AROUND THE WORLD

INDIBLOGGER.IN MEET WAS SUCCESSFUL

2010-03-20T23:20:00.000-07:00

The bloggers meet organized by indiblogger.in and sponsored by Univercell was a great success. Around 250 bloggers from different places and writing blogs in different languages has met at one place and exchanged views on blogging and discussed about the future of macro blogging. I was thrilled to note when one of the blogger told that in a few years from now people will start totally depending on blogs for news and events.

In the meet everyone expressed their own feeling on why they are interested in blogging and how this new media will help them in future. LOOK HERE FOR SOME OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN DURING THE MEET.

I enjoyed being in the meet and learned many things.

I take this opportunity to thank indiblogger.in for arranging this blogger’s meet and in particular the sponsor Univercell for providing their support to the meet. My special thanks to the press and TV media which covered the meet and later published the news today.

NO SURGERY:…A 15-MINUTE CURE FOR DIABETES AND OBESITY

2010-01-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

NO SURGERY:…A 15-MINUTE CURE FOR DIABETES AND OBESITY

In what could revolutionize healthcare for the rising diabetes population worldwide, scientists claimed to have developed a 15-minute non-surgical treatment that could lead to drastic weight loss and reverse the onset of the disease.

The breakthrough treatment, considered a cheap and safe alternative to surgery, involves a device called EndoBarrier — a plastic sleeve that is inserted into the intestine of a patient to prevent food being absorbed into the body.
The device, developed by a United States-based company, is fed through the mouth using an instrument called an endoscope while the patient is awake, the Daily Express reported.

“Obesity surgery can be risky simply because of the patient’s weight and the fact that you are giving them a general anaesthetic. That’s why it’s so good to have a non-surgical approach,” said Keith Gersin, head of obesity surgery at Carolinas Medical Centre in Charlotte, North Carolina, which has been trialing the EndoBarrier sleeve for 18 months.

“It is so quick to fit that you can get lots more patients treated. The patients loved it so much they didn’t want us to remove it at the end of the trial period. We had no significant side effects and it was easily removed.”

Extensive tests of EndoBarrier have been carried out in the US and Europe and last week the new device was given a licence for use on European patients.
In a 12-week trial in the Netherlands, patients fitted with the EndoBarrier lost an average of 16kg compared with a control group of patients who dieted and lost just 5kg.

According to its developers, the treatment, which costs £2,000, is about half the cost of the cheapest obesity operation.

“The patients who used it have continued to lose weight. It gave them the incentive to diet and eat sensibly,” said Gersin.

The EndoBarrier device is fitted to the first two feet of the small intestine where most food is absorbed.

During trials the sleeve was able to reverse Type 2 diabetes within weeks by reducing patients’ blood sugar levels so they no longer needed to take drugs. Nadey Hakim, a leading UK consultant in weight loss surgery, said: “I would love to be able to cure a patient’s obesity with a 15-minute procedure. It’s a very clever idea”.

The EndoBarrier digestive tract liner won CE Mark approval in December, 2009, clearing the way for sales to begin in the European Union this year.

2010-01-04T04:48:00.000-08:00

THOUSANDS HELD IN CHINA FOR INTERNET MISUSE

China arrested more than 5,000 people in a crackdown on Internet pornography in 2009, officials said, vowing tougher online policing in the new year as a key element of "state security".

China maintains strict censorship of the Internet to curb what the government deems to be unhealthy content including porn and violence - an effort that has become known as the "Great Firewall of China".

Authorities in December offered rewards of up to 10,000 yuan (1,465 dollars) to Internet users who report websites that feature pornography.

According to figures published by the ministry of public security late on Thursday, 5,394 people were arrested last year under the Internet porn crackdown, and 9,000 illegal porn-related sites were shut down.

The ministry, in a statement on its website, did not specify if all of those arrested were later prosecuted.

It said it would "strengthen punishment for Internet operators that violate the laws and regulations" in the coming year.

"Purifying the Internet environment and cracking down on Internet crimes is related to long-term state security," the ministry said.

Internet use has expanded at a dizzying pace in China, which now has the world's largest online population with at least 338 million users.

The government is concerned that left unchecked, the Internet could become a means for ordinary citizens to spread information harmful to society - including ideas that are critical of the communist authorities.

China has blocked several social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Citizens can only gain access to such sites by using proxy servers.

Earlier this year Beijing threatened to sanction major websites, including search engine giants Google and Baidu, alleging that pornography and other material that could corrupt young people was turning up in search results.

Authorities effectively cut off Internet access in the far-western Xinjiang region after deadly ethnic unrest erupted there in July.

The government says terrorists, separatists and religious extremists used the Internet, telephones and mobile text messages to spread rumours and hatred as the violence broke out.

Earlier this week, limited access to state-run news websites was restored.

EARLY BEDTIME BANISHES TEEN BLUES
Earlier bedtimes may help protect adolescents against depression and suicidal thoughts, says a new study.

Published in the Jan. 1 issue of the journal Sleep, the research found that adolescents with bedtimes that were set earlier by parents were significantly less likely to suffer from depression and to think about committing suicide, suggesting that earlier bedtimes could have a protective effect by lengthening sleep duration and increasing the likelihood of getting enough sleep.

Results show that adolescents with parental set bedtimes of midnight or later were 24 percent more likely to suffer from depression and 20 percent more likely to have suicidal ideation than adolescents with parental set bedtimes of 10 p.m. or earlier. This association was appreciably attenuated by self-reported sleep duration and the perception of getting enough sleep.

Adolescents who reported that they usually sleep for five or fewer hours per night were 71 percent more likely to suffer from depression and 48 percent more likely to think about committing suicide than those who reported getting eight hours of nightly sleep. Participants who reported that they "usually get enough sleep" were significantly less likely to suffer from depression and suicidal ideation.

Lead author James E. Gangwisch, PhD, assistant professor at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, N.Y., said that the results strengthen the argument that short sleep duration could play a role in the etiology of depression.

"Our results are consistent with the theory that inadequate sleep is a risk factor for depression, working with other risk and protective factors through multiple possible causal pathways to the development of this mood disorder," said Gangwisch. "Adequate quality sleep could therefore be a preventative measure against depression and a treatment for depression."

2010-01-01T06:58:00.000-08:00

GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP IS LIFE’S ‘GREATEST PLEASURE’

Some of the little pleasures of life have no price tag on them - just like a good night’s sleep. Good night's sleep is life's 'greatest little pleasure' ``````

Curling up in bed after a long day and waking up feeling completely refreshed the following morning is so good that it has been voted life’s ‘greatest little pleasure’, reports The Telegraph.

In the study of 3,000 Brits, a tenner in your pocket came second, closely followed by cuddling up to a loved-one in bed.

Rob Stacey spokesman for Batchelors Cup-a-Soup, which carried out the poll, said: ‘You can’t beat the feeling of getting into bed after a long, hard day.

‘And that feeling gets even better when you wake up feeling great and back to your normal self the following morning. ‘We don’t always need something major to happen to brighten up our day - sometimes the little things have just as much of an effect.

‘Often the little gestures such as a quick cuddle or a compliment can really help to cheer someone up if they are having a bad day, and can even be more welcome than splashing out on expensive presents.’

Top 50 greatest little pleasures in life:

1. A good night’s sleep
2. Finding a forgotten tenner in your pocket
3. Cuddling up with a partner in bed
4. Crying with laughter
5. Having a lie-in
6. Sleeping in newly laundered bedding
7. Getting a bargain
8. Making someone smile
9. Catching up with an old friend
10. Laughing at things that have happened in the past
11. Eating a Sunday roast with your family
12. Someone saying you look nice
13. Curling up on the sofa with a good book and a hot drink or soup
14. discovering you’ve lost a few pounds
15. Breakfast in bed
16. Waking up thinking it’s a work day and then realising it’s the weekend
17. A random person smiling at you in the street
18. Looking through old photo albums
19. Eating a takeaway
20. First snow fall of the year
21. Singing your heart out to your favourite song in car
22. Having lunch with friends
23. Listening to a baby laughing
24. Having a massage
25. Reading a book or listening to your iPod on holiday by the pool
26. Playing in snow
27. Finding a pair of jeans that fit perfectly
28. Being chatted up
29. A girly-night in
30. A pampering session at home
31. The smell of freshly cut grass
32. Sitting in the pub with your friends
33. Looking at a baby asleep in a cot
34. Waking up in a room with an amazing view
35. Clothes shopping
36. Receiving a letter from a friend
37. Fitting into an old pair of jeans again after losing some weight
38. Staying up all night getting to know someone special
39. Your mum’s cooking
40. Getting dressed up for a night out
41. Watching a live band
42. Drinking a cold beer after work
43. Browsing in a secondhand book shop
44. Going to the cinema
45. Getting a new hairstyle
46. Your queue being the quickest in the supermarket
47. The cold side of the pillow
48. Watching a DVD
49. Getting tipsy
50. Popping bubble wrap.

SCIENTISTS WRITING FOOLPROOF SECURITY CODE

We often see websites asking us to key in wavy letters into a box to prevent computer robots from hacking into servers and databases. But these codes, which are becoming increasingly complex for an average person, are not immune to security breaches.

A project led by Danny Cohen-Or, computer science professor at the Tel Aviv University (TAU), shows how a new kind of video captcha code may be harder to outsmart. Captcha technology is intended to block spam e-mail and automated systems.

"Humans have a very special skill that computer bots have not yet been able to master," says Cohen-Or. "We can see what's called an 'emergence image' - an object on a computer screen that becomes recognisable only when it's moving - and identify this image in a matter of seconds."

"While a person can't 'see' the image as a stationary object on a mottled background, it becomes part of our gestalt as it moves, allowing us to recognize and process it."

The study was co-authored with colleagues in Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and India. Cohen-Or describes a synthesis technique that generates pictures of 3-D objects, like a running man or a flying airplane.

This technique, he says, will allow security developers to generate an infinite number of moving "emergence" images that will be virtually impossible for any computer algorithm to decode.

'Emergence,' as defined by researchers, is a unique human ability to collect fragments of seemingly useless information, then synthesize and perceive it as an identifiable whole.

So far, computers don't have this skill. "Computer vision algorithms are completely incapable of effectively processing emergence images," says Cohen-Or's colleague and study co-author Lior Wolf.

The scientists warn that it will take some time before this research can be applied in the real world."We're not claiming in our research paper that we've developed a whole new captcha technology," says Cohen-Or.

"But we are taking a step towards that - something that could lead to a much better captcha, to highlight the big difference between men and bots," concludes Cohen-Or.

"If it were to be turned into a solution, however, we wouldn't be able to give humans a multiple choice answer or common word answer for what they see, so we'll need to develop a way to use it. We have a few ideas in the works."

The researchers are also developing methods of automatically generating "hidden" images in a natural background, like a pastoral mountain setting - a digital "Where's Waldo?" game.

"We're trying to hide images like eagles or a lion in mountainscape," says Cohen-Or. Because the moving image blends into a static background, it's hard for bots to understand what the human eye perceives with only minimal training.

2009-12-29T05:18:00.000-08:00

A CHILLI PILL THAT CUTS AS MANY COLORIES AS 80 MINUTES WALK

Scientists claimed to have developed a slimming pill that can burn off as many calories as 80 minutes of walk or a 25-minute jog, while you sit.

The pill -- Capsiplex -- which is made from hot peppers and capsicum, utilises the weight-loss potential of red-hot peppers.

Chilli and capsicum help speed up the metabolism, thus, helping people lose weight more rapidly. However, consuming these chillies or their extract in large quantities causes irritation as these are unbearably hot.

The scientists overcame this problem while developing the capsule. The pill eats up the calories without causing any irritation, the Daily Mail reported.

"For decades, scientists have known about the weight-loss potential of red-hot peppers. The problem has been the ability to consume such a highly concentrated amount, but we have overcome this by putting a protective coating on the ingredients which stops any gastric irritation," a spokesman for Capsiplex said.

"At last we have a safe and healthy supplement to help weight loss," the spokesman added.

Trials of the pill conducted at University of Oklahoma in US showed adults taking Capsiplex burned off 278 more calories before, during and after a bout of exercise than those on placebos.

The pill is already in use in the US. Hollywood stars like Jennifer Lopez, Brad Pitt and Britney Spears are known to have used the pill.

DEC 29……PEOPLE ‘MOST GUILTY’ DAY OF INDULGENCE

Who could have thought that there would be a survey to prove people guilty of giving in to temptations! But here it is and it has marked December Dec 29 people ‘most guilty’ about their indulgences.

29 as the day when people feel most guilty about giving into their indulgences over the last 12 months.

Loan Underwood, a health expert at Fitness TV which conducted the poll, asked a panel of 2,000 adults to pinpoint a moment of maximum embarrassment over their excesses, including eating, drinking and times spent in front of the TV.

More than 40 per cent felt that the day in the middle of the festive season i.e. four days after Christmas and three days before New Year was the ‘guiltiest’ time of the year.

"This year has been a difficult one for many so Christmas has been a real opportunity for people to let their hair down and indulge,” the Telegraph quoted Underwood as saying.

"And with the festive season starting even earlier, the constant invites for post work drinks, parties and treats at home mean exercise routines go out the window.

"This has left people feeling that they have a mountain to climb to get back in shape in 2010, making December 29 the day we feel most guilty about our indulgences.

"Exercise is the perfect way to ditch those feelings of remorse and feel great again," Underwood added.

THREE H-1B SITES SHUT DOWN
A US court has ordered shutdown of three H-1B opposition Web sites -- ITgrunt.com, Endh1b.com, and Guestworkerfraud.com.

According to a news report in ComputerWorld, a New Jersey judge has also sought information about the identity of anonymous posters on the sites.

The Judge James Hurley also ordered firms that register domains and provide hosting services -- GoDaddy Inc, Network Solutions, Comcast Cable Communications and DiscountASP.Net, to disable the three sites. Facebook was also asked to disable ITgrunt's Facebook page.

Hurley's order was reportedly made in response to a libel lawsuit filed by IT services and consulting firm Apex Technology Group, based in Edison, New Jersey, against the three Web sites opposing the H-1B visa programme.

The company is seeking the identity of a person who posted an Apex employment agreement on Docstoc.com, that has since been removed. A link to the document and comments critical of it has been posted on a variety of Web sites, including at least one in India, on Desicrunch.com says the news story.

The comment is said to claim that employees will find it difficult to leave Apex because of its contract terms. Apex, in one legal filing, said the allegations by the anonymous posters are false and defamatory, and are hurting the company. In the filing, Apex is said to have mentioned that it has had three consultants refuse to report for employment as a result of these postings. Apex said it is also seeking "contact details of the individual who posted this legal agreement without permission since we are the copyright owner of the legal document."

2009-12-26T19:59:00.000-08:00

FASTEST RAIL LINK STARTS IN CHINA

China on Saturday started operation on its fastest rail link in the world with a high-speed train connecting the modern cities of Guangzhou and Wuhan at an average speed of 350 kilometres an hour.
The super-high-speed train reduces the 1,069 km journey linking Guangzhou, a business hub in southern China near Hong Kong, with the capital Beijing, to a three hour ride and cuts the previous journey time by more than seven-and-a-half hours, Xinhua news agency said.

Test runs for the rail link began earlier in December during which it recorded a maximum speed of 394.2 km per hour and the operations officially began today, said Xu Fangliang, general engineer in charge of designing the link, according to Xinhua.

By comparison, the average for high-speed trains in Japan was 243 kilometres per hour while in France it was 277 kilometres per hour, he said. The network uses technology developed in co-operation with foreign firms such as Siemens, Bombardier and Alstom.

The work on the project began in 2005 as part of plans to expand country's high-speed network, Xinhua added.

China unveiled its first high-speed line at the time of the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

EARTH’S NORTH MAGNETIC POLE RACING TOWARDS RUSSIA DUE TO CORE FLUX

A new research has determined that Earth's north magnetic pole is racing toward Russia at almost 40 miles (64 kilometers) a year due to magnetic changes in the planet's core.

The core is too deep for scientists to directly detect its magnetic field. But researchers can infer the field's movements by tracking how Earth's magnetic field has been changing at the surface and in space. According to a report in National Geographic News, newly analyzed data suggest that there's a region of rapidly changing magnetism on the core's surface, possibly being created by a mysterious "plume" of magnetism arising from deeper in the core.

"It's this region that could be pulling the magnetic pole away from its long-time location in northern Canada," said Arnaud Chulliat, a geophysicist at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris in France.

Magnetic north, which is the place where compass needles actually point, is near but not exactly in the same place as the geographic North Pole.

Right now, magnetic north is close to Canada's Ellesmere Island.

Navigators have used magnetic north for centuries to orient themselves when they are far from recognizable landmarks.

Although global positioning systems have largely replaced such traditional techniques, many people still find compasses useful for getting around underwater and underground where GPS satellites can't communicate.

The magnetic north pole had moved little from the time scientists first located it in 1831.

Then in 1904, the pole began shifting northeastward at a steady pace of about 9 miles (15 kilometers) a year.

In 1989 it sped up again, and in 2007 scientists confirmed that the pole is now galloping toward Siberia at 34 to 37 miles (55 to 60 kilometers) a year.

A rapidly shifting magnetic pole means that magnetic-field maps need to be updated more often to allow compass users to make the crucial adjustment from magnetic north to true North.

Geologists think Earth has a magnetic field because the core is made up of a solid iron center surrounded by rapidly spinning liquid rock.

This creates a "dynamo" that drives our magnetic field. Scientists had long suspected that, since the molten core is constantly moving, changes in its magnetism might be affecting the surface location of magnetic north.

Although the new research seems to back up this idea, Chulliat is skeptical whether magnetic north will eventually cross into Russia.

"It's too difficult to forecast," Chulliat said.

GO EASY ON GLUCOSE TO LIVE LONG

Reducing caloric intake, specifically in the form of glucose, can extend the life of human cells and speed the death of pre-cancerous cells, a new study has found.

This discovery by researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham could help lead to drugs and treatments that slow human aging and prevent cancer.

"Our hope is that the discovery that reduced calories extends the lifespan of normal human cells will lead to further discoveries of the causes for these effects in different cell types and facilitate the development of novel approaches to extend the lifespan of humans," said Trygve Tollefsbol, a researcher involved in the work from the Center for Aging and Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

"We would also hope for these studies to lead to improved prevention of cancer as well as many other age-related diseases through controlling calorie intake of specific cell types," Tollefsbol added.

To make this discovery, Tollefsbol and colleagues used normal human lung cells and precancerous human lung cells that were at the beginning stages of cancer formation.

Both sets of cells were grown in the laboratory and received either normal or reduced levels of glucose (sugar).

As the cells grew over a period of a few weeks, the researchers monitored their ability to divide, and kept track of how many cells survived over this period.

They found that the normal cells lived longer, and many of the precancerous cells died, when given less glucose.

Gene activity was also measured under these same conditions. The reduced glucose caused normal cells to have a higher activity of the gene that dictates the level of telomerase, an enzyme that extends their lifespan and lower activity of a gene that slows their growth.

Epigenetic effects (effects not due to gene mutations) were found to be a major cause in changing the activity of these genes as they reacted to decreased glucose levels.
The study has been published online in The FASEB Journal.

2009-12-21T23:41:00.000-08:00

AVATAR MOONS MAY BE REAL:.... ASTRONOMER

James Cameron's science fiction Avatar may become fact in the coming years, says a leading US astronomer who believes there is every chance a real-life version of habitable alien moons like the one depicted in the movie exists and will soon is found.
The 3D blockbuster shows a race of blue skinned giants inhabits an Earth-like moon called Pandora, which orbits a gas giant planet similar to Jupiter that cannot support life. "If Pandora existed, we potentially could detect it and study its atmosphere in the next decade," said Lisa Kaltenegger, an astronomer from the Harvard Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Kaltenegger, who has conducted research showing that a planned new space telescope will be able to identify nearby "exomoons" and discover if they are habitable, said hundreds of Jupiter-sized gas giants orbiting stars have already been spotted, but none have conditions suitable for Earth-type life, The Telegraph reported.

However, a rocky moon orbiting a gas giant could harbor life if it was in the parent star's "habitable zone" -- the region where temperatures are just right for liquid water, she said.

"All of the gas giant planets in our solar system have rocky and icy moons. That raises the possibility that alien Jupiter’s will also have moons. Some of those may be Earth-sized and able to hold onto an atmosphere," she said.

A Pandora-type moon could be identified when its planet "transits" across the face of the parent star. If the moon has an atmosphere, it will absorb a tiny amount of light from the star, leaving a spectrographic fingerprint of its composition.

Dr Kaltenegger calculated that Alpha Centauri A, the star featured in Avatar, would provide an excellent target for astronomers hunting habitable moons.

Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to the Sun, being only 4.37 light years away. It consists of three stars, the largest being Alpha Centauri A, which is slightly brighter than the Sun.

2010 TO BE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF YOUTH:...... UN

In an effort to harness the energy, imagination and initiative of the world's young denizens in overcoming the challenges facing humanity, the United Nations (UN) has declared 2010 as the International Year of Youth, starting Aug 12.

'The International Year is about advancing the full and effective participation of youth in all aspects of society,' UN Focal Point on Youth, Nicola Shepherd, said in a statement Monday.

'We encourage all sectors of society to work in partnership with youth and youth organizations to better understand their needs and concerns and to recognize the contributions that they can make to society,' she added.

The announcement was made on Dec 18.

In its resolution proclaiming the Year, the General Assembly called on governments, civil society, individuals and communities worldwide to support activities at local and international levels to mark the event.

Under the theme 'Dialogue and Mutual Understanding', the Year aims to encourage dialogue and understanding across generations and promote the ideals of peace, respect for human rights, freedom and solidarity.

It also encourages youth to dedicate them to fostering progress, including the attainment of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which seek to remove a host of social ills, ranging from extreme poverty and hunger to maternal and infant mortality to lack of access to education and health care, by 2015.

Several international events are already scheduled throughout the year, including the Fifth World Youth Congress from July 31 to Aug 13 in Istanbul, and the World Conference for Youth in Mexico City from Aug 24-27.

Both gatherings will focus on youth and sustainable development in the context of the MDGs.
From Aug 14 to 26, Singapore will hold the international Youth Olympic Games, the statement added.

2009-12-18T22:08:00.000-08:00

NO SIGNS OF A POSSIBLE DEAL AT THE CLIMATE SUMMIT…..DEADLINE OVER
ISLAND NATIONS ARE AT THREAT OVER THIS CENTURY’S BIGGEST PROBLEM…..”GLOBAL WARMING”

ANY AGREEMENT ON CLIMATE CHANGE SHOULD RESPECT THE NEED FOR DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES……..NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD BE BASED ON EQUITABLE BURDEN SHARING…..SAYS INDIA.

The marathon talks on World Climate Pact at Copenhagen lurched into overtime with world leaders deadlocked on a deal to tame global warming. Some of the world’s most powerful countries were embroiled like in a game, where the stakes were hundreds of billions of dollars and the welfare of future generations.
The tense haggling capped two years of deadlock over crafting a new UN treaty from 2013 that would reduce global warming from mortal threat to manageable peril.
Negotiations have revealed deep divisions between rich and poor, entrenched in a textual battlefield.
That left it on a summit of around 130 heads of states to struggle for at least a basic accord that would set a few targets and chart further action towards a final pact next year.
A new draft text gave few details. It contained a call to prevent a rise in global temperatures of more than 2.0 degrees Celsius. The figure fell way short of the demands of threatened island nations.

CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT REVEALS INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES CHEATING THE WOLRD ON CLIMATE

The industrialized countries are cheating the world. A confidential document of the UN Frame Convention on Climate Change secretariat prepared on December 15 shows, contrary to what the rich nations might claim, even if they come true on their current pledges to reduce emissions the world is headed towards a 3 degree temperature rise by 2050, not two degree Celsius – the tipping point.

The document, an authoritative assessment by the UN itself, still kept a secret from the 192 country delegates presently at Copenhagen says, “Unless the remaining gap (of the emissions required to be reduced) is closed and parties (countries) commit themselves to strong action prior and after 2020, global emissions will remain on an unsustainable pathway that could lead to concentrations equal or above 550 ppm (parts per million of carbon dioxide in air) with the related temperature raise around 3 degree Celsius.

The UN global group of scientists – IPCC – has long ago warned that if the global temperatures go more than 2 degrees above pre-industrial era the world would tip over into irreversible natural calamities.

The 2 degree target is considered the beacon for how much emission cuts the industrialized countries and others should undertake. The industrialized countries, such as US and Europe have made some offers and claimed it is enough to prevent disaster. The UN secret document now shows that the targets the rich countries have unofficially claimed they could take are just not enough.

The rich countries have even 12 hours before the heads of the states meet at Copenhagen, refused to put even these numbers as part of their official positions.

The rich countries have taken commitments under the Kyoto Protocol to reduce their emissions to keep temperatures stable. While the rich countries are not on track to meet their targets even in the first phase that ends in 2012 they have so far refused to commit to deeper action as required by science in the next phase of the Kyoto Protocol starting 2013. They, instead, want the Kyoto Protocol to be killed completely.

2009-12-16T21:15:00.000-08:00

THE 12 DAY CONFERENCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE MAY END WITH DISAPPOINTMENT
Developing countries are saying that the developed countries needed to come up with ‘ambitious’ targets for themselves on reduction of emissions of green house gases. These figures are the ‘heart’ of the negotiations and ‘critical’ to the Copenhagen outcome.
The developing countries say the numbers put up by the developed nations on the table so far are unfortunate and disappointing.
Developed countries did not appear to be prepared for a ‘comprehensive outcome’ that would bind them to fulfill their emission reduction commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.
One member of the developing countries said “it seems the developed countries are working towards a political agreement and not a legally-binding pact that would cover immediate and strong action on climate change”, indicating that developing countries were not expecting a successful outcome from the conference.
DESERT ELECTRICITY: WORLD’S LARGEST SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT PLANNED IN SAHARA DESERT. IT IS THOUGHT THAT THE WORLD’S ENERGY DEMANDS COULD BE MET BY COVERING AS LITTLE AS 1pc OF THE WORLD’S DESERTS.

US, CHINA AMONG WORST CLIMATE PERFORMERS……STUDY

China and the US were placed at the bottom end of a worldwide national ranking of performance on climate protection published Monday.

Compiled by Germanwatch, a think tank, and the Climate Action Network (CAN), an alliance of environment pressure groups, the annual Climate Change Performance Index ranks countries based on their climate protection performance, comparing 57 industrialized countries and emerging economies.

This year's edition was published on the sidelines of key UN climate change talks in Copenhagen, which are due to come to a head Friday.

Brazil was the biggest upward mover in the rankings, making it to fourth place with an overall score of 68 and knocking the traditionally strongest player, Sweden, into fifth place.

No country made it to the top three spots, while China and the US were ranked 52nd and 53rd respectively.

'Since no country is thus far adequately on the path toward halting dangerous climate change, the three top spots are empty once again this year,' said Jan Burck of Germanwatch.

Brazil was rewarded for its ability to cut its deforestation rate by 50 percent in the last year. But the study's authors said it was unclear whether the cut was solely the result of falling demand for products such as soy and palm oil owing to the global economic crisis.

'It's great to see emerging economies like Brazil moving up the rankings, sending a clear signal during these negotiations that they are more and more committed to combating climate change,' said Matthias Duwe, director of CAN Europe.

Burck, one of the study's authors, explained that countries are ranked against one another as well as against the criteria of keeping average temperature increases below the dangerous level of two degrees Centigrade.

The poor performance of China and the US was explained by the fact that, while each country is responsible for about a fifth of global emissions of carbon dioxide, its leaders have announced what most experts describe as insufficient greenhouse gas emission targets.

'There are a number of climate policy proposals going through (the) US Congress at the moment, but nothing yet on the books. A bill which really reduces emissions and a strong performance in Copenhagen would improve their ranking,' Christoph Bals of Germanwatch said in explaining the US ranking.

Saudi Arabia was by far the worst performer with a score of 28.7, ranking a distant last behind 59th-place Canada (40.7).

The oil-exporting country has sided with the sceptics in the row over whether global warming poses a real threat or not, while Canada was punished for delaying the announcement on any major new climate policies.

Among the Europeans, Sweden, Britain, Germany and France all made it to the top 10 spots, while Poland, Cyprus, Greece and Luxembourg were given a 'very poor rating'.

INDIA, BRAZIL TO OVERTAKE UK ECONOMY…...PREDICTS THINK TANK

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was on back foot once again on Monday struggling to counter a top think-tank's report that the UK could drop out of the world's top ten economies by 2015.
India, Brazil and Russia will overtake Britain by 2015, according to analysis released on Monday by the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

"In 2005, the UK was the 4th largest economy in the world. China overtook in 2006, France in 2008 and Italy in 2009. The official figures suggest that we have dropped to No. 7. Projecting forward, the combination of economic growth and population growth, plus a likely rising real exchange rate mean that Brazil and Russia will overtake the UK sometime soon, perhaps in 2012," CEBR chief executive Douglas McWilliams said.

India will almost certainly overtake as well, though probably not till 2015, he added. The analysis also predicted that Canada could catch up and surpass UK GDP around 2015 and Australia by 2020.

Mr Brown, who is facing attacks from the Opposition over the state of economy and dragging on of recession, on Monday announced plans to deliver "savings in excess of £12 billion over the next four years, including £3 billion of new efficiency savings since the budget. He said senior civil service pay bill will be cut by up to 20 per cent over three years to release savings of £100 million a year, Whitehall spending on consultancy will be halved to get annual saving of £650 million, and 123 government bodies will be merged or abolished to save £500 million a year. He also announced that more government staff would be relocated outside London.

2009-12-14T22:12:00.000-08:00

DEVELOPED NATIONS ARE THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF GLOBAL WARMING
THEY SHOULD SHOULDER GREATER RESPONSIBILITY FOR CARBON CUTS
2010 WILL BE THE HOTTEST YEAR ON RECORD, SCIENTISTS AT COPENHAGEN HAVE WARNED
As prospects of a political pact brighten at the Copenhagen climate change meet with the US, India and China setting emission reduction targets, the 12 day jamboree opened. They will chalk out a new plan to tackle global warming and its impacts beyond 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol expires.
With leaders of some 100 countries present at the climate talks, including the US and China signs of a likely pact.
At the same time, concerns remain over the contentious Danish proposal that sets 2025 as deadline for all nations to cap emission. Analysts’ say the draft proposal prepared by the host nation removes the distinction between the developed and the developing countries and would be disastrous for developing countries. Developing countries have maintained that given the fact that emissions from industrialized developed nations over the last century have been the primary cause of global warming and they should shoulder greater responsibility for carbon cuts.
WORLD’S TOP 10 POLLUTERS RANKED BY THEIR PER-CAPITA GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) EMISSIONS IN TONNES, AS PER THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY’S DATA OF 2008 IS AS FOLLOWS:
1) UNITED STATES………..19.10
2) CANADA……………...........17.37
3) RUSSIA……………….........11.21
4) SOUTH KOREA……........10.09
5) GERMANY…………............9.71
6) JAPAN…………………..........9.68
7) BRITAIN……………….........8.60
8) SOUTH AFRICA…….........7.27
9) FRANCE………………..........5.81
10) CHINA…………………..........4.57
WAITING FOR THE BIG DAY AT COPENHAGEN

TWITTER IS TOP WORD OF 2009
Twitter has `out-twitted' Obama and H1N1 to emerge as 2009's top word, according to a survey by a group that analyses word usage.
The other words in the top ten in the list prepared by Global Language Monitor (GLM) include stimulus (the $800 billion aid package meant to help mend the US economy), vampire and the near-ubiquitous suffix 2.0.

"In a year dominated by world-shaking political events, a pandemic, the after effects of a financial tsunami and the death of a revered pop icon (Michael Jackson), the word Twitter stands above all the other words. Twitter represents a new form of social interaction, where all communication is reduced to 140 characters," says GLM's chief word analyst Paul J.J. Payack.

"Being limited to strict formats did wonders for the sonnet and haiku. One wonders where this highly impractical word-limit will lead as the future unfolds," he says. The top words were culled from throughout the English-speaking world, which now numbers more than 1.58 billion speakers. The analysis was completed in late November using GLM's predictive quantities indicator.

PLAYING Wii CAN LEAD TO INJURIES
British surgeons have found that playing popular games machine, Nintendo Wii, can lead to fractured limbs and damaged knees.
In an editorial in the Royal Society of Medicine, the experts warned that `Wii injury' is very common as the popular game causes many brow raising and unusual injuries. "Gaming is certainly not without its dangers and as the technology has evolved, those dangers seem to become ever more tangible," warned Thomas Fysh and John Thompson from the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust.

"Upon the advent of the Wii, Playstation thumb and Nintendintis were eclipsed by altogether different problems," they said.

