Suman Das' Blog

Blog Closure

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:37:00 +0000

My dear readers,

It has come to my notice that in the past 1 year, this blog could only manage an average of 70 visitors per day. Hence, to concentrate more on my other websites, I am closing down this blog. Thanks for your support throughout the past 1 year.

If you want to follow me, you may do so through my other websites:

http://theultimaterenaissance.com
http://www.sumandas.com

OR, you may visit my blog at:
http://sdinfiniti.wordpress.com

Thanks Again. God Bless.
-Suman Das

Beware of Conficker C virus

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:35:00 +0000

Computer users beware, security experts have warned that the deadly Internet worm Conficker C is all set to strike back on February 1. According to Graham Cluley of security firm Sophos, Conficker C is programmed “to hunt for new instructions on Feb 1″. On January 1, the virus had infected more than nine million computers worldwide and was spreading at a rate of one million machines daily. Here’s all about this virus: what it does, how it spreads, symptoms that you have been hit and also how to escape it.

Although the origin of the name “conficker” is not known with certainty, Internet specialists and others have speculated that it is a German portmanteau fusing the term “configure” with “ficken”, the German equivalent of “fuck“. Microsoft analyst Joshua Phillips describes “conficker” as a rearrangement of portions of the domain name ‘trafficconverter.biz’.

How does it spread?

According to security experts, Conficker’s most intriguing aspect is its multipronged attack strategy: It can spread in three different ways.

One is a vulnerability in Windows that Microsoft patched almost six months ago. The bug, which is in a file-sharing service that’s included in all versions of the operating system, can be exploited remotely just by sending a malformed data packet to an unpatched PC.

Two, the worm can spread by password attacks. And third, by copying itself to any removable USB-based devices such as flash drives and cameras.

Symptoms

Microsoft’s advisory about Conficker lists several symptoms of infection, including these:

· Account lockout policies are being tripped.

· Automatic Updates, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Windows Defender, and Error Reporting Servicesare disabled.

· Domain controllers respond slowly to client requests.

· The network is congested.

· Various security-related Web sites cannot be accessed.

In case your PC is showing any of these symptoms Microsoft recommends that you immediately use the MSRT to clean the machine.

Users can download MSRT from Microsoft’s site, or follow the instructions posted at its support site.

Danger

Once in a computer it digs deep, setting up defenses that make it hard to extract. The worm leaves the computer vulnerable to further exploitation by hackers and spammers, who are able to remotely download more malicious programs onto the computer, or even use the worm to help install software that will enable them to track and steal security information, such as banking logins or credit card information. Malware could also be triggered to turn control of infected computers over to hackers amassing “zombie” machines into “botnet” armies. “Here we are with a big, big outbreak and they keep revamping their methodology to increase the size of it,” Perry said. “They could be growing this huge botnet to slice it up and sell it on the criminal market.”

A troubling aspect of Conficker is that it harnesses computing power of a botnet to crack passwords.

Most vulnerable machines

According to Microsoft, unpatched Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 machines are at the greatest risk. There are also reports from security companies, which highlight the danger to PCs running Windows XP Service Pack 2 and XP Service Pack 3.

Incidentally, these versions account for the bulk of Windows’ market share. Unpatched Windows Vista and Server 2008 systems are less likely to fall victim to these attack, since hackers need to authenticate access to the computer, in other words know the log-in username and password.

How to escape

Microsoft advises people to stay current on anti-virus tools and Windows updates, and to protect computers and files with strong passwords.

Microsoft issued a new series of security patches to try and help computer users defend their machines against the worm. Security experts urge people to harden passwords by mixing in numbers, punctuation marks, and upper-case letters. Doing so makes it millions of times harder for passwords to be deduced.

Solution

As antivirus companies worldwide scramble to erect defences against the Conficker C worm, an Indian company has successfully found a way to beat the computer worm. MicroWorld Technologies’ security solution claims to not only detect, but also eliminate Conficker C and block any further attempts by the worm to reinstall itself on the system. Govind Rammurthy, CEO & MD,MicroWorld Technologies said, “A three-pronged strategy is needed to tackle Conficker C an updated antivirus software, firewall protection on each and every computer in the network and the latest Microsoft patches.” MicroWorld’s recently launched eScan version 10 software also incorporates daily updates against the Conficker virus, which the company built after buyers of previous versions complained of Conficker attacks. Because the Conficker worm downloads fresh versions of itself on an hourly basis, eScan 10 is updated 8-9 times daily.

It also provides each computer with its own firewall, thus screening every software that seeks access to the computer and automatically downloads key patches released by Microsoft. So, let’s install this software or any other by ESET, Kaspersky, or BitDefender, and run on-demand scans for about 3-4 times a day, and assure ourselves to have a clean PC till the end of 1st week of Feb 2010. Good Luck, and Godspeed!!!

Bird Flu: The yearly guest of West Bengal

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:34:00 +0000

H5N1 is an avian influenza virus subtype. The H5N1 flu is what is commonly meant when talking of “bird flu” or “avian influenza“. It is a viral disease that causes illness in many species including humans and is a pandemic threat. Due to the high lethality and virulence of HPAI A(H5N1), its endemic presence, its increasingly large host reservoir, and its significant ongoing mutations, the H5N1 virus is the world’s largest current pandemic threat, and billions of dollars are being spent researching H5N1 and preparing for a potential influenza pandemic. At least 12 companies and 17 governments are developing pre-pandemic influenza vaccines in 28 different clinical trials that, if successful, could turn a deadly pandemic infection into a non-deadly one.

The Avian Flu claimed at least 500 human lives in Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Romania, China, India, Turkey and Russia in the past 3 years. Epidemiologists are afraid that the next time such a virus mutates, it could pass from human to human. If this form of transmission occurs, another pandemic could result.

Full-scale production of a vaccine that could prevent any illness at all from the strain would require at least three months after the virus’s emergence to begin, but it is hoped that vaccine production could increase until one billion doses were produced by one year after the initial identification of the virus…

All about Vintage cars

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:41:00 +0000

Well… First things first! What do you understand by a vintage car? Is that the collection of that old speed-less vehicles which hardly had 3 gears to boast of! Practically, Yes! But what is the real stuff? A vintage car is commonly defined as a car built between the start of 1919 and the end of 1930. There is little debate about the start date of the vintage period—the end of World War I is a nicely defined marker there—but the end date is a matter of a little more debate. The British definition is strict about 1930 being the cut-off, while some American sources prefer 1925 since it is the pre-classic car period as defined by the Classic Car Club of America (CCCA).

The vintage period in the automotive world was a time of transition. The car started off in 1919 as still something of a rarity, and ended up, in 1930, well on the way towards ubiquity. In fact, automobile production at the end of this period was not matched again until the 1950s. In the intervening years, most industrialized states built nationwide road systems with the result that, towards the end of the period, the ability to negotiate unpaved roads was no longer a prime consideration of automotive design. Cars became much more practical, convenient and comfortable during this period. Car heating was introduced, as was the in-car radio.

Antifreeze was introduced, allowing water-cooled cars to be used year-round. Four-wheel braking from a common foot pedal was introduced, as was the use of hydraulically actuated brakes. Power steering was also an innovation of this era. Towards the end of the vintage era, the system of octane rating of fuel was introduced, allowing comparison between fuels. During this period, as well as the car adapting, society began to adapt to the car. In the United States, drive-in restaurants were introduced as well as suburban shopping centers and motels.

For more news on latest cars, ads and reviews, visit: The Ultimate Renaissance.

India 2009: A Retrospective

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 21:43:00 +0000

Here is my retrospective of the major news that took place during the year 2009. Please read the list and leave your comments in the “Comments” section.

January 2009

· US President Barack Obama took office, in the wake of the greatest economic crisis since World War II
· Google Chrome browser released in Beta
· India – Pakistan exchange list of nuclear installations
· Satyam scandal rocks Indian Outsourcing industry
· US backs India on 26/11 terror attack probe
· Pakistan denies proofs sent by India on Terror attacks
· 50,000 officers of oil PSUs go on indefinite strike

February 2009

· Hijack scare at Delhi airport
· Chairman of ISRO, G Madhavan Nair, felicitated with “Indian of the Year” award
· American woman alleges molestation at Iskcon temple
· Despite economic slowdown, J-K witnesses cellphone boom
· Al-Qaeda video warns India of more attacks
· Family of a poverty-ridden man beheaded in Bihar for marrying a rich girl
· Biggest Air-show in India takes place at Bangalore

March 2009

· Indian Auto industry defies global slowdown, registers highest total sales
· UK unemployment figure grows beyond 2 million
· Japan posts a record current account deficit of 172.8 billion yen
· Class XII topper Akhilesh Narayan reports: "I slept before my maths exams, scored 99%"
· India successfully tests Interceptor missile
· Error in CBSE maths paper reported
· US clears decks for biggest defence deal with India

April 2009

· Tata Nano hits showrooms
· IPL 2 starts in South Africa
· Management student Akhil Dev ragged, beaten and blinded at PSG College, Coimbatore
· US radio host Rush Limbaugh calls Indian workers, slumdogs
· Kolkata prisoners go on hunger strike to watch IPL
· Swine Flu spreads in US, India on high alert
· IAF Sukhoi fighter jet Su-30MKI crashes, navigator killed

May 2009

· IPL 2 ends in Pretoria, South Africa with Deccan Chargers as champions
· IIT student arrested for Credit Card fraud at Ahmedabad, India
· MIG 27 crashes in Jodhpur, 5 injured
· Air France apologises to Indian passengers for “ill-treatment”
· Girls outshine boys In ICSE, ISC and CBSE board exams
· 19-year old woman Krushnaa, youngest woman to scale Mt Everest
· Cyclone hits West Bengal

June 2009

· Indian bureaucracy worst in Asia, says survey
· Swine Flu drug Tamiflu banned
· India seeks 25-member UN Security Council
· Two Indian sailors freed from Koran prison
· Air India employees warn of strike, if salaries delayed
· Indian students attacked in Australia
· MIG 21 crashes in Assam, no casualties

