Honey Treats Coughs Better Than Drugs

By KATHARINE STOEL GAMMON
ABC News Medical Unit
Dec. 3, 2007
There may be hope for parents looking for alternatives to drug-laden cough syrup to calm their children's coughs -- and help might be as close as that golden nectar in the kitchen. Honey can soothe throats and calm coughs, according to a new study.
The study, published Monday in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, found that children who received a small dose of buckwheat honey before bedtime slept better and coughed less than those who received either a common over-the-counter cough suppressant (dextromethorphan) or nothing at all.

"This is the first time honey has been actually proven as a treatment," says lead study author Dr. Ian Paul, a researcher at Penn State College of Medicine. He adds that honey has been recommended for ages by grandparents in certain cultures.


The researchers enrolled 105 children, between ages 2 and 18, in their randomized, partially double-blind study. On the first night of the study, the children received no treatment. Parents then answered questions about their children's sleep and cough, as well as the quality of their own sleep. The second night, the children were given either honey-flavored cough syrup or honey -- or nothing at all. Parents then reanswered the questions in the survey.

Parents whose children received the honey rated their kids' sleep and symptoms as better -- and their own sleep as improved as well.


Healing Powers of Honey
Paul says that the type of honey plays a role in the treatment.

"Darker honeys have more antioxidants than lighter honeys, and we wanted the best chance to see improvements," he says, noting that lighter honeys would probably also benefit kids. "At least locally [buckwheat honey] is available. I can get it here at the local supermarket."

Honey is also generally less expensive than over-the-counter medications, he says, and bring none of the side effects like dizziness or sleepiness.

The current study was inspired by an earlier investigation by Paul and his group. In 2004, they showed that the two most common active ingredients in cough syrup, dextromethorphan and diphenhydramine, had the same effectiveness in treating cough symptoms as a placebo ingredient.

US Research Group: World Food Prices Likely to Rise

By VOA News
04 December 2007

A U.S.-based research group says climate change and rising energy costs will likely cause world food prices to rise, threatening the health and livelihoods of the world's poor.

In a report released Tuesday at a conference in Beijing, the International Food Policy Research Institute says environmental and other changes, including urbanization and development, will contribute to higher prices and greater demand for food.

The report says global agricultural production is projected to fall 16 percent by 2020 due to global warming, with output dropping by 20 percent in developing nations. It also notes the increase in bio-fuels will likely cut into food supplies.

The report says Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change because its agricultural system depends heavily on rainfall. It says the number of malnourished people in sub-Saharan Africa may triple between 1990 and 2080, partly because of indirect effects from climate change.

The lead author of the report, Joachim von Braun, said the days of falling food prices may be over. He said the surging demand for feed, fuel and food have recently led to drastic price increases that are unlikely to fall in the foreseeable future.

Microsoft Removes Windows Vista 'Kill Switch'

By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek
December 4, 2007 01:00 PM


Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) on Tuesday said it will cease hobbling Windows Vista installations that fail the company's validation processes in its forthcoming Service Pack 1 update, scheduled for next year.
Currently, Microsoft penalizes Vista users that fail to activate their operating system software within 30 days, or three days after a major hardware configuration change, by restricting Vista to running in "out-of-grace reduced functionality mode." This denies access to games included in Window Vista and to premium features like Aero Glass, ReadyBoost, and BitLocker. It also limits the amount of time the user can remain logged in to one hour.

A more restrictive state, "non-genuine reduced functionality mode" may also be imposed if the Vista detects a blocked or counterfeit product key, or incorrect or modified activation binary files.

Microsoft characterized its decision as part of an effort to bolster its anti-piracy enforcement by disabling two types exploits used to bypass the Vista activation process. The company attributed the 5% growth of Windows desktop OEM revenue in the past quarter to declining piracy and noted that the piracy rate for Windows Vista is less than half of Windows XP.

"Although our overall strategy remains the same, with SP1 we're adjusting the customer experience that differentiates genuine from non-genuine systems in Windows Vista and later in Windows Server," said Michael Sievert, Corporate Vice President for Windows Product Marketing, in an interview published on Microsoft's site. "Users whose systems are identified as counterfeit will be presented with clear and recurring notices about the status of their system and how to get genuine. They won't lose access to functionality or features, but it will be very clear to them that their copy of Window Vista is not genuine and they need to take action."

But Microsoft's elimination of the so-called Vista "kill switch" also looks a lot like a retreat, particularly in light of the difficulties the company has experienced telling legitimate customers from illegitimate ones. Back in August, Microsoft erroneously forced many new Vista customers into reduced functionality mode when its servers began rejecting activation attempts as a result of human error.

Alex Kochis, senior product manager of Windows Genuine Advantage apologized for the mistake in a blog post, but the snafu prompted people to post comments like "Again, Microsoft is a master at shooting the customer in the foot."

Divorce pains the planet

Posted by Elsa Wenzel
As if the burden of divorce weren't bad enough, people with failed marriages can be blamed for global warming, according to a study by Michigan State University.

Divorced couples use up more space in their respective homes, which amounts to to 38 million more rooms worldwide to light, heat and cool, noted the report.

