Obama family arrives in Hawaii for holiday season vacation

Yes, You’d be hard-pressed to find a better place to spend the holidays than Hawaii — especially with the severe winter weather hitting parts of the Mainland. It’s no wonder President Barack Obama and his family will be spending Christmas and New Year’s in the Islands for the third year in a row.

Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha — along with Bo, their family dog — arrived Saturday evening on Oahu, where the president was born and mostly raised. The president plans to join his family here after Congress adjourns, possibly Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. Obamas will again be staying in the windward Oahu neighborhood of Kailua, in the same 7,000-square-foot beachfront home on Kailuana Place the family has rented for the last three Christmases. (The family has rented more homes along the cul-de-sac, for friends and family.)

Last year Christmas the president famously body-surfed at Sandy Beach in East Honolulu and ate shave ice with his family at Island Snow in Kailua. His plans for the holidays this year are to golf and hang out on the beach. His itinerary is devoid of fundraisers or anything political .They plan to stay here until Jan. 1.

Knowledge In a point - 3

• Name of the Army of Vatican = The Swiss Guard.

• The name of the second atom bomb? = Fat Man.

• Who invented Plywood? = Immanuel nobel [Father of Alfred Nobel].

• Who invented the Electrons? = JJ Thomson.

• Name the country which has no Cinema Theatres = Saudi Arabia.

• The word ‘Pakistan’ was invented by a Cambridge Student namely? = Rahmat Ali.

• The gas responsible for Bhopal Gas Tragedy was Methyl Isocynate Chemical name of washing soda is Sodium carbonate ”Black Gold” = Petroleum.

• What is the strongest force in the universe? = Nuclear Force.

• Who invented diesel engine? = Rudolf Diesel.

• Who invented Stethoscope?=Rene Laenac.

• Air consist of 78% Nitrogen , only 21% consists of oxygen. Remaining 1% consists of carbon Dioxide, Argon, Neon, Helium, Krypton, Hydrogen, Xenon & Ozone.

• Why is Nagpur called the zero mile centre? Nagpur is precisely at the Geographical centre – point of India & the zero mile marker located here.

• First person to sail round the world = Ferdinand Magellan.

• First woman to win Olympic gold = Charlotte Cooper.

• First test tube baby = Louise Joy Brown.

Human brain fully matures in middle age

New study has suggested that brain does not stop developing until late 40s. Earlier scientists used to believe that brain stop physically evolving in early childhood but new research has shown that keeps changing well into middle age. Brain scans have shown that prefrontal cortex - the area just behind your forehead - continues to change shape in your 30s and 40s, reports the Telegraph .


It is an important discovery as the prefrontal cortex is a key area of the brain and is often thought said to be key to what makes us human. This area is involved with decision-making, social interaction and many other personality traits. Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, of the University College London, said, "Until about 10 years ago we pretty much assumed that the human brain stopped developing in early childhood."


"But we now understand from brain imaging that that is far from the truth and that many human brains keep on developing for many decades. The area of the brain that goes through the most protracted development is the prefrontal cortex right at the front of the brain. "It is the part of the brain that is involved in high cognitive function such as decision making, planning and social behaviour. It is also to do with understanding other people. "It starts develop in early childhood, is reorganised in late adolescence and continues developing well into the 30s and 40s. It is the part of the brain that makes us human," she said.

The new findings were presented at the British Neuroscience Christmas symposium in London.

Knowlegde In a Point - 2

• Banana’s are the world popular fruit after tomato.

• Orange city = Nagpur.

• Pink city = Jaipur.

• Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukhtha sangha in Hubli is the only organization authorized to produce Indian national flags.

• Lighting strike the earth 100 times every second & there are on average 35 earthquakes per day.

• Longest tunnel = Jawahar Tunnel (J&K).

• Which is the largest man made lake in India = Indira Sagar Lake.

• The cells used in mobile phone are = Lithium ion cells.

• Who coined the word ‘gas’? = J.Van Helmont.

• Biggest star in our galaxy? = Proxima Centauri.

• Who designed the national flag of Italy? = Napoleon Bonapar.

• England’s first great industry was wool.

• Worker ant’s live only for 45-60 days, but queenants have been known to live as long as 29 years.

• Which is the largest Post Office in Asia? = Mumbai.

• Father of Indian Budget = Mahalanobis.

US president OBAMA to meet with top CEOs about economy

WASHINGTON :

US President Barack Obama is sitting down with 20 top CEOs on Wednesday to talk about ways to spark the economy. The gathering at Blair House, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, will include a who's-who of American business.