July 2009

· N. Korea warns of “Unimaginably Deadly Blows” to US
· UPA proposes 100-day ‘unrealistic’ plans to put India on fast track
· Izzat Train scheme released: Travel 100 kms for Rs 25
· Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja agrees of having sex with maid servant
· Heavy rains flood Mumbai
· BSF finds Pak rocket debris in a Punjab village
· Hillary Clinton visits India

August 2009

· West Bengal govt cracks down on polluting vehicles
· India – China begin 14^th round of border talks
· Call centre employee sedated and raped by colleague in Delhi
· Mumbai terrorists came from Pakistan, claims FBI
· Delhi will be slum-free in 4 years, promises CM Sheila Dikshit
· BSNL staff go on strike, demand wage hike
· Swiss banks refuse details to India on Black Money trail

September 2009

· Jet Airways cancels more than half of its flights, as over a hundred staff stay on leave
· Class X board exams declared “optional” in CBSE
· Tata Indicom launches new plan: Unlimited calls for Re 1
· Infosys to produce unique IDs for Delhiites by 2012
· Theft reported at Rashtrapati Bhavan in India
· Lockheed begins F-16 trials to replace MIG-21 fleet
· CBI forms new team to probe Aarushi Murder case

October 2009

· Heavy rains lash South India
· Infant Mortality Rate highest in India, says United Nations Human Development report
· India test fires N-capable Prithvi-II missile in Orissa
· Half of India’s children malnourished, says ActionAid NGO report
· US ship Alang poses toxic threat to India
· India’s Swine Flu toll reaches 415
· Hyderabad throws open India’s longest flyover

November 2009

· Sachin Tendulkar reaches 17,000 ODI runs
· Online CAT exam fails due to server crash
· Teller’s machine in use to detect fake currency notes, reports CNN
· Bangladesh launches major crackdown on ULFA
· Dutch national held in Child Pornography in Chennai
· India revises air quality norms after 15 years
· DRDO admits N-capable Agni-II failed night testing

December 2009

· India regains top spot in Cricket Test Rankings
· Indian Railways unveil new method to curb accidents due to fog
· Third ceasefire violation reported in a week on Indo-Pak border near LoC

Top 7 Cheapest cars of the world

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:11:00 +0000

7. Fiat Palio $9,242

Born in Brazil and built in other Latin American countries, as well as Poland, Morocco, Turkey, India, South Africa China and Russia (the sedan version), the Fiat Palio is truly a “world car.” This car is one of the first models designed with emerging technologies in mind.

6. Hyundai i10 $9,096

Hyundai recently changed the names of its cars from actual words to numbers after the letter i. Because of this, the Atos, the smallest member of the Hyundai lineup, became the i10. It makes #8 on the list.

5. Tata Indica $8,500

The Indica has always been the ugly duckling in the European market, where it survives because there’s nothing cheaper available (well, the latest Fiat 600 can sometimes be found for under 6,000 EUR). The car is also sold in South Africa, where it’s a huge success.

4. Geely HQ SRC $5,780

The Geely HQ SRC is based on the mid-’80s Daihatsu Charade. If you don’t remember that particular vehicle, rest assured it was a quite competent subcompact at the time.

3. Suzuki Maruti 800 $4,994

Until the Tata Nano arrives, the Suzuki Maruti 800 — the “smallest car in production” — will be the cheapest car you can buy in India and in other nearby countries (and even South America). Some versions of the Maruti have even arrived in Europe.

2. Chery QQ $4,781

It’s almost twice as expensive as the cheapest car on the this list, but that doesn’t stop the Cherry QQ from coming in at #2. This car sparked some trademark issues because of similarities to the Daewoo/Chevrolet Matiz.

1. Tata Nano $2,497

This car is well thought out, and lots of patents have resulted from the creation process — from the Nano’s powertrain to the assembly process itself. Will this car ruin the world? Some voices say that more cars on the roads imply more pollution, which is hard to argue against.

For pictures of these cars and the original post, please visit: The Ultimate Renaissance.

Please post your comments below.

Black Rhino: Endangered or Extinct?

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:38:00 +0000

An endangered species is a population of an organism (usually a taxonomic species), which because it is either few in number or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters, leaving it at risk of becoming extinct. Many countries have laws offering special protection to these species or their habitats: for example, forbidding hunting, restricting land development or creating preserves.

Only a few of the many endangered species actually make it to the official lists and obtain legal protection.

Many more species become extinct, or potentially will become extinct, without gaining public notice. The greatest factor of concern is the rate at which species are becoming extinct within the last 150 years.

While species have evolved and become extinct on a regular basis for the last several hundred million years, the number of species becoming extinct since the Industrial Revolution has no precedent in biological history. If this rate of extinction continues, or accelerates as now seems to be the case, the number of species becoming extinct in the next decade could number in the millions.

While most people readily relate to endangerment of large mammals or birdlife, some of the greatest ecological issues are the threats to stability of whole ecosystems if key species vanish at any level of the food chain. One such endangered animal is the Black Rhinoceros.

The Black Rhinoceros, Diceros bicornis also colloquially Black Rhino is a mammal in the order Perissodactyla, native to the eastern and central areas of Africa including Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Although the Rhino is referred to as a “Black” creature, it is actually more of a grey-white color in appearance. For most of the 20th century the continental black rhino was the most numerous of all rhino species. Around 1900 there were probably several hundred thousand living in Africa. During the later half of the 20th century their number severely reduced from an estimated 70,000 in the late 1960s to only 10,000 to 15,000 in 1981.

In the early 1990s the number dipped below 2500, and in 1995 it was reported that only 2,410 black rhinos remained.

According to the International Rhino Foundation, the total African population has since then slightly recovered to 3,610 by 2003. According to a July 2006 report by the World Conservation Union, a recent survey of the West African Black Rhino, which once ranged across the savannahs of western Africa but had dropped to just 10, concluded the subspecies to be extinct.

Nokia 5220 XpressMusic : An antique review

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:44:00 +0000

This is my latest cell phone Nokia 5220 XpressMusic. Apparently, Nokia 5220 xPressMusic is all about music like 5310, but it certainly has some other aspects to talk about that makes it much more desirable by people in general. It is a stylish phone with a sleek design and an amazing look that catches attention at once. Basic thing about the design of this phone is that it is asymmetrical. User interface is quite easy to use as well and like other music edition phones in Nokia, it also comes with dedicated music keys which make it much easier to start and stop your music files.

It has 2-inches of display that makes it really nice to watch some movies and videos on this mobile. For this purpose, it contains an MPEG4 player that can play some really nice quality videos for you as the screen comes with 240 x 320 pixels.

Also, it has TFT, 256K color that provides you the best picture quality. To capture your favorite moments, it comes with a 2-megapixel camera with 1600×1200 pixels.

However, this phone lacks a flash light that is really nice to have these days when the competition of buying a complete mobile phone is on a real high. To provide you the enough storage options fro your music files it can be used with 2GB micro SD card.

Although, it comes with built-in hands free but it also has 3.5 mm audio output jack that provides you the opportunity to use your favorite headphone to enjoy the beautiful and spice sound quality in isolation. FM stereo radio with RDS is the added benefit that one can have with this mobile. FM radios are really gaining hype these days, so, this mobile is doing its job in the best way by providing you the stereo FM radio. To enhance your listening experience, it also is designed to be compatible with Nokia Music Store where more than 2 million tracks can be found.

It comes with GPRS and EDGE technology, but, it lacks 3G like other xPressMusic editions. However, it still is good enough to explore internet with ease.

It also provides a link to YouTube service and Opera mini browser can be used to surf internet. It also provides you with an option of push email which is quite attractive for business people and people in general. Also, the internet quality and speed is good enough to provide speedy music downloads. It does come with a Bluetooth but doesn’t have infrared. It also has some of the basic applications that make it really nice to have. Contacts, world clock, Calendar, notes with 2000 phone book entries make it wonderful piece of device.

Battery stand is good enough, in fact, music playing time is as much as 24 hours for this phone.

Although, this mobile set comes with an amazing style, but, there are a lot of people who have not really liked the design and style of this phone. But there is exception as well because a good number of people are in favor of this beautifully designed phone.

Unfortunately, it has been taken off the market now due to it's weird shape and being disliked by the mass :(

Indian Men's Biggest Fears...

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Sun, 17 May 2009 17:21:00 +0000

What is an Indian guy’s biggest fear? I have found this after a thorough research on myself and also a few other guys I’ve met. Let’s take a countdown to all these one by one:

10. Getting caught while drinking / smoking

To many men (non-IT), drinking still remains a taboo. And now, after a ban being imposed on liquor in India, I guess this will be eased out a bit. Many times, men fear getting caught by girlfriend / parents, while drinking / smoking. When I used to smoke and drink, I myself was many times caught by this fear. It’s really a pain.

9. Free falling

This generally happens to acrophobic people: those who are afraid of height. Some people also avoid taking the elevators, just because of the fear that the wire might trip.

8. Small children and babies

I am pretty good with young kids, but I found many people so much afraid of their own li’l ones. This is weird, but true. Most of the guys simply avoid getting married just due to this untold reality. They say, “I love everything about marriage, excepting the ‘kid’ factor.” I feel this is not that a dreadful fear, but should be avoided.

7. Large insects

Yes, I used to have this fear when I was a kid. Large insects in the most weirdest of nightmares.

6. Meeting girlfriend’s parents

What can I say about this? This is indeed one of the greatest fears for all of us. The fear that one wrong answer, and everything will be finished. In the process, we also start predicting what will be the next question, and frame answers for that; but when the next question happens to be something else, we get tensed even more.

5. Being rejected when asking a girl on a date

More than a fear, I feel, this is an insult. An insult to one’s emotions, skills and judgment.

4. Losing job

Joblessness is one of the biggest fears for any Indian. This has propped up very recently, following the Global Economic Meltdown. That’s why, most of us, no matter how worse their present job is, are thriving in the present situations in their workplaces.

3. Hair Loss / Ageing

Again, most think that men don’t care about their looks and appearance. But, frankly, that’s not right. Although, we are surely not that self conscious about our looks n all, but we do fear losing our hair and looks, post a particular threshold, and become restless.

2. Proposing to girlfriend

This happens to be the most dreaded fear among most of us, and may very well qualify to be the No.1 in the most dreadful men’s fears. Most people end up in a break-up just because they were unsure of the right time, and were afraid of losing their girlfriend.