And people who divorced used 73 billion kilowatt-hours more of electricity and 627 billion gallons of water than they would otherwise in 2005.

Dissolving a marriage also means doubling possessions, from the lowly can opener to the SUV. The report, however, did not estimate how many more natural resources the children of shared-custody parents consume by getting birthday and holiday gifts twice.

Nor did it count the greenhouse gases spent to shuttle kids between their pair of energy-hogging households. (Tip for carbon offsetting services: the domain name OffsetMyDivorce.com is available.).

The research suggests that singletons who shack up with someone again can undo the ecological damage. Although it might be inferred that "living in sin" is also eco-friendly, the findings did not necessarily endorse the practice of unmarried couples living together.

Rates of divorce are rising around the world, while dropping in North America along with those of marriage, according to the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University.

Divorce ends 46 percent of marriages in the United States, the seventh highest rate in the world, according to Divorce Magazine. The top world record is held by Sweden, where 55 percent of marriages end by divorce. On the other end is Guatemala, with a mere .13 percent divorce rate.

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and funded partly by the National Institutes of Health.

(via New Scientist)

China's first moon expedition swoops into lunar orbit

The Chang'e 1 spacecraft entered lunar orbit at about 0337 GMT Monday (10:37 p.m. EST Sunday), capping off a 12-day voyage from planet Earth that began with an Oct. 24 blastoff from the Xichang space base in southwestern China.

The spacecraft circled Earth several times after launch, gradually raising its orbit before embarking on a course last week to intercept the moon early Monday.

The 5,000-pound probe fired a maneuvering engine for about 22 minutes for the critical insertion burn, slowing the spacecraft's velocity by about 800 miles per hour. The change in speed was enough to allow the moon's weak gravity to capture the spacecraft in a preliminary orbit stretching from an altitude of 124 miles to a high point of about 5,344 miles, according to China's state-run Xinhua news agency.

Further thruster firings will circularize Chang'e 1's orbit at a distance of 124 miles from the moon's surface, Xinhua reported.

The first images of the moon from Chang'e 1 are expected by the end of this month. Controllers plan to transition the mission into an operational phase by December.

US Urges Pakistan's Musharraf to Remove Army Uniform, Restore Civilian Rule

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf should resign as army chief and restore civilian rule.

Ms. Rice at a news conference in the West Bank Monday urged President Musharraf to carry out his promise to shed his army uniform. She also said the United States believes the best path for Pakistan is a return to constitutional rule, followed by elections.

Earlier Monday, the U.S. postponed a defense cooperation meeting with Pakistan planned for this week.

Meanwhile, the Dutch government announced a freeze on aid to Pakistan to show its disapproval of emergency rule.

The British government said it is reviewing its development and aid assistance to Pakistan.

And the United Nations' top human rights official, Louise Arbour, expressed concern about the arrest of hundreds of Pakistani lawyers, judges and activists since the imposition on emergency rule.

On Sunday, Secretary Rice said the United States will review its financial aid to Pakistan. The U.S. has given Pakistan more than $10 billion since 2001. Most of that aid has gone to the Pakistani military.

Yahoo Kickstarts a social service aimed at college grads

Yahoo is set to launch Kickstart on Monday, a social network aimed at college students, alumni, and recruiters.

Yahoo already is experimenting with a general-purpose social network, Mash. But whereas Mash will be for socializing, Kickstart will be for career networking, says Scott Gatz, senior director of Yahoo's Advanced Products division.
"It's a professional network with a purpose--to help college students and recent graduates build a professional network," he says.
The initial "early preview" is focused on professionals and alumni, with a push for students to come next year.
Gatz says the site won't really compete with Facebook because Kickstart is focused on career advancement, not on fun.
What about LinkedIn, which caters to the professional crowd? "LinkedIn doesn't cross the minds of college students," Gatz says.

'American Gangster' Tops US Weekend Box Office Sales

A potent combination of bullets and bees propelled last weekend's U.S. box office chart. Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe's bloody crime saga American Gangster took in $46.3 million to lead the list, while Jerry Seinfeld's animated comedy Bee Movie placed second at $39.1 million.

Together, the two hit movies revitalized what had been a sub-par autumn season. "It took three of the biggest stars in the world to get the box office back on track, and they did it in high style with two totally different kinds of movies," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office tracker Media By Numbers.

"You had an R-rated movie and a PG-rated movie bringing in a really diverse audience." After six consecutive underperforming weekends, the Top 12 movies took in $127.2 million. That's a 12 percent increase from the same weekend in 2006, when Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan took first place with $26.5 million.

Star Runner Dies During Marathon Trials

November 3, 2007

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Distance runner Ryan Shay died on Saturday after collapsing during the U.S. Olympic marathon trials. The 28-year-old, a four-times national champion on the roads, collapsed after passing the five-mile mark of the race in New York.
He was taken to hospital by ambulance where he was pronounced dead, race officials said.
"We all are devastated over Ryan's death," the U.S. track and field federation said in a statement.
"He was a tremendous champion who was here today to pursue his dreams. The Olympic Trials is traditionally a day of celebration, but we are heartbroken. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ryan's wife, Alicia, and all of his family.
"His death is a tremendous loss for the sport and the long-distance running community."
Shay was the national marathon champion in 2003, he twice won the U.S. half marathon title and was 20 km champion in 2004. He also won national college titles while at Notre Dame.

