Richierich's Club Houze

Maruti Ritz is here with a Splash!

2009-06-06T10:40:00.002+05:30

Maruti Ritz is perhaps the most awaited and hyped car from Maruti Suzuki. The car is positioned in the premium A2 market segment, which includes its compact offerings such as Alto, WagonR, Swift, Zen and the newly-launched A-Star. Hyundai has already launched their i10 model in the Indian market. Now, it's the turn of market leaders Maruti Suzuki to respond with a brand new vehicle for the Indian market. engineers from Maruti Suzuki worked at close quarters with their Japanese counterparts in the development of the Ritz, much like that for the A-Star. MUL seems to be going the complete distance to ensure that the Ritz manages to make an impact on the cut-throat A-2 hatchback space. How far the new Ritz manages to compete with its couterparts is yet to be seen in the time to come.

Hyundai i20 Is here!

2009-06-06T10:32:00.003+05:30

In the hatchback category of cars Hyundai i20 is a new generation car with large headlamps and fog lamps. This new Hyundai i20 is even more spacious, stylish having amazing eye catching features. Equipped with standard safety features it has ABS, seat belts with pre-tensioner, dual airbags for the driver and front passanger, auto-unlocking doors H systems in the car are such that they provide maximum ease while driving the vehicle. This latest vyundai i20 is one of the best car. Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) and suspensionersion of Hyundai i10 is best featured with many important special equipments that co-ordinate best with the activity of the diver.

Some info in case u have a NOKIA Mobile...

2009-01-30T16:28:00.000+05:30

1 Imagine ur cell battery is very low, u r expecting an
important call and u don't have a charger.
Nokia instrument comes with a reserve battery. To
activate,
key is "*3370#"
Ur cell will restart with this reserve and ur instrument
will show a 50% incerase in battery.
This reserve will get charged when u charge ur cell
next
time.
*3370# Activate Enhanced Full Rate Codec (EFR)-Your phone
uses the best sound quality but talk time is reduced by approx.
5%
#3370# Deactivate Enhanced Full Rate Codec( EFR)

*#4720# Activate Half Rate Codec - Your phone uses a
lower
quality sound
but you should gain approx 30% more Talk Time
*#4720# Deactivate Half Rate Codec

2 *#0000# Displays your phones software version,

1st Line : Software Version,
2nd Line : Software Release Date,
3rd Line : Compression Type

3 *#9999# Phones software v ersion if *#0000# does not work

4 *#06# For checking the International Mobile Equipment
Identity
(IMEI Number)

5 #pw+1234567890+1# Provider Lock Status. (use the "*"
button
to obtain the "p,w" and "+" symbols)

6 #pw+1234567890+2# Network Lock Status. (use the "*" button
to
obtain the "p,w" and "+" symbols)

7 #pw+1234567890+3# Country Lock Status. (use the "*" button
to
obtain the "p,w" and "+" symbols)

8 #pw+1234567890+4# SIM Card Lock Status.(use the "*" button
to
obtain the "p,w" and "+" symbols)

9 *#147# (vodafone) this lets you know who called you last
*#1471# Last call (Only vodofone)

10 *#21# Allows you to check the number that "All Calls" are
diverted To

11 *#2640# Displays security code in use

12 *#30# Lets you see the private number

13 *#43# Allows you to check the "Call Waiting" status of your
phone.

14 *#61# Allows you to check the number that "On No Reply"
calls
are diverted to

15 *#62# Allows you to check the number that "Divert If Unrea
chable(no service)" calls are diverted to

16 *#67# Allows you to check the number that "On Busy Calls"
are
diverted to

17 *#67705646#R emoves operator logo on 3310 & 3330

18 *#73# Reset phone timers and game scores

19 *#746025625# Displays the SIM Clock status, if your phone
supports this power saving feature "SIM Clock Stop Allowed", it
means you will get the best standby
time
possible

20 *#7760# Manufactures code

21 *#7780# Restorefa ctory settings

22 *#8110# Software version for the nokia 8110

23 *#92702689# (to rember *#WAR0ANTY#)
Displays -

1.Serial Number,
2.Date Made
3.Purchase Date,
4.Date of last repair (0000 for no
repairs),
5.Transfer User Data.
To exit this mode -you need to
switch
your phone off then on again

24 *#94870345123456789# Deactivate the PWM-Mem

25 **21*number# Turn on "All Calls" diverting to the phone
number
entered

26 **61*number# Turn on "No Reply" diverting to the phone
number
entered

27 **67*number# Turn on "On Busy" diverting to the phone number
entered

28 12345 This is the default security code press and hold #

Fiat Linea Is Here!!

2009-01-30T16:25:00.000+05:30

Fiat Linea

Eying sharp to churn more bucks out of the sedan car market of India, the Italian car major is gearing up to launch Linea as a mid-size sedan car, by the end of year 2008. In feel of strong competition by other big auto players like Honda, Ford, Hyundai and Maruti, Fiat auto, with the launch of Fiat Liena would target the small family segment in India. The design team of the Fiat Style centre has put lots of brain to carve out a four-door sedan car to appeal all. To think something big for the said segment, Fiat has come up in India having a joint venture (JV) with Indian auto major Tata Motors.

The finely toned interiors of Fiat Linea represents a blend of elegance and functionality. Inside the Fiat Linea everything has been put so thoughtfully, right from the pedals to steering wheel and from front seats to the rear seats. Sporty instrument console with digital illuminated panel, controls mounted steering wheel, rear seats with head rests, high-class entertainment system and voluminous space for storing needs are enough to make it clear that Fiat Linea lets you feel special when you are inside it.

Fiat Linea would be launched in both petrol and diesel version with different engine capacities of 1.3 & 1.4 litre options. Fiat Linea car will come up to rock the Indian roads with ten cool color options and may price somewhere between Rs.7-8 Lacs.

2008-12-31T13:33:00.003+05:30

Wishing All the Visitors of richierich.tk a happy and prosperous New Year full of smiles and Happiness!!

From
Richierich

10 Most Common Resolutions for the New Year!

2008-12-31T13:23:00.000+05:30

The most common resolutions for 2008 are:

1. Institute disaster management plans to keep family as well as business safe from unexpected calamities.

2. Focus on health and fitness. This has become most important and the world trend reveals that most people put health and fitness as a primary goal for 2008. Awareness of the connection between good health and an exercise regime has reached an all time high and many would like to choose the path of health rather than sicknesses like cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and more.

3. Spend more time with the family. Family has become very important and for many, professional success comes second. Fulfillment means more than wealth and climbing the corporate ladder.

4. Finance is a goal most made. Some want to reach a certain target like making their first million for others, the resolution was to get out of the debt trap. To make a sound financial plan so that the earning matches the spending.

5. Volunteer work, show you care by helping others. World over natural and other calamities have pulled at the heart strings of many. The events have inspired some to take a hard look at their lives. Many have resolved to be less selfish and undertake volunteer work. A few closer to home and work and some right across the world where a tsunami, cyclones, and earthquake have left many without home and hearth.

6. Techies decided to enhance security, fight against spam, adware, and spyware, and to take the cyber world towards new frontiers.

7. Gamers resolved not just to try all the games but to have a life outside the gaming world. To take matters into their own hands and create a full schedule which includes study, health, fitness, family time, making friends, and of course gaming.

8. The career minded decided to achieve goals, but to take disappointments in their stride, be polite to all, a leader in their own field, and organized.

9. Many decided to consciously make subtle lifestyle changes and to include: meditation, stress relieving techniques, listen to music, follow a healthy lifestyle, exercise, further their education, and meet many interesting people.

10. Strengthening relationships is a goal many aimed for. The resolution is to stay positive, have self respect, show caring, and seek a balanced relationship which involves both give and take.

Across the world the most popular resolutions were: health and fitness, career development, and sustained relationships. Many glanced at 2005 and took a hard look at themselves and where they were headed. Events in 2005 showed human beings that life is too short and precious to be wasted away. One must in life look beyond personal goals and think of the world as a whole. Security from attacks, peace and prosperity, coupled with a coming together to overcome calamities caused by nature seemed to be on most minds.

Nokia Touch Phone Released

2008-12-31T13:20:00.000+05:30

Nokia’s much-awaited touchscreen phone finally comes to India. The much speculated and talked about phone -- Nokia 5800 XpressMusic -- is touted as the company’s answer to Apple iPhone. Seems, the world’s top cellphone maker took some cues from Apple iPhone’s pricing in India, Nokia 5800 is reportedly priced at Rs 21,800 (almost Rs 9,000 less than 8GB iPhone and Rs 14,000 less than 16 GB iPhone). Nokia 5800, which can handle as many as 60 different languages, will be in shops early January 2009. The phone will also feature Nokia’s Comes With Music service, which challenges Apple Inc’s dominance in the digital music market. Wondering what are the other specs that Nokia’s contender in the touchscreen phone market offers? Read on to find out.

Looks
On the looks front Nokia 5800 has same rounded corners and similar screen like iPhone. The screen size is 81mm (3.2-inch) diagonally, with 640x480-pixel touchscreen display that can play multiple types of video at a high resolution. Measuring 111 x 51.7 x 15.5 mm, the Nokia 5800 weighs 109 grams. Positioned as a music phone, the phone will be available in black, red, and blue variants. The phone supports both finger and stylus touch.

Storage and battery
Nokia’s touch phone comes with 81MB internal memory, 8GB microSD memory card, capable of storing approximately 6,000 songs. The memory can be further expanded upto 16GB. Nokia 5800 is equipped with the Symbian S60 interface which Nokia showed off last year. The battery life is reportedly as much as nine hours (GSM) or five hours (HSDPA), 35 hours for music playback or three hours of video. The company claims that the standby time is up to 17 days.

Multimedia features
Nokia 5800 has 3.2 megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss lens and a dual-LED flash with 30 fps video recording. It also has a second backward facing camera. Nokia 5800 has built-in surround stereo speakers, Nokia Maps, GPS, Wi-Fi, stereo Bluetooth and a top-mounted 3.5mm headphone socket. Unlike the Apple iPhone, the Nokia 5800 has Flash support, a programme used to power many online video services and websites. The phone has a Media Bar, a drop down menu that provides direct access to music and entertainment. A new Contacts Bar lets users highlight four favorite contacts on their homescreen. There is also an option to track digital history of recent text messages, email, phone logs, photos and blog updates. Nokia 5800 also has an accelerometer for display rotation. However, the phone’s biggest miss is the ability to download extra software and applications, which is possible in both Apple iPhone and Google G1.

Cost
Reportedly priced at Rs 21, 839, Nokia’s touchscreen phone will be available in India beginning 2009. However, in India Nokia sell phones with no operator lock, unlike Apple iPhone with Bharti and Airtel. So, seems Nokia 5800 Xpress Music is all set to give tough competition to Apple iPhone which retails at Rs 31,000 for 8GB and Rs 36,000 for 16GB in India. Google phone G1, said to reach India by December end, is also likely to be priced above Rs 20,000.

Supports 3G
Like the iPhone and other smartphone rivals including BlackBerry Storm and Samsung Omnia, Nokia’s touch phone too offers support for 3G. This enables faster Web browsing and downloading. The handset is a GSM/EDGE/HSDPA 3G device along with 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (with stereo audio) and USB 2.0 connectivity. It also has A-GPS and Nokia Maps for voice-guided navigation.

High on music
Billed as a music phone, Nokia 5800 comes pre-loaded with a vast range of music collection. The phone will feature Nokia’s Comes With Music service which will let users download music for free for a year from a catalog that includes 4 million songs. Nokia’s music download package is its first major push into the services business. The company said that all major music labels and most independent labels will offer their tracks as part of Nokia’s ‘free’ music bundle “Comes with Music,” raising the total number of tracks to around 5 million. The phone support Playback protected WMA, AAC and MP3, and is reportedly compatible with Windows Media Player 11. Other music features include stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo Bluetooth, and a guitar pick stylus.

LG Cookie KP500 - Low Price Touchscreen Phone

2008-12-31T13:17:00.000+05:30

LG has given a new pet name “LG Cookie” to it’s new LG KP500 affordable price touch screen phone.The LG Cookie has 3-inch TFT touchscreen display and a 3.15 megapixel camera. It does not have 3G support but GPRS,EDGE,Bluetooth,USB are there in it.

It detailed features are :

TFT touchscreen, 256K colors,240 x 400 pixels, 3.0 inches display screen
Flash UI
Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
Handwriting recognition
microSD (TransFlash), up to 8GB,48 MB internal memory
GPRS,EDGE,Bluetooth,USB
3.15 MP, 2048×1536 pixels Camera
FM radio with RDS
MP3/WMA/AAC player
MPEG4/3gp video player
Standard battery, Li-Ion 900 mAh with Talk time Up to 3 h 30 min

Negatives : No WiFi,No 3G

Still a good touchscreen phone at low price(mentioned below).

Dell Launches XPS Desktop PC

2008-12-04T22:18:00.000+05:30

Dell has launched the Studio XPS desktop - a premium PC that features the new ultra fast Intel Core i7 processor - in India.

