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Friday, July 31, 2009
NASA Tests Internet in Space
The many paths a message can take through the Internet make that network robust and efficient -- and the envy of those whose job it is to design communications schemes for the far-flung spacecraft leaving Earth each year. After more than a decade of development, NASA is in a rush to have a communications network ready by 2011 that can efficiently carry data between Earth and the multiple probes, rovers, orbiters and spacecraft exploring the solar system -- effectively binding them together to form an interplanetary Internet. Tests performed on the International Space Station last May were the second of three tryouts of the network's key technologies, called Delay Tolerant Networking, or DTN, protocols.
The DTN protocols will extend the terrestrial Internet into space by overcoming a number of obstacles, including the extraordinary length of time it takes packets to move between separate hops in a deep-space network, the intermittent nature of network connections, and bit-scrambling solar radiation.
"The communication delays are huge, and they are variable, because the planets are in orbit around the sun," says Vint Cerf, co-inventor of the Internet's TCP/IP protocol and a key member of a group of computer scientists who began working on DTN in 1998. On Earth, packets move from source to destination in milliseconds. By contrast, a one-way trip from Earth to Mars takes a minimum of 8 minutes. The constant motion of celestial bodies means that packets have to pause and wait for antennas to align as they hop from planet to probe to spacecraft.
So sending communications in space is very different from doing so on Earth, where the stable topology of the Internet is taken for granted.
"What we have to do instead is to tell all the nodes that these are the changes that are going to occur," says Scott Burleigh, a software engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, Calif., and one of the original developers of DTN. "You are going to be able to communicate from A to B at this data rate starting at 12:30 and ending at 3:30, and then you are not going to be able to communicate on that link anymore... until next Tuesday."
The DTN protocols will extend the terrestrial Internet into space by overcoming a number of obstacles, including the extraordinary length of time it takes packets to move between separate hops in a deep-space network, the intermittent nature of network connections, and bit-scrambling solar radiation.
"The communication delays are huge, and they are variable, because the planets are in orbit around the sun," says Vint Cerf, co-inventor of the Internet's TCP/IP protocol and a key member of a group of computer scientists who began working on DTN in 1998. On Earth, packets move from source to destination in milliseconds. By contrast, a one-way trip from Earth to Mars takes a minimum of 8 minutes. The constant motion of celestial bodies means that packets have to pause and wait for antennas to align as they hop from planet to probe to spacecraft.
So sending communications in space is very different from doing so on Earth, where the stable topology of the Internet is taken for granted.
"What we have to do instead is to tell all the nodes that these are the changes that are going to occur," says Scott Burleigh, a software engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, Calif., and one of the original developers of DTN. "You are going to be able to communicate from A to B at this data rate starting at 12:30 and ending at 3:30, and then you are not going to be able to communicate on that link anymore... until next Tuesday."
Models of Earliest Vehicles Found
Some of the world's first farmers may have sped around in two-wheeled carts pulled by camels and bulls, suggests a new analysis on tiny models of these carts that date to 6,000-5,000 years ago.
The cart models, which may have been ritual objects or children's toys, were found at Altyndepe, a Chalcolithic and Bronze Age settlement in Western Central Asia near Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Together with other finds, the cart models provide a history of how wheeled transportation first emerged in the area and later developed.
"Horsepower" is a common term today, but the ancients had bull-power, followed by camel-power, researcher Lyubov Kircho explained to Discovery News.
"I think that the carts pulled by bulls were mostly used in agriculture in the 4th millennium, when the climate was more humid," said Kircho, who is at the Institute for the History of Material Culture at the Russian Academy of Sciences.
His study, published in Russian, appears in the journal Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia. An English version has been accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the 19th International Conference of the European Association of South Asian Archaeologists.
The cart models, which may have been ritual objects or children's toys, were found at Altyndepe, a Chalcolithic and Bronze Age settlement in Western Central Asia near Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Together with other finds, the cart models provide a history of how wheeled transportation first emerged in the area and later developed.
"Horsepower" is a common term today, but the ancients had bull-power, followed by camel-power, researcher Lyubov Kircho explained to Discovery News.
"I think that the carts pulled by bulls were mostly used in agriculture in the 4th millennium, when the climate was more humid," said Kircho, who is at the Institute for the History of Material Culture at the Russian Academy of Sciences.
His study, published in Russian, appears in the journal Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia. An English version has been accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the 19th International Conference of the European Association of South Asian Archaeologists.
England v Australia at Birmingham, 3rd Test - Day 2 (The Ashes)
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Hashmi alleges he was denied a house as he's Muslim
Bollywood actor Emran Hashmi has made some serious allegations against an upscale housing society in Mumbai.
Hashmi alleges he was refused a house in Nibbana Cooperative Society allegedly because he is a Muslim.
Hashmi wanted to buy an apartment in the Pali Hill society but was allegedly told to go and look elsewhere.
He has filed a complaint with the State Minorities' Commission, demanding action against the society members.
Hashmi says the society has mostly Hindus and a couple of Catholic families.
He said he faced a similar situation earlier as well when he was looking for a house in the same area.
Residents and brokers had allegedly told him even then that he wouldn't get a house because he was a Muslim. Maharashtra Minorities Commission vice-chairman Abraham Mathai said the commission is sending a notice to the housing society.
“Emraan Hashmi has complained that the building society is refusing to give him NOC to complete the transaction of the deal to buy the flat. He has given Rs 1 lakh as token money. Building society refuses to give NOC because he is a Muslim. He has made a written complaint. We are sending a notice to the society chairman. We will ask them to explain their stand. No such complaint filed ever,” he says.
IAF trainer plane crashes in AP, two pilots killed
An Indian Air Force (IAF) plane crashed in Medak, Andhra Pradesh on Friday morning.
The plane was a HPT-32 trainer aircraft and had two IAF pilots on board.
Nitin Jain and Chaturvedi (full name not yet known) were the training instructors at the Air Force Academy.
The two pilots were on a trainee flight.
Defence Minister A K Antony said on Wednesday that thirty-two MiG series aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed in the last five years killing eight pilots.
The plane was two kilometers from landing. The plane crashed on a barren stretch of land. There were no casualties reported on the ground.
"32 MiG aircraft have met with accidents during the last five years and a total of eight pilots have lost their lives in these accidents," he said while replying to a query in Rajya SabhaIndia to have 3rd largest number of Internet users by 2013
he number of internet users worldwide is expected to touch 2.2 billion by 2013 and India is projected to have the third largest online population during the same time, says a report.
"... India will be the third largest internet user base by 2013 – with China and the US taking the first two spots, respectively," technology and market research firm Forrester Research said in a report.
Globally, there were about 1.5 billion Internet users in the year 2008.
Titled 'Global Online Population Forecast, 2008 to 2013', the report noted that emerging markets like India would see a growth of 10 to 20 per cent by 2013.
"In some of the emerging markets in Asia such as China, India and Indonesia, the average annual growth rates will be 10 to 20 percent over the next five years (2008-13)," the report said. India's number of Internet users was estimated to be 52 million in 2008.
In the next four years, about 43 percent of the Internet users globally are anticipated to reside in Asia and neighbouring China would account for about half of that population.
"... the shifting online population and growing spending power among Asian consumers means that Asian markets will represent a far greater percentage of the total in 2013 than they do today," Forrester Research Senior Analyst Zia Daniell Wigder said.
According to the report, the percentage of internet users in Asia would increase to 43 percent in 2013 from 38 percent in 2008.
"The percentage of the global online population located in North America will drop from 17 percent to 13 percent between 2008 and 2013, while Europe's share will shrink from 26 percent to 22 percent.
"The percentage of those in Asia will increase from 38 percent to 43 percent and Latin America will remain steady at about 11 percent of the global total," Forrester noted.