Olympics Push Chinese Kids to the Max

BEIJING - An 8-year-old girl runs 2,212 miles to Beijing in 55 days. A 10-year-old swims in a river with her hands and feet bound. And then there's 4-year-old Yang Yang, riding a 1,000-pound beluga whale.
Kids' stunts such as these are becoming more common as Olympic fever rises with the approach of next summer's games. But don't expect any great outcry. In China, where one-child families are the government-enforced norm, pushing a child to overachieve is a social imperative.

Yang Yang's grandmother, 55-year-old Jing Xueying, dreams of the boy growing up to be a world champion swimmer. "That's the dream. I'm working hard here to achieve it ... I think my dream will come true," she told AP Television News at the aquarium where Yang Yang rode a beluga whale named Xiao Qiang.

Meanwhile, Zhang Huimin spent the summer running 40 miles a day from her home on the southern island province of Hainan to Beijing in northern China, her father trailing behind her on an electric bicycle.

India to host world toilet summit

1. Join the World’s leading Authorities as they probe analyze the changes in the Toilet and Sanitation Sector.
2. Be the first to hear the experiences of those involved in the implementation of People Centric Toilet Projects under the MDG, School Sanitation Programme, Public Toilets and Urinals as we look ahead at the strtegies required to change the Global Scenario for it for Fundamental Improvement in the quality of Life for the masses.
3. Participate to express your views and join others for practical interpretation and future strategic directions to give impetus to the Toilet and Sanitation Movement in the World.
4. Share your thoughts on Laying the Foundation for WORLD SANITATION FUND, and further strenthening of the efforts to speed up meeting the bulk of the MDG Targets for Toilets by the 2015.

Beware 414,000 Pizza Cases With Possible E. Coli O157:H7

As there is a raised risk of E. coli O157:H7 contamination of 414,000 cases of pizza products with pepperoni toppings, the makers, General Mills, has announced a voluntary recall of said pizzas. As these are freezable products, the company is asking consumers to check in their freezers as well. The pizzas were produced in General Mills' Ohio factory and distributed throughout the USA.
The products to look out for are:
(SKU = stock keeping units or UPC codes)

-- Totino's Party Supreme - SKU number 42800-10700
-- Totino's Three Meat - SKU number 42800-10800
-- Totino's Pepperoni - SKU number 42800-11400
-- Totino's Pepperoni - SKU number 42800-92114
-- Totino's Classic Pepperoni - SKU number 42800-11402
-- Totino's Pepperoni Trio - SKU number 42800-72157
-- Totino's Party Combo - SKU number 42800-11600
-- Totino's Combo - SKU number 42800-92116
-- Jeno's Crisp 'n Tasty Supreme - SKU number 35300-00561
-- Jeno's Crisp 'n Tasty Pepperoni - SKU number 35300-00572
-- Jeno's Crisp 'n Tasty Combo - SKU number 35300-00576

When 21 cases of E.coli related illnesses were reported in ten states, with half of the patients being hospitalized, authorities started to investigate. The first case happened in June 20th, 2007, while the latest one happened on October 10th, 2007. Nine of those patients had consumed Totino's or Jeno's pizza with pepperoni topping prior to becoming ill. Over 120 million Totino's and Jeno's pizzas have been distributed since the first reported illness.

Download Yahoo! Messenger 9.0 released

Internet service and search engine firm Yahoo! on Tuesday launched the latest version of its Yahoo Messenger, the Vietnam Bridge said. Six new language forms of the Yahoo Messenger 9 Beta was also launched bringing to 25 the messaging software's total number of international versions.

Windows 7 FAQ

Q: Is Microsoft working on an operating system after Windows Vista?
A: Yes. The next client version of Windows was originally codenamed "Blackcomb," though the company renamed it to "Windows Vienna" in early 2006 and to "Windows Seven" or "Windows 7" more recently.

Q: Why Windows 7?
Since Windows Vista is really Windows 6.0, Windows 7 will presumably be version 7.0.

Q: Is Windows 7 the final name?
No. Like Vienna, Windows 7 is just a codename and will likely change prior to the OS' official release.

Q: I heard that Windows Vista will be the last major OS release from Microsoft. Is that true?
A: No. Windows-based PCs will continue to form the center of our digital lifestyles, and as Microsoft executives have noted in recent days, there are still plenty of areas in which Microsoft can improve Windows. Some obvious examples include voice recognition and storage.

Q: So is Windows 7 going to be a major Windows version?
A: Yes. Windows Vista was a major release, and Windows 7 will be also be a major update. Microsoft is currently on a development path where every other Windows version is a major release, so it's possible we'll see a minor OS update between Vista and Windows 7.

Q: When will Windows 7 ship?
A: Microsoft currently plans to ship Windows 7 in 2010, about four years after Vista. (Windows Server updates are on a similar cycle.)