The Studio XPS desktop starts at Rs. 86,400 with 24" flat panel, 512MB ATI Radeon HD4580 graphics card, Blu-ray disc drive, built-in HDMI port and can be customized with a variety of complementary high-performance components.

"The Studio XPS desktop combines powerful features and technology with a stylish design and is the perfect choice for people who are expanding their multimedia horizons" said Girish Mehta, Director of Consumer Marketing Dell India."By bringing this level of performance to the desktop, we are enabling creative journeys of self discovery and self expression."

The Studio XPS desktop packs a lot of the same performance and features found in full-size high-performance gaming rigs into a smaller, more compact mini-tower featuring glossy black finish. All systems share the new Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost technology of Intel's new Core i7 processor. This technology provides dynamic speed increases on demand and results in up to 65 percent performance improvement for the latest multithreaded applications.

The PC has support for up to 1TB of hard drive space and features 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows Vista so it can take advantage of up to 12GB tri-channel DDR3 memory. The PC also has a plethors of ports - eight USB 2.0 (four front, four back), two IEEE 1394 (4-pin front, 6-pin back), microphone/line in (front and back), built- in 7.1 audio support (six connectors), S/PDIF, eSata (all back).

Samsung Omnia Phone Arrives in India

2008-12-04T22:13:00.000+05:30

If you wish to have everything in just one mobile device, then this all-in-one device is something you should take a look at. We are talking about the iPhone killer, Omnia that means ‘everything’ in Latin and ‘wish’ in Arabic.

After being introduced in various countries across the world, aka SGH-i900 mobile phone has finally reached the Indian shores.

Sporting a platinum-look finish, the all-in-one phone takes advantage of Samsung’s patented TouchWiz user interface to simplify texting and data entering. It also shows off its unique widgets that allow you to customize and personalize various operations.

The other features of the Samsung Omnia phone include a high resolution touch-sensitive 3.2-inch WQVGA LCD screen, an on-screen QWERTY keyboard and a dome key. It also allows users to control communication and navigating through menus via intuitive tap, sweep, drag and drop operations using just the finger-tips.

Sunil Dutt, Country Head-Samsung Telecom, said, “ Samsung OMNIA is our flagship model aimed at users who desire a lot of functionality, a lot of style, a lot of usability and a lot of entertainment in one innovative device. Samsung OMNIA will help users to be at the forefront of work and play and at the same time, to stay connected anytime, anywhere”.

It also comes with GPS capability that offers navigation and geo-tapping functionalities.

Moreover, the ultra-slim 12.5-mm profile Samsung Omnia packs in a pre-loaded a 5.0 megapixel CMOS camera with value-added functionalities such as auto-focus (AF), face detection, smile detection and auto-panorama shot. It plays video and display slide shows in high-resolution and offer enhanced audio capabilities. The handset also has MultiCodec support for DivX, Xvid and other video formats.

To store all the digital entertainment files, the elegant mobile phone comes in two storage configurations, that includes 32 GB (16 GB internal memory + 16 GB MicroSD card from Sandisk) and 24 GB (8 GB on-board memory + 16 GB MicroSD Card).

Based on Windows Mobile 6,1 Professional operating system, the Omnia ensures an effortless computing and allows you to access MS Office documents such as PowerPoint, Excel and Word. It enables you to send and receive email and manage appointments by Microsoft Outlook.

The Samsung Omnia phone is available for Rs.39,999/- (32 GB memory) and Rs 37,999/- (24 GB memory) in India.

Nokia N79 Is here!

2008-11-25T20:05:00.002+05:30

The Nokia N79 features innovative smart Xpress-On covers, which are user-changeable colored housings. When you install a new Xpress-On cover, the theme of the phone's user interface also changes to match the cover. The phone's d-pad is also a touch-sensitive NaviWheel, allowing you to quickly scroll through long lists using your thumb.

Nokia N79 Specifications:-

Symbian 9.3 S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2
GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz, WCDMA 900/2100MHz
GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA/WiFi
Size : 110mm x 49mm x 15mm (4.3" x 1.9" x .6")
Weight : 97g (3.4oz)
2.4" 16 million color QVGA TFT, 240x320 pixel resolution
5 megapixel autofocus Camera with Carl Zeiss optics and LED flash
Video Record/Playback
SMS/MMS/IM Messaging
POP3/IMAP/SMTP Email
2.0 Bluetooth with A2DP
50MB internal Memory, microSD memory card slot
Other : Speakerphone, 4GB microSD memory card included, built-in GPS receiver, smart Xpress-On covers

Dunhill Pave Black Diamond USB memory stick introduced

2008-11-25T20:00:00.000+05:30

Dunhill’s new unique and elegant USB memory stick is embedded with black diamonds. This perfect blend of stylish looks and technology is an amazing gift for this holiday season.

This memory stick is made of oxidized sterling silver and adorns two hundred and seventy two diamonds.

Apart from the good looks, the memory stick comes with 8 GB storage capacity.

The Pave Black Diamond USB memory stick is available from Dunhill stores worldwide.

Asus unveils ROG CG6190 gaming PC, supporting Intel Core i7 and X58 chipset

2008-11-25T19:47:00.000+05:30

Asus has launched its latest gaming desktop, dubbed the ROG CG6190. The desktops feature Intel’s latest generation Core i7 processor and X58 chipset to offer ultimate gaming experience. It sports a turbo mode that offers additional processing boosts throughout peak processing demands.

Supporting both Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition and Intel Core i7 processors, the latest Asus desktop ensures up to 52% faster processing speed in 3D gaming applications as compared to the previous generation Quad Core platform. It claims to offer 20% factory overclocking for exceptional performance.

The ROG CG6190 also packs in six DIMM Slots, triple channel DDR3 1333 memory up to 12GB, up to 4 TB SATAII HDD, NVIDIA 3-way SLI & ATI CrossFireX graphics, and the SupremeFX X-Fi

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 Phone Arrives in India

2008-11-25T19:45:00.000+05:30

The highly-awaited and much-hyped mobile phone under the very popular XPERIA brand has entered the Indian market.

Sony Ericsson has announced the availability of its XPERIA X1 mobile in India. The phone claims to offer a combined experience of multimedia entertainment and mobile Web communication.

Boasting its arc-slider design and fully functional nine customizable panels, the metal-finish handset sports 3-inch clear wide VGA display, full QWERTY keyboard, 4-way key and optical joystick navigation along with Windows Mobile platform. With this, the X1 ensures energized communication and the premium experience by allowing users to arrange panels as per their convenience.

The stylish and feature-rich Xperia X1 phone supports touchscreen.

Jobo PDJ801 and PDJ800 digital photo frames announced

2008-11-25T19:41:00.000+05:30

Jobo announces two new 8.4-inch digital photo frames called PDJ801 and PDJ800. Made up of acrylic frame with a metallic trim, the PDJ801 and PDJ800 digital picture frames measure 260 x 210 x 34.6 mm and weigh 800 grams.

The new frames feature 800 x 600 pixels resolution, user configurable brightness, 4:3 aspect ratio, 500:1 contrast ratio, USB 2.0 interface, JPG and BMP file format, calendar, alarm, slideshow presentation of images on a high resolution display and supports CF, SD, MMC, MS, MS Pro and xD cards.

The PDJ801 comes with 1 GB internal memory and stores up to 8000 images while PDJ800 offers 128 MB internal memory that stores up to 800 images.

The PDJ801 comes at a suggested retail price of €179 (approx Rs. 11,418)

Sony SRS-D25, SRS-M50, SRS-Z50 and SRS-Z100 speakers unveiled

2008-11-25T19:40:00.000+05:30

Sony unveils new speaker systems namely SRS-D25, SRS-M50, SRS-Z50 and SRS-Z100. Apt for PCs as well as notebooks, these stylish speakers offer amazing sound quality and a compact design.

“Sony has led the way with superb and hugely appealing design for its VAIO notebooks and PCs,” said Lynda Lamraoui, European Product Manager for PC Accessories “The SRS speaker range embodies the same spirit: superlative technology wrapped in head-turning design. Whether that means flamboyant colour or perfectly judged restraint, you will find it here.”

The compact SRS-D25 is perfect for music, film soundtracks and gaming, its 2.1 array delivers a total 25W of clear and punchy sound.

Logitech Pure-Fi range of speakers introduced

2008-11-25T19:39:00.000+05:30

Logitech introduces three new Pure-Fi range iPod/ mp3 speakers namely Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere, Logitech Pure-Fi Anytime and Logitech Pure-Fi Express.

The Logitech Pure-Fi Anytime speaker features motion sensing technology and is compatible with iPod, other MP3 players and iPhone including the new iPhone 3G.

It ensures a fully charged iPod or iPhone and with the motion-sensing backlight you can set your alarm without the need to turn on the lights. The controls light up as you wave your hand over the speakers and the buttons automatically dim later. Incase you want to catch a few extra winks then simply wave your hand over the speakers when the alarm goes off and the motion-sensing technology will activate the Snooze.

Transcend JetFlash T5 USB Flash Drive introduced in India

2008-11-25T19:36:00.000+05:30

Transcend announces the availability of its compact JetFlash T5 USB flash drive in India. Measuring 29.9mm x 15.3mm x 6.1mm (L x W x D) and weighing merely 2gm, it can be used as a mobile phone dongle or keychain fob.

Sporting a retractable connector design and two-tone color schemes, this unique and stylish drive is made of non-breakable plastic and resists bending, stress, vibration, shock and full water submersion.

Mr. Austin Huang, Regional Head - Sales, SAARC & APAC, Transcend said, “The T5’s tiny size and lightweight design gives the user the freedom to carry it in places normal flash drives just do not fit. Simply attach it to your mobile phone or keychain so you’ll always have a storage device

Acer Aspire L3600-A10 Desktop launched

2008-11-25T19:35:00.000+05:30

Powered by Intel, the desktop features 2.2GHz Celeron 450 CPU and an 18.5-inch monitor with 1366 × 768 pixels resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio.

The display employs Acer’s ACM (Adaptive Contrast Management) which helps produce high contrast ratio of about 10,000:1.

It also offers up to 2GB memory, Intel G31 Express chipset, 160GB HDD, DVD Burner and runs on Windows Vista Home Premium OS.

The Aspire L3600-A10 desktop is expected to be priced at $625 (approx Rs. 31,312) and will be released on November 22 in Japan.

Epson releases Endeavour Na01 netbook in Japan

2008-11-25T19:31:00.000+05:30

In terms of features, the Endeavour Na01 is powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor and comes equipped with a 10.2-inch (1024 x 600) LCD WSVGA screen. The other features include 1 GB DDR2 memory and 160 GB hard disk drive.

The Endeavour Na01 runs on Windows XP operating system and supports USB, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Ethernet, VGA and multi card reader.

Epson Endeavour Na01 Netbook comes for a suggested price of £333 (approx. Rs. 24,890).

ZAGG launches Z.buds Earphones

2008-11-25T19:29:00.000+05:30

ZAGG has unveiled its latest earphones under the new ZAGGaudio line, dubbed Z.buds.

The Z.buds features passive noise cancellation for clear conversations and superior music listening quality; durable nylon cord that offers versatility and heavy-duty cord to wrap around the neck. It is said to deliver audio as good as earphones costing twice as much.

Designed for mobile phones, laptops and PCs, the Z.buds features rich sound from its superior speakers, built-in music control for iPhone, microphone, an in-line volume control, 3.5mm jack and multiple earbud adaptors for all ear sizes.

Available in black and red colors, the versatile and sleek Z.buds earphones doubles as a hands-free headset.

Dunhill Pave Black Diamond USB memory stick introduced

2008-11-25T06:12:00.000+05:30

Dunhill’s new unique and elegant USB memory stick is embedded with black diamonds. This perfect blend of stylish looks and technology is an amazing gift for this holiday season.

This memory stick is made of oxidized sterling silver and adorns two hundred and seventy two diamonds.

Apart from the good looks, the memory stick comes with 8 GB storage capacity.

The Pave Black Diamond USB memory stick is available from Dunhill stores worldwide.

Maruti AStar

2008-11-23T13:52:00.000+05:30

Maruti Suzuki A-Star is a A-Segment car as per the European car standards. The car is produced from the company's Manesar facility in Haryana. Designed by Rajesh Kumar Gogu and Saurabh Singh of Maruti Suzuki India, A-Star, which is a five-door hatchback; has been engineered keeping in mind the trends and standards of the European market.

A star is to be made in 200 variants and will be exported to 150 countries across Europe, Middle east , Latin America, Asia, Australia, and Africa. A-star will be exported under the name of Suzuki Alto and Suzuki Celerio. Nissan also plans to market the same car under the name Nissan Pixo in middle East and African markets.

It has an all new KB-Series 998cc engine which is Euro 5-compliant with Co2 emissions and develops 67 Bhp of power with 90 Nm of torque. It has a bold design language with strong lines and large wheelarches. The interiors of A-Star feel a bit cramped in comparison to Hyundai i10. Also the colors used by Maruti look drab unlike i10's biege n black interior trim which gives a airy and spacious feel.

