Saanj Blogs

iPad 3: Apple introduces new iPad with 'Retina' display, better camera

2012-03-08T12:34:00.003-08:00

Apple's new device, named "new iPad" calls a "Retina" display,launched Wednesday, offersnew A5X chip with quad-core graphics, and a 5-megapixel iSight camera with advanced optics for capturing incredible photos and 1080p HD video.

It also has a 5-megapixel (5MP iSight ) rear camera and ultrafast 4G LTE,same as in Apple's recent launched iPhone 4S.

Apple's chief executive, Tim Cook, announced "new iPad - Retina Display" in San Francisco. The new iPad will be available in black or white through the Apple Online Store and in Apple Retail stores on Friday, March 16, beginning at $499 (US).

At 84, Parkash Singh Badal towers over all

2012-03-07T09:27:00.003-08:00

Chandigarh: After Mandela, Badal. Did you knowthat Parkash Singh Badal, who could be Punjab chief minister for the fifth time, is the longest political prisoner in the world after South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela?

Born Dec 8, 1927, Badal spent nearly 17 years of his life injails as a political prisoner - he was booked for a civil liberty agitation, sent to jail during Emergency (1975-77) and put in prison during the Dharam Yudh Morcha days of Punjab in 1980s, fighting for the rights of Punjab and its people.

The 84-year-old four-time chief minister of Punjab, who steered his Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party combine to victory for a record second consecutive term, is known for his mild mannerism, wit, grounded personality and his mass connect with people despite the huge security paraphernalia around him at all times. The veteran leader is well-respected in the country.

Akali Dal-BJP create history in Punjab, surprise Congress

2012-03-06T17:57:00.001-08:00

Chandigarh: Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance created history in the state's politics as it stunned the Congress Tuesday to retain power for a second consecutive term - the first such instance in the state in the last over four decades.
Beating the traditional anti-incumbency factor, the combine bagged a comfortable majority with 68 seats in the 117-member Punjab assembly as results were declared. It is for the first time in over four decades that a government has been able to come back to power for a consecutive term in Punjab.

Surprisingly, the combine managed to bag the same number of seats it had got in the 2007 assembly polls - 68.

The positives from the results were more for the Akali Dal as it increased its score from 49 seats in 2007 to 56 this time. However, alliance partner BJP's tally came down - from 19 seats to just 12 this time.

Watch your diet, you multi-tasking women!

2012-03-06T17:26:00.004-08:00

March 8 is International Women's Day

New Delhi: She multitasks, balancing the pressures of work, children and home. But the modern superwoman who manages to do it all ends up neglecting her health, too busy to focus on her diet or an exercise regimen.

A busy lifestyle often leads to an erratic diet and international research indicates that women who are too busy to focus on their food intake are more likely to succumb to impulsive eating and spontaneous food purchasing. The result? Extra flab, laziness, diabetes, hypertension and obesity.
According to health expert Swati Srivastava, today's multitasking woman needs not just a balanced diet and exercise but also healthsupplements.

"Today's modern woman tries to maintain a fine balance between her personal and professional life; so a balanced diet and exercise are not enough as they require best healthsupplements to keep fit and healthy," Srivastava told IANS.

Punjab Vidan Sabha Election Results 2012

2012-03-05T17:44:00.001-08:00

Two Punjab bureaucrats-turned-politicians bite the dust

Click Here To See Results

Chandigarh: Two top functionaries of the outgoing Punjab government who got into electoral politics have bitten the dust.

Information Available: 117/117

Party	Lead	Won	Total
SAD+	0	68	68
CONG.	0	46	46
PPP	0	0	0
OTHERS	0	3	3

In the assembly election results declared Tuesday, Darbara Singh Guru, a senior IAS officer and former principal secretary to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who quit his job to contest the Bhadaur (Reserved) seat as an Akali Dal candidate lost to singer Mohammed Sadique. Guru had nursed the constituency in his capacity as the most powerful bureaucrat in the Badal government but that did not pay off.