All among the CEOs expected to attend are those from American Express, General Electric, DuPont, Eli Lilly, Dow Chemical, Boeing, PepsiCo, Comcast and Google. Before the meeting, Obama will make a statement in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. In the afternoon, the president meets in the Oval Office with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Knowlegde In a Point - 1

• An elephant's trunk contains 40000 muscles.

• Nauru is the world's smallest independent republic.

• Oldest national flag in the world = Denmark's national flag.

• The highest waterfall in India = Gersoppa(Karnataka.

• City of cycles = Beijing.

• Your heart beat 101,000 times a day. During your lifetime it will beat about 3 million times and pump about 400 million litres of blood.

• Pieces of bread were used to erase pencil marks before rubber was invented.

• Human brain uses approximately as much energy as a 20 watt.

• Oldest almost complete manuscript of the Bible still existing is the Codex Vaticanus ,dating from the 1st half of the 4Th Century, now in Vatican.

• Earth Hour is observed all over the world on March 27.

President Obama's visit and the great expectations

This week the country will play host to US President Barack Obama on what will be his first visit to India and, in fact, South Asia. He will be the third serving US president to visit India in a decade. That is significant considering that an equal number of US presidential visits had been spaced out over the first five decades of India’s independence, and also if we keep in mind a single factoid: The US is still the most powerful country in the world, both militarily and economically. The Obama visit should, in the normal course, have bowled us over. However, it has not. It may not be such a bad thing as it tamps down expectations, but the context in which this has emerged has the potential to play spoiler.

Year except for the paranoid security arrangements and a visibly upset Pakistani establishment (miffed at having been left out of the presidential itinerary, but content that its sulking enabled it to tap another generous US sop, $2 billion (Rs. 8,900 crore today), even though a
section of the government continues to abet and foster terror networks), a sense of excitement is missing from the Obama visit.

Also, When Bill Clinton visited the country, India fell in love with him, before and after; this was despite the fact that he was a lame duck president then. Even when George W. Bush, the president everyone loved to loathe, came visiting, there was considerable excitement—the Indian Communists spewed vitriol, forcing a diplomatic slight upon Bush by denying him a joint address to Parliament, while the government was excited about how the relationship was being taken to an entirely new level with the inking of an agreement to take forward Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s pet project: the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal.

Hazard that pre-set visits pose is that often the context in which they are ordained is never what it actually turns out to be. Not only has the global economy worsened, so have unemployment levels in the US. Faced with plunging personal popularity ahead of a crucial mid-term election and with a wary eye on his own re-election, Obama’s actions have reflected self-preservation.

The decision to retreat from Afghanistan under the guise of an “Af-Pak” policy, steady attacks on outsourcing of US jobs and increasing belligerence on China. All of them, except the last, have contributed to spoiling the context of the US president’s visit. The setting of a deadline for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan sent out two signals, neither of which would be appreciated by the Indian establishment. One, it signalled that the US was throwing in the towel in a battle that it had initiated nearly 10 years ago. Second, the US withdrawal means that the Taliban and its original co-sponsor, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), were guaranteed a second shot at spreading anarchy in a country ravaged by war for three decades. Worse, it meant that India, which had a tenuous hold in a strategically important country (considering it has the longest border with Pakistan) by funding big-ticket development projects, will, as a consequence of the US action, be inevitably ejected.

Verbal attacks on outsourcing ahead of the mid-term polls due on Tuesday, 2 November, although addressed at US citizens battling rising unemployment, have also made India uneasy. After all, what kind of friend is Obama if he has to target India’s most iconic export, especially since his predecessor had the courage to stand up against such political attacks. One fallout of this has been on the totalization agreement between the two countries that would have ensured repatriation of social security benefits contributed by Indian workers in the US. At the moment, they forfeit this sum, which some estimate runs into several billion dollars. (Imagine discussing a payout for the very same workforce that allegedly took away American jobs.)

This was not enough, the handlers on both sides have, by publicly discussing Obama’s schedule, worsened the visit’s context. Now we know that the US President dropped India’s software capital from his itinerary to avoid being “Bangalored” and similarly opted out of Amritsar as he didn’t want his actions mistaken (stemming from the killer combination of blatant ignorance and bias) back home from having to cover his head while entering the Golden Temple.