The report said apart from China, other Asian countries with substantial online growth rates include India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
"By contrast, growth rates in some of the more mature markets such as Japan and South Korea will rise by less than two percent each year," it added.
Amazon River estimated to be 11mn years old
n a new research, scientists at the University of Liverpool, UK, have discovered that the Amazon River is 11 million years old.
As part of the research, University of Liverpool researchers, in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam and Petrobras, the national oil company of Brazil, analyzed sedimentary material taken from two boreholes near the mouth of the river to calculate the age of the Amazon river and the Amazon deep sea fan.
Prior to this study, the exact age of the Amazon, one of the two largest rivers in the world, was not known.
Until recently, the Amazon Fan, a submarine sediment column around 10km thick, had proven difficult to penetrate.
New exploration efforts by Petrobas, however, have lea to two new boreholes being drilled near the mouth of the Amazon - one 2.5miles (4.5km) below sea level - which resulted in new sedimentological and paleontological analysis of samples from the river sediment.
“River sediment records provide a unique insight into the palaeoclimate and geography of the hinterland,” said Jorge Figueiredo from the University’s Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences.
“This new research has large implications for our understanding of South American paleogeography and the evolution of aquatic organisms in Amazonia and on the Atlantic coast,” he added.
“The origin of the Amazon River is a defining moment: a new ecosystem came into being at the same time as the uplifting Andes formed a geographic divide,” he explained.
Shruti Haasan in Ajith's next flick?
Shruthi Haasan's first film Luck has just opened to good response and her performance has been widely appreciated. Shruti has done some daredevil stunt sequences in Luck without using a dupe, and every one in the film's unit was awestruck by Shruti's can-do-anything attitude! She has now started receiving offers from various production houses, but it is believed that Shruti does not want to accept every offer that comes her way and is also careful not to star in films with similar roles. Meanwhile, insiders claim that Shruti has agreed to star in Ajith's next film but is also planning to concentrate on her career in music. Will she be able to strike a balance between acting and music? Let's wait and watch!
Hema Malini is Shriya's idol
The sexy and vivacious Shriya Saran, who captured the hearts of Tamil, Telugu and Hindi audiences with her acting prowess as well as scintillating screen presence, is a wonderful combination of simplicity and oomph. Shriya works very hard on her appearance and is very careful about her eating habits. Always prim and proper, with never a strand of hair out of place, her dedication to her health has made many young girls emulate her. But who is Shriya's role model? It is none other than Dream Girl Hema Malini. This 60-plus actress looks as amazing today as she did in her heydays. And that is one of the main reasons Shriya selected Hema Malini as her role model. Shriya will soon sizzle the screens in Kanthaswamy/ Mallanna.
Americans ready to buy Indian, Chinese cars
Americans are ready to buy cars from India and China, a survey in the US has revealed.
Results of the survey called 'Opportunity for Chinese and Indian Brands in the USA' shows that 15 percent of the new car buyers in the US say they would consider purchasing their next vehicle from China, and 11 percent would consider buying a car from India.
"As Hyundai and Kia have been on the American scene for decades now, it's surprising that consideration for Chinese and Indian brands would be about as strong as it is for the Korean brands," automotive research firm AutoPacific President and author of the study George Peterson said.
"It appears that buyers in America are willing to give Chinese and Indian vehicles a chance right out of the box. Understanding these consumers will be critically important to the success of any newcomer," he said.
"Not only are a significant number of people willing to consider Chinese and Indian brands, this group consists of highly desirable buyers who would be coveted by any manufacturer," Peterson said.
The study shows Chinese and Indian car considerers are likely to currently own Japanese and Korean brands, indicating that these brands may face a lot of competition from the new entries, rather than domestic brands- Chrysler, Ford or GM.
Ram Charan Teja's Magadheera premieres tonight
Magadheera, the second movie of Ram Charan Teja, is all set to release. Touted to be one of the most expensive films ever made in Tollywood, starring Kajal Aggarwal and directed by S.S. Rajamouli, this Geetha Arts production promises to be a visual extravaganza. The grand premiere of the movie is scheduled to be held in Hyderabad tonight. The biggest names from the Telugu film industry are expected to attend. The film formally releases tomorrow with 720 prints in 1500 theatres across 14 countries. Ram Charan Teja visited the Ameen Peer Dargah in Kadapa yesterday to seek the blessings of the Sufi saint for the success of his movie
Thursday, July 30, 2009
England v Australia at Birmingham, 3rd Test - Day 1 (The Ashes)
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009
How Wireless Power technology Works
Unless you are particularly organized and good with tie wrap, you probably have a few dusty power cord tangles around your home. You may have even had to follow one particular cord through the seemingly impossible snarl to the outlet, hoping that the plug you pull will be the right one. This is one of the downfalls of electricity. While it can make people's lives easier, it can add a lot of clutter in the process.
For these reasons, scientists have tried to develop methods of wireless power transmission that could cut the clutter or lead to clean sources of electricity. While the idea may sound futuristic, it isn't particularly new. Nicola Tesla proposed theories of wireless power transmission in the late 1800s and early 1900s. One of his more spectacular displays involved remotely powering lights in the ground at his Colorado Springs experiment station.
Tesla's work was impressive, but it didn't immediately lead to widespread, practical methods for wireless power transmission. Since then, researchers have developed several techniques for moving electricity over long distances without wires. Some exist only as theories or prototypes, but others are already in use. If you have an electric toothbrush, for example, you probably take advantage of one method every day.
For these reasons, scientists have tried to develop methods of wireless power transmission that could cut the clutter or lead to clean sources of electricity. While the idea may sound futuristic, it isn't particularly new. Nicola Tesla proposed theories of wireless power transmission in the late 1800s and early 1900s. One of his more spectacular displays involved remotely powering lights in the ground at his Colorado Springs experiment station.
Tesla's work was impressive, but it didn't immediately lead to widespread, practical methods for wireless power transmission. Since then, researchers have developed several techniques for moving electricity over long distances without wires. Some exist only as theories or prototypes, but others are already in use. If you have an electric toothbrush, for example, you probably take advantage of one method every day.
The wireless transmission of energy is common in much of the world. Radio waves are energy, and people use them to send and receive cell phone, TV, radio and WiFi signals every day. The radio waves spread in all directions until they reach antennae that are tuned to the right frequency. A similar method for transferring electrical power would be both inefficient and dangerous.
For example, a toothbrush's daily exposure to water makes a traditional plug-in charger potentially dangerous. Ordinary electrical connections could also allow water to seep into the toothbrush, damaging its components. Because of this, most toothbrushes recharge through inductive coupling. See the next page to learn more about how inductive coupling works.
For example, a toothbrush's daily exposure to water makes a traditional plug-in charger potentially dangerous. Ordinary electrical connections could also allow water to seep into the toothbrush, damaging its components. Because of this, most toothbrushes recharge through inductive coupling. See the next page to learn more about how inductive coupling works.
Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Memory
The human brain is like a library that stocks memories instead of books. In some ways, that makes the hippocampus, the part of the brain most involved in memory, the brain's librarian. The hippocampus has the most responsibility in this cranial library, juggling the new releases of short-term memory while cataloging materials for the permanent collection of long-term memory. It's not the only part at work, however, in storing these chapters of our lives. Different kinds of memory are stored in different areas of the brain. With such a large system, the brain needs a system of encoding and retrieving memories, something a bit more complex than the local library's Dewey Decimal System.
The brain has to be able to pull information at the drop of a hat, whether it's a fact on hold (such as a telephone number) or a dusty memory that's been sitting in storage for years (the memory of your first kiss). No one likes a library that loses books or shelves them in the wrong place. Yet sometimes we find ourselves with a very poor librarian on our hands, one that doesn't allow us to retrieve memories when we need them. Sometimes it's trivial, like when we tear apart our homes looking for glasses perched innocuously atop our heads, and sometimes these lapses in memories are more embarrassing, such as when we call a colleague "sport" because we simply can't remember his name.