The rear passengers get very small windows - thanks to butterfly/wing design as it looks from outside. Also rear legroom is less for 6' tall people. From driver's point of view A-Star is a very comfortable car, the instrument cluster is quite big and all meters are easy to read. It also gets dash mounted tachometer which is first of its kind in this segment. The only drawback is that the height of dashboard is little bit high and may obstruct view of short drivers.

Like the swift Maruti has launched A-Star in 3 variants - Lxi, Vxi & Zxi. The Zxi model is fully loaded with these features:

1) Power windows.
2) Power Steering.
3) Remote central locking.
4) Driver & Passenger Airbag.
5) Anti Lock Braking System (ABS).
6) Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD).
7) CD Player with 4 Speakers.
8) Dash-Mounted Tachometer.
9) Remote Boot & Remote Fuel Filler.
10) Rear Defogger with Rear Wiper/Washer.
11) Fog Lamps.

Prices of three variants are:
(Ex-Showroom Mumbai)

Lxi - 364500.00
Vxi - 396500.00
Zxi - 432000.00

The all-new A-star aka Alto (as it is called Outside India) builds on the strengths of Suzuki’s unparalleled knowledge of small-car development. It combines eye-catching style and easy urban mobility with great performance in terms of high fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions. The new compact car offers lightness achieved through downsizing yet provides ample interior roominess and comfort.

For the compact body, Suzuki designer tailored a stylish, sporty and youthful look that simultaneously exudes solidity and urban energy. It is perfectly matched to European tastes and supports a low drag coefficient. With overall higher levels of quality, comfort, and safety, the all-new Alto is a response to the needs of today’s motorists.

A-star has replaced the present alto model in other countries. But in India Maruti is selling both the models side by side like they have done before with Wagon R and Zen Estilo.

A-Star is heavily toned down as compared to the Concept A-Star which made its debut in London & was also shown at Auto Expo, 2008 in New Delhi. No doubt that the newcomer is criticised for its looks since it looks as if styling has been taken of the Kia Picanto/Morning, Hyundai i10 and Citroen C1.

An estimated figure of around one lakh units of Maruti A Star will cater to the European Markets under the Suzuki badge, the rest 50,000 units will be sold within India. The A-Star is regarded as one of the most desired projects of Maruti Suzuki India. The Suzuki team has pinned a lot of hope in it.

In fact, the concept of Maruti A-Star is a first for Maruti Suzuki India's research and development team. Maruti Suzuki has entered into an agreement with Nissan to sell A-Star under the formers brand name in the US market. More detailed review soon... Watch this space....

Colors/Shades

Maruti A-Star (Click to enlarge)


Artic White	Azure Grey	Bright Red

Desert Brown	Healing Green	Midnight Black

Paradise Blue	Silky Silver	Sunlight Copper

WINDOWS 7!!!!

2008-11-23T13:48:00.000+05:30

Windows 7 (formerly codenamed Blackcomb and Vienna) is the next release of Microsoft Windows, an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, Tablet PCs, and media center PCs.^[1]

Microsoft stated in 2007 that it is planning Windows 7 development for a three-year time frame starting after the release of its predecessor, Windows Vista, but that the final release date will be determined by product quality.

Unlike its predecessor, Windows 7 is intended to be an incremental upgrade with the goal of being fully compatible with existing device drivers, applications and hardware. Presentations given by the company in 2008 have focused on multi-touch support, a redesigned Windows Shell with a new taskbar, a home networking system called HomeGroup, and performance improvements. Some applications that have been included with prior releases of Microsoft Windows, most notably Windows Mail, Windows Movie Maker and Windows Photo Gallery, are no longer included with the operating system; they are instead offered separately as part of the Windows Live Essentials suite.

Bomb explosions rock Lahore, 3 injured

2008-11-23T13:47:00.000+05:30

At least 3 persons were injured when three bombs went off near a stadium and an arts complex in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore late Saturday night.

The first two blasts occurred shortly after 10.30 pm outside the Al-Hamra Arts Council and the third occurred after a short while outside the near-by Gaddafi stadium while police were evacuating people from the area.

Police officials said at least three persons were injured in the blast. Interior Ministry Chief Rehman Malick told media persons that the blasts were carried out using Improvised Explosive Devices. He said an inquiry has been ordered into the attack.

The organisers of the World Performing Arts Festival being held at the Al-Hamra Arts council earlier said they had received an anonymous threat to stop the event.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the blasts.

Ghajini Review

2008-11-23T13:41:00.000+05:30

"One has either to feed people or amuse people in order to be remembered for life" These are the words of a famous English philosopher, who, we are sure had just not heard of Aamir Khan! Aamir is one actor who dares to defy all of the above 'methods'. Instead, he takes his super highway and 'shocks' people at equal intervals!

Few months back, Aamir shocked the masses when he released the pics of his near bald look in Ghajini. Also, since a quite some time, there have been talks in the media that Aamir is working hard on his physique for Ghajini. And just when the 'six pack abs' fad seemed to be dying out, Aamir has unveiled his chiseled physique in Ghajini and how! People close to Aamir have been raving that he currently has the best physique in the film industry and well, we really can't deny that.

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi Review

2008-11-23T13:34:00.000+05:30

Have you ever stopped to think if the most ordinary, uninteresting, unobtrusive man you might see on the road or around you might have a love story to tell? Maybe not! How can an ordinary man have a breathtaking, goose flesh igniting, awe inspiring love story of all things to tell?

But guess what - love does not differentiate between the ordinary and exceptional, the uninteresting and interesting, the unattractive and attractive. Because love knows no distinction. It can happen to anyone and once it does it engulfs us into it completely and gives us those miraculous experiences that only love can yield.

This is what happened to Surinder Sahni (Shahrukh Khan) - a simple, clean hearted, honest man working for Punjab Power, leading a humdrum life, when he meets his total opposite and finds love in the flamboyant, fun-loving, vivacious - Taani (Anushka Sharma) for whom the whole world is her canvas and she paints her own life with the colours of rainbow all until unforeseen circumstances changes it all and brings them together.

Shah Rukh Khan who is married to Anushka Sharma, with a big age difference between them.Their marriage is not working well and there is no romance between them. Then happens a reality dance show called Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - which is the main backdrop of the movie.

Apparently Anushka wants to take part in the dance competition but she can't because her husband is old and not hip and happening. She fears that if she dances with him, she will lose the show and become the laughing stock among all her friends, who are taking part in the same.

Shah Rukh Khan overhears his wife's problem and decides to go in for a makeover. He watches some movies and changes his image completely and comes back to the show and woos Anushka off her feet.

All the way through the dance competition, she keeps falling in love with this new and improved Shah Rukh Khan, without once realising that the man she is dancing with is her real husband."

This film is a beautiful romantic movie with Shahrukh Khan in the lead. Anushka Sharma is debuting in this film and is pairing with Shahrukh. We a never-seen-before this version of King Khan.

Travis Barker Sues Over "Defective" Jet Crash

2008-11-23T13:32:00.000+05:30

The former Blink-182 drummer has filed a negligence lawsuit against the owner and makers of what he claims was a "defective" Learjet that crashed Sept. 19, killing four and leaving Barker and Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein with severe burns.

Per court documents filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Barker's camp believes that "one or more of the tires failed, leaving tire debris and portions of airplane components along the 8,600 foot runway" and the pilot made a "negligent attempt to abort the takeoff."

"The pilot's decision was a breach of their duty owed to the passengers onboard and was a substantial factor in causing the crash and resultant injuries and deaths," the suit continues.

Britney Shows Up in Court to Talk Touring

2008-11-23T13:30:00.000+05:30

Maybe Britney was just waiting for the madness to die down—and the music to get turned up.

The popster, who chose to remain absent from what turned out to be her mistrial on an invalid-license charge and the majority of this year's conservatorship hearings, was in court Friday to talk business pertaining to dad Jamie Spears' control over her estate—namely, her plans to hit the road.

"There isn't a lot I can tell you about it," court spokesman Allan Parachini said during a brief press conference afterward. "There was discussion of Ms. Spears' future immediate business plans. Particularly touring in support of her album."

Dita Von Teese Files Suit for Illegal Image

2008-11-23T13:29:00.001+05:30

Burlesque bombshell Dita Von Teese is fighting her demons.

The 36-year-old model and actress has filed a federal lawsuit against a company that put her photo on a book cover without permission.

Von Teese is seeking unspecified damages against Macmillan Publishers, which printed Patti O'Shea's In Twilight's Shadow, a paranormal romance novel about demon hunting.

The papers filed on Friday claim that Dita's face is "a valuable and integral portion of her celebrity persona" and that the company "commercially exploited her image and likeness to their own gain."

Von Teese is also suing the photo agency that provided the image.

Dita Von Teese Files Suit for Illegal Image

2008-11-23T13:29:00.000+05:30

Burlesque bombshell Dita Von Teese is fighting her demons.

The 36-year-old model and actress has filed a federal lawsuit against a company that put her photo on a book cover without permission.

Von Teese is seeking unspecified damages against Macmillan Publishers, which printed Patti O'Shea's In Twilight's Shadow, a paranormal romance novel about demon hunting.

The papers filed on Friday claim that Dita's face is "a valuable and integral portion of her celebrity persona" and that the company "commercially exploited her image and likeness to their own gain."

Von Teese is also suing the photo agency that provided the image.

David Duchovny Kills Tabloid Beef

2008-11-23T13:27:00.000+05:30

Sometimes saying you're sorry really does make it all better.

David Duchovny has dropped the $1 million defamation lawsuit he filed last month against the U.K.'s Daily Mail over a bogus story that claimed he had an extramarital dalliance with a tennis instructor.

The tabloid printed an apologetic retraction Monday, acknowledging that its Oct. 19 item about the X-Files star and Edith Pakay was bogus.

"We now accept this is inaccurate and Ms. Pakay and Mr. Duchovny are only friends who used to play tennis occasionally," the statement read. "Their relationship went no further and was not a factor in Mr. and Mrs. Duchovny's separation. We apologize to Ms. Pakay, Mr. Duchovny and to Mr. Duchovny's family."

The recently separated actor was out for blood just days after the article ran, calling the Mail's behavior "intentional and reckless."

Yuuvraaj Review

2008-11-23T13:22:00.000+05:30

Approximately three seconds before the much-needed 'Intermission' flashes on the screen during Yuvvraaj, an intoxicated Zayed Khan tells Salman over the phone, "It's over!" And that's when a voice from deep inside me cried, "I wish!"

But length and slack pace of the film is not the only problem with this week's Hindi film release, Yuvvraaj. It tells the story of three brothers separated partly because of the circumstances and partly because of their father's blind love for his autistic son Gyanesh (Anil Kapoor).

The middle son Deven (Salman Khan) walks out of the house and the youngest of the three, Danny (Zayed Khan) ends up being a spoilt rich brat. Their father dies and writes off all the wealth to Gyanesh leaving the other two in a lurch. His attorney friend Sikandar Mirza (Mithun Chakraborty) ensures all the loose ends are tied and Gyanesh's life is safe.

For their own reasons Deven and Danny team up and decide to steal Gyanesh of what he truly deserves. Danny of course needs the money to maintain his lavish lifestyle. However Deven's requirement is slightly skewed. Before entering his father's house, he has gone ahead and gallantly signed a contract with his girlfriend's (Katrina Kaif) father Dr PK Banton (Boman Irani) promising him to become a billionaire in the next 40 days.

The rest of the film basically deals with how Deven, Danny and Gyanesh realise the bonds of filial love.

Yuvvraaj, like most musicals has no particular story to boast of. But unlike them, it doesn't even seem to have the music to support it. While AR Rahman does deliver a few songs that are pleasing to the ears the others, which could have been salvaged with good picturisation, have been botched terribly.

Take for instance the first song – Tu Meri Dost Hai – where the special effects are so bad, you'd want to sack the people who did it. Ditto for that number Mastam Mastam, which comes just before the interval. Though you are spared of the special effects, the horrendous picturisation kills it.

MUSIC REVIEW: Join Rahman on his grand journey called Yuvvraaj

More so, not many of these songs take the story forward neither do they provide any insight into the characters' pathos or ecstasy as the case may be. Indeed, musicals can be fun – Mama Mia was a thoroughly enjoyable experience – but somehow the music in this film doesn't get the treatment it deserves. And it's not about the music or the lyrics. Why, Gulzar's lyrics and Vishal Bhardwaj's music was weaved in so beautifully in Omkara, it makes you want to call it a musical in the truest sense!

Quantum Of Solace

2008-11-14T14:33:00.000+05:30

James Bond is back, and this time it’s mighty personal. Daniel Craig’s craggy agent picks up exactly where he left off in another bruising thriller that leaves you feeling both drained and exhilarated.

There are hand-to-hand fights that make your eyes water and old-school stunts involving motorbikes, speedboats, jet fighters and expensive cars that give you whiplash just looking at them. Really, nobody does it better than the new 007.