There is one common ground between India and the US that is apparent, it is the antipathy towards an increasingly belligerent China. Unfortunately, it is for all the wrong reasons: India’s problems with China are not the same as that of the US.

From the last month or so, the world has been trying to force a very unlikely match-up between the two Asian adversaries. The upping of the ante in recent weeks by India has only lent this perception greater credibility. So far, India has been wise to step away from any direct confrontation; it is, despite what some sections may claim, just not in China’s league. More importantly, let the West and the US fight their own battles; India’s domestic challenges are too compelling and cannot afford any external distractions.

Expectations at rock bottom, it only follows that the two countries will end up sharing some good news with the rest of the world.

Twitter redesigns

Twitter Inc. has redesigned its website for the first time in its four-year history to draw more users and get them to stay longer as it competes for advertising dollars with Internet rivals Google Inc. and Facebook Inc. The redesign, which will roll out to the website's 160 million users over the next several weeks, is intended to make the site easier and faster to use and to serve up more relevant content to users, executives said at a news conference at Twitter's San Francisco headquarters. Company Chief Executive Evan Williams said that the changes would allow users to get "more out of Twitter in a lot less time." As Twitter's popularity has spread since its 2006 introduction, the website has gotten a reputation for being difficult to use and for crashing too frequently. Twitter has been a victim of its own popularity — 370,000 new users sign up each day.

Twitter has lagged in finding ways to boost revenue. It recently launched new advertising formats and ramped up its sales force. Executives hope the redesign, which will make ads easier to view, will help Twitter better compete with Google and Facebook for advertisers. Users of the redesigned site will be able to see more information about the authors of Tweets — the Twitter messages that can be no more than 140 characters in length. Also, conversations between users will be able to be viewed, as will photos and videos referenced in updates. One of the biggest changes to the Twitter site is that users will be able to see two panes instead of a single timeline of updates. They will be able to scroll through the timeline in the left pane without clicking back and forth to see more information about updates or their authors. Twitter executives said deals had been crafted with 16 photo and video sites, including YouTube and Flickr, to have their visual content embedded on Twitter.com.

Flush with venture capital funding that valued the 250-employee company at $1 billion, top executives have been focusing their efforts on making the Twitter experience simpler and better. Williams said he has spent much of his time over the last five months on the redesign. "This is a complete revamp," he said. Twitter's audience growth in the United States has tapered off in the last year, but internationally has continued to grow at a rapid clip, ComScore Inc. analyst Andrew Lipsman said. Twitter also continues to show strong user engagement, Lipsman said. Forrester Research social media analyst Augie Ray called the announcement a "significant evolution." "The long-term effects could be substantial as Twitter focuses on powering growth by improving Twitter consumption," Ray said.

U.S President Barack Obama Sends Best Wishes to Muslims for Eid-al-Fitr

U.S. President Barack Obama has sent best wishes to Muslims worldwide on the occasion of Eid-al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. In a statement Thursday, President Obama said the holiday is a time of self-reflection, focusing on values that Muslims and people of all faiths share.

Mr. Obama said this year's Eid is also an occasion to reflect on the importance of religious tolerance. President Obama said that this year, those affected by the devastated floods in Pakistan will be on the minds of many around the world. He said all Americans can participate in the relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts by donating to the Pakistan Relief Fund at www.state.gov.

The holiday comes as plans to build an Islamic community center and mosque near the site of New York City's former World Trade Center have sparked intense opposition in the United States. Also, a minister in the state of Florida is threatening to burn copies of the Quran on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Most Gulf Arab states have announced they will celebrate the Muslim holiday Friday. Like most major Islamic events, the start of the Eid festival depends on a lunar sighting. Muslims look for a new moon to proclaim the start of the month in Islam's lunar calendar.

The timing of Eid can vary in different countries accordingly. Eid al-Fitr celebrates the purification achieved by a month of sunrise-to-sunset fasting, one of the five pillars of Islam, and is marked by several days of festivities. The timing of Eid can vary in different countries accordingly.

Eid al-Fitr celebrates the purification achieved by a month of sunrise-to-sunset fasting, one of the five pillars of Islam, and is marked by several days of festivities.

Facts

• The biggest disco ball in the world has a total diameter of 2.41 meters and weighs around 137.89 kilograms. It also has 6,900 mirrors squares on it.

• In the weightlessness of space a frozen pea will explode if it comes in contact with any aerated dink like Pepsi or coke.

• If garlic is rubbed in the sole of one’s feet, it would be absorbed by the body and would eventually show up on one’s breath.

