Nokia has unveiled its low cost mobile N2690 priced at just Rs 3700 in India. Nokia’s handsets which are not only durable but also high in terms of quality have always been consumers’ first choice. Now with basic essential features packed in this low cost mobile, Nokia N2690 is sure to create waves in the mobile arena. The handset is available in Graphite, hot pink, Blue and white silver.
Nokia 2690 has all the features packed to keep the customers connected, entertained and informed. The handset supports Nokia life tools which are a gateway to the outside world. Abundant information is available by means of Nokia life tools Agriculture, education and entertainment services. So be it news pertaining to agriculture sector, weather reports, career opportunities, horoscopes or entertainment world gossip, Nokia 2690 would fetch you all.
The connectivity options offered in Nokia 2690 don’t just end here. Social networking and email enables its users to stay in touch with friends and family. Since the handset supports GPRS / EDGE, an internet connection is possible even at such a low cost. Nokia 2690 supports Bluetooth version 2.0 and USB.
Users do not have to worry about Nokia 2690’s battery life. As always found in Nokia handsets, Nokia 2690’s BL-4C 860 mAh Li-Ion battery is capable of maximum talk time of 270 mins and standby time of 335 h. The memory of the phone can be extended up to 8GB by means of microSD cards. The phone book can retain up to 2000 entries as contacts.
There is no dearth of entertainment for Nokia 2690’s users. The phone has a music player and a built in FM Radio as well. Now loads of music can be played on the player and enjoyed over the 3.5 mm audio connector. In order to accommodate more music, separate MMC memory cards can be purchased. The handset has a built in VGA camera as well. Thanks to Bluetooth and MMS sharing photos is just a few clicks away. Video recording at t 176x144 pixels, 15 fps is also possible.
Not just the above features but all the basic features are packed in the Nokia 2690 handset as well. So if you are on a lookout for a low cost , reliable and sturdy handset , Nokia 2690 might just be right for you.
hat is the obvious question you will ask once told that the one of the most popular quiz game shows on TV has switched channels. Kaun Banega Crorepati, produced for three seasons by Siddharth Basu from Synergy, which is now Big Synergy, for Star Plus. will now be aired on Sony Entertainment channel, hopefully, very soon.
A well-placed industry source says that Star Plus hasn’t renewed the contract for the show and it’s now with the company that actually holds the format, Sony.
“It’s natural for them to give it to Sony. The talks have already been initiated on the money and who the host will be. We’ll have to wait and watch,” adds the source.
Work under progress
Ajit Thakur, executive vice president of the channel, without denying or confirming the buzz, says that discussions about the show have recently begun at multiple levels. “Till everything gets sorted, it’s difficult to issue a statement.”
According to the show’s actual quizmaster, Siddharth Basu: “Star relinquished the KBC license some time back. And yes, the show is with Sony now. All the questions regarding the show and the host will have to be addressed to them since they are the broadcasters now. Of course, my company, Big Synergy, looks forward to producing it for them.”
Kaun Banega Crorepati first went on air in 2000, with Amitabh Bachchan as the host on Star Plus. It worked wonders for the channel as it garnered extremely high ratings throughout its first edition run. Season Two, once again, had Bachchan Sr asking the questions, placing the options and asking ‘Computerjee’ to lock the answers too. This time, the show was also extended into a kiddie format, since the contestants, however bright they were, had to be 18 years and above to participate.
Season Three saw Shah Rukh Khan stepping into Bachchan’s shoes as the host. The season ended in 2006-07 and since then, there has only been speculation over when the show would return and who the next host would be.
Back in 2008, Siddharth Basu had confirmed that KBC 4 would arrive before the year ended. He had even said that Shah Rukh had been signed on by Star for at least two more seasons of KBC, with an option to renew the contract.
Basu was also open to rope in a third new face to host the show if he didn’t manage to get the aforementioned actors for Season Four.
Siddharth Basu comments…
On the next Kaun Banega Crorepati's host, Aamir Khan’s name was just speculation. There was no truth to it. It’s rumoured that even Ranbir Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan were approached to fill in the host’s shoes, occupied once by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. To be honest, Ranbir and Abhishek, though are huge youth icons, were never approached for the show.
Amitabh Bachchan or Shah Rukh Khan? The better quizmaster is…Each brought a distinct individuality to the table. Each made for an outstanding host. There were constant comparisons and a TRP and revenue war of sorts that was being reported about KBC 1 and 2 and 3. But even today, I urge people to please check the actual figures. The truth is that each time, the number of viewers and revenues only grew exponentially.
A well-placed industry source says that Star Plus hasn’t renewed the contract for the show and it’s now with the company that actually holds the format, Sony.
“It’s natural for them to give it to Sony. The talks have already been initiated on the money and who the host will be. We’ll have to wait and watch,” adds the source.
Work under progress
Ajit Thakur, executive vice president of the channel, without denying or confirming the buzz, says that discussions about the show have recently begun at multiple levels. “Till everything gets sorted, it’s difficult to issue a statement.”
According to the show’s actual quizmaster, Siddharth Basu: “Star relinquished the KBC license some time back. And yes, the show is with Sony now. All the questions regarding the show and the host will have to be addressed to them since they are the broadcasters now. Of course, my company, Big Synergy, looks forward to producing it for them.”
