Tata Nano: Revolution for car makers & designers

Tata Motors Ltd makes public the world's cheapest car on Thursday (10th Jan 2008), bringing car ownership closer to many middle class millions of consumers in emerging markets.

"Let me assure you and our critics the car we have designed will meet all safety norms and all foreign environmental criteria," Chairman Ratan Tata said as he proudly announces the Nano as "People's Car" at the 9th Auto Expo in New Delhi.


It's an amazing feat no doubt to come out with such a thought for a four wheeler to cost around $2500 (INR 100000) addition money have to put on. Let me give you the complete picture:

Ex factory price - 100000.00
Excise duty - 16% on 100000.00 = 116000.00
Vat - 12.5% = 145000.00
Dealer margin - Rs.3500.00 = Rs.148000.00
Road tax & insurance = Rs.10000.00
Approx. it will cost Rs.1580000.00
All of you will be paying Rs.160000.00

It must have taken a lot of efforts to design such a marvel automobile. Good Job done by Tata Motors. However it is tough time ahead for the government and us "The people of India" to keep up to the changes made by these groups as we are going to face lot of parking problems even traffic problems are going to rise like anything.



Why do we expect Tata to think of the infrastructure and parking space while creating what they're supposed to? Why doesn't a Politician notice the traffic Jam at major cities of India or the condition of the roads in the cities/towns of the country and think of a change? The car (if true) would be an eco-car, which means using it would be better than the existing various class cars. I don't see any reason why Tatas or any other should stop innovating ideas. Of course they're there to make money from consumers. It's the consumers' choices to buy/use the car. It has to be the governments' responsibility to work on improving the facilities of the changing India. Of course there would be tough times ahead for all of us.


Tatas' Rs 1-lakh small car will be 4-seater vehicle and will get 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) per liter and in performance terms will match most of the small car around. Booking will only start on the month of June. People of India are thrilled and many of them are able to resist getting their hand on it. We could see millions of them rushed to Auto Expo to have glimpse of the "Nano." Maharashtra and Delhi made it clear that the owner of Nano should have parking space and it is going to create lot of traffic problems.


The People's Car's has a rear-wheel drive, all-aluminium, two-cylinder, 623 cc, 33 PS, multi point fuel injection petrol engine and lower pollution level than two-wheelers being produced in India, today. The high fuel efficiency also ensures that the car has low carbon dioxide emissions, thereby providing the twin benefits of an inexpensive transportation solution with a low carbon footprint. In short, we can say that "Nano" is environment-friendly car.

Written by
Dhanraj Chakraborty

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Diamonds are for Eve

In this beautiful world, diamond plays an important role for all the women's of this beautiful world. This precious stone is such a material, which excite all genres of women and of different class (Rich, Middle class or Upper middle class). Diamond is such a stone, that come handy in all occasion, and females need some excuse to grab the opportunity to wear them. In leading fashion week ˜collection" many renowned jewelry designers gather to showcase their talent to the masses. Jewelry of different design and style is exhibited and models fire the ramp with their style and luring "jewelry" with diamonds glitter the surroundings with its spark.In all of the known jewelry fashion show, we can find jewelry designer get maximum customer for their respected products as soon as the model walks on ramp. But we can see that the new designer have to struggle a bit, if the new designer had some good contacts and very close and good friends from celebrity circle, than his/her work get noticed. Africa is the continent, where we can find abundant raw "diamond" deposit. Many labour get into the mine, and after doing many hard work, they get this raw material, till all mines are filled with raw material, the miners are very much dependent on this, as their family is on their shoulder to maintain.


This raw material is taken to factory for polishing purpose and given an appropriate and attractive shape, according to its shine and appearance. We can say South Africa is one of the leading producers of diamond. African countries, like Botswana, Namibia are good in polishing diamonds.In India, Surat is one of the main cities, which is famous for diamond and it is also known as diamond city of India. The Diamond city of India is daily exporting and importing diamonds in billions of dollar. The business is flourishing in very big way. Many businessmen come here to do business, and they do good business.


Recently, we have found out many European countries are also taking great interest in Surat, This particular city is ranked, ahead of many past/present big diamond players. From old times, diamond is considered one of the passionate item, those who could posses it, were rich and famous by good or bad publicity, and there is some Myth behind diamond possessing and some diamonds to be considered cursed or blessed, and many old story revolts around the world, stating some of the bad and good experience by possessing the gems/diamonds. We always attach some kind of myth or story with all type of precious stone and possessions, which belongs to us.Not only women, but even men go mad behind these wonderful precious stone. In this generation men like to wear diamond rings, piercing their tongue, and wear it with gold, sliver and platinum chain. We can find that, wearing chain is becoming instant famous among the guys of this generation, not only in West but East is also following the suit.Diamond trade is on all time peaks, and its appearance in all over the corner of the world is creating brilliant results of export and import sector. Export/Import of diamond is on high, mostly all the countries are doing good business in diamond trading business (Export/Import). Many of the leading exporter and importer of diamond have signed MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) for trade purpose.