Whether you're a college student studying for an important test or an aging baby boomer concerned about forgetting a recent doctor's appointment, there are a few things everyone can do to optimize the storage and checkouts in our private libraries of memories. Alert the librarian and head to the next page for the first tip.
The brain has to be able to pull information at the drop of a hat, whether it's a fact on hold (such as a telephone number) or a dusty memory that's been sitting in storage for years (the memory of your first kiss). No one likes a library that loses books or shelves them in the wrong place. Yet sometimes we find ourselves with a very poor librarian on our hands, one that doesn't allow us to retrieve memories when we need them. Sometimes it's trivial, like when we tear apart our homes looking for glasses perched innocuously atop our heads, and sometimes these lapses in memories are more embarrassing, such as when we call a colleague "sport" because we simply can't remember his name.
Whether you're a college student studying for an important test or an aging baby boomer concerned about forgetting a recent doctor's appointment, there are a few things everyone can do to optimize the storage and checkouts in our private libraries of memories. Alert the librarian and head to the next page for the first tip.
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New 7 Wonders of the World Anounced
Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
The giant Galápagos tortoise (above, a tortoise near the rim of the Alcedo Volcano) is one of the many species on the Galápagos Islands that are found nowhere else on Earth.
But these unique species "are in considerable danger from irresponsible visitation by large cruise ships and inappropriate development," Tourtellot said.
Though the islands' rating on National Geographic's Destination Scorecards has improved slightly in recent years, the area is "still very much on the cusp," he said.
"When you visit the Galápagos, make sure you're doing that with a responsible tour operator."
The volcanic archipelago, about 600 miles (965 kilometers) west of mainland Ecuador, was named one of the 28 finalists in the New7Wonders of Nature contest on July 21, 2009.
The Dead Sea (above, a boater rowing in Israel and Jordan, has received low ratings on past Destination Scorecards, Tourtellot said.
The sea is one of 28 finalists in the New7Wonders of Nature contest, announced July 21, 2009.
When the final cut is made in 2011, the new world wonders may either be overrun with damaging tourism or become better-managed destinations, Tourtellot said.
"It depends on the stewardship ethic in those places. In New Zealand the stewardship ethic is high. In Abu Dhabi it's totally clueless, and you've got everything in between
Maldives
One of the 28 New7Wonders of Nature finalists, the Maldives are made up of 1,192 small islands (including the above), but people live on only about 200 of them.
Even fewer of those islands will be inhabited if climate change continues to raise sea levels in the Indian Ocean, particularly around the low-lying capital of Maale (Male), experts say. (See pictures of Maale (Male) and other places endangered by climate change.)
If the Maldives make it to the final seven-wonders list, the resulting attention may inspire more action on climate change, Tourtellot suggested.
Angel Falls, Venezuela
The world's tallest waterfall was named one of 28 finalists in an international contest to decide the seven wonders of the natural world via popular vote. At 3,287 feet (1,002 meters) tall, Angel Falls is more than 19 times taller than North America's Niagara Falls.
The falls are also situated in a region full of tepuis—tabletop mountains unique to northern South America—which are "in danger from inappropriate or thoughtless resource development, like power lines cutting through scenic areas," National Geographic sustainable-tourism expert Jonathan Tourtellot said.
"Tepui country could do for more tourism as an economic counterforce for that kind of thoughtless development," added Tourtellot, who is also spearheading the second-annual Geotourism Challenge, where voters chose places "they consider most cutting edge in providing visitors with authentic travel experiences, whether in a big city or a remote spot."
Anavilhanas Reserve, Brazil
Researchers collect fish in Brazil's Anavilhanas Reserve in the Amazon Basin, which contains more than half of the planet's remaining rain forests.
On July 21, 2009, the species-rich region was named one of 28 finalists for the New7Wonders of Nature, a global contest that allows people to vote for the seven wonders of the natural world by Internet and phone, American Idol style.
(See all 28 of the finalists on the New7Wonders Web site.)
An expert panel helped the New7Wonders Foundation--the brainchild of Swiss filmmaker and museum curator Bernard Weber--choose the finalists based on unique beauty, ecological significance, and historical legacy, among other criteria.
"This is an extraordinary achievement and the eyes of the planet will be upon these 28 stunning locations for the next two years," Weber said in a statement.
Chosen by what the foundation hopes will be a billion voters, the winning seven wonders are to be announced in 2011.
In July 2007 the foundation announced the New Seven Wonders of the World, backed by more than a hundred million votes.
Jonathan Tourtellot, director of the National Geographic Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations, warns that the new natural wonders may be inundated with harmful tourism if their countries do not have a robust stewardship ethic. (The National Geographic Society owns National Geographic News.)
"When you draw attention to a place, you are automatically raising the tourism ante on that place. So if the place is not prepared for the increasing tourism that something like this might create, then there could be problems," he said.
But the Amazon, which spans 2,702,715 square miles (7 million square kilometers) in nine countries, is "not suffering from excess tourism, it's suffering from not enough tourism as a counterpoint for other uses in the Amazon Basin," such as lumbering or large-scale farming, Tourtellot explained.
Researchers collect fish in Brazil's Anavilhanas Reserve in the Amazon Basin, which contains more than half of the planet's remaining rain forests.
On July 21, 2009, the species-rich region was named one of 28 finalists for the New7Wonders of Nature, a global contest that allows people to vote for the seven wonders of the natural world by Internet and phone, American Idol style.
(See all 28 of the finalists on the New7Wonders Web site.)
An expert panel helped the New7Wonders Foundation--the brainchild of Swiss filmmaker and museum curator Bernard Weber--choose the finalists based on unique beauty, ecological significance, and historical legacy, among other criteria.
"This is an extraordinary achievement and the eyes of the planet will be upon these 28 stunning locations for the next two years," Weber said in a statement.
Chosen by what the foundation hopes will be a billion voters, the winning seven wonders are to be announced in 2011.
In July 2007 the foundation announced the New Seven Wonders of the World, backed by more than a hundred million votes.
Jonathan Tourtellot, director of the National Geographic Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations, warns that the new natural wonders may be inundated with harmful tourism if their countries do not have a robust stewardship ethic. (The National Geographic Society owns National Geographic News.)
"When you draw attention to a place, you are automatically raising the tourism ante on that place. So if the place is not prepared for the increasing tourism that something like this might create, then there could be problems," he said.
But the Amazon, which spans 2,702,715 square miles (7 million square kilometers) in nine countries, is "not suffering from excess tourism, it's suffering from not enough tourism as a counterpoint for other uses in the Amazon Basin," such as lumbering or large-scale farming, Tourtellot explained.
World's Biggest Cave Found in Vietnam
A massive cave recently uncovered in a remote Vietnamese jungle is the largest single cave passage yet found, a new survey shows.At 262-by-262 feet (80-by-80 meters) in most places, the Son Doong cave beats out the previous world-record holder, Deer Cave in the Malaysian section of the island of Borneo.
Deer Cave is no less than 300-by-300 feet (91-by-91 meters), but it's only about a mile (1.6 kilometers) long.
By contrast, explorers walked 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometers) into Son Doong, in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, before being blocked by seasonal floodwaters—and they think that the passage is even longer.
In addition, for a couple of miles Son Doong reaches more than 460-by-460 feet (140-by-140 meters), said Adam Spillane, a member of the British Cave Research Association expedition that explored the massive cavern.
Spillane was in the first of two groups to enter the cave. His team followed the passage as far as a 46-foot-high (14-meter-high) wall.
"The second team that went in got flooded out," he said. "We're going back next year to climb that wall and explore the cave further."