What makes Marc Forster’s film such an intriguing watch is that this is the first of the 22 Bond movies where the plot flows organically from the last instalment, and Quantum of Solace looks a far stronger picture for this rare continuity.

Needless to say the plot is as forbidding as the title. After the death of his girlfriend, Vesper Lynd, at the end of Casino Royale, Bond mixes revenge and duty dangerously as he hunts down the shadowy group that blackmailed Lynd to betray him.

A link to a bank account in Haiti puts Bond on the scent of Mathieu Amalric’s chief creep and ruthless businessman, Dominic Greene. All great Bond adversaries are generously blessed with kinks and quirks and Greene is no different. Amalric has a wonderfully wormy arrogance.

His sidekick, Elvis (Anatole Taubman), sports a monkish fringe, and Tarantino bad looks. But it’s the manner in which Amalric manages to poison all trust in Bond, even from his nearest and dearest, that makes him one of the classic arch-adversaries.

Cold rage threatens to derail Bond’s mission to crack Greene’s dastardly organisation known as Quantum, and I doubt that there’s a better actor at bottling rage than Daniel Craig.

All muscles, he has defined himself as a darker and more bare-knuckle Bond than any of his elegant predecessors.

The deadpan humour is still there. And despite the occasional blasts of visceral and grisly violence, Craig is threatening to become the most popular 007 yet, certainly with the younger generation.

Even the famous Bond babes seem to be getting tougher. Olga Kurylenko’s stunning, hard-as-nails beauty, Camille, has her own private vendetta that she wants to bring to a bloody conclusion, with or without Bond’s help. And Gemma Arterton’s effortlessly foxy Agent Field appeals to the better side of the wounded anti-romantic.

“Do you know how angry I am at myself,” says the naked, raven-haired M16 agent as Bond kisses his way up her spine. But Bond rarely lets a life-threatening difference of opinion get in the way of a decent flirt.

The familiar faces returning from Casino Royale pose a far more subtle, acidic test for Bond who has to tread carefully around treacherous old friends: Jeffrey Wright’s lugubrious CIA agent Felix Leiter; Giancarlo Giannini’s silky string-puller, René Mathis; Jesper Christensen’s duplicitous Mr White; and Judi Dench, of course, as his witheringly unimpressed boss, M.

“When you can’t tell your friends from your enemies it’s time to go,” growls Dench.

Of course, Bond is having none of it. There are new necks to break and toys to play with as the action rips across Austria, Italy, and South America.

The global stakes are as precarious as ever. Amalric’s masterplan to destabilise a South American regime, install a dodgy dictator, General Medrano (Joaquin Cosio), and take control of the biggest source of fresh water in the world is fabulously cock-eyed. But that’s one of the main reasons why we can’t get enough of the greatest franchise of them all.

The director, Marc Forster, has absorbed the lucrative lessons discovered in Martin Campbell’s Casino Royale. He has also managed to pace his sequel much better. Royale felt slightly wheel-clamped by one too many longeurs. If anything, the crunching chase sequences in Quantum of Solace are even more magnificently dangerous. And the daredevil leaps and tumbles through glass roofs are just as sensational as the splintering high-speed pyrotechnics.

But it’s the amount of heartache and punishment that Craig’s new Bond absorbs that makes him look so right for our times.

Bond is no longer a work in progress. He is now the cruel, finished article.

Golmaal Returns Review

2008-11-04T20:19:00.000+05:30

Two years ago, Rohit Shetty came up with a breezy entertainer GOLMAAL, which, most people agree, is the capable director's finest work to date. The comic scenes hit the right notes and buttons. Perhaps, that must've prompted its producers [Shree Ashtavinayak] and Rohit to continue with the GOLMAAL series.

But GOLMAAL RETURNS treats the viewer like a nitwit, with zero brains. No-brainer laughathons have worked in the past and people have catapulted these films to 'must watch again and again' category. But GOLMAAL RETURNS is simply unbearable!

GOLMAAL RETURNS was never meant to be a thinking man's film, but the attitude is, no-brainer comedies have worked and this one will work too. To give the credit where it's due, a few jokes/sequences involving Tusshar and Shreyas do bring a smile on your face, but in the absence of a tight screenplay, the film falls like a pack of cards.

Final word? Golmaal hai bhai script golmaal hai!

Gopal [Ajay Devgan], who lives with his wife Ekta [Kareena Kapoor], sister Esha [Amrita Arora] and brother-in-law Lucky [Tusshar Kapoor], gets stuck in a yacht after saving an attractive woman Meera [Celina Jaitly] from some goons. Both end up spending the night on the yacht and when he comes home the next day, his painfully suspicious wife, who is also a hardcore fan of the saas-bahu serials, smell fish.

Gopal knows it's going to be hard to quell her suspicion, so he concocts a cock-and-bull story about having stayed the night with a fictitious friend called Anthony Gonsalves. Ekta refuses to buy his yarn and writes to Anthony [on a fictitious address given to her by Gopal], asking him to visit her.

Gopal convinces his junior at work, Laxman [Shreyas Talpade], to pretend to be Anthony. Everything goes according to plan till the real Anthony turns up.

If that isn't complication enough for Gopal, a dead body is discovered at the location where he had saved Meera. The Investigating Officer, Madhav [Arshad Warsi], who is Esha's boyfriend and also who cannot stand the sight of Gopal, learns that the latter had been missing from home that eventful night and begins checking on him.

A sequel carries the baggage of humungous expectations. And you definitely expect GOLMAAL RETURNS to be a step forward. The makers had thundered, "GOLMAAL RETURNS is bigger, it's better" and that raises the bar. But the film is such a put off.

Writer Yunus Sajawal takes an interesting premise, but instead of upgrading it, only downgrades it with lacklustre situations. The writing is so weak, so lifeless that after a point you sit motionless, looking at the goings-on mechanically, instead of being a participant.

A few sequences do entertain you, but they're few and far between. Not enough to camouflage the defects. In view of the fact that the writing is so weak, there's not much that director Rohit Shetty can do to save the ship from sinking. However, the dialogues are howlarious. Music is not as inspiring. 'Tha Karke' is the best track, while 'Tu Saala' [well promoted] isn't there in the film and 'Meow' comes during the end credits. And you're exasperated by then!

GOLMAAL RETURNS belongs to Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade. Tusshar is terrific yet again, the real scene stealer, while Shreyas displays his comic side very well. Both, in fact, provide respite to the viewer. Ajay Devgan is likable. Kareena does the suspicious wife act well. Celina stays on your mind even after the show is over.

Arshad Warsi is relegated to the backseat. Amrita Arora is strictly okay. Anjana Sukhani gets no scope. Vrajesh Hirjee is alright. Sharat Saxena, Rakhi Vijan, Sanjay Mishra, Murli Sharma, Mukesh Tiwari and Ashwini Kalsekar fill in the blanks.

On the whole, there's tremendous curiosity to watch GOLMAAL RETURNS and the terrific promotion has only enhanced the excitement. But the film is a major letdown in terms of content. Barring a few jokes and gags, this GOLMAAL pales when compared to its first part. At the box-office, expect a terrific start for the film, but GOLMAAL RETURNS lacks the power to stand on its feet after the initial euphoria settles down.

Heroes Movie Review

2008-11-04T20:14:00.000+05:30

Jog your memory a bit. Samir Karnik's first two movies [KYUN HO GAYA NA, NANHE JAISALMER] have been critical and commercial disasters. But Samir has assembled an impressive cast for his new outing HEROES. The billboards look really impressive. You think, chalo, dekhte hain, will Samir deliver this time? Will his fortunes change for better? Come to think of it, you saunter into the auditorium with zilch expectations. HEROES is an underdog.

Before we delve any further, let's clear a few misconceptions pertaining to this film. Just because the promos highlight the men in uniform, it doesn't mean HEROES is a 'war film'. Sure,it talks about love for the nation, but HEROES is not anti-Pakistan, is not jingoistic either, is nowhere close to BORDER, LOC and the likes, in terms of content.

Besides evoking strong emotions, HEROES also arouses strong patriotic feelings. There're moments in the film that compel you to salute those who guard our nation, so that we can sleep in peace. At the end, the message it delivers is simple -- You don't have to be a soldier to love your country.

Back to the two pertinent questions we raised at the outset. Question 1, Does Samir deliver? HEROES is a revelation. Cinema is all about narrating stories and Samir proves that he's a proficient storyteller. Question 2, will he prove lucky this time? Well, HEROES has all it takes to strike a chord, with family audiences mainly. The moments linger in your memory much after the show has concluded.

Final verdict? HEROES salutes the heroes who guard our nation. It's a powerful film. A moving experience!

HEROES is the story Sammy [Sohail Khan] and Ali [Vatsal Sheth] who travel a thousand miles to deliver three letters as a part of their film school assignment. But little do they know that the journey they have embarked upon will give a new meaning to their life.

HEORES unfolds in three chapters. But before that you get to see the wild side of two misled youth who don't take life seriously. The first chapter, Salman-Preity, is the highpoint of the film. The emotional moments in this chapter are worth applauding. Note the moments between Salman-Preity and also between the kid [Dwij Yadav] and the two youth. The scene at the Indo-Pak border -- the fence dividing the two nations -- is amazing. Watch Preity missing her husband and also embracing his uniform. Another brilliant stroke! This chapter deserves a 10 on 10 for its high emotional quotient and captivating performances.

Chapter 2 is slightly less impactful than Chapter 1. The portions between Sunny and Bobby are well executed, but the writing isn't as compelling. Yet, the fight sequence -- when a group of hooligans act smart with Sunny's girlfriend [Hrishitaa Bhatt] -- is superb. Sunny's 'dhai kilo ka haath' and the way it shatters the tiles on the floor leaves a strong impact. Watch this sequence with the masses and you'd only hear whistles and claps. Another scene from this chapter -- Sunny paying his last respects to Bobby -- is moving.

The third chapter [Mithun, Dino] is the softest link. Nothing wrong with the writing or its execution, but something is missing, the pace suddenly dips. The match in the end works mainly because it has been edited well.

Samir Karnik takes giant strides as a storyteller. Binod Pradhan and Gopal Shah's cinematography is top notch. The DOPs have done complete justice to the panoramic locales of North India. Sajid-Wajid's music is a major asset. 'Mannata' is the pick of the lot. What a soothing composition! Ditto for 'Makhana' [filmed on Sunny, Bobby]. Dialogues are magnificent at places.

The ones who leave the maximum impression in this multi-starrer are, in this order, Salman [superb; one of his finest works], Preity [outstanding; has spoken Punjabi so fluently], Sohail [pleasant surprise; evolving into a very fine actor], Sunny [very likeable] and Mithun Chakraborty [mature]. Bobby is effective in a cameo. Wish he would've got more footage. Vatsal Seth is decent. Dino is just about okay. Dwij Yadav is first-rate. Prateeksha Lonkar is fair. Amrita Arora and Ria Sen are passable.

On the whole, HEROES is a genuinely well-made film with strong emotions as its trump card. At the box-office, the pre-Diwali dull phase notwithstanding, it has the merits to climb the ladder with a strong word of mouth. The film deserves to be tax-exempted for its noble theme and noble intentions.

Fashion Movie Review

2008-11-04T20:08:00.000+05:30

Movie Review: Fashion; Movie star Cast: Mugdha Godse, Priyanka, Kangna, Arbaaz, Harsh Chhaya, Madhur, Karan Johar, Manish Malhotra, Neil Mukesh, Arjan Bajwa, Sameer Soni and Kitu; Director: Madhur Bhandarkar; Rating: ***1/2

Fashion begins in Chandigarh, where aspiring model Meghna Mathur (Priyanka) expresses her wish to go to Mumbai to her parents. While her dad (Raj Babbar) out rightly denies her permission, her mom (Kiran Juneja) is supportive. Against her dad’s wishes, Meghna leaves her house with dreams in her eyes to strike it big in the modeling world. But it is not a path of roses for her as she experiences some major difficulties in her initial days in Mumbai. But she gets a good helping hand with an old acquaintance, Rohit (Ashwin Mushran) an aspiring designer who assists big shot designer Rahul Arora (Sameer Soni). She keeps bumping into another struggling model, Maanav (Arjan) while making the rounds of modeling agencies for auditions. Meghna becomes good friends with Maanav and even starts sharing his apartment after she faces accommodation problems. Meghna gets noticed by India’s top modeling agency Panache’s top official, Anisha Roy (Kitu) who brings her to Panache boss, Abhijit Sareen’s (Arbaaz) notice. Abhijit gets impressed by her ambitious nature and go getter attitude. Panache’s face is Shonali (Kangana) but though very successful, her drug habit starts becoming a problem for her and subsequently for Panache. Abhijit decides to terminate Shonali’s contract and ropes in Meghna in her place. Soon, Meghna is everywhere – right from being the showstopper at the biggest fashion shows in town to fashion magazine covers to print ads to TV commercials. The overnight success spoils Meghna and the budding love relationship between her and Maanav also comes to an abrupt end. What happens after Meghna reaches the pinnacle of success in the modeling world and how her journey also invariably leads to the downfall of Shonali and what shocking things further await Meghna forms the rest of the film.