We can find variety of precious stone of various sizes, weight and purity in world. In this world, many of them must have heard of KOHINOOR diamond, which is consider one of the most precious diamond in this world, KOHINOOR was in North India, before Britishers took it to England for their King & Queen, the diamond was cut into two pieces and was placed on the crown of them. Now we can find it in museum, but when Queen & King use to possess it on her crown, they use to feel pride and feel the pride of being powerful.The Diamond rings are in great demand from time to time, generations to generations. Rings are very much in use in the time of engagement or during the marriage time. In every culture or any part, during the time of marriage, birth, or even death: the diamonds and jewelry take an important place.India is mainly famous for polishing & marketing of diamonds.



The mining countries (Botswana, Congo, South Africa etc) source the raw material to India for further process. But now, the situation is going to change in very different way. The mining countries are planning to polish and market the raw material, which could be very bad for the countries like India. India may loose many jobs (who polish the raw stone). In the western part of India, many people are engage in lakhs in the business of polishing diamonds.

Courtesy: Dhanraj Chakraborty

Google Entering Mobile Phone Market?

As sales for the iPhone rocket, Google looks to enter into the competitive mobile phone market. Insiders revealed that Google will release their own phone sometime early next year.



However the company might not only be competing with Apple’s iPhone. According to the New York Times, the company looks to compete with Windows mobile by creating their own software to allow other manufacturers to use. For more on the story and information regarding the gPhone, keep watching WebProNews.

Rains hit normal life in Kolkata

Normal life in the city continued to be disrupted for the second consecutive day on Monday due to heavy rains.

Durga Puja is approaching and if this rain continues than it will be really bad news for the devotees.

Almost all the low lying areas in the city's southern and northern areas were waterlogged causing serious disruption in vehicular movement. While tram services were withdrawn from many areas, buses waded through deep waters causing inconvenience to commuters. Eastern Railway was running skeleton suburban train services as the tracks were flooded.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation said they were running all the pumping stations to drain out water but heavy rain was causing disruption. Weathermen forecasted more rain due to a depression over Orissa.

Heavy rains had caused collapse of mud houses and dwellings in several villages in Howrah and North and South 24 Parganas district in which five persons were killed on Monday.

NY Fashion Week shows off feminine dresses

A woman's best dress up for spring fashion success? Spring 2008 styles shown at Wednesday's opening of New York Fashion Week were more loose and feminine than the ladylike, polished fall fashions now in stores.

Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. collection offered both mod frocks and sexy sheaths. BCBG Max Azria showed sheer, flowy dresses, while Abaete turned to '40s-inspired sheaths and halters for the collections shown at Bryant Park.

New York Fashion Week lasts eight days, previewing the spring-summer looks of 60 designers for fashion editors, retail buyers and stylists. Highlights this season will include Ralph Lauren celebrating his 40 years in fashion with a black-tie dinner Saturday night.

Dresses have been a strong trend the past three fashion cycles, but what started with short, boxy shifts in the spring morphed into shirtdresses for fall. It seems next season's shape — at least in early shows — is a loose sheath, one that glides over an hourglass shape without sticking to it.

For men, Nautica showed shorter hemlines while Perry Ellis experimented with different textures, such as bamboo fiber.

Diana on her 10th death anniversary remembered by whole world

Millions across the world are paying tribute to Princess Diana 10 years after her death in Paris crash. Britain is marking the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana's death with a royal memorial service and a string of other tributes to the "people's princess". With wrangling over legacy and conspiracy theories over her death still rife, Diana's sons Prince William and Prince Harry, her ex-husband Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II, will mark the tragedy with a solemn service in London.

Her sons, aged 15 and 12 when their mother died aged 36 after a high-speed car crash in a central Paris road tunnel, now are officers in the British army. They were to give personally-selected readings during the service at their regimental chapel. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, head of the Anglican church, has written two prayers for the occasion. Among the 500 guests will be Prime Minister Gordon Brown, his predecessor Tony Blair, who famously described Diana as the "people's princess," and pop singer Elton John, who sang an adapted version of "Candle In The Wind" at Diana's funeral a decade ago.

