HP launches thinnest Laptops in Pakistan

Karachi: Hewlett-Packard (HP) introduced thinnest `Ultra-slim Notebooks' in Pakistan. An introduction ceremony to this effect was held at a local hotel on Wednesday. It was pointed out on the occasion that HP continued its leadership in the high-growth thin and light notebook category by introducing new `Ultra-slim Notebooks' in Pakistan on Wednesday. A comprehensive new notebook portfolio from HP included HP Pavilion dm3, the HP Pavilion TM2 Tablet Notebook, the Mini311 slim and the already launched AMD Based DV2.

Philip Lau, General Manager Asia Emerging Countries (AEC) and Pakistan HP, spoke about the salient features of the notebooks. He was of the view that the HP's thin and `attractively priced notebooks have the potential to resonate with consumers in Asia and become a major driver for the overall PC market in the process'. Philip maintained that the HP is well positioned to take advantage of this growth with its portfolio of thin and light notebooks that address both businesses and consumers computing needs, he further opined.
APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)

Being bored could be bad for your health

London : Can you really be bored to death? In a commentary to be published in the International Journal of Epidemiology in April, experts say there's a possibility that the more bored you are, the more likely you are to die early. Annie Britton and Martin Shipley of University College London caution that boredom alone isn't likely to kill you — but it could be a symptom of other risky behavior like drinking, smoking, taking drugs or having a psychological problem. The researchers analyzed questionnaires completed between 1985 and 1988 by more than 7,500 London civil servants ages 35 to 55. The civil servants were asked if they had felt bored at work during the previous month. Britton and Shipley then tracked down how many of the participants had died by April 2009. Those who reported they had been very bored were two and a half times more likely to die of a heart problem than those who hadn't reported being bored. But when the authors made a statistical adjustment for other potential risk factors, like physical activity levels and employment grade, the effect was reduced.

Other experts said while the research was preliminary, the link between boredom and increased heart problems was possible — if not direct.

"Someone who is bored may not be motivated to eat well, exercise, and have a heart-healthy lifestyle. That may make them more likely to have a cardiovascular event," said Dr. Christopher Cannon, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard University and spokesman for the American College of Cardiology. He also said if people's boredom was ultimately linked to depression, it wouldn't be surprising if they were more susceptible to heart attacks; depression has long been recognized as a risk factor for heart disease. Cannon also said it was possible that when people are bored, dangerous hormones are released in the body that stress the heart. Britton and Shipley said boredom was probably not in itself that deadly. "The state of boredom is almost certainly a proxy for other risk factors," they wrote. "It is likely that those who were bored were also in poor health."

Others said boredom was potentially as dangerous as stress.

"Boredom is not innocuous," said Sandi Mann, a senior lecturer in occupational psychology at the University of Central Lancashire who studies boredom. She said boredom is linked to anger suppression, which can raise blood pressure and suppress the body's natural immunity. "People who are bored also tend to eat and drink more, and they're probably not eating carrots and celery sticks," she said.

Still, Mann said it was only people who were chronically bored who should be worried.

"Everybody is bored from time to time," she said.
Associated Press, 2010

Google working on voice translator phone, redefining synergy

Okay, so Google has this expansive online translation service, which we all know, use, and sometimes even love. Google also has its own branded phone, with a voice recognition function that we frankly adore. So what's a brave new age company with bottomless pockets to do but try to splice the two together into some kind of omnilingual instant translator? Speech-to-speech translation -- long the exclusive plaything of fanciful sci-fi writers -- is said by Franz Och, Google's head of translation services, to be a viable possibility within a measly couple of years. The Mountain View approach to overcoming the inherent problems of variable pitch, tone and accents in speech will be to use each person's phone to accrue data on his or her linguistic idiosyncrasies, so that the more the phone's voice recognition is used, the more accurate it becomes. Sounds tres bien to us.

Times Online Engadget®

BenQ V2220 claims 'world's slimmest' monitor title

BenQ is on the warpath today, updating its V series and crying from the mountaintops about unbeatable slimness and contrast ratios. We could care less about the supposedly class leading 10,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, but the 15mm thinness on the flagship V2220 certainly intrigues. It's claimed as the thinnest 21.5-inch monitor around and its junior sibling, the 18.5-inch V920, shaves another millimeter of thickness off while claiming the same title for its size class. Naturally, they're supplemented by slightly bulkier 23- and 24-inch varieties (V2320 and V2420, respectively) for those who need the extra room, with H variants offering HDMI and headphone connection options. You can expect 1920 x 1080 (1366 x 768 on the V920) resolution, 250 nits of brightness, 5ms response time and a good 1,000:1 real contrast ratio across the board, with the Taiwan launch set for the next couple of months followed by global availability in June.

Far East Gizmos

  BenQ

 Engadget®

Public invited to question Nasa astronauts via Twitter

Washington: With astronauts now sending a steady stream of 'tweets' from space, NASA is inviting the public to ask them questions using the popular micro-blogging service. The US space agency said astronaut Mike Massimino at Mission Control in Houston, Texas, will relay questions submitted over the next few days to the crew of Endeavor. They will be answered during a live 20-minute question-and-answer session beginning at 3:24 am (0824 GMT) on February 11 which will also be shown on the Web and on NASA Television, NASA said. Questions should be sent to Massimino's Twitter feed at @astro_Mike. Endeavor is scheduled to blast off Sunday on a mission to the International Space Station, where two other astronauts, Timothy "TJ" Creamer, a NASA flight engineer, and Japan's Soichi Noguchi, have been "tweeting" regularly.

Creamer's Twitter account is @Astro_TJ while Noguchi "tweets" at @Astro_Soichi.

Besides 140-character-or-less messages, Noguchi has been using Twitpic to send spectacular pictures of Earth as seen from space, including views of Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Fuji and other landmarks. Creamer sent the first "tweet" from space two weeks ago after getting a personal Web connection on the International Space Station. Massimino, who flew on the space shuttle Atlantis in May, also "tweeted" from space but needed an assist from the ground to get his message out. Previous "tweets" from space were actually sent by by email to the ground and support personnel posted them to Twitter accounts.
AFP (Agence France-Presse)
aaj.tv

Karachi Bomb strikes Jinnah Hospital, 10 dead

Karachi : At least 10 people were killed and 50 others were wounded on Sunday after another bomb struck the Karachi’s Jinnah Hospital.