Q: What features will be included in Windows 7?
A: Microsoft hasn't publicly committed to any features for Windows 7 and the company is currently still deciding what this next Windows release will look like. We do know a few things about Windows 7, however: It will include a new version of Windows Explorer that is being built by the same team that designed the Ribbon user interface in Office 2007. It will likely include some form of the "Hypervisor" (Windows Virtualization) technologies that will ship shortly after Windows Server 2008. It will also likely include the WinFS (Windows Future Storage) technologies, though they won't be packaged or branded as WinFS. Microsoft says it might also make a subscription-based version of the OS available to consumers, but that's still in flux.

Q: That's it?
A: Remember, it's early yet and Microsoft is being very secretive about future Windows versions. However, the company has publicly issued a bit of information about the broad capabilities it intends to include in Windows 7. This information comes from a publicly-available Microsoft slide deck:

Easier. Windows 7 will make it easier for users to find and use information. Local, network and Internet search functionality will converge. Intuitive user experiences will be further advanced. Automated application provisioning and cross-application data transparency will be integrated.

More secure. Windows 7 will include improved security and legislative compliance functionality. Data protection and management will be extended to peripheral devices. Windows 7 will advance role-based computing scenarios and user-account management, and bridge the inherent conflicts between data protection and robust collaboration. It will also enable enterprise-wide data protection and permissions.

Better connected. Windows 7 will further enable the mobile workforce. It will deliver anywhere, anytime, any device access to data and applications. It will enable a robust ad-hoc collaboration experience. Wireless connectivity, management and security functionality will be expanded. The performance and functionality of current and emerging mobile hardware will be optimized. The multiple device sync, management and data protection capabilities in Windows will be extended. Finally, Windows 7 will enable flexible computing infrastructures including rich, thin and network-centric models.

Lower cost. Windows 7 will help businesses optimize their desktop infrastructure. It will enable seamless OS, application and data migration, and simplified PC provisioning and upgrading. It will further efforts towards non-disruptive application updating and patching. Windows 7 will include improved hardware- and software-based virtualization experiences. And it will expand the PC self-help and IT Pro problem resolution diagnostics in Windows.

Q: Will Windows 7 be available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions like Vista?
A: Though I had expected Windows 7 to ship only in 64-bit versions, Microsoft now says it will be the final Windows version to ship in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

Q: Will Microsoft release any Windows updates between now and Windows 7?
A: Yes. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1, codenamed "Fiji") will ship simultaneously with Windows Server 2008 in early 2008 and will include a new kernel version that makes that release up to date with the kernel version in Longhorn. Fiji will almost certainly include a revision to the Media Center software in Windows Vista as well. For these reasons, we might consider Fiji a major release for a service pack. Certainly, no previous service pack has ever included a major kernel update.

Next version of Windows: Call it 7

Microsoft is planning to ship its next major version of Windows--known internally as version "7"--within roughly three years, CNET News.com has learned.

The company discussed Windows 7 on Thursday at a conference for its field sales force in Orlando, Fla., according to sources close to the company.

While the company provided few details, Windows 7, the next client version of the operating system, will be among the steps taken by Microsoft to establish a more predictable release schedule, according to sources. The company plans a more "iterative" process of information disclosure to business customers and partners, sources said.

Windows Vista, the oft-delayed most recent release of Windows, shipped to businesses in November and to consumers in January after more than five years of development. Vista's gestation period was marked by shifting product details as internal priorities changed and problems arose with development.

Like Vista, Windows 7 will ship in consumer and business versions, and in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. The company also confirmed that it is considering a subscription model to complement Windows, but did not provide specifics or a time frame.

Ash's birthday gift?

Ash's birthday gift?

Wife lands a ‘£28m’ birthday present - Times Online

Wife lands a ‘£28m’ birthday present - Times Online

First Look: SRK's birthday cake

First Look: SRK's birthday cake

YouTube = Funny Videos. Literally.

Hitwise has done an interesting study on the correlation of the search terms “funny videos” and “YouTube” in the UK.

Turns out, the word YouTube has replaced the phrase “funny video” for searches on the Internet. This implies a distinct identification with YouTube as a brand, and the concept of funny videos. Looks like people are attaching funny videos to YouTube, and doing a search for the brand, and not the end result. This means that YouTube has done a great job of branding itself in the UK, if being a central location for funny videos is what it was going for. And I’m pretty sure that YouTube doesn’t mind at all. It’s joined the ranks of Kleenex, Xerox, and Band-aid. Way to go, YouTube.

Privacy groups seek

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nine privacy and consumer organizations asked the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday to create a "do not track" list for Internet users who don't want their online activities tracked, stored and used by advertising networks.
Such a list would function much like the FTC's "do not call" registry that consumers can join to prevent telemarketing phone calls, according to the groups, which include the Center for Democracy and Technology, Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Consumer Federation of America.
Internet advertising companies and marketers increasingly are collecting information about individuals' Web activities and preferences so as to tailor their advertising messages.
In recent months, Google Inc, Yahoo and Microsoft Corp have all struck deals to acquire online advertising companies.
Executives from the three companies and other Internet firms are scheduled to address an FTC public meeting on behavioral advertising practices on Thursday and Friday.
The "do not track" list would require advertisers that place electronic cookies or tags on consumers' computers to register with the FTC all domain names of the servers involved in such activities, according to the groups.
"Online opt-outs should be as well-known and as easy as the Do Not Call list," said Mark Cooper, research director of Consumer Federation of America.
The proposal would also prohibit advertisers from collecting and using personally identifiable information about health and financial activities and would require independent auditing of companies using behavioral tracking to ensure they upheld privacy standards.