Kaun Banega Crorepati first went on air in 2000, with Amitabh Bachchan as the host on Star Plus. It worked wonders for the channel as it garnered extremely high ratings throughout its first edition run. Season Two, once again, had Bachchan Sr asking the questions, placing the options and asking ‘Computerjee’ to lock the answers too. This time, the show was also extended into a kiddie format, since the contestants, however bright they were, had to be 18 years and above to participate.
Season Three saw Shah Rukh Khan stepping into Bachchan’s shoes as the host. The season ended in 2006-07 and since then, there has only been speculation over when the show would return and who the next host would be.
Back in 2008, Siddharth Basu had confirmed that KBC 4 would arrive before the year ended. He had even said that Shah Rukh had been signed on by Star for at least two more seasons of KBC, with an option to renew the contract.
Basu was also open to rope in a third new face to host the show if he didn’t manage to get the aforementioned actors for Season Four.
Siddharth Basu comments…
On the next Kaun Banega Crorepati's host, Aamir Khan’s name was just speculation. There was no truth to it. It’s rumoured that even Ranbir Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan were approached to fill in the host’s shoes, occupied once by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. To be honest, Ranbir and Abhishek, though are huge youth icons, were never approached for the show.
Amitabh Bachchan or Shah Rukh Khan? The better quizmaster is…Each brought a distinct individuality to the table. Each made for an outstanding host. There were constant comparisons and a TRP and revenue war of sorts that was being reported about KBC 1 and 2 and 3. But even today, I urge people to please check the actual figures. The truth is that each time, the number of viewers and revenues only grew exponentially.
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Mumbai: Everybody who sends a script to Aamir Khan gets a polite note from the star saying he has received it and will go through it. But not many know that the scripts that reach Aamir are nearly 3,000 at last count and the actor doesn’t have space to keep them. Now, Aamir is finally looking for a large office space in Bandra where he wants to allocate one room exclusively to keeping those scripts
“Aamir Khan wants to shift his office to a bigger place. At present Aamir Khan Productions has an office in Khar but there is no place to keep the scripts,” says a source close to the actor.
Aamir’s new script room will also have a reading corner where the
actor will sit and go through the scripts in peace without getting disturbed. This part of the office will have a special access card and only people belonging to Aamir’s inner circle will be allowed inside this room.
“Aamir Khan is one of the most sought after producers in the industry and people wish to get their films produced under his banner. So he receives scripts from every corner of the country. Aamir tries to go through all the scripts.”
When we tried getting in touch with Aamir, his spokesperson confirmed the development.
“We are looking for a bigger office space but it’s too early to divulge any details,” says Aamir’s official spokesperson.
The new office, by all means, will be in Bandra (West) to ensure that Aamir is able to travel effortlessly to work and is not deterred by the Mumbai traffic.
“Aamir Khan wants to shift his office to a bigger place. At present Aamir Khan Productions has an office in Khar but there is no place to keep the scripts,” says a source close to the actor.
Aamir’s new script room will also have a reading corner where the
actor will sit and go through the scripts in peace without getting disturbed. This part of the office will have a special access card and only people belonging to Aamir’s inner circle will be allowed inside this room.
“Aamir Khan is one of the most sought after producers in the industry and people wish to get their films produced under his banner. So he receives scripts from every corner of the country. Aamir tries to go through all the scripts.”
When we tried getting in touch with Aamir, his spokesperson confirmed the development.
“We are looking for a bigger office space but it’s too early to divulge any details,” says Aamir’s official spokesperson.
The new office, by all means, will be in Bandra (West) to ensure that Aamir is able to travel effortlessly to work and is not deterred by the Mumbai traffic.
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The Deepwater Horizon oil spill tragedy is bad and getting worse by the hour. For several days the well was thought to be spewing 1,000 barrels a day from the seafloor. On Thursday morning that estimate was ramped up to 5,000 barrels a day. Louisiana is bracing for an oily sheen to coat coastal swamps as early as Friday night.
If the well continues to flow unabated at 5,000 bpd for two months until BP can cap it, the Deepwater Horizon spill could surpass the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill of 270,000 barrels as the biggest in U.S. history. But to keep things in perspective, this spill would have to continue gushing at this rate for 200 days to break into the top 10 worst spills ever, and for more than a year to enter the top five.
The worst spill ever to hit the Gulf of Mexico, and the second-biggest of all time, was the 1980 blowout of the Ixtoc I exploratory well drilled in Mexican waters by Petroleos Mexicanos. It took nine months to cap, during which time the well spewed more than 3 million barrels into the gulf, or more than 10,000 barrels a day. Two months after the blowout, the oil started washing onto Texas shores.
Slide Show: The 10 Biggest Oil Spills
In Depth: The Top 10 Oil Fields Of The Future
BP Oil Spill Investigation Will Focus On Blowout Preventers
The Never-Ending Oil Spill
Oil Spill In Gulf: Women Lead The Clean Up
It was almost as bad when the Atlantic Empress collided with another tanker, the Aegean Captain, in 1979. It continued leaking while being towed and 2.1 million barrels of oil ended up in the oceans off Trinidad & Tobago.
Four years later, in 1983, a tanker ran into an oil production platform in the Nowruz oil field off Iran's shores. For more than a year, 1,500 barrels a day poured into Persian Gulf, a total of 1.9 million barrels.
Image: Gulf War Oil Spill - Iraqi forces opened valves and emptied tankers, mostly at Kuwait's Sea Island terminal, with the intention, in part, of thwarting a landing by U.S. Marines arriving.
Text and images: Copyright Forbes.com Any unauthorised reproducton is prohibited.