The blast took place at a time when the dead and the injured of Shahra-e-Faisal blast were being shifted to the hospital’s Emergency Ward.

According to source, the blast left more than 50 people injured.

The injured are new being rushed to other hospitals after the blast.

A large number of relatives of the first blast victims were present at the time of second blast.

Iran successfully fires satellite rocket: TV

Tehran : Iran successfully fired on Wednesday a home-built satellite rocket, Kavoshgar 3, carrying an 'experimental capsule,' state-owned Al-Alam television reported.

It gave no further details.

State television meanwhile showed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiling a new home-built satellite carrier rocket, Simorgh.

The events are part of celebrations marking the 31st anniversary of the founding of the Islamic revolution.

The milk-bottle shaped rocket, emblazoned in blue with the words "Satellite Carrier Simorgh," is equipped to carry a 100-kilogramme (220-pound) satellite 500 kilometres (310 miles) into orbit, the television report said.
(AFP)

I don’t know how much I earn: SRK

Mumbai: He came, he mouthed dialogues from his super-hit films and he conquered. In his own signature style. And very few can say ‘Kem cho Amdavad’ with so much of warmth. Well, when you are talking about superstar Shah Rukh Khan, everything has to be in perfect harmony. And yes, he didn’t forget to promote his friend Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots. “3 Idiots is a very nice film, I want each one of you to see it,” says Shah Rukh who came to Ahmedabad after a decade. “I hardly get time to go on a holiday, I travel only while I am shooting. The city roads are very beautiful here. I have friends here whom I call Jaybhai and Juhiben,” he laughs. And he loves his share of “khandvi, dhokla and theplas. I love Gujarati food.” Talking about his forthcoming film My Name Is Khan, SRK who was in town to inaugurate a miniplex in the city says, “It has got nothing to do with my real name. My last film was Billoo. It is the subject of the film and this is the name that suits the film. It is just a co-incidence.” clarifies SRK. And after years, he’s back with Kajol on the silver screen and the entire nation is waiting to see them together. And when the film is directed by Karan Johar, it has to be more special. “They (Karan and Kajol) both are talented. I am working with Kajol after years — she is marvellous and beautiful. Karan feels a lot for me — whenever he wishes to cast me, he writes a film for me,” he says.
The film is different from what he has done in the past. So is it a conscious decision to do such a film? “I am not someone who believes to doing a film just because it is off beat. There is something special in every role I do. The essence is that I leave something of me in every role — not 100 per cent. This role is very special as it is more technical and I had to learn a lot about it,” he says.
And he dismisses all talks of reinventing himself as an actor. “I am the same old actor. When people question me I really look back and think but I feel people love characters like Rahul or Raj because they are different. Every role is different and I am not reinventing myself as an actor,” says SRK.
In the midst of talks on films and success, he adds, “I wasn’t supposed to work for nine months after my surgery but I did work on a slow pace. I believe the show must go on. This is also the price a star has to pay. But the good thing was that I got to spend a lot of time with my kids. Both my children boss over me and it is meant to be like that. My strength to work in such situations comes from my family and people who love to watch me,” he says.
And how does he see tomorrow? On a philosophical note, he says, “I am where I never thought I would be. I got much more that what I had expected. I am strong believer in God, hard work and honesty. My family and my close relationships keep me grounded and they are more important than my career. My family likes me as a person and not because I am an actor. I never mix the two. I don’t know how much I earn or how many awards I have received.”
And yes, the man who has ruled many hearts across the world has a word of advice: “Money is a good thing to run after. It is very important to be financially stable but you have to keep your wrongs and rights in mind. Don’t shy away from earning but without selling your soul.”

iPad, the latest from Apple,

San Francisco: The iPad, a touchscreen tablet computer unveiled by Apple chief executive Steve Jobs on Wednesday, is the latest device from a company that has introduced products that have become cultural milestones:

Here is a look at some of the best-known products from the Cupertino, California-based company: Macintosh computers: The first Macintosh computer was launched in 1984 and the line has grown to include iMac all-in-one desktop machines as well as stylishly sophisticated MacBook laptops. 

The iPod: The iPod was introduced in 2001 and the hip MP3 music players led a lifestyle shift in portable digital entertainment that has culminated in a touchscreen iPod Touch.
 
The iTunes Store: Launched as the iTunes Music Store in 2003, Apple's online shop sells music, movies, and television shows for computers and its mobile devices.
 
The iPhone: Apple introduced its first iPhone in 2007, combining iPod features and Internet connectivity in a touchscreen smartphone that swiftly became the mobile device of choice.
 
The App Store: Apple began letting outside developers customize applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch in 2008, opening an online App Store now stocked with more than 100,000 fun, functional or hip mini-programs.
AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2010

'Avatar' soars to new box office record

Los Angeles: Science-fiction epic 'Avatar' soared to a new global box office record, taking 1.85 billion dollars and sinking 'Titanic' to become the biggest earning film of all time, figures showed on Tuesday. "On Monday, January 25, 'Avatar' officially passed 'Titanic' to become the highest grossing film in history at the worldwide box office," 20th Century Fox studios said in a statement. Remarkably, "Avatar" director James Cameron had only himself to beat, and by Monday his groundbreaking 3-D blockbuster had taken in 16 million dollars more than his own 1997 film "Titanic," leaving him with the two biggest movies of all time. "Avatar" had taken 1.859 billion dollars, compared with the box-office total for the Oscar-winning "Titanic," which took 1.843 billion dollars, the studios said in its statement. "It's official: the king of the world is the king of the world again," box office analyst Jeff Bock told AFP. "Like the ship itself, many observers thought 'Titanic's' record box office was unsinkable. Not so. Leave it to the captain of the ship, James Cameron, to sink his own vessel and resurface with a whole new world."

The 500-million-dollar epic has been hailed as a cinematic milestone for its use of state-of-the-art 3-D cameras and motion capture technology which Cameron was instrumental in helping to develop. Set on a distant planet called Pandora, in the heart of a vast tropical forest, it recounts how strife erupts between an indigenous tribe and an Earth-based consortium pillaging for a precious mineral. "I see it as a broader metaphor, not so intensely politicized as some would make it, but rather that's how we treat the natural world as well," the Canadian-born Cameron said at last month's premiere in London.