The Wii has been praised for encouraging players to be more active by mimicking the actions involved in many sports and earlier this year a study even suggested that the machines could be helpful for preventing weight gain.

2009-12-12T22:41:00.000-08:00

SEA LEVEL RISE WILL DOUBLE

ACCORDING TO A LATEST STUDY, SEA LEVEL RISE COULD MORE THAN DOUBLE DUE TO THE MELTING OF ANTARTICA, THREATENING COASTAL CITIES AROUND THE WORLD.

Previous research predicted sea levels would only raise by a couple of feet (59 cm) by the end of the century; however this does not include melting ice from the South Pole.
The most comprehensive steady into the impact of global warming on the region by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) found ice is already melting in the West Antarctic region due to an increase in temperatures.
The centre of the huge continent that has been protected from the warming effect until now because of a hole in the ozone layer is also due to warm in the feature.
By the end of the century the water flowing into the oceans from Antarctica, as well as from Green land and land glaciers like the Himalayas, will cause a sea level rise of more than four feet (1.4m).
If temperatures continue to increase in the next two to five hundred years, sea level rise could go up by 20feet (6m) as more of Antarctica melts.
Dr. Colin Summer Hayes, Executive Director of SCAR, said coastal cities could be affected although they should be able to build defenses like sea walls. He said developing countries, where millions of people live in low-lying areas, are more likely to suffer.
“Anybody who lives in coastal cities needs to be slightly worried by projections of one metre or more,” he said.
The previous study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) did not include Antarctica, as scientists believed it was impossible to measure melting ice in the region.
However new information from satellites, ice cores and innovative studies, including putting temperature gauges on elephant seals, have allowed scientists to model the effects of warming on the Antarctic.
A key part of the study is the effect of the hole in the ozone layer on the Antarctic region.
The hole developed in the 1970s after damaging chemicals known as CFCs were released into the atmosphere. This caused wind patterns to change and a cooling of the region.
Climate “sceptics” said the cooling of the centre of the continent and the growth of sea ice was evidence that global warming is not affecting the region.
But Professor John Turner of the British Antarctic Survey said the hole in the ozone layer has only temporarily protected Antarctica from warming. Since new rules outlawing CFCs have come into force the hole should “heal” and temperatures are likely to rise.
“For me the most astonishing evidence is the way that one man-made environmental impact – the ozone hole – has shielded most of Antarctica from another – global warming,” he said, “But it stands to heal and will no longer be protected.”
The study found that temperatures in the Antarctic peninsula around the base of South America are already rising, causing non-native like huge stone crabs, beetles and seaweed to invade.
In the long term Antarctica will become more “green” as temperatures rise and mosses and grasses grow and it may even become more suitable for human habitation……as per the reports appearing in ….THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

LONELINESS INCREASES RISK OF BREAST CANCER

Researchers found that social isolation raises levels of a hormone which helps to trigger tumor growth.

Loneliness significantly increases the risk of developing breast cancer, American scientists have claimed.
Researchers from the Yale University and the University of Chicago found that social isolation raises levels of a hormone which helps to trigger tumor growth.
"This study offers insight into how the social world gets under the skin," said author Gretchen Hermes from Yale University.

Co-author Martha McClintock from the University of Chicago added: "We need to use these findings to identify potential targets for intervention to reduce cancer and its psychological and social risk factors".

"In order to do that, we need to look at the problem from a variety of perspectives, including examining the sources of stress in neighborhoods as well as the biological aspects of cancer development," they said.

Reducing feelings of loneliness could potentially cut the numbers affected, the team behind the study believes, Telegraph said.

Their findings show that levels of a stress hormone called corticosterone increases in isolation and this hormone affects how cells grow, creating tumors.

SNORING NOT BAD FOR HEALTH……..STUDY

It might be frustrating for the partner, but it seems snoring is actually good for health. That's the controversial suggestion emerged from a recent study on sleep apnoea.
For years, the condition, which causes interruptions in breathing during sleep, has been linked to high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks. But the Israeli study of 600 people over the age of 65 has claimed that the risk of early death in people with moderate sleep apnoea was less than half that of people with no history of snoring, the Daily Mail reported. The study also found that the risk of early death for those with a severe form of the condition was the same as a healthy control group, when it was expected to be higher.

"One theory is that the constant breaks in oxygen and blood supply to organs, caused by the pauses in the breathing, somehow strengthen the heart and brain; this means that if a heart attack or a stroke occurs, the body is better able to deal with it," said the report.

However, Professor Jim Horne, head of the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University, said: "It is better to get heavy snoring treated rather than assume it will prolong life."

Sleep apnoea can result in the airways in the throat collapsing, cutting off the air supply for about 10 seconds a time. The distinctive rumbling sound of snoring is produced when the muscles in the nose, mouth and throat relax during sleep.

There are a variety of factors that exacerbate snoring, including sleeping position, being overweight, having a blocked nose, or physical features such as a large soft palate or long uvula (the bit of tissue that hangs down at the back of your mouth).

2009-11-28T19:58:00.000-08:00

GLOBAL WARMING AND ITS EFFECTS ON INDIA

If the Earth's global s surface temperature goes up by a mere two degrees, Chennai and Mumbai could be submerged undersea THE GLOBAL WARMING ISSUE HEATS UP AGAIN.

TAKE A CLOSE look at the map of India and its coastline as it stands today. In the not-so-distant-future, only a fraction of the land space constituting Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata might remain.
These cities are among the international danger zones that face the threat of submersion if global temperature rises at the present rate. Studies say that even an increase in the warmth of the planet by two degrees could spell catastrophe.
Climate change resulting from global warming has become the biggest ecological and social challenge faced by the Indian subcontinent. The Geneva-based Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its recent report predicted that if the Earth's global surface temperature goes up by a mere two degrees, Chennai and Mumbai could be submerged under sea and up to seven million residents might have to shift to other cities, which means a citizen could become a refugee in his own country.

In recent times, the country has seen unprecedented and extreme weather conditions.

Landslides (in Assam) and flooding (the recent Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka deluges) have been attributed to global warming.

In contrast, in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka the very same m o n s o o n wrecked havoc with devastating human and economic repercussions. Scientists estimate that the Himalayan glaciers are melting the fastest in the world and it is most dangerous given that more than a billion people are dependent on glacier-fed rivers in the Himalayan-Hindu Kush-Tibetan region. The South Asia zone is projected to be the most vulnerable in the world to agricultural failure as a result of warmer temperatures, reduced rainfall and lower soil fertility.

She goes on to add, "The Indian land mass has already warmed by 0.5 degrees over the 20th century -- and this is only an average; we have seen spikes in temperature rise across the country. A rise in one degree Celsius results in approx 10 per cent loss in our agricultural security. Almost 60 per cent of our children suffer from malnutrition -- this additional agricultural burden signals severe health and social stability consequences for India. At a regional level, in some places, such as central Andhra Pradesh, we are seeing a 10 degrees Celsius rises -- reaching almost 45 degrees Celsius in the driest parts."

Experts believe that temperature rise in already dry areas will lead to evaporation of water and groundwater will go down further. Rivers could go dry and there would be widespread hardship for people and wildlife as well.

But all hope is not lost. Environmentalists say going back to the basics holds the key for reversing the damage done. There are several ways in which organic farming helps reduce carbon footprint and even contributes to the reversal of climate change. For instance, composting allows the release of carbon dioxide back into the soil rather than into the atmosphere.
Similarly, organic farming does not depend on fertilizers and pesticides. It also cuts down pollution occurring due to `food miles', which the distance is taken for your food to reach your plate from the garden where it is grown. As all our organic products are sold in local markets, the food miles are significantly lower when compared to inorganic products.

NOW, SOLVE PUZZLES TO CUT FLAB

Solving puzzles is not only a good exercise for your brain, it also helps burn 90 calories within an hour, a research claims. "Our brains require 0.1 calories every minute simply to survive. When we do something challenging such as a puzzle or a quiz we can burn through 1.5 calories every minute," said lead researcher Tim Forrester from cannyminds.com.
"Doing puzzles burns an average of 90 calories every hour," Forrester was quoted by Daily Mail.

He said that the brain is made up of nerve cells called neurons which produce neurotransmitters -the chemicals used to relay signals to transmit messages to the body. Neurons extract three-quarters of sugar, calories and a fifth of oxygen from the blood to create neurotransmitters, he said.

COUGHING CURE IN THE OFFING

A cure for coughing is in the offing, thanks to scientists who have identified the process that leads to the reflex.
Coughing has largely remained a mystery to science. Now, a UK team has found that the problem actually lies with receptors on nerve endings in the lungs which react to irritants. For victims of persistent coughing in which no useful purpose is being served, the receptors on these nerve endings are repeatedly prompting the cough reflex.

If those receptors are blocked, coughing could be stopped, according to scientists from Britain's National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London and Hull University.

Lead scientist Prof Maria Belvisi of the National Heart and Lung Institute and Imperial College said: "For some people, chronic coughing can be annoying and uncomfortable, but for others it can be distressing and can have a severe impact on their quality of life.

2009-11-25T20:01:00.000-08:00

CENTURIES OLD SUPERSTITION IS TRUE…….EPILEPTIC SEIZURES LESSEN DURING BRIGHTER NIGHT

The hormone melatonin, secreted only at night and in the dark, may be implicated in triggering seizures.

There may be something in the centuries-old superstitions about the influence of the moon on epilepsy and seizures, says a new study.
Scientists at University College London have discovered that the number of epileptic seizures -- which are related to electrical activity in the brain -- goes down when the moon is at its brightest.
For their study, the scientists examined the record of seizures in a dedicated epilepsy unit, in which every seizure in each 24hour period is logged for patients.
They compared the timing of each seizure with the brightness of the moon.
Their results showed that during the brighter phases of the moon's cycle there were fewer epileptic seizures in the corresponding 24-hour period, the Daily Mail reported.

"These findings suggest that epileptic seizures are at less likely to occur on brighter nights," lead scien tist Dr Sallie Baxendale of Institute of Neurology at University College London, was quoted as saying.
Experts believe the effect of the hormone melatonin, which is secreted only at night and in the dark, may be implicated in triggering be implicated seizures.

CHOCOLATE THAT HELPS IN SLIMMING

Good news for chocoholics trying hard to resist their favorite sweet treat: a chocolate that helps people slim has been invented. Called Lola, the chocolate has chemicals that suppress hunger, while tasting as rich and satisfying as regular chocolates.
It has a slight green tinge because of its unusual ingredients, which promote weight loss. The chocolate, made by Spanish manufacturer Cocoa Bio, contains the dietary supplement spirulina, a microscopic algae with high level of nutrients like vitamin A and B12, which have weight loss benefits.

WEB ADDRESSES LIKELY TO RUN OUT NEXT YEAR

The world could well run out of Internet addresses next year, unless urgent action is taken to switch to a new generation of net addresses, the European Commission has warned.

According to the commission, businesses urgently need to upgrade to Internet protocol version six or IPv6, a new version of the Internet's addressing protocol, which will hugely increase the number of available addresses.

The IPv6 system has been ready for over a decade and is providing 340 trillion, trillion, trillion web addresses. But, not many companies are actually ready to migrate to the new platform.

In fact, a survey, conducted by the Commission, found that few companies are prepared for the switch from the current naming protocol, IPv4, to the new regime, IPv6, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported. The IPv4 and IPv6 protocols refer to the way in which web addresses are created and assigned. Each website has a unique IP address, represented by a string of numbers, such as 192.168.1.1, which are then given a user-friendly web address to make them easier to remember.

The IPv4 protocol uses 32-bit addresses, which enables the web to support around 4.3 billion unique addresses while IPv6 uses 128-bit web addresses, creating billions of possible new web addresses.

The EC survey found that of the 610 government, educational and other industry organizations questioned across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, just 17 per cent have upgraded to IPv6.

The Commission has warned that the timely deployment of the protocol is vital to the growth and stability of the Internet. Detlef Eckert, Director in Commission's information society and media directorate-general, said: "In the last 10 years, the Internet has become hugely important worldwide from a socio-economic perspective.”Only by ensuring that all devices connected to the internet are compatible with IPv6 can we stay connected and safeguard sustainable growth of the Internet and the global digital economy, now and in the years to come."

2009-11-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

EIGHT CUPS OF TEA A DAY CAN BOOST LONGEVITY

Drinking eight cups of tea daily might sound a bit too much for some people, but health experts say the intake can help fight heart disease, improve brain power and also boost longevity.

Independent dietician Dr Carrie Ruxton''s research on caffeine at King''s College, London, saw her review 47 published studies to reach the conclusion that caffeinated drinks such as tea, coffee and cocoa have positive effects on mental function, increasing alertness, feelings of well-being and short-term memory.

Previous studies have already linked the drink's healthy antioxidant properties and high flavonoid content to preventing heart disease and cutting the risk of some cancers.

Dr Ruxton has supported earlier reports by claiming that an optimal intake of 400mg of caffeine a day leads to "key benefits in terms of mental function and heart health."

She assessed three studies, accounting for almost 90,000 patients, to find that drinking four cups of tea or coffee a day reduced chances of cardiovascular disease.

She referred to another study of 26,500 middle-aged smokers, which hinted that men who ingested more than two cups of tea a day pulled down the probability of getting a stroke by 20 per cent.

Dr Ruxton insisted that she aimed to "debunk" false beliefs surrounding caffeine.

Moreover, she asserted that people who avoid drinking tea might be doing more harm than good.

"People who cut out caffeinated drinks may miss out on the potential health benefits of the compounds they contain," the 'Daily Express' quoted her as saying.

She further suggested that there was "no need" for parents to stop children from drinking tea and coffee. In fact, she claimed it was better than juice in some regards.

Also, Dr Catherine Hood, of the Tea Advisory Panel, agreed to Dr Ruxton's claims.

She said: "Caffeinated drinks have been unfairly demonized. Black tea, in particular, contains polyphenols, which are natural plant antioxidants. These have beneficial effects on many biochemical processes in the body because they protect cells against harmful free radicals."

"Flavonoids are thought to be especially useful, with a number of studies reporting a link between them and lower risk of heart attack," she further added.

UNTREATED RAINWATER IS HEALTHY

Drinking untreated rainwater is safe for your health, according to an Australian study.
Researchers from Melbourne's Monash University looked at 300 homes that used rainwater collected in water tanks as their primary drinking source in what they described as a "world first" study that comes amid growing criticism of bottled water.

All of the homes were given a bench top filter and told it would remove any potential gastroenteritis causing organisms from their water, but half of the devices did not contain filters.

Families recorded their health over a year and the researchers found that the rate of gastro cases recorded by these two groups were very similar and also matched the broader community who drank treated tap water.

US SURGEON SPEAKS OUT – ALLAYS FEARS OVER SWINE FLU

An eminent US neurosurgeon has lambasted World Health Organization for scaring people by terming swine flu a "pandemic". "A group of scientists and vaccine manufacturers were doing all they could to fuel the fear and they were quietly making deals with WHO to be among the companies selected to manufacture the pandemic vaccine for the world.
Being anointed by WHO would guarantee tens of billions of dollars of profit," said Dr Russelle Blaylock, neurosurgeon, researcher and educationist.
According to Dr Blaylock, swine flu was not as dangerous as common flu. Quoting from studies conducted by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the respected New England Journal of Medicine, Dr Blaylock has pointed out that H1N1 virus is neither dangerous nor contagious.
"The H1N1 virus is no more pathogenic than the ordinary seasonal flu. It is no way matched the pathogenicity of the 1917-1918 H1N1 viruses. It also did not infect other tissues or brain," writes Dr Blaylock in an e-mail message to his peers and colleagues.

He said an unpublished study by the US Department of Health's CDC has found that swine flu has very low communicability. "A study in New York State proves that only 6.9 per cent of the population had contracted the virus from others." This is far below the 50 per cent predicted by the President's Council of Advisors on science and Technology. In fact, the death rate due to H1N1 was much below the usual seasonal flu death rate, especially in New Zealand.

Dr Blaylock has blamed the media, doctors and Parma companies for blowing out of proportion the deaths attributed to swine flu. "Surveys and studies have proved that all deaths attributed to swine flu were caused by underlying health problems before the infection. He said it was those who were affected with obesity and asthma who lost their lives.

"The US studies have proved that vaccinating pregnant women resulted in babies with more health problems," said Dr Blaylock.
The rRT-PCR test for diagnosing swine flu was devised by the pharma company that holds the rights for selling the much publicized drug Tamiflu and Relenza all over the world. Neither the test nor the drugs have had the mandatory human studies before being let loose on the gullible public!

2009-11-18T18:50:00.000-08:00

HARRY POTTER’S INVISIBILITY CLOAK MAY SOON BE A REALITY

The dream of every Harry Potter fan of owning an "invisibility cloak" seems to be soon coming true, with British scientists developing such a garment which will render the wearer invisible to the human eye.

A team at Imperial College hopes to create a cloak from a new material that can manipulate light. Normally, when light hits an object, it bounces off the surface and into the eye, making the object visible.

According to the scientists, the invisibility cloak made from "meta-material" would work by "grabbing hold" of light waves and making them flow smoothly around an object; in the same way that water in a river flows round a stick.

Putting the cloak on will allow the wearer to move around unseen, the Daily Mail reported. In fact, the scientists say the meta-material could have a range of other applications, including creating super-sensitive microscopes and airport security sensors that can spot tiny amounts of chemicals.

However, they admit the Harry Potter cloak is likely to generate the most interest. Sir John Pendry, who is leading the project, which is being funded by the Leverhulme Trust and will be carried out with the University of Southampton, said: "We've shown that an optical invisibility cloak is theoretically possible - the big challenge now is to build it."

SCIENTISTS DEVISE DIFFICULT SECURITY QUESTIONS TO STRENGTHEN ONLINE SECURITY

Rutgers computer scientists are testing a new tactic that could strengthen online security by making it harder to crack security questions.

“We call them activity-based personal questions,” said Danfeng Yao, assistant professor of computer science in the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences.

“Sites could ask you, ‘When was the last time you sent an e-mail?’ Or, ‘What did you do yesterday at noon?’” she added.

Yao and her students have been testing how resistant these activity questions are to “attack,” – computer security lingo for when an intruder answers them correctly and gains accesses to personal information such as e-mails or to do online shopping or banking.

Early studies suggest that questions about recent activities are easy for legitimate users to answer, but harder for potential intruders to find or guess, according to Yao.

“We want the question to be dynamic,” she said. “The questions you get today will be different from the ones you would get tomorrow,” she added.

Yao said she gave four students in her lab a list of questions related to network activities, physical activities and opinion questions, and then told them to “attack” each other.

“We found that questions related to time are more robust than others. Many guessed the answer to the question, ‘Who was the last person you sent e-mail to?’ But fewer were able to guess, ‘What time did you send your last e-mail?’” she said.

Yao explained that it should not be difficult for an online service provider to formulate these kinds of security questions by looking at its users’ e-mail, calendar activities or previous transactions.

Computers would have to use natural language processing tools to synthesize understandable questions and analyze the answers for accuracy.

Yao is proposing further studies to determine the practicality of the new approach and the best way to implement it.

KIDS WITH “TOUGH LOVE” UPBRINGING “DOES WELL IN LIFE”

Children who are raised with "tough love" by their parents are likely to do well in life, a new report has found.

The report, by think tank Demos, suggested that experiencing a combination of warmth and discipline means youngsters are more likely to develop skills such as application, self-regulation and empathy than those with laissez-faire, authoritarian or disengaged parents.

These characteristics boost children’s life chances, social mobility and opportunity and were profoundly shaped in pre-school years, according to the report.

The Building Character report, which analyzed data from more than 9,000 households in the UK from the Millennium Cohort Study, showed that kids with "tough love" parents were twice as likely to develop good character capabilities by the age of five as children with "disengaged" parents.

The report also looked at factors such as family structure and income, reports the Daily Star.

It found that kids from the richest backgrounds were more than twice as likely to develop crucial characteristics as the poorest.

Children with married parents were twice as likely to show the traits as children from lone parent or step-parented families, the study found.

The researchers of the study said that when parental style and confidence were factored in, the difference in child character development between richer and poorer families disappeared; indicating parenting was the most important influence.

2009-11-02T09:23:00.000-08:00

‘CELL PHONE WASTE, THE NEXT BIG THREAT TO ENVIRONMENT’'

Sporting a new mobile phone may be fashionable in these well-connected times, but the discarded old handsets could poison the environment, as a whopping 8,000 tonnes of cell phone waste is estimated to burden the earth by 2012.

As per a whitepaper by global consultancy Deloitte, there is a growing need to better manage the rising cell phone waste, as it is posing a threat to the environment.

Replacement sales predict that more cell phones would be retired every year with rapid changes in technology and product designs discouraging mobile repairs and increasing demand for new mobiles and disposal of old ones.

"With the absence of a proper recycle and reuse program, about 8,000 tonnes of toxic cell phone components are estimated to be dumped in landfills by 2012. The resulting contamination will have far reaching consequences for the environment and all living beings," said Parag Saigaonkar, Deloitte consulting India regional managing director.

The problem begins when retired handsets end up in landfill sites or if they are dumped illegally, leading to toxic substances seeping into the groundwater, making disposal of old cells a problem for the world, the report revealed.

"As India is one of the fastest growing markets in the world in terms of mobile phone subscribers, India need to be more aware of the threat, which these gadgets pose to the environment and strict government guidelines should be created to deal with it," Mr Saigaonkar added.

The Deloitte report stated that mobile phone waste globally is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of about nine per cent between 2008 and 2012, with more than 80 per cent of the cell phone waste being hazardous.

The main contributors to cell phone waste are those who upgrade and replace their handsets regularly.

About 65 per cent of subscribers in Asia, Europe and the Americas replace their cell phones at least once in two years. This means every 2 years, about 100 million cell phones reach landfills if they are not recycled or reused, it added.

Elaborating on the ways to minimize the growing cell phone waste, the report stated that recycling and refurbishing of used cell phones is necessary.

Refurbishing extends the lifetime of used phones and recycling reduces the need for the raw materials used to make new products. The inclusion of recycling or refurbishing would change the traditional view of the cell phone life cycle.

"In this new life cycle model, every stakeholder will have to play a role in reducing the environmental footprint of cell phones," it added.

WEIGHT-LOSS NOODLES TO HIT SHELVES IN 2010

Here's some good news for figure conscious people, weight-loss noodles will soon hit the shelves.

Researchers from the University Sains Malaysia (USM) have innovated a dry yellow noodle that allows consumers to sustain a feeling of fullness for longer and lose weight.

"The noodle was the first such product in Malaysia to be tested clinically for its Glycaemic Index prior to commercialization," Chief researcher Assoc Prof Azhar Mat Easa said.

This noodles release sugar slower than regular ones and is more suitable for those who are sensitive to the sugar content in food and those with a weight problem.

"The product was specially formulated and prepared to encourage the formation of cross-linked proteins that can trap starch, and is fortified with additional starch that blocks digestion," he said.

He said the product's ability to block digestion allowed the noodles to remain in the digestive system and keep dieters feeling full for longer.

"If the noodles are consumed in the morning, a person will feel full until night, and consumers can now enjoy yellow noodles without worrying about excessive increase in their sugar blood levels."

The product is expected to hit the markets in February, he said, adding the taste is similar to that of regular noodles and can be cooked in any way.

CLIMATE CHANGE ‘A BIGGEST THREAT TO CHILDREN’ NEXT YEAR

A quarter of a million kids might lose their lives next year due to adverse effects of climate change, warns a charity.

Save the Children insists that figure could rise to more than 400,000 by 2030.

Its report 'Feeling the Heat' claims that climate change is the biggest global health threat to children in the 21st century.

Experts believe that almost 175 million children per year are likely to suffer the consequences of natural disasters like cyclones, droughts and floods by 2030.

They further say that more than 900 million children in the next generation will be affected by water shortages and 160 million more children will be at risk of catching malaria - one of the biggest killers of children under five - as it spreads to new parts of the world.

Ultravox star Midge Ure, a Save the Children ambassador, recently returned to Ethiopia 25 years after the 1984 famine, and created Band Aid with Bob Geldof.

"Climate change is no longer a distant, futuristic scenario, but an immediate threat," the Daily Express quoted him as saying.

"We've all heard about the East African food crisis but I've been in Ethiopia seeing firsthand the impact it's having on children's lives.

"I've seen how vulnerable children are to the effects of climate change," he added.

SLEEP COMES BETTER AFTER RETIREMENT

People are likely to sleep better after they retire, a new study has found.

The findings suggest that this general improvement in sleep is likely to result from the removal of work-related demands and stress rather than from actual health benefits of retirement.

Results show that the odds of having disturbed sleep in the seven years after retirement were 26 per cent lower than in the seven years before retiring.

Sleep disturbance prevalence rates among 14,714 participants fell from 24.2 per cent in the last year before retirement to 17.8 per cent in the first year after retiring.

The greatest reduction in sleep disturbances was reported by participants with depression or mental fatigue prior to retirement.

The post-retirement improvement in sleep also was more pronounced in men, management-level workers, employees who reported high psychological job demands, and people who occasionally or consistently worked night shifts, the website Eurekalert reported.

Lead author Jussi Vahtera, professor in the department of public health at the University of Turku in Finland, noted that the participants enjoyed employment benefits rarely seen, including guaranteed job stability, a statutory retirement age between 55 and 60 years, and a company-paid pension that was 80 per cent of their salary.

"We believe these findings are largely applicable in situations where financial incentives not to retire are relatively weak," said Vahtera.

"In countries and positions where there is no proper pension level to guarantee financial security beyond working age, however, retirement may be followed by severe stress disturbing sleep even more than before retirement."

The study involved employees from the French national gas and Electricity Company, who retired between 1990 and 2006 at a mean age of 55 years.

The study includes data from 11,581 male and 3,133 female workers who reported sleep disturbances at least once before and once after the year of retirement. Around 35 percent of participants had worked night shifts, and 17 per cent reported having depression.

Participants completed questionnaires concerning health, lifestyle, individual, familial, social and occupational factors.

The authors conclude that in the present time when people are expected to live many years beyond the traditional age of retirement, consideration should be given to the restructuring of working life to enable older workers to remain economically active without compromising their future health.

The results were published in the November issue of the journal 'Sleep.'

2009-10-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

HINDI,KOREAN & HEBREW SCRIPTS GET WEB DOMAIN NOD
The non-profit body that oversees Internet addresses has approved the use of Hebrew, Hindi, Korean and other scripts not based on the Latin alphabet in a decision that could make the Web dramatically more inclusive.

The board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers or ICANN voted on Friday to allow such scripts in so-called domain names at a meeting in South Korea's capital.

The decision was widely expected and follows years of debate and testing. It clears the way for governments or their designees to submit requests for specific names, likely beginning November.

Internet users could start seeing them in use early next year, particularly in Arabic, Chinese and other scripts in which demand has been among the highest, ICANN officials say.

MYSTERY “DREAM” MAN BECOMES INTERNET HIT!

A website asking people to give information on a mysterious man that thousands of people across the globe claim to have seen in dreams has become an instant hit.

The site, thisman.org, says that a woman first drew the face of the mystery man during a session with her psychiatrist three years ago, after he repeatedly appeared in her dreams, reports the Sun.

The site also claims that the woman confessed to have never seen or met the man.

When another patient saw the sketch on the psychiatrist's desk, he also claimed to have dreamt of the man.

When the doctor sent the picture to his colleagues, some of their patients too recognized the man.

And now the picture that was posted on the Internet just two weeks ago has become a phenomenon - the traffic on thisman.org has suddenly skyrocketed.

Although, thousands of people around the world claimed to have seen the face in their dreams, critics have dubbed it as a complete hoax.

YOGA DOGS
The year 2010 will see your beloved pooches teaching you yoga, thanks to a new Yoga Dogs Calendar. Texan couple Dan and Alejandra Borris has come up with the 2010 calendar, which features dogs in various yoga positions.

2009-10-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

INTERNET TO GET NON-ENGLISH ADDRESSES SOON

The Internet is set to undergo one of the biggest changes in its four-decade history with the expected approval this week of international domain names — or addresses — that can be written in languages other than English, an official said on Monday.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) — the non-profit group that oversees domain names — is holding a meeting this week in Seoul. Domain names are the monikers behind every website, e-mail address and Twitter post, such as ".com" and other suffixes.

One of the key issues to be taken up by ICANN's board at this week's gathering is whether to allow for the first time entire internet addresses to be in scripts that are not based on Latin letters.

That could potentially open up the web to more people around the world as addresses could be in characters as diverse as Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Greek, Hindi and Cyrillic — in which Russian is written.

"This is the biggest change technically to the internet since it was invented 40 years ago," Mr Peter Dengate Thrush, chairman of the ICANN board, told reporters, calling it a "fantastically complicated technical feature."

He said he expects the board to grant approval on Friday, the conference's final day.

The internet's roots are traced to experiments at a US university in 1969 but it wasn't until the early 1990s that its use began expanding beyond academia and research institutions to the public.

A KIWI FRUIT A DAY CAN KEEP DOCTOR AT BAY

Kiwi fruit has been labeled as the best source of vitamin C, which can have wonderful health benefits, according to an expert.

Professor Robin Fraser, of Otago University’s Christchurch School of Medicine, has said that the furry fruit could be the key to living longer as it appears to be the perfect food for preventing all sorts of liver problems, as well as keeping white blood cells health.

Fraser, who has seen many unhealthy livers in his time as a pathologist, is a convert to the benefits of the fruit.

"It just seems as though it works. I’m so convinced that I eat kiwifruit every morning for my breakfast," Stuff.co.nz quoted him as saying.

Fraser compared the liver to a sieve that when working properly effectively filtered the carrier of cholesterol.

But, he said, those holes could be closed because of excess drinking, an overly fatty diet, smoking, illicit drug use and stress, which could lead to atherosclerosis a major killer through heart failure, strokes, gangrenous feet and aortic aneurism.

But he pointed out that a daily dose of kiwifruit, along with a healthier lifestyle, appeared to be able to reopen those holes in the liver which, in his opinion was an exciting development.

He said kiwifruit was the most efficient way of getting the recommended dose of vitamin C, the active ingredient that appeared to fix the liver.

Dr Margreet Vissers, the dean of research at Otago University in Christchurch, said that vitamin C was also needed by white blood cells to kill bacteria and ensured they did not kill off everything else in the process.

Fraser presented his findings at the annual scientific meeting of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia in Christchurch.

EAT BROCCOLI, GREENS, NUTS TO FIGHT HEART DISEASE

Cheeseburgers and fries might look tempting, but eating some broccoli or leafy greens first could help people battle obesity and heart disease, says a new study.
Eating more plant-based foods, which are rich in substances called phytochemicals, seems to prevent oxidative stress in the body, a process associated with obesity and the onset of heart disease, according to the study.
To get enough of these protective chemicals, researchers suggest eating plant-based foods such as leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, nuts and legumes at the start of a meal. Oxidative stress occurs when the body produces too many damaging free radicals and lacks enough anti-oxidants or phytochemicals to counteract them.
Because of excess fat tissue and certain enzymes that are more active in overweight people, being obese can actually trigger the production of more free radicals, too. Using a phytochemical index, which compares calories consumed from plant-based foods with the overall number of daily calories, could remind people to get enough phyto-chemicals during meals and snacks, said Heather K. Vincent, University of Florida (UF), who led the study.
"We need to find a way to encourage people to pull back on fat and eat more foods rich in micronutrients and trace minerals from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and soy," said Vincent.
"Fill your plate with colourful, low-calorie, varied-texture foods derived from plants first. By slowly eating phytochemical-rich foods such as salads with olive oil or fresh-cut fruits before the actual meal, you are likely to reduce the overall portion size, fat content and energy intake."
"In this way, you're ensuring that you get the variety of protective, disease-fighting phytochemicals you need and controlling caloric intake," added Vincent. These findings were published online in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURES NOT INCREASED FOR LAST 11 YEARS: RESEARCH

Amid stepped up efforts to curb global warming, a recent research has revealed that average temperatures have not increased for over a decade.

Average temperatures have not increased for over a decade and the warmest year recorded globally was not in 2008 or 2007, but in 1998, according to a research published by the Royal Society.

For the last 11 years we have not observed any increase in global temperatures and our climate models did not forecast it, even though man-made carbon dioxide, the gas thought to be responsible for warming our planet, has continued to rise, it said.

Climate change skeptics argue that there are natural cycles, over which we have no control, that dictate how warm the planet is. But what is the evidence for this?

During the last few decades of the 20th Century, our planet did warm quickly but a the research has ruled out solar influences on increase in temperature, a BBC report said.

"Warming in the last 20 to 40 years can't have been caused by solar activity," said Dr Piers Forster from Leeds University, a leading contributor to this year's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The scientists' main approach was simple: to look at solar output and cosmic ray intensity over the last 30-40 years, and compare those trends with the graph for global average surface temperature.