After Chandni Bar, Page 3, Corporate and Traffic Signal, Madhur has hit a master stroke with Fashion exposing the murky underbelly of the most glamorous profession in the world. Never getting preachy and avoiding stereo types Madhur efficiently handles the subject without getting judgemental even once. He has outshined himself in the technical department making Fashion is most slick product till date. His perfect casting also lifts the film to a completely different level. In fact one wouldn’t be surprised if Madhur manages to win a National Award with this film as well! Also, perhaps for the first time his climax is not dark where the protagonist ends up being a loser! The film has a bitter-sweet ending.

The screenplay by Madhur, Anuradha Tiwari and Ajay Monga peeks deep into the reality of the fashion world and touches every single aspect of the industry such as casting couch, gay designers, wild lifestyle of models who can’t handle success, backstage dramas during major fashion shows, manipulative head honchos and attitude problems of successful people. After holding the audience’s attention captive for a major portion, the screenplay tends to drag towards the finale moments. Niranjan Iyengar’s dialogues strike a chord.

Priyanka in the most challenging roles of her career, delivers the goods successfully. Kangana despite a short role ends up giving an award worthy performance. Even though it is her debut film, Mugdha Godse shows extreme confidence. Arbaaz Khan is good and so is Sameer Soni. Arjan Bajwa acts well. Kitu Gidwani is graceful whereas Ashwin Mushran is very like able.

Nokia E66

2008-11-04T20:06:00.001+05:30

Nokia E66 has a Smart simplicity, excellent personal information management, classy design for professionals, entertainment embedded, In addition to these video capabilities, advanced camera and video camera features, capable of advanced television viewing, Bluetooth capabilities, high-speed USB sharing functions, and WLAN Wi-Fi technology.

Features

Speaker dependent and speaker independent voice dialling.
Eco Declaration provides information on the sustainability of the product
Support for MS Outlook synchronization of contacts, calendar and notes
Support for local and remote SyncML synchronization, iSync, Intellisync, ActiveSync
Video recording at up to 640 x 480 pixels (VGA) and up to 22 fps

Technical Specifications


Technology / Frequency Bands	Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Battery	BL-4U, 1000 mAh
Built	Dimensions: 107.5 x 49.5 x 13.6 mm, Weight: 121 g, Volume: 62.6 cc
Display	Size: 2.4", Resolution: 240 x 320 pixels (QVGA), 16.7 million colours
Camera / Imaging / Video	3.2 megapixel camera, Image formats: JPEG/EXIF, CMOS sensor, 4x digital zoom, Autofocus, LED flash
Connectivity	Infrared, maximum speed 115 kbps, Bluetooth version 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate
Memory	microSD memory card slot, hot swappable, max. 8 GB, Up to 110 MB free memory

Nokia E66

2008-11-04T20:06:00.000+05:30

Speaker dependent and speaker independent voice dialling.
Eco Declaration provides information on the sustainability of the product
Support for MS Outlook synchronization of contacts, calendar and notes
Support for local and remote SyncML synchronization, iSync, Intellisync, ActiveSync
Video recording at up to 640 x 480 pixels (VGA) and up to 22 fps

Technical Specifications


Technology / Frequency Bands	Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Battery	BL-4U, 1000 mAh
Built	Dimensions: 107.5 x 49.5 x 13.6 mm, Weight: 121 g, Volume: 62.6 cc
Display	Size: 2.4", Resolution: 240 x 320 pixels (QVGA), 16.7 million colours
Camera / Imaging / Video	3.2 megapixel camera, Image formats: JPEG/EXIF, CMOS sensor, 4x digital zoom, Autofocus, LED flash
Connectivity	Infrared, maximum speed 115 kbps, Bluetooth version 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate
Memory	microSD memory card slot, hot swappable, max. 8 GB, Up to 110 MB free memory

Motorola RAZR2 V9

2008-11-04T20:01:00.000+05:30

The RAZR2 V9 is a sleek, smart, strong phone which comes with eyepopping appearance and richer multimedia experience that makes it stylish phone. Its composing materials include vacuum metal finishes and two-tone soft touch housing that will inspire unending envy. At 2.0", the RAZR2 V9 boasts the largest external screen in its class, enabling its owners to play music via touch-sensitive music keys, without ever opening the phone.

Motorola RAZR2 V9 Features

Sleek, slim iconic RAZR design with clamshell form factor, metal and glass housing, internal antenna, tandem 2.2" and 2.0" 240x320 QVGA 262K color displays
Connectivity featuring Micro USB, USB 2.0 Full Speed, USB mass storage and version 2.0 Bluetooth wireless technology with Enhanced Data Rate
45MB of end user memory and support for up to 2GB of memory with an optional microSD card
Stereo Bluetooth wireless technology supporting A2DP and AVRCP profiles.

Technical Specifications


Network	2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 ,
3G Network	HSDPA 2100 HSDPA 850 / 1900 - US version
Dimensions	103 x 53 x 13.3 mm
Weight	125 g
Display	TFT, 256K colors, 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches, Second external 256K colors, 2 inches display (240 x 320 pixels) with contextual touch interaction
Memory	1000 entries, Photocall, 30 dialed, 30 received, 30 missed calls, card slot : microSD (TransFlash), buy memory - 45 MB internal memory
Data	GPRS : Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, EDGE : Class 12, 3G : HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps, Bluetooth : v2.0 with A2DP, USB : v2.0 microUSB
OS	Symbian OS 9.2, Series 60 v3.1 UI
Browser	WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML (Opera 8)
Camera	2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video(QCIF)
Battery Type	Stand-by : Up to 260 h, Talk time : Up to 3 h 30 min

Western Digital unveils TV Media Player

2008-11-04T19:59:00.000+05:30

Western Digital might be large on hard drives, but that doesn’t mean that they churn out nothing but said peripheral all day long. This time round, we have something for the living room in the form of the WD TV Media Player. What makes this device so special? Well, it allows you to play your digital movies and videos in full High Definition (really, that all depends on what format the media file was saved in, including the resolution, aspect ratio and other metadata) on your HDTV without the need for turning on the computer. Instead, you are able to store those files in a USB flash drive or portable hard drive, connect it to the WD TV Media Player which in turn is hooked up to your HDTV, and you’re good to go.

Couch potatoes will be pleased that the WD TV Media Player comes with a remote control, allowing one to play content straight from the comfort of their couch without having to get up. This device works best with Western Digital’s very own My Passport drives (of course they’re going to tout that - do you think they’d list down a rival’s products instead?), and with those capable of hitting 500GB in storage space these days, it is pretty easy and convenient to build up a library of high definition video files for future viewing.

The on-screen menu is said to offer easy and fast navigation, regardless of whether you’re connected using a USB flash drive or an external hard drive. Photo viewing can be done via filename or thumbnails, making it a snap to locate the desired image you want to parade to everyone else in the room. Interestingly enough, automatic media aggregation makes it a snap for the viewers to see all their media by media type in one menu regardless of its location in folders or drives.

You can pick up the WD TV HD Media Player for $129.99, which ain’t too shabby.

Wooden Mouse from Actbrise Electronics

2008-11-04T19:54:00.000+05:30

So what is this sphere that we see here, some new ball for croquet? No, what you are seeing here is a mouse for the computer, and yes, it is made of wood.

This is the Jupiter Mouse, created by a company called Actbrise Electronics. You can clearly see the four buttons on the mouse, and it is not exactly designed to roll around on the side of the desk.

I have included a YouTube video so you can see it in action. The Jupiter mouse works on a gesture-based motion. Essentially, you roll it in a certain direction, and the cursor moves. As you can see on the video, the ball-shaped mouse comes in handy for 3-D graphics.

The Jupiter mouse is made from wood from a Chinese flowering ash tree. I’m not certain if other types of wood could be used to make wooden mice, but I’m not certain if it would create a greener world if it could. Sure, mice made of plastic don’t exactly help the environment, but I could see entire forests being leveled for the sake of some wooden mice.

Of course, this Jupiter Mouse is somewhat expensive at about $232. For a price like that, I’m just going to spend under $30 for a plastic one.

Acer launches Blue Gemstone

2008-11-04T19:51:00.000+05:30

Acer has just unveiled its brand new entertainment notebook known as the Gemstone Blue, and it can also be referred by its model number of 8920G. What can you expect from this brand new multimedia notebook? For starters, it will feature full high definition display support (that means 1,920 x 1,080 at the very least people), and an optional Blu-ray drive for you to enjoy the latest Hollywood movies in unprecedented clarity among others. The emergence of Acer’s Gemstone Blue underlines the commitment of the company to seriously challenge Dell and HP’s stranglehold on the high end mobile computer market.

Acer has dubbed its Aspire Gemstone 8920G the first of its “Blue” series, where the color naming convention hails from the notebook’s blue, black, and silver color scheme with interior and exterior lighting effects. What users will get from this 18.4″ notebook is a high definition LCD display with Intel’s Centrino-brand processors providing all the necessary computing horsepower within, complemented by Intel’s OM965 Express Chipset. Other features include integrated WiFi support, enough room to throw in up to a couple of 320GB hard drives, a standard DVD drive (as mentioned earlier, you can choose to replace this with an optional Blu-ray drive but that will definitely bump up the final price by a fair bit), and a choice between an Nvidia GeForce 9650M GS or 9500M GS graphics card.

According to Spooner , “Acer faces a particularly difficult task in doing so in the United States, where the Acer brand name has largely stood for low-cost brand. The company also faces stiff competition from HP and Dell, which have also been working to improve the cache of their respective PC product lines.” Acer hopes to break through this mental barrier with the Aspire Gemstone Blue which will ship from this month onwards, with prices starting from $900 and stopping at $1,700, depending on what you want to have inside.

Audi S line Review

2008-11-04T19:40:00.000+05:30

Audi undertook the S line programme to cater to those people who would like to have a sporty looking car with a standard engine. The demand for such cars has increased over the years as people have become more style conscious. The S line package gives the consumers high quality coordinated components that have been developed exclusively for the S line. These enhancements have been made available for almost all Audi models with the exception of a few. This means that you can easily jazz up your Audi no matter which one it is. You don’t need to have a sports engine under your hood to make the exterior of your car look sporty because the S line is available for all kinds of engines.

There are different kinds of S line packages that you can avail depending on the model. These include the basic sports package, the sports package plus suspension package and the exterior package. Similarly the range of equipments also varies according to the model. These can vary from customized sports suspension, to alloy wheels, to sport seats, sports steering wheel and of course the different kinds of S line logos. In this way you can jazz up your Audi and make it look sporty as ever.

With the masterminds of Audi being behind all the elements of S line one need not worry about the quality of these products. They have been tried and tested and are custom fit for the purpose for which they are intended. Another good thing about making your car into an S line is that all you have to do is pay for the equipment as there are no extra charges for installation and fitting.

The whole S line equipment package range is available directly through Audi. Quattro GmbH is credited with developing the equipment. This particular company is renowned for creating sporty variants of standard cars. The two have collaborated previously also in the attempt to soup up high performance Audi vehicles. In this case they have come up with various packages that work to enhance the car in different ways. The S line suspension package sets you up with a sports suspension along with 18’ alloy wheels and the S line logo. The sports package will give you electrically adjustable lumbar supports in the front. Moreover you will have a sports steering wheel, gear level knob, leather gear lever and handbrake handle. The sports plus will give you all this along with other enhancements. If you are looking to get your exterior bumpers modified along with getting a spoiler then the S line exterior package would best fulfill this purpose.

Worlds Top 10 Airlines

2008-11-04T19:37:00.000+05:30

The World Airline Awards are based on the annual World Airline Survey by Skytrax - carried out between August 2007 and June 2008.

1. Singapore Airlines has been ranked as the world's best airline for the 3rd time in a decade. The awards are given every year by the Skytrax, which conducts a world airline survey. Singapore Airlines also bagged the award for offering the 'Best Business Class'. Singapore Airlines took off with three flights per week in the beginning. Today, their network spans across 103 destinations in 41 countries. Singapore Airlines was ranked 17th in 'Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies' rankings in 2007. The airline is known the world over for its innovation, safety and service excellence and profitability. The airline boasts of excellent inflight telecommunication, entertainment services and luxurious amenities that make flying a memorable experience. The airline started its services on 1 May 1947. Singapore Airlines is also the first airline to fly the world's largest aircraft, the A380. The average age of the passenger fleet is about 6 years. Chew Choon Sen is the company's CEO.