But Charles's second wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall -- who Diana dubbed "the rottweiler" and blamed for her divorce from the heir to the throne in 1996 -- will not be attending. Although royal officials initially insisted she would be there, Camilla announced Sunday that she did not want to "divert attention from the purpose of the occasion," reportedly on advice from the queen. Camilla will be out of London on Friday and is set to jet off on a Mediterranean holiday without her husband soon afterwards, London's Evening Standard newspaper reported. Royal officials never officially comment on travel arrangements. Mohamed Al Fayed, the father of Diana's lover Dodi Fayed, who also died in the August 31, 1997 accident, was not invited to the service. Al Fayed claims that Diana and his son were killed by the British establishment and senior royals in a conspiracy designed to stop the princess marrying a Muslim.

Last year, the former head of London's Metropolitan Police, Lord John Stevens, ruled out any plot and said the crash, which also killed chauffeur Henri Paul, was a "tragic accident". French investigators concluded that Paul, an employee of the Fayed-owned Ritz Hotel, was well over the legal alcohol limit when he drove Diana and Dodi to the latter's Paris apartment with paparazzi in hot pursuit. Al Fayed, who also owns London department store Harrods, is holding a two-minute silence in the emporium an hour before the memorial service Friday. Staff and customers are invited to join.

Diana's death generated an unprecedented outpouring of public grief in Britain. One million people poured onto the streets of London for the funeral and some say the episode changed the country. The tragedy also forced the royal family to present itself as a more open and inclusive institution. But a decade on, she still divides opinion between Britons who miss her empathy and glamour, and those who are uncomfortable with the sentimentality her death unloosed.

Australian feminist Germaine Greer described Diana as "a moron" this month, but prime minister Brown hailed her as "an extraordinary woman" who "still has the remarkable ability to move and inspire." A steady stream of Diana fans have been tying flowers and cards to the gates of Kensington Palace, her former London residence, where hundreds of thousands of bouquets were left in the days after her death. "She was a jewel in the crown," said Stephen Jones, who was there laying flowers with his wife and two children.

"She really shone, she was the sparkle which is now missing." "Field Of Flowers," a new series of sculptures there, echoes this through 10 golden dandelions 3.5 metres (11 feet) high, topped with 630 flower heads, each of which has been gold-leafed by a visitor. The palace is also hosting an exhibition in her memory, as is London's National Portrait Gallery. Diana's childhood home, Althorp, in central England, where she is buried, is breaking with tradition by opening to the public on the anniversary.

The BBC is re-screening her funeral in full on a digital channel, while two national newspapers, The Times and the Daily Mail, issued special Diana supplements Thursday. Another stream of Diana pilgrims is expected to go to the Pont d'Alma tunnel where Diana and Dodi died.

The Taj Mahal or Tejo Mahalaya and the Controversy Surrounding Its Origins

The Taj Mahal, located near the Indian city of Agra, is one of the world's greatest architectural treasures. The almost supernatural beauty of the Taj Mahal and its grounds transcends culture and history, and speaks with a voice of its own to visitors from all over the world of feelings that are common to all humanity.

There are two stories of how the Taj came to be.

The Taj's Love Story
It has been called the most beautiful temple in the world, despite the fact that it was built at the cost of much human life. The Taj Mahal is a real monument of one man's love for a woman. The story is a sad one, told many times. But it never hurts to tell it again. In 1631, when his wife died in childbirth, the emperor Shah Jahan brought to Agra the most skilled craftsmen from all Asia and even Europe, to build the white marble mausoleum that is the Taj Mahal. He intended to build a black marble mausoleum for himself, and the link between the two was to be a silver bridge. This fantastic plan suffered a dramatic and permanent setback when the Shah himself died.

Its stunning architectural beauty is beyond description, particularly at dawn and at sunset when it seems to glow in the light. On a foggy morning, it looks as though the Taj is suspended in mid-air when viewed from across the Jamuna river. This is, of course, an illusion. The Taj stands on a raised square platform with its four corners truncated, forming an unequal octagon. The architectural design uses the interlocking arabesque concept, in which each element stands on its own and perfectly integrates with the main structure. It uses the principles of self-replicating geometry and a symmetry of architectural elements.

If you don't want the huge crowds to distract you from your view, try arriving just as it opens or is about to close. A few minutes alone in the perpetually echoing inner sanctum will reward you far more than several hours spent on a guided tour. Especially if your tour guide is Murbat Singh, who makes it his job to find a new comic slant on the Taj story every time he tells it. To really do the Taj Mahal justice, you should plan to spend at least a full day in the grounds, to see this stunning piece of architecture at dawn, midday, and at dusk. The colours and atmosphere of the gardens and the Taj itself constantly change throughout the day. Under moonlight the marble glows.