(See photographs of the Son Doong cave.)
Laser Precision
A local farmer, who had found the entrance to the Son Doong cave several years ago, led the joint British-Vietnamese expedition team to the cavern in April.
The team found an underground river running through the first 1.6 miles (2.5 kilometers) of the limestone cavern, as well as giant stalagmites more than 230 feet (70 meters) high.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
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'Chinese drugs with Indian labels affecting exports to Africa'
Chinese drugs with Indian labels are flooding West Africa, seriously impacting attempts by Indian pharmaceutical companies to enter the African market, according to the Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil).
'Drugs of Chinese origin are reaching Nigeria with labels saying these are made in India,' Pharmexcil executive director P.V. Appaji told IANS.
'We have to be extremely careful in ensuring that only genuine drugs exported from India and protected drugs are made available to the African public,' Appaji said, adding: 'Worldwide, access to low cost generics is under threat from counterfeits, generic violations or local laws, but that is something that we can work out together.'
According to him, the potential for India and South Africa to cooperate to push generic drugs was 'excellent'.
'I found that the South African government is well aware of this, and is trying to take care of it by increasing the penetration of generic drugs throughout South Africa,' Appaji said.
The Indian pharmaceutical industry is well positioned in dealing with these challenges and will benefit from establishing links with South Africa, he added.
The Pharmexcil delegation will also visit countries neighbouring South Africa such as Mozambique, Botswana and Zambia later this week.
Pharmexcil's foray into Africa started with Kenya in East Africa and Tunisia in North Africa, with a delegation visiting Ghana, Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire in West Africa three months ago.
'We found that generic drugs are very well received in these African countries and hope to establish links with them to counter the impact of counterfeit generic drugs,' Appaji said.
'Drugs of Chinese origin are reaching Nigeria with labels saying these are made in India,' Pharmexcil executive director P.V. Appaji told IANS.
'We have to be extremely careful in ensuring that only genuine drugs exported from India and protected drugs are made available to the African public,' Appaji said, adding: 'Worldwide, access to low cost generics is under threat from counterfeits, generic violations or local laws, but that is something that we can work out together.'
According to him, the potential for India and South Africa to cooperate to push generic drugs was 'excellent'.
'I found that the South African government is well aware of this, and is trying to take care of it by increasing the penetration of generic drugs throughout South Africa,' Appaji said.
The Indian pharmaceutical industry is well positioned in dealing with these challenges and will benefit from establishing links with South Africa, he added.
The Pharmexcil delegation will also visit countries neighbouring South Africa such as Mozambique, Botswana and Zambia later this week.
Pharmexcil's foray into Africa started with Kenya in East Africa and Tunisia in North Africa, with a delegation visiting Ghana, Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire in West Africa three months ago.
'We found that generic drugs are very well received in these African countries and hope to establish links with them to counter the impact of counterfeit generic drugs,' Appaji said.
send e-mail greetings to loved ones from beyond the grave
A new range of internet services have made it possible for users to now send e-mail greetings to their loved ones from beyond the grave.
These online services are being used to send birthday wishes to friends, congratulations on a graduation, and to keep spouses happy.
Before they die, internet users can programme the sites to fire off posthumous e-mails on key dates each year.
People using these services can even set up their own online memorial in advance.
The messages go live when the website is alerted to a subscriber's demise.
According to reports, these websites are part of a growing trend for "digital wills".
Though not legally binding, the online wills are aimed at ensuring that next of kin can gain full access to a dead person's musings on sites like Facebook and Hotmail, as well as passwords for internet banking and other e-documents.
One Simon Gilligan, 63, from Littleport, Cambridgeshire, has made a digital will on lastmessagesclub.co.uk, which launched this month, in tandem with a paper will.
"It has things like personal messages to my wife and children and various details of my bank accounts, e-mail and my Facebook account," Times Online quoted him as saying.
"I did it because I have heard of situations where people have died and it has taken a long time to get the information. This will make it easier for my wife and children.
"I would definitely consider setting it up to send another e-mail out to my family on a birthday. That would choke everybody up," he added. (ANI)
These online services are being used to send birthday wishes to friends, congratulations on a graduation, and to keep spouses happy.
Before they die, internet users can programme the sites to fire off posthumous e-mails on key dates each year.
People using these services can even set up their own online memorial in advance.
The messages go live when the website is alerted to a subscriber's demise.
According to reports, these websites are part of a growing trend for "digital wills".
Though not legally binding, the online wills are aimed at ensuring that next of kin can gain full access to a dead person's musings on sites like Facebook and Hotmail, as well as passwords for internet banking and other e-documents.
One Simon Gilligan, 63, from Littleport, Cambridgeshire, has made a digital will on lastmessagesclub.co.uk, which launched this month, in tandem with a paper will.
"It has things like personal messages to my wife and children and various details of my bank accounts, e-mail and my Facebook account," Times Online quoted him as saying.
"I did it because I have heard of situations where people have died and it has taken a long time to get the information. This will make it easier for my wife and children.
"I would definitely consider setting it up to send another e-mail out to my family on a birthday. That would choke everybody up," he added. (ANI)
Watch and Download Hindi movie LUCK-2009
Sanjay Dutt, Imran Khan,Shruti Haasan, Mithun Chakraborty, Danny Denzongpa, Ravi Kishan, Neha Oberoi, Rati Agnihotri, Chitrashi Rawat
Click here to watch online:http://www.interval.in/videos.php?id=77200
Click here to watch online:http://www.interval.in/videos.php?id=77200
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Katrina Kaif in a 'Desi' Avatar
The actress who is known for her super-cool and hip looks in her films has gone desi for Priyadarshan's upcoming flick 'De Dhana Dhan'. Katz has opted for an Amrapali-style costume replete with traditional jewels, classical dance steps along with her traditional Indian pose. De Dhana Dhan stars her lucky charm Akshay Kumar and is a romantic comedy shot in Singapore and Mumbai at a budget of Rs 60 crores. This film brings back the team of Akshay, Sunil Shetty, Paresh Rawal, and director Priyadarshan together after eight years. Just before Katz left for London to spend time with her family, Kat shot for a song sequence with Akshay Kumar at Mehboob Studios.