2. Cathay Pacific is ranked 2nd best airline in the world. It also bagged the award for the world's 'Best First Class', for their new onboard 1st Class product and service concept. Hong Kong?s largest airline, Cathay offers passenger and cargo services to 120 destinations worldwide. Cathay Pacific is one of only six airlines worldwide to carry a five-star rating from Skytrax. Cathay Pacific Airways was founded in Hong Kong on 24 September 1946 by former air force pilots Roy Farrell and Australian Sydney de Kantzow. The Cathay Pacific Group, including Dragonair and Air Hong Kong, now operates more than 150 aircraft to 130 destinations across the world. Eighteen years after the company was founded, it celebrated carrying one million passengers. Nine years later, in 1973, the airline had a record of one million people every year. Today, the airline flies about one million passengers each month. Tony Tyler is the CEO of the company.

3. Qantas is the third best airline in the world. It also bagged an award for the 'Best First Class Lounge'. Qantas was founded in the Queensland outback in 1920. It was registered as the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited (QANTAS). The airline has a reputation for excellence in safety, operational reliability, engineering and maintenance, and customer service. Qantas is known as the world's leading long distance airline and one of the strongest brands in Australia. Its global route network covers more than 675 destinations in more than 130 countries. Geoff Dixon is the CEO.

4. Thai Airways ranks fourth in the list of top 10 airlines. It also bagged the 4th place for the best cabin staff. Thai Airways International was founded in 1960 as a joint venture between Thailand's domestic carrier, Thai Airways Company (TAC) and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS). On April 1, 1977, after a 17-year partnership with SAS, the Thai government bought out SAS' remaining 15% holding and Thai became fully owned by the Thai govt. Thai flies to 74 destinations in 34 countries on four continents. It has a fleet size of 88 aircraft. Chaisawasd Kittipornpaiboon is the Chairman of Thai Airways.

5. Asiana Airlines from South Korea is the 5th best airline in the world. It also won an award for world's 'Best Cabin Staff' and award for 'Best Economy Class'. Asiana Airlines is known to offer one of the best services onboard. Formerly known as Seoul Airlines, Asiana flies to 12 domestic destinations and 73 international destinations in 17 countries worldwide. Asiana's headquarters and overseas hub is located at Incheon International Airport (near Seoul) and its domestic hub is at Gimpo International Airport. It has a fleet of 65 aircraft. Asiana was established on 17 February 1988 and started operations in December 1988 with flights to Busan. Asiana was awarded a 5-star rating by Skytrax. Kang Chu-Ahn is the CEO of the company.

6. Malaysia Airlines is ranked the 6th best airline in the world. The flag carrier of Malaysia, it operates flights from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and its secondary hub in Kota Kinabalu. Malaysia Airlines maintains a strong presence in Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Middle East and on the Kangaroo route between Europe and Australasia. Malaysia Airlines has started its operations in 1987 after the airline changed its name from Malaysian Airline System. It was founded on 1947 by Malayan Airways. It started flying operations in 1947. In 1963, the airline was renamed Malaysian Airways Limited. Idris Jala is the managing director CEO of the airline. It is one of the six airlines to be given a 5-star status airline by Skytrax.

7. Qatar Airways, a 5-star airline is ranked No.7 in the world. It also bagged the award for ?Best Airline? and 'Best Cabin Staff' for the Middle East region and 'Best Business Class Catering' category. Qatar has seen an average growth of 35 per cent year-on-year for the past 10 years. The airline is known for high quality services. Akbar Al Baker is the CEO. It has a fleet size of 65 aircraft flying to over 80 international destinations.

8. Air New Zealand is the 8th best airline in the world. It offers passenger and cargo transport services within New Zealand, Australia, the South West Pacific, Asia, North America and the United Kingdom. Its main hub is Auckland Airport in New Zealand. Air New Zealand began as TEAL (Tasman Empire Airways Limited) in 1940. Today, it has a fleet of 60 aircraft. The airline has gained reputation for innovative and outstanding passenger services at a fair price. Rob Fyfe is the CEO of the company.

9. Air Emirates is ranked as the 9th best airline in the world. It is the eighth-largest airline in the world in terms of international passengers carried. It ranks amongst the top 10 carriers worldwide in terms of revenue, and has become the largest airline in the Middle East in terms of revenue, fleet size, and passengers carried and the eighth largest airline in Asia, in terms of passengers carried. The airline operates over 3,710 passenger flights per week, to 91 destinations in 55 countries. During 2007-08, Emirates carried 21.2 million passengers. The airline was established on 25 May 1985 by the Dubai government and was supported by the founder of the German airline Germania, Hinrich Bischoff, in its initial years.

10. Etihad Airways jumps into the top ten league for the first time. Etihad Airways was set up as the National Airline of the United Arab Emirates in July 2003 by a Royal decree issued by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, then the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. Dr Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan was appointed Chairman of the airline. The Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways is expanding services at a fast pace. On November 12, 2003, the airline started commercial operations with the launch of a service to Beirut. Soon the company started adding one new route a month. By June 2006, it started flying to over 30 destinations. By 2010, the company plans to fly to 70 destinations. Etihad was the first to launch a direct flight from the UAE to Geneva (June 2004), Brussels and Toronto (October 2005) and first-ever non-stop flight from Abu Dhabi to Johannesburg.

KARZZZ Review!!

2008-10-20T13:06:00.000+05:30

Good news - no devastating damage done (to put things in perspective, this is the guy who *starred* in Aap kaa Suroor)
Bad news - We saw this almost 25 years ago and can watch it again at home any time we like!
Then, pray tell us, why would we want to see Himessss-bhai

It’s going to be claimed that the target is not the multiplex cine-goer but the “masses”. Tell me, which section enjoys Himesh fainting down like every other pregnant woman in Hindi movies? And which section is going to be mesmerized by Urmila’s fairy-tale-like vampish gait?

Character sketches in movies like these are just amazing. For instance, the woman is given such an important place in the story line…after all our man is completely and unquestioningly smitten by her…and yet her function is less than that of a prop. She just exists. It must be some sort-of an art to make the object of ‘true love’ a bystander whose primary function is to lick ice-creams and go on a soft toy fetish. Damn, she doesn’t even bother to offer support when the man of her life has disclosed the inner turmoil he’s going through!

In the 80’s we thoroughly enjoyed if not thrived on the cinematic liberties taken. But hasn’t the audience matured at least a bit since then? Even if each and every character, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, in Karzzzz have the best anti-aging cosmetics at their disposal. You are helpfully given ‘then and now’ transitions of brand ambassador Urmila Matondkar as proof. None of the characters manage an extra wrinkle, or an extra inch. I want whatever they are having!

Oh, by the way, if you were thinking the makers were ingenious enough to only take from one movie made previously, get set to be proven wrong. Kabira (Danny Denzongpa) is given only lines from old Hindi movies to fit the particular situation. They are relevant enough so, it doesn’t become painful. Though every time someone said “kudrat ka karishma” (nature’s ~~freak~~ miracle), I felt like saying, “not really, it happened more than 25 years ago (if not earlier).”
And then you have the blatant references toNot to mention the mimicry artist of a villain, Shaakal look. Of course, borrowing neither stops at dialogues nor at old Hindi movies. The songs are all seen there, heard that. No-no, I’m not referring to “ek haseena thi” or the signature tune from the original. (Although, the man actually sounds good when other voice-producing organs overpower the mighty nose!) I’m referring to the first song (”ishq is duniya mein”) that sounds like Himesh’s compositions from earlier movies. And the second, third, and so on numbers which sound like the first. So, we actually have borrowing from the latest movie!

The camerawork, background score etc. do try to give the movie a slick look - what with the action choreographer going for the home run with Himesh flying through a mansion. And however smart you make the movie look when it’s about reincarnation, then the half-hearted attempt at logic/logistics in the climax makes you laugh only harder.

One argument could be that if Karz is likeable what’s wrong with Karzzzz? It’s the same story after all. But somehow, the balance tilts against a Himesh Reshammiya being snickered at by most members of the audience every time he attempts emotion.

Sensitive areas under tight cover; buses may keep off road

2008-10-20T13:03:00.000+05:30

Around 300-plus policemen, including CISF and IRB personnel, besides magistrates will be deployed across Margao and Rumdamol housing boards in view of Monday’s bandh called by Akhil Goa Mandir Suraksha Samiti, even as major markets in the commercial capital have decided to shut shop tomorrow.

Private bus operators have decided to keep their buses off the road on Monday, if the roads are closed.
District Magistrate, G P Naik had a meeting with the District Superintendent of Police, Allan D’Sa, SDPOs and SDMs and reviewed the prevailing law and order situation in the entire district.
Naik told Herald this evening that police would begin patrolling of sensitive areas, from tonight. He said extra police force has been made available to the district administration to meet any situation. Sources said police would be deployed in strength at places of worship as a precautionary measure.
It is learnt that patrolling will be intensified in sensitive areas of Margao, Housing Board Rumdamol, Cuncolim, besides Paroda and Quepem, which witnessed incidents of desecration of shrines and temples. Sources said all sensitive areas and trouble spots will be manned by the CISF and IRB personnel.
An executive magistrate has been deployed at each of the police stations in the district.
Replying to a question, the district Magistrate justified the clamping of section 144 of the CrPC in order to prevent any processions and violence.
Meanwhile, the New Market Traders Association headed by Vinod Shirodkar told Herald that the market will remain closed on Monday in support of the bandh called to protest the rising incidents of temple vandalism in the State.
Shirodkar advised politicians of all hues to be cautious while making statements on the desecration of temples, saying “The time has come to maintain peace and communal harmony and must desist from making statements which hurt the sentiments of the people.”
The Gandhi market – a sensitive area in the city in view of the sizeable presence of the Muslim community – will also remain closed on Monday.

Security in full force for today’s bandh
All Goa Bus Owners Association President Rajnikant Naik said buses will not ply if the roads are blocked by the protestors. “We will take a decision depending on the situation,” he added.
Meanwhile, the North Goa administration too has clamped Section 144. Additional Collector, North, Swapnil Naik said “we are enforcing the Section 144 of the CrPc from tonight to avoid any untoward incident.” The prohibition will remain in force from 00.00 hrs to 18.00 hrs on Monday.
He said that the mobile patrol vans will monitor the situation throughout the district.
Asked whether any security would be provided to shopkeepers who want to keep them open, he said “if a request comes from any shopkeeper we will definitely do that but so far there has been no request.”
He also claimed that there should be no effect on the public transport as “we have not heard of any bus owners association supporting the bandh.”
Meanwhile, the state government has appealed to the people to thwart the evil designs of subversive elements and remain vigilant and not to support the illegal bandh, held to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The government said it would take appropriate actions against the promoters of such bandh.
The government said that it would take possible measures to ensure that normal life is not affected, adding, that it is committed to protecting all the places of worship and strong actions would be initiated against anti-social elements.

Limousines

2008-10-20T12:58:00.000+05:30

Limousines come in many styles and colours, not just the traditional. Some new styles like the stretch Hummer are becoming increasingly popular. Below are a few great examples, you can see some more here.

Awesome Computer Casings

2008-10-20T12:53:00.000+05:30

Accidents - What The?

2008-10-20T12:50:00.000+05:30

It's a well known fact that accidents can occur anywhere at anytime, but sometimes you have to ask the question; How on earth did this happen?

Hiding Elephants...LOL!!

2008-10-20T12:40:00.000+05:30

Here are some entries in a Photoshop competition on hiding elephants by some very creative graphic designers. Which one do you think deserves the prize?

Most Expensive Pen Case!!

2008-10-19T17:26:00.000+05:30

If you really wish to give a great gift to someone that has it all, then you may want to turn to Rolls Royce.

Rolls-Royce for their 80th anniversary of the Rolls Royce Phantom has commissioned Conway Stewart to create a 25 writing instrument set. The set will be placed in hand crafted case of leather and aluminum. Each set will be fit into the glove box of one of 25 Phantoms, which are being built to commemorate the anniversary.

The exact price of the pencil case is not really disclosed however, the only way in which to purchase one is by buying a Rolls Royce Phantom, which has a hefty price tag without the pencil case.

Rolls Royce Pencil Case

Most Expensive MP3 Player

2008-10-19T17:23:00.000+05:30

If you buy the Presidential MP3 player from Douglas.J Music Group you will have a few choices to make.

Firstly, will that be yellow gold or white gold?

Secondly: How would you like the diamond buttons laid out?

You should also plan on being home the day the private escort delivers your MP3 player.

All this for for only a song and a dance and $45,000.00 USD.

The Presidential

Most Expensive PC!!

2008-10-19T17:18:00.000+05:30

Falcon Northwest seems to have the most expensive computers around. With their large computer base, which includes many Forbes 400 members, price tags are as expensive as between $8,000 and $10,000 for a desktop PC. Then of course, these billionaires desire unique and personal paint, which can include up to 10 layers of glosses and paint increasing the price another $400 to $1,500 for their own custom computers.

This does not mean that all billionaires purchasing these expensive computers however, it does mean that Falcon Northwest is probably the top when it comes to the most expensive computers on the market today.

Falcon Northwest Computer

At a time when the cost of desktop computers is decreasing due to the popularity of these machines, there is one model of a desktop computer that will always remain at an untouchable price. However, the big bucks spent on this computer have very little at all to do with the machine but they come mostly from the case that holds the machine.