2009-10-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

TODAY, OCTOBER 24…..INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CLIMATE ACTION

Citizens in our city wage war on CO2
In our city The Students' Sea Turtle Conservation Network will make a giant sand sculpture of a sea turtle at Beach from 3.30pm. Students from Anna University will conduct rock concerts, street plays and dance shows at Beach. The Chennai Mallakhamb Association will create a Mallakhamb pyramid at Enchanting Elves, at 11.30 am International Day of Climate Action, which is observed on October 24, will witness people from all over the city doing their bit for the planet in out-of-the box, innovative and amusing ways

With environmental awareness becoming a buzzword today, young Chennaiites are ensuring that they aren't left behind in doing their bit for the city and the planet. On the occasion of International Day of Climate Action, which is being observed on October 24, the citizens are not limiting themselves to the usual rallies and lectures but opting for interactive events like a Mallakhamb pyramid, a rock show, street plays and more.
Joining the international 350.org initiative, their aim is to help reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere -- from the alarming 390 ppm (parts per million) as of now to the acceptable 350 ppm i. e.the safe limit.
A human chain will also be formed in the shape of 350 around the sculpture.

GLOBAL SUNSHADE TO COOL THE EARTH

MODIFIED CLOUDS TO CAST SUNLIGHT BACK INTO SPACE

Amid growing concern over global warming, scientists have come up with a unique scheme to cool the earth with the help of a geoengineering method that would increase cloud reflectivity over the ocean.
Under the scheme, the scientists would increase cloud reflectivity over the ocean by spraying them with an ultra-fine saltwater mist from ships, a report published in journal Scientific American said.
"The clouds, containing more particles, would cast enough sunlight back into space to at least partially offset the warming effects of all that CO2 from burning fossil fuels," the researchers said.
They added, "After all, clouds already reflect more of the sun's radiation back into space than the amount trapped by human emissions of carbon dioxide. So why not make them even more effective".
Stephen Salter, an emeritus professor of engineering design at the University of Edinburgh, who is leading the research, said "marine cloud brightening could be done by populating the world's oceans with up to 1,500 ships of a somewhat exotic design--sometimes known as albedo yachts".
"Furthermore, each vessel would be remote-controlled, wind-powered, and capable of generating (via turbines dragged through the water) the electricity required to create a mist of seawater and loft it 1,000 metres high into the atmosphere," he added.
Geoengineering schemes fall into two categories, corresponding to the two knobs you might imagine twiddling to adjust the earth's temperature.
One knob controls how much sunlight--or solar energy, to be more precise--reaches the planet's surface; the other controls how much heat escapes back into space, which depends on how much CO2 is in the atmosphere.

Schemes for removing CO2 from the atmosphere, say,by fertilizing the oceans with iron, would strike closer to the root of the problem.
But they would inevitably take decades to have much of an effect.

ROMANIAN MUSCLE BOY, 5, WOOS GUINNESS JUDGES WITH HAND STUNT!

At five years of age, Romanian bodybuilding lad Giuliano Stroe has landed himself in record books after leaving Guinness judges stunned with his incredible stunts.
The muscle boy lives with his family in Italy where he has been training since the age of two. Earlier this year he managed to get into the Guinness Book of Records after performing a jaw-dropping handstand stunt on an Italian TV show.
In fact, the strong lad preformed the fastest ever 10m-handwalk with a weight ball between his legs in front of an astonished audience. And Giuliano has now become an Internet hit after millions of Internet users watched a clip of him performing the stunt on YouTube.
"He has been going to the gym with me ever since he was born. I always took him with me when I went training," The Sun quoted Giuliano''s dad Iulian Stroe, 33, as saying. But he added there is no danger of the youngster harming himself, saying: "I have been training hard all my life myself. He is never allowed to practice on his own, he is only a child and if he gets tired we go and play."
Giuliano, the oldest of four children, says his stardom has not gone to his head and he still enjoys normal kids stuff like painting, watching cartoons and playing in the park when he is not weightlifting. However, he likes getting filmed and when people applaud it makes him happy.

2009-10-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

FOUR-YEAR-OLD MILES BROWN APPEARED ON ‘ELLEN’ TO SHOW OFF HIS HIP-HOP DANCING SKILLS

Clad in two white gloves and a black hat, the young boy talked to host Ellen DeGeneres before he danced for the audience.
The boy was unresponsive when Ellen told him "it's nice to meet you," but went on to explain the kind of dancing he does. Watch

CUP OF COFFEE A DAY KEEPS LIVER TROUBLE AWAY

Researchers in the United States have found another good reason to go to the local espresso bar: several cups of coffee a day could halt the progression of liver disease, a study showed.
Sufferers of chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease who drank three or more cups of coffee per day slashed their risk of the disease progressing by 53 percent compared to patients who drank no coffee, the study led by Neal Freedman of the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) showed.
"We observed an inverse association between coffee intake and liver disease progression," meaning patients who drank three or more cups of java were less likely to see their liver disease worsen than nondrinkers, wrote the authors of the study, which will be published in the November issue of Hepatology.

WINDOWS 7 LAUNCHED
Microsoft Corp launched Windows 7 on Thursday in its most important release for more than a decade, aiming to win back customers after the disappointing Vista and strengthen its grip on the PC market.
The world's largest software company, which powers more than 90 per cent of personal computers, has received good reviews for the new operating system, which it hopes will grab back the impetus in new technology from rivals Apple Inc and Google Inc.

ONCE–A-DAY SHOT HELPS BEAT OBESITY

Scientists have created a revolutionary once-a-day jab that can fight obesity.
Liraglutide not only controls the symptoms of diabetes but also leads to significant weight loss. Earlier this year, the super drug was given the go-ahead by European regulators. And now, latest tests have shown it to be significantly more effective than fat pills.
In study trials, the jab has shown promise in helping people lose weight by increasing the “full” feeling after eating and by slowing the speed, at which their stomach empties, reports The Daily Express.
What’s more, it lowers blood pressure, a major factor in the development of heart disease. In the study by Professor Arne Astrup, of the University of Copenhagen, published in The Lancet, high doses of liraglutide were found to lead to greater weight loss than the prescription-only drug or listat.

The authors said: “The results indicate the potential benefit of liraglutide, in conjunction with an energy-deficit diet, in the treatment of obesity.”

Obesity expert Professor Steve Bloom, of Imperial College London, said: “At last science is providing treatments that work in obesity. As we all are dying earlier from our excessive fat, this is a breakthrough.”

2009-10-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

NORA THE PIANO-PLAYING CAT…THE ASPCA’S 2009 CAT OF THE YEAR
The ASPCA will be handing out 10 Humane Awards on October 29, reports USA Today. Among the recipients are law-enforcement agents involved in the largest dog-fighting raid ever; a couple whose ranch is now a sanctuary to about 70 animals; and, of course, Nora the Piano-Playing Cat, the ASPCA's 2009 Cat of the Year.

Wait, what? The mewing musician isn't being rewarded for her mad musical skills (although she's better at tickling the ivories than some of us here at Paw Nation), but for the way she's raised the profile of shelter pets. You see, shelter pets aren't just sad, furry faces waiting to be rescued. They're animals with lovable personalities and talents, and Nora is proof. You just never know who's going to steal your heart (and maybe the spotlight) at your local shelter or rescue!

Check out the ASPCA Website for a full list of 2009 Humane Award winners.

HIGH PROTEIN DIETS ‘COULD SHRINK BRAIN

Here's yet another reason why you should go for a low-calorie diet -- high-protein meals can shrink your brain and cause Alzheimer's, says a new study.
An international team has carried out the study and found that a high protein diet can led to a smaller brain and may trigger the onset of dementia, the latest edition of the 'Molecular Neurodegeneration' journal reported. Researchers have based their findings on an analysis of mice which were specially bred to develop Alzheimer's. They were fed a regular diet, a high fat-low carb diet, a high protein-low carb version or a high carb-low fat option.
The researchers then looked at the brain and body weight of the mice, as well as plaque buildup associated with Alzheimer's. They were surprised by the smaller brains of those given the high protein-low carb diet. Mice on a high fat diet had raised levels of plaque proteins, but this had no effect on them, the findings showed.

TAJ MAHAL IN NEW ZEALAND?

A group of Indians has drawn up a $20 million plan to build a replica of the Taj Mahal in New Zealand. The miniature version of the monument to love is planned to be built at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre in the Auckland suburb of Eden Tce.

2009-10-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

HAVING 3 MEALS A DAY PROTECT US FROM FUNGI

Having three meals everyday keeps us warm and protects us from any kind of fungal attack, a new study suggests.

The research from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Yeshiva University has revealed that just because humans and other mammals eat a lot, they are protected from the majority of fungal pathogens.

The research, showed that the elevated body temperature of mammals - the familiar 98.6o F or 37o C in people - is too high for the vast majority of potential fungal invaders to survive.

"Fungal strains undergo a major loss of ability to grow as we move to mammalian temperatures," said Dr Arturo Casadevall, chair and professor of microbiology and immunology at Einstein.

"Our study makes the argument that our warm temperatures may have evolved to protect us against fungal diseases. And being warm-blooded and therefore largely resistant to fungal infections may help explain the dominance of mammals after the age of dinosaurs," he added.

Fungal infections in people are often the result of an impaired immune function.

The study has been published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

AN ICELESS ARCTIC SOON…..GLOBAL WARMING: ICE CAPS MAY MELT IN 20 YEARS

Global warming will leave the Arctic Ocean ice-free during the summer within 20 years, raising sea levels and harming wildlife such as seals and polar bears, a leading British polar scientist said on Thursday.
Peter Wadhams, professor of ocean physics at the University of Cambridge, said much of the melting will take place within a decade, although the winter ice will stay for hundreds of years.
The changes will mean the top of the Earth will appear blue rather than white when photographed from space and ships will have a new sea route north of Russia.
Scientists say evidence of melting Arctic ice is one of the clearest signs of global warming and it should send a warning to world leaders meeting in Copenhagen in December for UN talks on a new climate treaty.
"The data supports the new consensus view -based on seasonal variation of ice extent and thickness, changes in temperatures, winds and especially ice composition -- that the Arctic will be ice-free in summer within about 20 years," Wadhams said in a statement. "Much of the decrease will be happening within 10 years."
Wadhams, one of the world's leading experts on sea ice cover in the North Pole region, compared ice thickness measurements taken by a Royal Navy submarine in 2007 with evidence gathered by the British explorer Pen Hadow earlier this year.

Hadow and his team on the Catlin Arctic Survey drilled 1,500 holes to gather evidence during a 280-mile walk across the Arctic. They found the average thickness of ice-floes was 1.8 metres, a depth considered too thin to survive the summer's ice melt. Sometimes referred to as the Earth's air-conditioner, the Arctic Sea plays a vital role in the world's climate. As Arctic ice melts in summer, it exposes the darker-coloured ocean water, which absorbs sunlight instead of reflecting it, accelerating the effect of global warming.
Dr Martin Sommerkorn, from WWF's Arctic program said the predicted loss of ice could have widereaching effects around the world. The changes will mean the top of the Earth will appear blue rather than white when seen from space and ships will have a new sea route north off Russia.

AVATAR (THEATRICAL TRAILER)

Watch the exclusive trailer of the most awaited Hollywood film of the year ‘Avatar’. The film is directed by James Cameron and the cast includes Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver.

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-in&vid=75c536fe-6cde-4b04-acb5-06fcbe3903db

2009-10-15T16:31:00.001-07:00

REAL ‘PARANORMAL ACTIVITY’ REACTIONS: NEW MOVIE SERIOUSLY HAUNTING FANS.

SEE THE TRAILER WITH THE LINK GIVEN BELOW

http://video.aol.com/aolvideo/Moviefone/paranormal-activity-trailer-no-1/41361452001

Thanks to a wildly successful (and highly unorthodox) marketing campaign and near universal acclaim, horror flick 'Paranormal Activity' is probably the hottest ticket in your town. The low-budget film -- it cost a mere $11,000 for a seven-day shoot -- was first released only in college towns, then slowly rolled out to additional markets based on an online audience demand campaign. Last weekend 'Paranormal' took in an astounding $49,379 per screen, earning $7.9 million for the weekend (compare that with the massively marketed 'Couples Retreat,' which cost Universal $60 million to make and earned $34.3 mil on 3,000 screens, making a less impressive $11,429 per screen).

Based on the success so far, Paramount has decided to take 'Paranormal' nationwide this weekend. So, should you believe the hype? Well, it's been haunting me ever since I saw it a week ago -- I'm still sleeping with all the lights on (and forcing my poor husband to escort me into the basement to do laundry), so I'm going to have to answer that question with a big YES. This is the rare scary movie that actually gets under your skin, and stays there long after the theater lights come up. And it's quite simply the most effective haunted-house movie I've ever seen.

The film follows a young couple (Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat) who set up a video camera in their bedroom to capture events they believe to be otherworldly. What unfolds after that is chilling, thrilling and just downright creepy. You see just enough of the couple's mundane daily activities -- brushing teeth, reading, eating -- that you forget at times that it's scripted and, by the end of the movie, you're convinced this couple really is documenting a true-life haunting.

Unlike today's major horror franchises, the real element of fear here is inspired not by flesh-and-bone bad guys, monsters or threat of bodily harm -- it's the fear of the unknown, the unseen. It's the things that go bump late at night while you clutch your partner in bed or bolt upright from a dead sleep because you're convinced there's a shadowy figure standing at the foot of your bed. Some of the moments in the film that elicit the loudest screams in the theater are the quietest on screen.

But don't take my word for it. Sure, I may be just be a scaredy cat (well, yes, I am, actually). But critics and moviegoers share my enthusiasm for 'Paranormal Activity.' Owen Gleiberman at Entertainment Weekly called it "freaky and terrifying," while Betsy Sharkey of the L.A. Times wrote, "There will be a very tight coil of anxiety buried deep in your gut that is very hard to get rid of." And -- now this may be the real shocker here -- critics and fans seem to be in agreement on this flick. Read on to discover what some of the Moviefone readers who've seen the movie have to say.

"For those who haven't seen the film, I can assure you that you have no idea what's in store. I am not easily frightened, and I have never been scared by a movie to the point of not being able to sleep ... After watching 'Paranormal Activity' I did not fall asleep until 5am. In my opinion, it was THAT scary. I am still a bit shaken, and I left the theater practically in tears. It is worth going to see -- trust me, you will not be disappointed!" -- Ashley

"I am a film major and a true horror film enthusiast, and nothing has left me tossing and turning in bed like this film did. The film has you on the edge of your seat and biting your nails the whole time. People next to me had their eyes shut half the time, and I witnessed an audience viewer yell out, 'You're on your own! This s*** is crazy!' before he left the theater halfway through the film. Truly a fun experience if you love a thrill." -- Mary

"I'm a pretty tough and manly guy, but watching this movie was one of the scariest experiences of my life. I was glad that people were around me when the movie ended because I needed to feel safe! I was 'that guy' who screamed like a little girl and then started cussing at the movie to try and regain my manhood. Definitely a must-see movie!" -- Brett

"No joke, scariest movie I have ever seen. Ran from car to my front door and slept with all the lights on. You will love it ... You will remember it every time you hear a noise you can't explain." -- Aricela

"I went and saw the movie last night in Seattle, Wash. I'm 33 years old and have seen every new and old horror movie made, and this movie by far was the scariest thing I ever seen. My hubby doesn't believe in ghosts, but even he couldn't fall asleep last night, and today I am still terrified. Best scary movie by far. My favorite was 'The Exorcist' until now." -- Brandi

"I went to go see this movie with some friends ... one of the girls seriously didn't sleep for a week after watching this movie." -- Juan

2009-10-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

HOW MUCH RADIATION DOES YOUR MOBILE EMIT?
An online database will now allow mobile phone users to see how much radiation they may be exposed to because of their cells.
According to a report carried out in www.news.com.au, the database, created by the Environmental Working Group in Washington, ranks more than 1000 mobiles by the amount of radiation they emit.
In terms of handsets currently on the market, manufacturer Samsung came out on top with five phones in the list of 10 lowest emitters.
However it appears the specific handset model is more important than the brand when it comes to radiation. Motorola’s RAZR V8 was ranked second in the list of lowest emitters – but there were also five Motorola phones at the other end of the scale.
Similarly, the BlackBerry Storm 9530 was ranked 12th in the list of lowest emitters, but the BlackBerry Bold 9000 and two BlackBerry Curve models were among the highest.
The handsets were ranked on a measurement called the specific absorption rate, or SAR, that gauges how much energy a person absorbs while using or wearing a phone. A handset’s SAR is expressed in watts per kilogram (W/kg).
The highest-emitting phone on the market, the Motorola MOTO VU204, had a SAR value of 1.55 W/kg. The lowest, the Samsung Impression, had a value of between 0.15 and 0.35 W/kg. The top SAR value allowed in Australia is 2 W/kg.
The Environmental Working Group said that it created the database after recent studies linked using mobile phones for more than a decade with health risks including brain tumors. “Recent research has prompted serious concerns about exposure to wireless emissions,” it said.
“We at Environmental Working Group are still using our cell phones, but we also believe that until scientists know much more about cell phone radiation, it’s smart for consumers to buy phones with the lowest emissions,” it added.

IRANIAN MISSILE LAUNCH VIDEO CAPTURES UFO SPLITTING CLOUD IN TWO!

A video of a missile fired by Iran has amazingly captured a UFO flying across the sky, splitting a cloud in two.

The clip was originally intended to capture the controversial launch of the Shahab-3 rocket.

As the rocket soars into the sky, after almost 38 seconds a close cloud is surprisingly torn in two by a flying object travelling at speed.

Former UFO analyst for the Ministry of Defense Nick Pope believes that nothing man-made could rip through the cloud in that fashion.

"One theory is that it's a secret American drone. At any time there are prototype aircraft and drones being operated that won't be shown in public for years," the Sun quoted him as saying.

Stealth aircraft flew for many years before their existence was acknowledged.

"But the speed and acceleration seems phenomenal. I'm not convinced we've got anything capable of such manoeuvres," he added.

TV ‘BAN’ FOR TODDLERS IN AUSTRALIA

Children should not watch television until they turn two because it can hurt their language development and ability to concentrate, according to new guidelines for Australians.
The government recommendations, expected to be released next week, also say that children aged two to five should watch no more than an hour of television a day, the Australian reported. The draft guidelines, which have been designed for childcare centers but also offer advice for parents, are intended to help curb the spread of the obesity epidemic which has left Australian children heavier than ever. "It is recommended that children younger than two years of age should not spend any time watching television," they say.

2009-10-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

OBAMA WINS NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
US President Barack Obama is the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples", it was announced in Oslo on Friday.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

"Obama has as president created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play," the committee said on its website.

"Only very rarely has a person, to the same extent as Obama, captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population," the committee said.

SECRET BEHIND ACUPUNCTURE
After 3,000 years, the secrets of acupuncture have been unlocked by researchers.

Morry Silberstein, professor at Australia's Curtin University of Technology (CUT), has developed a new theory that explains, for the first time, the scientific reasons why acupuncture works.

"We have never really had a scientific explanation for how acupuncture actually works," he said. "If we can explain the process scientifically, we can open it to full scientific scrutiny and develop ways to use it as a part of medical treatments."

His research suggests that the insertion of an acupuncture needle into the skin disrupts the branching point of nerves called C-fibres, which transmit low-grade sensory information over very long distances.

"We have known for some time that acupuncture points have a much lower electrical resistance than nearby areas of skin," Silberstein said. "It is possible that this is because C-fibre nerves branch at acupuncture points."

Scientists do not know exactly what role C-fibres play in the nervous system; however, Silberstein has a theory.

"This network of nerves possibly exists to maintain our state of arousal or wakefulness, and its disruption by an acupuncture needle numbs our general sensitivity to pain," he said.

"It may provide us with new methods of treating sleep problems, pain and high blood pressure," he said, besides furthering our understanding of the autonomic nervous system.

These findings are slated for publication in the Journal of Theoretical Biology.

ANTI-OXIDANTS CAN INCREASE RISK OF TYPE-2 DIABETES
Anti-oxidants, popularly touted for health promoting benefits, could also bring on early onset of type-2 diabetes, says a new study.

A team of scientists, led by Tony Tiganis, molecular biology professor from the Monash University, has found that molecules known as Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) may play a protective role in the early stages of type-2 diabetes by enhancing insulin action. Anti-oxidants prevent the beneficial effects of ROS.

The team showed that when ROS levels were elevated in muscles of genetically-modified mice, they could prevent the onset of insulin resistance and diabetes that is induced by a high-fat diet.

However, when these animals received anti-oxidants, which 'mop up' ROS, the improved insulin response was lost and the mice became more 'diabetic'.

The findings challenge the widely-held view that ROS are always harmful and that anti-oxidants are always beneficial, according to a Monash release.

"ROS molecules, such as hydrogen peroxide, are important for normal cell function. We have shown that ROS present in muscle enhance insulin action and help lower blood sugar levels," Tiganis said.

"However, our studies do not negate the role of ROS in late-stage disease. There's a 'yin and yang' relationship that takes place, wherein ROS are beneficial in the early stages of type-2 diabetes and shift to being harmful at later stages of the disease. We are now trying to find out when ROS make the switch from being 'good' to 'bad'.

"Although we need to undertake further studies in humans, our results indicate that the widespread use of anti-oxidants by the general public as a preventative measure is something that should be discouraged, particularly if you are otherwise healthy," Tiganis said.

"Eat healthy and exercise as this is a natural source of ROS that promotes insulin action."

These findings were published in Cell Metabolism.

2009-10-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

NORWAY IS BEST PLACE TO LIVE, CHINA MOVES UP: UN
Norway takes the number one spot in the annual United Nations human development index released Monday but China has made the biggest strides in improving the well-being of its citizens.

The index compiled by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) ranks 182 countries based on such criteria as life expectancy, literacy, school enrolment and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.

Norway, Australia and Iceland took the first three spots while Niger ranks at the very bottom, just below Afghanistan.

China moved up seven places on the list to rank as the 92nd most developed country due to improvements in education as well as income levels and life expectancy.

Colombia and Peru raised five spaces to rank 77th and 78th while France -- which was not part of the top 10 last year -- returns to the upper echelons by moving up three places to number 8.

The UNDP said the index highlights the grave disparities between rich and poor countries.

A child born in Niger can expect to live to just over 50, which is 30 years less than a child born in Norway. For every dollar a person earns in Niger, 85 dollars are earned in Norway.

This year's index was based on data from 2007 and does not take into account the impact of the global economic crisis.

"Many countries have experienced setbacks over recent decades, in the face of economic downturns, conflict-related crises and the HIV and AIDS epidemic," said the UN development report's author Jeni Klugman.

"And this was even before the impact of the current global financial crisis was felt."

Afghanistan, which returns to the list for the first time since 1996, is the only Asian country among the bottom ten which also include Sierra Leone in the 180th spot, just below the Central African Republic.

The top ten countries listed on the index are: Norway, Australia, Iceland, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, France, Switzerland and Japan.

The United States ranks 13th, down one spot from last year.

UN ISSUES STAMP TO HONOUR MAHATMA GANDHI

The United Nations has released a one-dollar colorful postal stamp of Mahatma Gandhi to commemorate the 140th birth anniversary of the apostle of peace observed on Friday as the International Day of Non-violence.

The stamp, released here on Friday by the UN Postal Administration, the world body's postal agency, has been designed by Miami-based artist Ferdie Pacheco, with the Father of the Nation in red, blue and gold.

First Day Covers marked with the stamp and the United Nations' seal were also put on sale.

Several UN envoys, present at a function organized by the Indian mission to celebrate his 140th birth anniversary, reiterated the influence of Mahatma Gandhi's life.

"In many ways, Mahatma Gandhi pre-visioned the UN. Much of the work that we do in the area of human rights owes its genesis in the struggle against racial discrimination, which he focused on," said Hardeep Puri, India's permanent representative to the UN.

Paying tribute to Gandhi, US envoy to the UN Susan Rice said, "Gandhi had influenced millions of Americans. Gandhi believed that physical force could be turned aside by moral forces."

All over New York City, small and big events were organized to mark the occasion. In the morning, New Yorkers gathered to sing Gandhi's favorite songs and paid floral tribute at his statue at Union Square in Manhattan.

"Gandhi has to be celebrated all over the world because his message echoes around the globe," said Prabhu Dayal, the consul general of India in New York.

PILL CAN ADD 25 YEARS TO LIFE

Taking a step closer towards a wonder pill that could extend people’s life span by up to 25 years, scientists have claimed that over half of babies born in the new future in the UK and other wealthy nations will live to 100 years.
The drug, touted as the "elixir of life" drug, works by using a molecule called spermidine, which helps to protect the body against damaging chemicals known as free radicals.
The scientists, led by Dr Frank Madeo, of the University of Graz in Austria, hope that the findings could lead to the creation of drugs that dramatically slow down ageing, allowing people to be healthier for longer.
The findings come in line with a new study, which claims that the average life expectancy in Britain, which is currently 81 years, could jump to more than 100 years. "Ageing results from complex processes that cause programmed cell death," The Daily Express quoted Madeo as saying.
"Here, we report that administration of spermidine markedly extended the lifespan of yeast, flies and worms, and human immune cells," added the bio-scientist.
Ageing is associated with the decrease of spermidine, which is known to be necessary for cell growth and maturation.
However, it was unclear if this was the cause or consequence of ageing.
The researchers saw that when the chemical was applied to old yeast cells their lifespan increased by a factor of up to four times that of untreated cells.
Similarly, the average longevity of fruit flies and nematode worms went up by 30 per cent and 15 per cent respectively, according to the findings.
In another experiment, just 15 per cent of human immune blood cells cultured in the lab survived after 12 days compared with 50 per cent of those treated with spermidine. And when mice were fed the chemical for 200 days through their drinking water, the free radicals reduced by about 30 per cent, indicating "reduced age-related oxidative stress".
"One of the most widely accepted theories of ageing is the free radical theory, which attributes ageing to accumulating oxidative stress," said Madeo.
"Together, these data indicate supplementation of spermidine can retard ageing in several species," he added.
The findings suggest the chemical has this effect on cells and ultimately organisms as it provides an alternative mechanism for cellular "clean up".
The study has been published online in Nature Cell Biology .

2009-10-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

UK COURT ORDERS WRIT TO BE SERVED VIA TWITTER

Britain's High Court ordered its first injunction via Twitter on Thursday, saying the social website and micro-blogging service was the best way to reach an anonymous Tweeter who had been impersonating someone.

Solicitors Griffin Law sought the injunction against the micro-blog page www.twitter.com/blaneysblarney arguing it was impersonating right-wing blogger Donal Blaney, the owner of Griffin Law.

The legal first could have widespread implications for the blogosphere.

"I think this is a landmark decision to issue a writ via Twitter," said Dr Konstantinos Komaitis of Strathclyde University's law faculty. "You are creating a precedent that people will be able to refer to. It only takes one litigant to open the path for others to follow," Komaitis, a lecturer in IT and Telecommunications told Reuters.

"The law tends to be quite cumbersome and slow, so to have a court deliberate on something like Twitter -- so hot, so relevant -- it shows quite impressive engagement.

Andre Walker at Griffin Law said the anonymous Tweeter targeted by the writ will get a message from the High Court the next time they open their online account.

"Whoever they are, they will be told to stop posting, to remove previous posts and to identify themselves to the High Court via a web link form," he said.

Matthew Richardson, the barrister who won the injunction, said the ruling was a huge step forward in preventing anonymous abuse of the Internet.

"People have to learn that they can no longer hide behind the cloak of anonymity the Internet provides and break the law with impunity," he said in a statement.

Online impersonations have become increasingly prevalent following the success of the Twitter website. Leading Tweeters like celebrities Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears have hundreds of Twitter impersonators.

The problem has grown so large that Twitter earlier this year launched a system to verify the authenticity of Tweets. A seal, which appears on the top right of profile pages, is aimed for use on high profile Twitter accounts.

Impersonating people or organizations is contrary to Twitter's terms of service and Tweeters who do not wish to take out a legal writ over the problem can contact Twitter.

WIRELESS INDUSTRY HAPPY WITH SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

Just when you thought you got your Facebook habit under control, your circles of friends are moving to your phone.

Facebook's mobile team has never been busier. Sometime in the past two years, the wireless industry decided that social networking could be a killer feature for mobile phones. Facebook has been happy to oblige: 65 million people already regularly use mobile devices to access Facebook, making it one of the largest mobile services in the world. And--to Facebook's delight--those users are busy--twice as active or "engaged" on their Facebook account than its Web-only users.
"This is an unprecedented era with social networking on phones," Henri Moissinac, Facebook's director of mobile, tells Forbes. "Sharing and connecting is something everyone wants to do." Moissinac says his goal is to have some form of Facebook--whether a widget, light app or full app--on every phone in the world by Christmas. "We want to cater to all phones, countries and languages," he says.

In the past month, the company updated its application for Apple's iPhone, announced a social messaging application for Nokia phones, created long-awaited applications for handsets built with Google's mobile operating system, Android and Palm's WebOS and played a central role in the launch of Motorola's new smart phone, the Cliq.

The social-networking giant also released a mobile Web version of its Facebook Connect platform, which will allow mobile developers to integrate Facebook features into their apps. Apps for Palm's flagship phone, the Pre, and for Series 60 Nokia devices that lack a touch screen are also on the team's to-do list. All told, the company currently has relationships with 180 operators globally.

Not all mobile apps are the same--not by a long shot. The iPhone version lets users create new photo albums and respond to event invitations while the Android app sticks to basic features like posting status updates. Moissinac attributes the variations to deadlines and technology differences in the phones.

For instance, the iPhone app is packed with buzzy features such as the ability to upload a video directly to Facebook. It does not, however, mine the phone's core services--particularly its address book or calendar--the way other smart phones do.

By contrast, the Palm Pre incorporates people's Facebook profile photos and contact information into its address book. Motorola's new Cliq, meanwhile, goes even further, pulling Facebook status updates and birth dates along with profile photos and contact information onto the phone's home screen.

For Android, Facebook engineers decided to focus on building links to Android-specific features like that phone's Live Folder, which collects real-time Web updates. Moissinac says he knows people want richer functionality in the Android app itself; Facebook is already working on the next version.

Not everyone is delighted at these blossoming, busy friendships. As Facebook traffic grows, the carriers are getting deluged with data traffic. That frustrates operators since consumers equate high-quality networks with fast service.

Moissinac is sympathetic--to a point. He suggests the carriers consider developing a software tool to identify each mobile user's data plan. That information would allow Facebook to tailor its site: Someone with an unlimited data plan would get the full Facebook experience, while a person on a more limited or prepaid plan would see a more streamlined version, he says. That way, a user on a limited data plan won't feel like they have to wait forever to get the snippet of the Facebook page they want to see--something that carriers hope will help them keep customers from bolting to competitors.

TWITTER TO INTRODUCE “FREE CALL” TO ITS MEMBERS

Many members of Twitter could soon be thanking popular social networking site Twitter as it will allow users to call their followers for free.

The website is set to offer two-minute calls about the duration of a tweet without any cost, where members can talk for the first time without making their phone numbers public.

Users would be, however, required to first join online telephony site Jajah and call a follower, with a tweet "@call @twittername" that will make both phones ring.

"You tweet (family or friends), when you've got something really quick to say and you make a quick two-minute free call," News.com.au quoted Paul Naphtali, Jajah's Melbourne-based head of marketing, as saying.

Naphtali revealed stalkers could easily be taken care of since only people whom users follow could call them. And if the calls get frantic, then people can cut the link by unfollowing them.

2009-09-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

YOUR SECRETS ON INTERNET ARE NOT SAFE

We live in a digital age where desire can be downloaded. But this is also the age of metrics — the science of measuring things. So, it's no surprise that desire is measured too. But, how does one measure something like desire or curiosity?

With the Internet, one can. Every time you type a word, phrase or query into your favorite search engine, you get a list of websites. You search, surf and forget, but unknown to all of us, the search engines keep a record. Yes, even of the last one, "how to kiss", that you furtively keyed in and thought you'd erased.

In fact, they record every page you visit, download and share. They follow the chain — the click-stream through and through. And they record your Internet Protocol (IP) Address, which is your computer's unique 32-bit number.

This has given rise to a gigantic database of human desires, intentions and anxieties. It is buried deep within the electronic circuits of servers — supercomputers owned by search-engine companies. In 2008, roughly 8.5 billion searches were carried out, up by 10 per cent since 2007. This does not include searches from computers in cyber cafes and mobile phones. This 'search factor' is driven by the exploding population of Internet users, which crossed the billion-mark in 2008. Add to this the personal histories uploaded on social networking sites and you have an enormous database, growing every second.