"Avatar" walked away with the best picture and best director at the Golden Globes this month, cementing its status as a front-runner for the Oscars, with the nominations due to be unveiled next week. "We are deeply gratified that so many millions of people around the globe have embraced Avatar," 20th Century Fox said. "The themes of protecting the environment, respecting life, and yearning for a peaceful planet have united moviegoers worldwide." The futuristic fantasy tells the story of paralyzed war veteran Jake, who is sent on a mission to Pandora where, through his genetically engineered avatar body, he falls in love with a blue humanoid named Neytiri of the alien Na'vi race. Instead of helping the US military to extract the valuable mineral from the ground, Jake (Sam Worthington) and a crusty doctor, played by Sigourney Weaver, decide to help the Na'vi defend their homeland. It was Cameron's first movie since "Titanic," which starred Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet, scooped 11 Oscars at the 1998 ceremony. But box office analyst Bock pointed out that "Avatar" rocketed to its record in just 39 days, while "Titanic" sailed across screens for 41 weeks to reach its total. He added that 72 percent of the global box office had come from 3D venues.

Cameron accepted his Golden Globes speaking partly in Na'vi -- the language spoken by the blue-skinned peace-loving alien heroes of the film invented for the movie by a University of Southern California linguistics expert. "Cameron is that rare combination of movie magician and master tactician. his films aren't just unspooled, they are unleashed. In the end, they are spectacles and you have to see them to believe," said Bock.

"His films don't follow the worn path, they blaze trails and become part of the cultural zeitgeist of the day."
AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2010

Fan sends 22 gifts to Kangana

Mumbai: Kangna Ranaut is understandably ecstatic. After winning the National Award for Best Supporting Actress in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion, she has reason to party as hard as she works.

She was delightfully surprised when yesterday evening at around 4 pm, Sameer, a Delhi-based fan, sent a huge gift hamper to Kangna’s place. Inside were three boxes – one with 22 wine bottles, another with 22 cakes of different shapes and sizes and the third loaded with 22 accessories including earrings, bracelets, and bangles. There was also a sweet note from the fan accompanying the parcel saying, “22 because you are a 22-year-old and a National Award is no mean achievement at such a young age.” Atta girl, Kangs.

YouTube streamlines its video-viewing page

San Francisco: YouTube on Thursday debuted a revamped video-viewing page that offers larger screens and less clutter.
"We're excited to unveil the first major example of our efforts to simplify and streamline the video page to offer the best possible watching experience," YouTube engineer Igor Kofman and designer Julian Fromar said in a blog post.  The concept at the heart of the redesign is to "make the video the star," according to Kofman and Fromar. "To that end, the new look is more subdued, stripped down and simple than before," the pair said. "The design should help ease users into advanced features, while providing power users with all the functionality they want." New features include letting YouTube users search for videos while watching one, instead of having to break from viewing to conduct searches.
APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2010

Akshay Kumar injured badly while shooting

Mumbai: Akshay Kumar’s daredevil lifestyle and love for the adrenaline rush seems to be taking a toll on his health. The actor, who is known to perform his own stunts and jump off great heights for almost all his films, as badly hurt himself and has sprained his back. The macho hunk was gravely injured while shooting a stunt sequence for his production `Patiala House`.

Concerned over Akki’s condition, the filmmakers were left with little choice but to wrap up the shoot. Confirming the news, a source said, "Since he performs stunts on his own, it takes a greater toll on the back. And he`s had a back problem for a really long time. The pain wasn`t getting any lesser. Akshay decided to call it a wrap and for the day, and the doctor advised the actor physiotherapy and adequate rest."

But more than his health, the workaholic actor was worried about the film. However, being the film’s producer, Akshay realised that the only one who stood a chance to lose money because of his absence was him. "No-one else lost money by his cancelling the shoot, so Akshay didn`t think twice. He`s had a record of working in the industry without ever cancelling a shoot, only because he doesn`t like the producer to suffer losses at his expense,” adds the source.

Talking about Akshay, director Nikhil Advani said, "Yes, Akshay hurt his back while shooting. His back got strained earlier in the day during his exercises, but after the shoot, it got further aggravated."

Taiwan man dies after watching 'Avatar'

Taipei: A 42-year-old Taiwanese man with a history of high blood pressure has died of a stroke likely triggered by over-excitement from watching the blockbuster 'Avatar' in 3D, a doctor said on Tuesday. The man, identified only by his surname Kuo, started to feel unwell during the screening earlier this month in the northern city of Hsinchu and was taken to hospital. Kuo, who suffered from hypertension, was unconscious when he arrived at the Nan Men General Hospital and a scan showed that his brain was haemorrhaging, emergency room doctor Peng Chin-chih said. "It's likely that the over-excitement from watching the movie triggered his symptoms," he told AFP.

Kuo died 11 day later from the brain haemorrhage, and the China Times newspaper said it was the first death linked to watching James Cameron's science-fiction epic "Avatar". Film blogging sites have reported complaints of headaches, dizziness, nausea and blurry eyesight from viewers of "Avatar" and other movies rich in 3D imagery.
AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2010

Proof of life on Mars will come by year-end: NASA

Washigton: Is there life on Mars? The most intriguing question for everyone on the Earth would be answered by American space scientists by the end of this year, a NASA expert has claimed, Times Of India quoted on Saturday. According to the Times of India website, David McKay, chief of astrobiology at NASA's Johnson Space Centre in Houston said the fact that Mars has bred life will be confirmed this year and the historic discovery will not be made on the Mars, but here on Earth using the chunks of the red planet.

"Powerful new microscopes and other instruments will establish whether features in martian meteorites are alien fossils," said McKay. Using a new instrument, a team of NASA scientists will bombard three meteorites -- known to be from Mars as the gases trapped inside them match those in rocks examined by probes on the red planet -- with a stream of ions to check whether features are geological or biological, Scientific American reported. Two of the three meteorites - ALH84001 and Yamato 593 - were found in the Antarctic by American and Japanese scientists after they were lying in the icy desert for thousands of years. Chunks of the third meteorite, which fell at Nakhla in Egypt in 1911, are preserved at London's Natural History Museum.