http://www.bharatmovies.com/videos/bollywood/news-gossips/katrina-kaif-in-desi-avatar.htm
http://www.bharatmovies.com/videos/bollywood/news-gossips/katrina-kaif-in-desi-avatar.htm
Hiding emotions makes it difficult to build friendships
An Indian-origin researcher in the US says that people who keep too much of their emotions to themselves may find it difficult to build friendships. Sanjay Srivastava, a professor of psychology at the University of Oregon, says that even though suppressing emotions in new or difficult situations is understandable and perhaps appropriate, carrying the practice too far creates a vicious cycle where trusting others.Writing about the research work in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Srivastava revealed that the study looked at the social costs of emotional suppression among 278 college
freshman during their first term at a major West Coast university. The students — 58 percent female, 31 percent Asian, 60 percent white, 15 percent Hispanic, 7 percent black and 4 percent Native American — were contacted before they left home for college. Both before and after the transition, participants completed intensive assessments about their social and emotional experiences. They also nominated acquaintances who knew them well — virtually all new friends at college — to be surveyed about how the participants had adjusted. The study was carried out as part of a larger research project looking at how and why emotions matter for social adjustment, particularly in critical situations like the transition to college. The researchers behind it looked at expressive suppression, a strategy some people use to regulate emotions where they "basically just try to not show any emotion on the outside," Srivastava said. They took the aid of weekly diaries to obtained data on each participant's support from parents and friends, closeness with others, social satisfaction and academic satisfaction. At the end of the term, the participants again addressed their levels of support from friends, closeness, and social and academic satisfaction. The researchers also gathered corroborating information from friends who could give first-hand accounts of how the participants were faring at college. "Hiding your emotions is something that is very common but it's something that often is not the right thing to do. We're not saying never ever do this, but doing it may have negative effects in certain contexts, such as in transitioning into college. It may be hurting the formation of relationships," Srivastava said. According to him, data gathered from the participants and friends provided similar results. "People who were hiding or masking their emotions were having more difficult times forming close, meaningful, supportive and satisfying relationships," he said. He points out that studies conducted in the past have shown that people keep emotions hidden during times when they feel alienated or disconnected, or when a situation leaves them feeling out of control. For some individuals, those feelings may be more pronounced during major transitions, putting college freshmen at particular risk
Aligarh schoolgirl leaves for US for NASA student programme
Aligarh schoolgirl leaves for US for NASA student programme
Palak Agrawal, one of the two schoolgirls selected from India to visit the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) agency for training in space shuttle
designing, left for the US on Friday late night. Palak Agarwal, who belongs to Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh district, has been selected under a student programme under which few students across the globe get an opportunity to get trained at NASA. Palak, studying in X standard, values American astronaut of Indian origin Kalpana Chawla as her source of inspiration, as she studies in the same school in which Chawla used to study. “I am inspired by Kalpana Chawla. She dreamt that India should foster ahead in this (astronomy) field. I want to fulfill her dream," said Palak Agrawal. Meanwhile, Palak’s family expressed its happiness and said that they were all proud of her achievement. “Parents feel proud if their kid does well. She was determined from beginning to achieve something in a scientific field. Inspired by Kalpana Chawla, she did her research on Internet. We helped her in whatever manner we can. Wherever she had to give test or seek admission, we took her and will continue to do so,” said Palak’s father, Kanhiya Lal Agrawal.
Jet's new Hyderabad-Dubai daily service from Aug 16
Jet Airways will launch a new Hyderabad-Dubai flight from August 16, the private carrier's fifth daily service to the Gulf city and the second from Southern India. The airline will deploy Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the lucrative route. At present, the Naresh Goyal-led carrier operates twice daily services to Dubai from Mumbai, and daily from Delhi and Chennai. "With the growing popularity of Dubai as a leading business and leisure destination, there has been an increasing demand for enhanced air connectivity to the Gulf emirate from Southern India," Jet Chief Executive Wolfgang Prock-Schauer said in a release here today. "We are confident that the new service from Hyderabad will be well appreciated by travellers and will complement our existing services from India," he said. With the introduction of the new service, Jet will operate 17 frequencies to seven destinations in the Gulf, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat, Doha, Abu Dhai, Jeddah and Dubai from several Indian cities.
Gates wants window to India's national ID project
Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Friday said it would be a "big mistake" if the US curbs the entry of skilled workers from abroad, rallying behind the "smart people" from countries like India that has a globally recognised outsourcing industry.
He also said Microsoft will like to partner the Indian government in its ambitious plan to give a unique identity number and a biometric card to each of its 1.17 billion people.
"I can't make any predictions. Immigration policy could get more difficult. Microsoft as a company is very vocal. It would be a big mistake," said Gates, here for overseeing the philanthropic activities of the foundation he has formed with his wife Melinda.
"The US Congress is very tough on immigration. But why not make an exception for smart people?" he said at an interactive session organised by the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) at the Durbar Hall of Taj Palace Hotel here.
Gates even maintained that the job market in the US had not shifted anywhere, when asked to respond to US President Barack Obama's comments that he will not like jobs to be taken away from Buffalo to outsourcing companies in Bangalore.
"If we get the statistics, about 1,800 US people are working here (in India)."
Even though Gates now devotes most of his time to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he has always been vocal about his support for migrant professionals that is reflected in the number of such workers at the Microsoft offices in the US.
According to Nasscom, Indian nationals accounted for 157,726 H1B visas, or 37.8 percent of the 409,619 admissions under this US programme in 2008. This is a drop of about 3,000 professionals compared to 2007.
Gates said he was also keen to partner India in its ambitious plan to issue a single identity card and number to its 1.17 billion citizens for which a new authority has been formed under Infosys Technologies co-founder Nandan Nilekani.
"Microsoft wants to be part of the Unique Identification Authority of India project," he said, adding that he hoped to meet with Nilekani to discuss the issue.
"I am very excited about the project. It is a great initiative. We need to make sure every data is accurate. From a mobile phone number to anything," Gates told the conference, also addressed by Minister for State for Communications Sachin Pilot.
During his current visit, Gates announced a major increase in his foundation's AIDS prevention commitment to India to $338 million, saying India's drive in this regard could serve as a model for the rest of the world.
Launched in 2003, his family foundation provides funding and support to targeted HIV prevention programmes in six Indian states, including Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, and along the national trucking routes through an initiative called "Avahan".
Prior to this, the foundation had committed a total of $258 million for the purpose.
Gates, who has always maintained a packed schedule during his visits to India, was also scheduled to meet with Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and hold a videoconference with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Another reason behind the current visit is to receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development on behalf of his foundation, being recognised for "pioneering and exemplary philanthropic work around the world and in India in health".
As of July, the foundation has committed nearly $1 billion for health and development projects in India. Globally, it has committed nearly $12 billion in grants for global health, the foundation claimed in a statement.
He also said Microsoft will like to partner the Indian government in its ambitious plan to give a unique identity number and a biometric card to each of its 1.17 billion people.
"I can't make any predictions. Immigration policy could get more difficult. Microsoft as a company is very vocal. It would be a big mistake," said Gates, here for overseeing the philanthropic activities of the foundation he has formed with his wife Melinda.
"The US Congress is very tough on immigration. But why not make an exception for smart people?" he said at an interactive session organised by the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) at the Durbar Hall of Taj Palace Hotel here.
Gates even maintained that the job market in the US had not shifted anywhere, when asked to respond to US President Barack Obama's comments that he will not like jobs to be taken away from Buffalo to outsourcing companies in Bangalore.
"If we get the statistics, about 1,800 US people are working here (in India)."
Even though Gates now devotes most of his time to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he has always been vocal about his support for migrant professionals that is reflected in the number of such workers at the Microsoft offices in the US.
According to Nasscom, Indian nationals accounted for 157,726 H1B visas, or 37.8 percent of the 409,619 admissions under this US programme in 2008. This is a drop of about 3,000 professionals compared to 2007.
Gates said he was also keen to partner India in its ambitious plan to issue a single identity card and number to its 1.17 billion citizens for which a new authority has been formed under Infosys Technologies co-founder Nandan Nilekani.
"Microsoft wants to be part of the Unique Identification Authority of India project," he said, adding that he hoped to meet with Nilekani to discuss the issue.
"I am very excited about the project. It is a great initiative. We need to make sure every data is accurate. From a mobile phone number to anything," Gates told the conference, also addressed by Minister for State for Communications Sachin Pilot.
During his current visit, Gates announced a major increase in his foundation's AIDS prevention commitment to India to $338 million, saying India's drive in this regard could serve as a model for the rest of the world.
Launched in 2003, his family foundation provides funding and support to targeted HIV prevention programmes in six Indian states, including Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, and along the national trucking routes through an initiative called "Avahan".
Prior to this, the foundation had committed a total of $258 million for the purpose.
Gates, who has always maintained a packed schedule during his visits to India, was also scheduled to meet with Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and hold a videoconference with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Another reason behind the current visit is to receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development on behalf of his foundation, being recognised for "pioneering and exemplary philanthropic work around the world and in India in health".
As of July, the foundation has committed nearly $1 billion for health and development projects in India. Globally, it has committed nearly $12 billion in grants for global health, the foundation claimed in a statement.
Ganguly to lead Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL-3
Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly will be reinstated as the captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the third edition of the Indian Premier League in 2010, team sources said Saturday.