1. Relegation of the Indian Cricket Team / player(s)

This is the most common fear of most of Indian guys. If I take a poll, this might just lose out to the point no.2, but believe me, there are so many emotions surrounding the Indian cricket team and its players. May it be the national team or our domestic teams; we are just too much reluctant to let it go to hell. Some cricket frenzies even dream of cricket every night! Weird! Most facts happen to be weird!

Customer Care Blues...

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Sun, 17 May 2009 17:11:00 +0000

Customer Support guys are known to be a boon to today’s world. But, there are instances when we feel, we would have been better off without them. Here are a few such instances:

Instance 1

I had trouble downloading an operating system upgrade for a PDA, so I called tech support.

Me: “I can’t seem to get this download to complete. What might be causing it?”
Tech Support: “What operating system are you running?”
Me: “Windows NT.”
Tech Support: “Well, you have to be running Windows 98 or better in order to download it.”
Me: “Ummm, I am. I’m running Windows NT4, SP5.”
Tech Support: “Are you on a PC or a MAC?”

Instance 2

My school required me to do some of our reports on laptops and print from a single printer. After a few months the laptop they provided me ceased to work with the printer. I spoke with the IT Manager.

IT Manager: “I don’t know if the problem is a hardware problem or a software problem.”
Me: “Ok.”
IT Manager: “So I can’t solve the problem now.”
Me: “When can you solve it?”
IT Manager: “I told you: I don’t know if it is a hardware problem or a software problem. I can’t fix it until I know.”
Me: “Ok. I need to print my reports. When will I be able to?”
IT Manager: (angrily) “Look, if it’s a hardware problem I can’t fix it! I don’t know if it is a hardware or a software problem.”

I made several more attempts to communicate with the IT manager about this problem over the next few weeks, only to find myself in the same conversation. Finally, I sent a memo to my boss, explaining that I was having difficulty getting tech support and could not print out my reports. My boss wrote back:

Boss: “Please do not harass the IT Manager anymore. He has already explained to you that he doesn’t know whether it is a software problem or a hardware problem.”

Instance 3

There’s this quite major company called Hewlett Packard over here in India. I bought a system from them, and then five months later I hear a “Pfoo!” noise, and my display went all fuzzy and strange.

Here’s the conversation I had with tech support about it, with a lot cut out:

Tech Suppport: “What seems to be the problem, sir?”
Me: “Well, my screens all fuzzy, and my video card seems to have exploded.”
Tech Support: “Well, right click on the desktop.”
Me: “Before you say anything, I’ve tried the monitor on another computer, and on this computer on Windows 98, 2000, Linux, and BeOS, and it’s definitely something wrong with the video card, because the monitor worked on the other computers, and it didn’t work in any of the operating systems in this one, and when I tried another video card, it worked.”
Tech Support: “Right click on the desktop.”
Me: “…”
Tech Support: “Right click on the desktop.”
Me: “Well, I’m in Linux right now.”
Tech Support: “Right click on the desktop.”
Me: “I’m not in Windows.”
Tech Support: “Right click on the desktop.”
Me: “Do you know what an operating system is?”
Tech Support: “Yes, sir.”
Me: “Ok then, because, I’m not in Windows. I’m in Linux, which is another operating system. Right clicking on the desktop won’t do anything you think it will, I promise. Do you want me to reboot into Windows?”
Tech Support: “Right click on the desktop please, sir.”

I sighed, gave up, rebooted into Windows, and right clicked on the desktop.

Me: “Do you want me to click on ‘Properties’?”
Tech Support: “No sir, please click on ‘Properties’.”
Me: “…”

After a while, “we” determined that, no, it isn’t my resolution, and installing new drivers won’t help. After a very long discussion, I learned that to replace my video card, they would “have to” (or so policy dictates) take the entire computer away (monitor and all) for 5-7 business days to replace the faulty video card. I protested this, because the computer was being used in a business. They told me there was “nothing they could do.” This seemed bad enough, but then:

Tech Support: “Have you backed up recently?”
Me: “No, why?”
Tech Support: “You should…”
Me: “Sure, ok, I’ll remember.”
Tech Support: “…because as part of our policy, when servicing a computer, we delete everything on the hard disk.”
Me: “What the $%* *%(@ $%? WHY???”
Tech Support: “Company policy.”
Me: “But it’s a broken video card! Even you admit that!!! It has nothing to do with the hard drive!”
Tech Support: “That’s company policy, sir.”

After about an hour of arguing, we didn’t get anywhere. I am living with the video card up to this day, months later, and was not refunded in anyway.

Turns out to be rather more tragic than funny, actually.

All about Malwares

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Thu, 07 May 2009 03:25:00 +0000

Malware, a short for malicious software, is a software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner’s informed consent. The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software or program code.

Many computer users are unfamiliar with the term, and often use “computer virus” for all types of malware, including true viruses. Software is considered malware based on the perceived intent of the creator rather than any particular features. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware and other malicious and unwanted software.

In law, malware is sometimes known as a computer contaminant, for instance in the legal codes of several American states, including California and West Virginia. Malware is not the same as defective software, that is, software which has a legitimate purpose but contains harmful bugs. Preliminary results from Symantec sensors published in 2008 suggested that “the release rate of malicious code and other unwanted programs may be exceeding that of legitimate software applications.”

According to F-Secure, “As much malware (was) produced in 2007 as in the previous 20 years altogether.”

What is its purpose?

Many early infectious programs, including the first Internet Worm and a number of MS-DOS viruses, were written as experiments or pranks generally intended to be harmless or merely annoying rather than to cause serious damage to computers. In some cases the perpetrator did not realize how much harm their creations could do. Young programmers learning about viruses and the techniques used to write them only to prove that they could or to see how far it could spread.

As late as 1999, widespread viruses such as the Melissa virus appear to have been written chiefly as pranks.

Hostile intent related to vandalism can be found in programs designed to cause harm or data loss. Many DOS viruses, and the Windows ExploreZip worm, were designed to destroy files on a hard disk, or to corrupt the file system by writing junk data. Network-borne worms such as the 2001 Code Red worm or the Ramen worm fall into the same category. Designed to vandalize web pages, these worms may seem like the online equivalent to graffiti tagging, with the author’s alias or affinity group appearing everywhere the worm goes. However, since the rise of widespread broadband Internet access, malicious software has come to be designed for a profit motive, either more or less legal (forced advertising) or criminal.

Another strictly for-profit category of malware has emerged in spyware — programs designed to monitor users’ web browsing, display unsolicited advertisements, or redirect affiliate marketing revenues to the spyware creator. Spyware programs do not spread like viruses; they are generally installed by exploiting security holes or are packaged with user-installed software, such as peer-to-peer applications. It is not uncommon for spyware and advertising programs to install so many processes that the infected machine becomes unusable, defeating the intention of the attack.

The best-known types of malware, viruses and worms, are known for the manner in which they spread, rather than any other particular behavior. The term computer virus is used for a program which has infected some executable software and which causes that software, when run, to spread the virus to other executable software. Viruses may also contain a payload which performs other actions, often malicious. A worm, on the other hand, is a program which actively transmits itself over a network to infect other computers. It too may carry a payload. These definitions lead to the observation that a virus requires user intervention to spread, whereas a worm spreads automatically.

Some writers in the trade and popular press appear to misunderstand this distinction, and use the terms interchangeably.

How to counter such attacks?

As malware attacks become more frequent, attention has begun to shift from viruses and spyware protection, to malware protection, and programs have been developed to specifically combat them.

Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware SE and “Spybot - Search & Destroy” are examples of freeware program originally created to combat spyware and adware, but which also protects against some malware, viruses, and worms. Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware is a shareware more focused on trojans, browser hijackers, and other malware, and which consequently roots out many kinds of malware that most other defensive programs won’t find. Anti-malware programs can combat malware in two ways:

1. They can provide real time protection against the installation of malware software on your computer. This type of spyware protection works the same way as that of anti-virus protection in that the anti-malware software scans all incoming network data for malware software and blocks any threats it comes across.

2. Anti-malware software programs can be used solely for detection and removal of malware software that has already been installed onto your computer. This type of malware protection is normally much easier to use and more popular. This type of anti-malware software scans the contents of the windows registry, operating system files, and installed programs on your computer and will provide a list of any threats found, allowing you to choose what you want to delete and what you want to keep, or compare this list to a list of known malware components, removing files which match.

Real-time protection from malware works identically to real-time anti-virus protection: the software scans disk files at download time, and blocks the activity of components known to represent malware.

7 Worst Habits of Workaholics

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:35:00 +0000

It has been around 2 years since I joined the IT industry. For the first 10 months, I was really bored as I didn’t have much of work. Then, I started to get frustrated coz I felt I wasn’t given the amount and quality of work for which I was getting paid.

But, it was only since April last year that I got some real responsibilities. Then, I got power and I was satisfied. Slowly, I got more power and more responsibilities, and I was happy. Gradually, I became a workaholic.

It was only since the last 6 months that I started getting sick. I was hospitalized for about 2 weeks. Then, I made this research to find what went wrong. The following are the 7 worst habits of workaholics:

1. Forgetting to relax

While some stress can be good because it keeps you alert and motivated, too much stress or chronic stress will take its toll on your body.

2. Eating on the go

Between meetings, conference calls and deadlines, workaholics forget to take out time to sit down for a healthy lunch. But a good meal is exactly what a person needs to stay mentally sharp throughout the day.

3. Putting off sleep for work

Even busy professionals need seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Missing out on sleep can lead to irritability, difficulty concentrating, memory problems and poor judgment. It has also been linked to obesity.

4. Not making time for exercise

Getting at least 30 minutes of exercise most days is very important to immediate and future health.

5. Working even when sick

Many people come to work despite being ill. But there are three common sense reasons to stay home — nobody wants your germs, you’ll be less productive and you need your rest to get better.

6. Drinking (too much)

Excessive drinking can lead to alcoholism, liver disease and some forms of cancer.

7. Skipping annual medical check-ups

In order to detect problems early, prevent others from developing and get the best treatment if you have a condition, you need to know what’s going on in your body.