AAJ NEWS (aaj.tv)

US videogame sales hit record high in December

San Francisco: NPD Group reported Thursday that US sales of videogame hardware and software hit 5.53 billion dollars in December, setting a new monthly record and giving a blockbuster end to a lackluster year. "The big sales (in December), particularly on the hardware front, is a positive move for the industry headed into what will hopefully be a recovery year in 2010," said NPD analyst Anita Frazier. Videogame industry revenues for 2009 totaled nearly 19.66 billion dollars, an eight percent drop from the record-high 21.4 billion dollars seen in the prior year, according to NPD. "Clearly, 2009 was (a) tough year for consumers and the national economy," said Michael Gallagher, chief executive of the Entertainment Software Association that represents computer and videogame publishers. "That said, our industry's structure is solid, and I anticipate a strong 2010 with a pipeline full of highly-anticipated titles." Sales of videogame consoles and hand-held devices hit an unprecedented high in December, with Sony selling more than 1.3 million of its PlayStation 3 models in its best monthly showing to date. "We knew 2009 would be a turning point for the platform due to the new price and a content line up that is fueling unprecedented consumer and industry interest," said Sony Computer Entertainment of America communications director Patrick Seybold.
Launches of hot titles such as "God of War III" and a new motion-sensing controller this year should bolster the popularity of PS3 consoles, according to Seybold. Nintendo also set new US records, selling 3.81 million Wii consoles and 3.31 million DS hand-held gaming devices here in December, according to NPD. "Wii, Nintendo DS Lite and Nintendo DSi combined to sell more than 7 million units in the month of December alone," said Nintendo of America executive vice president of sales and marketing Cammie Dunaway. "Clearly there is overwhelming consumer demand for fun games, motion controls and value."

Microsoft weighed in with a strong showing also, selling 1.31 of its Xbox 360 videogame consoles in December, according to the industry tracking firm. NPD expects videogame sales to be buoyed this year as millions of console owners go shopping for titles to play. "Hopefully, the big increase in the overall install base of hardware systems will bring good things for software sales in 2010," Frazier said.
"Especially with the incredible line-up of content coming out early in the year."
Game software for Nintendo devices took six of the Top Ten sales spots for December, with a "New Super Mario Brothers" title topping the rankings. Other big sellers on the list included Ubisoft's "Assassin's Creed II" and "Modern Warfare 2" by Activision. "Modern Warfare 2" was the top selling console game in the United States in 2009, while "The Sims 3" led sales for videogames played on personal computers, according to NPD.
AFP (Agence France-Presse)

Comparison with Katrina Kaif is insulting, fumes Kareena!!!

Mumbai: While Zarine Khan finds it flattering to be compared with Katrina, Kareena Kapoor is fuming with the reports of her comparisons to Kaif. A recent article in a B-town tabloid declared the both actresses are on par and their films in 2010 which will prove who will come out on the top. A source close to the actress confirms the news and says, "Bebo has been around for years and she has done tons of performance-oriented films. Her body of work is different. How can you compare them?" But the similarities between both the hotties are too many to be ignored. For starters they share their initials; both started with duds; they have the same endorsement manager; they share a PR manager. As far as the physical attributes go, again, both are tall, fair and beautiful.
According to a trade analyst, "It is hard very to choose between Kareena and Katrina. They're both neck-to-neck. In Bollywood, people respect talent but they also give a lot of importance to Friday favourites." Both the gorgeous girls have their hand full in 2010. While Kareena has Karan Johar's remake of Stepmom, Red Chillies' Ra 1, Illuminati Films' Agent Vinod and Rohit Shetty's Golmaal Returns, Katrina is rumoured to have been cast in Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar and Karan Johar's Dostana 2 but these films will not release this year. Her Rajneeti is ready for release.
Let's wait and watch who steals the show and becomes the clear No.1.

Electric car road test planned for Quebec

Ottawa: Quebec's power utility is teaming up with Mitsubishi Motors to road test the performance of up to 50 all-electric vehicles against the rigors of the Canadian climate and measure their infrastructure needs. The C$4.5 million ($4.4 million) project, which organizers say will be Canada's biggest trial yet of all-electric vehicles, is planned for this autumn near the Boucherville research facility of Hydro-Quebec, the provincial government-owned electricity utility. "It will allow us to advance our knowledge of the technology and its integration into our grid, which in turn, will help us plan the necessary charging infrastructure for homes, offices and public places," said Thierry Vandal, Hydro-Quebec's chief executive. Organizers said the road test is the first to include a car manufacturer, public utility, municipality and local businesses, which will integrate Mitsubishi i-MiEVs into existing fleets.

Mitsubishi says its Innovative Electric Vehicle, or i-MiEV, is an all-electric, highway-capable, charge-at-home commuter car. Quebec was Canada's first province to adopt California's strict auto emission standards. The new rules came into effect January 14 and impose increasingly stringent limits on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cars and light trucks.

Reuters, 2010

Longest Solar Eclipse of the century begins

Karachi: The first and longest annular or ring-like eclipse solar eclipse of this century can be observed today in many countries including Pakistan. The eclipse will last for an average of about twelve hours. In Pakistan, it will begin at 1230 and ends at 1:00 approximately. 11:30 am whereas it will occur in Quetta and Karachi at 11 am. According to meteorologists, the eclipse can be partially observed in Pakistan and will also be visible in African countries, India, Sri Lanka, China and Myanmar.

Annular solar eclipses occur when the Moon is too far to cover the Sun entirely. Therefore, when the eclipse reaches totality, you would see a ring (Annulus) around the moon and hence the name annular.

Please do exercise caution while watching this eclipse. Do not look directly at the Sun during the eclipse for it might put your eyes at risk even with your cool sunglasses. Also, do not try to use binoculars or telescopes and point at the eclipse directly without sufficient protection as you run the risk of being blinded.

Aaj News (aaj.tv)

Ranbir Kapoor gets a new girlfriend

Mumbai : If you believe that Bollywood’s blue-eyed boy Ranbir Kapoor has found a new arm candy post his hush-hush break up with Deepika Padukone, its time to put your thinking caps on!