Former Punjab police chief Paramdeep Singh Gill, who had quit his job as special adviser (Security) to the state home minister to contest the elections as an Akali Dal candidate from Moga, also lost.

Lakme Fashion Week: Latest Photos and News Updates

2012-03-03T14:55:00.002-08:00

Malaika and Amrita walk the ramp for Vikram Phadnis

Mumbai: Designer Vikram Phadnis Friday showcased his ethnic collection keeping the Indian and earthy attires in mind at the Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2012 show. Sisters Malaika Arora Khan and Amrita Arora walked the ramp adding glamour to the show.

While Amrita was wearing a beige golden elegant traditional attire with a draped chunni, Malaika wore a black velvet long -sleeved blouse pairing it with a creamy lehenga, giving her a typical Anarkali look.

Phadnis, however, displayed his clothing line in basic colours like cream, white and off white.

Men prefer taking smartphones to newspapers in loo

2012-02-24T14:09:00.000-08:00

London: Taking a newspaper to the toilet has long been a male preserve. But with the tech-age influencing nearly every aspect of life, even this most established of masculine habits seems to have been affected.

New British research shows men are far more likely to be scrolling through their phone screens than browsing the paper, the Daily Mail reported Friday.

One in two men routinely takes his mobile phone into the toilet to surf the internet, compared to just a third taking a newspaper to the loo.

'India has world's youngest internet population'

2012-02-24T14:05:00.002-08:00

New Delhi: India has the world's youngest internet population with 75 percent of all users under the age of 35 years, said research firm comScore Friday.

The findings were announced by comScore's co-founder and executive chairman Gian M. Fulgoni at the second edition of digital marketing event 'ad:tech' being organised here.

In comparison to India, the world's average of under 35-year users stood at 52 percent and 55 percent in Asia Pacific region.

"Further, a third of India's total online population is between 15 to 24 years," said Fulgoni.

Indian users spent a total of 34.47 billion minutes online last year, which translated to over half a billion hours, he added.

Showbiz beckons children of politicos

2012-02-24T14:00:00.001-08:00

New Delhi: Politics could be a predictable career option for the progeny of politicians, but showbiz seems to be the new choice. Defence Minister A.K. Antony's son Ajith's entry into Malayalam films just goes to strengthen this trend in the flourishing $2 billion Indian movie industry.

Showbiz has lured many youngsters from political families - Riteish Deshmukh, Arunoday Singh, Chirag Paswan and Rahul Mahajan to name some - and they are trying to carve a niche for themselves in a world very different from the one they grew up in.

Now Ajith Antony is reportedly set for his silver screen debut with director Aji John's "Oberoi", for which the 22-year-old has also penned the screenplay.

Riteish, the son of former Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, is so far the most popular among the lot. He embarked on his showbiz journey in 2003 with "Tujhe Meri Kasam" and has gradually grown to be one of the most sought after actors in tinsel town today. A variety of films like "Heyy Babyy", "Dhamaal", "Rann" and "Housefull", have cemented his position in the film industry.

Election Commission is winner in Punjab polls

2012-02-05T17:53:00.000-08:00

Chandigarh: Political parties in Punjab may have to wait for the outcome, but the assembly polls have already produced one sure winner - the Election Commission (EC).

The strict control that EC officials and their teams had over things in the five weeks between the announcement of elections Dec 24 till polling day Jan 30 saw the elections being conducted with discipline.

On the polling day itself, except for one poll-related death in a firing in Ferozepur district, which happened after the election process had officially ended at 5 p.m., and less than a dozen cases of clashes across Punjab, things remained largely violence-free despite the state recording nearly 79 percent - an all-time high - voter turnout from Punjab's over 17.6 million electorate.

Madhuri's wax statue to be unveiled on March 7

2012-02-05T17:40:00.000-08:00

Mumbai: The much-awaited wax statue of Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit will be unveiled at London's Madame Tussauds March 7.