• Food passes through the small intestine in just two hours. However inside the large intestine, it takes about 14 hours to travel the entire organ.

• During warm weather, hippopotamus secrete a reddish, oily fluid, called pink sweat, which acts as a skin conditioner and keeps their skin moist.

• In 1915, before becoming the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill fought in the front line trenches before he became the minister of Munitions.

• The renowned Greek Philosopher Socrates became famous for asking questions about almost everything.

• There is air in space. It is equivalent to a marble in a box five miles wide. Most of the gas is captured by the gravitational pull of celestial bodies.

• Abdul Kassam Ismael, Ruler of Persia in the tenth century, carried his library with him wherever he went. Four hundred camels carried the 117,000 volumes.

• The Burramundy, a peculiar type of fish, grows up as a male, but after 2 years or so, it turns into a female to breed and reproduce.

Spain reign at the World Cup

(Johannesburg): More than half a century of hurt, Andres Iniesta's goal gave Spain their first World Cup triumph, but not in the way they would have wanted. As 84,490 fans, including Nelson Mandela watched, after 116 minutes of a slow, bruising blur of a final, the midfielder kept looking back at linesman Michael Mullkarkey before slotting in Cesc Fabregas pass past a Dutch defence depleted by the expulsion of John Heitinga. This was the classic that never happened. Such was the tedium that you could argue that Jimmy Jump, the Spanish pitch invader, provided the greatest thrill of the evening when he pulled off the most audacious gatecrash in the history of sport, rushing the World Cup trophy just before the start.

Pitch invasion came after a stunning closing ceremony where the dapper Fabio Canavarro, captain of the victorious 2006 Italian side, had smartly walked up midpitch, and showed around the trophy. After a soulless, goalless regulation time, extra time brought some urgency but by then it was too late to salvage this game. Substitute Fabregas squandered the chance to etch his name into Spanish immortality when he hesitated in an open chance, put through by Iniesta.

Minute later, the man who had provided the pass himself hesitated. Despite having assumed a cold, killer-like persona of late, Iniesta then did a Fabregas. It was as if Spain were doing their familiar choke once again. Then Jesus Navas hit the side netting. The Dutch finally paid for their stifling game when Heitinga earned his second yellow and was told to leave. Arjen Robben was saved by the skin of his teeth when he capped a frustrating evening after being denied twice by Iker Casillas he petulantly hit the ball in after being ruled offside. It was that kind of tedium. The Beautiful Game, so much the subject of talk in the build-up to Sunday, seemed forgotten the moment the two teams kicked off the final. While Spain tried in vain to restore it, the Netherlands never had anything to do with it. All talk, all these days, proved it was just talk. But what the Dutch managed in their own beautiful way, was to upset Spain's rhythm. It worked and then they continued to peck away in a dour 90 minutes of regulation play. Someone called them a card-carrying team. With their thuggish ways, they were proving the observation so right. Fives minutes past the hour, Maarten Stekelenburg saved off his line a David Villa chance that the Spanish striker has been putting away, seemingly in his sleep, here.

Day of final Sunday, he had lost his appetite for the spectacular, even the ordinary. The reason was Nigel de Jong, with his Hispanic gangsta looks and Mark Van Bommel, who managed to squeeze all the creativity that the Spaniards were capable of, thus giving the Dutch the crucial upper hand. De Jong escaped with a sure red early in the game for a feet-up into the chest foul on Xabi Alonso. Ten minutes from the end, Robben beat an uncharacteristically lax Carles Puyol for pace, only to be denied a clear goal by Iker Casillas who was the busier of the two goalkeepers as the evening wore on. It showed how Bert van Marwijk's men were winning the battle, even as they were collecting those bookings. Just past the hour, Wesley Sneijder won his little battle with Sergio Busquets and found Arjen Robben in the centre with a pass which just eluded Gerard Pique. It had goal written all over it and as Robben raced to the Spanish goal with Puyol and Sergio Ramos in tow, it was Casillas to the rescue. But it was to end at that after a bruising 90 minutes.

Team Spain began early, attacking in waves. It frustrated the Dutch, who took some time getting into the game. Arjen Robben worked his way in and around the Spanish box, defenders trailing him feeder fish on the tail of a big one. But as the fouls began coming in, all the talk of beautiful football was under the threat of vanishing when Nigel de Jong struck his leg out into the chest of Xabi Alonso. It was a clear expulsion but referee Howard Webb chose to understand the magnitude of the occasion and let him off with a yellow. The game was losing its rhythm. Villa was missing for most part and it was left to little Pedro, in only his second full start for Spain, to carry out the raiding. Then a minute into first-half stoppage time, Robben forced a save off Iker Casillas.