If the well continues to flow unabated at 5,000 bpd for two months until BP can cap it, the Deepwater Horizon spill could surpass the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill of 270,000 barrels as the biggest in U.S. history. But to keep things in perspective, this spill would have to continue gushing at this rate for 200 days to break into the top 10 worst spills ever, and for more than a year to enter the top five.
The worst spill ever to hit the Gulf of Mexico, and the second-biggest of all time, was the 1980 blowout of the Ixtoc I exploratory well drilled in Mexican waters by Petroleos Mexicanos. It took nine months to cap, during which time the well spewed more than 3 million barrels into the gulf, or more than 10,000 barrels a day. Two months after the blowout, the oil started washing onto Texas shores.
Slide Show: The 10 Biggest Oil Spills
In Depth: The Top 10 Oil Fields Of The Future
BP Oil Spill Investigation Will Focus On Blowout Preventers
The Never-Ending Oil Spill
Oil Spill In Gulf: Women Lead The Clean Up
It was almost as bad when the Atlantic Empress collided with another tanker, the Aegean Captain, in 1979. It continued leaking while being towed and 2.1 million barrels of oil ended up in the oceans off Trinidad & Tobago.
Four years later, in 1983, a tanker ran into an oil production platform in the Nowruz oil field off Iran's shores. For more than a year, 1,500 barrels a day poured into Persian Gulf, a total of 1.9 million barrels.
Image: Gulf War Oil Spill - Iraqi forces opened valves and emptied tankers, mostly at Kuwait's Sea Island terminal, with the intention, in part, of thwarting a landing by U.S. Marines arriving.
Text and images: Copyright Forbes.com Any unauthorised reproducton is prohibited.
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First time in the world history fasting only 4 hours and that too with an AC….
This is the comedy of the year 2009…. Fasting starts after breakfast and ending before lunch… Interesting one!!
This is the comedy of the year 2009…. Fasting starts after breakfast and ending before lunch… Interesting one!!
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Bangalore: Interview success in today's job market is bit difficult. But if we prepare well it is not a Herculean task to attract the interviewers. The importance of creating a good impression within the allotted time is so important in an interview.
To make a good impression, it is important to know what the interviewer is look for and what they are testing you on, according to a report by Sanjeev Sinha of EconomicTimes.com. 
According to Arindam Lahiri, Director- Academics, Career Launcher India, there are five things that should be avoided while attending an interview. Rude replies, bluffing, being defensive, unprepared responses and lack of interview strategy can end up portraying a person?s personality in an unappealing manner.
Rude replies
Short, curt, arrogant or confrontational comments and replies are of course a strict no-no. You might want to pay attention to peer review about whether you come across as a genuinely friendly, amicable person or otherwise. Besides the obvious fact that the interviewer is all powerful when it comes to deciding your fate regarding the job, also keep in mind that they are not sitting there with the sole purpose of antagonizing you.
"The objective of putting you in a spot is usually to observe your behavior under pressure. Getting agitated easily would betray a lack of coping skills. On the other hand, dealing with such 'tests' with grace not only saves you trouble but also immediately scores you points," said Lahiri.
Bluffing
If you hesitate to admit something that you don't know, you will be forced to continue bluffing until you either get caught, or are forced to do what you were supposed to do in the first place - say "I don't know."
This statement can help you move away from topics you don't know much about and possibly salvage the interview by starting a new conversation thread. Of course, using this statement too often would lead to the interviewer assuming you don't know much.
Getting defensive
If you happened to make a mistake and were rightly corrected, then make sure that you gracefully admit your error and allow for the discussion to be carried on in a polite tone. Leave the 'offense is the best defence' theory outside the door along with excess ego that could seriously hamper your chances of success.
It is also necessary to clarify the interviewer as they can also be wrong about something. Maybe the mistake on their part is actually deliberate conducted, to test your knowledge or relevant social skills.
"In such a scenario, wherein you are absolutely sure of your view, stick to your guns, but (again) gracefully. Be polite but firm while presenting your case, and after a while, you might want to agree to disagree and free up the conversation to on to the next topic," informs Lahiri.
Unprepared responses
There are certain questions that are taken as granted to appear in any interview - questions related to your goals, about yourself, your reason for applying to the particular job, your interest in that company and so on.
To earn a favourable impression, the answer to these should be thoroughly prepared, clear and precise, leaving no ambiguity in the interviewer's mind.
"This does not mean you have to have a rigid 10-year plan for life or be aware of exactly what you are going to do when. Rather, your thinking process and general direction should be organized and clearly presented to the interviewers. Doing your homework early on can guarantee you a certain number of points even before you walk in the interview room," said Lahiri.
Lack of interview strategy
In a selection process, the interviewer is required to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate. For this, he/she has to steer the conversation and investigate various aspects of the candidate's personality.
To make a good impression, it is important to know what the interviewer is look for and what they are testing you on, according to a report by Sanjeev Sinha of EconomicTimes.com.
According to Arindam Lahiri, Director- Academics, Career Launcher India, there are five things that should be avoided while attending an interview. Rude replies, bluffing, being defensive, unprepared responses and lack of interview strategy can end up portraying a person?s personality in an unappealing manner.
Rude replies
Short, curt, arrogant or confrontational comments and replies are of course a strict no-no. You might want to pay attention to peer review about whether you come across as a genuinely friendly, amicable person or otherwise. Besides the obvious fact that the interviewer is all powerful when it comes to deciding your fate regarding the job, also keep in mind that they are not sitting there with the sole purpose of antagonizing you.