But for what is this super registry used? Its uses can be both innocent (to churn out yearly lists of the weirdest searches) and evil (marketing). These top searches give a glimpse into how people think. There are the predictable keywords like 'Usain Bolt' or 'George Bush + shoe' that are driven by current events. Then there is anxiety and loneliness expressed in the desire for companionship — social networking sites have increasingly made it to the most-searched lists in the past two years. The pursuit of desires and fantasies is revealed by highly popular searches for actresses and pop stars like Britney Spears or Katrina Kaif, and games like WWE or Rune Scape.

Across societies, people follow a learning curve. The largely American users of AOL and Ask.com appear to be looking more for 'weather', 'maps', 'music', 'cars' and 'area codes', apart from TV channels. For them, Google or Yahoo is just a convenient tool to get to the weather forecast or to listen to music. This doesn't mean Americans are uninterested in Paris Hilton's latest tantrum — they just know where to get the latest on them, and so don't use the search engines. But in other parts of the world, they reach for Google.

An analysis of searches has to take into account the language being used. Most generalizations apply to the English-speaking, Net-using community.

This is massive, but still just a fraction of humanity. Consider this: Of the 8.5 billion searches carried out last year, 41 per cent originated in the Asia Pacific region (which includes China), 28 per cent in Europe and 18 per cent in North America. To understand Chinese desires, therefore, Google won't do. You have to go to Baidu, the most popular Chinese search engine. And, of course, you have to learn Mandarin.

Big daddy Google has over 63 per cent of market share in searches, and the largest 'desire database'. A version is available on its site where you can compare the popularity, over time, of any two products in any specified location. No absolute figures are offered — they don't tell you that X brand had 1,000 hit while Y brand had 2,000. They just give out relative shares in a graph. But, make no mistake, they have the figures.

This database is the mother lode of consumer profiling. Marketing strategies get a whole new meaning when a dossier of searches reveals the direction of people's curiosities or needs. Marketing firms have been known to purchase parts of this database. Last year, UK advertising broker Phorma bought millions of personal details from Internet service provider British Telecom to sell to companies interested in online advertising. Most big search engine operators have said that they won't be selling their database, probably because it is much more valuable if they have a monopoly over it. They can use it to charge a fee from advertisers. A watered-down version of this is already online — the subject-linked ads you see when you open an email message. Management of minds, mediated through machines, may well be at hand.

Imagine this database getting into the hands of an authoritarian government. They will spy on everybody. We will live in a closed society. You may be deleting your search history every day, but don't fool yourself. This is one eye that never blinks.

US FIRMS PLAN TO RE-HIRE FORMER WORKERS
With the economy showing signs of recovery, American firms are looking to re-hire employees they laid off in the past, says a latest report.

According to a report by global career transition and coaching firm OI Partners, about 40 per cent of employers are planning to re-hire some former workers they laid off as either full-time employees or as consultants and freelancers.

The reason behind hiring former employees is that their skills are known to the employers and they consider former employees fit into the company's culture and environment. The employers think that re-hiring a former employee is less risky than recruiting a new one, the report said.

It noted that nearly half of financial services firms surveyed are planning to recruit some laid-off employees, 47 per cent of manufacturing companies and 42 per cent of services companies plan to re-hire some laid-off workers.

2009-09-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

DIGITAL ANTS TO FIGHT COMPUTER VIRUSES

In the never-ending battle to protect computer networks from intruders, security experts are deploying a new defense, modeled on one of nature's hardiest creatures - the ant.

Unlike traditional security devices, which are static, these "digital ants" wander through computer networks looking for threats, such as "computer worms" - self-replicating programmes designed to steal information or facilitate unauthorized use of machines.

When a digital ant detects a threat, it doesn't take long for an army of ants to converge at that location, drawing the attention of human operators who step in to investigate.

The concept, called "swarm intelligence", promises to transform cyber security because it adapts readily to changing threats.

"In nature, we know that ants defend against threats very successfully," explains Errin Fulp, computer science professor and expert in security and computer networks, at the Wake Forest University (WFU).

"They can ramp up their defense rapidly, and then resume routine behavior quickly after an intruder has been stopped. We were trying to achieve that same framework in a computer system," he says.

Current security devices are designed to defend against all known threats at all times, but the bad guys who write malware - software created for malicious purposes - keep introducing slight variations to evade computer defenses.

As new variations are discovered and updates issued, security programmes gobble more resources, antivirus scans take longer and machines run slower - a familiar problem for most computer users.

Glenn Fink, research scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington, came up with the idea of copying ant behavior. PNNL, one of 10 Department of Energy (DoE) labs, conducts cutting-edge research in cyber security.

Fink was familiar with Fulp's expertise developing faster scans using parallel processing - dividing computer data into batches like lines of shoppers going through grocery store checkouts, where each lane is focused on certain threats.

He invited Fulp and Wake Forest graduate students Wes Featherstun and Brian Williams to join a project there this summer that tested digital ants on a network of 64 computers.

Swarm intelligence, the approach developed by PNNL and Wake Forest, divides up the process of searching for specific threats, and says a WFU release.

"Our idea is to deploy 3,000 different types of digital ants, each looking for evidence of a threat," Fulp says.

Fulp introduced a worm into the network, and the digital ants successfully found it. PNNL has extended the project this semester, and Featherstun and Williams plan to incorporate the research into their master's theses.

CAPTURING CARBON FROM AIR……ONLY WAY TO SAVE EARTH
Capturing carbon directly from the air is the only way to prevent dangerous climate changes, says a pioneering Canadian scientist.

University of Calgary scientist David Keith says governments need to earmark more research funding for technologies to capture carbon dioxide in surrounding air to save the planet. Keith has successfully tested an air capture technology last year. The market for carbon capture technologies is estimated to reach $1 billion a year within 20 years.

In a paper published in Science journal Thursday, he says technology could efficiently reduce carbon dioxide emissions from sources such as airplanes and home furnaces.

The Canadian scientist says these "mobile" and "diffuse" sources (including homes and airplanes) account for more than half of the greenhouse gases emitted on the plant.

"Over the long run, the ability to remove carbon dioxide from the air should be viewed as an essential tool in our kit for managing carbon-climate risks," says Keith, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Energy and the Environment.

"We need, at the minimum, a serious long-term exploratory research effort to develop air capture along with other direct methods for removing CO2 from the atmosphere," he adds.

According to Keith, air capture technology also offers the possibility of turning the captured carbon dioxide into carbon-neutral synthetic fuels for vehicles, to reduce vehicle emissions.

Air capture plants also might be built where the costs of construction and operation are cheap, and near the best sites for permanently storing the captured carbon dioxide underground, he says.

For the short term, he advocates efforts to limit the risks of climate change by focusing on reducing industrial and other sources of carbon emissions. For the long term, he says air capture technology offers a way to reduce carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere, to manage otherwise irreversible risks of climate change.

MAN WILL BE IMMORTAL BY 2029

A futuristic American scientist has predicted that man could become immortal in as little as 20 years' time through nanotechnology and better understanding of the body mechanism.
Ray Kurzweil, known to have predicted future technologies decades ahead has written in The Sun , "I and many other scientists now believe that in around 20 years we will have the means to reprogramme our bodies' stone-age software so we can halt, then reverse, ageing. Then nano-technology will let us live forever."

The 61-year-old, lauded by Microsoft founder Bill Gates as the smartest futurist on Earth said, "We are living through the most exciting period of human history. Computer technology and our understanding of genes -- our body's software programs -- are accelerating at an incredible rate."

The scientist says that already, blood cell-sized submarines called nanobots are being tested in animals.

2009-09-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

‘CONFICKER’ VIRUS IS THE LARGEST THREAT FACING THE CYBER WORLD…..SEEMS DIFFICULT TO REMOVE

Technology experts worldwide are finding it "almost impossible" to defeat the Conficker worm, which has infected more than 5 million computers and could even knock down the internet in all countries.
The worm, which was first detected in November, last year, spreads rapidly to computers through a flaw in the Windows operating system.
Infected machines are co-opted into a "botnet" army, which can be controlled and used by the hackers to launch unprecedented cyber attacks.
"The general agreement in the security world is that Conficker is the largest threat facing us from a cyber crime point of view ... it has proven to be extremely resilient. It's almost impossible to remove," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Rodney Joffe, a director of the Conficker Working Group formed to defeat the worm, as saying.
"The best minds in the world have not managed to crack the code behind this yet," he added. The threat is so dangerous that the world's largest computer security companies have joined together with government around the world in an unusual alliance to pool their resources and solve the problem.

Microsoft has offered a $250,000 reward for information leading to the identification of the individuals -- or rogue governments -- behind Conficker.

The creators of the worm can do anything they want with the infected machines including stealing users' banking details or flooding government servers to knock them offline.

So far the international effort to find a solution has yielded few results, and the number of infected machines has remained fairly stable at 5 million, which include home, business and Government computers.

YOGA BAN BRINGS GUNS AT PEACE DAY

About 40 protesters carrying guns showed up at Raymond in New Hampshire after the town refused permission to a local resident to hold yoga classes to mark the International Day of Peace.
Molly Schlangen, the yoga instructor who had planned to hold a complimentary class on Monday, held it at her studio in the neighboring town of Epping instead as the authorities refused permission.
But local residents, annoyed by the refusal of authorities, held two gatherings to demonstrate their support for freedom of speech and the right to peacefully assemble, the New American reported on Monday. Lack of information about the kind of crowd that might gather at classes had led the authorities to deny permission.

2009-09-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

BEWARE OF GOOGLE DIAGNOSIS: EXPERTS

Doctors and medical experts warn about the disturbing trend of cyberchondriacs and pill poppers

If you Google your pill without having consulted a qualified medical practitioner, chances are that you're about to become one among the 1.5 million people worldwide, who fall ill due to wrong medication.
And if you say you've consulted the Net before downing your tablet, that reason, say docs, simply isn't good enough. There's also a term for such Net-obsessed pill-poppers: cyberchondriac.
Consultant of internal medicine Dr Rajiv Kumar Erry, remarks, "Today one can find more and more pill poppers, who lack awareness about safe medication, as well as cyberchondriacs, who misdiagnose themselves and approach me for help only after putting their health at risk. This is a disturbing trend -- one in three people today are a victim of this habit. A wrong combination of pills can be extremely harmful.
For example, an overdose of painkillers like Brufen, combined with anti-allergy drugs like cetirizine, have sedative effects that can depress the central nervous system to such an extent that the person might not be able to move."
"People should also be careful about their food habits while on medication. For instance, even an alcohol-based cough syrup or tonic, when combined with certain painkillers, can become a deadly poison."

WI-FI THIEVES ON THE PROWL

If those hefty Internet bills have left you puzzled of late, you might want to cross-check your security settings. Chances are the wireless router you use at home is being tapped into by some free-loading whiz kid who is living off your Wi-Fi right under your nose!

With more people using wireless routers at homes, residential colonies have become havens for smart alecs who go hunting for Wi-Fi connections that are not password protected.

Owners who foot the bills of these freeloaders however, beg to differ. A coffee shop owner, says, “We have a free Wi-Fi corner for our customers, but people residing in the area too use the service due to which the speed is affected.”

Sometimes passwords too are of no use as it doesn’t take much to hack into a wireless network. A software expert say’s “My whole apartment complex is a Wi-Fi hotspot and many people use their neighbor’s wireless internet. Password-protected networks too can be hacked easily nowadays.”

DRINK GREEN COFFEE ‘TO LOSE WEIGHT’

Want to shed flab? Drink green coffee daily, says a new study.

Researchers have carried out the study and found that chlorogenic acid from green coffee causes significant levels of weight loss — the drink works by reducing sugar absorption from the gut and speeding up the rate at which fat is burned. In a four-week trial assessing Coffee Shape, the researchers found that those who drank one cup a day lost 3.5 pounds in two weeks, and 4.45 pounds in a month. That compares to drinkers of standard coffee, who on average lose just 0.3lb in two weeks compared to those who drink no coffee at all.

Laurent Fresnel, of ATP Life, makers of Coffee Shape, was quoted by the 'Daily Mail' as saying: "Green coffee is similar to green tea. In its raw, unroasted form, it is rich in plant molecules that speed metabolism and aid weight loss.

"These molecules of chlorogenic acid are strong antioxidants that appear to have other health benefits too. Unfortunately, they are destroyed in the roasting process, so are not found in high levels in regular coffee." The findings of this study have been published in the 'American Journal of Clinical Nutrition'

2009-09-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

BEST 50 WEBSITES OF 2009

Flickr tops TIME's list of Best 50 Websites of 2009

The hottest thing on the Internet is not social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter, but Flickr-the popular photo-sharing portal - and the proof is: it has topped TIME's list of the best 50 websites this year.

One of the noticeable trends in this year's list, which was released this week, was on-demand video services, like YouTube, Vimeo and US services Hulu and Netflix.

However, the top two in the list were related to photographs, with California Coastline following Flickr at the second spot.

Third in the list was bookmark website Delicious, while community weblog Metafilter stood at the fourth place.

Popurls, the mashup of the web's most visited social news sites and portals, grabbed the fifth spot in the list.

Twitter ranked sixth and Facebook came 31st in the list, while YouTube and Hulu came at 12th and 14th place in the list.

TIME's list of 50 Best Websites of 2009 is:.
1. Flickr
2. California Coastline
3. Delicious
4. Metafilter
5. Popurls
6. Twitter
7. Skype
8. Boing Boing
9. Academic Earth
10. OpenTable
11. Google
12. YouTube
13. WolframAlpha
14. Hulu
15. Vimeo
16. Fora TV
17. Craiglook
18. Shop Goodwill
19. Amazon
20. Kayak
21. Netflix
22. Etsy
23. PropertyShark.com
24. Redfin
25. Wikipedia
26. Internet Archive
27. Kiva
28. ConsumerSearch
29. Metacritic
30. Pollster
31. Facebook
32. Pandora and Last.fm
33. Musicovery
34. Spotify
35. Supercook
36. Yelp
37. Visuwords
38. CouchSurfing
39. BabyNameWizard.com's NameVoyager
40. Mint
41. TripIt
42. Aardvark
43. drop.io
44. Issuu
45. Photosynth
46. OMGPOP
47. WorldWideTelescope
48. Fonolo
49. Get High Now
50. Know Your Meme

OREGANO, GARLIC OILS CAN PREVENT BACTERIA ATTACK !

Essential oils from common spices like oregano, allspice and garlic can act as a natural barrier against bacteria like E-Coli, Salmonella and Oregano, garlic oils can prevent bacteria attack!
Oregano oil has been found to be the most effective antimicrobial, followed by allspice and garlic.
Researchers at Processed Foods Research and Produce Safety and Microbiology units of Western Regional Research Centre from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) investigated the effectiveness of the oils by incorporating them in thin, tomato-based antimicrobial coatings known as edible films.

In addition to its flavor properties, tomatoes are reported to possess numerous beneficial nutritional and bioactive components that may benefit human health.

Edible tomato films containing antimicrobials may protect food against contamination by pathogenic microorganisms.

The findings revealed that oregano oil consistently inhibited the growth of all three bacteria.

Although garlic oil was not effective against E. coli or Salmonella, but was effective against Listeria.

Vapor tests of oregano and allspice oils indicated that these two oils diffuse more efficiently through the air than through direct contact with the bacteria.

Listeria was less resistant to EO vapors while E. coli was more resistant.

“The results show that apple-based films with allspice, cinnamon or clove bud oils were effective against the three bacteria. The essential oils have the potential to provide multiple benefits to consumers,” said lead researcher R. J. Avena-Bustillos.

The study appears in Journal of Food Science.

2009-09-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

DAILY SHOWERS HAZARDOUS

Having a daily shower could be hazardous to your health, for a study says that it delivers a cloud of dangerous germs into your face and lungs.

Researchers at Colorado University have found that showerheads are breeding grounds for bacteria and when water is passed through them, they blast out the bugs, which could cause respiratory problems such as dry coughs. Lead researcher Norman Pace of said: "If you are getting a face full of water when you first turn your shower on, that means you are probably getting a particularly high load of Mycobacterium avium, which may not be too healthy. "There have been some precedents for concern regarding pathogens and shower heads. But until this study we did not know just how much concern."

For their study, the researchers tested some 45 shower heads and found 30 per cent contain high amounts of a pathogen that causes the lung infection mycobacterium avium.

EXERCISE CAN EXTEND SURVIVAL

Even in the "oldest old," a little physical activity goes a long way, extending life by at least a few years for people in their mid- to late 80s, Israeli researchers found.The three-year survival rate was about three times higher for active 85-yearolds compared with those who were inactive. Getting less than four hours of exercise weekly was inactive; more than that was active.
The results "clearly support the continued encouragement of physical activity, even among the oldest old. Indeed, it seems that it is never too late to start," the researchers wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine, which published the study. They noted that exercise reaped benefits even for sedentary 85-year-olds; their three-year survival rate was double that of inactive 85-year-olds.

Oldsters didn't have to be super-athletes to live longer; walking at least four hours weekly counted, even if it a few times.

FACEBOOK MAKES MONEY, TOPS 300 MILLION USERS

Facebook is making enough money to cover its costs and now has 300 million users, the world's largest social networking site said on Tuesday, proving the Internet's newest star industry can be a viable business.
Facebook is now generating enough cash to cover its operating expenses, as well as the capital spending needed to maintain its fast-growing service.
Analysts said this shows the financial viability of Facebook, which has faced questions about its underlying business model, despite its popularity, and was a good sign for a potential initial public offering.
"It's certainly meaningful to show that this is absolutely the real deal," said Broadpoint Amtech analyst Ben Schachter. "They are executing. People are spending money on the site."
Since its creation in a Harvard dorm room five years ago, Facebook has emerged as one of the Internet's most popular destinations and is increasingly challenging the Web's established powerhouses like Yahoo Inc and Google Inc.
Facebook unveiled a revamped search engine last month and is currently testing an online payment system. Facebook users have tripled from about 100 million a year ago.
Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a blog post on the company site on Tuesday that Facebook reached its goal of being free cash flow positive in its most recently ended quarter. The company had previously projected reaching the target sometime in 2010.
"This is important to us because it sets Facebook up to be a strong independent service for the long term," said Zuckerberg in the blog post.
Facebook spokesperson Larry Yu said the free cash flow metric does not include any cash from private investment.
In May, Facebook announced a $200 million investment from Russian investment firm Digital Sky Technologies in a deal that valued the company's preferred shares at $10 billion.
DST valued Facebook's common shares at $6.5 billion in a subsequent deal to purchase shares from Facebook employees.
Facebook's becoming cash flow positive ahead of schedule provides another nugget of data to back up the lofty valuations, and according to one analyst, makes Facebook a more attractive candidate for a potential public offering.
"They can command higher confidence from investors now," said Collins Stewart analyst Sandeep Aggarwal, who noted that he believes Facebook could go public in the second half of 2010, or in 2011.
Zuckerberg said in May that any IPO is "a few years out."
Facebook did not provide any other financial details on Tuesday. The company has previously said its revenue was on track to grow 70 percent this year.
Facebook board member Mark Andreesen told Reuters earlier this year that the company will surpass $500 million in revenue this year.
Zuckerberg said in his post that the company is exploring ways to make the service perform faster and more efficiently as the number of Facebook users continues to grow.

2009-09-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

RUSSIA MADE SWINE FLU ANTI-DOTE 15 YEARS AGO....EXPERT

A Russian expert on Thursday claimed that an antidote to counter the swine flu virus was developed in Russia some 15 years back under the secret programme for protection against biological warfare.
Mr Oleg Chupakhin of Yekaterinburg-based Institute of Organic Synthesis on Thursday told a Russian TV channel that an antidote 'Triazaverin' developed under the secret programme for protection against biological warfare can destroy the (H1N1) virus at any stage of disease, including in the later stages.
"Fifteen years ago Triazaverin was found effective against all known flu virus and was classified. In recent years after the outbreak of bird flu and now swine flu, the project has been revived," Mr Oleg Chupakhin claimed.

NOT ENOUGH FACEBOOK FRIENDS?....BUY THEM
Who says you can't buy friends? An Australian online marketing company is selling friends and fans to Facebook members after offering a similar service to Twitter users.
Advertising, marketing and promoting company uSocial (http://usocial.net) said it was targeting social networking sites because of their huge advertising potential.
"Facebook is an extremely effective marketing tool," Leon Hill, uSocial CEO, said in a statement.
"The simple fact is that with a large following on Facebook, you have an instant and targeted group of people you can contact and promote whatever it is you want to promote," he added.
"The only problem is that it can be extremely difficult to achieve such a following, which is where we come in.
The company offers packages for Facebook, the world's number one social networking site, that start at 1,000 friends up to 10,000 friends at costs ranging from $177 to $1,167.
"All we do send them a welcome message or friend request from the client. If they decide to go ahead and add that person as a friend or a fan then they will; if not, then they won't," Hill told Australian media.
Facebook is now the world's fourth-most visited website.
The company, which counts venture capitalist Peter Thiel, Accel Partners, Microsoft Corp and Russian Internet investment firm Digital Sky Technologies among its investors, has more than 250 million registered users.
But uSocial's packages are not without controversy.
According to some Australian websites, Twitter tried to shut uSocial down, accusing it of spamming members, while the Los Angeles Times reported that Digg.com, a website where people vote for their top news stories or websites, has also tried to shut down uSocial because it sells votes.

BRISK WALK CAN ADD YEARS TO YOUR LIFE
It will not only add life to your years, but a brisk walk a day can also add years to your life, a new study has claimed.
Researchers from the Veterans Affairs Medical Centres in Washington and Palo Alto in California have carried out the study and found that brisk walking for 20 to 40 minutes daily can halve the chance of dying for elderly men.
"The overall message is that although ageing and death are inevitable, the rate for both can be modulated by simply maintaining a physically active lifestyle at any age," said lead researcher Peter Kokkinos. For their study, the researchers compared death rates in men aged between 70 and 92 who were sedentary compared with those of varying levels of fitness.
They found that for every two minutes of exercise, the mortality rate dropped by ten per cent, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported. In fact, in the study, involving more than 3,000 men aged between 70 and 92, the researchers took medical history along with body weight and smoking history of the subjects in to consideration and then they were followed up for an average of six years with any deaths recorded during that time.

2009-09-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT NUMBER 09 & IN PURTICULAR 09/09/09......GREAT DETAILS HERE.

Everyone from brides and grooms to movie studio execs are celebrating the upcoming calendrical anomaly in their own way.

In Florida, at least one county clerk's office is offering a one-day wedding special for $99.99.

The rarity of this Sept. 9 hasn't been lost on the creators of the iPod, who have moved their traditional Tuesday release day to Wednesday to take advantage of the special date.

Focus Features is releasing their new film "9," an animated tale about the apocalypse, on the 9th.
Not only does the date look good in marketing promotions, but it also represents the last set of repeating, single-digit dates that we'll see for almost a century (until January 1, 2101), or a millennium (mark your calendars for January 1, 3001), depending on how you want to count it.

Though technically there's nothing special about the symmetrical date, some concerned with the history and meaning of numbers ascribe powerful significance to 09/09/09.

For cultures in which the number nine is lucky, Sept. 9 is anticipated - while others might see the date as an ominous warning.

Modern numerologists - who operate outside the realm of real science - believe that mystical significance or vibrations can be assigned to each numeral one through nine, and different combinations of the digits produce tangible results in life depending on their application.
As the final numeral, the number nine holds special rank. It is associated with forgiveness, compassion and success on the positive side as well as arrogance and self-righteousness on the negative, according to numerologists.
Though usually discredited as bogus, numerologists do have a famous predecessor to look to. Pythagoras, the Greek mathematician and father of the famous theorem, is also credited with popularizing numerology in ancient times.
"Pythagoras most of all seems to have honored and advanced the study concerned with numbers, having taken it away from the use of merchants and likening all things to numbers," wrote Aristoxenus, an ancient Greek historian, in the 4th century B.C.
As part of his obsession with numbers both mathematically and divine, and like many mathematicians before and since, Pythagoras noted that nine in particular had many unique properties.

Any grade-schooler could tell you, for example, that the sum of the two-digits resulting from nine multiplied by any other single-digit number will equal nine. So 9x3=27, and 2+7=9.
Multiply nine by any two, three or four-digit number and the sums of those will also break down to nine. For example: 9x62 = 558; 5+5+8=18; 1+8=9.

Sept. 9 also happens to be the 252nd day of the year (2 + 5 +2)...

Loving 9
Both China and Japan have strong feelings about the number nine. Those feelings just happen to be on opposite ends of the spectrum.
The Chinese pulled out all the stops to celebrate their lucky number eight during last year's Summer Olympics, ringing the games in at 8 p.m. on 08/08/08. What many might not realize is that nine comes in second on their list of auspicious digits and is associated with long life, due to how similar its pronunciation is to the local word for long-lasting (eight sounds like wealth).
Historically, ancient Chinese emperors associated themselves closely with the number nine, which appeared prominently in architecture and royal dress, often in the form of nine fearsome dragons. The imperial dynasties were so convinced of the power of the number nine that the palace complex at Beijing's Forbidden City is rumored to have been built with 9,999 rooms.
Japanese emperors would have never worn a robe with nine dragons, however.
In Japanese, the word for nine is a homophone for the word for suffering, so the number is considered highly unlucky - second only to four, which sounds like death.
Many Japanese will go so far as to avoid room numbers including nine at hotels or hospitals, if the building planners haven't already eliminated them altogether.

The Most Popular Myths

In Science Review: Animated "9" Destined to Be Next Great Cult Film.

World to End in 2012. A Hoax Gone Too Far?

HEALTH HOROSCOPE - ASTRO-AYURVEDA DATA TO PREDICT, AVERT AILMENTS

The Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in India has taken the first step towards building up of an astro-medico preventive diagnosis alarm by setting up an astrological and Ayurvedic data base of 40 patients. A team of eight astrologers and Ayurveda experts have compiled the data which will serve as an alarm for prospective ailments.
According to Prof Yamini Bhushan Tripathi, who heads the department of medicinal chemistry, "The astrological and medical details of 40 persons have been compiled under the project and we are keen to add another 150 people to the database."
According to BHU experts, the stress is on preventive astro-medical alarm against metabolic disorder syndrome which can prevent lifestyle disorders like diabetes, hypertension and obesity.
"Through a close study of one's horoscope, we can foresee illness and adverse health and a person's medical history can easily check out the problem areas. By combining the two sciences, it becomes easy to predict the kind of ailment that is likely to confront a person in the ear future," says an expert.
The project which has been designed by the department of astrology and department of medicinal chemistry, underlines the need for developing fullfledged software, combining the essential aspects of astrology and medicinal chemistry. A further study on the curative properties of plants, representing the nine planets, on the immune system is also on the cards.
As per Hindu mythology, every organ of the body is governed by one of the nine planets - which can have positive or negative effects.The faculty of Sanskrit and Vidya Dharma Vigyan of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has already carried out a study on how the movement of planets had an effect on the body.

2009-09-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO INTERNET………..INTERNET TURNS 40 TODAY

KEY MILESTONES IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF INTERNET

The 'Internet' turned 40 today. It may sound strange, but today it is quite impossible to think of world without the 'World Wide Web'.

On Sept 2, 1969, around about 20 people gathered in a lab at the University of California, Los Angeles and two bulky computers were used to pass test data through a 15-foot gray cable. That was the beginning of the Internet. Now, 40 years later, we take a look at the Internet timeline.

1969: On September 2, two computers at University of California, Los Angeles, exchange meaningless data in first test of Arpanet, an experimental military network. The first connection between two sites UCLA and the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, California takes place on October 29, though the network crashes after the first two letters of the word "logon." UC Santa Barbara and University of Utah later join.

1970: Arpanet gets first East Coast node, at Bolt, Beranek and Newman in Cambridge, Mass.

1972: Ray Tomlinson brings e-mail to the network, choosing "at" symbol as way to specify e-mail addresses belonging to other systems.

1973: Arpanet gets first international nodes, in England and Norway.

1974: Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn develop communications technique called TCP, allowing multiple networks to understand one another, creating a true Internet. Concept later splits into TCP/IP before formal adoption on January 1, 1983.

1983: Domain name system is proposed. Creation of suffixes such as ".com," ''.gov" and ".edu" comes a year later.

1988: One of the first Internet worms, Morris, cripples thousands of computers.

1989: Quantum Computer Services, now AOL, introduces America Online service for Macintosh and Apple II computers, beginning an expansion that would connect nearly 27 million Americans online by 2002.

1990: Tim Berners-Lee creates the World Wide Web while developing ways to control computers remotely at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

1993: Marc Andreessen and colleagues at University of Illinois create Mosaic, the first Web browser to combine graphics and text on a single page, opening the Web to the world with software that is easy to use.

1994: Andreessen and others on the Mosaic team form a company to develop the first commercial Web browser, Netscape, piquing the interest of Microsoft Corp. and other developers who would tap the Web's commerce potential. Two immigration lawyers introduce the world to spam, advertising their green card lottery services.

1995: Amazon.com Inc. opens its virtual doors.

1996: Passage of US law curbing pornography online. Although key provisions are later struck down as unconstitutional, one that remains protects online services from liability for their users' conduct, allowing information and misinformation to thrive.

1998: Google Inc. forms out of a project that began in Stanford dorm rooms. US government delegates oversight of domain name policies to Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN. Justice Department and 20 states sue Microsoft, accusing the maker of the ubiquitous Windows operating system of abusing its market power to thwart competition from Netscape and others.

1999: Napster popularizes music file-sharing and spawns successors that have permanently changed the recording industry. World Internet population surpasses 250 million.

2000: The dot-com boom of the 1990s becomes a bust as technology companies slide. Amazon.com, eBay and other sites are crippled in one of the first widespread uses of the denial-of-service attack, which floods a site with so much bogus traffic that legitimate users cannot visit.

2002: World Internet population surpasses 500 million.

2006: World Internet population surpasses 1 billion.

2008: World Internet population surpasses 1.5 billion. China's Internet population reaches 250 million, surpassing the United States as the world's largest. Netscape's developers pull the plug on the pioneer browser, though an offshoot, Firefox, remains strong. Major airlines intensify deployment of Internet service on flights.

OPERA LAUNCHES NEW INTERNET BROWSER

Norway's Opera Software released on Tuesday a new version of its browser, Opera 10, promising faster downloads, new design and new features.

Opera battles for the spot of third-largest browser maker with Google's Chrome and Apple's Safari, but is far behind Microsoft and Mozilla Foundation.

Opera said the new browser is significantly faster on resource-intensive pages such as Gmail and Facebook, and adds features like full thumbnails of all open tabs.

Opera said its Turbo feature for slow connections, which packages web pages, makes the browser up to eight times faster than rival browsers in low connection speeds.

"We have worked a lot on Opera Turbo technology and have also made major improvements on the overall product stability. This is the most stable Opera browser yet," the company said.

The companies usually release several successive test versions of their browsers so they can incorporate user feedback in a series of improvements before their final launch. Microsoft launched its latest IE8 browser in March after a year of public beta testing.

Opera unveiled a public test version of the browser on June 3.

Microsoft's Internet Explorer is used for about 60 per cent of global Internet traffic, and Mozilla's Firefox has about 30 per cent, with usage of Opera, Google and Apple all around 3 per cent each, according to Web analytics firm StatCounter.

Opera has a small share of the global desktop browser market, but its browser is the most popular in countries like Russia or Ukraine, and its mobile browser is the most widely used browser on handsets.

2009-08-31T12:31:00.000-07:00

JUNK THAT JUICE FOR GOOD : ....STUDY

Call it a trend or just a misconception, but there are many who are convinced that opting for a liquid diet would help them cut down on calories.

But here's the latest on the subject. A new study says that following a liquid diet can lead to weight gain. You can gain more, says the study, than if you were on a normal solid food diet.
How so? The biggest offender, claim researchers, is fruit juice, which is a staple of the liquid diet. Explains an expert "We must differentiate between calorie and obesogenic foods (foods causing weight gain). Liquids like fruit juice are low in calories but there are chances that the person might put on weight because they are pre-processed, so they take time to get digested and are quickly converted into fat."

According to another expert, any diet should be balanced. "One must be careful while choosing a fruit. Fruits with a high glycemic index such as banana, mango etc., have sugar and calories. A lot of people put sugar in their juice, which makes it even more unhealthy. In the process they tend to miss out on so many nutrients, vitamins and fibre when the fruit is converted into juice," he adds.

A nutritionist says, "It takes three to four oranges to make a glass of juice, when you can just eat one or two oranges and be satisfied. The fibre in whole fruits ensures they do not cause huge fluctuations in the blood sugar levels. Dilute the juice and do not drink more than one glass a day. Fresh fruits are the best option." Juice is most effective after a workout to restore muscle and liver glycogen levels for an athlete and physically active adults".

MAN-MADE VOLCANOES TO COOL EARTH?