The Japanese manufacturer, Zeus, has created a desktop computer called Jupiter that comes in a case that is so beautiful there is very little like it on earth – in computer cases or otherwise. This case is made entirely of platinum and the brilliant jewels that have been encrusted onto it sparkle in the shape of different constellations. The machine inside this magnificent case is an Intel 3GHZ E6850 Core 2 Duo CPU, with 2GB of DDR 2 memory. The machine also features a 1TB hard drive, and a dual Blu-Ray/HD DVD drive. To further ensure that the customer is getting the most bang for their very many bucks, the computer also comes with a 24”, 1920 x 1200 native resolution monitor.

The world’s most expensive computer can be picked up for eighty million yen, which is approximately $750,000 USD. For customers who want this fabulous look for a fraction of the price, the computer case is also available in gold instead of platinum, dropping the price to a mere sixty million yen, or $560,000 USD.

Jupiter from Zeus

Most Expensive B'Day Card

2008-10-19T17:15:00.000+05:30

Joan Hardee was given the world’s most expensive birthday card on her 70th birthday and now she plans to sell it.

The birthday card or shall we say one of Damien Hirst’s paintings where he had written "Happy Birthday, Joan" and written a dedication on the bottom right hand corner will be sold at Bonhams and Brooks Auction house in London on July 24th. The painting is one of his spot paintings - rows of colored spots on a white background, which is believed to bring a sale of around £30,000 when sold.

Mrs. Hardee stated, "I am very sad to have to sell the picture because I love it but I can't really afford to insure it and I need a lot of repair work doing now," she said.

Most Expensive Virus

2008-10-19T17:11:00.000+05:30

As long as our records are not infected, we believe to have found the world's most expensive computer virus.

On January 31 2004 SCO Group Inc. in Colorado started experienceing DDOS attacks thanks to the MyDoom worm.

After all was said and done an estimated $38.5 billion USD in economic damage was done.

The SCO Group offered a $250,000 reward for the capture of the creator of the MyDoom.A virus and later Microsoft offered a $250,000 reward for the capture of the creator of the MyDoom.B virus. The rewards have yet to be claimed.

Other notable viruses and the damage they caused:

SoBig virus $37.1 Billion.
Love Bug virus $15 Billion.
Code Red virus $2 Billion.

Jet reinstates all sacked employees

2008-10-17T10:24:00.000+05:30

Less than 48 hours after Jet Airways announced the retrenchment of 1,900 employees, the airline has decided to reinstate all the employees.

Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal, in the late evening press conference on Thursday, requested all the sacked employees to come back to work from Friday.

"I apologise for the trauma which the sacked employees have gone through in last two days. The company is like my family and so are the employees. As the father of the family, I cannot see unhappy faces. My conscious does not allow me to see my employees worried."

Stating that he had not taken the decision under any political pressure, Naresh Goyal said that the management of the company took this decision of sacking the employees due to the financial woes that the entire industry is going through. Now it is my decision alone to take back all the employees.

"Nobody, including my wife, is involved. All the employees are my family, I cannot see tears in their eyes. I have nothing to do with Kingfisher; the decision is not relate to the alliance we have."

"The management," he said, "will have to understand the issue as it is about the welfare of the employees who have been hired by the company. The management may not like my decision but I have made it. We cannot bring economics, mathematics, figures and money in this issue," he added.

Goyal said he took the decision from his heart as he "could not sleep for last two days. For me economics cannot be the only important factor and I will go ahead with my conscience."

Distancing himself from the decision that provoke sharp protest from the employees and some political parties Goyal said, "The management has decided it and when I read about it I saw tears in the eyes of their eyes, I decided on my own to call them back."

"There is no internal or external pressure. As a family we will decide how to fly and keep the airline offload," reiterated.

Asked about Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Chief Raj Thakre threat that he would not allow Jet to fly from Mumbai, Goyal said: "I have not talked to anybody. It does not matter what anybody says. I have not even asked my wife," an emotionally choked Goyal said.

Jet-govt deal for bailout?

However, industry sources fell that Goyal has taken the decision of reinstating the sacked employees after speaking with Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel.

The sources claimed that private airlines, including Jet and Kingfisher, had already struck a deal with the government to get a Rs 4,700-core (Rs 47 billion) bailout package to help them stay afloat.

Sources said that the government (read Praful Patel) had linked the bailout package to the reinstatement of sacked employees, which was why Jet Airways had decided to reinstate its sacked employees.

Google Inspired Gogola - Golawala

2008-10-12T12:14:00.000+05:30

Look at the image carefully. Its not a google logo, this is a logo for one of those golawala who sells Indian Slush Puppie - crushed ice with flavoured syrup on top. These young folks are running their Gogola in Mumbai's Bandra district.

Its so nice to see that Google is penetrating and inspiring such a small scale business. These golas are made with pure mineral water and you can get these ice golas in Kalakhatta, rose, orange, keri, masala kokum, masala soda and many more flavors.

Take a look at their lari design.. fultoo inspired by Google. One more place to go for Google Lovers!!

Watch Indian Tv Channels For free Online

2008-10-12T12:05:00.000+05:30

Television first came to India [named as ‘Doordarshan’ (DD) on Sept 15, 1959 as the National Television Network of India. The first telecast started on Sept 15, 1959 in New Delhi. After a gap of about 13 years, s second television station was established in Mumbai (Maharashtra) in 1972 and by 1975 there were five more television stations at Srinagar (Kashmir), Amritsar (Punjab), Calcutta (West Bengal), Madras (Tamil Nadu) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh). For many years the transmission was mainly in black & white.

In 1992, the government liberated its markets, opening them up to cable television. Five new channels belonging to the Hong Kong based STAR TV gave Indians a fresh breath of life. MTV, STAR Plus, BBC, Prime Sports and STAR Chinese Channel were the 5 channels. Zee TV was the first private owned Indian channel to broadcast over cable. A few years later CNN, Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel made its foray into India. Star expanded its bouquet introducing STAR World, STAR Sports, ESPN and STAR Gold.

And now India has about couple hundred channels. But I think the mostly viewed channels are Zee, Sony, Star channels. Most of those who live in India don't care whether they can watch the Indian Television channels online or not but for those who live outside India really strives to watch these Indian channels.

I have seen lot of people searching for "free indian channels online" or how to watch indian channels online or if I want to watch zee cinema online or zee tv online or Tamil TV watch online where to go?

So here I am trying to compile the list of sites where you can watch these channels online.

www.live-from-bd.com : The site called "Live from Bangladesh". The site has list of all the famous Indian channels that you can watch online. Zee TV, Sony TV, Star One, Star Plus, Zee Cinema etc. The site doesn't require you to register. All you need is Windows Media Player 10, Real Player, VLC Media Player installed on your machine. You must be aware of Windows Media Player and Real Player. You can get VLC media player free, just google it and you will find it. Once you go to the website, you will see list of channels on the left. Click on the channel you want to see and you would see the screen with username and password information. The popup box will ask you to enter that information and you should be all set. Watch Zee Cinema Online, Watch Zee TV online, Watch Sony TV Online and enjoy.

Update on Live-From-bd.com - The site now requires you to register. So be prepared for that

www.idesitv.com: This site used to require registration but they have changed their layout and now its just simple page with list of channels URLs. Click on the channel and a popup window will open up. Same list of channels are available here. Less than what you get from the previous site. Few sites have voice issue. The voice and video moves in fast forward motion makes it sound funny. For e.g. Sony TV & Star One.
www.djzaki.com: I don't believe this site has online channels but you can watch videos clippings from these Indian Channels. This site requires registration.
www.nepalisite.com/tv : This site has only 5-6 channels but the quality is good and doesn't have annoying ads. It has Zee, Sony, Sony Max, Star Plus, Aaj Tak, IBN Live, Star One. I would rank this site as 2nd after live-from-bd.com. Watch Star Plus Online.
www.onlinemedia.in: Beware of this website. It does provide all these channels but has lot of popup ads and could have spywares. I would go to this site as a last option.

Updates On more players

www.cyberviewtv.com - This site has Hum TV, Apna TV (Punjabi), AJJ TV, Geo TV, DOOM TV, Star Utsav, Zee Punjabi, ETC Punjabi, Zee Marathi, Zee Gujarati and many more Indian channels online for free. I think this site has the most exclusive list of Indian channels online for free. It also doesn't have too many popup ads but the UI is little bit cluttered. It also has TV shows, Cartoon shows etc available for free.

Updates:

www.indiagalaxy.com -Just got a comment from a user about this new website. IndiaGalaxy.com is another website that streams Indian TV Channels. The site is pretty neat and it has a list of channels listed on the left and the player is on the right. You can watch Telugu channels, Zee Cinema, Zee TV, Sony, SET Max, Star Plus, Star One, Zoom India, Filmy and many more indian tv channels online for free.

Nokia Codes

2008-10-01T10:48:00.000+05:30

To check the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) Type-

*#06#

Information you get from the IMEI-

XXXXXX XX XXXXXX X

TAC FAC SNR SP

TAC = Type approval code
FAC = Final assembly code
SNR = Serial number
SP = Spare

To check the phones Software revision type-

*#0000#

Information you get from the Software revision-

V 05.31

18-02-99

NSE-3

1ST Line = Software revision
2ND Line = The date of the software release
3RD Line = Phone type

To enter the service menu type-

*#92702689# (*#WAR0ANTY#)

Serial number (IMEI)
Production date (MM/YY)
Purchase date (MM/YY) You can only enter the date once.
Date of last repair (0000=No repair)
Transfer user data to another Nokia phone via Infra-Red

Clock Stopping

To check weather your SIM Card supports clock stopping type-

*#746025625# (*#SIM0CLOCK#)

Revealing the Headphone and Car-Kit menus

Please note that if you do these next tricks, the new menus can't be erased without retoring the factory default settings. To do these tricks you need to short-circuit the pins on the bottom of the phone next to where you plug in you charger.

1. To activate the "Headset" menu, you need to short-circuit pins "3" and "4". After a short time the word "Headset" will be shown in the display. Menu 3-6 is now enabled.

2. To activate the "Car" menu, you need to short-circuit pins "4" and "5". After a short time the word "Car" will be shown in the display. Menu 3-7 is now enabled.

THE REBOOT TRICK

This should work on all software versions of the 6110.

1. Go to the Calendar (Menu-8)

2. Make a note or reminder.

3. Enter some text into the edit box.

4. Hold "Clear" until the whole text is cleared, then press "Back".

5. Press "0". The main screen will now be showing but a space appears on the screen. (you can't see it)

6. Enter 4 digits (e.g. 1234).

7. Use the down arrow to move the cursor to the left side of the numbers and the space (Down arrow twice).

8. Now enter 6 digits and press the call button.

Wait for a few seconds, the screen should start to flash and reboots. It should alsowork on other menus like the "Profiles" menu.

EFR CALL QUALITY

To activate EFR (Enhanced Full Rate) Enter the code-

*3370#

This improves call quality but decreases batterylife by about 5%

To deactivate it, Enter the code-

#3370#

THE JAMES BOND TRICK

If you short-circuit theleft middle and right pins on the bottom of the phone with all connections touching each other, the Nokia software hangs! The profile "Headset" will be activated. Before you do this just activate the "Automatic Answer" in the headset profile and set the ringing volume to "Mute". Now you can use your phone for checking out what people are talking about in a room. Just place it under a table in a room and call it. The phone receives the call without ringing and you can listen to what people are saying.

NETWORK MONITOR

There is a hidden menu inside your Nokia phone. If you want to activate it, you'll have to re-program some chips inside of your phone.

Check your software version. You can only continue if you have v4.33, v4.73 or v5.24.
Take apart the phone.
De-solder the EEPROM (ATMEL AT 24C64).
Read out the data with an EEPROM programmer and save it to a file (Backup).
If you have v.33 or v4.73, change the address "03B8" from "00" to "FF".
If you have v5.24 then change the address "0378" from "00" to "FF".
Write the new data to the EEPROM and solder it back to the phone,
Power on your phone and you should have "Netmonitor" enabled.

The Network Monitor gives you the following information.

Carrier number
MS RX Level in DBM
Received signal quality
MS TX power level
C1 (Path loss criterion, used for cell selection and reselection). The range is -99 to 99.
RTL (Radio link timeout).
Timeslot
Indication of the transmitter status
Information on the Network parameters.
TMSI (Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity).
Cell identification (Cell ID, Number of cells being used).
MCC (Mobile country code)
MCN (Mobile network code)
LAC (Location area code)
Ciphering (On/Off)
Hopping (On/Off)
DTX (On/Off)
Discard cell barred information

CHECK SIM-LOCK

Note - If you bought your Nokia on UK Vodafone or UK Cellnet you do not need to check this because they both transmit on GSM900, and they don't lock the phones. However if you bought your phone on UK Orange or UK One2one your phone may be blocked. The reason is that they both transmitt on GSM1800. To make a call on GSM1800 you need what is known as a "Dual band" phone. A dual band phone is able to transmit on both GSM900 and GSM1800, so they lock the phones so you can't use it with any other network simcard. If you find that your phone is locked you can try different software to unlock it. (we havn't found one that works yet), or you can ask your service provider who will gladly exchange the 10 digit code for about £35.