Although, I had taken care of the last 3 points; I am yet to take care of the first 4. Once I take care of all 7 of these, I guess, I can call myself a healthy workaholic.

Top 10 IT destinations in India

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:31:00 +0000

A study — conducted jointly by the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) and global management consulting firm A T Kearney — has identified 10 cities in India that are good for the IT-BPO industry. The study took into account the following key parameters to arrive at its inference: Knowledge pool and skill-set availability; infrastructure; social and living environment; enabling business environment; government support; and operating cost. So here are India’s best cities for IT centres.

Rank 10: Nagpur

Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, has for long suffered due to lack of strong leadership and political will. Thus the manufacturing boom that many other Indian cities embraced with elan bypassed Nagpur. However, as if to compensate for this ‘loss,’ the city has turned into a major trading hub.

Rank 9: Jaipur

The capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur is a major IT-BPO centre. The city has seen large investments by Genpact, Infosys, etc in the IT BPO sector, making it a vibrant destination for such companies. The boom in the IT sector in Jaipur has also led to a mushrooming of shopping malls, large retail outlets, entertainment facilities, etc. The boom has also attracted big funds into the city’s real estate sector too.

Rank 8: Mohali / Chandigarh

Mohali sits cheek by jowl to Chandigarh. The Punjab and Haryana governments’ incentives and friendly policies have seen many an IT-BPO firm set up base in the two cities. A vibrant IT talent pool, apart from impressive infrastructure attracts IT-BPO companies to these cities.

Rank 7: Kolkata

Often termed fondly as the cultural headquarters of India, Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal has a population of 5 million. The city has seen a surge of investments in the housing infrastructure sector.

Several new projects have come up in recent times. Kolkata has been ranked as the one of the most attractive destinations for investment, especially in the IT-BPO sector. The city has good infrastructure, great manpower and talent pool that make it an attractive base for many an IT-BPO firm.

Rank 6: Mumbai

Mumbai, the commercial capital of India, is one of the world’s top ten trade centres. The city contributes 25 per cent of industrial output and 70 per cent of capital transactions to India’s economy.

Rank 5: Pune

Pune, in Maharashtra, has emerged as not just a major automobile and manufacturing base, but also as a powerful software industry hub. Already IT giants Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro, Infosys and Tech Mahindra have their base here. The booming information technology industry has seen Pune come forth as a force to reckon with. The city has good infrastructure, great talent pool, an enabling business environment, government support, etc have boosted the city’s image as one of the best to set up IT-BPO centres in India.

Rank 4: Hyderabad

Hyderabad, the financial capital of Andhra Pradesh, is also known as ‘Cyberabad’ because of the rapid progress it has made in the field of IT. As per 2006 statistics, the per capita income of Andhra Pradesh was at Rs 25,625 (less than Rs 200 of national average). The city, that used to be a service city, is now the seat of many businesses, including trade, transport, commerce, storage, communications, and most importantly IT. Like Bengaluru, Hyderabad too has witnessed a real estate boom in recent times, mainly because of the growth of IT and retail business in the city.

Rank 3: Chennai

Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, has emerged as a major exporter of software, IT, ITeS services in India.

Rank 2: Bengaluru

Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, is also called the Silicon Valley of India due to its towering stature in the field of information technology. For long considered one of the best places to do business in the wired world, Bengaluru’s creaking infrastructure is taking some gloss off its image. Yet, IT and BPO firms keep making a beeline for the city, because of the availability of talent and a great business environment. Bengaluru is home to India’s best known IT firms like Infosys and Wipro.

Rank 1: Gurgaon

Gurgaon is the best city for setting up a software or a business process outsourcing centre in India. The Haryana city is home to dozens of top BPO firms, earning it the sobriquet: India’s outsourcing hub.

Great physical and supporting infrastructure, availability of ample talent, impressive real estate boom, affordable cost of living, good governmental support, etc make Gurgaon the ideal choice for an IT-BPO centre. Beside this, workforce and proximity to the airport are some other crucial factors that are heavily considered by most investors before starting a BPO in Gurgaon. However, Gurgaon on its own might not bag the honours: other areas like Delhi, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad, put together make this region a powerhouse when it comes to BPOs. Some of the BPO companies that are housed in Gurgaon include Wipro, HCL Technologies, HTMT, 24/7 Customer, Inc, Infosys BPO, Convergys, Accenture, MphasiS, Daksh, IGate Global, Transworks, Genpact, and WNS.

Are You gifted?

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:23:00 +0000

Intellectual giftedness is an intellectual ability significantly higher than average.

Giftedness is a trait that starts at birth and continues throughout the life-span. Giftedness is not a marker of success, but rather of aptitude or the inherent ability to learn. Gifted children often develop asynchronously; their minds are often ahead of their physical growth, and specific cognitive and emotional functions are often at different stages of development. Gifted individuals also experience the world differently, resulting in unique social and emotional issues. Some research suggests that gifted children have greater psychomotor, sensual, imaginative, intellectual, and emotional “over-excitabilities”. Many schools use a variety of measures of students’ capability and potential when identifying gifted children.

These may include portfolios of student work, classroom observations, achievement measures, and intelligence scores.

Most educational professionals accept that no single measure can be used in isolation to accurately identify a gifted child.

Most IQ tests do not have the capacity to discriminate accurately at higher IQ levels, and are perhaps only effective at determining whether a student is gifted rather than distinguishing among levels of giftedness. Although the Wechsler tests have a ceiling of about 160, their creator has admitted that they are intended to be used within the average range (between 70 and 130), and are not intended for use at the extreme ends of the population.

Generally, gifted individuals learn more quickly, deeply, and broadly than their peers. Gifted children may learn to read early and operate at the same level as normal children who are significantly older. The gifted tend to demonstrate high reasoning ability, creativity, curiosity, a large vocabulary, and an excellent memory.

They often can master concepts with few repetitions. Some gifted individuals experience heightened sensory awareness and may seem overly sensitive to sight, sound, smell and touch. For example, they may be extremely uncomfortable when they have a wrinkle in their sock, or unable to concentrate because of the sound of a clock ticking on the other side of the room. Hypersensitivity to external stimuli can be said to resemble a proneness to “sensory overload”, which can cause persons to avoid chaotic and crowded environments.

Others, however, are able to tune out any unwanted distractions as they focus on a task or on their own thoughts, and seem to seek and thrive on being in the midst of lots of activity and stimulation. Some children are born with innately higher intelligence levels than others. These children are often labeled as gifted or talented.

Safest cars till date...

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 03:50:00 +0000

Is your car safe enough? This is the primary question that arises in your mind when you look for a family car. Here is the countdown to 7 of the safest cars in the world:::

7. 7. Mercury Sable

Base MSRP:	$23,935.00
Base Invoice:	$22,096.00
Destination:	$800.00
Engine:	Engine-6 Cyl-V6
Transmission	Transmission-Auto-6 Spd
Body Style:	4dr Car
Drive Type	Drivetrain-FWD

6. Honda Pilot

Base MSRP:	$27,595.00
Base Invoice:	$25,010.8
Destination:	$670.00
Engine:	Engine-6 Cyl-V6
Transmission	Transmission-Auto-5 Spd
Body Style:	Sport Utility
Drive Type	Drivetrain-FWD

5. Infiniti FX

Base MSRP:	$38,050.00
Base Invoice:	$34,980.00
Destination:	$865.00
Engine:	Engine-6 Cyl-V6
Transmission	Transmission-Auto-5 Spd
Body Style:	Sport Utility
Drive Type	Drivetrain-RWD

4. Lincoln Town Car

Base MSRP:	$45,295.00
Base Invoice:	$41,626.00
Destination:	$920.00
Engine:	Engine-8 Cyl
Transmission	Transmission-Auto-4 Spd
Body Style:	4dr Car
Drive Type	Drivetrain-RWD

3. Jeep Grand Cherokee

Base MSRP:	$29,420.00
Base Invoice:	$27,009.00
Destination:	$730.00
Engine:	Engine-6 Cyl-V6
Transmission	Transmission-Auto-5 Spd
Body Style:	Sport Utility
Drive Type	Drivetrain-RWD

2. Jeep Commander

Base MSRP:	$28,330.00
Base Invoice:	$26,054.00
Destination:	$730.00
Engine:	Engine-6 Cyl-V6
Transmission	Transmission-Auto-5 Spd
Body Style:	Sport Utility
Drive Type	Drivetrain-RWD

1. 1. Ford Taurus

Base MSRP:	$23,635.00
Base Invoice:	$21,801.00
Destination:	$800.00
Engine:	Engine-6 Cyl-V6
Transmission	Transmission-Auto-6 Spd
Body Style:	4dr Car
Drive Type	Drivetrain-FWD

Planning for an Indian wedding?

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 03:44:00 +0000

Wedding exhibition Bride & Groom 2008 was held in Delhi last year. The event showcased everything from this year’s decorating trends to mehendi to clothes and jewellery. Here’s a sneak peek at what trendy couples will be wearing for their nuptials.Fancy looking like a mermaid at your sangeet? This beautiful aqua-silver ghagra choli is from the ‘Manthan of Moods’ collection by designer Sulakshna Monga. Sagar Mehra’s collection sported plenty of colour and jewelled embroidery. Seen here is a heavy but tasteful bridal ensemble in traditional hue, matched with a champagne sherwani for the groom.

Metal glam continues to be a hot favourite this season — a sari by Megha Hasija shows off Mughal inspiration with rich embellishment and shimmery tone.

If you want to make a statement at a cocktail function, this rich dress by Sulakshna Monga is just right — note the encrusted bodice.

This beige ‘n’ gold sari with heavily worked choli, also by Sulakshna, is suited to the bride who doesn’t like too many embellishments.

Designer Anubha’s collection, Le Divas, boasted of several such outfits with becoming touches and light pastel colours.

Designer Radhika poses with a model wearing one of her creations, an Indo-Western fusion in electric colour.

Lovely, huh! Go for a design that suits you the most. Cheers!!!

Unwanted species

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 03:40:00 +0000

Shipwrecks on coral reefs may increase invasion of unwanted species, according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey study. These unwanted species can completely overtake the reef and eliminate all the native coral, dramatically decreasing the diversity of marine organisms on the reef.