The Royal Society in London are convinced that manmade volcanoes can help stave off climate change, as it's backing research into simulated volcanic eruptions that will spray millions of tons of dust into the air to cool the earth.
This week, the society will call for a global programme of studies into geo-engineering, which can help devise new ways to manipulate the planet's climate to counter-act global warming. It believes that pouring sulphur-based particles into the upper atmosphere may help keep the planet cool.

Ken Caldeira, an earth scientist at Stanford University and a member of a Royal Society working group, said dust sprayed into the stratosphere in volcanic eruptions could cool the earth by reflecting light back into space.

BRAN MAY WORSEN BOWEL DISORDERS:.....STUDY
Wheat bran and other fibrous foods that do not dissolve easily in water not only fail to soothe irritable bowels, but may actually make things worse, a study reported on Friday.

While soluble types of bran, such as psyllium, appear to ease inflamed bowels, the insoluble varieties that have long been a staple for people in search of regularity don't work as advertised, the study found.

Bran is the hard outer layer of grains. Psyllium, also referred to as isphagula, is derived from the seed husks of the Plantago ovata plant, and is the chief ingredient in many over-the-counter laxatives.

The signature symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which affects about 10 per cent of the population, are abdominal pain and an irregular bowel habit.

In many countries, doctors recommend daily doses of fibre in the form of insoluble bran, but there have been very few rigorous studies to see whether boosting intake of this type of fibre actually works. "Indeed, bran may worsen symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and should be advised only with caution."

Previous studies have linked soluble fibres to healthy blood cholesterol levels and a better regulation of blood sugar levels.

Food sources that contain soluble fibre include psyllium, barley, oatmeal, lentils, fruit and vegetables.

2009-08-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

THE FIRST BATCHES OF SWINE-FLU VACCINE ROLLED OUT FROM BAXTER INC LABS ON FRIDAY
While the first supplies from Baxter went to the British health network, subsequent batches from Baxter and other pharma companies have been booked by countries such as US and UK which are stockpiling the vaccine to ward off a harsher bout of swine flu.
While huge quantities — 195 million and 90 million doses respectively are going to the US and UK
China has 20-odd companies racing to make the vaccine, with Sinovac Biotech perhaps the first company worldwide to complete clinical trials for swine flu vaccine.
WHO said recently that countries in the northern hemisphere had ordered more than a billion doses, sparking warnings about shortages.
Developing a vaccine is the only way to protect people from the disease, which may become severe with the onset of winter and the dire possibility of the H1N1 virus mutating.

BURGLARS USING FACEBOOK, TWITTER TO FIND TARGETS: REPORT
Facebook users enthusing about an upcoming holiday or a recently purchased high-tech gadget may not just be telling their friends but also potential burglars, warns an insurance company.
A survey of 2,092 social media users by British-based Legal & General found nearly four in ten, or 38 percent, of people using social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter post details about holiday plans and 33 percent details of a weekend away.
"Coupled with the finding that an alarmingly high proportion of users are prepared to be 'friends' online with people they don't really know, this presents a serious risk to the security of people's home and contents," said the insurer.
In a report called "The Digital Criminal," Legal & General said people used social media sites to connect with people who were essentially strangers, which could provide potential thieves with vital, personal information.
To test how readily people accepted 'friends' online, Legal & General's survey, conducted by European market researcher Opinion Matters, involved sending out 100 'friend' or 'follow' requests to strangers selected at random.
Of those 13 percent were accepted on Facebook and 92 percent on Twitter -- without any checks.
But despite these new 'friends,' the survey found that nearly two-thirds, or 64 percent, of 16-24 year olds shared their holiday plans, with younger users the most likely to give away information about their whereabouts.
Men were found to be quite relaxed about giving personal information online, with 13 percent including their mobile number on their profile compared with 7 percent of women. Nine percent of men also posted their address compared to 4 percent of women.
"This reaction could result in a complete stranger potentially being able to learn about a person's interests, location and movements in and out of their home," said Legal & General.
Reformed burglar Michael Fraser, who appears in BBC's "Beat The Burglar" series and helped Legal & General prepare the report, said this kind of information was being used by professional burglars to establish a list of targets.
As well as information about trips away, people were posting party photos showing the interiors of homes and also chatting about their cool new purchases and presents.
"I call it "Internet shopping for burglars." It is incredibly easy to use social networking sites to target people, and then scope out more information on their actual home ... all from the comfort of the sofa," said Fraser in a statement.
"There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that burglars are using social networks to develop relationships with people to identify likely targets."

TOON PORN TRAPS NAIVE TWEENS
There was a time when parents worried about the effects of violent video games on their kids. But now, friendly Mickey, silly Tom and Jerry and hilarious Popeye could warrant a warning label. The growing popularity of ‘toon porn’ (animated porn featuring Disney and other children’s cartoon characters) could turn an innocent Google search into an undesirable situation for parents and kids, with 37,80,000 toon porn links being thrown up at the click of a mouse. Because of the deliberately misleading labelling, ‘safe search’ is sometimes rendered ineffective and net-savvy kids, looking online for links to their favourite characters run the risk of being exposed to toon porn websites and images. Once ingenuous curiosity kicks in, download buttons are hit and children as young as nine become consumers of this very adult content. Experts confirm this could lead to not just warped notions about sex, but also behavioural problems.

2009-08-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

NOW KNOW WHERE THE TWEEP IS FROM

Twitter is adding location to its globally popular microblogging service in a move that will let people see where "tweets" are coming from. "We're gearing up to launch a new feature which makes Twitter truly location-aware," Twitter cofounder Biz Stone said in a message posted on Thursday at the San Franciscobased firm's website. "A new API (application programming interface) will allow developers to add latitude and longitude to any tweet." Accurate "tweetlevel" location data would let people switch from tracking messages based on individuals or topics to following microblogging by neighborhood or city, according to Stone.
"It's easy to imagine how this might be interesting in an event like a concert or something more dramatic like an earthquake," Stone wrote. "There will likely be many use cases we haven't even thought of yet which is part of what makes this so exciting."
Outside software developers who create applications for Twitter will be able to experiment with the location API prior to the feature being added to the microblogging service.
Twitter users interested in letting their whereabouts be known will need to activate the new feature, which will be "off" as a default setting. Exact location data will not be stored for extended periods, according to Twitter.
"If people do opt-in to sharing location on a tweetby-tweet basis, compelling context will be added to each burst of information,"Stone said. Outside developers have been incorporating location into Twitter applications "for some time despite having access to only a rudimentary level" of support, according to the microblogging service.

AMAZON, MICROSOFT, YAHOO! TO OPPOSE GOOGLE BOOK PROJECT
Amazon, Microsoft and Yahoo! are planning to join a coalition of library associations and non-profit groups in opposing Google's ambitious book scanning project, US newspapers reported on Friday.The New York Times and Wall Street Journal said the technology heavyweights have agreed to form what is tentatively being called the Open Book Alliance to challenge Google's class action settlement with authors and publishers. The settlement, which gives the Internet search and advertising giant the rights to commercialize digital copies of millions of books, is already facing anti-trust scrutiny from the Justice Department and awaiting court approval. Gary Reback, an anti-trust lawyer in Silicon Valley who is acting as counsel to the Alliance, told the Times the book deal "has enormous, far-reaching anti-competitive consequences that people are just beginning to wake up to. "Reback, who helped persuade the Justice Department to file its anti-trust case against Microsoft in the 1990s, said the group includes the Internet Archive, a San Francisco non-profit which maintains a digital library of websites. The Times said the group plans to make a case to the Justice Department that the arrangement is anti-competitive.It said that members of the Alliance were likely to file objections independently with the US District Court in New York which is set to hold a "fairness hearing" on the deal on October 7. Microsoft and Yahoo! confirmed to the Times that they were participants while Amazon refused to comment. Peter Brantley, a director of the Internet Archive, said the Special Libraries Association, the New York Library Association and the American Society of Journalists and Authors were planning to join the group. He told the Journal its membership would be formally disclosed in the next couple of weeks. Brantley said members of the coalition all see problems with the settlement and are pushing for revisions, but not all necessarily want to see it blocked. The Google Book Search project has come under fire from a number of quarters, including from groups worried about privacy. The American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Samuelson Law, Technology and Public Policy Clinic of the University of California at Berkeley recently wrote to Google chief executive Eric Schmidt expressing concerns about privacy aspects of the deal. "Given the long and troubling history of government and third party efforts to compel libraries and booksellers to turn over records about readers, it is essential that Google Books incorporate strong privacy protections in both the architecture and policies of Google Book Search," they said. Google reached a settlement last year with the Authors Guild and Association of American Publishers on a copyright infringement lawsuit they filed in 2005 over Google's plan to scan millions of books and put them online. Under the settlement, Google agreed to establish an independent "Book Rights Registry," which will provide revenue from sales and advertising to authors and publishers who agree to digitize their books.

LOW-FAT FOOD USELESS:....EXPERTS

Those trying to lose weight may not benefit from the so-called low-fat food, say dietary experts. They warn that some "skinny foods" are no different than chocolates or other high-fat options. They insist that having so-called light food can sometimes result in consuming the same amount of kilojoules as eating "fullfat" varieties.
Experts caution that overeating of low-fat biscuits, light yoghurts and low-carb beers can be waist-bloating. And though many of those items may be light in kilojoules, they could be responsible for hunger pangs only 10 minutes later.
"Recent research suggests people who consume large amounts of diet soft drink do not weigh less than those who don't," the Courier Mail quoted dietician Evangelista as saying.
"This may be because after drinking diet soft drink, the body does not get the fluctuation in bloodglucose levels that helps tell the body we are full. So, drinking diet soft drink may increase food cravings and feelings of hunger," Evangelista added.

2009-08-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

POPCORN MAY HELP KEEP HEART DISEASE and CANCER AT BAY

Eating a bowl of popcorn while watching movies could give your health a boost, according to a new research. Scientists have found that snack foods like popcorn and many popular breakfast cereals contain ''surprisingly large'' amounts of healthful antioxidant substances called ''polyphenols". Polyphenols are a major reason why fruits and vegetables - and foods like chocolate, wine, coffee, and tea - have become famous for their potential role in reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. The is the first-of-its kind study to establish that whole grain cereals - regarded as healthful for their fiber content - and snack foods also were a source of polyphenols. "Early researchers thought the fiber was the active ingredient for these benefits in whole grains, the reason why they may reduce the risk of cancer and coronary heart disease," said Joe Vinson, a chemist at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania and lead author of the study. "But recently, polyphenols emerged as potentially more important. Breakfast cereals, pasta, crackers, and salty snacks constitute over 66 percent of whole grain intake in the U.S. diet," Vinson added. "We found that, in fact, whole grain products have comparable antioxidants per gram to fruits and vegetables. This is the first study to examine total phenol antioxidants in breakfast cereals and snacks, whereas previous studies have measured free antioxidants in the products," he added. Polyphenols are a group of chemicals found in many fruits, vegetables, and other plants, such as berries, walnuts, olives, tea leaves and grapes. Known as antioxidants, they remove free radicals from the body. Free radicals are chemicals that have the potential to cause damage to cells and tissues in the body. According to Vinson, the whole grain cereal with the most antioxidants are made with wheat, with corn, oats and rice cereals following in descending order. He also noted that raisin bran has the highest amount of antioxidants per serving, primarily due to the raisins.Vinson said that bran cereals made from wheat overall do not have more antioxidants than wheat cereals, though they do have more fiber. In other findings, he said that whole grain flours are very high in antioxidants; whole grain snacks have slightly lower levels of antioxidants than cereals; of snacks, popcorn has the highest level of antioxidants; and there is a wide variation in the amount of antioxidants in each class of cold cereal. The study has been presented at the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

COCAINE IN 90% US BANK NOTES........CANADA TOO HAS HIGH LEVELS

You may be carrying a whiff of cocaine in your wallet, purse or pocket if you have US bank notes. In what researchers describe as the largest, most comprehensive analysis to date of cocaine contamination in bank notes, scientists are reporting that cocaine is present in up to 90 per cent of US bank notes. The scientists found traces of cocaine in 95 per cent of the bank notes analysed from Washington D.C. Alone.
Scientists tested bank notes from more than 30 cities in five countries, including the US, Canada, Brazil, China, and Japan, and found "alarming" evidence of cocaine use in many areas. The US and Canada had the highest levels, with an average contamination rate of between 85 and 90 per cent, while China and Japan had the lowest, between 12 and 20 per cent contamination. The study is the first report about cocaine contamination in Chinese and Japanese currencies.
Scientists have known for years that paper money can become contaminated with cocaine during drug deals and directly through drug use such as snorting cocaine through rolled bills. Contamination can spread to bank notes not involved in the illicit drug culture because bills are processed in banks' currency-counting machines.
"To my surprise, we're finding more and more cocaine in bank notes," said study leader Yuegang Zuo, of the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth.

TOP 100 DANGEROUS SITES ENLISTED

Internet security company Norton Symantec has come up with a list of Top 100 dangerous sites, which could infect your computer with malware.
Malware is a software that can damage or compromise a computer system without the owner's consent.
Natalie Connor, the spokeswoman of the anti-virus company, said that even visiting any of the named websites could expose a computer to infection and put the personal information into the hands of unwanted people.
"What people don't realise is when you type in a website, you're bringing down information on a page and with it could be malware," news.com.au quoted her as saying.
The list was compiled with the help of global data collected on Norton Safe Web, a site that analysed websites' security risks.
The infected sites had on average 18,000 threats and 40 per cent of the sites had more than 20,000 threats, while 75 per cent of websites on the list were found to be spreading malware for more than six months.
According to Connor, most websites in the list had adult content with unprintable names, suggesting they contained hardcore pornography.
Some others sites include those on ice skating, deer hunting, catering and legal services.
Hackers can apparently obtain personal information using keystroke-logging software from both PCs and Mac computers.
She said: "The last thing we want to do is scare people, we want to educate them so they know how to protect themselves".
"It's not about the fame any more of creating viruses and getting in the media. They're making money."

2009-08-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

WORLD'S 100 FASTEST GROWING COS: FORTUNE

IT bellwether Infosys Technologies, along with Internet major Google and software giant Apple, has been named among the world''s 100 fastest growing companies by American publication Fortune. The league of 100 is topped by Canada-based Research In Motion, the maker of Blackberry phones.
The list also features Cognizant Technology Solutions, headed by India-origin Chief Executive Francisco D''Souza. Infosys is placed at the 100th place while Cognizant is ranked 90.
Apple and Google are at 39th and 68th spots, respectively. Writing about Infosys, the magazine said, "India''s No 2 IT firm counts Goldman Sachs and UBS among its 570 clients".
Fortune noted that Cognizant attributes a part of its growth to expansion in India and China. Other companies in the list include Nasdaq OMX Group (42), Amazon.
com (52) and Dreamworks Animation SKG (63).

SCIENTIST DEVELOPS VACCINE TO ERADICATE MALARIA

An Indian-origin scientist has created a new vaccine that targets the malaria parasite at a vulnerable point in its development, and, thus, can form part of a strategy to eradicate the disease.
Unlike other vaccines in the pipeline, which are designed to protect individuals who have been bitten, this one aims to sabotage the life cycle of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium, by stopping it from passing back from humans to mosquitoes.
Lead author Nirbhay Kumar, of Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, said that while preventing this transmission wouldn't help an infected individual directly, it would benefit the population as a whole.
"If you are living in a village and the mosquito that bites you gets infected from you, it can transmit the malaria parasite to other people in the village," New Scientist magazine quoted him as saying.
To create the vaccine, he and his colleagues used genetically modified bacteria to make proteins identical to some of those involved in the parasite's sexual development. They injected the proteins into mice and baboons, which generated antibodies.
When the researchers added Plasmodium gametes to blood samples from these animals, the antibodies bound to and blocked the proteins.
If a mosquito sucked up some of this blood, it would still get a bellyful of the gametes, but they would be unable to combine and spawn new adult parasites.
One shot of the vaccine led to a 93 per cent reduction in malaria transmission, and the figure went up to 98 per cent after a booster shot.
The new vaccine could be used alongside another vaccine being developed by GlaxoSmithKline, called RTS,S/AS02A, which blocks Plasmodium transmission from mosquitoes to humans.
By attacking the parasite's life cycle at two points, it may even be possible to wipe out malaria.
"If this vaccine is as promising in clinical trials as it has been in this study, then it may prove to be an important part of an integrated disease-control strategy aimed at eradicating Plasmodium," said Andrew Read of Pennsylvania State University in University Park, who works on the ecology of infectious diseases.
The study has been published in PLoS One.

SOON, A PILL THAT COULD END CURSE OF DIABETES

A pill that could spell the end of type one diabetes has been created by researchers.
The treatment, which could be available within three years, raises hopes that it will spare sufferers the daily ordeal of injecting insulin to stay alive.
Insulin is the hormone that controls blood sugar levels as food is digested. Uncontrolled blood sugar levels are highly dangerous, causing damage to major organs, and without regular insulin injections a diabetic would rapidly lapse into a coma and may die, reports The Daily Express.
Dr Adi Mor, of Tel Aviv University, said, "For the patient the drug is as good as a cure because it will allow the pancreas to continue to make insulin.
"Apart from having to take a daily pill, they would effectively not be diabetic because they would have a functioning pancreas." Initial trial results have just been published in the European Journal of Immunology and the European Journal of Pharmacology.
Mor adapted the drug, called FTS, from one in the final stages of human trials to treat pancreatic cancer. In cancer, the drug stops cells dividing and spreading the disease. In diabetes, research has proved the drug blocks killer T-cells in the immune system. These turn on the pancreas, destroying cells known as islets that release insulin.
Mor said, "We have already proved the drug is safe because of the trials in pancreas cancer. So we should be able to go straight to stage two and then stage three trials in young people with type one diabetes.
"The drug protects the pancreas from immune system attack and allows it to go on making insulin," he said.
Mor said, "FTS has passed toxicity studies so it has the potential to fast-track through regulatory hurdles. A new drug for diabetes could be ready in as little as three years."

GOOGLE USERS SEARCH MORE, VERY LOYAL: STUDY

Search market leader Google Inc holds greater loyalty among its users, who conduct more searches a month than those on Yahoo! and Microsoft, new data issued on Friday showed, posing a challenge for the new team of rivals to Google.
While Yahoo! Inc and Microsoft Corp lag far behind Google in overall search share, their combined search penetration of 73 percent is not far behind Google, at 84 per cent, according to research house comScore, Inc.
Yet Google searchers conduct an average of 54.5 searches a month - about double the number of searches that Yahoo! and Microsoft users conduct combined. They search on average 26.9 times a month, comScore reported.
ComScore also found that Google searchers have the most loyalty, making nearly 70 per cent of their searches on Google sites. People who use Yahoo! and Microsoft sites combined search there about 33 per cent of the time and also use Google heavily.
While Yahoo! and Microsoft, which inked a 10-year Web search deal in July to counter Google, still look up to their rival in terms of market share, they have a "real opportunity to make headway given that nearly three-quarters of all searchers conduct at least one search on these engines every month," said comScore analyst Eli Goodman.
"The challenge will be to create a search experience compelling enough to convert lighter searchers into regular searchers which is generally easier than converting new users," Goodman said in a statement.
If they were able to match how many searches their users make with Google's searchers, Yahoo! and Microsoft, which recently launched its new Bing search engine, would command a more than 40 percent market share, Goodman added.
Google dominates the U.S. core search market with a 65 per cent share of searches in June, compared to a combined 28 percent for Yahoo! and Microsoft sites.

2009-08-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

FACEBOOK TESTING TWITTER-LIKE 'LITE' VERSION

The Internet was buzzing on Wednesday with talk of Facebook testing a streamlined "Lite" version of the social-networking service that could challenge microblogging sensation Twitter. "We are currently testing a simplified alternative to Facebook.com that loads a specific set of features quickly and efficiently," the Internet star said in reply to an inquiry. "Similar to the Facebook experience you get on your mobile phones, Facebook Lite is a fast-loading, simplified version of Facebook that enables people to make comments, accept friend requests, write on people's walls, and look at photos and status updates."Facebook Lite is being tested in India and other countries where new users flooding to the service "are looking to start off with a more simple experience," according to the Palo Alto, California-based firm.A test website at lite.facebook.com was accidentally opened to an expanded audience on Tuesday night, but the slip was caught and traffic routed to standard Facebook pages.Invitations to take part in a private test of "Facebook Lite" evidently reached a variety of US bloggers only to have the enclosed links vanish a short time later."Lite" screen shots captured and posted online revealed a Facebook page devoted to fresh comments and updates from friends in a style that could challenge the real-time interplay at Twitter. Facebook announced on Monday that it has acquired FriendFeed, a Silicon Valley startup which allows members to see what their friends are doing online and share content. Facebook said that the 12 employees of the Mountain View, Californiabased FriendFeed will join Facebook and its four founders will hold senior roles on Facebook's engineering and product teams.

FRUITS, VEGGIES, NUTS KEEP KIDNEY STONES AWAY

A healthy diet helps prevent kidney stones, says a new study. The study, appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN), claims that loading up on fruits, vegetables, nuts, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains, while limiting salt, red and processed meats, and sweetened beverages is an effective way to ward off kidney stones.
To reach the conclusion, Eric Taylor, MD (Maine Medical Center) and his colleagues at Brigham and Women's Hospital conducted a large study. The investigators collected information from individuals enrolled in three clinical studies: the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (45,821 men followed for 18 years), the Nurses' Health Study I (94,108 older women followed for 18 years), and the Nurses'Health Study II (101,837 younger women followed for 14 years).
Dr. Taylor's team assigned a score to each participant based on eight components of a DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) style diet: high intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains and low intake of salt, sweetened beverages,and red and processed meats.
Individuals with higher DASH scores consumed diets that were higher in calcium, potassium, magnesium, oxalate, and vitamin C and lower in sodium. A total of 5,645 incident kidney stones developed in the participants in the three studies. In each study, participants with the highest DASH scores were between 40 per cent and 45 per cent lesslikely to develop kidney stones than participants with the lowest DASH scores.
The reductions in kidney stone risk were independent of age, body size, fluid intake, and other factors. Because a DASH-style diet may affect the development of hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic diseases associated with kidney stones, the researchers also performed an analysis limited to study participants without hypertension or diabetes. Even among those individuals the DASH diet reduced the risk of kidney stones.

TEA HELPS TO CUT STRESS........CONFIRMS RESEARCH

Stressful day? Have a cup of tea to cut down stress. Researchers have proved that the quintessential British habit of having a cup of tea at times of stress is the right way as it has a calming effect. Research, led by psychologist Dr Malcolm Cross at City University London, showed that even a single cup of tea can significantly reduce anxiety levels.

EAT CHOCOLATES.........CUT DEATH RATE

Smaller quantities confer less protection, but are still better than none, according to the study

: Heart attack survivors who eat chocolate two or more times per week cut their risk of dying from heart disease about three fold compared to those who never touch the stuff, scientists have reported. Smaller quantities confer less protection, but are still better than none, according to the study, which appears in the September issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine. Earlier research had established a strong link between cocoa-based confections and lowered blood pressure or improvement in blood flow.
It had also shown that chocolate cuts the rate of heart-related mortality in healthy older men, along with post-menopausal women. But the new study, led by Imre Janszky of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, is the first to demonstrate that consuming chocolate can help ward off the grim reaper if one has suffered acute myocardial infarction or a heart attack.
"It was specific to chocolate -- we found no benefit to sweets in general," said Kenneth Mukamal, a researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and a co-author of the study. "It seems that antioxidants in cocoa are a likely candidate" for explaining the live-saving properties, he said. Antioxidants are compounds that protect against so-called free radicals, molecules which accumulate in the body over time that can damage cells and play a role in heart disease, cancer and the aging process.
"Our findings support increasing evidence that chocolate is a rich source of beneficial bioactive compounds," the researchers concluded.

2009-08-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

AUSTRALIAN CHARGED WITH INFECTING 3,000 COMPUTERS
A 20-year-old Australian man has been charged with infecting more than 3,000 computers around the world with a virus designed to capture banking and credit card data, police said on Thursday.
The man, whose name will not be released until he appears in an Adelaide court on September 4, has been charged with several computer offenses that carry prison terms of up to 10 years, South Australia state police Detective Supt. Jim Jeffery said in a statement. Police also uncovered information that will identify other offenders, Jeffery said.
The man, who lives in the state capital, Adelaide, is also accused of illegally creating a capacity to disable computer systems by bombarding them with unwanted traffic from up to 74,000 computers he controlled around the world. This type of sabotage is known as a distributed denial of service attack.
Police have not said whether the man allegedly used stolen banking information to commit identity fraud.
The arrest followed a three-month investigation involving state and federal computer crime detectives.

MICROSOFT ORDERED TO STOP SELLING WORD IN US
A US judge has ordered Microsoft to stop selling its popular Word document creation application in the country in 60 days after finding that the software contains technology that violates a patent held by a third party. Microsoft Office, which includes Word, accounted for more than $3 billion in worldwide sales in Microsoft's most recent fiscal year and is used by literally millions of businesses and consumers for everyday tasks like word processing and making spreadsheets and presentations. I4i, a Toronto-based software maker, has been battling Microsoft over an obscure patent related to XML or Extensible Markup Language. XML is a key software component of many websites as well as Word and other programs. Upholding a May 20 jury decision on Tuesday, Leonard Davis, a federal district court judge in Tyler, Texas, banned the world's largest software from selling Word 2003 , Word 2007 and future versions of the software that use i4i's technology without a licence. The judge also ordered Microsoft to pay several hefty fines to i4i, including $200 million in damages and $40 million in "enhanced damages"."We feel vindicated with this result," said Michael Vulpe, who co-founded i4i in 1993. "It is not a question of fear or pride or anything else," said Loudon Owen, chairman of i4i. "We're very respectful of Microsoft, but when you're in the right you have to persevere." Microsoft plans to appeal. "We are disappointed by the court's ruling," spokesman Kevin Kutz said in a written statement. "We believe the evidence clearly demonstrated that wedo not infringe and that the i4i patent is invalid." The suit involves a patent i4i's founders obtained in 1998 that is the basis for a "customised XML" tool the company supplies to drug and defence companies and other large corporations, said Owen. XML is a specialised alphabet that can capture any kind of computer file as a regular text. It's designed to make computer data human-readable - and make it easier for one programme to load and process data created by another programme. Judge Davis found that Microsoft was aware of i4i's patent and that there was enough evidence of Microsoft "wilfully infringing" on the patent to issue the injunction, pending continuation of thecase. Investors shrugged off the news - perhaps in anticipation of a higher court overturning the ruling, which arose from the plaintiff-friendly Eastern Texas federal jurisdiction, Information Week reported. Microsoft shares were up 1.6 percent to $23.50 in early trading in the US on Wednesday.

CONSPIRACY THEORY DUBS SWINE FLU AS BIO-TERRORISM

Even as swine flu, described by World Health Organisation (WHO) as the planet's fastest moving pandemic, is claiming its victims by the hour, there are reports that the virus could be the result of bioterrorism. Jane Burgermeister, an Austrian journalist has filed a criminal case against WHO, UNO, several high-ranking government and corporate officials charging them with bio-terrorism and attempts to commit genocide. Though Ms Jane was sacked by Renewable Energy World, the website where she has been employed as a science reporter, the charge has snowballed into a major controversy. Dr Ramasubramanian, an expert in infectious diseases and travel medicine, ruled out Jane's allegation as `bunkum'. "This is a kind of influenza which keeps on attacking humanity from time to time. We had instances of influenza striking the world at different times of the history. Swine Flu is the result of mutation of different viruses. They mutate every few months resulting in the formation of various antigens," said Dr Ramasubramanian.

USERS OF FACEBOOK WARNED

The government of India has warned the users of social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter of a virus that is spreading through these sites targeting the members. Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), under the department of information technology, the apex body that monitors Internet security threats in the country, said a new worm `Koobface''is propagating through social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, hi5, Bebo and Twitter. CERT said the virus is spreading by sending spam containing a message with a link to a video to people on these sites.The virus is particularly dangerous as it uses the infected machine to target other systems.

2009-08-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

US RECESSION TO END IN Q-3

The worst U.S. recession since the Great Depression will probably end in the third quarter, but there is uncertainty over the speed and duration of the economic recovery, according to the most recent survey of private economists.
The Blue Chip Economic Indicators survey of private economists released on Monday showed about 90 percent of the respondents believed the economic downturn would be declared to have ended this quarter.
This upbeat assessment followed recent government data showing gross domestic product (GDP) contracted at a shallow 1.0 percent rate in the second quarter after sinking 6.4 percent in the January-March quarter.
Recent data, including housing and key labor market indicators, have suggested a bottoming in the recession and the the economy close to turning the corner.
"Debate now centers on the speed, strength and durability of the recovery," the survey said.
It showed nearly two-thirds of respondents believed the economy was set for a U-shaped recovery, marked by below-trend growth in gross domestic product before stronger growth took hold in the second half of 2010.
About 17 percent of the respondents anticipated a V-shaped rebound, where growth pulled back to its trend rate on a sustained basis, while the same percentage fretted that a W-shaped recovery could follow, the survey showed.
"In their view, GDP growth will pop higher for a quarter or two only to falter again before a lasting recovery takes hold," the survey said.
Growth in the second half was expected to be supported by a reduction in the pace of business inventory liquidation, marginal improvements in consumer spending and residential investment. The survey predicted non-residential investment would remain a drag on GDP.

IN GOOD SIGN, JOB LOSSES SLOW AS UNEMPLOYMENT DIPS
Employers sharply scaled back layoffs in July, and the unemployment rate dipped for the first time in 15 months, sending a strong signal that the worst recession since World War II is finally ending.
A net total of 247,000 jobs were lost last month, the fewest in a year. That compares with 443,000 jobs that disappeared in June. And the unemployment rate for July declined to 9.4 percent from 9.5 percent in June.
The snapshot the Labor Department released Friday offered other encouraging news, too: Workers' hours nudged up after sinking to a record low in June, and paychecks grew after having stagnated or fallen.
"There's clearly been a turn for the better," said economist Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. "The worst is behind us in terms of layoffs."
Still, the labor market remains on shaky ground. The 247,000 jobs lost in July represent a vast improvement on much higher job losses earlier in the year. But they're a far cry from the positive job growth needed to sustain an economic recovery.
When the economy is healthy, employers need to add a net total of around 125,000 jobs a month just to keep the unemployment rate stable. And to push the jobless rate down to a more normal 5 percent range, it would take stronger job growth — of at least 200,000 jobs a month. Economists say it might take until 2013 to drive down the unemployment rate to 5 percent.
Yet the new figures were better than many analysts were expecting, and they signaled improvements to an economy that has been clobbered by the recession. Analysts had been forecasting that job losses would amount to around 320,000 and that the unemployment rate would tick up to 9.6 percent.
Stocks surged after the report was released. In midmorning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average jumped 152 points, or 1.6 percent, and other stock averages also gained more than 1 percent.
The job cuts made in July were the fewest since August 2008.

TWITTER OFFLINE FOR HOURS WAS TRACED TO AN ATTACK ON A LONE BLOGGER

The outage that knocked Twitter offline for hours was traced to an attack on a lone blogger in the former Soviet republic of Georgia -- but the collateral damage that left millions around the world tweetless showed just how much havoc an isolated cyberdispute can cause."It told us how quickly many people really took Twitter into their hearts,"Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University, said Friday.
Tens of millions of people have come to rely on social media to express their innermost thoughts and to keep up with world news and celebrity gossip.
Twitter "is one of those little amusements that infiltrated the mass behavior in some significant ways, so that when it went away, a lot of people really noticed it and missed it."
The attacks on Thursday also slowed down Facebook and caused problems for the online diary site LiveJournal.
But Twitter, the 140-character-or-less messaging site used by celebrities, businesses and even Iranian protesters, suffered a total outage that lasted several hours.
Those attacks continued Friday from thousands of computers pummeling its servers, said Kazuhiro Gomi, chief technology officer for NTT America Enterprise Hosting Services, which hosts Twitter's service.
Twitter crashed because of a denial-of-service attack, in which hackers command scores of computers toward a single site at the same time to prevent legitimate traffic from getting through.

2009-08-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

BY 2040........EARTH WILL COLLAPSE TO WARMING

STUDY SAYS CO2 TO REACH CRITICAL LEVELS FASTER
A new research has claimed that carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are rising at a faster rate than the worst-case scenario envisaged by United Nations experts, with the planet heading for "catastrophic" and "irreversible" climate change by 2040.The rise of greenhouse gases will trigger an unprecedented rate of global warming that will result in the loss of the ice-covered polar seas by 2020, much of our coral reefs by 2040 and see a 1.4-metre rise in the sea level by 2100, the research predicted.
According to a report in Scotland On Sunday newspaper, the apocalyptic vision has been outlined in a paper by Andrew Brierley of St Andrews University, which is likely to influence the views of UN experts gathering in Copenhagen this December to address global warming.
Brierley and his co-author, Michael Kingsford of the James Cook University in Australia, examined the effect of carbon dioxide emissions on ocean habitats and marine organisms.
The scientists compared current carbon emissions with those forecast in 2007 by the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change.
Brierley said that atmospheric CO2 concentration had increased from preindustrial levels of 280 ppm to 385 ppm last year and was now rising at a rate of 2.5 ppm per year. He described the outlook as "really quite nasty doomand-gloom situation".
"People have looked at how various economic situations, various developments in India and China might impact CO2 admissions and in 2007, they made a series of forecasts and if you take the worstcase scenario, CO2 would be going up by two parts per million," he said.
Brierley and Kingsford said a CO2 level of 450 ppm was the threshold beyond which irreversible change might occur.