According to the latest Bollywood news, Sarah Thompson, the ‘Cruel Intentions 2’ star plays Ranbir’s perfect arm candy in Prakash Jha’s ‘Raajneeti.’ In the film, Sarah plays the role of Ranbir’s American girlfriend, the one whom the actor abandons to pursue his dynastic politics in India. Sarah Thompson played South African cricketer Hansie Cronje’s wife in 2008 biopic ‘Hansie.’ Sarah was chosen for ‘Raajneeti’ after a great deal of prudence as Jha said, “We auditioned nearly 30 girls before we selected Sarah. She was right for the part. It’s a substantial role and we needed an actress who could act and would look compatible with Ranbir.” In ‘Raajneeti’, the characters of Sarah and Ranbir fall in love in an American university.
By the way, Sarah is the first Caucasian actress to star opposite Ranbir Kapoor. Grapevine has it that both stars shared cold vibes as a result Jha scrapped a kissing scene between the two!
AAJ NEWS (aaj.tv)

Karan Johar to work with Aishwarya Rai

Mumbai : If grapevine is to be believed, Karan Johar is toying with the idea of finally working with Aishwarya Rai, with whom he hasn`t made a single project in his over decade-long career. "Karan said that Aishwarya is his ideal heroine and all the scripts that he writes are keeping her in mind. He also said that various reasons have veered them from working together. But he is hoping that it is the right time that he gets her to work in his production sometime soon," a source, who overheard Karan`s conversation with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, told reporters on condition of anonymity. The two filmmakers were discussing Aishwarya at Sonali Bendre`s birthday party on Dec 31.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali was overheard telling Karan Johar that Aishwarya is very original and there is no one like her. He further said that if a director has not worked with her in his or her career, it`s a big loss for them. Sanjay also praised her work in `Guzaarish`," the source said.

Aishwarya has worked with Bhansali in ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ and ‘Devdas’ - both of which did well at the box office. Now she is being directed by him in ‘Guzaarish’, which also features Hrithik Roshan.

Google lets people store files in Internet 'cloud'

San Francisco: Google on Tuesday said it will let people store pictures, videos, and other kinds of digital files online at Google Docs, adding virtual hard drives to services offered 'in the cloud'. "This makes it easy to backup more of your key files online, from large graphics and raw photos to unedited home videos taken on your smartphone," said Google Docs product manager Vijay Bangaru. "You might even be able to replace the USB drive you reserved for those files that are too big to send over email. "The data storage service will roll out in coming weeks, according to Bangaru. Google will let people upload files no larger than 250 megabytes each to Docs, allocating each person a gigabyte of free storage space for data that is not converted into a document at the online text program. Additional storage space at Docs will cost 25 cents per year per gigabyte, according to Bangaru. Businesses that subscribe to Google Apps Premium Edition will be charged 3.5 dollars for each extra gigabyte of online storage space. "With this change, you'll be able to upload and access your files from any computer; all you need is an Internet connection," Bangaru said.

Google offers spreadsheet, calendar, and other applications as free services hosted on the California firm's computers in the Internet "cloud" in what is seen as a threat to Microsoft's sales of packaged software. Microsoft has offered people 25 gigabytes of free online data storage at a Windows Live SkyDrive service for more than a year.
AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2010

Mexico cold snap leaves nine dead

Mexico City : A wave of cold weather pummeling much of Mexico has left nine people dead, the country's health minister said on Saturday, as residents in the normally sun-baked north struggled to cope. "Since the end of last week, we have had nine deaths caused by the cold across the nation," said Jose Angel Cordova, noting the northern states were hit particularly hard. As Mexicans accustomed to clement winters took to building snowmen and throwing snowballs near the usually toasty capital, those in the north struggled with rare sub-zero temperatures. Chihuahua state -- a desert inferno most of the year -- saw temperatures plummet to -6.6 degrees Celsius (20 Fahrenheit). Coahuila, another barren state bordering the United States, saw thermometers touch -8.5 degrees Celsius (16.7 Fahrenheit), according to the National Meteorological Service. Cordova said many of the dead had succumbed to hypothermia, while some suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning as they tried to keep warm. Many homes in the country are built without central heating due to the normally mild winters. The cold also wreaked havoc with travel plans and normal routines, with flights canceled and schools in 10 of 32 states closing schools. Meteorologists said the snow and cold was set to continue for the next one to three days.
AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2010

20 injured as thick fog covers Punjab

Lahore : The spate of thick fog is underway in most parts of Punjab and 20 people have been injured in road-related accidents in different parts of the province, Aaj News reported on Sunday.
According to the sources, 20 people have been injured in collision among 15 vehicles in Sheikhupura due to thick fog. Trains and flights have been delayed while people have been issued a warning against travelling in intense hazy environment on Sunday morning.
Meteorological department predicted that spell of fog will continue in coming few days while rain is not expected in next 24 hours. Met office has also forecasted cold and dry weather in different cities of Punjab including Lahore. 

Aaj News (aaj.tv)

From desktop to dashboard, PCs take front seat.

Las Vegas: To the dismay of safety advocates already worried about driver distraction, automakers and high-tech companies have found a new place to put sophisticated internet-connected computers: the front seat. Technology giants like Intel and Google are turning their attention from the desktop to the dashboard, hoping to bring the power of the PC to the car. The first wave of these "infotainment systems" will hit the market this year. While built-in navigation features were once costly options, the new systems are likely to be standard equipment in a wide range of cars before long. They prevent drivers from watching video and using some functions while the car is moving, but they can still pull up content as varied as restaurant reviews and the covers of music albums with the tap of a finger. Safety advocates say the firms behind these technologies are tone-deaf to studies showing the risks of distracted driving — and to a growing debate about use of mobile devices in cars.
One system on the way this fall from Audi lets drivers pull up information as they drive. Heading to Madison Square Garden for a basketball game? Pop down the touch pad, finger-scribble the word "Knicks" and get a Wikipedia entry on the arena, photos and reviews of nearby restaurants, and animations of the ways to get there. The technology and car companies say that safety remains a priority. They note that they are working on technology like voice commands and screens that can simultaneously show a map to the driver and a movie to a front-seat passenger. 