"Madame Tussauds unveiling on March 7, 2012. See you then," tweeted Madhuri, who has moved here from Denver to play a new innings in Bollywood.

Known for her natural acting talent and graceful dancing, the 44-year-old is the latest Indian film star to join the A-list line up at the Madame Tussauds wax museum, which also houses statues of Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Hrithik Roshan, Salman Khan and Amitabh Bachchan.

Bent on laptops, spondylitis afflicting youths

2012-02-05T17:33:00.000-08:00

New Delhi: Shweta Arya was 29 years old when she first had a back problem. Ignored initially, her pain spread upwards and aggravated to a level where she was not even able to move her neck.

"Employed with an infrastructure consultancy, I used to work on a laptop with a bent neck. The back pain went on increasing and finally my situation was so bad that I could not even move my neck," she said.

Arya is one of the many young people suffering from spondylitis (a form of arthritis that affects your spine), a disease which is affecting more and more people in the lower age bracket.

"My doctor told me that while working on a laptop, the back should be straight and eyes should be on the same level as the computer screen. He said this problem developed due to my bad posture," said Arya.

Delhi Metro through foreign eyes: global system lacking global etiquettes

2012-01-15T17:32:00.000-08:00

Hurrying down the steps of a Delhi Metro station, I jump into the first available train. Eyes stare at me. I am not only the lone women in the train car but also the only foreigner.

Like 1.5 million other people in Delhi, I ride on the Metro every day. To get to work, I spend almost 45 minutes on the rail, including switching train lines, before reaching my destination.

The first couple of times I rode the Metro, I thought two things: people are staring at me and why do women not use the Metro. It took me days to realize there were 'women only' compartments at the front of each train. Since starting to use these reserved compartments, I enjoy watching men enter and look around to see only women. They quickly make their way down the train to the general compartments looking as though they mistakenly walked into the wrong washroom.

Now Hindi TV serials shot in foreign shores

2012-01-13T17:25:00.000-08:00

New Delhi: From the famous Sydney Opera House in Australia to beautiful exotic locales in Switzerland and Macau, small screen fiction as well as reality shows are being increasingly shot in foreign locations, much to the delight of viewers.

The newly married onscreen couple Ram and Priya go to Sydney for their honeymoon in "Bade Achhe Lagte Hain", the protagonist in "Hitler Didi" travels to Macau in search of her sister and the new reality show "Survivor India" has been shot on an island in the Philippines.

Niret Alva, co-founder of production house Miditech, told IANS that foreign locales gives shows "a larger than life feel".

Using steroids for pumped up body? Think twice

2012-01-13T17:21:00.000-08:00

New Delhi: The six-pack abs of actors Salman Khan and John Abraham can send many adolescents to the gym for a sculpted body. But for those who take the short cut through steroids, here is a word of caution. Their use can lead to serious problems like impotency, baldness and suicidal tendencies, say experts.

The perfect bodies of actors is achieved after a lot of labour, systematic exercising, discipline and diet, but every youngster does not have the patience to follow this arduous procedure and resorts to steroids.

Himachal's snowy slopes invite skiers

2012-01-13T17:18:00.000-08:00

Manali,HP: Powdery snow slopes near this picturesque tourist resort have once again started attracting skiers. And they should be in no hurry - the hills will remain blanketed in white till March end.

Skiing organisers say more spells of snow are expected and will keep the Solang slopes, just 13 km uphill from Manali, covered in white for over two months.

"At present, the Solang Valley has more than a three-and-a-half foot snow cover. The region will continue to experience fresh snow till February," Randhir Singh Salhuria, director of the state-run Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports here, told IANS.

The institute is conducting skiing courses - for professionals and amateurs - in Solang in the western Himalayas. This season the courses began from Wednesday and will continue till the slopes have snow.

Salhuria said a large number of skiers and snowboarders have come to the slopes for the first time in the season as the snow stopped and road links from Manali reopened.

According to the Met office in Shimla, it snowed heavily in Solang and nearby areas during Jan 5-9.