FAKE NET POSTCARDS SPREAD VIRUS
Fake Internet postcards circulated through electronic mails worldwide carry links to a deadly virus known as Zeus Bot, according to a new study.
Gary Warner, computer forensics director at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), who led the study, said, Zeus Bot has been named America's most pervasive computer virus, reportedly affecting some 3.6 million computers in the US.
"These fake postcards ask users to click and download to view the contents, and as soon as they do so, the Zeus Bot infects their computers," Warner said.
Once on a computer, Zeus Bot will give cyber criminals access to passwords and account numbers of banks and other sensitive online accounts.
Warner said cyber criminals who are employing the Russian-language Zeus Bot software are using the fake Internet postcards as the latest mechanism to download the virus software onto unaware users' computers.
Once the virus is on a computer it is able to steal website data from victims' machines. It keeps track of infected machines throughout the world and is equipped with tools that allow the criminals to prioritise the banks they want to strike, Warner said.
"When it comes to messages that are supposedly from your bank, eBay or any other site, don't click on the links in an e-mail," Warner said.
"Instead, type the address for the site that the message is coming from into your web browser and log in. If the site has an important message for you, you will be able to find it," he added.

BEETROOT JUICE BOOSTS STAMINA

Opt for some vegetable cure like Popeye. Not spinach, but beetroot juice. British researchers have shown that drinking beetroot juice boosts stamina and could help people exercise for up to 16 per cent longer.The study by researchers at University of Exeter and Peninsula Medical School has for the first time demonstrated that a nitrate in beetroot juice leads to a reduction in oxygen uptake, making exercise less tiring.The reduction in oxygen uptake with drinking beetroot juice to such an extent cannot be achieved by any other known means, including training. The research could help endurance athletes and elderly people or those with cardiovascular, respiratory or metabolic diseases.The study, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. The researchers are not yet sure of the exact mechanism that causes the nitrate in the beetroot juice to boost stamina. However, they suspect it could be a result of the nitrate turning into nitric oxide in the body, reducing the oxygen cost of exercise.“Our study is the first to show that nitrate-rich food can increase exercise endurance. We were amazed by the effects of beetroot juice on oxygen uptake because these effects cannot be achieved by any other known means, including training. I am sure professional and amateur athletes will be interested in the results of this research. I am also keen to explore the relevance of the findings to those people who suffer from poor fitness and may be able to use dietary supplements to help them go about their daily lives,” the University of Exeter’s Prof. Andy Jones said.

2009-08-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

WEB ADDRESSES EXCEED WORLD'S POPULATION
Internet is growing in dimensions every second, so much so that there are more addresses than there are people on Earth, claims the team behind Microsoft's new search engine Bing.
Bing has put the number of web pages at "over 1 trillion", while Google had earlier indexed more than one trillion discreet web addresses.
The current global population stands at more than 6.7 billion, which means that there are about 150 web addresses per person in the world. And this could mean that if a person spent just one minute reading every website in existence, then he or she would be kept busy for 31,000 years, without any sleep.
The largest Internet population belongs to China, with 338 million users online, which is more than there were people in the US. However InternetWorldStats.com (IWS), a website that combines multiple data sources, has claimed that China's online population is more like 298 million. With the rates of India and China still quite low, there is ample room for growth in the coming decade.
But, measuring the online population could be tricky-there are servers, users, per capita numbers, and penetration percentages to evaluate. And thus it is difficult to find a single figure to represent the world online population.
IWS combined data from the UN's International Telecommunications Union, Nielsen Online, GfK and US Census Bureau, and its latest global figures puts the number of internet users in the world at 1,596,270,108. And this is just 23.8 per cent of the estimated 6,0706,993,152 people in the world. But it changes every day.

According to IWS, the top 5 countries with the most internet users are: China-1, US -2 , Japan -3, India-4 ,Brazil -5

FOOD ADDITIVE MIGHT HELP CUT DOWN DISEASE RISK

Scientists have identified a substance in the liver that helps process fat and glucose and may help cut down risk for diabetes, hypertension or cardiac disease.It is a component of common food additive lecithin. It may be possible to deliver lecithin products to control blood lipids in food rather than medication.
"Currently, doctors use drugs called fibrates to treat problems with cholesterol and triglycerides," said study co-author Irfan J. Lodhi, post doctoral fellow in endocrinology and metabolism at the Washington University School of Medicine - St Louis.
"By identifying this substance that occurs naturally in the body - and also happens to be used as a food additive, it may be possible to improve the treatment of lipid disorders and minimise drug side-effects by adding particular varieties of lecithin to food."
Lecithin is found in high concentrations in egg whites. It also is in soybeans, grains, fish, legumes, yeast and peanuts, said a WUSM-SL release.
Most commercially used lecithin comes from soybeans. Lecithin can alter food taste and texture and also can be mixed with water to disperse fats, making it a common additive in margarine, mayonnaise, chocolate and baked goods.

PENTAGON TO BAN TWITTER, FACEBOOK?

The Pentagon is planning to ban Facebook, Twitter, and other social media at US department of defence sites.The prospective ban isn't due to fears that troops might divulge secure information over the sites, or to worries about bad PR. "The mechanisms for social networking were never designed for security and filtering. They make it way too easy for people with bad intentions to push malicious code to unsuspecting users," Wired's Danger Room quoted a source at US Strategic Command, as saying. A recent example is how Guy Kawasaki's Twitter feed was hacked.Someone broke in and posted a link to his feed, that took visitors to a site that installed a Trojan, which was used to take over users'' devices.
The news comes just a day after PBS' MediaShift blog named chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen as one of the best users of Twitter among public officials.

2009-07-30T16:45:00.000-07:00

TEA LOWERS IRON LEVELS

THE CLAIM Drinking tea can lower your levels of iron. THE FACTS With its bounty of antioxidants and relatively moderate levels of caffeine, tea is one of the healthiest beverages around. But drinking tea is said to block the body’s absorption of dietary iron, potentially causing a deficiency. Studies have shown that there is some truth to the idea. Compounds in tea called tannins can act as chelators, binding to minerals and inhibiting the body’s ability to absorb them. Although that can reduce a person’s levels of iron, studies have also found that it is unlikely to have much of an impact.In one study, scientists examined the effect by having people eat a typical meal – a hamburger, string beans and mashed potatoes – and then measuring their iron levels after the meal was combined with various drinks. When the subjects ate the meal with tea, there was a 62 per cent reduction in iron absorption. Drinking coffee resulted in a 35 per cent reduction. Orange juice increased iron absorption by about 85 per cent.But there was a twist. Coffee and tea affected only the levels of non-heme iron, the kind found in grains and vegetables. Heme iron, found in meat, fish and poultry, was unaffected. Because most Americans generally get more iron from their diets than needed, a daily cup or two of coffee or tea is unlikely to lead to low levels of iron.

TRY NATURAL SCENTS TO DE-STRESS YOURSELF
Feeling stressed or fretful? Try savouring the scent of lemon, mango, lavender or other fragrant plants to calm yourself.

Scientists in Japan are presenting the first scientific evidence that inhaling certain fragrances alter gene activity and blood chemistry in ways that can reduce stress levels.
Akio Nakamura, of Saitama University, Japan and colleagues note that people have inhaled the scent of certain plants since ancient times to help reduce stress, fight inflammation and depression, and induce sleep.
Aromatherapy, the use of fragrant plant oils to improve mood and health, has become a popular form of alternative medicine today.
And linalool is one of the most widely used substances to soothe away emotional stress. Until now, however, linalool's exact effects on the body have been a deep mystery.
The scientists exposed lab rats to stressful conditions while inhaling and not inhaling linalool.
Linalool returned stress-elevated levels of neutrophils and lymphocytes - key parts of the immune system - to near-normal levels.
Inhaling linalool also reduced the activity of more than 100 genes that go into overdrive in stressful situations. The findings could form the basis of new blood tests for identifying fragrances that can soothe stress, the researchers say.
These findings were published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

E-MAILS CAN RESURFACE AFTER DELETION......IN THE WRONG HANDS

Beware, emails or Facebook posts or pictures can resurface months after they are deleted -- in the wrong hands or at the wrong time, according to researchers.
'If you care about privacy, the internet today is a very scary place,' said University of Washington (UW) computer scientist Tadayoshi Kohno. 'If people understood the implications of where and how their email is stored, they might be more careful or not use it as often.'
For instance, a lost cell phone can expose personal photos or text messages. A legal investigation can subpoena the entire contents of a home or work computer, uncovering incriminating, inconvenient or just embarrassing details from the past.
The team of UW computer scientists developed a prototype system called Vanish that can place a time limit on text uploaded to any web service through a web browser. After a set time text written using Vanish will, in essence, self-destruct.
Study co-authors include Roxana Geambasu, Tadayoshi Kohno, Hank Levy and Amit Levy, all with UW's department of computer science and engineering.
'When you send out a sensitive email to a few friends you have no idea where that email is going to end up,' Geambasu said.
'For instance, your friend could lose her laptop or cell phone, her data could be exposed by a hacker, or a subpoena could require your e-mail service to reveal your messages. If you want to ensure that your message never gets out, how do you do that?'
Many people believe that pressing the 'delete' button will make their data go away. 'The reality is that many web services archive data indefinitely, well after you've pressed delete,' Geambasu said.
Simply encrypting the data can be risky in the long term, the researchers say. The data can be exposed years later, for example, by legal actions that force an individual or company to reveal the encryption key.
'In today's world, private information is scattered all over the internet, and we can't control the lifetime of that data,' said Levy.
'And as we transition to a future based on cloud computing, where enormous, anonymous data centres run the vast majority of our applications and store nearly all of our data, we will lose even more control.'
Researchers compare using Vanish to writing a message in the sand at low tide, where it can be read for only a few hours before the tide comes in and permanently washes it away.
Erasing the data doesn't require any special action by the sender, the recipient or any third party service.
A paper about the project went public on Tuesday and will be presented at the Usenix Security Symposium Aug 10-14 in Montreal, Canada.

2009-07-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

ARTIFICIAL BRAIN IN NEXT 10 YEARS

EXPERT SAYS IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE

The project aims to recreate neurons which are used by human brain to process information by sending signals.
A functional artificial human brain will be possible in the next 10 years, according to neuroscientist Henry Markram, who made the announcement at TED Global 2009 at Oxford. Dr Markram is director of Blue Brain Project, a supercomputing project that can model components of the mammalian brain to precise cellular detail and simulate their activity in 3D. He has already created parts of a fully functioning rat brain.
The project, which was started in 2005, aims to recreate neurons, which are used by human brain to process information by sending electrical signals from neuron to neuron. In the cerebral cortex, neurons are organised into basic functional units, like microcircuits in a computer. This microcircuit, known as the neocortical column (NCC), is repeated millions of times across the cortex.
The Blue Brain project aims to re-create this fundamental microcircuit, down to the level of biologically accurate individual neurons, and this can then be used in simulations.
The difference between the brain of a mouse and the brain of a human is basically just volume -- humans have many more neocortical columns and thus more neurons than mice. "It is not impossible to build a human brain and we can do it in 10 years. And if we do succeed, we will send a hologram to TED to talk,"said Dr Markram at the conference. The artificial brain would help understand the mysteries of human brain and help find treatments for mental disorders, which afflict about two billion people in the world.
Neurons are so complicated that one laptop is needed to do all the calculations for one neuron, said Dr Markram.
TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a multi-disciplinary academic group which promotes ideas.

DIAMONDS FROM MJ'S BURNT HAIR .......RUMOUR?

Since Michael Jackson's sudden death on June 25, the rumour mill over details of his bizarre personal life has ground away nearly non-stop, and on Friday, one company said it was turning his hair into diamonds. That one is true. The claims this week included a report in Rolling Stone magazine that a prosthetic nose he wore apparently went missing when he was taken to the morgue, and a British tabloid trumpeted a headline that he fathered a secret love-child.
In one by-product of the "Thriller" singer's death, a Chicago company said on Friday it had obtained some of the hair Jackson burned while filming a 1984 Pepsi commercial and planned to create a limited edition of diamonds from it.
"This is for real," said Dean Vanden Biesen, founder of LifeGem, which has a patent on a process that extracts carbon from hair, turns it into crystals , and then into high-quality laboratory diamonds.
Vanden Biesen told Reuters he thought the company could make about 10 diamonds. No sale price has been set but Vanden Biesen said LifeGem created three diamonds from locks of Beethoven's hair in 2007, and sold one of them for around $200,000. Separately, the August 6 issue of Rolling Stone magazine reported that not only was the left arm of Jackson's dead body "scored with needle marks" but his nose was also missing.

FACEBOOK CUTS WORK EFFICIENCY !

The average worker uses it for 15 minutes a day, and most couldn't come up with a legitimate "business reason" for logging on.
FACEBOOK LOVERS, here is another survey showing how employee productivity is robbed at workplaces. So put a limit on its usage before employers and the bosses put a stop on its usage at work.While it won't make employers popular, restricting Facebook can reclaim lost productivity.
A new study by Boston IT advisory firm, Nucleus Research finds that, company that allow users to access Facebook in the workplace lose an average 1.5 per cent in total worker productivity.
Nearly half of employees in the recent "social networking" study use Facebook during work hours some as much as two hours per day. The average worker uses it for 15 minutes a day, and most couldn't come up with a legitimate "business reason" for logging on.
The survey says about 77 per cent of workers who have a Facebook account use it during work hours.
And "some" employees use the social networking site as much as two hours a day at work, the study found. Nucleus Research did not say how many workers fit into that category, but did note that one in 33 workers surveyed only used Facebook at work.

2009-07-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

GOOGLE INTRODUCES "END OF LIFE" SERVICES

FACILITY ENABLES STORAGE OF MEDICAL RECORDS
Internet giant Google has invited people to store "end-of-life" wishes on its free online health records management service.Google Health made available "advance directive" forms on which people can specify what they want doctors to do or not do in the event they are too ill or injured to express their wishes.
Forms created with collaboration from an organisation specialising in elder care are available free for download online and can be customised to the laws in the United States, according to Roni Zeiger and Julie Wilner of the Google Health team. "An advance directive allows you to determine your end-of-life wishes so that your family and doctor can honour them if you get sick and are unable to communicate," Wilner and Zeiger said in a message at Google's official blog.
"The decision to sign an advance directive is an important and personal one, and Google Health now makes it a little bit easier."
The service recently added a feature that lets people upload scanned medical records to profiles for storage or selective sharing.
"We would like to reduce the unnecessary use of paper in patient care,"Zeiger and Wilner wrote.
"We hope someday we'll move beyond paper, but until then Google Health can help you store your paper medical records electronically, including an advance directive, in one safe place.

YAHOO, MICROSOFT CLOSE TO DEAL

Is Yahoo-Microsoft deal finally happening? Yes almost, says a report in All Things Digital. According to the news report, the two companies are very close to entering a search and online advertising deal.
The report adds that top Microsoft executives, including SVP of the Online Audience Business Group Yusuf Mehdi, search head Satya Nadella and top digital exec Qi Lu, and many others, have flown down to Silicon Valley from their Redmond, HQ to iron out the remaining issues. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer though not part of the entourage is also said to be involved in the talks.
Though there are different versions of the deal, the report says that they all include Microsoft paying Yahoo several billion dollars upfront to take over its search advertising business and guarantee certain payments back. The deal is also reported to have a display advertising element which would likely have Yahoo take the lead in selling premium advertising for the companies.
If all goes well, a deal could be announced within the next week itself, says the news report quoting sources at both the companies.

SIZE ZERO IN A PILL
The global obsession with losing weight was never more apparent as it is this week. A clutch of new studies showed how some of the world's best research centres are spending millions in the hunt for the elusive no-pain, no-sweat weight-reduction pill. The Excercise pill.
The most different slimming solution came from scientists from the Harvard Medical School, which reported that they were a close to developing a pill to help people exercise. Their study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, showed that physical activity in very overweight mice doubled when a hormone called leptin was switched on in their brain. Leptin was identified 15 years ago as a hormone that curbed appetite and led to weight loss. Harvard scientists now hope to build on the research to create pills to help people get more active without realising it. Next came the July 13 study in Nature Chemical Biology, which reported how new fat-busting pill led fat mice losing one-fourth of their body weight. The drug reduced the body weight of mice by a quarter and fat mass by 42 per cent after a week, with follow-up experiments over the month showing even more dramatic loss of up to 62.9 per cent! The fat-burners.
There's more. On July 17, the journal Diabetes reported that a pill derived from naringenin, which gives grapefuit its bitter flavour, caused weight loss by prodding the liver to burn fat after a meal instead of storing it. Simply put, the pill causes weight loss without a change in diet. The bad news is that these wonder drugs are still in the pipeline and will take some years to hit the chemists. Till then, you have to fall back on the tried-and-tested weight-loss mantra of diet and exercise.For a one kilogram loss in a week, you have to survive on a near-starvation diet of 400 calories (one masala dosa or one large McDonald's Fries) a day if you are a sedentary women (recommended intake is 1,500 calories a day) and 700 calories if you are a man (recommended intake is 1,800). Only aerobic exercise and weight training, not yoga - can help you lose weight and keep it off.

2009-07-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

A THINKING CAP THAT BOOST BRAIN POWER

It’s often said that the spark of genius lurks hidden within all of us. And now, scientists have claimed that a “thinking cap” which could enhance the brain’s ability to learn has moved a step closer. Ateam at the University of British Columbia came to this conclusion after it carried out a study which found that magnets could boost brain power.In fact, the scientists discovered that the ability of the brain to learn a task and remember was greatly enhanced when a magnetic pulse was applied to the premotor cortex i.e., the area of the brain just behind the forehead. According to lead scientist Lara Boyd, the technique could be used to enhance intellectual capacity and help those with learning difficulties and eventually lead to a “thinking cap”. The Daily Telegraph reported. “With this tool we hope to be able to promote learning in patient populations who otherwise have great difficulty in acquiring new motor skills. We are actively investigating this possibility right now in my lab,” she said.

G-14 MAY REPLACE G-8
The G8 summit wound up here on Friday with a wary acknowledgement of its growing irrelevance as the world's premier power block. The G14 is rising from its ashes, a much more inclusive body, with developed and developing countries on an equal footing.
The intimation of G-8's impending loss came from the host of the summit, Italian President Silvio Berlusconi. ``We saw that G8 is no longer a suitable format to show a global economic way of doing. Instead, a consolidated G-14 representing 80% of the world economy could help create a real dialogue. We want to see if the G14 is the best solution for debates which will bring to us unique results.''
Berlusconi was merely echoing the creeping realisation among the G-8 countries that the steady decline of the developed nations, coupled with the rapid rise of developing countries like India and China, had rendered the rich club irrelevant.
The deliberations of the G8 and G5 saw even French President Nicholas Sarkozy making a strong case for the G14 to deal with issues of global governance after President Lula of Brazil spoke about the idea of a new group. .
Many seemed to feel it was a matter of time before the G8 was replaced by a G14 comprising India, the US, China, Russia, Japan, France, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Canada, the UK, Italy and one more country, possibly Egypt.
Italian newspapers headlined their report on Berlusconi's remarks thus: `The G8 is over, now we need a G14'. It's been a while since rapid changes in the global balance of economic power have turned the G8--which started as a fireside chat among seven industrialised countries (Russia came in after the end of the Cold War)--into an anachronism.
Recognising that their diminution in the global power stakes made their swagger on the global stage seem unreal, the rich countries were forced to reach out to India, China and other developing countries five years ago.
The grudging effort termed ``outreach'' to make the group more representative was half-hearted, with the invitees being denied voting rights--their contributions were limited to endorsing the professed pious intentions of the developed world towards the rest of the world and to turning up for the photo-ops. In fact, the G8 declarations were published even before the outreach countries had a chance to meet.

2009-07-06T17:24:00.000-07:00

THE GREATEST JOY IN LIFE IS TO UNDERSTAND
It’s a fantastic privilege to be given a chance to live, think and learn, feels eminent scientist and educationist. Eyes are filled with a thousand questions. you can still see them dance with a hint of mischief.

Children must be understood by listening to their curious questions. Education should allow children to ask questions that transcend the limits prescribed by school examinations. One must love answering their curious questions — earthworms, which fertilise the soil thereby balancing the ecosystem. Children are the stem cells of society and they make life a marvellous Life — they keep you thinking about precious gift. It’s a fantastic privilege to be given a chance to live, think and learn — to get to know people and to understand the universe. You must be engaged with problems, having issues with nature and asking why the universe exists, is the stuff life’s made of! while for most of us, hobbies are activities which we do in our free time. Life is a hobby and retirement from your vocation is by no means an excuse for free time. In your mind, you must as busy as you were whilst you was working full time.Even though you are old now, you must be an active contributor to society. It’s great to be born a human being, it’s fun, you must be always been happy and engaged … the biggest joy of life is to understand.

CUT DOWN TRIGLYCERIDES
Triglycerides are a form of fat that floats in our bloodstream. If you have high triglycerides and VLDL values, you need to get these back to normal. Their main function is to supply fuel to the body so that it may do its chores. Unchecked, they can jam the arteries and set up the negative process of atherosclerosis thus increasing the risk of angina, heart attacks and stroke. Why not cut their untidy levels? Eat less. Keep a watch on your calories as all excess calories turn into fat and triglycerides.Curtail dairy fats. Saturated dairy fats, which are basically “hard” animal fats like butter, malai, desi ghee,and cheese, should be reduced to 10 per cent of calories or less.Take plenty of fibre. Water-soluble fibre, found in fruits, green leafy vegetables, oat bran, legumes, whole grains etc., binds cholesterol to it in the intestines and causes it to be excreted from the body. This lowers our LDL levels and causes an increase in the healthy HDL levels. Use a sensible cooking medium. Polyunsaturated vegetable oils can actually help decrease levels of both cholesterol and triglycerides. Good oils include safflower,sunflower,wheat germ, corn, canola and mustard oil. Too much sugar is bad. Table sugar and desserts by the sheer load of their calories can burden you with increasing cholesterol and triglyceride levels. There are many foods that may lower blood cholesterol, lower triglycerides, raise HDL levels, or make platelets less likely to clump. Garlic, onions, and ginger are good. Natural vitamins and minerals are useful. Foods that are naturally rich in vitamins C, E, B6, niacin, magnesium, calcium, zinc, copper,chromium, selenium, carnitine and lecithin may play a role in decreasing the risk of fatty plaque formation in the arteries.Exercise is a must. Just 30 minutes of aerobic exercise four or five times per week may lower cholesterol and raise HDL levels.If these measures do not yield expected results, talk to your doctor. He can start you on medicines that can lower the triglycerides.

CONFRONT AND CHALLENGE ARE LIFE’S TRIALS

Hardship builds character. One can never become a person of extraordinary character just by leading an ordinary life and avoiding difficulties. you may be experiencing great pain because of deeprooted problems. This will rise anger in you. You must not feel defeated, learning to laugh off defeat and encouraging yourself will strengthen you. Don,t give up. Remember they can segragate you. But they con't control your mind. Your mind is still yours. If there’s one thing you’ve got to hold onto, it’s the courage to fight. As long as we are alive we cannot be free of difficulties nor spared from problems. The question is how to overcome and resolve them. And there is only one answer: to confront and challenge life’s trials head on. In doing so we can actually change them into sources of joy.Hardship builds character. One can never become a person of extraordinary character just by leading an ordinary and peaceful life and avoiding difficulties. Life involves scaling one mountain, then the next, then the one after that. The person who keeps on going, one step at a time, and finally conquers the highest mountain, will have a real sense of victory in life. But someone who avoids challenges will gradually descend into the valleys. Such a person, when faced with a problem, tends to think, “I know I should take action, but it will be very difficult.”When it is time to act, this kind of person tends to turn away. Someone who perseveres will rise to the challenge however, determining, “It will be very difficult, but I must take action.” A diamond, the king of jewels, is the hardest and brightest of minerals. Just as diamonds crystallise when carbon buried deep underground is subjected to extremely high pressure and temperatures, so, when we forge our lives under the intense pressure of difficulties and in the severe heat of hardship, we can develop a beautiful and strong sense of self. Often the biggest obstacle in meeting life’s challenges is actually our own fear of failure. But it is not failure that we should fear.The only failure comes when we allow our fear to prevent us from taking on new and unknown challenges. Just about every important figure in history has in fact lived a life marked by one mishap after another. But these people rose up again after every setback, prodded on by a spirit that refused to concede defeat.Even if you have problems, even if you have done things you regret, or have made mistakes, your whole future still lies ahead of you. If you can just keep moving forward, telling yourself, “I’ll start from today,” “I’ll start afresh from now, from this moment,” then a whole new world of possibilities will open up before you.

2009-06-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

MARIJUANA AFFECTS COGNITION

Marijuana enthusiasts go to the extent of calling it ‘Herbal’, insisting that it is not addictive and therefore not dangerous. Any drug abuse affects the brain, body and the mind, and marijuana in particular causes the user to develop an intense psychological dence, if not a physical dependence. The dependent become part of a restricted social circle, and a social sub-culture, since ‘weed’ is rarely smoked alone, the individual then gets dependent on that particular circle, and all other social relationships - work and family life become dysfunctional. It does not end there, abuse of the drug also affects cognition and memory— the power to grasp and process information weakens, and some individuals may also experience symptoms of paranoid psychosis, similar to those of schizophrenia. Studies have linked long term marijuana abuse to higher rates of suicide and inter-tissue fibrosis. The commonly abused pharmacy drugs include anabolic steroids, used for body-building and performance enhancing drugs that are taken to keep fit, or cope with a demanding job, sleeping pills, from the benzodiazepine group are indiscriminately, dependence. These drugs also cause severe physical popped and with effects similar to those dependence on alcohol.

CAVEMEN THERAPY

Depression is the bye product of a modern lifestyle...The only cure? THE ONLY CURE IS TO GO BACK TO PRIMITIVE WAYS OF LIVING. A new book suggests that cavemen therapy is the best way to beat depression. Dr Stephen Illardi in his book The Depression Cure says that ‘depression is a disease of modernity’. The only cure is to go back to the primitive ways of living and socialising“We are designed for a dif ferent time and place when people were physically active, were outside in the sun, spent facetime with their friends and loved ones, had a much different diet, got much more sleep, and less in the way of a relentless, stress-filled existence.

Exposure to the sun is something that an expert therapist recommends. “Look at some of the symptoms of depression — psychomotor retardation or general slowing down, social withdrawal, appetite disturbances, sleep disturbances, lack of interest in general which also prevents a person from wanting to go out. If on a regular basis one would take care of these aspects, the possibility of getting depressed gets reduced considerably. Another expert feels depression is nothing but suppressed rage “Suppression of anything especially rage is a ticking time bomb! Every person has their own threshold of pain and their own breaking points. Some people have developed better shock absorbers to cushion the bumpy road of life. Aspiring for things and leading a fast paced life is not bad if it brings happiness, and you have the necessary tools to cope. Yet another expert says philosophically,Depression is nothing but living in the events of the past. There is nothing depressive about the present or the future. What is done is done. Whatever will be will be. Long working hours, sedentary and isolated lifestyles are not the only reasons why people get depressed. Depression is something that also happens in rural areas. It’s not always a hectic lifestyle that can cause it. Many times it is relationship problems that are the cause. Connecting yourself with nature is a great way to attain bliss. There is no denying the fact that our current lifestyle doesn’t even allow us to notice what is happening around us. If we constantly try to push ourselves against deadlines we will only end up as nervous wrecks. Also, if we only work we will end up feeling very emotionally malnourished, isolated, and lonely. The modern humans should re-connect with primitive ways by eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, among other things. Most people neglect to rejuvenate, replenish and renew along the way. Yoga, exercise, a healthy dose of loving, cuddles and lots of laughter can make modern life exhilarating, not demanding! Isn’t it time then that we reclaim these protective features from the past?

MICHAEL JACKSON WILL BE REBORN FEMALE

O the world has ever seen, billions of fans of Michael Jackson find themselves unable to come to terms the day after the passing of arguably the greatest entertainer pop. And wishful thinking would have one believe that somewhere, sometime soon, another avatar of the musical phenomenon would be born who would emerge as an even greater musician that MJ himself. At least, that’s what Dr. Walter Semkiw would have you believe with the loss of the king. The occupational medicine physician has been actively involved in reincarnation research since 1996 and is the author of books like Return of the Revolutionaries, Born Again and Origin of the Soul. Walter who was in Chennai (India) to discuss these theories says that from one incarnation to the other, people retain a similar facial structure, characteristic traits, handwriting and even personal hobbies. He explains, “In his previous birth, Michael was born as Charles Dassoucy, a Frenchman who called himself the Emperor of Entertainers. This was during the 1600s. Similarly, in another incarnation of his during 1,000 AD, Jackson was born as a young soldier who got enlisted for battle during the Christian crusades. When he lost his life in one of those battles, his chance at boyhood was lost. Which is why in his subsequent birth Michael Jackson, always craved for the pleasures of being a child.” Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, US president Barack Obama and film stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan — all have walked the earth in their past lives. He says, “Although I do not know when, but MJ will certainly be born once again. In his re-incarnation, he could be even born as a woman.”

2009-06-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

US TO REVAMP IMMIGRATION SERVICES, CUT RED TAPE...OBAMA
US President Barack Obama has vowed to revamp and ensure more transparency in the country's Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within 90 days, using cutting-edge technologies, which will help Indian-Americans applying for Green Card.
Obama told a select bi-partisan group of Congressmen that the new system would be in place in the next 90 days, in which the USCIS will launch a vastly improved website. He said it will not only reduce the paperwork, but also the backlog and bring in more transparency into the system.
The changes would help thousands of Indian-Americans who apply for permanent residency or Green Card, citizenship or approach USCIS for various immigration issues, but have to experience an agonising wait.
Obama said the new website, will for the first time, allow applicants to get updates on their status of their applications via e-mail and text message and online.
"Anybody who's dealt with families who are trying to deal with -- navigate the immigration system, this is going to save them huge amounts of time standing in line, waiting around, making phone calls, being put on hold," Obama said in his remarks before a group of Congressmen whom he had invited to discuss immigration system.
It is an example of some things that we can do administratively even as we are working through difficult issues surrounding comprehensive immigration, he said.

US ADMITS IT NEEDS H-1B VISAS TO AVOID 'DISADVANTAGE'
In the first-ever indication of its stand on H-1B visas popular among Indian professionals, the Obama administration has informed a court that the US needs this scheme to avoid "competitive disadvantage" the American companies could face otherwise.
A submission in this regard was recently filed by Michael F Hertz, acting assistant attorney general, in response to a lawsuit filed by a group of three US bodies, nine individuals and two students challenging government's decision to extend from one year to 29 months the duration of foreign nationals with engineering, science and other technical degrees who can work in the US on student visas.
This was a policy decision by previous Bush government, which was challenged in a lower court in New Jersey last year and was summarily dismissed. The same petitioners approached the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia last month.
The Obama administration's view point was expressed in its submission before the Philadelphia court on March 23.
"The inability of US employers, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, to obtain H-1B status for highly skilled foreign students and foreign non-immigrant workers has adversely affected the ability of US employers to recruit and retain skilled workers and creates a competitive disadvantage for US companies," the US government argued.
Defending the policy of the Bush administration on extension of work permit to foreign students with degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by 17 months, the new government argued that this is necessary to retain these foreign students in America.
Otherwise, it said, they would have no other option but to return or go to other countries for employment. With there being great rush for H-1B visas, extension of work permit to those holding F-1 (student visa) is a justifiable way to retain this talent, it argued.
The extension of time simply allows these students to avoid the hardship of leaving the country to change their status and gives the employers ample time to file H-1B petitions on their behalf in due course.
The Acting Assistant Attorney General noted that had the government not extended the work permit of foreign students in STEM category, some 10,000 students holding H-1B visas for the fiscal 2009 would have had to leave the country within 60 days as required by law or extend their F-1 status by enrolling in another course of study.
"As indicated in the IFR (Interim Final Rule) there is an important economic interest for the United States in keeping STEM graduates from going to other countries that are providing increased opportunities to these students," the US government said in its petition.
"The IFR would help attract STEM students to the United States. Otherwise, United States will lose skilled technical workers in great need by high-tech industries."