"The objective of putting you in a spot is usually to observe your behavior under pressure. Getting agitated easily would betray a lack of coping skills. On the other hand, dealing with such 'tests' with grace not only saves you trouble but also immediately scores you points," said Lahiri.
Bluffing
If you hesitate to admit something that you don't know, you will be forced to continue bluffing until you either get caught, or are forced to do what you were supposed to do in the first place - say "I don't know."
This statement can help you move away from topics you don't know much about and possibly salvage the interview by starting a new conversation thread. Of course, using this statement too often would lead to the interviewer assuming you don't know much.
Getting defensive
If you happened to make a mistake and were rightly corrected, then make sure that you gracefully admit your error and allow for the discussion to be carried on in a polite tone. Leave the 'offense is the best defence' theory outside the door along with excess ego that could seriously hamper your chances of success.
It is also necessary to clarify the interviewer as they can also be wrong about something. Maybe the mistake on their part is actually deliberate conducted, to test your knowledge or relevant social skills.
"In such a scenario, wherein you are absolutely sure of your view, stick to your guns, but (again) gracefully. Be polite but firm while presenting your case, and after a while, you might want to agree to disagree and free up the conversation to on to the next topic," informs Lahiri.
Unprepared responses
There are certain questions that are taken as granted to appear in any interview - questions related to your goals, about yourself, your reason for applying to the particular job, your interest in that company and so on.
To earn a favourable impression, the answer to these should be thoroughly prepared, clear and precise, leaving no ambiguity in the interviewer's mind.
"This does not mean you have to have a rigid 10-year plan for life or be aware of exactly what you are going to do when. Rather, your thinking process and general direction should be organized and clearly presented to the interviewers. Doing your homework early on can guarantee you a certain number of points even before you walk in the interview room," said Lahiri.
Lack of interview strategy
In a selection process, the interviewer is required to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate. For this, he/she has to steer the conversation and investigate various aspects of the candidate's personality.
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The fierce bidding in the broadband wireless auction that ended on Friday is not likely to trigger further value destruction in the already troubled domestic telecom sector. However, the entry of Reliance Industries (RIL) in the broadband telephony may give rise to a tariff war in this highly lucrative segment of the domestic telecom sector.
The impact of immediate cash outflow post-bidding will be limited since big listed players have either opted out of the process or participated only in a few circles. Bharti Airtel, the country’s largest telecom player, has won licences in four circles for a total of Rs 3,314 crore. Its peers Reliance Communications (RCOM) and Idea Cellular decided to give it a pass.
For Bharti, the cash outflow due to broadband is just over 8% of the total investment of Rs 58,000 crore made by the company in 3G licences and in acquiring Kuwait-based Zain Group’s African telecom operations. Some analysts feel that such a small proportion of outflow can be accommodated into the other two bigger payments without extensively stretching the balance sheet.
For both RCOM and Idea, the balance sheets would have no effect of the broadband bids. Given this, net debt — long-term debt minus cash equivalents — as a percentage of operating profit before depreciation (EBITDA) works out to over 3.5 for each of the three players. This means the top-rung of the telecom sector may have to shoulder a similar debt burden.
However, Bharti’s leverage, measured in terms of debt-equity ratio, will shoot up to 1.6 compared with that of one for the other two. Analysts think that this would come down to healthier levels in future once it turns around Zain’s African operations.
Another factor to watch out for is the impact of Reliance Industries’ entry into the broadband fray. Analysts at Networth Stock Broking feel that this would most likely trigger a tariff war in the enterprise segment pulling down the operating margins from existing level of 40-45% for the segment. However, the impact on the overall consolidated margins would not be significant as telcos earn a substantially lower portion of revenue from this segment. In that, RCOM would see lesser impact since its enterprise revenue and operating profit contribute just over 15% to its total revenue.
The impact of immediate cash outflow post-bidding will be limited since big listed players have either opted out of the process or participated only in a few circles. Bharti Airtel, the country’s largest telecom player, has won licences in four circles for a total of Rs 3,314 crore. Its peers Reliance Communications (RCOM) and Idea Cellular decided to give it a pass.
For Bharti, the cash outflow due to broadband is just over 8% of the total investment of Rs 58,000 crore made by the company in 3G licences and in acquiring Kuwait-based Zain Group’s African telecom operations. Some analysts feel that such a small proportion of outflow can be accommodated into the other two bigger payments without extensively stretching the balance sheet.
For both RCOM and Idea, the balance sheets would have no effect of the broadband bids. Given this, net debt — long-term debt minus cash equivalents — as a percentage of operating profit before depreciation (EBITDA) works out to over 3.5 for each of the three players. This means the top-rung of the telecom sector may have to shoulder a similar debt burden.
However, Bharti’s leverage, measured in terms of debt-equity ratio, will shoot up to 1.6 compared with that of one for the other two. Analysts think that this would come down to healthier levels in future once it turns around Zain’s African operations.
Another factor to watch out for is the impact of Reliance Industries’ entry into the broadband fray. Analysts at Networth Stock Broking feel that this would most likely trigger a tariff war in the enterprise segment pulling down the operating margins from existing level of 40-45% for the segment. However, the impact on the overall consolidated margins would not be significant as telcos earn a substantially lower portion of revenue from this segment. In that, RCOM would see lesser impact since its enterprise revenue and operating profit contribute just over 15% to its total revenue.