Hyundai launches i10 from India

New Delhi, Oct. 31
New compact: Mr H.S. Lheem, Managing Director, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, at the launch of the company’s new compact car ‘i10’ in the Capital on Wednesday. The car is priced between Rs 3.39 lakh and Rs 4.9 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The Korean car company said that after making India its global manufacturing hub for small cars, its unit in the country will account for 30 per cent of the company’s international production
Hyundai Motor Company is not only looking to leverage India’s manufacturing capabilities to expand its presence in the global market and consolidate its presence in the premium compact car segment in the domestic market, but also enhance its research and development carried out from India.

The company on Wednesday unveiled its first car, i10 launched from India for the global markets.

Britney allowed few visits from court

Britney allowed few visits from court

Google pitches Gphones to Verizon | Tech news blog - CNET News.com

Google pitches Gphones to Verizon | Tech news blog - CNET News.com

Very Simple What does HOSPITAL stands for ?

Very commonly used

But rarely people know that it does have a full form


H=House
O=Of
S=Sick
P=People
I=In
T=Town
A=And
L=Locality

Ya HOSPITAL=House of sick people in town and locality

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 45nm Quad Core CPU review

The last time Intel moved an existing CPU line to a new manufacturing process was with the ill-fated Prescott CPU. Prescott was a derivative of the Pentium 4 architecture. Those were in the bad old days, where clock frequency was king and real men ran processors that generated blast furnace heat levels. Moving to 65nm was supposed to mitigate the Pentium 4's tendency to eat power like a pig in a slop trough. Alas, Prescott proved even hotter than its predecessor.

It wasn't until Intel shipped the Core 2 processor line that the company redeemed itself in the eyes of consumers and performance enthusiasts. And what a redemption: faster performance and lower power, albeit at lower clock rates. The Core 2 CPUs haven't officially hit the rarified clock rates of the old Pentium Extreme Edition 965, which ran at 3.73GHz and could fry eggs. Core 2 didn't need to run at those clock rates. Even at one gigahertz or less, Core 2 Duo proved faster and more efficient.

Now Intel is moving to a new manufacturing process: the "tick" in Intel's tick-tock mantra, where "tick" represents a move to a new, higher density manufacturing process, and the "tock" is a new microarchitecture. In this case, the move is to 45nm.

Let's take a look at what the move to 45nm will bring, and then we'll review the updated Core 2 architecture as it applies to Yorkfield—A.K.A. the Core 2 Extreme QX9650.

Report: Google phone platform due out in mid 2008

Google will come out in mid-2008 with a mobile phone platform that incorporates a variety of Google online services and lets outside developers create applications, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
The goal is to make Google applications and services as easily accessible on mobile phones as PCs, so that the company can extend its advertising business to cell phones and other wireless devices. Google may announce its mobile platform within weeks, according to the Journal.
The Journal’s article, based on anonymous sources, is the latest of multiple reports over the past six months or so about Google’s plans for the mobile market.
Although at some point it was speculated that Google might be involved in the actual manufacturing of phone hardware, that rumor is now discredited, as Google is expected to focus on developing mobile software.

For Google, it’s critical to replicate on mobile phones the success it has had on PC-based online advertising. After years of unfulfilled promises, mobile advertising will boom in coming years, as people spend more time using the Internet via their cell phones.
The Kelsey Group recently forecast that mobile search and display advertising in the U.S. will hit $33.2 million this year and grow at a compound annual rate of 112 percent through 2012, when it will total $1.4 billion.
Kelsey Group also expects the number of mobile Internet users to grow at a 20 percent compound annual clip in the U.S. through 2012, when there will be almost 92 million people going online via their cell phones.

Worldwide, mobile ad spending is expected to reach US$1.5 billion this year and grow to $11.3 billion by 2011, according to market researcher Informa Telecoms & Media.
Google is far from alone in its interest at pursuing this emerging opportunity in the mobile market, where all major telecom, online publishing and Internet players are jockeying for position.
Of course, delivering online services and applications via mobile phones isn’t as straightforward as doing it via PCs. In the mobile market, providers of online applications often have to strike up deals and partnerships with handset makers and wireless carriers.
In a recent interview with the IDG News Service, Marissa Mayer, Google’s vice president of Search Products & User Experience, acknowledged there are specific challenges to bringing Google services to cell-phone subscribers.
“The mobile space is very complicated,” she said.
Google has pursued various avenues for making its search engines and other services available via cell phones. It has adapted Google Web sites for mobile browsers, developed mobile applications people can download themselves, as well as preloaded Google software in handsets via formal partnerships with mobile industry players.