US H-1B VISA RESTRICTIONS TO END IN TWO YEARS
The US government's controversial restriction on companies hiring skilled foreign workers with non-immigrant H-1B visas will continue for only two years, the immigration department has said.
As part of a stimulus package passed last month for revival of the economy, President Barack Obama signed a new law, named "Employ American Workers Act", which makes it difficult for the companies having received government bailout funds to hire H-1B foreign workers.
However, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), in a circular issued with its invitation of H-1B applications for the next fiscal, has now made it clear that the EAWA requirements are not permanent and would "sunset two years from the date of enactment."
EAWA, which prevents a company from displacing US workers when hiring H-1B specialty occupation workers if the company received stimulus funds, took effect on February 17, 2009 and it applies to any "hire" taking place before February 17, 2011.
The Act defines "hire" as an employer permitting a new employee to commence a period of employment; that is, the introduction of a new employee to the employer's US workforce.
USCIS has said that it would begin accepting H-1B visa applications from April 1 for the next fiscal and would subject the applications to various terms and conditions related to EAWA.

2009-06-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

GOOGLE GOES OFFLINE IN CHINA
Internet users in China were unable to access search giant Google Inc's main website or its Chinese service, and the company said that it was investigating.
The outage came after the China Internet Illegal Information Reporting Center last week accused Google of providing links to vulgar and obscene sites.
Google, based in Mountainview, California, said it would do more to stop users in China from accessing pornography. The outage began late Wednesday and affected Google's main site, its Gmail.com email service and its China-based site, Google.cn. On Thursday, all three were accessible from a computer in Beijing, but users in two other cities said they could not open Google's main site or Gmail.
"We are investigating the matter and hope the service will be restored soon," Google spokesman John Pinette in Hong Kong said.
The Chinese agency that oversees the Internet, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
China has the world's largest population of Internet users at more than 298 million. The communist government has the world's most extensive Web monitoring and filtering system, and it regularly blocks access to foreign Web sites.
While the government claims the main targets are pornography, online gambling, and other sites deemed harmful to society, critics say that often acts as cover for detecting and blocking sensitive political content.
Authorities launched a crackdown this year that led to the closing of more than 1,900 porn-related Web sites. Google has struggled to expand in China, where it says it has about 30 per cent of the search market. The company launched Google.cn with a Chinese partner after seeing its market share erode as government filters slowed access to its US service.

STRESS LEADS TO BOWEL DISORDERS

Have you ever wondered why you have severe cramps in your stomach when you are stressed? Or why specialists ask you to relax when you have an upset tummy? The gut and brain are closely connected. Doctors call gut the second brain because it has numerous nerve cells and direct nerve connections to the brain.
Patients who have bowel disorders are usually a disturbed lot. It should not be mistaken for a psychosomatic condition. Stress triggers bowel dysfunction. With an irritable bowel, a person is forced to stay put at home, away from the daily routine. Bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or constipation (sometimes these alternate) could be symptoms of a bowel disorder.
The primary reason you should go to a doctor is to rule out problems like inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers, colitis, Crohn's disease or colon cancer, after every other disease is ruled out, a diagnosis for irritable bowel is made. Even after treatment, the problem might resurface in a few months."
GUT FEEL
Gut is referred to as the human body's second brain. Scientists have shown that the brain and gut communicate back and forth via major nerves extending from the base of the brain to the abdomen.
With the nerve connection, they directly influence each other. This probably also explains why you have butterflies in your stomach before an exam or an interview. Or why you feel extremely low when you have loose motion or constipation.

2009-06-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

ASTROLOGICAL CURE FOR HEART DISEASE

Curing heart ail ments through astrology may sound bizarre, but Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi (India) has taken up such a project. After deliberations and a series of University interviews, University Grants Commission (UGC) has allowed them to start the project. They have finally received an approval letter.The project is on how to prevent and cure heart related diseases through astrology. Shatrughan Tripathi, a professor in the astrology department of Banaras Hindu University says "Astrology is a therapy too. In fact", he said, the ancient books are replete with mentions of diseases and treatments “Through astrology one can diagnose heart diseases in human beings, when it can happen, and during what situations it can happen. We are not doing anything new, all these diseases have been mentioned in our ancient holy books. We are trying to bring the same things to the people, but in a scientific manner,” he said. The University Grants Commission sponsored project is expected to revive scientific study of astrology and the “relation between ailments and planetary positions”.

SOOTHING THERAPY - Music helps keep your heart in perfect rhythm

Doctors claimed that it can help keep your heart in rhythm. Previous studies have shown that music reduces stress, boosts athletic performance and also enhances the motor skills of people with neurological impairments. Now, a team found that music affects the heart, arteries and lungs in ways which could be used to help patients with circulatory conditions. The study found swelling crescendos increase the listener’s blood pressure and heart and respiration rates, while relaxing passages of music do the opposite, leading British paper the Daily Mail reported. Lead researcher Luciano Bernardi said: music really have the power to heal? Scientists have found predictable change in the cardiovascular system.These findings increase our understanding of how music could be used in rehabilitative medicine.” Researchers who played random classical tracks to 24 volunteers found that music affected the participants’ bodies, during which their blood vessels dilated and heart rate and blood pressure reduced.

INDIAN FIRMS ACQUIRE 143 US COMPANIES, CREATE 30,000 JOBS

Indian companies made 143 acquisitions across various sectors in the United States over the last two years, bailed out many companies on the brink of closure and created some 30,000 jobs, according to a seminal new study.
In 2007-08 alone, 94 deals between the range of $0.8 million and $1,005 million were concluded with the disclosed value in 55 deals totalling $4,432 million, according to the joint study released by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Ernst and Young.
In 2008-09, Indian companies were involved in 49 US-bound acquisitions. Of these, deal values were disclosed in 24 cases and their value totalled $960 million. The size of the deals were in the range of $0.70 million and $172 million, the report noted.
Indian Ambassador to the US Meera Shankar released the study titled 'India Contributes to Employment, Capital Growth and Tax Revenues in the US - Direct Investment by Indian companies in 2007-2009' at a function at the East West Centre here Tuesday.
Speaking of a transformation that the India-US bilateral relationship had witnessed in recent years, Shankar highlighted the complementarities and convergences in the relationship.
The US being the largest economy in the world was naturally a key economic partner for India, she said pointing out the growing two-way investment between both countries.
FICCI President Harsh Pati Singhania and Secretary General Dr. Amit Mitra also spoke about the developing economic ties between India and the US and the numerous opportunities for further cooperation.
The study shows that IT&ITeS (information technology and information technology enabled service), consumer products, pharmaceutical and manufacturing are the key sectors where companies are active in outbound acquisitions.
However, the IT&ITeS sector is the sector where a majority of the deals took place. The IT&ITeS sector, in fact, accounted for 50 percent of the total number of deals in 2007-08 and 40 percent of the total number of deals in 2008-09.
The report attributed the rise in Indian outbound investments to the US to strong economic growth, and easy availability of debt finance for companies.
Several Indian multinationals are still looking at acquiring US companies, despite the economic downturn which has raised the cost of overseas acquisitions.

2009-06-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

PARENTS CAN SPY ON KIDS'S MOBILE PHONES
Parents will soon be able to “keep an eye” on their kids’ mobiles phones, thanks to technology already in use by American cops. Parents can receive alerts in the form of SMS and email every time their child gets a call from an “unapproved” number. My Mobile Watchdog, which is set to be launched in August for about $12 per month, will also let parents to view any text messages, emails, pictures and calls made to and from their kid’s mobile. The Colorado police were said to have nabbed more than 50 paedophiles with the technology since last year,and parents maybe expected to put it to same use. Mr Geoff Sondergeld, managing director Australian distributor of such “snooping” would indicate a failure of a good parenting job and would also violated children’s Direct Connections, said that it was intended at parents of kids between eight to 16 since they were “overwhelmingly unaware who was contacting their kids”“And they are worried the people contacting their kids could be bullies or sexual predators,”the Courier Mail quoted him as saying. But civil libertarians said rights to privacy.

MOST FEARFUL MEMORIES FADE WITH TIME
Debunking the traditional view that memories are difficult to erase, a new study shows that even our most fearful memories get erased over time.
Researchers at Montreal-based McGill University have discovered molecular mechanisms that regulate how a human brain recalls, restores and even changes old memories.
This process, called memory re-consolidation, provides clues into how memory works, said a university statement on Sunday.
The researchers also identified brain mechanisms that determine whether a memory will or will not undergo re-consolidation.
Led by Professor Karim Nader, the researchers found that even our most fearful memories, which initially don't undergo re-consolidation, get unwired over time.
"The old theory is that once a memory is wired in your brain, it stays that way. But our discovery shows that once you remember something, it doesn't stay wired in your brain, it becomes unwired and needs to be restored again - re-consolidation," said Nader who has previously proved that fearful memories (in experiments on rats) can be chemically erased.
The latest research sheds light on the molecular basis by which the brain controls which memories do and do not undergo re-consolidation.
Nader said: "These findings are very exciting because we have always known that not every memory undergoes re-consolidation. But there was nothing known about the mechanisms that determine when a memory does or does not undergo re-consolidation.
"These findings suggest a neurobiological principle that controls this process. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial because they tell us what has to happen on a neurobiological level in order to turn re-consolidation on and off.
"This is clinically important because in the clinic we want to be able to turn re-consolidation on and off if possible."
The re-consolidation therapy involves administering a common blood pressure drug, Propranolol, as a traumatic event is recounted. Propranolol partially blocks the re-consolidation of the fear associated with the memory.
The study was published Sunday in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT IS A MYTH
Think you’ve found “the one’’ after making eye contact with that random guy on the train or the girl you saw at the coffee shop? Well, forget them, suggests a psychiatrist and relationship expert who insists the myth of love at first sight is not only untrue but is to blame for many unhappy relationships and failed marriage. Gordon Livingston says encounter is enough to fall in love with someone. “It’s impossible to make those kind of judgements until you really know someone,” the Courier Mail quoted Livingston as saying“There’s certainly such a thing as attraction at first sight, and in retrospect you (may) have been right that this was the person, but often those initial chemical surges betray us,” he added. Livingston said that society and advertising portray a certain look as being “beautiful”, but this can mislead us and confuse our ability to make decisions about potential partners“We’re it’s “mindless” to think that sometimes the first drawn to (those deemed beautiful) on an almost instinctual basis but they may not have those inner qualities that make for a satisfying marriage. This is why it’s so important to know somebody,” he said automatically.

2009-06-19T17:47:00.000-07:00

TOTAL US JOBLESS ROLLS DROP SHARPLY TO NEARLY 6.7M
The total number of people on the unemployment insurance rolls dropped for the first time since early January, the government said Thursday, while new claims for benefits rose slightly.
The Labor Department said the total unemployment insurance rolls fell by 148,000 to 6.69 million in the week ending June 6, the largest drop in more than seven years. The decline is a sign that layoffs are easing.
The drop also breaks a string of 21 straight increases in continuing claims, the last 19 of which were records. A dip in continuing claims several weeks ago was later revised higher.
The department also said initial claims rose 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 608,000 last week, above analysts' expectations. The four-week average, which smooths fluctuations, fell by 7,000 to 615,750. Continuing claims data lags initial claims by one week.
The drop in continuing claims could signal a slowing in the rise of the unemployment rate, which reached a 25-year high of 9.4 percent in May. Many economists forecast the rate could reach 10 percent by the end of the year.
Still, millions of Americans are receiving unemployment compensation under an emergency federal program authorized by Congress last summer and extended by the Obama administration's stimulus package.
About 2.36 million people received benefits under that program in the week ending May 30, an increase of more than 102,000 from the previous week. That's in addition to the 6.7 million people receiving benefits under the 26-week program typically provided by states.
Economists also are closely watching the level of first-time claims for signs the economy will recover by mid-summer, as many analysts predict.
"If the labor market is indeed stabilizing, we should see a marked decline in new unemployment filings in the weeks ahead," economists at Wrightson ICAP wrote in a note to clients this week.
The four-week average of claims has dropped by about 40,000 from nearly 659,000 in early April, its peak for the current recession.
But many economists want to see it fall further. Bruce Kasman, chief economist at JPMorgan Chase & Co., said Tuesday that a drop in the four-week average to 580,000 by next month would be sufficient to declare the recession over.
Kasman is chairman of the American Bankers Association's economic advisory committee, a group of economists for large banks that this week predicted the economy will recover in the third quarter. The Federal Reserve also expects the economy to begin growing again this year.
First-time jobless claims are a measure of the pace of layoffs and are seen as a timely, if volatile, indicator of the economy's health. Initial claims stood at 390,000 a year ago.
Consumers and businesses have cut back on spending in response to the bursting of the housing bubble and the financial crisis, sending the economy into the longest recession since World War II. Companies have cut a net total of 6 million jobs since the downturn began in December 2007, in an effort to reduce costs.
Still, job cuts are slowing. The Labor Department said employers eliminated 345,000 positions in May, about half the monthly average of jobs lost in the first quarter.

TODAY' 'IS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF THE YEAR' 19 JUN 2009
Even if you don't have enough reasons to cheer, keep smiling, for a scientific study says that today is the happiest day of the year.
A British psychologist at Cardiff University has devised a formula to pinpoint the day when people are all most likely to feel the cheeriest, his complicated mathematic formula is: O + (N x S) + Cpm/T + He.
In fact, he gave values to each symbol and added being outdoors(O) to nature (N) multiplied by social interaction(S), added memories of childhood summers(Cpm) simply divided by the temperature(T), and added excitement about holidays(He).
And, according to Dr Cliff Arnall, people should forget credit crunch worries because the secret of happiness lies with things which are free, leading British newspaper 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.

2009-06-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

DONATE BLOOD TO KEEPGOOD HEALTH

Donating blood is good for you. The feel-good factor of helping someone apart, studies have found that people who donate blood on a regular basis are at lower risk of having heart attacks. Donating blood regularly can improve blood circulation and prevent clogging of blood.Healthy individuals over 18 years old can safely donate blood every 4 to 6 months.

TAKING A BREAK FROM YOUR EXERCISE ROUTINE? MAKE SURE YOU STAY FIT WITH THESE SUGGESTIONS.

WHEREVER YOU HAVE LOST WEIGHT LAST, THAT’S THE AREA WHERE YOU WILL GAIN WEIGHT FIRST
Fitness is a way of life, so a break from your disciplined routine can make you pile on the kilos, especially on the hips, thighs and abdomen. But it’s hard to stay motivated 365 days a year — sooner or later, the enthusiasm fizzles out. So how do you keep the weight off in between? Dancers and fitness experts say you don’t need to hit the gym to stay in shape. Just follow these simple suggestions until you’re back in action. If you don’t follow through on your fitness routine, all the weight will come right back, he says. Here’s how you can avoid it: Surya Namaskar: “This is one of the best exercises ever invented by man,” . “It targets all the muscle groups and has the benefits of stretching, strength and stamina training. If you’re not on your regular routine, perform Surya Namaskars everyday.”

Take a stroll: “Walking should never be underestimated. Just taking a brisk walk for 15-20 minutes everyday can make a big difference,”
Play a game: Playing a sport is a good idea because it’s also a great stress buster. I like to get together with my friends and play footballYou can go for a game of tennis, basketball, or even swim a few laps instead.

Shake a leg: Just put on some fast music and move your body. You don’t have to be a professional dancer. Just have fun and enjoy the benefits of a good workout.

Eat healthy: When you’re taking a break, you might be tempted to indulge in unhealthy foods as well. Avoid them altogether by stocking your kitchen with fresh fruits, vegetables and juices, “You should never eat until you’re completely full. Opt for lighter meals and snacks instead. Often reach into your ridge for a bite and end up with an apple or something equally healthy.

Breathing exercises: Not many people realise this, but breathing exercises benefit the abdomen, which is one of the first areas to gain weight.Inhale through one nostril, hold your breath and then exhale through the other. Concentrate and practice 10 times.

Surya Namaskars, starting with 25 repetitions everyday.......Stay active and stay fit, even when you’re on a break.

THE ORIGIN OF SWINE FLU
A new research in London has revealed the origins of swine flu after scientists discovered that the transmission of the H1N1 influenza A virus to humans occurred several months before recognition of the existing outbreak.
World Health Organisation declared the outbreak as a pandemic.
In the new research, an international team, led by Oxford University, used evolutionary analysis to estimate the timescale of the origins as well as the early development of the swine flu pandemic.
According to the scientists, the virus was actually derived from several viruses circulating in swine, and that the initial transmission to humans occurred several months before recognition of the outbreak.
Lead scientist Dr Oliver Pybus said, "Using computational methods, developed over the last ten years at Oxford, we were able to reconstruct the origins and timescale of this new pandemic."
"Our results show this strain has been circulating among pigs, possibly among multiple continents, for many years prior to its transmission to humans."
The research highlights the need for systematic surveillance of influenza in swine, and provides evidence that new genetic elements in swine can result in the emergence of viruses with pandemic potential in humans.
The scientists concluded that "despite widespread influenza surveillance in humans, the lack of systematic swine surveillance allowed for undetected persistence and evolution of this potentially pandemic strain for many years."
The team included scientists from Oxford University, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Hong Kong and the University of Arizona. Their findings are published in the latest edition of the 'Nature' journal.

2009-06-13T10:45:00.000-07:00

FACEBOOK TO LAUNCH PERSONAL URL'S

Facebook, in what seems like a long overdue gesture, will finally roll out vanity URLs for its users from today. After a semi-dramatic countdown, the social networking site will start letting members set user names, instead of random numbers, to show up in their pages' URLs.
If you're a relative newcomer to Facebook, though, you should keep your shirt on, according to the Facebook Blog. In order to protect URLs from spammers and squatters, Facebook administrators are instituting a temporary ban from registration against anybody who has created a Facebook Page since May 31st or a regular profile since 3 p.m. EST Tuesday. That ban will be lifted at an as-of-yet unspecified time. If you're a long-standing Facebooker, though, you should have no problem in signing up a minute after the stroke of midnight (Eastern time) today.

Facebook claims that more will be done with user names in the future, which sounds just about right; the idea of having unique URLs -- which Myspace has featured for years -- is one that Facebook should have had a long time ago. So get ready for June 13th, at 12:01 a.m. [From: Facebook Blog, via DownloadSquad]

CHINA TO FILTER INTERNET
China has made it clear it was determined to implement the order requiring all new computers to be sold with filtering software even after protests from foreign computer makers and human rights activists, who regard it as a means to censor the Internet.
The government insists that the filtering software was meant to protect children from pornography and "other unhealthy content". The new rules specify particular software produced by a local firm be installed in all computers soft from July 1.
Government critics fear the software could work as a spy ware to keep tab on those who try to access political sensitive web sites and blogs run by scattered groups of dissidents and Tibetan activists. A vast section of Chinese youth to watch foreign television sites like BBC that are not available to them.
Manufactures of foreign brands have complained it would be very difficult for them to install new software at short notice as inventories are planned well in advance. Some experts have also opined that the government efforts would prove futile if consumers deleted the software or reformatted their hard disk after buying new computers.
"The software is designed to filter pornography on the Internet and that's the only purpose of it," Liu Zhengrong, deputy chief of the Internet Affairs Bureau of the State Council Information Office, said.
"The nationwide move is purely to protect the youngsters from Internet pornography and violence. The software has proved to be effective in trials in schools," he said.
The government has not effectively implemented rules made in 2003 and 2006 requiring Internet users and bloggers reveal their real names when logging on instead of the practice of keeping their real identities secret while using a user name. It is possible the government will move to strictly implement these rules once the new software is installed in new computers.
The producer of the recommended software, the Zhengzhou-based Jinhui Computer System Engineering Co. said the software can do nothing other than filtering nude pictures and other forms of pornography.
"Our software is simply not capable of spying on Internet users, it is only a filter," the official media quoted the company’s general manager, Zhang Chenmin, as saying. The government has spent $6.1 million on the software named "Green Dam-Youth Escort" filtering software.
"I think anyone who has a child, or would like one, could understand parents' concern about unhealthy content on the Internet," Qin Gang, spokesman with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said. He claimed the Internet had always been open in China.
"The Internet filter software is targeted at protecting youths from the spread of pornography and other unhealthy content," he said at a press conference Tuesday.

MOBILE PHONES TO CHECK STRESS LEVELS
With recession plaguing Japan, a local university and a company have jointly developed a “thermometer for the mind” which will alert people on their own stress levels on their cellphones and personal computersCalled the “Fish Bowl Index” of mental health, it alerts people to their own stress levels by representing their answers to a checklist of questions with visual imagery on their cellphones and personal computersDevised to help prevent suicides, the system uses images of red and black goldfish, a bowl and a cat to illustrate a person’s moodFor example, the red goldfish represents users themselves and gets more and more injured depending on the level of physical stress a user reportsThe black goldfish becomes more and more aggressive depending on the level of stress the user reports in relationships with othersThe cat indicates social stress and tries to eat the goldfish if its levels rise while the bowl shows stress at home and cracks if stress levels increaseIf the system judges the user is experiencing mental health problems, it indicates where to go for advice
Called the “Fish Bowl Index ” of mental health, it alerts people to their own stress levels by representing their answers to a checklist of questions with visual imagery on their mobiles and PCs

2009-06-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

TWO YEAR OLD'S IQ MATCHES BILL GATES

A two-year-old British girl may have the wits to match both geniuses Stephen Hawking and Bill Gates, based on her IQ scores.Karina Oakley scored an amazing 160 on her IQ test, the same result reached by the famed science author Hawking and Microsoft founder Gates. That number makes her one of the smartest children in the UK, according to a report in For more on this story, check out The Daily Mail.Oakley has the usual toddler interests of playing with toys and dressing up but she also has the intelligence and cognitive ability of someone well beyond her years, her mother said. "Quite a lot of people had said to me that Karina is quite smart, quite bright, quite clear with her speech and quick to pick things up," her mother, Charlotte Fraser, told the Daily Mail.Prompted by a television show on child geniuses, Fraser took Karina to see Professor Joan Freeman, an expert child psychologist in the UK.Freeman administered the Stanford-Binet IQ test, originally devised by Alfred Binet at the beginning of the century. Karina's score of 160 was arrived at by converting a single raw score for the entire test to a figure indicating mental age.She then used a formula to arrive at the IQ figure. An IQ of 100 means the child's chronological and mental ages match.Scores ranging from 90 to 109 are considered average and anything above 140 is considered gifted.Fraser is unsure whether her parenting or genetics are to thank for her daughter's advanced intelligence. "I have stayed at home with her for almost three years, I have always talked to her a lot, always tried to answer her questions, we do a lot of things, we go to the park and we are part of various groups, that must make a difference," Fraser told the Daily Mail. "I don't know whether it's that, combined with something that she was born with. I just think of her as Karina, I don't have anyone to compare her to." For more on this story, check out The Daily Mail.

EARTHQUAKE REDICTED
On 6th June around 5.45 pm, I observed the earthquake predicting clouds indicating the first warning signal. A disturbance was noticed in Ionosphere.”

Shakeel Ahmad, a cloud reader from Varanasi(India) has predicted earthquakes in Japan, China, Indonesia and some neighboring countries within the next two days.An earthquake is also likely in Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand regions during this period.
Talking to this newspaper, Shakeel Ahmad said, “On 6th June around 5.45 pm, I observed the earthquake predicting clouds indicating the first warning signal. A disturbance was noticed in Ionosphere, which was due to condensation of clouds in WN-280 to NE-20 by magnetic compass from Varanasi and those clouds began to move towards east (ES-100) direction.” He also predicts heavy rains and flash floods — though not Tsunami — in the region.
Shakeel Ahmad, who makes cardboard boxes for a living and lives in the Chitanpura locality in Varanasi, is a self proclaimed cloud reader. “I developed the hobby of watching clouds and after some months I saw a peculiar and particular pattern developing before the earthquake or rains. I did a lot of self study and then started predicted the place and time of the earthquake with considerable precision. For several years, I found that my predictions came true and I saw on TV that earthquakes had taken place in areas where I had predicted,” he says.
According to Shakeel, the clouds form a particular mosaic pattern when an earthquake is round the corner.
Whenever a volcano erupts, an earthquake is bound to follow, and whenever and earthquake occurs, clouds appear in a particular pattern, particularly at the epicenter.
Ahmad has been regularly e-mailing his predictions to the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction secretariat and the US Geological Survey but apparently no one there takes him seriously.
He is also the director of the Varanasi Ionospheric and Atmospheric Centre and Earthquake Information Centre that he runs from his home in Varanasi.

COMPUTER USERS NEED TO BE MORE CAREFUL

The number of severe injuries associated with computers is on the rise, according to a recent study.Researchers have found a seven-fold increase in computer-related injuries. These include head injuries due to computer monitor falls, tripping over computer equipment and other physical incidents. Children below five years had the highest injury rate of all age groups.
The most common cause of injury for those below five was tripping or falling. Children below 10 years most often had injuries to the head.
According to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database, over 78,000 cases of acute computer-related injuries were treated in the US emergency departments between 1994 and 2006.
About 93 per cent of injuries occurred at home, according to researchers at the Centre for Injury Research and Policy and The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospitals and the Ohio State University College of Medicine.
Injury mechanisms included hitting against computer equipment; trip ping or falling over computer equipment; computer equipment falling on top of the user; and muscle and joint strains. The monitor was the computer part most associated with injuries.
Lara McKenzie from Nationwide Children’s Hospital Centre for Injury Research and Policy said,” So, greater efforts are needed to prevent such injuries, especially among children.”

2009-06-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

ARE YOU CURRENTLY ON AN H1B VISA?
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Send us the details of your temporary status in the United States and we'll assess you to see if you qualify for one of these programs. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
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OBAMA'S "TAX DEFERRAL" TO AFFECT AMERICAN JOBS

President Barack Obama's proposal to give tax breaks to firms that set up shops at 'Buffalo instead of Bangalore' would dramatically affect American jobs and investment and leave US companies less competitive in global markets, a new economic report has warned.
As many as s 2.2 million American jobs could be affected by a repeal, or effective repeal, of 'tax deferral', warns the report authored by Robert J. Shapiro, a former Clinton Administration economic official, and Aparna Mathur, a Research Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
The report, commissioned by the Technology CEO Council, a Washington-based advocacy group of US American tech-companies, also found that besides affecting jobs, investments in the United States in plant, equipment and property could fall by as much as $84.2 billion.
Repealing or sharply limiting deferral would not generate large tax revenues, since substantial job losses, wage cuts and lower investments would reduce tax revenues, it said.
Congress is now considering legislation that would sharply limit the 'deferral' rules that protect US businesses from bearing much higher tax burdens on their earnings abroad than their foreign competitors in the same markets.
The key to these results is evidence showing that in modern global companies, new investment and job creation in foreign subsidiaries are closely linked to new investment and job creation by the parent companies in the United States, the report said.
These close linkages mean that while reducing or repealing deferral may be tempting politically, it would produce significant, negative economic consequences, it said.
The policy goal of changing deferral is ostensibly to make the United States a more desirable place for investment and job creation, but these changes would have the opposite effect of reducing domestic investment and jobs.
'The current proposal to substantially restrict 'deferral' would end up reducing American jobs and investment and could impair our economic recovery,' said Dr. Shapiro, who has advised former President Bill Clinton and British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as well as other leaders and private companies.
'The Obama Administration deserves credit for many initiatives to promote investment and innovation,' said Bruce Mehlman, Executive Director of the TCC, a group made up of high-tech CEOs focused on policies that strengthen American competitiveness.
'But we cannot expect to lead the world in high tech by marrying the world's best innovation infrastructure with the world's most confiscatory corporate tax structure.'
The report concludes that the Administration and the Congress should conduct a serious review of the tax code and identify broad reforms that take account of the actual dynamics of the global economy and the need to support the integrated operations and international competitiveness of American companies.

2009-06-04T17:48:00.000-07:00

TURN TO VEGETARIAN FOOD AND SUPPORT GLOBAL WARMING

Turn veggie to beat global warming “ONE MILLION VEGETARIANS WOULD REDUCE AT LEAST 1.5 MILLION TONS OF CARBON EMISSIONS IN TAIWAN IN ONE YEAR”
J Brussels, with a population of around 200,000 has committed to taking a major step forward in environmental responsibility, setting an example for the rest of the world. Ghent has decided to go vegetarian.Renowned for its meats and fish, the city has nevertheless decided where its priorities lie. City officials have declared that meat intake is a major contributor to pollution and say that making one day a week meat-free “is good for the climate, your health and your taste buds.” Henceforth every Thursday will be a meat-free day in Ghent.
UFO"s SPOTTED
I noticed three lights floating past our house. Later, I saw big string of lights coming.There was no noise, but their height was constant until they disappeared.” Scott Boswell
Many people in Cambridgeshire claim they have spotted an armada of UFOs after dazzling orange lights flashed across the night sky.Onlookers claim they have witnessed up to 50 of the mystery bright beams in Huntingdon.
A former pilot from Hinchingbrooke says that he has photographed some of the lights. “I noticed three lights floating past our house, probably a couple of kilometres away, and thought nothing of it,” the Telegraph quoted Scott Boswell, 37, as saying.
“But then I noticed a big long string of lights coming from the direction of Brampton and heading over the Stukeley Meadows direction. This was about 11.30 pm and I got a couple of blurred shots. I’m pretty sure these weren’t aircraft.
“There was no noise, no navigation and their heading and height was relatively constant until they disappeared out of sight,” he added.
Auberon and Suzi Hedgecoe, who run the Braywood Guest House in Huntingdon, admitted seeing around 50 orange lights in the sky.

OWN A PET DOG.....AND INCREASE YOUR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
E ach day brings a new stress in your life. The time we spend either escaping it or dealing with it takes a toll.When thinking of ways to reduce stress in life, usually techniques like meditation, yoga and journaling come to mind. But do they always help? Maybe, you want someone to be emotionally available for you and what better than looking for a new best friend? While people in your friend circle provide great social support and come with some fabulous benefits, let’s see how our “furry friends” — dogs — aid in fighting the deadliest of heart ailments.
Today, heart disease is considered to be the number one killer . We have to accept the fact that we are becoming a population crippled by laziness; elevator instead of stairs, driving instead of walkingbasically, showing a thumbs down to any form of exercise to keep us fit.
Despite the advancement of medicines, there is very little that medicine can do to keep this fatal ailment at bay forever.
This is simply because of a drastic change in diet as well as sleep and exercising schedules; they consume more of fast food, high calorie, fatty food and hence, run a higher risk at a young age.
Most heart attacks amongst men occur under the age of 50 years and 25 per cent under the age of 40, says a study.
With such alarming numbers, its best to look for safe options. Dogs can provide excellent social support, stress relief and other health benefits. For those who love animals, it’s almost impossible to stay in a bad mood when a pair of loving puppy eyes meets yours, or when a cuddly dog rubs softly up against your hand. It is estimated that there is a 30 per cent reduction in the risk of having a heart attack in households which have a dog.
According to an Australian study at the School of Population Health at the University of Western Australia, dog owners are 68 per cent more likely to achieve the recommended level of physical activity per week than non-dog owners. The study showed that 61 per cent of dog owners accumulated the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week, compared with 54 per cent of non-owners.Because exercise is good for stress management, owning a dog can be credited with increasing these benefits. Dogs will encourage you to exercise. Whether we walk our dogs because they need it, or are more likely to enjoy a walk when we have companionship, dog owners do more exercise than non-pet owners, at least if we live in an urban setting. When we’re out walking, having a dog with us can make us more approachable and give people a reason to stop and talk and increase our social network, which also has great stress management benefits. All these benefits can trim down the tension levels people experience related to isolation and lack of support from people.

2009-06-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

IS HUMAN ERROR BEHIND H1N1?

The World Health Organization is investigating a claim by an Australian researcher that the swine flu virus circling the globe may have been created as a result of human error.
Adrian Gibbs, 75, who collaborated on research that led to the development of Tamiflu drug, said that he intends to publish a report suggesting the new strain may have accidentally evolved in eggs scientists use to grow viruses and drugmakers use to make vaccines. Gibbs said he came to his conclusion as part of an effort to trace the virus’s origins by analyzing its genetic blueprint.
“One of the simplest explanations is that it’s a laboratory escape,” Gibbs said on Wednesday. “But there are lots of others.”
The World Health Organization received the study last weekend and is reviewing it, Keiji Fukuda, the agency’s assistant director-general of health security and environment, said in an interview on May 11.
Gibbs, who has studied germ evolution for four decades, is one of the first scientists to analyze the genetic makeup of the virus that was identified three weeks ago in Mexico and threatens to touch off the first flu pandemic since 1968.