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New London, Connecticut (CNN) -- There's no shortage of oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico and no shortage of ideas on how to deal with it.
BP, which owns the exploded rig causing the oil leak, has solicited ideas itself, via a phone number listed to submit alternative response technology, services, products or ideas for the oil spill. But after hearing complaints that BP was not responding to solicitations, the government decided to open its own suggestion box.
"There were complaints that come to us that replies hadn't been given back, that suggestions hadn't been responded to in a timely manner," said Capt. Matthew Sisson of the US Coast Guard. "In that sense its time for us to help out."
BP's Mark Proegler told CNN the company is working with the Coast Guard to sort through the ideas that are pouring in.
"We're receiving over 5,000 suggestions a day," Proegler said. BP assesses the ideas along with the Coast Guard and others.
Sisson's regular job is commander of the Coast Guard's Research and Development Center. On top of all his ordinary duties, he has a new number one priority: to oversee the Coast Guard's effort to gather and disseminate ideas about dealing with the oil spill. His office wants to hear from anybody with an idea. It can be an idea for stopping the leak, cleaning up the coastline or saving the oil-covered wildlife.
And they promise a response in less than a day.
For Sisson, it's more than just another duty in his long career in the U.S. Coast Guard.
"I consider New Orleans my home. The Gulf is the most wonderful place in the world to me and I have never seen it like this," Sisson told CNN.
That's why he is adament that there are no bad ideas. "Some idea is out there that someone hasn't seen yet that might be helpful to the cause."
He does admit he doesn't understand some of the ideas he's seen.
"We had a suggestion to use sonic-solar technology to use anti-matter," Sisson said.
So what is that?
"We are looking into it. I couldn't tell you myself," Sisson admits.
Still Sisson makes it clear, "There are no wacky ideas."
After the Coast Guard gets the idea, it figures out which agency might be the best able to analyze the idea to see if it can really help. For example, if someone has an idea for a chemical that can help make the oil harmless, the idea would be sent to the EPA, which overseas any such techniques. Or if someone has an plan for saving oil-covered birds, the idea might be forward to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
As of late this week, the Coast Guard has received more than 400 ideas, mostly through the website www.fbo.gov.
BP, which owns the exploded rig causing the oil leak, has solicited ideas itself, via a phone number listed to submit alternative response technology, services, products or ideas for the oil spill. But after hearing complaints that BP was not responding to solicitations, the government decided to open its own suggestion box.
"There were complaints that come to us that replies hadn't been given back, that suggestions hadn't been responded to in a timely manner," said Capt. Matthew Sisson of the US Coast Guard. "In that sense its time for us to help out."
BP's Mark Proegler told CNN the company is working with the Coast Guard to sort through the ideas that are pouring in.
"We're receiving over 5,000 suggestions a day," Proegler said. BP assesses the ideas along with the Coast Guard and others.
Sisson's regular job is commander of the Coast Guard's Research and Development Center. On top of all his ordinary duties, he has a new number one priority: to oversee the Coast Guard's effort to gather and disseminate ideas about dealing with the oil spill. His office wants to hear from anybody with an idea. It can be an idea for stopping the leak, cleaning up the coastline or saving the oil-covered wildlife.
And they promise a response in less than a day.
For Sisson, it's more than just another duty in his long career in the U.S. Coast Guard.
"I consider New Orleans my home. The Gulf is the most wonderful place in the world to me and I have never seen it like this," Sisson told CNN.
That's why he is adament that there are no bad ideas. "Some idea is out there that someone hasn't seen yet that might be helpful to the cause."
He does admit he doesn't understand some of the ideas he's seen.
"We had a suggestion to use sonic-solar technology to use anti-matter," Sisson said.
So what is that?
"We are looking into it. I couldn't tell you myself," Sisson admits.
Still Sisson makes it clear, "There are no wacky ideas."
After the Coast Guard gets the idea, it figures out which agency might be the best able to analyze the idea to see if it can really help. For example, if someone has an idea for a chemical that can help make the oil harmless, the idea would be sent to the EPA, which overseas any such techniques. Or if someone has an plan for saving oil-covered birds, the idea might be forward to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
As of late this week, the Coast Guard has received more than 400 ideas, mostly through the website www.fbo.gov.
It expects to be fielding calls, emails and website submissions for weeks or months to come.
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Actor Aamir Khan has a strange problem on his hand. My birdy from Bandra explains that considering the kind of movies he’s produced, like Lagaan, Taare Zameen Par, and the forthcoming Peepli Live, many writers and directors have approached him to produce their ‘novel’ subjects.
They are so impressed with his acumen as a producer that they feel they can’t get anyone better than him to back them. However, the rule at Aamir Khan Productions is that they have to respect everyone who comes in with a script and not turn away a single person.
So, the company gets about eight-ten scripts a day. There are so many scripts that Khan, who’s busy with three productions, can’t figure out what to do with them. Since he can’t read every script that comes to him, Khan has asked his script department to shortlist the ones they’d like him to read.
They are so impressed with his acumen as a producer that they feel they can’t get anyone better than him to back them. However, the rule at Aamir Khan Productions is that they have to respect everyone who comes in with a script and not turn away a single person.
So, the company gets about eight-ten scripts a day. There are so many scripts that Khan, who’s busy with three productions, can’t figure out what to do with them. Since he can’t read every script that comes to him, Khan has asked his script department to shortlist the ones they’d like him to read.