The Taj's Other Story
If you have ever visited the Taj Mahal then your guide probably told you that it was designed by Ustad Isa of Iran, and built by the Moghul Emperor, Shah Jahan, in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Indian children are taught that it was built in 22 years (1631 to 1653) by 20,000 artisans brought to India from all over the world. This story has been challenged by Professor P.N. Oak, author of Taj Mahal: The True Story, who believes that the whole world has been duped. He claims that the Taj Mahal is not Queen Mumtaz Mahal's tomb, but an ancient Hindu temple palace of Lord Shiva (then known as Tejo Mahalaya), worshipped by the Rajputs of Agra city.

In the course of his research, Oak discovered that the Shiva temple palace had been usurped by Shah Jahan from then Maharaja of Jaipur, Jai Singh. Shah Jahan then remodelled the palace into his wife's memorial. In his own court chronicle, Badshahnama, Shah Jahan admits that an exceptionally beautiful grand mansion in Agra was taken from Jai Singh for Mumtaz's burial. The ex-Maharaja of Jaipur is said to retain in his secret collection two orders from Shah Jahan for the surrender of the Taj building. The use of captured temples and mansions as a burial place for dead courtiers and royalty was a common practice among Muslim rulers. For example, Hamayun, Akbar, Etmud-ud-Daula and Safdarjung are all buried in such mansions. Oak's inquiries begin with the name Taj Mahal. He says this term does not occur in any Moghul court papers or chronicles, even after Shah Jahan's time. The term 'Mahal' has never been used for a building in any of the Muslim countries, from Afghanistan to Algeria.

'The usual explanation that the term Taj Mahal derives from Mumtaz Mahal is illogical in at least two respects. Firstly, her name was never Mumtaz Mahal but Mumtaz-ul-Zamani,' he writes. 'Secondly, one cannot omit the first three letters from a woman's name to derive the remainder as the name for the building.' Taj Mahal is, he claims, a corrupt version of Tejo-mahalaya, or the Shiva's Palace. Oak also says that the love story of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan is a fairy tale created by court sycophants, blundering historians and sloppy archaeologists. Not a single royal chronicle of Shah Jahan's time corroborates the love story. Furthermore, Oak cites several documents suggesting that the Taj Mahal predates Shah Jahan's era: Professor Marvin Miller of New York took samples from the riverside doorway of the Taj. Carbon dating tests revealed that the door was 300 years older than Shah Jahan. European traveller Johan Albert Mandelslo, who visited Agra in 1638 (only seven years after Mumtaz's death), describes the life of the city in his memoirs, but makes no reference to the Taj Mahal being built. The writings of Peter Mundy, an English visitor to Agra within a year of Mumtaz's death, also suggest that the Taj was a noteworthy building long well before Shah Jahan's time. Oak also points out a number of design and architectural inconsistencies that support the belief that the Taj Mahal is a typical Hindu temple rather than a mausoleum.

Many rooms in the Taj Mahal have remained sealed since Shah Jahan's time, and are still inaccessible to the public. Oak asserts they contain a headless statue of Shiva and other objects commonly used for worship rituals in Hindu temples. Fearing political backlash, Indira Gandhi's government tried to have Oak's book withdrawn from the bookstores, and threatened the Indian publisher of the first edition with dire consequences. The only way to really validate or discredit Oak's research is to open the sealed rooms of the Taj Mahal, and allow international experts to investigate.

Raj Patel debuts in Archies comics

The motley crew of Riverdale has a brand new member. Raj, an Indian American character, made his debut this month in ‘Out-Raj-ous Behaviour’ featured in the latest issue of the Archie digest. Together with an increased focus on the African-American Chuck Clayton character and Veronica’s friend Ginger Lopez, it seems that Archie Comics is making a concerted effort to make their books more diverse. My editor, Victor (Gorelick), asked me if I had any ideas for a character of Indian ancestry. I did some research into the culture and I also sat down to come up with a personality that was distinct from the other Archie characters and could bring something new to the Archie pantheon, creator Fernando Ruiz said in an interview to comicon.com.

According to Ruiz, Raj has just moved into Riverdale High and likes sci-fi movies, building models and making films. And, he’s just as impulsive as Archie. Coming up with Raj’s look was one of the biggest challenges of creating the whole character. I wanted a character that reflected his background without looking like a caricature and still fit in seamlessly with the other characters. In terms of personality, I wanted to give him an interest that was unique and could be strongly associated with the character. Many of Archie’s friends have a signature interest. Chuck loves art and comics. Jughead loves food.

