, 2001 in New York City.
United flight 175 flies directly into World Trade Center tower 2 during a terrorist attack.Photo by Carmen Taylor/WireImage

Shaun Tait to make Bollywood debut

2012-09-11T16:43:00.000+05:30

Australian cricketer Shaun Tait has been approached to step into the acting pitch in Bollywood with Abhishek Kapoor's directorial "Kai Po Che!" He is expected to play a prominent part in the movie.

"Kai Po Che!" is the big screen adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's book "The 3 Mistakes of My Life". It features Sushant Singh Rajput, Amit Sadh and Rajkumar Yadav in key roles.

Since cricket is an integral part of the film, production company UTV Motion Pictures is on the lookout to cast a prominent international cricketer to cast.
It has already roped in Indian bowler Ashish Nehra to coach Sushant for his role of a cricket enthusiast in the film.
"Ashish suggested Shaun's name when the makers were brainstorming on who to cast for the part. But unlike Ashish, Shaun will actually play a prominent role in the film. UTV is in final talks with Shaun, who has shown interest in the film," said a source.
Manish Hariprasad, creative director, studios, Disney-UTV, confirmed the news, saying: "Abhishek Kapoor wanted a well-known international fast bowler for the climax. And Abhishek's good friend Ashish put us in touch with Shaun. We're in discussions with him, and hope to have him on board soon."
However, Tait will only do the film if his shooting schedule doesn't clash with his commitments towards the Australian team.
"Cricket will always come first for him. He liked the script and wants to do the film, but he will only give them a go-ahead if his timings work out," says the source.

Cape Point :South Africa Where the Indian and Atlantic Ocean meet.

2012-09-11T15:42:00.002+05:30

Cape Point is a promontory at the southeast corner of the Cape Peninsula, which is a mountainous and scenic landform that runs north-south for about thirty kilometres at the extreme southwestern tip of the African continent in the Republic of South Africa. Table Mountain and the city of Cape Town are close to the northern extremity of the same peninsula.

The cape is located at 34°21′26″S 18°29′51 about 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) east and a little north of the Cape of Good Hope on the southwest corner.
Although these two rocky and beautiful capes are very well known, neither cape is actually the southernmost point in Africa; that is Cape Agulhas, approximately 150 kilometres (90 mi) to the east-southeast.
The peak above Cape Point is higher than that above the Cape of Good Hope.

The rugged sandstone (Table Mountain sandstone) ridge that rises from Cape Point at sea level develops into two peaks. There is a major peak that dominates the skyline locally but there is also a smaller peak about 100 m further south. The higher peak has the old lighthouse on the top. The Flying Dutchman Funicular runs from a car park to the north up to slightly below the level of the old lighthouse and a short flight of steps leads to a viewing platform at the base of the lighthouse. From the end of the railway a second path leads to the lower peak.

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2012-09-06T19:47:00.000+05:30

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Andrew Flintoff : From cricket to boxing!

2012-09-06T17:58:00.000+05:30

From cricket to boxing! Freddie Flintoff is set to take on the heavyweight world as he reveals plans to fight

He's known for his batting skills as England's ex-cricket captain.
But now it seems Freddie Flintoff wants to put himself to the test again in a different sport.
The 34-year-old has announced plans to become a heavyweight boxer.
He has been secretly working with ring legend Barry McGuigan for the past month in a bid to prepare for his debut, which will take place on 30 November.
The star said: 'This is an amazing opportunity to try a sport that I love, to be tutored by a man I respect and admire and, at the age of 34, the chance to be a professional sportsman again.
'It's a huge challenge - probably the biggest I have ever undertaken, especially in such a short timeframe.

Swapping a bat for a boxing glove! Freddie Flintoff has revealed plans to take up heavyweight boxing... with his first match to take place in November

'I have a long road ahead and a lot of work in front of me. The stakes are high.'

Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff, who famously led the England team to victory against Australia in the 2006 Ashes, retired from cricket two years ago.
Meanwhile McGuigan - whose son Shane is training Flintoff - added: 'It is an enormous undertaking to have a professional fight having no experience whatsoever.
'It is even more demanding when you're a legend in another sport.
'The pressure for Freddie, myself and my son is phenomenal given the little time we have.
'But I'm convinced Freddie will make a successful pro debut as a boxer.'
Shane McGuigan has also trained professional boxer Carl Frampton.
Flintoff's team said they would be seeking a professional licence for the fight, although the British Board of Boxing Control said it had not yet received an application or interviewed him.
His preparations for the fight are to be documented in a special two-part programme - The Gloves Are Off... - to be aired on Sky 1, which will also screen a one-hour post-fight special.
The bout at Manchester Arena will also be shown on boxing channel BoxNation.
Celia Taylor, head of factual features for Sky, said: 'Freddie's always been a boxing fan but this is a whole different ball game.

'Sky customers are in for a rollercoaster ride - there will be major ups, dramatic downs, bloody noses and very real tears.'

Tickets for the fight - against an as-yet unknown opponent - go on sale on Friday.
Although it's not the first time Flintoff has tried out different sporting activities.
Earlier this year he got involved with comedian John Bishop's Sport Relief challenge.
The sports man helped Bishop row 26 miles across the English channel, along with Davina McCall and Denise Lewis.

Online Encyclopedia

2012-09-04T19:13:00.001+05:30

An Online encyclopedia is an encyclopedia accessible via the World Wide Web. The idea to build a free encyclopedia using the Internet can be traced at least to the 1993 Interpedia proposal; it was planned as an encyclopedia on the Internet to which everyone could contribute materials. The project never left the planning stage and was overtaken by a key branch of old printed encyclopedias.