This study documents for the first time that a rapid change in the dominant biota on a coral reef is unambiguously associated with man-made structures. The findings of the study suggest that removal of these structures sooner rather than later is key to keeping reefs healthy.

Overgrowth of coral reefs by other species, such as algae, are usually attributed to environmental degradation, but bleaching, disease, damage by typhoons, overfishing, coastal development, pollution, and tourism can cause problems as well. The study was conducted at Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the central Pacific, a relatively remote, comparatively pristine area where little human activity has occurred since WWII. In 1991, a 100-foot vessel shipwrecked on the a toll. Scientists first surveyed the area in 2004 and found a species called Rhodactis Howesii —an organism related to sea anemones and corals—in low abundance around the wreck.

In subsequent years, however, populations of this organism increased exponentially. Scientists documented extremely high densities of R. Howesii that progressively decreased with distance from the ship, whereas R. Howesii were rare to absent in other parts of the atoll.

They also confirmed high densities of R. Howesii around several buoys. Whether this phenomenon occurs on other coral atolls is unknown; however, in the case of Palmyra, the R. Howesii infestation is beginning to reach catastrophic proportions, according to Dr. Thierry Work, the lead author of the study and a scientist at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station. Within a few years, R. Howesii spread to where it now occupies nearly 1 square mile. “Why this phenomenon is occurring remains a mystery,” said Work.

One possibility, he said, is that iron leaching from the ship and mooring buoy chains, accompanied with other environmental factors particular to Palmyra atoll, are somehow promoting the growth of Rhodactis. “Given the ability of Rhodactis sp. to rapidly reproduce and completely smother reefs, managers are now facing the possibility that even with removal of the ship, sheer reproductive capacity of R. Howesii may continue to fuel its spread along the western reef shelf of Palmyra,” Work said.Understanding what constitutes a healthy underwater ecosystem, as well as what does not, is crucial to preventing further losses in species and habitat.

This research illustrates a little-known problem that, unlike global warming and pollution, could be prevented by removing man-made debris such as shipwrecks from coral reefs before organisms like Rhodactis Howesii can overtake healthy coral reefs.

Air Pollution : The big issue

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 01:01:00 +0000

Today, we have many definitions and attributes of air pollution. But what is the real fact? Let’s look into this more closely!

Air pollution is a broad term applied to any chemical, physical (particulate matter), or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.

The atmosphere is a complex, dynamic natural gaseous system that is essential to support life on planet earth.

Stratospheric ozone depletion due to air pollution has long been recognized as a threat to human health as well as to the earth’s ecosystems. Worldwide air pollution is responsible for large numbers of deaths and cases of respiratory disease. Enforced air quality standards, like the Clean Air Act in the United States, have reduced the presence of some pollutants. While major stationary sources are often identified with air pollution, the greatest source of emissions are actually mobile sources, principally the automobile. There are many available air pollution control technologies and urban planning strategies available to reduce air pollution; however, worldwide costs of addressing the issue are high.

The most immediate method of improving air quality would be the use of bioethanol fuel, biodiesel, solar energy, and hybrid vehicle technologies. The World Health Organization estimates that 4.6 million people die each year from causes directly attributable to air pollution. Many of these mortalities are attributable to indoor air pollution. Worldwide more deaths per year are linked to air pollution than to automobile accidents. A Research report published in 2005 suggests that 310,000 Europeans die from air pollution annually. Direct causes of air pollution related deaths include aggravated asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, lung and heart diseases, and respiratory allergies..

Business Growth : The Indian way

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 01:40:00 +0000

Annual Revenues up by 35.2%
EBIT up by 36.8%
Deals worth US$ 1 bn signed in FY08
Q4 revenues up 3.9% sequentially; EBIT up by 10.9%
Q4 dividend stepped up 1.5 times to 150%
Declining attrition for the sixth consecutive quarter
HCL Technologies on US$ 2 bn annual run rate
Margin expansion for the fifth consecutive quarter and second consecutive year in a row
Crosses 50,000 employee headcount

Overview

HCL is uniquely positioned as a co-sourcing partner because of the experience it has created for its customers through continued momentum in demonstrating leadership in execution experience in our multi-service engagements.

HCL’s four pronged Blue Ocean strategy covering service innovation, pricing innovation, creation of new markets and technology disruption continues to pay rich dividends with innovative partnerships and revenue sharing business models being the highlights of this year. Commenting on the results, Vineet Nayar, CEO, HCL Technologies says, “HCL registered a YoY growth of 35.2% following a YoY growth of 42.4% last year. HCL registered a QoQ growth of 3.9%, following three successful growth quarters of 8.4 %, 7.4% and 5.2% QoQ respectively.

HCL has expanded its operating margins for the second year in a row. HCL has grown revenue ahead of manpower growth second year in a row. HCL has demonstrated global leadership in Remote Infrastructure Management (RIM) which was ranked No. 1 ahead of all global players this year by the Black Book of Outsourcing – a first in the Indian IT industry.”

Key Catalysts for Growth

Engineering and R&D Services, Infrastructure Services and Custom Applications witnessed accelerated growth reaffirming HCL’s dominant market position and competitiveness in these service lines respectively
Among the verticals, FS and Manufacturing crossed the US$ 0.5 bn mark. The fastest growth was recorded in Life Sciences, while Manufacturing and Media, Publishing & Entertainment continue to grow consistently
Our key geographies crossed significant milestones this year with the US revenues and Europe revenues crossing the US$ 1bn and US$ 0.5bn mark respectively

The year in perspective

The HCL strategy embodying a unique kind of disruptive innovation in its business model focusing on Value Centricity and a Blue Ocean approach to business has resulted in deepening customer relationships, creation of new markets and strategic partnerships where there is collaboration, goal alignment and substantive engagement.

Value Centricity

The momentum in inking transformational deals that began in 2005 continued this year with a total value of deals in excess of US$ 1 bn being signed including eight deals worth US$ 310mn this quarter
HCL acquired Capital Stream, Inc., a US based industry leader in lending automation solutions. This strategic acquisition is a part of HCL’s well structured M&A strategy and will enhance HCL’s ability to provide end-to-end solutions through product and multi-service delivery capability to commercial and retail financial institutions globally
HCL launched the SAP Revenue Recognition solution, pre-configured SAP Metals template, Auto Template for Auto ancillaries in the SMB sector and solution to avoid SAP Business Information Warehouse Slowdowns that helped customers reduce their total cost of outsourcing (TCO)

Blue Ocean

HCL launched Integrated Operations and Management Centre (IOMC) that integrates offerings across Global Services, Infrastructure Operations and Application Operations. It acts as a single window to deliver, manage and monitor Infrastructure Support and Application Operations giving customers increased efficiencies and enhanced business impact
In continuation of co-creating value with our customers and partners on a risk sharing model, HCL rolled out the Global Risk Reward Partnership (GRRP) based on the principle of a joint ownership of a product. This year HCL has initiated three new engagements under this model, including the strategic partnership with CA, and entering into newer such engagements with customers
HCL signed the SAP Global Services partnership based on Blue Ocean thinking to deliver joint business value through Customer Centric Ecosystem. This milestone partnership drawing upon HCL’s strengths in emerging geographies, strong domain experience, risk taking and service innovation capabilities has already started delivering results

Thought Leadership

HCL has been the pioneer of Remote Infrastructure Management (RIM) in India and HCL’s leadership in RIM has been recognized by various independent analyst and media firms. This year HCL’s RIM was acknowledged by Brown & Wilson Global User Survey 2008 as World’s No 1, ahead of leading global players
HCL pioneered the concept of co–sourcing in 2005, and moved it to the next level of an integrated service approach of Full Service Co Sourcing recently recognized by Ovum as having a clear and differentiated positioning in the applications outsourcing market. HCL has a growing emphasis on larger deals under its asset-light and consulting light ‘full service co-sourcing’ model delivered using unique service-model IPs, a first of its kind integrated service offshore transitioning model
HCL’s biggest differentiator has been the adoption of the Employee first philosophy that was lauded by some of the world’s most influential thought leaders as the management mantra for the next generation. Harvard Business Review and Business Week heralded HCL’s Employee First as “the radical management philosophy that will catch on with the world sooner or later”. HCL was also invited to share thoughts in some of the most respected global platforms such as WEF, MLab and INSEAD
HCL has conceptualized a unique collaborative platform called “Unstructure” where business and technology practitioners can contribute their thought to address the major issues and trends affecting the business of technology

Transformation @ HCL

HCL invited to participate in the “Future of Management” MLab Conference, headed by Prof Gary Hamel
HCL invited to speak at the INSEAD Leadership Summit in France that brought together global leaders from business, government, media and academia to explore the links between business, environment and society
HCL announced the fourth chapter of its Global Customer Meet 2008 – “Unstructure”, where some of the most noteworthy thought leaders will mentor conversations on topics that explore the trends in the business of technology. This event which is slated for 17th and 18th of November, will be held in Orlando, Florida.
HCL’s series of Financial Services Thought leadership event - InvesTECH@HCL successfully held in New York this quarter. The highlight of the forum in New York was an exclusive panel discussion on ‘Risk Management Strategies in a Downturn Economy’ by industry experts and practitioners. A new operating model from HCL called Run the Enterprise to help the Financial Services Institutions enhance their ongoing business performance was also showcased during the event

Recognitions

Forrester counts HCL as the leader in SAP implementation in the Forrester Wave: Australia/ New Zealand SAP implementation providers 08 report. HCL is a Leader in ANZ that leverages its offshore capabilities very well for its SAP clients and has won a number of its projects due to its capabilities implementing niche solutions
IDC considers HCL as a formidable opponent in Application Outsourcing in the Worldwide Application Outsourcing 2007 Service Provider Analysis. IDC believes that HCL’s transformed and modernized applications will be prime candidates for AO, further growing its business in this area. HCL’s willingness to work with clients using risk-reward or self-funding transformation contracts has made it an up-and-coming company to watch.
Voice & Data 100 survey ranks HCL No.1 in Network Management & Network Security Services and No. 2 in Network Integration Services
“Strategy + Business” magazine published by Booze Allen Hamilton, in its story on the topic of Indian companies “reverse investing” in the US, talks about HCL’s drive to engage in more complex work with clients and firmly positions HCL and its differentiated business strategy
The CEO Forum magazine (ANZ) appreciates HCL’s inspiring effective organizational innovation and positions Vineet Nayar as a “Change Master”

Now this is what I call Growth!!!