AAJ NEWS (aaj.tv)

Solar eclipse to occur on Jan 15

Karachi : An annular (ring-like) solar eclipse will occur on January 15. This was stated by a senior official of the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) here on Friday.

It was pointed out that the eclipse will be visible from the African countries of Kenya and Somalia etc, Indian Ocean, India, Sri Lanka, Bay of Bengal, Myanmar and China.

A partial solar eclipse will, however, be visible from all over Pakistan. The partial eclipse will begin at 0905 hours and end at 1508 hours.

The experts have warned against watching the sun without proper eye shielding material. 

APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2010

Google launches smartphone "Nexus One"

Mountain View: Google unveiled its new Nexus One smartphone Tuesday in a direct challenge to heavyweight Apple’s iPhone handsets. The Internet giant billed the touch-screen device, the culmination of collaboration with Taiwanese electronics titan HTC, a “superphone” that marked the next step in the evolution of its Android software.
“I think you will see it pushes the limits of what’s possible on a smart phone,” HTC chief executive Peter Chou said as the smartphone debuted at Google headquarters in Mountain View, California.
“It is very thin and feels good in your hand.”
Nexus One handsets are no thicker than pencils and no heavier than keychain Swiss Army knives, Google engineer Erick Tseng said while demonstrating one of the smartphones.
“It is a great marriage of form and function,” Tseng said.
Nexus One smartphones are built on the same Android 2.1 software that runs Droid smartphones that recently hit the market with innovations like 3D graphics, according to Tseng. The handsets feature new speech command capabilities that allow users to speak emails, text messages or Internet search queries. Nexus One devices can provide turn-by-turn spoken driving directions from a Google mapping program. Google launched its own online store at google.com/phone where the Nexus One will be sold.
“This is really a Google phone,” said Interpret analyst Michael Gartenberg.
“A lot of the Android phones that came to market are kind of lackluster. One of the ways to avoid mediocrity is to kick things up a couple of notches yourself.”
Nexus One smartphones will be sold at the Google-hosted Web store for 529 dollars “unlocked,” without ties to a telecom carrier. Nexus One handsets will be offered starting at 179 dollars if paired with T-Mobile service contracts in the United States. Google has made “strategic partnerships” with telecom firm Verizon in the United States and Vodafone in Europe. Nexus One devices linked to service from Verizon in the US and Vodafone in Europe should be available by mid-year, according to Google. Google said it will ship Nexus One devices to buyers in Singapore, Hong Kong, Britain and the United States. The smartphones are designed to work with a variety of telecom carrier networks.
“You can take out your SIM card from any provider and put it in the phone,” said Google vice president of product management Mario Queiroz.
The Internet search and advertising giant has a foothold in the market with its Android mobile operating system, featured in more than 20 phones since starting with T-Mobile’s G1 in October 2008.
“Google made it very clear that all Android devices are created equal, but some devices are created more equally than others,” Gartenberg said.
“They’ve raised the bar for their partners and they’ve tried to raise the bar for the ecosystem. They’ve clearly shown how they want to be a player.”
Analysts have expressed concern that Google’s move could irk partners backing handsets based on the Internet firm’s open-source Android software.
“I don’t see it as a threat,” said Sanjay Jha, chief of mobile devices at handset titan Motorola, which recently brought to market a Droid smartphone based on Android software.
“I think the Nexus One is a good phone. I think we will upgrade Droid to the software available on Nexus One.”
Chou and Jha said they support Google’s new phone and Web store as a “healthy” expansion of the mobile phone ecosystem.
Google executives sidestepped questions about whether the Nexus One is intended as an “iPhone killer,” but acknowledged it should prove a powerful competitor. Like iPhones, Nexus One devices feature “accelerometer” capabilities allowing images or games on handsets to be controlled with twists or turns. “The message isn’t to the iPhone specifically, it is to consumers,” said Google vice president of engineering Andy Rubin. “Choice is a good thing.” Google has an online Android Marketplace stocked with about 20,000 functional or hip applications for smartphones running the software. With a far greater stockpile of applications, Apple’s online App Store is considered among the reasons iPhones have become globally coveted devices. Apple meanwhile announced that more than three billion mini-applications for iPhone and iPod Touch devices have been downloaded from the App Store in less than 18 months. “We see no signs of the competition catching up any time soon,” Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said in a statement.
(Dawn News)

Burj Dubai Receives Opening Celebration and New Name

At the opening of the Burj Dubai, the world's tallest skyscraper, there were 10,000 fireworks, a dancing fountain, traditional Emirati dancers, skydivers and an impressive light show — but the biggest surprise of the evening came from Dubai’s ruler, Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Shortly after making his signature entrance in his white G55 Mercedes, number plate 1, Sheik Mohammed stopped to make a brief speech, saying that the tower, which has so far been known as Burj Dubai, would be renamed Burj Khalifa, after the president of the United Arab Emirates and emir of Abu Dhabi, Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan. It is perhaps the most expensive naming rights deal in history and likely a reward for Abu Dhabi’s $10 billion bailout of Dubai in December after the emirate admitted it was struggling to deal with more than $80 billion of debt.

Once the initial shock had settled, the audience was then treated to a dramatic fireworks and light show around the mammoth structure. A series of skydivers branded in the country’s national colors dropped from the sky to kick off the celebrations, followed by a video showing the construction of the tower and its exact height of 828 meters (2,716 feet), which had previously been kept under wraps.

Taiwan scientist discovers 'Strawberry' Crab

Taipei : A Taiwanese marine biologist said Tuesday he had found a new species of crab which is coloured like a polka-dotted strawberry. Professor Ho Ping-ho of National Taiwan Ocean University said he made the discovery while carrying out research on the environmental impact from a shipwreck last year on the beaches of southern Kenting National Park. "One was dead while the other was dying when they were found on a beach of Chialoshui," Ho told AFP, referring to a scenic coastal village in the national park.The two female crabs, with the bigger one measuring 2.5 centimetres (one inch) in size, have been made into specimens. "Luckily the oil leak from the shipwreck was not serious, otherwise the two crabs might have been polluted and escaped our eyes," Ho said. The professor said he was writing an essay on the new species.

 AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2010

World's Tallest Building opens today: Dubai

Dubai: Dubai is set to open the world’s tallest building amid tight security on Monday, celebrating the tower as a bold feat on the world stage despite the city-state’s shaky financial footing. The height of the Burj Dubai remained a closely guarded secret on the eve of its opening. At a reported height of 2,684 feet, it long ago vanquished its nearest rival, the Taipei 101 in Taiwan. The building boasts the most stories and highest occupied floor of any building and ranks as the world’s tallest structure, beating out a television mast in North Dakota.

“We weren’t sure how high we could go,’’ said Bill Baker, the building’s structural engineer. “It was kind of an exploration. . . . A learning experience.’’ Baker, of the Chicago architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, said early designs had the Burj edging out the previous record-holder, the Taipei 101, by about 33 feet.

The Taiwan tower rises 1,667 feet. The Burj’s developer, Emaar Properties, kept pushing the design higher even after construction began, eventually putting it about 984 feet taller than its nearest competitor, Baker said. He was keeping quiet about the exact height. Dubai’s ruler will open the tapering metal-and-glass spire with a fireworks display this evening. Newspapers quoted Major General Mohammed Eid al-Mansouri, head of the protective security and emergency unit for Dubai Police, as saying more than 1,000 security personnel will be deployed. The tower has more than 160 floors - over 50 stories more than Chicago’s Willis Tower, the tallest in the United States.

AAJ NEWS (aaj.tv)

Record snow brings travel misery to China, South Korea.

Beijing : Record snow disrupted air and road travel in northeast Asia on Monday, grounding dozens of planes in China and South Korea and forcing schools to close in Beijing, with more freezing weather on the way. One person was killed and at least two others were missing in the mountains of central Japan after snow fell across the region. The Chinese capital on Sunday received its heaviest daily snowfall in nearly six decades, the state Xinhua news agency reported. The Central Meteorological Administration reported that up to 30 centimetres (12 inches) had fallen on Beijing and Tianjin over the weekend. While skies were clear in the capital Monday, more snow was expected in northeast China. At Beijing's international airport -- where nearly 1,200 flights were cancelled or delayed on Sunday -- workers had cleared the runways and the situation was returning to normal, an airport spokesman told AFP. More than 100 flights on were nevertheless delayed and two dozen cancelled as of early Monday, the spokesman said, adding that workers needed to de-ice the snow-covered planes that were stuck at the weekend. "I don't remember ever seeing such heavy snowfall in the city," one female Beijinger surnamed Zhou told the China Daily. In the South Korean capital Seoul, around 26 centimetres (10 inches) of snow fell Monday, marking the biggest snowfall since record-keeping began in 1937, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The blanket of thick white snow forced the cancellation of dozens of domestic flights and about 40 international flights were delayed, airport officials said. On the roads, up to 30 highways in Beijing and the surrounding areas were closed or only partially open to traffic on Monday, the China News Service reported. Inner-city roads remained icy and covered with snow. More than 5,000 volunteers were deployed to keep order at crowded bus stops, Xinhua quoted Song Jianguo, head of the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau, as saying. In Seoul, traffic was chaotic, forcing the late start of a cabinet meeting, with ministers stuck in the wintry mess. More snow was expected in Seoul later Monday, but clear skies were forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday. More than 3,500 schools in Beijing and Tianjin were forced to shut their doors on Monday, giving more than 2.2 million students an extra day of New Year's holiday, state media reported. Temperatures in Beijing were expected to drop to minus 16 degrees Celsius (three Fahrenheit) on Monday, the coldest in the capital in decades, the China Daily reported. In northern Heilongjiang province, the mercury has already plummeted to minus 36 Celsius, the paper said. Farther east in Japan, police said they had found the body of a climber on Mount Hodaka in central Gifu prefecture. It was not immediately clear if it was the body of one of three climbers who went missing there at the weekend. Another party of seven were rescued safely after becoming stranded on Mount Terachi, also in Gifu prefecture, due to the heavy snow, he said. The South Korean weather office said snow also fell in North Korea, with at least eight centimetres reported in the western port of Haeju.

 AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2010

Punjab in grip of thick fog

Lahore : At least thirteen persons have been injured as passenger bus turned-turtle in Sahiwal due to thick fog that covered most part of Punjab early on Monday, Aaj News reported.

Thick fog has also caused closure of the Motorway at various points while several flights were also cancelled due to bad weather in various metropolises in Punjab.

The mist has covered several cities of Punjab for last few days, however the fog receding from provincial capital Lahore helping in restoration of normal traffic though the motorway has been closed at various points.

Several persons have been reported injured during last 48 hours in traffic mishaps at motorway between Lahore and Faisalabad due to zero visibility.

The fog has also disturbed the flights schedule as several flights were cancelled or diverted to other airports due to intense hazy conditions. 

AAJ NEWS (aaj.tv)

Amir Khan is God: Kareena

Mumbai : Kareena Kapoor has a lot to celebrate. Her film 3 Idiots is a runaway hit. And Kareena decided to run away to Delhi to be with her sister Karisma for New Year. Sounding more relaxed than she did recently Kareena took time off from the very special family gathering to speak. “I’ve been running around frantically promoting my film. And then I was ailing for a week. I decided I had to be well for the festive season. Christmas was a very, very special occasion for my mom and sister. But we never get to be together for the occasion. This time I was adamant. I made sure I took time off from work so all us girls could spend time together. My mom and I were here in Delhi to spend time with my sister and niece.” Laughs Kareena, “Karisma and I don’t get to spend that much time together. She has her home and husband in Delhi. My career takes me all over the place. Mom cribs we’re never together. This year-end reunion was something we had promised ourselves from long before.” In Delhi, Kareena is overwhelmed by the response to her new film. “Everywhere I go I am swamped by compliments for the role. The length of the role didn’t matter. I’m just glad to be part of a historic happening. When Raj Kumar Hirani and Aamir asked me to be part of their film I jumped at it. I knew the film would be special because of Raju and Aamir, and I was right. As far as our cinema is concerned, Aamir is God.” Reacting to the opinion that Kareena hardly has anything to do in her new film Kareena says, “Who says I’ve nothing to do? I’m very part of the main drama. Would the story move forward if you remove my character?” Kareena is specially pleased by the compliments she has received for her pairing with Aamir. “Everyone in one voice thinks we look good together. I think Aamir and I make a fantastic pair. I’d love to do another film with him immediately, this time I don’t want share him with other pivotal characters.” In fact, talks are on with two leading filmmakers including Mani Ratnam who is apparently all set to revive his Aamir-Kareena project Lajjo. A R Rahman and Gulzar have even recorded the songs. Looking back on the year, Kareena feels happy by the response to her performances in Kurbaan and 3 Idiots. “Both films are very precious to me. Kurbaan was intense, 3 Idiots was more fun. In 2010, I did films with all the Khans … Salman, Aamir, Shah Rukh (I had a song with him in Billu) and of course Saif