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New Delhi: When chip-maker and patent licensor Qualcomm entered the broadband auction two months ago, it set the alarm bells ringing in the Wimax camp. They feared that Qualcomm may buy spectrum throughout the country and sit on it, waiting for its favourite technology, LTE, to mature.
With the results of the auction out, there is both good news and bad for the Wimax camp.
Qualcomm won only 4 circles, but it is determined to get the biggest bang for its buck.
In a move that has set the alarm bells ringing in the telecom equipment industry, Qualcomm announced it will ‘divest’ the four circles only to the operators who are ready to roll out the kind of network 3G network it envisions.
In other words, it has held its 4G spectrum as a prize for the operators who will implement the ‘correct’ 3G strategy, which many, especially the Chinese vendors, fear will act against them.
Kanwalinder Singh, Qualcomm’s president for India and South Asia, categorically stated that the firm will share the 4G spectrum in a circle only with players that also have 3G spectrum in the same circle.
Telcos like Reliance Communications, Tata Teleservices and Bharti Airtel, which were hoping to win over the entire 4 circles, were left with no option but to lower their expectations.
For example, Reliance and Bharti don’t have 3G spectrum in Haryana or Kerala, two of the blocks cornered by Qualcomm. Similarly, Tata, Aircel and Idea — the other big winners — don’t have 3G spectrum in Mumbai and Delhi.
Singh said the idea behind acquiring spectrum was not to hand it over to a single operator or tip the balance in favor of anyone, but rather to incubate “3G+” services.
So, if an operator already has 3G spectrum in a circle, Qualcomm will consider partnering with them if they share the same vision of where the technology and services are going. In other words, only if the operator is no fan of Wimax and is willing to play the LTE game.
For example, Aircel has won eight circles, including the southern states of Tamil Nadu and AP, and a share of the Kerala 4G spectrum from Qualcomm would fit right into its business model for contiguity.
However, partnering Qualcomm in Kerala is a possibility only if Aircel ‘shares’ Qualcomm’s vision of the mobile future - based on LTE rather than Wimax.
Similarly, Bharti, which won four circles, including Punjab, stands to partner Qualcomm in Delhi or Mumbai or both, provided it too shares the same vision as Qualcomm. Singh also clarified that the other two big operators, Tata and Reliance, are also in the picture as they too have 3G services in all the four circles where Qualcomm is present, in the form of the CDMA 3G service called EVDO.
“The auction was set up for 3G+ services,” said Singh, shortly after the results were announced. He pointed out that Qualcomm was bringing out ‘multi-mode’ chips which supported both 3G and LTE technologies and Qualcomm would share its spectrum with players in such a way that such technologies can be put to use. He pointed out that the four circles were chosen so as to give Qualcomm the biggest number of possible partners.
While supporters of Wimax, including Samsung, Intel and Motorola, worry about the implications of Qualcomm’s win, the Chinese equipment vendors too are very worried. They fear that they are not in Qualcomm’s good books as they cater to both LTE and Wimax technologies, unlike the European vendors such as Nokia Siemens Networks and Ericsson who only support LTE.
At stake is around $3 billion worth of 3G equipment and installation contracts, besides around $2 billion worth of 4G equipment contracts.
“It is a last ditch effort by both the camps and every one is going all out to make sure they win,” pointed out an official with a Chinese vendor.
With the results of the auction out, there is both good news and bad for the Wimax camp.
Qualcomm won only 4 circles, but it is determined to get the biggest bang for its buck.
In a move that has set the alarm bells ringing in the telecom equipment industry, Qualcomm announced it will ‘divest’ the four circles only to the operators who are ready to roll out the kind of network 3G network it envisions.
In other words, it has held its 4G spectrum as a prize for the operators who will implement the ‘correct’ 3G strategy, which many, especially the Chinese vendors, fear will act against them.
Kanwalinder Singh, Qualcomm’s president for India and South Asia, categorically stated that the firm will share the 4G spectrum in a circle only with players that also have 3G spectrum in the same circle.
Telcos like Reliance Communications, Tata Teleservices and Bharti Airtel, which were hoping to win over the entire 4 circles, were left with no option but to lower their expectations.
For example, Reliance and Bharti don’t have 3G spectrum in Haryana or Kerala, two of the blocks cornered by Qualcomm. Similarly, Tata, Aircel and Idea — the other big winners — don’t have 3G spectrum in Mumbai and Delhi.
Singh said the idea behind acquiring spectrum was not to hand it over to a single operator or tip the balance in favor of anyone, but rather to incubate “3G+” services.
So, if an operator already has 3G spectrum in a circle, Qualcomm will consider partnering with them if they share the same vision of where the technology and services are going. In other words, only if the operator is no fan of Wimax and is willing to play the LTE game.
For example, Aircel has won eight circles, including the southern states of Tamil Nadu and AP, and a share of the Kerala 4G spectrum from Qualcomm would fit right into its business model for contiguity.
However, partnering Qualcomm in Kerala is a possibility only if Aircel ‘shares’ Qualcomm’s vision of the mobile future - based on LTE rather than Wimax.
Similarly, Bharti, which won four circles, including Punjab, stands to partner Qualcomm in Delhi or Mumbai or both, provided it too shares the same vision as Qualcomm. Singh also clarified that the other two big operators, Tata and Reliance, are also in the picture as they too have 3G services in all the four circles where Qualcomm is present, in the form of the CDMA 3G service called EVDO.