Ideal parenting? Many celebrities get it right

2012-01-13T17:15:00.000-08:00

New Delhi: He earns by the minute, yet superstar Shah Rukh Khan never compromises on quality time with his kids. Be it a bicycle ride or a game of soccer, he, like several celebrity parents these days, is always matching steps with his children - a quality others could imbibe, feel experts.

A considerable number of urban Indian kids are getting easily swayed by the lure of the Playstation, laptops, movies, internet, social networking and bowling alleys. But in the urge to spend more time with friends and technology, that crucial dialogue with parents is getting lost.

The white hills of Gulmarg rock back to glory

2012-01-05T00:12:00.000-08:00

Gulmarg (Jammu and Kashmir): The party started in the last days of 2011 and continues in the new year with tourists flocking to the snows of Gulmarg for fun and games as people in the volatile valley celebrate the return of good times.

The resort town, about 60 km from Srinagar, is buzzing as visitors crowd its streets and shops and hotels do brisk business.

After many years, this north Kashmir ski resort that also offers snow boarding and ice skating reverberated with hundreds of tourists and locals welcoming 2012 with fireworks, music and mirth.

The two dozen-odd hotels, with 1,200 beds, as well as the state tourism department huts were booked to capacity this New Year. And though some visitors left after the festive weekend, many are still streaming in, said a tourism department official.

What Guinness? My job is to run: 100-year-old Fauja Singh

2012-01-05T00:10:00.000-08:00

Chandigarh: His marathons at the ripe old age of 100 may not have been recognised by Guinness World Records on technical grounds, but Punjab-born British citizen Fauja Singh says the only thing he cares about is to keep running.

In fact Fauja, who will turn 101 April 1 this year, says he has not even heard of Guinness.

"Mainu taan Guinness book da naam vi nahin pata, taan main uhdi fikar kyon karaan (I don't even know the name of Guinness book, so why should I bother about it)," Fauja Singh asked during an interview with IANS here.

The marathoner is currently in India on a visit to his village Beas Pind, near Jalandhar, and other places in Punjab.

"My job is to run and I will continue to do that. Recognition by any book or agency will not affect my spirit towards running.

Fiat launches new versions of Linea and Punto

2012-01-03T22:26:00.000-08:00

New Delhi: Italian automaker Fiat Tuesday launched the new versions of its sedan Linea and hatchback Punto priced between Rs.4.81 lakh to Rs.6.71 lakh and Rs.6.83 lakh to Rs. 9.18 lakh respectively (ex-showroom Delhi).

Both the cars available in petrol and diesel variants, also sport extended wheel-base coupled with enhanced ground clearance and an improved air-conditioning.

"The new versions incorporate customer feedback, as well as, enhancement of upgradation in comfort and technology," Rajeev Kapoor, president and chief executive, Fiat India Automobiles, told reporters at the new variants launch.

Pakistan sways to its own Kolaveri Di

2011-12-29T16:11:00.000-08:00

Islamabad: Pakistan now has its own version of Kolaveri Di, the Indian song that is racing towards the 30 million YouTube mark. And it's hilarious.

"Where is democracy, democracy, democracy ji," asks the Pakistani version as five men swing to the tune that has made Indian superstar Rajinikanth's son-in-law Dhanush an internet sensation.

The song has become a big hit in a country that has seen a string of military strongmen, the last of whom was Pervez Musharraf. Speculation swirled earlier this month of a coup when President Asif Ali Zardari abruptly left for Dubai over a heart ailment.

The song says: "Corruption perfect".

The dancers then move around a lamp as the lyrics go "Distance la sakun sakun", a reference to the frequent power outages. Then it adds "Bill amount tight-u".

That's not all.

"Political money colour colour-u...money ... continue...

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Imran a rising star in Pakistani politics: Daily

2011-12-27T10:40:00.000-08:00

Islamabad: The big turn out at Imran Khan's rally in Karachi has cemented his status as a rising star in Pakistani politics and made his party a force to reckon with in the coming days, a leading English daily said Monday.