Betty loves... well, Archie! Raj loves films. His main interest is making his own movies and so he’s often going around with a camcorder recording his friends’ crazy antics, adds Ruiz. Ruiz has given Raj a perky appearance. He’s a bit smaller than most of Riverdale’s males. His lively, optimistic personality is portrayed as much through his wardrobe, bedroom and expressive face, as it is through his words. So, how will Archie and gang relate to Raj? Archie and his friends are a very friendly and cordial bunch. They welcome and take to Raj right away. Archie is the first of the Riverdale gang to meet Raj, who has just moved to Riverdale.

They both become fast friends, but Raj’s interest in film, art and sci-fi makes it natural for him to be friends with Chuck and Jughead, says Ruiz. As for the rest of the family, there aren’t much background details but they do look good. Raj’s father Ravi Patel is a doctor and his character is along the lines of Mr Lodge, only younger and Indian. Mona Patel, Raj’s mother, is a lovely, elegant looking lady, who apparently has the ability to change clothes between panels. Younger sister Tina is an Indian Veronica; and judging by her body language in the few panels she appears in, she shares more than looks with the inimitable Veronica.

Computer printers as harmful as cigarettes

Beware, computer users! Your office printer could be posing as much danger to your lungs as a drag on a cigarette, according to Australian scientists. After an investigation, researchers from Queensland University of Technology have revealed that some laser printers emit potentially dangerous levels of tiny toner-like materials in the air which could harm one's lungs. "These ultra-fine particles are capable of infiltrating the lungs and causing lasting damage on the scale of inhaled cigarette smoke," the Sydney Morning Herald reported, quoting researcher Prof Lidia Morawska as saying.

According to her, "These (printer) particles are tiny like cigarette smoke particles and, when deep inside the lung, they do the same amount of damage. "The health effects from inhaling ultra-fine particles depend on particle composition, but the results can range from respiratory irritation to severe illness such as cardiovascular problems or cancer." The conclusion came after the university's International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health examined 62 printers and found that 17 were "high-particle emitters".

The study, published in the American Chemical Society's Environment Science and Technology journal, found indoor particle levels in the office air increased five-fold during work hours due to printer use. "Printers emitted more particles when the toner cartridge was new, and when printing graphics and images as they require greater quantities of toner," Prof Morawska was quoted by the daily. However, she said that the emission levels varied a lot between different machine makes, models printer age, cartridge model and cartridge age.

Railway in India need some changes

As i am one of the regular traveller of train and whatever disadvantage the train has that to be rectified as soon as it is possible.In train every boggie should have a big dustbin and in every row of the boggie there should be medium size dustbin.

The dustbin should be clean and place new cover in every 2 hrs of travel. people should be advise to use it and not to throw the waste anywhere in the train or station. try to keep the train, station and our nation neat and clean.

Courtesy: Dhanraj Chakraborty

Indian Sanskrit scholar built and flew aircraft before Wright brothers

Talpade – The Indian Sanskrit scholar who built and flew a mercury engine aircraft in 1895, 8 years before the Wright brothers!

Shivkur Bapuji Talpade, flew an unmanned aircraft, eight years before the Wright brothers demonstrated on December 17th 1903 that it was possible for a ‘manned heavier than air machine to fly’. But, in 1895, eight years earlier, the Sanskrit scholar Shivkar Bapuji Talpade had designed a basic aircraft called Marutsakthi (meaning Power of Air) based on Vedic technology documented in ancient Sanskrit manuscripts. His demonstration flight took place before a large audience in the Chowpathy beach of Bombay. The importance of the Wright brothers lies in the fact, that it was a manned flight for a distance of 120 feet and Orville Wright became the first man to fly. But Talpade’s unmanned aircraft flew to a height of 1500 feet before crashing down and the historian Evan Koshtka, has described Talpade as the ‘first creator of an aircraft’.

This historic day in 1895 (unfortunately the actual date is not mentioned in the Kesari newspaper of Pune which covered the event) was witnessed by the famous Indian judge/ nationalist/ Mahadeva Govin-da Ranade and H H Sayaji Rao Gaekwad.
It is important to note that Talpade was no scientist, just a sanskrit scholar who had built his aircraft entirely from the rich treasury of India’s Vedas.

Shivkar Bapuji Talpade was born in 1864 in the locality of Chirabazar at Dukkarwadi in Bombay. He was a scholar of Sanskrit and from his young age was attracted by the Vaimanika Sastra (Aeronautical Science) expounded by the great Indian sage Maharishi Bhardwaja.