Successful PSLV launch

Thanking ISRO for its success in placing the Cartosat -2B and four other satellites in orbit, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Monday said the space agency had made India proud. “Congratulations to all of you on a perfect take off”, he said, adding that this was the first time he was witnessing a launch despite being associated with ISRO as a member of the Space Commission many years ago. “This is the first time I am actually seeing a launch.. not just from the Control Centre but also rushed out to get a visual (of the PSLV soaring into the skies)... wonderful experience,” he said. Mr. Ahluwalia said ISRO has made the country proud by its continuous success in various missions.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) today successfully placed into orbit remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2B and four other satellites.

MY NEW BIKE

INFORMATIVE FACTS

• BLUETOOTH - Name of the King of Norway in 10th century.

• NOKIA – Name of a river in Finland.

• OFOTO – old name of Kodak.

• BIG BLUE- Nick name of IBM.

• BENQ - Bringing enjoyment in quality. Name of a telecom comp.

• INTEL – Integrated Electronics.

• MITSUBISHI – Synonym three diamonds.

• BPL – British physical Laborites.

• CNN – Cable News Network.

• NDTV – New Delhi television.

• BMW – British mechanical works.

Gas leak in Orissa 35 fall ill

Berhampur (Orissa), Jun 21 (PTI) At least 35 people were today taken ill, some even falling unconscious, after chlorine gas leaked from a cylinder of urban water supply department here. The affected persons included some school children, women and employees of the drinking water supply department.

Report "They were admitted to MKCG Medical College Hospital here and their condition is improving," Sub-collector of Berhampur, Ajit Mishra told PTI. The cylinder, procured from neighbouring Paralakhemundi division to purify water, leaked when someone allegedly tried to remove the brass nozzle, executive engineer of urban water supply (Berhampur) D S Mohapatra said.

Public people complained of respiratory problem following the gas leak. The tree leaves had turned yellow after the incident. The district administration has ordered closure of all schools in nearby area and officials of the chlorine supplier have been informed, sources said.

South Africa hosts first FIFA WC 2010 with Excellent Fireworks

The world's largest sporting spectacle starts on Friday as it is Bafana Bafana against Mehico in the first match and later Uruguay takes on France in the FIFA World Cup 2010. Ahead of the opening ceremony, fireworks lit up the sky over Soweto in Johannesburg as 30,000 people watched local and international superstars in a concert. Security was tight, but the atmosphere was jovial as Cape Town opened its official Fan Fest for the World Cup. Crowds queued up for hours to enter the Grand Parade in the heart of the city, where matches will be shown live and musical acts will entertain South Africans and tourists alike. Police kept a close eye on fans in the park while hired security screened the thousands of people who entered the facility. Nearly 4,00,000 tourists visiting South Africa are expected to put the 'Mother City' of Western Cape on their itinerary.

Month-long event kicks off on Friday with the opening match between hosts South Africa and Mexico which will take place at 7.30 pm Indian time. And trust the Soccer City stadium to be an ocean of colour with loud local horns called Vuvuzelas. South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela is set to attend part of the opening ceremony and the opening game. He will be present on Friday, but will not attend the entire opening game as his family is worried about his health. The World Cup kicks off with a 40-minute opening ceremony at Soccer City. American R'n'B star R Kelly is one of 1,581 performers who will perform in the opening ceremony ahead of the game between the hosts South Africa and Mexico.

SA has never progressed beyond the group stage at the World Cup, though they have only taken part in two previous tournaments, in 1998 and 2002. Defending champions Italy start on Monday with a match against Paraguay, Brazil face North Korea in their first game on Tuesday and Euro 2008 winners Spain start their bid for a first World Cup win by taking on Switzerland on Wednesday. Some of the world's best players like Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Villa and Fernando Torres will feature in this edition of the World Cup. But some big names will be missing because of injury, such as England duo Rio Ferdinand and David Beckham, Germany skipper Michael Ballack, Ghana midfielder Michael Essien and Porugal winger Nani. In all, 32 teams will participate in this year's World Cup with total of 64 games to be played. The final will take place on July 11 at the Soccer City stadium here.