India vs. China

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:56:00 +0000

It has only been a few years since Asia bulls have been touting the arrival of the Chinese Century, citing that nation's enormous potential. Now, get ready for predictions of the India Century. That, in fact, was the title of a recent white paper by the Chicago-based consultancy Keystone-India, founded by a group of top economists from Ernst & Young who believe that India is on track to surpass China in growth.

"We believe this is India's moment," declares Keystone Chief Economist William T Wilson.

Even under Keystone's projections, India wouldn't match China's current hypergrowth rates for at least another 15 years. And even by 2050, China's economy would be bigger measured in US dollars. But longer term, Keystone contends India will be in a stronger position. It projects that China's average annual growth will peak at 8.8 per cent over the next five years, and then gradually trend downward to under 7 per cent in the '20s and around 4% by the '40s.

Investments

Many signs point to big increases in investment in India, Wilson says. In fact, he estimates investment in India could reach 35% of GDP within a decade, which would enable it to match China's 9% plus growth. One reason is that the savings rate in India rose from 23.5% of GDP in 2001 to 28.1% in 2004. And because of its growing workforce and the decline in family size, India's savings rate should continue to rise to a projected 37% in 20 years. Since investment is highly correlated to domestic savings, that should translate into higher investment and economic growth.

However, India is planning to open up many long-protected sectors that have great allure to foreign investors and that could draw huge inflows of money. They include telecom, where Indian demand now is growing even faster than China's, commercial real estate, and department stores. Although some of the reforms have stalled recently due to domestic political opposition, Wilson believes the government will prevail.

"If you look at the institutional changes and the number of industries that have liberalized over the past five years, the pace has been phenomenal, he says. Wilson predicts India's real estate sector will draw a huge influx of money from foreign hedge funds, and liberalization of retail will be 'the real big bang' for the economy.

Entrepreneurship

They generally have done a good job of taking advantage of new opportunities offered by liberalization since the early 1990s. But the more dynamic companies in India are smaller ones that are led by new generations of entrepreneurs who take greater risks or are more connected to the global economy. These new companies also have more creative managers, argues Debashis Ghosh, another Keystone partner who worked at Ernst & Young.

Keystone focuses on researching mid-sized Indian companies with $10 million to $100 million in annual sales. "The bigger companies are still led by old school types who used to depend on access to government and got huge when there was nobody else in the game. "Because they had scale, foreigners had to deal with them," says Ghosh. "Now, though, the top talent from the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institutes of Management are flowing into the mid-sized sector. That is like getting a management team of all Wharton and Massachusetts Institute of Technology grads."

Productivity

India has averaged respectable productivity growth of 2.5% a year over the past two decades.

But that can grow sharply, thanks to liberalization of many industries, a literacy rate that has risen from 18% in 1951 to 65% now, and India's rising openness to foreign trade, which has jumped from 15% of GDP in 1991 to 26% now. Manufacturing Surge China dwarfs India as a manufacturing power, especially for export.

And it will be a long time before India, with its inadequate infrastructure and components supply base, will be a serious export rival. But in recent years, India's domestic manufacturing industry has been growing strongly.

What's more, a number of Indian companies are especially strong in high-end manufacturing, such as auto parts, power generators, and medical equipment that requires a lot of engineering.

But when you look at the fundamental drivers growth in the workforce, fixed investment, and productivity -- over the long run the prospect looks a lot more plausible.

Become a Lie Detector yourself

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:25:00 +0000

Introduction to Detecting Lies

The following techniques to telling if someone is lying are often used by police, and security experts. This knowledge is also useful for managers, employers, and for anyone to use in everyday situations where telling the truth from a lie can help prevent you from being a victim of fraud/scams and other deceptions.

Warning: Sometimes Ignorance is bliss; after gaining this knowledge, you may be hurt when it is obvious that someone is lying to you.

Signs of Deception

Body Language of Lies:

• Physical expression will be limited and stiff, with few arm and hand movements. Hand, arm and leg movement are toward their own body the liar takes up less space.

• A person who is lying to you will avoid making eye contact.

• Hands touching their face, throat & mouth, touching or scratching the nose or behind their ear. Not likely to touch his chest/heart with an open hand.

Emotional Gestures & Contradiction:

• Timing and duration of emotional gestures and emotions are off a normal pace. The display of emotion is delayed, stays longer it would naturally, then stops suddenly.

• Timing is off between emotions gestures/expressions and words. Example: Someone says “I love it!” when receiving a gift, and then smile after making that statement, rather then at the same time the statement is made.

• Gestures/expressions don’t match the verbal statement, such as frowning when saying “I love you.”

• Expressions are limited to mouth movements when someone is faking emotions (like happy, surprised, sad, awe) instead of the whole face. For example; when someone smiles naturally their whole face is involved: jaw/cheek movement, eyes and forehead push down, etc.

Interactions and Reactions:

• A guilty person gets defensive. An innocent person will often go on the offensive.

• A liar is uncomfortable facing his questioner/accuser and may turn his head or body away.

• A liar might unconsciously place objects (book, coffee cup, etc.) between themselves and you.

Verbal Context and Content:

• A liar will use your words to make answer a question. When asked, “Did you eat the last cookie?” The liar answers, “No, I did not eat the last cookie.”

•A statement with a contraction is more likely to be truthful: “I didn’t do it” instead of “I did not do it”

• Liars sometimes avoid “lying” by not making direct statements. They imply answers instead of denying something directly.

• The guilty person may speak more than natural, adding unnecessary details to convince you… they are not comfortable with silence or pauses in the conversation.

• A liar may leave out pronouns and speak in a monotonous tone. When a truthful statement is made the pronoun is emphasized as much or more than the rest of the words in a statement.

• Words may be garbled and spoken softly, and syntax and grammar may be off. In other words, his sentences will likely be muddled rather than emphasized.

Other signs of a lie:

• If you believe someone is lying, then change subject of a conversation quickly, a liar follows along willingly and becomes more relaxed. The guilty wants the subject changed; an innocent person may be confused by the sudden change in topics and will want to back to the previous subject.

• Using humor or sarcasm to avoid a subject.

Conclusion

Obviously, just because someone exhibits one or more of these signs does not make them a liar. The above behaviors should be compared to a person’s base (normal) behavior whenever possible.

Quit Smoking, or Die Trying

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:39:00 +0000

What makes you want to smoke? For most people, smoking becomes a routine part of daily life. Certain people, places, feelings, events, and even moods, called "triggers," are linked with smoking. For instance, a trigger can be drinking a cup of coffee, talking on the phone, or seeing a friend who smokes.

Smoking routines become smoking triggers
Do you smoke a cigarette because you have a cup of coffee? Or do you have a cup of coffee so you can smoke a cigarette?

For most people, it’s hard to know. That’s why a smoking routine may become a smoking trigger.

Smoking routines may be automatic
Everything you do creates pathways or connections in the brain. Let’s say you routinely smoke in the kitchen. You’re actually training your brain to know that the kitchen is a place to smoke. Eventually, if you walk into the kitchen, your brain will have an automatic response - light up.

Unlearn old behavior
Because both nicotine addiction and your smoking routine have a physical effect on your body, it can feel beyond your control to change your behavior. That’s why it’s important to be aware. It helps to talk to your doctor about your smoking triggers. And see if treatments and quit smoking support plans can help you get cigarettes out of your life.

Watch Out!!!

The first step in changing your smoking routines is to know your own personal triggers. Below is a list of common triggers.

Identify which ones make you feel the urge to smoke. You can print out a list of your smoking triggers along with some tips on how to manage those situations.

When you drink coffee
When you drink wine or beer
After lunch or dinner
When you talk on the phone
When you are driving
When you are with other smokers
When you are watching TV
When you are waiting for a bus or train
After an argument
When you feel anxious or stressed

If you’ve tried quitting before, you may have felt irritable when you didn’t have a cigarette. Why has quitting smoking always been so hard? The answer has a lot to do with nicotine.

Nicotine addiction cycle

For most people, smoking is more than a habit. It’s a nicotine addiction. Nicotine withdrawal is why you probably feel irritable or anxious when you don’t have a cigarette.
When you smoke, nicotine goes to the brain in seconds.
When nicotine is in the brain, it causes the release of a chemical called dopamine, which gives the feeling of pleasure and calm.
Your body doesn’t want that feeling to stop. But when you’re between cigarettes, the level of dopamine drops.
Even if you want to quit, the body craves nicotine. This makes you keep smoking.
The more you smoke, the more nicotine you need

Over time, each cigarette you smoke may become less and less effective. That’s because, as the brain gets used to nicotine, you may need to smoke more to have the same feeling of pleasure and calm. Of course, the more you smoke, the more you inhale toxins in cigarettes that are linked to smoking-related illnesses.

How does it feel to quit?
On top of feeling the urge to smoke, you may also feel some of these common physical nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

Dizziness (at first)
Trouble sleeping
Tiredness
Trouble concentrating
Restlessness
Headache
Increased appetite
Coughing and dry throat
Constipation
Slower heart rate

These effects will lessen over time.

Next, better health
Smoking-related health risks are actually caused by the other ingredients found in your cigarettes. For example, tobacco smoke has more than 60 ingredients known to cause cancer in humans. Luckily, once you quit, your risk of getting a smoking-related illness can start to drop—almost immediately.

How your doctor can help
Quitting smoking is hard, but possible. Your doctor can talk to you about nicotine addiction and tell you about treatment options and behavior support that may be right for you.

Tips to stop smoking

Get ready to quit

Ready to start planning your quit? Here are some ways you can get ready to say good-bye to cigarettes.