Surprisingly according to the bi-monthly Ancient Skies published in USA, the aircraft engines being developed for future use by NASA also uses mercury bombardment units powered by Solar cells! Interestingly, the impulse is generated in seven stages.

The mercury propellant is first vapourised fed into the thruster discharge chamber ionised converted into plasma by a combination with electrons broke down electrically and then accelerated through small openings in a screen to pass out of the engine at velocities between 1200 to 3000 kilometres per minute! But so far NASA has been able to produce an experimental basis only a one pound of thrust by its scientists a power derivation virtually useless. But over 100 years ago Talpade was able to use his knowledge of Vaimanika Shastra to produce sufficient thrust to lift his aircraft 1500 feet into the air! Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad of Baroda was a great supporter of the Sciences in India, and was willing to help Talpade with
funds to build his aircraft and the mercury engines.

But the success of an Indian scientist was not liked by the Imperial rulers. Warned by the British Government the Maharaja of Baroda stopped helping Talpade. Talpade passed away in 1916 unhonoured, in his own country. It is said that the remains of the Marutsakthi (the aircraft
Tapade built) were ‘sold’ to a British company by Talpade’s relatives.

WEB 2.0 is the new Web a bigger bang?

Have you ever thought about the difference between using the Internet in the late 1990s and in 2007?

The most important and revolutionary change that has come about on the net is the gradual rise of a new collaborative Web.

This new Web environment has so become a part of our daily lives that the Time magazine named its Person of the Year for 2006 as 'You'. The decision was based keeping in mind the role played by this phenomenon in changing the way people use the Internet.

According to the magazine: "The story of 2006 was a story about community and collaboration on a scale never seen before. It's about cosmic compendium of knowledge Wikipedia and the people's network YouTube and the online metrolpolis MySpace. It's about the many wresting power from the few and helping one another for nothing and how that will not only change the world, but also change the way the world changes."

A number of definitions are being put forward to explain this growing phenomenon. The most widely used explanation of the concept was given by O'Reilly Media in 2004, who termed it as Web 2.0.

According to it, Web 2.0 refers to second-generation of web-based services - social networking sites, wikis, blogs, User Generated Content (UGC) - that accentuate online collaboration and sharing among users. It is an arena where the web is a dominant platform compared to the desktop.

Collaborative platform
What actually has changed in last few years? In the past, the Internet was primarily a platform for one-way interaction where people used to get information or services by going online.

But now Internet users are engaged in a two-way collaborative platform with an amazing array of web services like tagging, blogging, vodcasting, podcasting, and social networking among others.

In the words of Tim O'Reilly, Web 2.0 is based on social software where the users not just consume the content but generate it.

Technically, Web 2.0 has ensured the replacement of the personal computer as a platform by the net.

Now a host of services like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and many others are available on the internet and users don't need to install costly softwares on their PCs. They can directly use these tools on the net and save their work there itself.

Growing trend
Now, what exactly is a Web 2.0 website and how does it affect the lives of millions logging onto the net. So, for all those who have little or no clue about this new concept, here's a list of some of the sites and services.

BlogsSocial NetworkingPhoto/Video sharingContent Aggregators/Bookmarking
There are hundreds of Web 2.0 websites that are catering to the increasing appetite of the online community. According to a business report, more than 1000 Web 2.0 companies were started in Silicon Valley last year.

The rise of this new Web can be attributed to the need for a more collaborative platform. The web pages on the original web were too static and there was no way a user could have contributed or customized them the way he wanted.

User primacy
But Web 2.0 is a different ballgame. Now Internet users can contribute and create all types of content - from text to pictures to videos to personal information to open source software.

There are also a variety of innovative and rich Web 2.0 applications that are being used by youngsters, students and almost all who seek knowledge. The most prominent among them being Nuvvo, Schoolr, Learn Without Limits, and Qunu.

Another reason for the immense popularity of the Web 2.0 concept is the continuous rise in the number of Internet users.

On the other hand, doubts have also been raised about the reach and low user involvement of Web 2.0 sites.

According to a study by US Internet firm Hitwise, only 0.16 per cent of visits on YouTube by users are to seek to upload video for others to watch. Also, only two-tenths of one per cent of visits to Flickr are to upload new photos.

But despite low user involvement it can be said that the new collaborative Web has certainly changed the lives of Internet users.

Web 2.0, seen by many as a confluence of technology, people, and their attitudes, has changed the way we think and use the Internet.

CREDIT: NDTV.com

Interesting facts about India

The facts about India are divided as under:

History
India is the world's largest, oldest, continuous civilization. Although modern images of India often show poverty and lack of development, India was the richest country on earth until the time of British invasion in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth. India never invaded any country in her last 10000 years of history. India is the world's largest democracy. The four religions born in India, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India.