This is how to check the status of the 4 different locks. Aslo don't try entering the wrong number, because after 3 times it will block the phone for good.

There are 4 different locks on your Nokia phone.

COUNTRY-LOCK
NETWORK-LOCK
PROVIDER-LOCK
SIMCARD-LOCK

The code to read out the sim-lock status of your phone is

#PW+(MASTERCODE)+(Y)#

# = DOUBLE-CROSS
W = PRESS "*" THREE TIMES
P = PRESS "*" FOUR TIMES
+ = PRESS "*" TWO TIMES
MASTERCODE = 1234567890
Y = NUMBER 1 TO 4

The master code is a secret code. The code has 10 digits, To read out the sim-lock status you can enter every combination you want!

"Y" Shows the status of the network-lock. Here you can enter a number from "1" to "4". The "4" is for the sim-card lock.

SIM-LOCK CHECKS

#PW+1234567890+1# = GIVES PROVIDER-LOCK STATUS
#PW+1234567890+2# = GIVES NETWORK-LOCK STATUS
#PW+1234567890+3# = GIVES COUNTRY-LOCK STATUS
#PW+1234567890+4# = GIVES SIM-CARD-LOCK STATUS.

Special Phones

2008-09-21T21:23:00.000+05:30

To leave a message, press crystal 3!

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What is this passion for crystals all about anyway and where does it come from? They’re almost everywhere: from jewellery, clothes, footwear, to gadgets and all kinds of accessories. They’re invading any space they can reach to, alright, and people seem to just love it. In my childhood’s fairytales, whoever possessed some sacred ancient crystal could immediately take over its power and make use of it according to his wish. Therefore, they were the synonym for welfare and luxury.

But nowadays, things have changed: crystals are so common that they do not make the same impression as they did before. Nevertheless, seeing such a crystal phone might leave you speechless.

It’s true, crystal phones have been the talk of the design world over the past years, but they usually feature a small crystal piece. That’s why the Quartz Tele Concept could be considered the extreme version of such a gadget, as the device uses large quartz crystals instead of the traditional button pad. Each quartz replaces a specific number on a dial pad and they are all bright and shiny colored. Under each crystal there is an embedded LED and pressing each crystal illuminates it like a Christmas tree. They all sit on a base with a sharp LED screen that displays information every user needs, such as incoming calls, dates and contacts.

The designer of the concept is Tao Ma, a name that should sound familiar, as he created the Bracelet phone also, another innovative device that shows us how phones will look like in the future. The Quartz Tele Concept isn’t available on the market, but it sure gives us a hint on how technology will develop in the next couple of years.

Excuse me, your bracelet is ringing!

<-125x125 Button - right->
I can’t stand it when I’m in the middle of an exciting conversation and my cell phone starts ringing loudly. Everyone stops from whatever they were saying or doing and stares at the person who interrupted the soul-lifting exchange of words. And the person is me and me only. I just hate that. Therefore, I switch my phone on its silent mode whenever I am to meet someone and I never make an exception about it. It’s no wonder I rarely hear my phone and almost all the time I must return the call in order to find out the reason someone needed me. It’s no wonder, on the other hand, I am always advised to wear my phone like a pendant hanging from my neck, so I at least feel its vibrations whenever it’s ringing and never miss another phone call again.

But why should I make such a fool of myself when I could simply wear my phone on my wrist and people wouldn’t even dare to imagine that my bracelet is in fact my phone? Don’t to laugh at me, because, you know, there are lots of people who hate to carry around their phones, even if they get smaller and slimmer. Therefore, if carrying a mobile phone in the pocket or bag seems inconvenient, then wearing it on your wrist might be just what the doctor ordered.

The cell phone bracelet concept was developed by the Chinese designer Tao Ma for the 2006 Lite On Corporation awards. Whenever this shiny bracelet phone receives any message it starts slightly vibrating and you can read the text by taking it off the wrist and pressing its precious looking-like-a-diamond keystroke. The same thing happens also when you want to pick up or make a telephone call. Based on simplicity, the concept might look like it’s compromising the display and the controls, which are placed on the inner side of the bracelet. There’s a small rigid section in the middle that houses the display, chips and battery, while the microphone is at one end (with the keypad buttons above) and the small speaker at the other end.

The bracelet includes an MP3 player and can be connected to headphones, which means you can replace your iPod or other MP3 player with your multifunctional bracelet phone.

You should be aware of the fact that most of the concept phones will never become an actual product and won’t be commercialized, but it’s interesting to see how mobile phones will look like in the not-so-very-far future.

Maple Phone

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Maybe you read about the Luxury Mpingo Phones from Gresso. They are made of African Blackwood, a very expensive material on the commercial timber market.
Now i want to present to you the Maple Phone from 2 designers that won Silver at the International Design Excellence Awards 2008 ( IDEA) competition for the Free Wind, best room air conditioner design.
Hyun Jin Yoon and Eun Hak Lee created a camera phone concept covered in thin wooden film, with touch sensitive buttons that light up through the housing when you touch the phone.

The cell phone measures 4.5 x 10.4 x 9.8 cm and is a slider with functions like calling, texting, MP3 player and digital camera. It provides basic cell phone functionalities in a cool and unique handset inspiring “special emotion” with its soft feel and a natural look.
The touch-sensitive sensors located in the back of the housing turn on the backlight, responding to your finger touch, bringing the wood to life. It would probably use the capacitive touch technology, which is a special panel coated with indium tin oxide or a similar material capable to conduct continuous electrical current across the sensor.
Maple ’s LCD display reveals itself from back as you slide the phone.

This wood phone concept would be manufactured at lower costs and it’d surely be available at an affordable price, much lower than the 3500 Euro Gresso phones.
Other wood phones use special plastics instead of wood, both for the keep it green idea and for an easier manufacturing process.

Project ShapeShift

<-234x60 Half Banner - left->BloodRabbit finished his latest cell phone design concept and posted it yesterday on Product Design Forums. It is about a Nokia cell phone bringing a new display concept capable of changing its shape.

The project ShapeShift is a cool idea that could be realized using a similar method with the way ice cubes are shaped in the bag from your fridge, meaning that in that closed space from this bag, the shape is clearly predetermined. Instead of using colors on a screen with pixels, Nokia ShapeShift would have a preset form and would be made of 2 plastic layers, one would be flexible and the second one would be a hard material, while between these layers would be a special liquid characterized by the same refraction and the plastic. When more liquid is puched between the 2 layers, the preset buttons shapes form on the surface.

BloodRabbit imagines this cell phone measuring 11 x 5,5 x 1,2 cm at 125 grams and with a 4-inch display.

Need

Need is a cool cell phone concept designed by Tamerkoseli, who wanted to stick to the basic idea of a phone’s main functionality: to make and receive calls.

He didn’t want to add all the multimedia features that high-end models come with and so he designed a 2 x 14 x 0.5 cm concept with one display for touch-sensitive input and a secondary OLED display for customization.

Unlike other complex cell phone concepts, this one seems to be possible to be realized as it adopts existent technologies and doesn’t want to compress futuristic capabilities.
It is just a band, very light, easy to carry and easy to talk on

Intouch

Designed by Christina Droira and her colleagues at the University of Cincinnati, for the Samsung's Global Sponsored Project, the Intouch cell phone concept was presented in Korea at the Samsung Corporate Headquarters.

The idea from which the team started was that most young professionals don’t use PDAs or Smartphones as these don’t meet all their requirements so the students had to come out with something new based on the sub-vocal speech technology developed at NASA. This technology is meant to improve the communication between astronauts in space, by using sensors that analyze communication from people’s throat.
At the neck level would be placed a piece designed to read speech nerve signals, while the ear part would be in charge of hearing convo.

They called this complex device the Intouch because it focuses on communication, consisting of 3 parts: the phone, the directional sound Bluetooth ear cuff and the neck piece with adjustable magnetic enclosure and subvocal speech neuron detector, giving the user the possibility to use normal phone communication too.

For the cell phone, the designers wanted a fast glance screen on top, a modes button, a large wrapping LCD display, a super molded keyboard, the ear cuff spring loaded space, thumbprint security

Provoke 2012 Phones

<-125x125 Button - left->
Engadget has published information about one of Nokia’s main design contractors, the Finish company Provoke Design, which has unveiled three new cell phone concepts, maybe the coolest models I’ve ever seen!
Representing the company’s view of the 2012 generation cell phones, Express, Fell and Share are different fully-functional prototypes with unique design and features, which can amaze anybody.

They will be presented at HARDCORE New Finish Design exhibition starting May 17 during New York Design Week 2008.
Express concept’s color, visual contrast between states and other characteristics can be changes electronically and the user can customize the cell phone look anytime.

Feel is a pair of two mobile phones dedicated to couples, featuring a special user interface and tactile touch simulation, while Share is rich in communication functionalities and inspired by skateboarders fashion. With Share, the users can geotag content and share media with other group members.

The Scroll

This is a new cell phone concept coming from 13 Tech Design, where the working team wants to demonstrate how it is possible to use a slider-style phone, full-featured with multimedia player, Wi-Fi connectivity, built-in camera/camcorder, computer functions, Bluetooth and router touch-sensitive inputs can use the e-paper display to deliver high-end functions.

The Scroll would use Windows XP or Vista as the operating system pre-installed and would allow the user to capture 10MP pictures or use the 1080p camcorder function.

People would be able to watch videos on a large screen or listen to their favorite songs with powerful sound provided by the built-in 6 Watt speaker.

LINC Green Phone Concept

One of the greener gadgets presented this year at the conference is LINC, a cell phone with touch-sensitive display equipped with media player, GPS tracking, web browsing, wireless, Bluetooth, 3G, but the difference between your mobile phone and this concept is that LINC is more like a service than a product.

Its users get it for a year until there are appearing new technologies and they receive a new improved model directly at home. LINC announces the user when new hardware updates are available.
It is made of aluminum, recyclable components, and glass, and is destined for automated disassembly as it contains only easy re-usable pieces.

The basic structure includes an aluminum frame, aluminum bezel, optical glass, battery, chip sets, a flexible circuit with OLED, touch screen, antennas, chip mounts and solar array, being recyclable, hazardous and reusable.

James Zhang’s Connext

James Zhang designer created a mobile phone that combines OLED touch-screen technology with E-paper flexibility, thus it is programmed to be a mobile phone, multimedia player, watch and computer. All this can happen only by pressing one of the six available Mode Keys that prevent the user from straying in the interaction interface. It is a flexible device, consisting in applications such as the badge and the necklace modes, taking fashion and technology one step further.

Concept Phones Yet To Come

2008-09-21T19:09:00.000+05:30

Tarati
If you pressed this phone onto a piece of bread, you'd get a waffle. But no, that's not the point. This Tarati phone must be dialed by inserting your finger into the appropriate keyhole. The displays are on the top and bottom, seamlessly integrated with the phone body. Of course, this will never be made into a real product.

Seesaw phone
The obsession with all things flat extends to ideas of phones as well. This rendering by Karsten Willmann in Germany thins out the bezel on a phone and adds a hump across the center of the back. We can think of two possible uses for this. First, the phone's too flat for a battery, and that's where the AAA goes. Or perhaps you can put it in a hamster cage and it becomes a seesaw for your pet rodents.

Roll phone
Designer Tao Ma's concept, the Roll phone, looks like a shotgun cartridge when in its closed state. Unfurl the outer surface, and you see the screen. The center portion is where you insert the battery--and guess what, it's an AAA cell! This reminds us of a roll of film, that ancient thing we used to insert into cameras to make photographs. There's no resemblance to anything we perceive as phone-like, which is what makes this concept so interesting.

The Future Right Here Right Now!!!!

2008-09-21T18:12:00.001+05:30

Ever wondered how the phone of the future will look like? We surely did. Phone producers show us every year some really superb concept phones and even if 99% of those phones never see the production line they give us a small glimpse of what the phones will look like in a not so distant future. We’ve made a list of what we think are the coolest concept phones presented in the last year. This is not a top, so the order is random. Oh, and one more thing, remember, these are concept phones, which means they are not in production and are not for sale, so please don’t ask us where can you can get and what’s the price. So, here it goes:

1. Nokia 888 Communicator

Nokia definitely has the most interesting concept phones. Nokia 888 Communicator is a striking futuristic concept phone. The phone, which uses liquid batteries, speech recognition, flexible touchscreen and touch-sensitive body cover,is designed by Tamer Nakisci and won the Nokia Design Award. We also have a video presentation made by Nokia.

Click to view larger images

2. Nokia Aeon

Nokia Aeon was presented by Nokia on their website in the Research & Development section. What is so great about this phone is that it looks like it will actually go into production next February. Of course, its just a rumor, but still, makes us hope to actually see it someday in the GSM shop. All we know about it for now is that its a touchscreen phone and it looks fantastic.