President Mr Obama to meet families of oil rig workers

US President Barack Obama is due to meet relatives of the 11 workers killed in an explosion on the BP oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico. A presidential spokesman said he would express his condolences to relatives. BP shares in the UK have fallen to their lowest level since 1997 amid fears of huge US penalties. US Attorney General Eric Holder said Americans would "not pay a dime" for the clean-up and BP would be held responsible for all damages. In another development, the Obama administration said BP had agreed to expedite the payment of claims to businesses and individuals whose livelihoods have been disrupted by the spill. US Pres Mr Obama has himself come under mounting political pressure over his handling of the crisis. Oil has been leaking into the Gulf since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on 20 April and sank off the coast of the US state of Louisiana, killing the 11 workers.
'Not a dime'
US President Obama will express his "heartfelt condolences" to their families during the private meeting at the White House, his spokesman Robert Gibbs said. "And I think he's eager to discuss with them what their family was telling them about safety conditions and what type of changes can and must be made in the regulatory framework to ensure that deepwater drilling that goes forward is done in a way that is safe and not life-threatening," Mr Gibbs added. Mr Obama said on Thursday that he and congressional leaders had agreed at a meeting that they should look at how to update US law to ensure victims of the Gulf oil spill were protected. Pollution legislation was written before the industry had developed ultra-deep water exploration and ought be brought up to date to ensure the people of the Gulf "are made whole", he added, in remarks quoted by Reuters.
Rapidly growing public anger in the US, Mr Obama is keen to show he is on top of the situation and will make his fourth visit to the region on Monday. His administration has been steadily applying more pressure on BP, and the US justice department is considering legal action to make sure BP has enough funds to cover the damage and compensate those affected by the slick. "I can make this pledge to the American people that the American people will not pay a dime for the clean-up of the Gulf region and that BP will be held responsible for all the damages that have occurred," Mr Holder told reporters in Washington. "We will take the necessary steps to make sure that that occurs."

Tracy Wareing, an official at the US National Incident Command office, said an understanding on expediting the payment of claims had been reached at a meeting with BP executives including CEO Tony Hayward. Administration officials had raised a "pressing concern" about the time BP was taking to provide relief payments, particularly to businesses in the stricken area, she added.
BP says a containment cap system placed on the blown-out well last week collected 15,800 barrels of oil on Wednesday - slightly up on the 15,010 barrels collected in the previous 24-hour period. The company has come under increasingly sharp attack by some US politicians for its handling of the spill, described as the worst environmental disaster the US has faced. Shares in the British oil giant have nearly halved over the last couple of months. The UK government on Thursday sought to play down fears expressed by some senior figures of "anti-British rhetoric" in the US. Prime Minister David Cameron, who will discuss BP with President Obama this week, said he understood the US government's "frustration". BBC News

ECG reports can now check on BlackBerry phones - Doctors

Technology rocks the world. Thanks to mobile technology, doctors now have the facility of accessing their patient’s ECG reports directly on their BlackBerry mobiles without wasting any time. eUNO R 10, the mobile electrocardiogram (ECG) application would now enable cardiologists to accurately check the heart performance of patients on their BlackBerry smartphones running under the Vodafone network. Kumar Ramanathan, CMO, Vodafone Essar stated, "The success of any telemedicine solution depends on robust mobile network and seamless connectivity, which we provide via our pan-India network. We are particularly pleased with this joint initiative because it utilises technology to enable the improvement of healthcare."
This application named "telemedicine" was invented long back by BlackBerry-maker Research-In-Motion but was not distributed well. However, it is now introduced after being tied up with Maestros Mediline Systems (Maestros), a medical equipment manufacturer, in order to harness the area of mobile healthcare solutions effectively. "Mobile technologies are playing an important role in the healthcare industry and we hope this tie-up with Maestro would be the next game-changer in the healthcare sector over the next few years," RIM Managing Director (India) Frenny Bawa told reporters at the launch of the mobile ECG. RIM now backed by Maestros would be able to distribute telemedicine on a large scale.
The entire reports can be viewed even from a distance. We often find doctors advising on the adverse effects of mobiles, but this application would surely bring mobiles closer to doctors. The application enables doctors to evaluate the reports with accuracy even from a distance. It is useful in saving the precious time of the cardiologists and boosting early and quicker treatment of the dysfunctions.
While Speaking on the launch of eUNO R10 in India, Dr. Pavan Kumar, Head of Telemedicine Department, Nanavati Hospital, stated "A heart attack is a life-threatening event. Knowing the symptoms of heart attack and seeking immediate medical attention is essential to prevent death, while appropriate treatment instituted within the first hour the golden hour can limit the damage to the heart." Nanavati hospital adopts telemedicine, Mumbai based Nanavati hospital was the first to adopt this helpful technology. The cardiologists here have already got the facility to access the test reports on their BlackBerry smartphones.
BlackBerry ECG services would soon be launched in other major hospitals across the country.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Kashmir visit