In January 1995, Project Gutenberg started to publish the ASCII text of the Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th edition (1911), but disagreement about the method halted the work after the first volume. For trademark reasons this has been published as the Gutenberg Encyclopedia. In 2002, ASCII text of and 48 sounds of music was published on http://1911encyclopedia.org/ by source; a copyright claim was added to the materials, but it probably has no legal validity[original research?]. Project Gutenberg has restarted work on digitising and proofreading this encyclopedia; as of June 2005 it had not yet been published. Meanwhile, in the face of competition from rivals such as Encarta, the latest Britannica was digitized by its publishers, and sold first as a CD-ROM and later as an online service. Other digitization projects have made progress in other titles. One example is Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) digitized by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Probably the most important and successful digitization of an encyclopedia was the Bartleby Project's online adaptation of the Columbia Encyclopedia, tenth Edition, http://www.bartleby.com/65/ in early 2000 and is updated periodically.

viki.lk

SOME OF ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIA SITES :
1 General reference
2 Biography
3 Antiquities, arts, and literature
4 Culture and country-specific
5 Pop culture and fiction
6 Mathematics
7 Music
8 Philosophy
9 Politics and history
10 Religion and theology
11 Science
11.1 Biology-Life science
11.2 Medicine and surgery
12 See also
13 References
14 External links

Yuvraj Singh back into T20 Squad

2012-09-04T12:28:00.001+05:30

"I am a bit nervous. I don't know how I will do on that day. I want to go all out in my first game," Yuvraj said while speaking about his return to the side.

Yuvraj Singh alongside Virat Kohli. Yuvraj is back in the limited overs side to play in the two T20 matches against New Zealand next month and the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka that follows. This will be his first appearance for India after he succesfully overcame a rare form of cancer between his lungs. Yuvraj Singh alongside Virat Kohli. Yuvraj is back in the limited overs side to play in the two T20 matches against New Zealand next month and the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka that follows. This will be his first appearance for India after he succesfully overcame a rare form of cancer between his lungs.

New Look for the Indian Team

2012-09-04T12:24:00.001+05:30

Members of India's squad for the T20 World Cup unveil their new jersey in Mumbai. From left to right - Ajinkya Rahane, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Irfan Pathan

Members of India's squad for the T20 World Cup unveil their new jersey in Mumbai. From left to right - Ajinkya Rahane, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Irfan Pathan
The dry-fit jersey is 43% lighter than what the team was already using and is a shade darker than the one that Team India wears in the 50-over format.
The features of the uniform include the new collar, a dash of tricolour near the left shoulder and three stars above the BCCI's logo signifying the three World Cup victories.
Speaking at the launch of Team India’s new Twenty20 jersey, captain MS Dhoni said the break that the team got before the recently concluded Sri Lanka tour proved very important. "The team is all fit from the physical and mental aspects. The one-and-a-half-month break [after the last IPL] was very good from that point of view. Even on the tour of Sri Lanka [where the team played five ODIs and a one-off T20 game] we had breaks between each game. We are quite ready for the packed season ahead," Dhoni said.

Call for Neil Armstrong tribute in Langholm

2012-08-29T20:34:00.000+05:30

A request is being made to a Scottish council to host a special service in memory of Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.

On Saturday August 25, 2012, a true American hero lost his life. Neil Armstrong was the first person to bravely leave our world behind and set foot on another. On July 21, 1969, he walked on the moon.

To be a young girl witnessing this amazing--and I don't use that term lightly--this amazing feat would have changed my life in ways unimaginable. But I wasn't alive in 1969. And by the time I even became aware of NASA's existence, a total of twelve people had stepped foot on the lunar surface. They were individual explorers, as are all of the fearless men and women in the space program. But their personal accomplishments mean more to me as a whole. They embody a spirit of exploration, uniting a nation--no, the world--and proving to us just what is possible.
Neil wasn't the only astronaut who passed away this year. On February sixth, Janice Voss, science director for NASA's Kepler Space Observatory, died. She left our planet on five separate occasions to fly in space. And Alan Poindexter, Navy Captain and shuttle pilot on two trips to the international space station, lost his life on July first. On July 23, Sally Ride, the first American woman in space passed away. To this day, she remains the youngest astronaut to leave Earth in her taillights.
Many astronauts live their lives quietly, humbly, insisting they're simply doing the job they were called upon to do. This humility was epitomized by Neil Armstrong. Upon his passing, his family issued this statement: "For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink."

Suri cruises to millions in 'TomKat' divorce

2012-08-29T20:07:00.000+05:30

Katie Holmes walked away without a payment or alimony in her divorce with Tom Cruise, but the couple's six-year-old daughter, Suri, stands to receive $400,000 annually in child support until she turns 18, celebrity website TMZ.com reported.

Citing sources familiar with court documents filed by the former couple, whose divorce was finalized earlier this week, TMZ said the "TomKat" pre-nuptial agreement blocked Holmes from receiving any portion of the 50-year-old actor's $250 million fortune. But Cruise will make child-support payments over the next 12 years that add up to $4.8 million, or $33,333.33 a month. TMZ also reported that Cruise must pay Suri's medical, education and extracurricular expenses.
Holmes, 33, surprised Cruise in late June when she filed for divorce from the "Mission: Impossible" star after a nearly six-year marriage. Cruise was in Iceland shooting a movie at the time.
The divorce, which took less than two weeks to settle, captivated the world and prompted questions about whether Suri will be raised in the Church of Scientology, with which her father has long been closely associated.