Varanasi, also known as Benares, was called "the ancient city" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C.E, and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today. The art of Navigation was born in the river Sindh 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.
Medicine Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery. Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India.

Over 125 surgical equipment were used. Deep knowledge of anatomy, physiology, etiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found in many texts.
Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place in our civilization.

Math
The value of "pi" was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century long before the European mathematician. India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta. Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.

Academic
The World's first university was established in Takshashila in 700 BCE. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BCE was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.

Grammar constitutes one of India's greatest contributions to Western philology. Panini, the Sanskrit grammarian, who lived between 750 and 500 BCE, was the first to compose formal grammar through his Astadhyai.

Hindus were/are the best.

Water vapour detected on alien world

Water vapour has been found in the atmosphere of a Jupiter-like planet outside our solar system.

Planetary scientists had predicted that "hot Jupiters" - massive gas giants orbiting perilously close to their host stars - would have water vapour in their atmospheres. In April, astronomers claimed they had found some using the Hubble Space Telescope, but many dismissed the evidence as flawed.

Now Giovanna Tinetti of University College London and her colleagues have used the Spitzer Space Telescope to probe HD 189733b, a hot Jupiter orbiting a star just 63 light years from Earth. They studied starlight in three infrared bands centred around wavelengths of 3.6, 5.8 and 8 micrometres, and found that when the planet crossed the face of the star, the light dimmed in a manner consistent with the absorption of light by water vapour.

The team had predicted just such a dimming. "This is the first strong evidence of it," says team member Jean-Philippe Beaulieu of the Astrophysics Institute in Paris.

CREDIT: New Scientist magazine

UFO in India

UFO in India

UFO Sighting In India Two unidentified flying objects were spotted hovering/manouvering over Karnal (Haryana) and Delhi. DC of Punjab refused to comment and had a verbal fight with a tv reporter.. Conspiracy? On Sunday 8th July, Karnal town and Delhi North India there have been numerous reportings of UFO sightings.

On March 2007 ATC also reported some sort of Unidentified object surfacing on their radar and before they could send their plane it just disappear.

Coming back to Sunday event, People called up TV Stations reporting to have seen two light globes hovering in the skies,rotating and flying at different altitudes at great speeds for three hours this phonomenon was spoted. There have been hundreds of witnesses calling up the News channels.

Zee News, IBN7 and many more covered it...Aaj Tak made it sure that this is hoax.

Life Away in Solar System Could Be Different From Earth

The search for life elsewhere in the solar system and beyond should include efforts to detect what scientists sometimes refer to as "weird" life -- that is, life with an alternative biochemistry to that of life on Earth -- says a new report from the National Research Council. The committee that wrote the report found that the fundamental requirements for life as we generally know it -- a liquid water biosolvent, carbon-based metabolism, molecular system capable of evolution, and the ability to exchange energy with the environment -- are not the only ways to support phenomena recognized as life. "Our investigation made clear that life is possible in forms different than those on Earth," said committees chair John Baross, professor of oceanography at the University of Washington, Seattle.

The report emphasizes that "no discovery that we can make in our exploration of the solar system would have greater impact on our view of our position in the cosmos, or be more inspiring, than the discovery of an alien life form, even a primitive one. At the same time, it is clear that nothing would be more tragic in the American exploration of space than to encounter alien life without recognizing it."

The tacit assumption that alien life would utilize the same biochemical architecture as life on Earth does means that scientists have artificially limited the scope of their thinking as to where extraterrestrial life might be found, the report says. The assumption that life requires water, for example, has limited thinking about likely habitats on Mars to those places where liquid water is thought to be present or have once flowed, such as the deep subsurface. However, according to the committee, liquids such as ammonia or formamide could also work as biosolvents -- liquids that dissolve substances within an organism -- albeit through a different biochemistry. The recent evidence that liquid water-ammonia mixtures may exist in the interior of Saturn's moon Titan suggests that increased priority be given to a follow-on mission to probe Titan, a locale the committee considers the solar system's most likely home for weird life.

Besides the possibility of alternative biosolvents, studies show that variations on some of the other basic tenets for life also might be able to support weird life. DNA on Earth works through the pairing of four chemical compounds called nucleotides, but experiments in synthetic biology have created structures with six or more nucleotides that can also encode genetic information and, potentially, support Darwinian evolution. Additionally, studies in chemistry show that an organism could utilize energy from alternative sources, such as through a reaction of sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid, meaning that such an organism could have an entirely non-carbon-based metabolism.