“The auction was set up for 3G+ services,” said Singh, shortly after the results were announced. He pointed out that Qualcomm was bringing out ‘multi-mode’ chips which supported both 3G and LTE technologies and Qualcomm would share its spectrum with players in such a way that such technologies can be put to use. He pointed out that the four circles were chosen so as to give Qualcomm the biggest number of possible partners.
While supporters of Wimax, including Samsung, Intel and Motorola, worry about the implications of Qualcomm’s win, the Chinese equipment vendors too are very worried. They fear that they are not in Qualcomm’s good books as they cater to both LTE and Wimax technologies, unlike the European vendors such as Nokia Siemens Networks and Ericsson who only support LTE.
At stake is around $3 billion worth of 3G equipment and installation contracts, besides around $2 billion worth of 4G equipment contracts.
“It is a last ditch effort by both the camps and every one is going all out to make sure they win,” pointed out an official with a Chinese vendor.
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Putting an end to weeks of speculation, the government has decided not to use the Army in the fight against Naxalites. Instead, the plan now is to rope in ex-servicemen on contract basis and use them for specific jobs, like de-mining, in security operations being conducted in Naxal-hit areas.
The call on not involving the Army in anti-Naxal operations was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) which met on Thursday. Sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
said that the government was more keen to utilise the experience of ex-servicemen, since they are no longer an active part of the Army, against the Naxals.
To begin with, the government plans to hire ex-servicemen on contract basis for three years for specific roles. Former Sappers, for instance, could be roped in for de-mining works, sources said.
The next meeting of the CCS, sources said, will take up matters relating to equipping state police forces and Central paramilitary forces with all they require to fight the Naxals.
The call on not involving the Army in anti-Naxal operations was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) which met on Thursday. Sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
said that the government was more keen to utilise the experience of ex-servicemen, since they are no longer an active part of the Army, against the Naxals.
To begin with, the government plans to hire ex-servicemen on contract basis for three years for specific roles. Former Sappers, for instance, could be roped in for de-mining works, sources said.
The next meeting of the CCS, sources said, will take up matters relating to equipping state police forces and Central paramilitary forces with all they require to fight the Naxals.
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It was a narrow escape for passengers of Tiruchirapalli-Chennai Rockfort Express after the railway track was found cut near Perani railway station of Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu. The train was coming from Trichy.
The authorities suspect a bomb blast blew up the railway tracks. A three-feet-deep crater has been caused by the blast when the train was coming towards the station at around 2:10 am, they say.
The station master cautioned the driver of the train, who applied emergency brakes averting a major train disaster.
The train services, which were earlier suspended following the blast, have now been restored.
All the stranded trains will reach Chennai by 11 am. A manhunt has also been launched for the culprits.
Intelligence officials have ruled out Maoist hand behind the blast. They suspect pro-LTTE elements triggered the blast because posters have been found at the site hailing Prabhakaran and condemning Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse's visit to India.
The authorities suspect a bomb blast blew up the railway tracks. A three-feet-deep crater has been caused by the blast when the train was coming towards the station at around 2:10 am, they say.
The station master cautioned the driver of the train, who applied emergency brakes averting a major train disaster.
The train services, which were earlier suspended following the blast, have now been restored.
All the stranded trains will reach Chennai by 11 am. A manhunt has also been launched for the culprits.
Intelligence officials have ruled out Maoist hand behind the blast. They suspect pro-LTTE elements triggered the blast because posters have been found at the site hailing Prabhakaran and condemning Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse's visit to India.
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In the midst of a swirl of rumours surrounding his latest movie Raavan, Abhishek Bacchan sought to clear some air in a web-conference from Mumbai to Pune.
The trailers of the movie suggest an avant-garde, almost surrealistic take on the Hindu epic. But unlike what the name may suggest, the movie is not based on the Ramayana. Nor is Bachchan playing the eponymous character in the film as we know him. He dons the role of Beera in the flick, who is nicknamed Raavan by his sister for displaying some traits of the demon king.
“This is one of the purest characters I have ever portrayed. The film is like an abstract painting where everyone is allowed to interpret it in their own way,” says Bachchan.
Another rumour that has been doing the rounds is that the central character is inspired by Maoist leader Khobad Ghandy. Re-iterating the strong denials he has been issuing, Bachchan shoots down the analogy saying, “Beera is not inspired by any real-life personality. What makes me feel proud about the film is that it is a unique piece of work. I must thank Mani for giving me this character,” he said.
Many have been commenting that the film is a modern adaptation of Ramayana and that the characters display the shades depicted in the epic. “The only similarity I find between the film and Ramayana is that both can have varied viewer interpretations. Finally it is up to the viewer to go and watch any film however, I can assure you that it would be a great experience to spend three hours watching Raavan,” he added.
With Aishwarya Rai- Bachchan's aunty staying in city, the Bachchan's have a strong connection with Pune and he says, “I love the city. It has grown from being a small town to a metropolis. I remember attending film festivals and hanging out at the FTII. The city has a strong association with cinema.”
The trailers of the movie suggest an avant-garde, almost surrealistic take on the Hindu epic. But unlike what the name may suggest, the movie is not based on the Ramayana. Nor is Bachchan playing the eponymous character in the film as we know him. He dons the role of Beera in the flick, who is nicknamed Raavan by his sister for displaying some traits of the demon king.
“This is one of the purest characters I have ever portrayed. The film is like an abstract painting where everyone is allowed to interpret it in their own way,” says Bachchan.