Coming soon: phones on a plane

Plans have been developed across EU countries to introduce technology which permits mobile calls without risk of interference with aircraft systems.
Regulators around Europe are calling for consultation on the potential introduction of the technology.
If given the go ahead, the service would allow calls to be made when a plane is more than 3,000 metres high.
Individual airlines would need to decide if they wanted to introduce the technology, if the green light is given by national regulators.
A spokeswoman for Virgin Atlantic said the airline was "watching developments closely".
She said: "We are monitoring customer demand and will act if they say they want to use their mobile phones."
She added: "If we were to introduce this service in the future we want to ensure we do it in a socially acceptable way."
The European Union has recommended to member states that the plan go ahead and space on the airwaves has been reserved for the technology.
The cost of making a mobile phone call from a plane will be higher than making one from the ground. In the UK, regulator Ofcom said it would investigate and address any evidence of "excessive charges and abuses of competition" if prices were set unfairly by airlines and mobile networks

About igoogle

As reported by Google Blogoscoped, Google Personalized Homepage will be rebranded as iGoogle and will let you build your own gadgets using wizards. The gadgets are very simple and are more like containers for things that matter to you: photos, videos, events.
"Once the gadget is created, you can invite other people to view & use the gadget, and make it publicly available for other people to view & use it." So whatever you choose to add to a gadget will be visible to the people you invited.
The wizards let you enter the settings for seven new gadget templates:
1. Photo album - add up to 7 photos that can be rotated.
2. GoogleGram - enter seven greeting messages.
3. Daily Me - type what you are doing.
4. Countdown - count the days until a special event.
5. Simple list - you can use it as a ToDo list, shopping list.
6. YouTube videos - up to 10 videos.
7. Freeform gadget - add an image and some text.
The gadgets are a way of staying in touch with your friends: if one of your Gmail contacts creates gadgets you'll be able to see them in a new section of iGoogle called "My Community".

The Oldest Church in India

Nvidia's Latest PC Gaming Chip Goes On Sale

Nvidia's latest graphics processor for PC game enthusiasts went on sale Monday.
The GeForce 8800 GT is a lower-priced GPU in the 8 Series line that takes advantage of Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT)'s DirectX 10 graphics technology found in Windows Vista. PC games built for the platform include Crysis, Hellgate: London, and Gears of War.

The latest GPU has 112 stream processors and a 256-bit memory interface. It also includes the latest version of Nvidia's PureVideo HD (high definition) technology. Pricing for the GeForce 8800 GT falls between $199 and $259. The GeForce 8800 Ultra, for example, is priced at $590.

Each stream processor in the 8800 GT has been clocked at 1.5 GHz, with a memory interface running at 900 MHz. The GPU is designed for the new PCI Express 2.0 bus standard and is backward compatible with the original PCI Express standard.

The second-generation PureVideo is a video-processing engine for games in either the HD DVD or Blu-ray formats. The new technology takes on all of the HD H.264 video decoding, freeing the CPU to perform other tasks and significantly reducing power consumption, heat, and noise, Nvidia said. GeForce 8800 GT-based graphics cards are available in leading add-in card manufacturers, retailers, and system builders.

The Sexiest Women Over 35

Leading all women as the #1 vote getter in MSN’s ‘Sexiest Women Over 35′ is the beautiful Salma Hayek. Salma was humbly honored and wanted to thank all the fans for their support.

Runner-up to ‘The Sexiest Women Over 35′ is lovely Halle Berry. She added, “All of this wouldn’t be possible without the support from my friend’s and family. They keep me beautiful at heart.”

A Guide for Diamond

the difference between man and woman

A Very Good Indian Commercial

A rare rainbow of rare beauty

Noon, Saturday 3 June. Over the fields of northern Idaho, a rare and beautiful sight could be seen. Known as a circumhorizontal arc, it forms as sunlight is refracted through hexagonal ice crystals in cirrus clouds several kilometres above the ground. Sunlight enters a near-vertical face of each crystal and leaves from a horizontal face at the bottom. "Effectively the crystals act as a 90-degree prism for the passing rays," says Evelyn Hesse of the light-scattering group at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, UK.
Circumhorizontal arcs occur when the sun is at more than 58 degrees above the horizon. "They are most unusual, and this is an impressive example," Hesse says.

£15m frenzy as miners discover world's biggest diamond

It might not be as big as the Ritz, but they say it's the size of a coconut.
The world's biggest diamond, weighing an astonishing 6,000 carats or 42oz, has reportedly been discovered in a South African mine.
That would make it twice as big as the previous record holder for a rough, gem-quality diamond, the 3,106-carat Cullinan found in 1905 near Pretoria.

Blu-ray Disc ?