INDIAN SCIENTISTS ISOLATE SWINE-FLU STRAIN
India has successfully isolated the deadly H1N1 influenza virus from the nasal samples of the country’s only positive swine flu patient in Hyderabad.
In a breakthrough, scientists from the National Institute of Virology (Pune) have also managed to grow the virus in both cell lines and chicken eggs — the first step towards developing an effective vaccine against the H1N1 virus.
Influenza viruses require a host cell to grow or replicate. If the virus successfully grows in the egg, which scientists in India have managed to do, they will be able to make multiple copies of the virus in the lab and then use it to create a vaccine against H1N1, better diagnostic kits for H1N1 detection and also test for anti-viral resistance.
Speaking to TOI, NIV director A C Mishra said by the first week of June, scientists will be able to accurately document all possible information about the virus — its transmissibility powers, virulence level, how similar is it to the virus that hit Mexico, Canada and US.
India confirmed its first H1N1 infection on May 16, when a 23-year-old student arrived in Hyderabad from the US with the infection.

IS BERMUDA TRIANGLE TO BLAME FOR AIR-FRANCE PLANE CRASH?

Bermuda, Miami, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico mark out a triangular region on the western part of the Atlantic. Also known as the Devil’s Triangle, this region has become notorious for the seemingly inexplicable disappearances of aircraft and surface-vessels.
There are theories galore “explaining” the disappearances but none that has been able to establish what happens conclusively. Some argue human error, others deliberate sabotage or powerful hurricanes. No merit in the innumerable scientific explanations offered. A sizeable section even pleads for alien abduction or other such paranormal activity beyond the scope of science.

2009-04-20T00:36:00.000-07:00

WE FEEL GLOBAL WARMING

People in our city need not wait up to 2020 to feel the effects of global warming and temperature rising, it is already being felt in our city and other cities across India. The average temperature has increased by 1 Degree Celsius every year over the last couple of years. That is why our days in Chennai are hot even in March.

The rise in sea level and the melting of Arctic ice are issues at the macro level. But we are ignoring the fact that our own city is experiencing a heat wave and winter days have become hotter. Our city has become a concrete jungle. The buildings emit huge quantity of carbon and heat. Most buildings have air-conditioners.

“Till ‘70s Chennai summers were bearable. We never used air-conditioners or fans those days. The excessive traffic on city roads had made the city hotter” said Dr. Krishna, director CPR Environmental Foundation.

According to a study, the ever increasing concrete areas of city easily absorb the sun’s radiation. “The retention time of this radiation has gone up and the heat is released very slowly. Hence we find that humidity is high and heat persists well past midnight.” Said, Dr. Ramachandran, director, centre for climatic change and adaptation research, Anna University, Chennai.

STEM CELL THERAPY CAN CURE BLINDNESS

A RAY OF HOPE FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED!

Scientists have made a major scientific breakthrough by developing a stem cell therapy to cure blindness. A team in Britain has developed the treatment which involves replacing a layer of degenerated cells with new ones created from embryonic stem cells to cure age-related muscular degeneration, the most common cause of blindness. According to the scientists, it will become routine, one-hour procedure that will be generally available in six to seven years’ time, The Sunday Times reported.

Embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into all types of body tissue. And under the new therapy, embryonic stem cells are transformed into replicas of the missing cells. They are then placed on an artificial membrane that’s inserted in the back of the retina.

The treatment would take less than an hour, so it really could be considered as an outpatient procedure and can become a common therapy.

RAW TOMATOES MAY NOT BE THAT HEALTHY

Tomatoes eaten raw might not be so healthy, says a new study, because our digestive tract can only process a tiny amount of lycopene, an antioxidant found abundantly in tomatoes.

Antioxidants are dietary substances found in beta carotene, vitamins C and E and selenium. They prevent damage to the cells in our body or reverse damage after it has been done.

The study found that although around 75 percent of the total antioxidants were released, this included only four percent of the lycopene found in the raw tomato.

"Tomatoes are the richest source of lycopene in the human diet, as well as containing other antioxidants essential for health," said nutritional biochemist Carolyn Lister of Plant & Food Research (PFR).

"However, the human digestive tract is not able to release the majority of lycopene from raw tomatoes, so only a small amount would be made available for the body to use."

"Processing tomatoes has been shown to make lycopene more bioavailable, so as well as eating raw tomatoes for their nutritional value, we should eat tomato sauces to get the goodness of the lycopene," said Lister.

The study was published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition.

2009-04-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

U.S. ANALYSTS WANT H-1B CAP TO BE RAISED TO 195,000

A US think tank has asked the Congress to instead raise the cap on H-1B visas to promote economic growth and generate much needed tax revenue, while rejecting that it would steal American jobs.

The Congress must raise the cap on H-1B visas coveted by Indian techies back to 195,000 visas per year……the maximum allowed as recently as 2001----- from the current 65,000. The Heritage Foundation analysts Jena Baker McNeill and Diem Nguyen said on Tuesday.

“Raising the cap for H-1B visas will not steal American jobs but will help promote growth and generate much needed tax revenue,” they said calling the notion a “popular myth”.

This notion is so widespread that the Congress recently passed an amendment barring companies receiving bailout money from hiring H-1B employees but this notion is “entirely false,” McNeill and Diem said. The researchers cited a survey by the National Foundation for American Policy to show that 65 per cent of high-tech companies employed people outside the US due to their inability to obtain H-1B visas. As shown by the survey on average, for every H-1B employee hired, an additional five American employees were also hired.

If the Congress were to increase the H-1B cap to 195,000 visas, the US Government would receive an additional $2 billion of tax revenue each year, the two researchers said.

Noting that as the US economy fluctuates through its business cycles and the demand for H-1B visas will raise and fall, McNeill and Diem suggested making the cap flexible.

The Congress should establish a quota, if met, automatically increases for next year.

UFO CLICKED

An ‘uncanny’ glowing disc hovering above London has been captured by an amateur photographer in London. He plans to hand over the photographs to Nasa for further investigations.

E-MAIL PROVIDERS IN INDIA NEED TO HAVE SERVERS IN INDIA

The amendments made to the IT Act passed by Indian Parliament require internet behemoths like Google, Rediff and Microsoft — which provide free email services — to set up Indian servers. Not just that, they may also have to provide Indian email accounts for Indian nationals. This will have far-reaching ramifications for the millions of users of Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoomail in India.

Internet users will have email accounts ending with ‘.in’ instead of ‘.com’. While some like Yahoo already provide email services with this suffix, many others offer the global suffix ‘.com’.

The change is going to make a huge difference for the investigating agencies dealing with cyber crime, including data theft. Local mail IDs are a big problem across the globe, wherein the investigating agencies struggle to get personal details of account holders due to jurisdictional issues. As the servers of these accounts are generally overseas, mostly in the US, every country has to go through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and send letters rogatory (LRs) to get the details. The process of sending LRs takes more than six months.

“For a long time, we have been asking for this, and I think there will be an automatic change once the gazette notification for IT Act amendment comes into effect. Parliament has passed the Bill, and internet domains will be bound by Indian law if they have to carry out their business here,’’ says IGP, CoD, H C Kishore Chandra.

In India, the issue assumed critical proportion after the Mumbai terror attacks, where the terrorists used BlackBerry mobiles. As the parent company initially refused to part with information critical to the investigation, there was even talk of banning BlackBerry.

“It’s a question of availability of information when we need it. When the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team director was here for discussion, we said this can’t go on forever. Most of the time, we had to plead helplessness as we could not get information in time,’’ DIG, CoD, Malini Krishnamurthy says.

The question is, will global email providers agree to the idea of hosting servers
in India to service their Indian client base?

“We don’t know how they are going to do it, but the government has decided to do it. Every domain company has their branch office here, and they are bound to pass on the information immediately, whenever investigation agency needs it,’’ Krishnamurthy says.

2009-04-06T08:15:00.000-07:00

UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTS OF SLEEP DISORDERS

If you stay awake at night and counting sheep does not help you fall asleep, you may not be in for just a drowsy day ahead but also putting yourself at risk for heart disease, obesity, depression and even diabetes, says experts.

It is very important to go for a diagnosis and treatment if any one is suffering from sleep disorder. Nothing wrong in taking sleep medicine but should be taken only according to the doctor prescription.

Sleep is essential for emotional, mental and physical well-being, and any imbalance in sleep should be treated.

While many studies have linked sleep disorders to obesity, insomnia in adolescents and young adults has been linked to depression and substance abuse. Physicians also believe inadequate sleep may prompt development of insulin resistance.

SLOW DOWN AGEING, MAINTAIN YOUTHFUL TONE AND FEEL YOUNGER

From ancient explorers to modern day technology, the search for long life and eternal youth has been going on for centuries. Although no one has yet been able to find the remedy, there are many foods that contribute to the continuation of a youthful body. They may be referred to as “food for being youth”. One type of molecule responsible for maintaining youth is called anti-oxidants. It is found in many common foods and can essentially slow down the aging process.

How do anti-oxidants work? Foods which are rich in anti-oxidants, work against another molecule produced in every human body called free radicals. These naturally produced free radicals cause damage to other healthy cells throughout the body such as the skin and heart. It can cause wrinkles in the skin or damage blood vessels which can lead to heart disease or even promote cancer. In order to prevent such damage, the body fights against these using anti-oxidants. When a person consumes foods that are rich in anti-oxidants, those are absorbed into the body and bind with free radicals to inhibit further destruction. They allow the healthy cells to remain free of injury. Therefore, regular consumption of foods rich in anti-oxidants can decrease one’s risk for cancer, heart disease and a variety of other health related problems that generally accompany aging.

So, which foods are rich in anti-oxidants? A number of them contain significant amounts of anti-oxidants. Many fruits such as pomegranates, oranges, apples, grapes, and mangoes are rich in anti-oxidants. By simply adding a piece of fruit as an afternoon snack, you can improve your health. It is recommended that adults consume 2 to 4 pieces of fruit per day. In addition, tomatoes and green leafy vegetables such as spinach are good source of anti-oxidants. Sweet potatoes, beans, and various nuts are high in anti-oxidants.

Choosing these foods frequently can improve your overall diet. Lastly, you may be happy to know that tea provides a good amount of anti-oxidants and will have the same benefits as these foods. So it may be a good idea to invite a friend or neighbour over some tea, you may begin to feel younger.

WE NEED H-1 Bs…………SAYS U.S.A

In the first-ever indication of its stand on H-1B visas popular among Indian professionals, the Obama administration has informed a court that the USA needs this scheme to avoid ‘competitive disadvantage’ the American companies could face otherwise.

A submission in this regard was recently filed by Michael F. Hertz, acting assistant attorney-general, in response to a law suit filed by a group of three USA bodies, nine individuals and two students challenging government’s decision to extend from one year to 29 months the duration of foreign nationals with engineering, science and other technical degrees who can work in the USA on student visa.

This was a policy decision by the previous Bush government, which was challenged in a lower court in New Jersey in 2008 and summarily dismissed. The same petitioners approached the third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia in March. The Obama administration’s view point was expressed in its submission before the Philadelphia court on March 23, according to a copy of petition and response obtained by PTI.

2009-03-31T07:43:00.000-07:00

READING………THE BEST WAY TO RELAX.

Listening to music has been known to be one of the best stressbusters. But a new study has now claimed that reading works better and faster when it comes to claiming frazzled nerves.

Researchers have carried out the study and found that reading is the best way to relax and even six minutes could be enough to reduce the stress levels by more than two-thirds, The Daily Telegraph reported.

According to the researchers, this is because the human mind has to concentrate on reading and the distraction of being taken into a literary world eases the tension in muscles and the heart.

BRAIN STILL AHEAD OF COMPUTERS

Language and vision are among the areas in which the human brain is ahead of most advanced computers, a neurologist said.

“These (areas) pertain to the means by which we derive meaning from the world, and are perhaps best exemplified by two phenomenal capacities of the human mind,” said Mriganka Sur, HOD of brain and cognitive sciences, Newton Professor of Neurosciences, Cambridge.

“One of these is language --- it is nothing short of a miracle that the sounds I am uttering as a steady stream are being understood by you as conveying some meaning,” she said.

“Another is vision --- the fact that we can recognize objects and scenes from the pattern of light that comes into our eyes, and that we can often do so in a few tens if milliseconds, at a single glance,” she said.

When asked as to how the human brain possesses these capacities, Sur said “The answer lies in understanding how the brain is wired. Some one has to wire a computer and programme it. But the brain wires itself.”

OVER 100 COUNTRIES HIT BY ELECTRONIC SPYING OPERATION

A spying operation that infiltrated computers - many of them belonging to governments - in 103 countries has been uncovered by a group of Canadian researchers, the New York Times reported Sunday.

Victims of the malicious software, or malware, include computers in the offices of the Dalai Lama, Tibetan exile centres around the world, NATO headquarters in Brussels, and the Indian embassy to the United States.

In all, 1,295 computers might have been accessed and had documents copied by the system, which the researchers dubbed GhostNet.

In addition, the malware could also be used to turn the computers' own camera and audio systems into observation devices for the malware's operators. The researchers, however, could not confirm if this application was put into practice.

The report, to be released this week by the Munk Center for International Studies at the University of Toronto, says the spying system was controlled by computers based almost entirely in China.

The researchers were careful not to accuse the Chinese government of being behind the security breach.

'We're a bit more careful about it, knowing the nuance of what happens in the subterranean realms,' researcher Ronald J. Deibert was quoted as saying. 'This could well be the CIA or the Russians. It's a murky realm that we are lifting the lid on.'

Gao Wenqi, spokesman for the Chinese Consulate in New York, gave an unequivocal denial of Chinese government involvement, saying: 'These are old stories and they are nonsense. The Chinese government is opposed to and strictly forbids any cyber crime.'

However, the New York Times reported several instances where Chinese officials reacted to data that was picked up by GhostNet.

In one case, a foreign diplomat was advised by the Chinese government not to meet with the Dalai Lama after the Tibetan leader's office emailed him an invitation.

The center began its investigation after a request from the Dalai Lama's office to check its computers for potentially damaging software.

2009-03-26T23:41:00.000-07:00

RECESSION COULD END IN '09......BERNANKE
America's recession "probably" will end this year if the government succeeds in bolstering the banking system, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said in a rare television interview.In carefully hedged remarks in a taped interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," Bernanke seemed to express a bit more optimism that this could be done.Still, Bernanke stressed — as he did to Congress last month — that the prospects for the recession ending this year and a recovery taking root next year hinge on a difficult task: getting banks to lend more freely again and getting the financial markets to work more normally."We've seen some progress in the financial markets, absolutely," Bernanke said. "But until we get that stabilized and working normally, we're not going to see recovery."But we do have a plan. We're working on it. And, I do think that we will get it stabilized, and we'll see the recession coming to an end probably this year."Even if the recession, which began in December 2007, ends this year, the unemployment rate will keep climbing past the current quarter-century high of 8.1 percent, Bernanke said.A growing number of economists think the jobless rate will hit 10 percent by the end of this year.Asked about the biggest potential dangers now, Bernanke suggested a lack of "political will" to solve the financial crisis.He said, though, that the United States has averted the risk of plunging into a depression."I think we've gotten past that," he said.
It's rare for a sitting Fed chief to grant an interview, whether for broadcast or print. Bernanke said he chose to do so because it's an "extraordinary time" for the country, and it gave him a chance to speak directly to the American public. (A transcript of the interview was provided in advance of the broadcast.)Bernanke spoke at a time of rising public anger over financial bailouts using taxpayer money. Battling the worst financial crisis since the 1930s, the government has put hundreds of billions of those dollars at risk to prop up troubled institutions and stabilize the banking system.Institutions that have been thrown lifelines include American International Group Inc., Citigroup Inc., Bank of America Corp., mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and others.Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill have questioned the effectiveness of the rescue efforts and have demanded more information about how taxpayers' money is being used.Bernanke's TV interview seemed to be part of a government public relations offensive. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner appeared on PBS' "The Charlie Rose Show" last week, discussing the financial crisis and the Obama's administration's relief efforts.The Fed chief on Sunday's broadcast repeated his ire over the AIG bailout, saying that over the past 18 months, that was the case that angered him the most. He says he "slammed the phone more than a few times on discussing AIG."The government's four efforts to save the troubled insurance giant total more than $170 billion. A collapse of AIG would have wreaked havoc on the global economy, the Fed has said.AIG ignited fresh outrage over the weekend with news that it's making $165 million in bonus payments to executives on Sunday, most of them in the unit that sold risky financial contracts that caused huge losses for AIG. When the financial crisis intensified last fall, Bernanke and President George W. Bush's Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson rushed to Capitol Hill for help. That led to the swift enactment of a $700 billion bailout package in October. Since then, banks have received billions in capital injections in return for government ownership stakes in them. Looking back, Bernanke said the world came close to a financial meltdown. Asked how close, Bernanke responded: "It was very close." Bernanke admitted that the Fed could have done a better job of overseeing banks. Critics say lax regulatory oversight contributed to the crisis. Bernanke said he believes all the big banks the Fed regulates are solvent. Big banks won't fail under his watch, Bernanke said — though, if necessary, the government should try to "wind it down in a safe way."
RETURN OF OUTSOURCED JOBS NOT GOOD FOR US.....OBAMA
In the midst of its worst recession in decades, President Barack Obama says it would be better to create new jobs that can't be outsourced instead of bringing back such low paying jobs from other countries.'Not all of these jobs are going to come back,' he told a questioner during an 'Online Townhall' from the White House who asked when would jobs outsourced to other countries come back and be made available to the unemployed workers in the US.'And it probably wouldn't be good for our economy for a bunch of these jobs to come back because, frankly, there's no way that people could be getting paid a living wage on some of these jobs - at least in order to be competitive in an international setting.'The online meeting - a new take on President Franklin Roosevelt's fireside chats - was streamed on the Internet from WhiteHouse.gov.Obama said a lot of the outsourcing has to do with the fact that 'our economy - if it's dependent on low-wage, low-skill labour, it's very hard to hang on to those jobs because there's always a country out there that pays lower wages than the US.'And so we've got to go after the high-skill, high-wage jobs of the future,' he said. 'That's why it's so important to train our folks more effectively and that's why it's so important for us to find new industries - building solar panels or wind turbines or the new biofuel -that involve these higher-value, higher-skill, higher-paying jobs.'So what we've got to do is create new jobs that can't be outsourced,' Obama said.The president also asked Americans 'to be patient and persistent about job creation because I don't think that we've lost all the jobs we're going to lose in this recession.''I don't want people to think that in one or two months suddenly we're going to see net job increases,' he said striking a note of caution. 'It's going to take some time for the steps that we've taken to filter in.'Other questions - some of which came from the live audience - focused primarily on health care, job loss, mortgage payments and energy.
POLLS IN INDIA.......ASTROLOGERS PREDICT CONGRESS GOVERNMENT
Famous astrologers agree upon one aspect of the 2009 general election in India. And if they are right, the opposition BJP could be in for tough times.
According to ace astrologer Mr.Panicker whose clients include former Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumarathunga, former premier Ranil Wickramasinghe and a host of other international and Indian political leaders and celebrities, said that stars are not at all supportive of BJP and said the prospects of Congress is on the best phase.
Not only Mr. Panicker but also many other astrologers are of the same opinion.

2009-03-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

ARTIFICIAL KIDNEY……..TO BRING THE SMILES BACK ON MILLIONS

A Medical Engineering student from the city of Bangaluru (INDIA), inspired by age-old processes used by Bengali sweet makers (also from India), is set to bring the smiles back on the faces of millions who suffer from renal failure worldwide.

Budhaditya Chattopadhyay, 23, a student from Dr. Ambedkar institute of Technology (AIT), India, has developed a transplantable artificial kidney (TAK), which can help do away with the need for painful dialysis or expensive and risky organ transplantation.

The TAK is slightly larger than the natural human kidney, and two of them make an artificial kidney system that resembles the human kidney.

The system provides round-the-clock purification of blood, just like natural kidneys, thus keeping down the toxicity level in cells due to metabolic waste.

The devise won Budhaditya his first international patent from the World Intellectual Property Organization in March last.

He has presented papers on TAK at several international conferences, including at a European Renal Association meet in Sweden, and has published in the renowned Oxford NDT journal. He is in talks with medical equipment companies to start producing it.

YOGIC CHICKEN DANCE…….RELAXING NUMBER OF GAZANS

Deeply conservative Gaza isn’t exactly fertile ground for New Age practices. But women in head scarves and men in suits flapped their arms with gusto while breathing in rhythm in what looked like a yogic chicken dance.

The recent scene in a hotel ballroom broke several cultural taboos, such as not letting loose in public, particularly in mixed company. But the dozens of counselors and social workers stressed and overworked since the recent Gaza war, eagerly cast convention aside to learn about relaxation techniques.

“We are teaching very simple tools of self-care,” said Dr. James S.Gordon, a psychiatrist who runs the Centre for Mind-Body medicine in Washington D.C. and offers a parallel trauma programme in Israel.

Since 2005, he’s taught 90 Gaza health professionals who have reached thousands of patients with meditation, guided imagery, biofeedback and support groups in which participants express their feelings in words, drawings and dance.

“My house became like an asylum after the war,” said Naima Rawagh, who works with abused women and said she was flooded with requests for help after the Israeli offensive.

BAD MEMORIES COULD BE ERASED

It may soon be possible to erase bad memories from the human brain.

Canadian scientists at the University of Toronto and the local hospital for sick children have found a link between a given memory and specific neurons -- the cells in the brain that transmit information – that store it.

The human brain has over 100 billion neurons, but memories are stored in only small number of them. Scientists have been trying to identify these precise neurons that encode a given memory.

Now, in their experimental study, the Toronto research team has succeeded in identifying precise neurons that carry a particular memory.

In its previous experiments, the same research tem had found evidence that, fear memories are stored in specific neurons within a brain structure known as the lateral amygdale (LA) that have a high amount of specific protein (CREB). This means that CREB levels helps dictate which neurons are involved in storing a memory and now it will be possible to remove those neurons which store bad memories instead of removing or deleting an entire brain region.

2009-03-05T22:27:00.000-08:00

H1-B QUOTA TO BE FILLED.

Amid speculation that there would be reduction in number of H1-B visas, which has attracted large number of Indian and International professionals, a top US immigration expert has said that the quota of 65,000 will get capped as the filling opens in April 1 2009.

“This year, with the economy in a recession and in view of widespread layoffs, the general expectation is that there may not be as many petitions as the previous years,” said immigration attorney Morley J Nair.

Even with a drastically reduced number of petitions, Nair said there is the likelihood that the quota would get capped in the first couple of days.

BELIEF IN GOD CUTS STRESS……..A NEW STUDY.

Belief in God helps reduce anxiety and minimize stress, says a new Canadian study. The study by Toronto University researchers say that brains of believers and non-believers work differently under stress. Belief in God has a calming effect on the brain which helps it block anxiety and minimize stress, it says.

As part of their study, researchers led by psychology professor, Michael Inzlicht performed a Stroop task -- a test of cognitive control -- on participants while hooked up to electrodes that measured their brain activity, a university statement said.

Compared to non-believers, religious participants showed significantly less activity in the anterior cingulated cortex (ACC) of the brain. ACC is that portion of the brain that helps modify behavior by signaling when attention and control are needed, particularly during events like making a mistake.

The stronger their religious zeal and more they believed in God, the less their ACC fired in response to their own errors, and the fewer errors they made, the university statement said.

“We found that religious people or even people who simply believe in the existence of God show significantly less brain activity in relation to their own errors. They are much less anxious and feel less stressed when they have made an error.” said Prof.Inzlicht

“These correlations remained strong even after controlling for personality and cognitive ability,” he said, adding that religious participants made fewer errors on the Stroop task than their non-believing counterparts.

GOOGLE YOUR DREAMS…….DISCOVER YOUR SECRETS.
From flying around the world a la Superman to watching yourself plant kiss on none other than Jessica Alba – ever wondered why dreams are so weird? Why the rules of reality do not apply in your fascinating world of dreams?

Well, experts claim dreams are very much connected with your own ‘reality’. Mysterious and fascinating as they may seem, you can learn about your deep secrets and hidden feelings if you know how to analyze your dreams.

Good news is you can now figure out what your dreams mean. Just go online and browse through the many dream dictionaries available on the internet. These online dictionaries, along with your personal experiences and circumstances, will serve to guide you through a meaningful and personalized interpretation. With practice, you can gain an understanding of the secrets your dreams are trying to tell you.

So the next time you have a puzzling dream, google it.

2009-03-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

PLACING LIMITS ON FOREIGN WORKERS IN U.S. WILL BENEFIT INDIA AND CHINA……STUDY.
STUDY SAYS CHINA AND INDIA WILL BENEFIT, AMERICA WILL LOSE TALENT.
As many as 100 thousand Indians and nearly the same number of Chinese will return to their native countries in the next three to five years, a move that will boost their economies and undermine technological innovation in America, a new study warns.
The study in immigration by a team at Duke, Harvard and Berkeley universities led by Vivek Wadhwa, an Indian-American technology entrepreneur turned academic, says, “America’s loss is the world’s gain”.

There are no hard numbers available on how many have returned, but anecdotal shows that this is in tens of thousands, says Wadhwa, executive-in-residence for the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University and fellow at the Labour and Worklife Programme at Harvard Law School.

“With economic downturn, my guess is that we’ll have over 100 thousand Indians and as many Chinese return home over the next three-five years” he says.

“This flood of western educated and skilled talent will greatly boost the economies of India and China and strengthen their competitiveness. India is already becoming a global hub for research and development. This will allow it to branch into many new areas and will accelerate the trend.” The study released on Monday by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, based in Kansas City, Montana, indicates that placing limits on foreign workers in the United States is not the answer to America’s rising unemployment rate.

In fact, it may undermine efforts to spur technological innovation. “We are effectively exporting our economic stimulus,” Wadhwa warned.

OBAMA CAN’T STOP OUTSOURCING……AS APPEARED IN A NEWS ITEM.

The Indian information technology industry has reacted with a mix of hope and caution after President Barack Obama said last week that he will not allow US companies that send jobs away to enjoy his tax breaks.Obama is presumably talking about industry-specific tax breaks, though the details are not clear yet. But it is clear that he cannot go very far.For instance, the US plan can affect General Motors, which is getting government help. Every one know that GM is doing advanced design for its next generation of automobiles using aviation-standard materials in Bangalore (India). Does Obama's budget mean that GM will stop using India as a base for innovation? How will GM keep a global edge?Now, take Accenture, which many think is a US company. It is actually incorporated in Bermuda. Will a US-based retail company (like J.C. Penney, for instance), handing over IT work to Accenture suffer from Obama's moves? If it does, and rival IBM gets a deal that Accenture might have had, remember that IBM has tens of thousands of employees in India, doing work for US clients. The simple point is that US has itself led efforts in making the world economy in an inter-connected web. The nitty-gritty of crunching IT spending is going to be painful.US firms have already lost the game of efficiency in automobiles to the Japanese and in overall manufacturing to the Chinese. In pharmaceuticals and services, Indian firms can shake the US in everything but blockbuster product development. If you take new products, IT and distributed global research and development are at the heart of whatever remains of American capital efficiency, innovation and competitiveness.In other words, US firms are no longer US firms, but effectively global firms. By doing harm to what Americans call outsourcing, Obama may be axing a branch he is sitting on. Which is why many see his speech as little more than symbolic post-election posturing? If the benefits of tax breaks are outweighed by the gains of outsourcing, US firms will do what makes more sense to them.

LANKAN CRICKET TEAM ATTACKED BY TERRORISTS IN PAKISTAN

Four suspects were arrested here on Tuesday for their alleged involvement in the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team that left six policemen dead and six players and their assistant coach injured, a media report said.
Geo TV reported that police in Model Town have arrested four suspects after the attack. "Arms have been recovered from two of them," the report said.
The police also seized an explosive-laden jacket and weapons from a rickshaw.
Six policemen were killed and at least six Sri Lankan cricketers injured on Tuesday when heavily armed gunmen attacked the team cavalcade when it was on its way to the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore. The cricketers were later evacuated by an army helicopter as Sri Lanka cancelled its Pakistan tour.
Salman Taseer, governor of Pakistan's Punjab province, said the attack in the heart of Lahore was the handiwork of the same terrorists who struck in Mumbai in November last year.
"It was a planned terrorist act on the pattern of the attack on Mumbai. I believe the same terrorists are involved in both the incidents," Taseer told reporters.

2009-02-27T07:23:00.000-08:00

OUTSOURCING………… AND INDIAN IT SECTOR.

“We will restore a sense of fairness and balance to our tax code by finally ending the tax breaks for corporations that ship our jobs overseas,” Mr. Obama had said at a joint session of the US Congress. The fact remains that unemployment in technology sector continues to be the lowest in the US.

Reacting to this, the industry body of India FICCI said that Mr. Obama’s statement has come at a time when the global economy is going through a phase of slowdown and when countries need to work collectively. Citing a study by the US Chamber of Commerce, FICCI said that it is the US companies that gain the maximum from outsourcing. “In fact, a McKinsey analysis showed that every dollar (of costs) that the US moves offshore brings America a net benefit of $1.12 to $ 1.14,” said the industry body.

The Indian IT industry body Nasscom said that the US firms have been the leaders in international trade, and in 2008 more than 50 per cent of the revenues of the leading companies came from outside the US market. It mentioned that, “In US, unemployment is largely concentrated in the manufacturing, retail and the construction sector, is a part of the global value chain and while affected by the crisis, is still expected to grow as per reports by leading analysts and unemployment in this sector continues to be the lowest.”

As such, outsourcing is not expected to be entirely passé.

HOW FAR FREE E-MAIL SERVICES ARE RELIABLE? AN ARTICLE IN A NEWS PAPER.

THE G-MAIL CRASH YET AGAIN HAS RAISED THE QUESTION OF THE CREDIBILITY OF FREE E-MAIL SERVICES TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ADVICE TO SAVE THE NETIZEN’S DATA.

In the backdrop of Google’s Gmail outage, which affected a million users on Tuesday, netizens are now re-evaluating the pros and cons of using a free email service. On one hand, there’s the benefit of being connected to the world without shelling out any money. And on the other, there’s the apprehension of one’s life spiraling out of control just because a user has designed his or her life around the ubiquitous mail service that has now become almost synonymous with email itself. What many users found more upsetting was that there was no one they could speak to for technical support when such crashes occurred.

2009-02-08T20:01:00.000-08:00

MOBILE PHONE VIRUS THAT 'STEALS MONEY' MAY SPREAD

A virus that attacks the mobile phones in Russia and "steals money" by sending unauthorised SMS texts to gain control over the bankaccount, could spread global, experts in Russia warned.
The virus that had only previously been seen in Russia, has now been found on an Indonesian cell phone, a leading antiviruslab in Russia has informed.
The virus gains unauthorised control over the cell account and then sends an SMS to a service number, requesting a moneytransfer from the victims account.The yet unnamed virus is a Trojan and takes control of the victim's mobile account, and steals money from it.
Those at risk are phones which are run the Symbian file system for mobile devises and have SMS money transfer enabled. Aswireless phone and PDA networks become more numerous and more complex, it has become increasingly difficult to secure themagainst viruses. Though a major mobile epidemic is still to come, a few viruses are already active.VIRUS GROUNDS FRENCH PLANES..... a virus attack on French mi;itary computers has grounded the nation's naval fighter planes after pilots failedto download their flight plans, media reports in France said. According to the Liberation newspaper, the virus infected theNavy's flight databases and Rafale aircraft were "nailed to the ground" on January 15 because they were unable to "download their flight plans".

HERBAL CURES GO GLOBAL

Export of Indian herbal plants is picking up with the country's indigenous medicine systems gaining acceptance world wide.
"Out of the Rs.400 crore of herbs generated in India nearly 60 per cent are exported to countries like France, Germany,Italy and Japan." says Dr. A. Ameer Jahan, chairman, all india herbal farmers, traders, exporters and research society.
These counries had embraced Indian traditional healing methods and appreciated it, he added. "Of all the herbs that areexported, Gymnema has the maximum demand," he said adding tht around 23 different products could be made of this single herb.
The herb was very useful in curing diabetes and reducing blood sugar and the extracts of Gymnema were also used to curbcholesterol level, obesity and anaemia, he said.

MONEY CAN BUY HAPPINESS

Buying life experiences — such as going for vacations or going to the theatre — rather than material possessions leads to greater happiness for both the consumer and those around them, according to new study.
The study, conducted by researchers at San Francisco State University, has shown that experiential purchases result in increased well-being because they satisfy higher order needs, specifically the need for social connectedness and vitality — a feeling of being alive.
"These findings support an extension of basic need theory, where purchases that increase psychological need satisfaction will produce the greatest well-being," said Ryan Howell, assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University.
The study results also indicate that experiences produce more happiness regardless of the amount spent or the income of the consumer. "Purchased experiences provide memory capital. We don’t tend to get bored of happy memories like we do with a material object," Howell said.
"People still believe more money will make them happy, even though 35 years of research has suggested the opposite. Maybe this belief has held as money is making some people happy some of the time, at least when they spend it on life experiences," he added.