Make a personal commitment to yourself
Are you worried about your health? Or do you want to quit for your kids or family? Think about what will make you want to give up smoking. Write those reasons down.
Start building a support network to help you quit smoking
Tell your friends and family that you need their support. Talk about your reasons for quitting with them, too.
Make an appointment with your doctor
Talk to your doctor about wanting to quit. Ask about treatment options and support. Then decide on a quit date.
Set a quit date
Pick a date within the next 2 weeks. That’s enough time to get ready, but not so long that you’ll lose your will to quit.
Mark your calendar. You may be more likely to go through with your quit if you see your quit day in writing.
Enroll in a support program to help you quit smoking
Look for a program that helps with your urge to smoke and helps you break your smoking routine.
Clean up your living spaces
Get rid of anything that reminds you of smoking. Don’t forget to throw out lighters, ashtrays, and cigarettes the night before.
Anticipate withdrawal symptoms
Withdrawal symptoms are part of quitting smoking. Start to plan what you will do when you feel a symptom.
Know your smoking triggers
Be aware of your triggers so you can understand why you get the urge to smoke.

Things to do on the day of quit

You’ve taken steps to get ready, and now it’s time to quit. Here’s what to do on your quit day:

Make sure you’re in a smoke-free zone
Throw out your cigarettes, ashtrays and lighters at home, at work and in your car. Try to clean up and even spray air freshener.

Take advantage of professional support

Be sure to follow your doctor’s treatment advice.
Enroll in a program to help as you go about changing your smoking routine into a nonsmoking routine.

Quit, one trigger at a time
Afraid of that first cup of coffee? Don’t know what to do when you get into your car? When you’re in a situation where you usually smoke, don’t panic. Just focus on dealing with that one trigger.

You can beat your trigger

If you face a trigger, you may feel an urge to smoke. Luckily, you have some ways to help deal with cravings right at your fingertips.

Take a deep breath
Calm yourself down by inhaling and exhaling three times slowly. You can repeat this anytime and anywhere.
Drink plenty of water
Staying hydrated is healthy and gives your mouth something to do instead of smoking.
Call a friend
Instead of smoking, try talking to a friend. Probably by the time you finish chatting, your craving will be over
Set up a support network
When your quit day arrives, tell your friends and family. They can help you manage your smoking triggers
Exercise
Start a walking routine. Or join a class or a gym. Check with your doctor before starting a new activity.
Have a healthy snack
Carrots, popcorn, and even chewing gum can help you keep your mouth occupied while the craving passes.

Get the support you need
When you’re in the process of quitting, it’s not unusual to feel alone. But you’re not. In fact, there’s lots of help out there.

Friends and family
Many former smokers say that the support of family and friends helped them become nonsmokers.
Your doctor
Your doctor may know how hard it is to overcome nicotine addiction from smoking. He or she can talk to you about available options to help you quit smoking.
Professional counseling
Counseling, one-on-one or as part of a group, can help you cope with the stress of giving up your fags.

I myself had done it. You too can. Wish you All the Best...

Now, and... Then

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:29:00 +0000

Nowadays, we have so many options, be it Social networking, News, Media, or whatever. And now, we feel like without these, we would be so incomplete. But do we know today that what was there in the 90s in the place of these developments! Here is a list of the top 10 things in the 90s, in which we have seen breathtaking developments:

1. Before YouTube... there was "America's Funniest Home Videos"

This 90's television smash-hit, based on a Japanese show, kicked off user-generated video content in America.

People used to submit home videos of babies with nail guns, dogs on fire, and grandmas falling down, in hopes of winning a weekly cash prize.

2. Before blogs... there were zines.

If you wanted to delve in the world of personal publishing in the early 90's, it was pretty spendy. Desktop publishing with Adobe Pagemaker required investing big bucks into a high-end Mac and a state-of-the-art laser printer.

Most young people stuck to cutting and pasting scraps onto blank paper and then xeroxing the final product.

3. Before podcasts... there were codelines.

In the 90's, when digital voice mail was a cutting-edge corporate technology, there was a vibrant voice mail hacking scene.

Phone phreaks from all over the United States would sequentially "scan" 1-800 exchanges for voice mail boxes (VMBs) and use default passwords to take over employees' (unused) voice mail boxes. They would record long informational greeting messages, known as "codelines." Codelines began with music and "shouts out" to other phone phreaks and then segued into first-generation "podcasts" packed with underground content: freshly hacked calling cards and credit cards, conference calls PINs, and global outdial passwords.

4. Before blogrolls and comments... there were web rings and guest books.

image credit: simon slade

Sites on similar subjects used link out to each other in a promotional circle jerk called a "web ring." Guestbooks used to be the hot way to leave comments, until bots were developed to harvest the e-mail addresses for the the worst kinds of spam imaginable.

5. Before Facebook... there was the 20th annual high school reunion.

image credit: Alan Light

You'd have to wait in 20 year increments – and buy a plane ticket – to catch up with many of your old friends or see their photo albums. Seriously.

6. Before Skype... there were k0dez and bridges.

Before VoIP and cell phone plans, it was rather expensive to make a long distance call. In some cases you'd pay over a dollar a minute (!) to "reach out and touch someone." The early-adopters (a.k.a. "phone phreaks") used home computer software to hack out calling card codes ("k0dez") to keep in touch. For teleconferencing, phreaks would hack out corporate phone systems' conferencing nodes, called "bridges." Epic rap sessions and knowledge downloads would go on for weeks... until the corporate host got a massive phone bill, found out, and shut it down. Check out these awesome vintage recordings.

7. Before eBay... there was the pawn shop.

image credit:Duien

Same questionable items, high fees and unsavory characters - but in an actual, real-life retail location!

8. Before the iPhone... there was the PayPhone.

Before technology allowed people to yak loudly on cellphones in restaurants, they had to go out to the payphone.

And if they wanted to make a long distance call, they'd need an entire roll of quarters. The 90's equivalent of an "unlimited calling plan" was a toll-fraud device called a red box. Red boxes were modified Radio Shack touch-tone dialers that made the same sound a Bell payphone made when a quarter was inserted. By the end of the decade, Radio Shack had discontinued the device and Bell had upgraded to digital equipment. Thankfully, cellphones were becoming affordable, mainstream communications devices by then.

9. Before P2P file sharing... there was Columbia House Records.

Before DRM and iTunes - people downloaded music from Napster and burned it on a $569 external CD-R drive.

Non-technical people who wanted free tracks got tempted by magazine ads that promised "Get 8 CD's for Just One Penny!" and they were unwittingly signed up for recurring CD subscriptions. Then they got slapped with a huge bill afterwards - the old-school equivalent of an RIAA settlement.

10. Before Digg... there was your local newspaper's "Top Stories of the Year" issue.

You used to have to wait until December to find out hottest story of the year. And the news stories were picked by crusty old editors. Now there's an infinite stream of high-quality, uncensored content and entertainment - all just a mouse click away.

Without any reason, but surprise...

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:41:00 +0000

Tears tremble down my eyes
Without any reason but surprise
They say we are there for you
But ‘m surprised, there are less than a few

Out of curiosity I ask myself-
Why is it salty water and not fire?
I got an answer to my interrogation ---
That being cautious with fire harms you less
But a game with water will take you to lapse

A drop of water that slides from my eyes,
Soon rests on my lips like a sad demise

Believe it or not, but it is true
Only your fate and destiny decides, where are you!
Winners and losers, both are sure ---
Life is an aim, worth fighting for…

Still somewhere, somehow, they feel
Tears tremble down the eyes
Without any reason but surprise.

Not only saints, but priests do cry
It’s a matter of fate, which runs your life dry
Hold on to your breath,
Hold on to your life,
Hold on to your sorrows,

Until you survive........

In this long run
Tears tremble down my eyes
Without any reason
But surprise…

Global Warming: The Harsh Reality

noreply@blogger.com (sdinfiniti) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 17:14:00 +0000

The predicted effects of global warming on the environment and for human life are numerous and varied. It is generally difficult to attribute specific natural phenomena to long-term causes, but some effects of recent climate change may already be occurring. The 2007 Fourth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) includes a summary of the expected effects, which I will discuss in a while.

An Overview

But, for the time being, let’s get some insight on the topic: Global Warming. Projected climate changes due to global warming have the potential to lead to future large-scale and possibly irreversible effects at continental and global scales.

The probability of one or more of these changes occurring is likely to increase with the rate, magnitude, and duration of climate change. Additionally, the United States National Academy of Sciences has warned, “Greenhouse warming and other human alterations of the earth system may increase the possibility of large, abrupt, and unwelcome regional or global climatic events. Future abrupt changes cannot be predicted with confidence, and climate surprises are to be expected.” Most of the consequences of global warming would result from one of three physical changes: sea level rise, higher local temperatures, and changes in rainfall patterns.

Effects of Global Warming:

Effects on weather

Global warming is responsible in part for some trends in natural disasters such as extreme weather. Increasing temperature is likely to lead to increasing precipitation but the effects on storms are less clear. Extratropical storms partly depend on the temperature gradient, which is predicted to weaken in the northern hemisphere as the polar region warms more than the rest of the hemisphere.

Extreme weather

This image shows the conclusions of Knutson and Tuleya (2004) that maximum intensity reached by tropical storms is likely to undergo an increase, with a significant increase in the number of highly destructive category 5 storms.

Storm strength leading to extreme weather is increasing, such as the power dissipation index of hurricane intensity.

Kerry Emanuel says that hurricane power dissipation is highly correlated with temperature, reflecting global warming.

Increased evaporation

Over the course of the 20th century, evaporation rates have reduced worldwide; this is thought by many to be explained by global dimming. As the climate grows warmer and the causes of global dimming are reduced, evaporation will increase due to warmer oceans. Because the world is a closed system this will cause heavier rainfall, with more erosion. This erosion, in turn, can in vulnerable tropical areas (especially in Africa) lead to desertification due todeforestation. On the other hand, in some other areas, increased rainfall has lead to growth of forests in dry desert areas.

2. Destabilization of local climates

A study (published in Science) of changes to eastern Siberia’s permafrost suggests that it is gradually disappearing in the southern regions, leading to the loss of nearly 11% of Siberia’s nearly 11,000 lakes since 1971.

At the same time, western Siberia is at the initial stage where melting permafrost is creating new lakes, which will eventually start disappearing as in the east. Furthermore, permafrost melting will eventually cause methane release from melting permafrost peat bogs.

3. Oceans

The role of the oceans in global warming is a complex one. The oceans serve as a sink for carbon dioxide, taking up much that would otherwise remain in the atmosphere, but increased levels of CO₂ have led to ocean acidification.