Even as an official announcement is awaited, sources said that there could be a major reshuffle with former India coach Wright likely to replace John Buchanan as Knight Riders coach, while former Australian middle-order batsman Michael Bevan will be in the coaching panel.
Sources said Ganguly would be back at the helm in 2010 when his contract with the Kolkata team ends.
The iconic Bengal cricketer had a one-on-one with principal owner Shah Rukh Khan when the duo met in London to receive doctorates by the University of Central Lancashire last week.
"Sourav Ganguly and Shah Rukh Khan had a discussion about this when the left-handed batsman was in London last week. They have agreed in principle that Ganguly will lead the side," the source said.
"There were also discussions about the possible coaches. Wright and Bevan are the front runners. It is up to Shah Rukh to take the final call."
Ganguly, meanwhile, said that nothing is final as yet and a proper announcement will be made in due time.
"I don't take the decision of KKR alone. There are a number of people involved in the process. But hopefully in due course of time we will get a person who will coach the team. The decision has not been made yet," Ganguly said.
The Knight Riders management was also tight lipped about the development.
When contacted, Knight Riders CEO Joy Bhattacharya told PTI: "At the moment, I don't deny this (Ganguly as captain and Wright as the chief coach). However, there has not been any official announcement as yet."
Asked whether he was aware of this development, he said, "I don't want to comment on this. When there is an official announcement, we will let you know."
In the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa, Kolkata Knight Riders were plagued with controversies especially after Ganguly was dethroned just two days before the start of the tournament.
Knight Riders coach John Buchanan, who later had to part ways with the side after their bottom place finish, had floated the idea of multiple captaincy but only to hand over the baton to New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum.
IPL 3, which was pre-poned to accommodate the ICC World Twenty20, begins in March next year and will overlap with Australia's tour of New Zealand.
Even as an official announcement is awaited, sources said that there could be a major reshuffle with former India coach Wright likely to replace John Buchanan as Knight Riders coach, while former Australian middle-order batsman Michael Bevan will be in the coaching panel.
Sources said Ganguly would be back at the helm in 2010 when his contract with the Kolkata team ends.
The iconic Bengal cricketer had a one-on-one with principal owner Shah Rukh Khan when the duo met in London to receive doctorates by the University of Central Lancashire last week.
"Sourav Ganguly and Shah Rukh Khan had a discussion about this when the left-handed batsman was in London last week. They have agreed in principle that Ganguly will lead the side," the source said.
"There were also discussions about the possible coaches. Wright and Bevan are the front runners. It is up to Shah Rukh to take the final call."
Ganguly, meanwhile, said that nothing is final as yet and a proper announcement will be made in due time.
"I don't take the decision of KKR alone. There are a number of people involved in the process. But hopefully in due course of time we will get a person who will coach the team. The decision has not been made yet," Ganguly said.
The Knight Riders management was also tight lipped about the development.
When contacted, Knight Riders CEO Joy Bhattacharya told PTI: "At the moment, I don't deny this (Ganguly as captain and Wright as the chief coach). However, there has not been any official announcement as yet."
Asked whether he was aware of this development, he said, "I don't want to comment on this. When there is an official announcement, we will let you know."
In the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa, Kolkata Knight Riders were plagued with controversies especially after Ganguly was dethroned just two days before the start of the tournament.
Knight Riders coach John Buchanan, who later had to part ways with the side after their bottom place finish, had floated the idea of multiple captaincy but only to hand over the baton to New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum.
IPL 3, which was pre-poned to accommodate the ICC World Twenty20, begins in March next year and will overlap with Australia's tour of New Zealand.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
I was a terrible actress: Priyanka Chopra
She is one of the reigning stars in Bollywood, but Priyanka Chopra says she was a very bad actress when she debuted with i>Andaaz six years ago. While the former Miss World has set high goals for herself and is experimenting with roles like never before, she is also clear about what she is looking for in her 'Mr Right'.
EXCERPTS FROM AN INTERVIEW:
Q: Having had two hits in 2008, Fashion and Dostana along with several awards... how do you look back at your past year?
Priyanka Chopra: I feel like I'm 20 years into my career because I've done so much work in such a short time. When I look back, it's been only five-six years since I've been in the film industry. I've never received any formal training in acting or cinema nor do I belong to a film family; so for me, the biggest achievement is that my hard work and my family's support have led me to the place I'm in today. I take great pride in that.
Q: How would you review your performance in Bollywood ever since you made your debut with Andaaz in 2003?
Priyanka Chopra: I think I was a terrible actress when I started off as compared to what I'm now. I still have a lot to learn, but I believe that I've grown as an actress and I evolve constantly. I always had the hunger to learn and become better at what I do - just like a sponge, trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible.
Q: Your forthcoming movies are Kaminey and What's Your Rashee? and Pyaar Impossible. Which one are you more excited about and why?
Priyanka Chopra: I have different feelings for different films. I'm very excited about Kaminey because it's pathbreaking cinema. On the other hand, I'm equally nervous and excited about What's Your Rashee? because it was a huge challenge for me. I play 12 different characters in it, something that hasn't really been done in Indian cinema before and the fact that I'll be a part of history in the making is very scary. Pyaar Impossible is a sweet, cool story where I have a glamorous look and contemporary character. As cliched as it sounds, each one is special.
Q: In Kaminey you play a de-glamourised role opposite Shahid Kapoor. Were you sceptical about the look because you were seen in ultra-glam roles in Fashion and Dostana?
Priyanka Chopra: Let's put this into context. I chose the role not because she was de-glamourised. I chose it because of the way the character is etched out and not how she looks. That's incidental. With most of my films, especially the most recent ones, I have taken up roles that are interesting and different from what I've done before.
Q: You have always been silent about controversies related to your personal and professional life why?
Priyanka Chopra: Because I firmly believe that all aspects of my life are for public consumption. I learnt early in my career that speculation, rumours and gossip come with the job... a professional hazard. But I'd much rather approach it with dignified silence than to engage in ugly mud-slinging.
Q: What about news of your multiple link-ups and break-ups - don't they disturb you?
Priyanka Chopra:They definitely do because eventually I'm a girl and have a family - a father, a mother, a brother. It does bother me, but I don't believe in clarifying the rumours. It just gives it undue importance. As long as my family knows what the truth is, that's all that matters. The rest doesn't!
Q: Any plans of settling down in the near future? What sort of a guy would you want as a companion?
Priyanka Chopra: No plans of settling down at the moment. But when I do... Mr Right has to match a lot of my parameters. He has to be someone who knows how to make me feel special, make me feel like I'm walking on air. He has to be somebody who loves me for who I am and takes pride in being with me. He also has to be honest and be able to speak well, make me laugh - all in all, somebody who really really loves me.
Battle of Ambanis turns murky, Anil accuses Govt
Two of India's biggest corporates led by warring brothers - Mukesh and Anil Ambani - are slugging it out in the Supreme Court over the controversial KG Basin and who has the right to sell the gas produced from it, and at what price.
The plot thickened on Monday with the Government opposing the family agreement to share gas. This has led to Anil Ambani writing to the Prime Minister accusing the Petroleum Ministry of favouring elder brother Mukesh.
Anil's lawyer Ram Jethmalani went public with this allegation in the court.
“I can't argue my case against the Government here. You know what I told the Government. I am saying anything outside the court, I can only tell you the Ministry of Petroluem is under the pocket of Mr (Mukesh) Ambani,” he said.
A letter from the petroleum ministry to the central investigating section of the supreme court, asking for nothing to be done without its own approval, is one of the many letters being used by the junior Ambani camp to press this point.
Mukesh Ambani's lawyer Harish Salve was ready with his response.
‘The SC is concerned by the importance of this case where a family arrangement which was meant to put parity between brothers. Now with changed circumstances everyone is buying the case. Whether this will overwrite sovereign policy is something that the court is concerned about. Mr Jethmalini made an allegation. His allegations are never serious they are meant for the gallery not for the court,” said Salve.