Blu-ray, also known as Blu-ray Disc (BD), is the name of a next-generation optical disc format jointly developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), a group of the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer and media manufacturers (including Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson). The format was developed to enable recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video (HD), as well as storing large amounts of data. The format offers more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs and can hold up to 25GB on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc. This extra capacity combined with the use of advanced video and audio codecs will offer consumers an unprecedented HD experience.
While current optical disc technologies such as DVD, DVD±R, DVD±RW, and DVD-RAM rely on a red laser to read and write data, the new format uses a blue-violet laser instead, hence the name Blu-ray. Despite the different type of lasers used, Blu-ray products can easily be made backwards compatible with CDs and DVDs through the use of a BD/DVD/CD compatible optical pickup unit. The benefit of using a blue-violet laser (405nm) is that it has a shorter wavelength than a red laser (650nm), which makes it possible to focus the laser spot with even greater precision. This allows data to be packed more tightly and stored in less space, so it's possible to fit more data on the disc even though it's the same size as a CD/DVD. This together with the change of numerical aperture to 0.85 is what enables Blu-ray Discs to hold 25GB/50GB.
Blu-ray is currently supported by more than 180 of the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer, recording media, video game and music companies. The format also has broad support from the major movie studios as a successor to today's DVD format. In fact, seven of the eight major movie studios (Disney, Fox, Warner, Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate and MGM) have released movies in the Blu-ray format and five of them (Disney, Fox, Sony, Lionsgate and MGM) are releasing their movies exclusively in the Blu-ray format. Many studios have also announced that they will begin releasing new feature films on Blu-ray Disc day-and-date with DVD, as well as a continuous slate of catalog titles every month. For more information about Blu-ray movies, check out our Blu-ray movies section which offers information about new and upcoming Blu-ray releases, as well as what movies are currently available in the Blu-ray format.

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Bee Movie (2007)

"Bee Movie" is a comedy that will change everything you think you know about bees. Having just graduated from college, a bee by the name of Barry B. Benson (Jerry Seinfeld) finds himself disillusioned with the prospect of having only one career choice – honey. As he ventures outside of the hive for the first time, he breaks one of the cardinal rules of the bee world and talks to a human, a New York City florist named Vanessa (Renée Zellweger). He is shocked to discover that the humans have been stealing and eating the bees' honey for centuries, and ultimately realizes that his true calling in life is to set the world right by suing the human race for stealing their precious honey.

Model Falls into Runway Hole at Los Angeles Fashion Week, October 2007

Here’s a brief bit from the AP about a model falling into a hole in the runway during a show at the Mercedes-Benz Los Angeles Fashion Week for the Spring 2008 Ready-to-Wear Collections:
Fashionistas from Naomi Campbell to Carrie Bradshaw have made embarrassing missteps on the catwalk. But model Sarah Welch trumped them all when she fell through a hole during an L.A. Fashion Week show.
A video of Welch’s dramatic drop — a sensation on YouTube — shows her walking the runway at last week’s presentation of the fashion line Shadang. She stares blankly ahead, not noticing the gaping hole left where a martial arts performer had cracked open the floor with a flip.
“As a runway model, you have to keep your head up, you know,” Welch, a former contestant on “The Bachelor” reality series, told KABC-TV. “So I didn’t look down for a hole, particularly.”
Then came the plunge. In the video, the crowd is heard howling with apparent shock. Welch, waist-deep in the hole, struggles to lift herself out, and is helped by “Heroes” actor Jimmy Jean-Louis, who modeled at the event. She regains her footing and exits stage left, raising her fist to seemingly signal that she’s OK.
The video of the tumble, posted Thursday, had more than 1 million views on YouTube by Monday afternoon.

Welch, now an Internet celebrity, has a good sense of humor about it.

“It is just a really funny mishap. And I hope they’re enjoying watching it just as much as I am,” she said.

Airbus A380's First Flight, Join in!

The Super jumbo A380 made its debut flight to Sydney on October 25 this year with thousands of people bidding to get a seat in what is now the world's biggest passenger plane. It was handed over to Singapore Airlines at a ceremony at Airbus's headquarters in Toulouse, France, attended by over 500 people.

The Super jumbo plane has already managed to get about 165 orders to date. The plane has 12 suites each with sliding doors, a leather seat, a 23-inch LCD TV, a table and a full bed.

On board the first flight were over 450 and a crew of about 30 people including four pilots. Most of the seats were auctioned by Singapore Airlines on Ebay and raised about $1,26 mn for charity. The plane hit the ground and many top paying passengers were driven off in chauffer driven BMWs. The highest payer, an Australian millionaire, paid a whopping $100.380 for two suites! According to reports the plane is quite an experience with $18 bn development cost and gives a tough competition to Boeing 787 Dreamliner which is yet to take off. "From today, there is a new queen of the skies for air travel," is all that Singapore Airlines CEO Chew Choon Seng said about his proud possession. Seng also dismissed the rival 747 as a plane which "belongs to the past". The A380, as tall as a seven-story building, is about 30% larger than the 747. Each of its wings is big enough to hold 70 mid-sized cars.
With two passenger decks and room for a bar and shops, the A380 claims 50 per cent more floor space than the 747 and its designers boast it will introduce a new era of airborne luxury. On-board entertainment will include 100 movies, more than 180 TV programmes, 700 CDs and over 22 radio channels. The same entertainment box will include a word processor and 3D games. Besides the suites, the plane has 471 seats - 60 business class on the upper deck and 399 economy class on both decks. The total certified capacity is 853 passengers in an all-economy configuration.