Imran Khan had held a mammoth rally Oct 30 in Lahore and his next massive rally was held in Karachi Sunday.

An editorial in the News International Monday said after the Lahore rally it had asked: Is Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) a jalopy or a juggernaut?

As hundreds of thousands poured into the grounds in Karachi Sunday and rallied in Imran's support, the answer to the question has become clearer: "Not only has Imran's status as a rising star in politics been cemented, his PTI will also be a force to reckon with in the coming days."

The editorial noted that after the Lahore rally, it was said that it would be weeks before we could properly assess the impact of the rally and months before the party's real prospects in the 2013 general elections became clear.

"But as the crowds came to cheer for Imran in Karachi, it could be...continue..

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Lok Sabha passes Lokpal bill but no constitutional status

2011-12-27T10:20:00.000-08:00

New Delhi:The Lok Sabha Tuesday gave its assent to the historic Lokpal bill after the government agreed to bring official amendments at the end of marathon 10-hour debate which saw the opposition tearing into the legislation.

However, the government suffered a major embarrassment as it could not pass the bill to give constitutional status to the Lokpal.

The Lokpal bill will now go to the Rajya Sabha where the government does not have a majority.

The day saw hectic deliberations within the government as some United Progressive Alliance (UPA) allies of the Congress joined the opposition in slamming some provisions of the draft legislation.

The Congress core group met in the evening to finalise amendments which were spelled out by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in his reply to the debate in his capacity as Leader of Hosue in the Lok Sabha. The Samajwadi Party and... continue

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The five Freak Famous of 2011 (2011 in Retrospect)

2011-12-26T17:57:00.000-08:00

New Delhi: Fame is a tricky goddess, bestowing her blessings on the most unusual bunch of people. The year 2011 saw 30 seconds of fame for a wannabe model, a porn star Indians hadn't heard of, an enraged self-styled crusader who slapped a minister, a song of jilted love that went viral and a respected former cop-turned-activist.

Here are five headline-hunters of 2011:

1. Sunny Leone: Sunny Leone, who? You may have asked only a few months ago, but say that now and you will be laughed at by those in the know. She is perhaps one of the better-behaved women in the blockbuster reality show Big Boss 5. But unlike many in the house who grabbed limelight by spouting buckets of choicest abuses and obscenities, she looks demure and talks pleasantly. If you did not know her background, you would not know she is a porn star. Born Karanjit Kaur and variously called Karen Malhotra, this lissome 30-something Indo-Canadian has acted in scores of porn movies and directed a few of the flicks. Now, she is the most googled Indian celebrity after Katrina Kaif. Sunny times indeed!

2. Poonam Pandey: Stripping for a cause? Here is another woman who made headlines when she threatened to walk naked if that helped the inspiration-starved Men in Blue win the match. Team India went on to win the cricket World Cup. It's a different matter though she didn't keep her promise! Her video, "My Bathing Secrets", was such a hit that even hotel heiress Paris Hilton is known to be following her...continue ....

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The year of social activism in India (2011 in Retrospect)

2011-12-25T18:18:00.000-08:00

New Delhi: With Anna Hazare stealing much of the media limelight, social activists this year mounted a determined offensive over issues ranging from corruption and black money to tribal rights.

While social activism has for long been an important part of the world's largest democracy, the trend got a boost from the anti-corruption movement of Hazare, who became the face of India's war on corruption.

A former army driver, Hazare fasted in Delhi thrice this year, forcing the government to take steps to unveil an independent body with powers to investigate and prosecute corrupt officials.

The 74-year-old from Maharashtra caught the imagination of millions. Thousands took to the streets in support, waving the tricolour and the now famous 'I am Anna' caps and T-shirts.

Shadab Fayaz, a Delhi University student who has been participating in anti-graft protests in the capital, sees "a change India is witnessing for the founding of a better and more democratic India".

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