For now, the apex court has postponed the hearing of the case to September 1 but has asked all parties, including the ministries and gas companies involved to present their side on the next hearing.
The plot thickened on Monday with the Government opposing the family agreement to share gas. This has led to Anil Ambani writing to the Prime Minister accusing the Petroleum Ministry of favouring elder brother Mukesh.
Anil's lawyer Ram Jethmalani went public with this allegation in the court.
“I can't argue my case against the Government here. You know what I told the Government. I am saying anything outside the court, I can only tell you the Ministry of Petroluem is under the pocket of Mr (Mukesh) Ambani,” he said.
A letter from the petroleum ministry to the central investigating section of the supreme court, asking for nothing to be done without its own approval, is one of the many letters being used by the junior Ambani camp to press this point.
Mukesh Ambani's lawyer Harish Salve was ready with his response.
‘The SC is concerned by the importance of this case where a family arrangement which was meant to put parity between brothers. Now with changed circumstances everyone is buying the case. Whether this will overwrite sovereign policy is something that the court is concerned about. Mr Jethmalini made an allegation. His allegations are never serious they are meant for the gallery not for the court,” said Salve.
For now, the apex court has postponed the hearing of the case to September 1 but has asked all parties, including the ministries and gas companies involved to present their side on the next hearing.
Sony to release film of Jackson's final days
Sony is to release a movie based on more than 80 hours of footage filmed during Michael Jackson's final days as he was rehearsing for his comeback concerts in London, trade paper Variety reported Monday.
Sony is expected to pay over $50 million for the rights to the footage, which was offered by concert promoter AEG to Hollywood film studios over the weekend.
The film will include several videos that were shot and meant to be shown during the concerts, including an alternative version of Jackson's most famous video, 'Thriller'.
'High School Musical' director Kenny Ortega, who shot the rehearsal footage, is expected to become the director of the film, which could be released before year's end.
Though Universal, Paramount and 20th Century Fox were also interested in the footage, Sony had the inside track since the studio owns the music publishing rights to Jackson's songs.
The report said that AEG is also selling TV and video rights to the tribute concert featuring Justin Timberlake and other artists, scheduled for Aug 29, on what would have been Jackson's 51st birthday.
The singers will perform the songs that the King of Pop had planned, accompanied by the band that rehearsed with him.
Sony is expected to pay over $50 million for the rights to the footage, which was offered by concert promoter AEG to Hollywood film studios over the weekend.
The film will include several videos that were shot and meant to be shown during the concerts, including an alternative version of Jackson's most famous video, 'Thriller'.
'High School Musical' director Kenny Ortega, who shot the rehearsal footage, is expected to become the director of the film, which could be released before year's end.
Though Universal, Paramount and 20th Century Fox were also interested in the footage, Sony had the inside track since the studio owns the music publishing rights to Jackson's songs.
The report said that AEG is also selling TV and video rights to the tribute concert featuring Justin Timberlake and other artists, scheduled for Aug 29, on what would have been Jackson's 51st birthday.
The singers will perform the songs that the King of Pop had planned, accompanied by the band that rehearsed with him.
A device that 'translates a dog's barks into words'
Your dog will soon start talking to you, all thanks to Japanese inventors who have come up with a device that can detect a dog's emotion from its bark and translate it into human words.
The talking gadget called Bowlingual Voice is developed by Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy.
It detects six emotions in total- including sadness, joy and frustration - with a recorded repertoire of spoken phrases such as "play with me".
The revolutionary gadget comprises of a microphone placed around the dog's neck and a hand-held unit-operating device for pet owners to carry, reports The Telegraph.
When the dog barks, the microphone records the sound and transmits the data to the owner's hand-held device, which then "translates" it into what the dog is apparently suggesting.
A speech synthesizer audibly makes the owner aware of the dog's intentions, which also appears on the screen of the wireless hand-held unit.
An answering machine function can also record the dog's expressions of desire when owners are absent.
The technologically modified version of a basic model introduced seven years ago will be available for 129 pounds in Japan from next month.
The original Bowlingual translated emotions onto a screen without sound. (ANI)
The talking gadget called Bowlingual Voice is developed by Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy.
It detects six emotions in total- including sadness, joy and frustration - with a recorded repertoire of spoken phrases such as "play with me".
The revolutionary gadget comprises of a microphone placed around the dog's neck and a hand-held unit-operating device for pet owners to carry, reports The Telegraph.
When the dog barks, the microphone records the sound and transmits the data to the owner's hand-held device, which then "translates" it into what the dog is apparently suggesting.
A speech synthesizer audibly makes the owner aware of the dog's intentions, which also appears on the screen of the wireless hand-held unit.
An answering machine function can also record the dog's expressions of desire when owners are absent.
The technologically modified version of a basic model introduced seven years ago will be available for 129 pounds in Japan from next month.
The original Bowlingual translated emotions onto a screen without sound. (ANI)
Monday, July 20, 2009
I was a terrible actress: Priyanka Chopra
She is one of the reigning stars in Bollywood, but Priyanka Chopra says she was a very bad actress when she debuted with i>Andaaz six years ago. While the former Miss World has set high goals for herself and is experimenting with roles like never before, she is also clear about what she is looking for in her 'Mr Right'.
EXCERPTS FROM AN INTERVIEW:
Q: Having had two hits in 2008, Fashion and Dostana along with several awards... how do you look back at your past year?
Priyanka Chopra: I feel like I'm 20 years into my career because I've done so much work in such a short time. When I look back, it's been only five-six years since I've been in the film industry. I've never received any formal training in acting or cinema nor do I belong to a film family; so for me, the biggest achievement is that my hard work and my family's support have led me to the place I'm in today. I take great pride in that.
Q: How would you review your performance in Bollywood ever since you made your debut with Andaaz in 2003?
Priyanka Chopra: I think I was a terrible actress when I started off as compared to what I'm now. I still have a lot to learn, but I believe that I've grown as an actress and I evolve constantly. I always had the hunger to learn and become better at what I do - just like a sponge, trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible.
Q: Your forthcoming movies are Kaminey and What's Your Rashee? and Pyaar Impossible. Which one are you more excited about and why?
Priyanka Chopra: I have different feelings for different films. I'm very excited about Kaminey because it's pathbreaking cinema. On the other hand, I'm equally nervous and excited about What's Your Rashee? because it was a huge challenge for me. I play 12 different characters in it, something that hasn't really been done in Indian cinema before and the fact that I'll be a part of history in the making is very scary. Pyaar Impossible is a sweet, cool story where I have a glamorous look and contemporary character. As cliched as it sounds, each one is special.
Q: In Kaminey you play a de-glamourised role opposite Shahid Kapoor. Were you sceptical about the look because you were seen in ultra-glam roles in Fashion and Dostana?
Priyanka Chopra: Let's put this into context. I chose the role not because she was de-glamourised. I chose it because of the way the character is etched out and not how she looks. That's incidental. With most of my films, especially the most recent ones, I have taken up roles that are interesting and different from what I've done before.
Q: You have always been silent about controversies related to your personal and professional life why?
Priyanka Chopra: Because I firmly believe that all aspects of my life are for public consumption. I learnt early in my career that speculation, rumours and gossip come with the job... a professional hazard. But I'd much rather approach it with dignified silence than to engage in ugly mud-slinging.
Q: What about news of your multiple link-ups and break-ups - don't they disturb you?
Priyanka Chopra:They definitely do because eventually I'm a girl and have a family - a father, a mother, a brother. It does bother me, but I don't believe in clarifying the rumours. It just gives it undue importance. As long as my family knows what the truth is, that's all that matters. The rest doesn't!