Mini Digital HDTV USB 2.0 Receiver Latest

No matter where you go, you can watch crystal clear High Definition TV on your laptop with Plextor’s Mini Digital HDTV Receiver. Enjoy unlimited hours of entertainment without recurring charges and expensive subscription fees. Turning your PC into a portable media center has never been easier. The easy to use interface allows you to watch, playback, and record programs of your favorite DTV shows anywhere, anytime. Best of all, it gives you full control of Microsoft’s XP Media Center Edition to enhance your experienceSign by Dealighted - Brijesh

What is a data entry job scam? What can you LOSE?

a data entry job is a temporary, part-time, individual and non-supervised job, which is purportedly offered by websites directly, or on behalf of the websites' "clients" What can you LOSE? Many things: first (and most important), as soon as you reply to a bogus job ads (data entry related or not), ads posted on dubious job boards, you will lose your identity (that is, the scammers will get your personal data and use it for fraudulent purposes - forget passports, forged driving licences, credit card applications, and so on); second, as soon as you register on data entry websites, you lose the money you paid for registration; third, as soon as the scammers have your credit card details, not only you might lose a lot of money, but you can also get into more complex financial problems.

Qualcomm chip can make laptops to ultilize cellular broadband services

NEW YORK - Qualcomm Inc. on Wednesday launched a chip that will make it easier to build laptops compatible with the two dominant cellular broadband technologies in the United States.
Currently, business-oriented laptops are generally available with chips for either AT&T Inc.'s, Verizon Wireless' or Sprint Nextel Corp.'s networks. AT&T's network uses a technology called HSPA, or High-Speed Packet Access, while Sprint and Verizon Wireless use EV-DO, or Evolution-Data Optimized.
Both network technologies are also being rolled out overseas, with HSDPA being the dominant choice.Sign by Dealighted - Brijesh

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Sister marries Brother

A Dalit girl, reported missing since October 7 and later traced by the police to Hulas Tola village in Bhojpur district of Bihar, stunned everybody by claiming that she had married her own brother.

Reema (name changed) of Ojhawalia Kalan village confessed before the police that she and her brother Krishna Ram had tied the knot about six months ago in a temple at Baraki Moaap Kalan village. "My husband has gone to Surat to earn money," she told.

Initially, they stayed with their parents but later, fearing that their secret would become public knowledge, the duo eloped. Reema said, Krishna had gone to Surat in Gujarat to earn a livelihood and left her in Hulas Tola village with one of his acquaintances, Dukhit Yadav.

Police on Tuesday took her for a medical examination and later produced her in the court of sub-divisional district judicial magistrate (SDJM) to record her statement. But, SDJM Paras Nath Roy refused to record her statement under Section 164 stating that the complaint was written in a 'station diary' and not as an FIR. Sub-inspector Mundrika Prasad said the girl was then handed back to her parents in the presence of the village mukhiya. Her husband Krishna was apparently unaware of these developments.

Amrita Miss India Universe 2005

Amrita is coming from an Indian Army background, Amrita hails from Pune city situated in Maharashtra state of India. She has two lovely siblings, one older sister and a younger sister.
Qualifications: A Post Graduate in Indian Fashion Designing from School of Fashion Technology (affiliated with NIFT).
Modeling experience: She has won the local Miss Pune Beauty title, has been May Queen and has done few music videos and print ads.
Why Femina Miss India: It is a dream I have nurtured. Also I believe I have what it takes to be a Miss India as I can represent Hindustan (India) in the international pageant.
Role Models: My inspiration are my beliefs and the moral values that I’ve have imbibed from my environment at home. Positive influences, affirmatives and reinforcements in a positive light inspire me.
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Sindhura Miss India World 2005

Background: I come from a family of four, originally from Vijaywada, Andhra Pradesh state in India. Vijaywada is about 300 km from Hyderabad city which is capital of Andhra Pradesh. My father is a mechanical engineer and my mother is a software technician both residing in New Zealand currently.
Qualifications: A double degree in Pharmacology and Physiology; an advance modeling diploma; have anchored an Indian Channel in New Zealand called " Desi Hungama" on India Z TV; news reader/ reporter for 'flipside news' on TVNZ.
Enjoy: I love to ice-skate and snow board on powdery snowy mountains. I love to cook, especially desserts with chocolate in them. It's an absolute passion of mine to one day explore the pyramids of Giza, Egypt as a tourist.
Modeling experience: Australian fashion week; New Zealand fashion Week. Labels modeled on ramp - Adrienne Winkleman, Versace, Gucci; Dolce Gabbana, Kate Sylvester. Labels on print - FHM, About Time, Pearls.
Why Femina Miss India : I was most attracted to Femina Miss India because the focus of the competition was always to groom, refine and prepare contestants to take on the world and represent our country with great elegance. The fact that I have tried and succeeded in the fashion, film and media industries in Australia, has motivated me to come back to my homeland and evolve in the Indian market. So what better way to do it than through Femina Miss India?
Role Models: I try to grab positive points from everyone I see, talk to and interact and emulate those qualities to evolve as a better person.
In this picture sindhura is wearing beautiful red sequined georgette Sari
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