Amir Khan to experiment Cooking

Mumbai : Aamir Khan has two immediate plans for the future. The actor, who was in Kolkata for New Year’s Eve, is expected to go overseas for a holiday. And when he returns, he has plans to enroll for cooking classes. Says Aamir, “I’m fascinated by cooking. My mother is easily my favourite cook. She can make everything from exotic dishes to regular stuff exceptionally well. And when I feel like home food, I just drive to Pune to eat it.” To keep the biwi happy as well, he adds, “Kiran is also a fantastic cook and she loves getting into the kitchen.” The actor, who confesses that his skills are limited to boiling an egg and making a cup of tea, says he has no cooking prowess. “I volunteer to help Kiran with the dishes if she asks me,” he says. Talking about his determination to join cooking classes, he says, “I admire people who cook well. It is just one of those things that keeps going on in my head. Earlier, I didn’t bother with it because I always reasoned this is not one of the equities that I as a star am expected to bring to the table. But now I just feel I must learn to cook. I don’t know how soon I can get around to doing it though,” he says. Aamir, who is also fascinated by the thought of growing his own vegetables, has said, “I’m seriously toying with the idea of organic farming. Both Kiran and I are fascinated by farming. I think it would be really nice to be able to grow our own vegetables and feed people.”

Cost-cutting Nasa eyes three cheap space missions

WASHINGTON : Nasa has named low-cost missions to Venus, the moon and an asteroid on a shortlist to become its latest space adventure, as the US agency faces astronomical political pressure to cut costs. The proposed probes -- to the surface of Venus, the moon and to bring back a piece of a primitive asteroid -- must all come with a price tag of less than 650 million dollars, a fraction of the cost of manned space flight. The agency, in a statement said the winner of the competition will be announced in mid-2011, with the project to launch by the end of 2018. Nasa has faced growing pressure to cut its budget as the US government's debt soars and as the United States buckles under the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The agency has also seen dwindling political support, with its White House and congressional paymasters reluctant to fund the type of expensive manned space exploration that saw the agency put 12 men on the moon. A plan to return humans to the moon by 2020 came under withering criticism from a panel tasked by US President Barack Obama to look into the future of space exploration, as the project's initial budget of 28 billion dollars exploded past 44 billion. Against this backdrop, the agency is asking scientists to come up with low-cost ideas to further space exploration. One project led by the University of Colorado's Larry Esposito would send an explorer to Earth's sister planet, Venus. The explorer would descend through the carbon dioxide-rich Venusian atmosphere, landing on the planet's surface in the hope of gathering evidence that could explain why it is so different from Earth, despite being close in size and space. A second project would place a lander on the moon's southern pole, collecting rocks that are thought to come from the lunar core, offering an insight into how the moon and Earth developed. Another project would travel to an asteroid to snatch around two ounces (56 grams) of material before returning the payload to Earth for extensive tests. The winner will be the third in Nasa's cost-saving New Frontiers program, which was launched in 2006. The first mission will fly by Pluto and its moon Charon in 2015 and then a target in the Kuiper belt, at the outer reaches of the Solar System. "These three proposals provide the best science value among eight submitted to Nasa this year," said Nasa's Ed Weiler.

"These are projects that inspire and excite young scientists, engineers and the public."

AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2010

A once-in-a-blue-moon New Year's Eve

PARIS : For only the second time in nearly two decades, December ended with Earth illuminated by a 'Blue Moon,' the name given to the second full moon appearing in a single month. For New Year's revelers in the Western hemisphere, the calendar will not quite have turned into the new decade when the perfectly round orb lights up the night sky. Not since 1990 has the world had the opportunity to observe on a mass scale the compounded impact of a Blue Moon and bubbly. The double full moon phenomenon happens on average every 2.7 years, with the most recent in May 2007, and the next set for August 2012.
This month, the moon was also at its maximum on December 2. Why Blue? For no particular reason, according to Space.com, a popular science website based in the United States. "If there's been a recent volcanic eruption that poured significant ash into the upper atmosphere, it is possible for the moon to take on a blue tint," noted the site's editorial director Robert Roy Britt. "That's not expected tonight," he added, as if by way of apology.
It also turns out that the term "blue moon" is a misnomer that can be traced back to an editorial blooper 65 years ago in the normally irreproachable magazine Sky and Telescope.
The original meaning was the third full moon in a season with four, a more common occurrence.
There is also a cocktail -- curacao, gin and a twist -- by that name, and a turn of the (20th) century expression meaning something absurd. 

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2010

‘New Moon’ named Best Movie of 2009

UNITED STATES : Twilight sequel ‘New Moon’ has been voted the best movie of 2009 in a new poll. Conducted by AOL movie Web site Moviefone.com, heartthrob Robert Pattinson took away the title for Sexiest Male star, with 46.5pct votes, while co-star Taylor Lautner was named Best Male Breakout star, timesofindia.com quoted.
‘New Moon’ was also ranked as the year's champ "chick flick."
Although voters ranked "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" as the worst movie of 2009, as well as the second most disappointing film after "Bruno," yet at the same time, they called it the year's best action flick, reports the New York Daily News.
"Transformers" star Megan Fox was voted the year's Sexiest Female thespian but voters also felt she gave the worst performance of '09. "The Hangover" got was voted the year's funniest movie, with 51.8pct votes, while Disney/Pixar's "Up" was named the best animated film. Sandra Bullock took the best performance by an actress prize for "The Blind Side." Meanwhile, Twilight series’ next instalment ‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’ was picked as the 2010 film fans most yearn to see.

AJJ NEWS (aaj.tv)