Q: Any plans of settling down in the near future? What sort of a guy would you want as a companion?
Priyanka Chopra: No plans of settling down at the moment. But when I do... Mr Right has to match a lot of my parameters. He has to be someone who knows how to make me feel special, make me feel like I'm walking on air. He has to be somebody who loves me for who I am and takes pride in being with me. He also has to be honest and be able to speak well, make me laugh - all in all, somebody who really really loves me.
Battle of Ambanis turns murky, Anil accuses Govt
Two of India's biggest corporates led by warring brothers - Mukesh and Anil Ambani - are slugging it out in the Supreme Court over the controversial KG Basin and who has the right to sell the gas produced from it, and at what price.
The plot thickened on Monday with the Government opposing the family agreement to share gas. This has led to Anil Ambani writing to the Prime Minister accusing the Petroleum Ministry of favouring elder brother Mukesh.
Anil's lawyer Ram Jethmalani went public with this allegation in the court.
“I can't argue my case against the Government here. You know what I told the Government. I am saying anything outside the court, I can only tell you the Ministry of Petroluem is under the pocket of Mr (Mukesh) Ambani,” he said.
A letter from the petroleum ministry to the central investigating section of the supreme court, asking for nothing to be done without its own approval, is one of the many letters being used by the junior Ambani camp to press this point.
Mukesh Ambani's lawyer Harish Salve was ready with his response.
‘The SC is concerned by the importance of this case where a family arrangement which was meant to put parity between brothers. Now with changed circumstances everyone is buying the case. Whether this will overwrite sovereign policy is something that the court is concerned about. Mr Jethmalini made an allegation. His allegations are never serious they are meant for the gallery not for the court,” said Salve.
For now, the apex court has postponed the hearing of the case to September 1 but has asked all parties, including the ministries and gas companies involved to present their side on the next hearing.
Tiger in Sunderbans had swallowed king cobra
The 14-year-old tiger that was found dead two days ago in Sunderbans of West Bengal had swallowed two snakes, including a venomous king cobra, before it succumbed to liver infection, a senior state forest official has said.
"It was a startling revelation for us when we found the pieces of the snakes inside the tiger's stomach. One of them was a king cobra while the another was a commonly found reptile species," Atanu Kumar Raha, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) of West Bengal, told reporters.
It is probably for the first time that a tiger having consumed poisonous reptiles like cobra has come to the knowledge of wildlife officials, Raha said.
He said hostile ecological and riverine conditions make the Sunderban predators more hardy and agile when compared to their counterparts in other reserves. "As the predator was aged, it might be possible that it could not hunt carnivorous animals."
The official ruled out that the big cat's death was due to snake venom or poaching as there was no injury mark neither any gunshot on its body.
"It had died due to some bacterial infection in its liver that might have deteriorated after consuming the reptiles. Cobra hoods were found to be intact while there were pieces of body part of snakes in the big cat's viscera."
Besides Raha, other Sunderban Tiger Reserve officials and World Wildlife Fund (WWF)'s Anurag Banda who was appointed as nominee by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) were present during the post-mortem of the animal.
As per NTCA guidelines, the post-mortem has to be conducted in the presence of its nominee.
Anushka-Neil go charming the Garden city
Bollywood’s young stars Anushka Sharma and Neil Nitin Mukesh made this simple event a highly glamorous one recently. In Bangalore to inaugurate a ‘Jack and Jones’ store, the celebrity duo attracted a throng of fans that flooded in the simple event. They were the special guests.
When fans heard of the arrival of the actors, the venue was thronged. Though the celebrities came around half hour to an hour late, but this did not dampen the fans’ enthusiasm.
Along with these two, also came Ramesh Dembla, Manjul Gupta, Ashwini Nachappa, Mumbai models Carol Gracias and Pia Trivedi, Sudha Hiremath and Rekha Hande
US company converts onion juice to electricity
Onions make you cry, add flavor to food and are touted for their medicinal benefits. Now the vegetable has another use - powering up green energy.A new system debuts on Friday that converts onion juice into electricity at Gills Onions, the largest fresh onion processor in the United States.
The Oxnard, California-based company expects its new onion-fueled power to reduce its electric bill by $700,000 a year and cut its annual greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30,000 tons.
The happy ending to this green energy tale, however, started with another question: how to get rid of onion waste.
"When we peel an onion, 35 to 40 per cent of the onion comes off before we have a usable onion. That's the top, tail and skin around the onion before you get to the meat," said Steven Gill, co-owner of the 25-year-old company.
They used to haul the waste to the fields for composting, but that became a problem. Ten years ago, Gill started looking at technology for a solution, including microturbines.
"We ended up shredding the skins as they come out of the plant and extracting all the juice, which is very high in sugars, and bacteria love that stuff," Gill said.
In the new system, bacteria produce methane gas from the juice. The gas then goes to two 300 kilowatt fuel cells, creating enough power for 460 homes. The company expects to get 35 to 40 per cent of its electricity from the on-site generator.
The company invested $9.5 million in the project and will receive $2.7 million from Southern California Gas Co., a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy, as part of a state program to encourage self-contained generation by businesses. In addition to cutting its electric bill, the company will save $400,000 in hauling costs and expects pay-back in six years.
The onion grower now has new goal: to be a zero-waste facility by 2011.
"We wanted to follow it all the way through and make the full circle," Gill said.
Actor Shahid Kapoor to receive Rajiv Gandhi Award
After eminent personalities like Sachin Tendulkar, Mukesh Ambani, Sunita Williams and Amitabh Bachchan, Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor becomes the latest recipient of the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Award.
The 28-year-old is going to be presented with the 12th Rajiv Gandhi Award in the Best Actor category. The award function will be held in the second week of August.
"I was pleasantly surprised to get the news about my being chosen for the prestigious award. I am only 28-years-old and it's really early in my career. I feel humbled and honoured to be chosen by the jury," said Shahid.
This year, Shahid will be seen in three films - Vishal Bharadwaj's Kaminey opposite Priyanka Chopra, Aditya Chopra's Dil Bole Hadippa opposite Rani Mukherjee and a Ken Ghosh movie opposite Genelia D'Souza.
Saif ali khan plays a jehadi, finds meaning in his religion
Actor Saif Ali Khan was born and brought up in a liberal atmosphere. He was not religious and didn’t bother much about politics. That changed when he started working in Rensil D'Silva's tentatively titled movie Jehad.The actor gets out of his zone to play an Islamic fundamentalist in the movie. "Yes, I play an Islamic fundamentalist while Vivek Oberoi plays the more moderate Muslim," said Saif.
"The role has not only made me more politically aware, it has also made me more religious. I knew a lot of things about Islam. But I was always more spiritual than religious. Working in Rensil's film has made me know more about the religion. I did a lot of reading on Islam during this film. I always believed in the higher power," Saif told IANS.
"The one most decisive thing that I learnt had to do with Allah--we tend to presume that to be the Muslim god. But Allah is the Arab word for the same God, or the one true God. That, I thought, was a wonderful thing to learn while playing this character.
"All religions believe in the oneness of God. So what's all the fighting about? Whether it's Christianity, Islam or Judaism, many of the religions have fought a holy war at one time or another. It's been a part of religious history," said the actor.
Saif has played a bad guy before in Ek Hasina Thi and Omkara. But he admits playing a negative character in this film has changed his perception towards life and religion.
"It's the most politically relevant character I've played. Though my Langda Tyagi in Omkara was a political creature, his politics was subverted. In Rensil's film, I play the jehadi as a very real and suave gentleman, dressed in very dapper clothes like a college professor, and hence more frightening."
Tell him that Irrfan Khan says being a Muslim he'd never play a terrorist and that he turned down Vivek's role in Jehad, Saif replied: "Did he? To me, the whole point of being an actor is to become characters I can't be in real life.
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