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has begun a two-day visit to Indian-administered Kashmir. Mr Singh will review development programmes in the state and also attend a university ceremony. Separatists in the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley have called for a strike in protest at the visit. Mr Singh's arrival came a day after the Indian army suspended a senior officer who is accused of killing three civilians in a staged gun battle. Incident happened at Machhil near the Line of Control, the de facto border which separates Indian-administered Kashmir from Pakistani-administered Kashmir, in April.
PM Mr Singh's last trip to Kashmir in October 2008 triggered widespread demonstrations in the Kashmir Valley. In his visit, he inaugurated a dam built in the region despite protests from Pakistan, and launched Kashmir's first train service. Violence has declined in Kashmir in recent years, but analysts say militants opposed to Indian rule are now trying to regroup. It has been a spate of clashes in recent months along the LoC. Hundreds of thousands of Indian troops are based in Kashmir to fight a two decade-old insurgency against Indian rule. Thus this problem will be curable by our PM. BBC news.

For 24 hours no electricity at Bombay Hospital

Leading hospital in Mumbai is in a state of near-emergency. A short circuit led to a minor fire on Monday morning. Since then, the Bombay Hospital near Churchgate Station has been waiting for the power supply to be restored.
Privately-owned hospital's Intensive Care Units and 22 Operating Theatres are using generators. Close to 700 patients and their families are in acute discomfort. The private hospital has four buildings. In most, elevators are not working. While air conditioners are not operational, even fans and lights are being used sparingly. Patients who have appointments for tests are being turned away.

Facts

• Giraffes have the same number of vertebrae in their necks as humans. Their lips are prehensile, their tongues are 21 inches long, and they cannot cough.
• The human heart creates so much pressure when it pumps out to the body that it can squirt blood to as far as about thirty feet away.
• Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of the four presidents on Mount Rushmore, died a few months before the project was completed. It took him 14 years.
• The human skin is thickest (1/5inch) on the upper back. It is the thinnest on the eyelids, where it is only 1/50th of an inch thick.
• Most honey bees die after they sting people as our skin is elastic, unsuitable for their stingers which are meant for harder in elastics skins.
• Ants make up 1/10th of the total world animal tissue. They can survive for up to 2days underwater. And ants have the largest brain in proportion to their size.
• Harrison ford has species of spider named after him.
• More than 90% of shark attack victims survive.
• Over 50% of lottery players go back to work after winning the jackpot.
• Bill Gate’s house was designed using a Macintosh computer.

New style icon Samsung Star Nano 3G phone at price Rs. 7320 in India

On-going battle in the field of mobile technology, where the different mobile manufacturers are fighting it out to produce a “better” mobile phone than earlier, world’s second largest conglomerate, Samsung, has come up with the all new Samsung Star Nano 3G, keeping in mind the requirements most sought after by the mass, and the price off course being an affordable one. Samsung Star Nano 3G mobile is set at price Rs. 7320 in India. Samsung Star Nano 3G is basically the model, Samsung S3370, renamed as “Nano”. This phone is specifically aimed for technology lovers, as well as those of you who want to make a style statement of your own. There are other names of this device too, including Samsung Corby 3G, Samsung.
Samsung Star Nano 3G mobile is available at price Rs. 7320/- in India and shall be supplemented with a leather pouch and a 2GB memory card. Ranjit Yadav, Director, Samsung India launching the handset said, “The launch of Star Nano 3G is significant as it represents our most affordable 3G touch screen handset as well as strengthens our portfolio of 3G enabled handsets as the country gears up for the roll-out of 3G services very soon.”