Furthermore, as the temperature of the oceans increases, they become less able to absorb excess CO₂. Global warming is projected to have a number of effects on the oceans.

4. Rise in Sea Levels

With increasing average global temperature, the water in the oceans expands in volume, and additional water enters them which had previously been locked up on land in glaciers, for example, the Greenland and the Antarctic ice sheets.

An increase of 1.5 to 4.5 °C is estimated to lead to an increase of 15 to 95 cm (IPCC 2001).George Monbiot, a British journalist, summarizes his findings as follows: “The IPCC predicts that sea levels could rise by as much as 59 cm this century. Hansen’s paper argues that the slow melting of ice sheets the panel expects doesn’t fit the data.

The geological record suggests that ice at the poles does not melt in a gradual and linear fashion, but flips suddenly from one state to another. When temperatures increased to 2-3 degrees above today’s level 3.5 million years ago, sea levels rose not by 59 centimetres but by 25 metres.”

5. Temperature rise

From 1961 to 2003, the global ocean temperature has risen by 0.10°C from the surface to a depth of 700 m. There is variability both year-to-year and over longer time scales, with global ocean heat content observations showing high rates of warming for 1991 to 2003, but some cooling from 2003 to 2007. The temperature of the Antarctic Southern Ocean rose by 0.17 °C (0.31 °F) between the 1950s and the 1980s, nearly twice the rate for the world’s oceans as a whole. As well as having effects on ecosystems (e.g. by melting sea ice, affecting algae that grow on its underside), warming reduces the ocean’s ability to absorb CO₂.

6. Acidification

The world’s oceans soak up much of the carbon dioxide produced by living organisms, either as dissolved gas, or in the skeletons of tiny marine creatures that fall to the bottom to become chalk or limestone. Oceans currently absorb about one tonne of CO₂ per person per year. It is estimated that the oceans have absorbed around half of all CO₂ generated by human activities since 1800 (120,000,000,000 tonnes or 120 petagrams of carbon).

7. Abrupt & Irreversible Effects

Partial loss of ice sheets on polar land could imply metres of sea level rise, major changes in coastlines and inundation of low-lying areas, with greatest effects in river deltas and low-lying islands. Such changes are projected to occur over millennial time scales, but more rapid sea level rise on century time scales cannot be excluded.

Climate change is likely to lead to some irreversible impacts. There is medium confidence that approximately 20- 30% of species assessed so far are likely to be at increased risk of extinction if increases in global average warming exceed 1.5-2.5°C (relative to 1980-1999).

8. Methane release from hydrates

Methane clathrate, also called methane hydrate, is a form of water ice that contains a large amount of methane within its crystal structure. Extremely large deposits of methane clathrate have been found under sediments on the ocean floors of Earth.

9. Carbon cycle feedbacks

There have been predictions, and some evidence, that global warming might cause loss of carbon from terrestrial ecosystems, leading to an increase of atmospheric CO₂ levels. By the end of the twenty-first century, this additional CO₂ varied between 20 and 200 ppm for the two extreme models, the majority of the models lying between 50 and 100 ppm. The higher CO₂ levels led to an additional climate warming ranging between 0.1° and 1.5 °C. However, there was still a large uncertainty on the magnitude of these sensitivities. Eight models attributed most of the changes to the land, while three attributed it to the ocean. The strongest feedbacks in these cases are due to increased respiration of carbon from soils throughout the high latitude boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere.

10. Forest fires

The IPCC Fourth Assessment Report predicts that many mid-latitude regions, such as Mediterranean Europe, will experience decreased rainfall and an increased risk of drought, which in turn would allow forest fires to occur on larger scale, and more regularly. This releases more stored carbon into the atmosphere than the carbon cycle can naturally re-absorb, as well as reducing the overall forest area on the planet, creating a positive feedback loop.

Part of that feedback loop is more rapid growth of replacement forests and a northward migration of forests as northern latitudes become more suitable climates for sustaining forests.

Other major consequences

1. Economic

As recent estimates of the rate of global warming have increased, so have the financial estimates of the damage costs.

Many estimates of aggregate net economic costs of damages from climate change across the globe, the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC), expressed in terms of future net benefits and costs that are discounted to the present, are now available.

Peer-reviewed estimates of the SCC for 2005 have an average value of US$43 per tonne of carbon (tC) (i.e., US$12 per tonne of carbon dioxide) but the range around this mean is large.

2. Effects on agriculture

For some time it was hoped that a positive effect of global warming would be increased agricultural yields, because of the role of carbon dioxide in photosynthesis, especially in preventing photorespiration, which is responsible for significant destruction of several crops. In Iceland, rising temperatures have made possible the widespread sowing of barley, which was untenable twenty years ago.

3. Transport

Roads, airport runways, railway lines and pipelines, (including oil pipelines, sewers, water mains etc) may require increased maintenance and renewal as they become subject to greater temperature variation. Regions already adversely affected include areas of permafrost, which are subject to high levels of subsidence, resulting in buckling roads, sunken foundations, andseverely cracked runways.

4. Floods

For historical reasons to do with trade, many of the world’s largest and most prosperous cities are on the coast, and the cost of building better coastal defenses (due to the rising sea level) is likely to be considerable. Some countries will be more affected than others — low-lying countries such as Bangladesh and the Netherlands would be worst hit by any sea level rise, in terms of floods or the cost of preventing them.

5. Migration

Some Pacific Ocean island nations, such as Tuvalu, are concerned about the possibility of an eventual evacuation, as flood defense may become economically unviable for them. In the 1990s a variety of estimates placed the number of environmental refugees at around 25 million. (Environmental refugees are not included in the official definition of refugees, which only includes migrants fleeing persecution.) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which advises the world’s governments under the auspices of the UN, estimated that 150 million environmental refugees will exist in the year 2050, due mainly to the effects of coastal flooding, shoreline erosion and agricultural disruption (150 million means 1.5% of 2050’s predicted 10 billion world population).

6. Development

The combined effects of global warming may impact particularly harshly on people and countries without the resources to mitigate those effects. This may slow economic developmentand poverty reduction, and make it harder to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. In October 2004 the Working Group on Climate Change and Development, a coalition of development and environment NGOs, issued a report Up in Smoke on the effects of climate change on development.

7. Ecosystems

Unchecked global warming could affect most terrestrial ecoregions. Increasing global temperature means that ecosystems will change; some species are being forced out of their habitats (possibly to extinction) because of changing conditions, while others are flourishing.Secondary effects of global warming, such as lessened snow cover, rising sea levels, and weather changes, may influence not only human activities but also the ecosystem. Studying the association between Earth climate and extinctions over the past 520 million years, scientists from University of York write, “The global temperatures predicted for the coming centuries may trigger a new ‘mass extinction event’, where over 50 per cent of animal and plant species would be wiped out.” Plants lag behind, and larger animals’ migration is slowed down by cities and highways.

8. Mountains

Mountains cover approximately 25 percent of earth’s surface and provide a home to more than one-tenth of global human population. Changes in global climate pose a number of potential risks to mountain habitats. Researchers expect that over time, climate change will affect mountain and lowland ecosystems, the frequency and intensity of forest fires, the diversity of wildlife, and the distribution of water. Changes in climate will also affect the depth of the mountains snowpacks and glaciers. These changes could affect the availability of freshwater for natural systems and human uses.

9. Ecological productivity

Increasing average temperature and carbon dioxide may have the effect of improving ecosystems’ productivity.

This causes the sugars being made to be destroyed, suppressing growth. Higher carbon dioxide concentrations tend to reduce photorespiration. Satellite data shows that the productivity of the northern hemisphere has increased since 1982 (although attribution of this increase to a specific cause is difficult). IPCC models predict that higher CO₂ concentrations would only spur growth of flora up to a point, because in many regions the limiting factors are water or nutrients, not temperature or CO₂; after that, greenhouse effects and warming would continue but there would be no compensatory increase in growth.

10. Environmental

Secondary evidence of global warming — reduced snow cover, rising sea levels, weather changes — provides examples of consequences of global warming that may influence not only human activities but also ecosystems. Increasing global temperature means that ecosystems may change; some species may be forced out of their habitats (possibly to extinction) because of changing conditions, while others may flourish. Few of the terrestrial ecoregions on Earth could expect to be unaffected. Increasing carbon dioxide may increase ecosystems’ productivity to a point. Ecosystems’ unpredictable interactions with other aspects of climate change makes the possible environmental impact of this is unclear, though.

11. Water scarcity

Positive eustacy may contaminate groundwater, affecting drinking water and agriculture in coastal zones. Increased evaporation will reduce the effectiveness of reservoirs. The continued retreat of glaciers will have a number of different impacts. In areas that are heavily dependent on water runoff from glaciers that melt during the warmer summer months, a continuation of the current retreat will eventually deplete the glacial ice and substantially reduce or eliminate runoff. A reduction in runoff will affect the ability to irrigate crops and will reduce summer stream flows necessary to keep dams and reservoirs replenished. This situation is particularly acute for irrigation in South America, where numerous artificial lakes are filled almost exclusively by glacial melt.

12. Health

The most direct effect of climate change on humans might be the impacts of hotter temperatures themselves. Global warming could mean more cardiovascular diseases, doctors warn. Higher air temperature also increases the concentration of ozone at ground level. In the lower atmosphere, ozone is a harmful pollutant. It damages lung tissues and causes problems for people with asthma and other lung diseases. Rising temperatures have two opposing direct effects on mortality: higher temperatures in winter reduce deaths from cold; higher temperatures in summer increase heat-related deaths. Palutikof et al. calculate that in England and Wales for a 1 °C temperature rise the reduced deaths from cold outweigh the increased deaths from heat, resulting in a reduction in annual average mortality of 7000, and a government report shows decreased mortality due to recent warming and predicts increased mortality due to future warming in the United Kingdom.

13. Spread of disease

Global warming is expected to extend the favourable zones for vectors conveying infectious disease such as dengue fever and malaria. In poorer countries, this may simply lead to higher incidence of such diseases. In richer countries, where such diseases have been eliminated or kept in check by vaccination, draining swamps and using pesticides, the consequences may be felt more in economic than health terms.