Another rumour that has been doing the rounds is that the central character is inspired by Maoist leader Khobad Ghandy. Re-iterating the strong denials he has been issuing, Bachchan shoots down the analogy saying, “Beera is not inspired by any real-life personality. What makes me feel proud about the film is that it is a unique piece of work. I must thank Mani for giving me this character,” he said.
Many have been commenting that the film is a modern adaptation of Ramayana and that the characters display the shades depicted in the epic. “The only similarity I find between the film and Ramayana is that both can have varied viewer interpretations. Finally it is up to the viewer to go and watch any film however, I can assure you that it would be a great experience to spend three hours watching Raavan,” he added.
With Aishwarya Rai- Bachchan's aunty staying in city, the Bachchan's have a strong connection with Pune and he says, “I love the city. It has grown from being a small town to a metropolis. I remember attending film festivals and hanging out at the FTII. The city has a strong association with cinema.”
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Adobe Systems on Thursday released AIR 2, upgrading the features and aspirations for the software foundation.
AIR is a programming foundation that lets a Net application run on a variety of computing platforms--Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and, significantly, forthcoming Google Android mobile phones now as well. The software can run standalone programs written either with Adobe's Flash technology or, courtesy of a built-in WebKit browser engine, with HTML and JavaScript, too. AIR applications run on their own, though, not within a browser.
Adobe has had some significant successes with AIR. It is installed on "nearly 300 million desktop computers," Adobe said. It's used for applications including the Tweetdeck's software for bringing some order to the chaos of Twitter, Facebook, and Buzz; a New York Times reader with a built-in crossword puzzle; and an interface to 120 years' worth of National Geographic issues.
But it's got big challenges, too. At the same time AIR is arriving on Android devices with the upcoming 2.2 upgrade, it is banished from Apple's IOS devices--the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad--undermining its cross-platform advantages. HTML and JavaScript in a browser can handle an increasing amount of what AIR can do, although efforts such as Mozilla Prism to break Web applications free of browser frames haven't made much headway. And in general, it's always hard to convince developers to commit to a new programming platform.
Adobe expects AIR 2 will help, though. Among its new features, according to Adobe:
• Diminished memory and processing demands.
• Better networking features, for example supporting the newer IPv6 Internet standard or enabling multiplayer games that need chat.
• Support for modern Web standards such as CSS3's transforms and HTML5's Canvas 2D graphics.
• Better performance when running JavaScript.
• Better control over printing.
• The ability to integrate with applications running natively on a computer.
• Better hardware support including multitouch interfaces, printer control, USB drive detection, and microphone recording.
AIR 2 also benefits from the improvements in Flash Player 10.1, also released Thursday.
Flash is at the center of a debate between Apple and Adobe, with Apple deriding it as an insecure, battery-draining, unstable technology and Adobe criticizing Apple's heavy-handed controls over developer choices. Adobe is working to make Flash--and therefore AIR as well--better on Macs, though, in part through taking advantage of some hardware acceleration features. Through a project called Gala, Adobe also is working on some video decoding improvements made possible after Apple opened up an interface to take advantage of hardware acceleration.
"It is expected that the Gala functionality--H.264 hardware decoding on Mac OS X 10.6.3--will be available in an update following the release of Flash Player 10.1," Adobe said of that project.
AIR is a programming foundation that lets a Net application run on a variety of computing platforms--Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and, significantly, forthcoming Google Android mobile phones now as well. The software can run standalone programs written either with Adobe's Flash technology or, courtesy of a built-in WebKit browser engine, with HTML and JavaScript, too. AIR applications run on their own, though, not within a browser.
Adobe has had some significant successes with AIR. It is installed on "nearly 300 million desktop computers," Adobe said. It's used for applications including the Tweetdeck's software for bringing some order to the chaos of Twitter, Facebook, and Buzz; a New York Times reader with a built-in crossword puzzle; and an interface to 120 years' worth of National Geographic issues.
But it's got big challenges, too. At the same time AIR is arriving on Android devices with the upcoming 2.2 upgrade, it is banished from Apple's IOS devices--the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad--undermining its cross-platform advantages. HTML and JavaScript in a browser can handle an increasing amount of what AIR can do, although efforts such as Mozilla Prism to break Web applications free of browser frames haven't made much headway. And in general, it's always hard to convince developers to commit to a new programming platform.
Adobe expects AIR 2 will help, though. Among its new features, according to Adobe:
• Diminished memory and processing demands.
• Better networking features, for example supporting the newer IPv6 Internet standard or enabling multiplayer games that need chat.
• Support for modern Web standards such as CSS3's transforms and HTML5's Canvas 2D graphics.
• Better performance when running JavaScript.
• Better control over printing.
• The ability to integrate with applications running natively on a computer.
• Better hardware support including multitouch interfaces, printer control, USB drive detection, and microphone recording.
AIR 2 also benefits from the improvements in Flash Player 10.1, also released Thursday.
Flash is at the center of a debate between Apple and Adobe, with Apple deriding it as an insecure, battery-draining, unstable technology and Adobe criticizing Apple's heavy-handed controls over developer choices. Adobe is working to make Flash--and therefore AIR as well--better on Macs, though, in part through taking advantage of some hardware acceleration features. Through a project called Gala, Adobe also is working on some video decoding improvements made possible after Apple opened up an interface to take advantage of hardware acceleration.
"It is expected that the Gala functionality--H.264 hardware decoding on Mac OS X 10.6.3--will be available in an update following the release of Flash Player 10.1," Adobe said of that project.
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