Women smokers are high in Indian BPOs, News media on rising trend: Study says

The globe gears up to celebrate ‘World no tobacco day’ on May 31st, 2010 there is a sad contribution from India. The country witnesses a growing number of women smokers and the case is specifically relevant to females working in BPOs and media. The picture looks sad especially in a culturally rich nation like ours where there is still a social stigma attached to women smoking. A recent study revealed that nearly 8% of female BPO workers smoke and the percentage is much larger (5-35%) in media. As per the survey the majority of women smokers are still unaware of the health hazards of smoking. The only health hazards they are aware of is cancer and heart disease related to smoking. Women smokers did not know that smoking is also known to cause infertility and many other problems related to child birth. Lead researcher Dr. Ravikant Singh from Non-government organization ‘Doctors for You’ said, “Smoking can cause infertility, miscarriages and still births. It is worrying that women don’t know about this.”
Women smokers working in BPOs and media take to smoking mostly due to peer pressure or under stress. They start by becoming passive smokers as they share the same group which has smokers and eventually themselves become smokers. According to study the other factors responsible for women smoking is taking smoking as a sign of women’s liberalization and identity search. Dr. Gauravi Mishra from Tata Hospital, said, “Many women considered it a sign of liberalization, an affirmation of their identity as a free person and an equal.” For the purpose of the study 646 employees working with 4 BPOs in the city across the nation were studied for over 18 months and 1500 media persons working with 15 advertising, print and electronic media were interviewed. The study is first of its kind that considered women smokers in the country.

Karnataka bus accident: 30 people burnt alive

City Bangalore: In a tragic incident, 30 passengers were burnt alive on Sunday morning when a state highways bus collided with a diesel tanker in Challanakeri area. The bus hit a barricade and turned turtle, police said adding, its diesel tank caught fire. The incident took place at around 2.15 am.
Bus was plying from Surapara to Bangalore. At least 64 passengers, including 10 children, were travelling in the bus at the time of the incident. Around 28 injured passengers have been taken to a local government hospital. State transport minister has blamed driver’s negligence for the unfortunate incident.
Government has announced a compensation of Rs one lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased. ZEE news

Derailment of Bengal train : Over 140 dead, more bodies trapped

Toll in the Mumbai-bound Gyaneshwari Express derailment rose to over 140 today as more bodies were pulled out from the wreckage of the mangled coaches. Rescue work was halted at the site during the night because of rain, even as rescuers feared more bodies might be trapped under the S-6 coach which was one of the worst hit coaches. Around 190 injured people are being treated in different hospitals in Midnapore, Kharagpur, Jhargram and in Kolkata. DNA tests will be conducted on unidentified bodies.
The horrific incident occurred at 1:30 am on Friday when the train was running between Khemasoli and Sardiya stations, about 135 km from Kolkata. It's been a long and traumatic wait for relatives of the victims and information from the railway's helpline is sketchy. Many complained that the help arrived too late.
The Bengal police last night gave out details of the rail attack saying it was a maoist attack. Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and the her bitter rivals the CPM led government got into a no-holds bar fight on Saturday on who was to blame for the attack.
Initially it was not clear how a section of the tracks went missing leading to the derailment. While Home Minister P Chidambaram said its act of sabotage and no explosive material was found at the site, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Maoists triggered a blast. This tragedy could impact lakhs of other passengers as well several trains that ply through the Maoist belt at night have been rescheduled in the state. South Eastern Railways' decision not to run trains between 10 pm and 5 am could be extended for a couple of days. NDTV News

FACTS

• Scare crow frighten birds because if the human odor emitted from the clothes they wear. However with rain and wind, this odor disappears.
• The human skin is thickest (1/5 inch) on the upper back. It is the thinnest on the eyelids, where it is only 1/50th of an inch thick.
• Food passes through the small intestine in just two hours. However inside the large intestine, it takes about 14 hours to travel the entire organ.
• If a person has two thirds if his liver removed through surgery, it will grow back to its original size in only four weeks time.
• Renaissance painter Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors. He could also draw with one hand and write with the other. He also wrote his notes backwards.
• A mosquito will become restless and start flying around if there is an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the surrounding air.
• The bridge that has been built across the world’s highest waterfall, the Niagara Falls, actually began with a kite carrying a line across it to the other side.
• According to researches, the ship of the desert, the Camel has three eyelids in order to protect itself from the bowling sand in the deserts.
• Mt. Everest (8848m) is not the tallest mountain. Mauna Kea Mountain on the Hawaiian Island is 230m taller. It is 4201m above water and 4877 underwater.
• House flies taste with their feet. They always jumps backwards which they use as a means of a quick getaway when someone tries to hit it.
• The revolutionary e-mails started being sent as early as 1971. Ray Tomlinson invented it and the first e-mail was written entirely in the upper case.

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