Researchers need to further explore variations of the requirements for life with particular emphasis on origin-of-life studies, which will help determine if life can exist without water or in environments where water is only present under extreme conditions, the report says. Most planets and moons in this solar system fall into one of these categories. Research should also focus on how organisms break down key elements, as even non-carbon-based life would need elements for energy, structure, and chemical reactions.

The report also stresses that the future search for alien life should not exclude additional research into terrestrial life.

Space missions will need adjustment to increase the breadth of their search for life. Planned Mars missions, for example, should include instruments that detect components of light elements -- especially carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, and sulfur -- as well as simple organic functional groups and organic carbon. Recent evidence indicates that another moon of Saturn, Enceladus, has active water geysers, raising the prospect that habitable environments may exist there and greatly increasing the priority of additional studies of this body.


Credit: NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

NASA's Mars rover Opportunity is scheduled to begin a descent

NASA's Mars rover Opportunity is scheduled to begin a descent down a rock-paved slope into the Red Planet's massive Victoria Crater. This carries real risk for the long-lived robotic explorer, but NASA and the Mars Rover science team expect it to provide valuable science.

Opportunity already has been exploring layered rocks in cliffs around Victoria Crater. The team has planned the descent carefully to enable an eventual exit, but Opportunity could become trapped inside the crater or lose some capabilities. The rover has operated more than 12 times longer than its originally intended 90 days.

The scientific allure is the chance to examine and investigate the compositions and textures of exposed materials in the crater's depths for clues about ancient, wet environments. As the rover travels farther down the slope, it will be able to examine increasingly older rocks in the exposed walls of the crater.

"While we take seriously the uncertainty about whether Opportunity will climb back out, the potential value of investigations that appear possible inside the crater convinced me to authorize the team to move forward into Victoria Crater," said Alan Stern, NASA associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington. "It is a calculated risk worth taking, particularly because this mission has far exceeded its original goals."

The robotic geologist will enter Victoria Crater through an alcove named Duck Bay. The eroding crater has a scalloped rim of cliff-like promontories, or capes, alternating with more gently sloped alcoves, or bays.

A meteor impact millions of years ago excavated Victoria, which lies approximately 4 miles south of where Opportunity landed in January 2004. The impact-created bowl is half a mile across and about five times as wide as Endurance Crater, where Opportunity spent more than six months exploring in 2004.

The rover began the journey to Victoria from Endurance 30 months ago. It reached the rim at Duck Bay nine months ago. Opportunity then drove approximately a quarter of the way clockwise around the rim, examining rock layers visible in the promontories and possible entry routes in the alcoves. Now, the rover has returned to the most favorable entry point.

"Duck Bay looks like the best candidate for entry," said John Callas, rover project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "It has slopes of 15 to 20 degrees and exposed bedrock for safe driving."

If all of its six wheels continue working, engineers expect Opportunity to be able to climb back out of the crater. However, Opportunity's twin rover Spirit lost the use of one wheel more than a year ago, diminishing its climbing ability.

"These rovers are well past their design lifetimes, and another wheel could fail on either rover at any time," Callas said. "If Opportunity were to lose the use of a wheel inside Victoria Crater, it would make it very difficult, perhaps impossible, to climb back out."

"We don't want this to be a one-way trip," said Steve Squyres, principal investigator for the rovers' science instruments, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. "We still have some excellent science targets out on the plains that we would like to visit after Victoria. But if Opportunity becomes trapped there, it will be worth the knowledge gained."

CREDIT: Science at NASA

Zorse has a Zebra dad and mom Horse

Zorses, or zebroids, are normally stripy all over and have a zebra dad and a horse for a mum, but a zorse at a zoo in Germany is changing all that.hahahahahaha.

Human can create wonder and this is one of the wonder.

Eclyse the zorse is a bit different because her mum's a German zebra and her dad's an Italian horse, giving her a patchy coat that's stripy and plain. Hmmmmmmmm isn't it interesting.

Vets are worried that other zebras won't accept her so they're looking for a boy pony to share her field. That so cool..

Archaeology of Ayodhya

In the year 2003: The ASI reportThe Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) excavated the mosque site at the direction of the Allahabad Bench of the Uttar Pradesh High Court in 2003.

The archaeologists reported evidence of a large 10th century structure similar to a Hindu temple having pre-existed the Babri Masjid. A team of 131 labourers including 29 Muslims - who were later on included on the objections of the Muslim side[citation needed] - was engaged in the excavations. In June 11, 2003 the ASI issued an interim report that only listed the findings of the period between May 22 and June 6, 2003. In August 2003 the ASI handed a 574-page report to the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court.

Some results of the 2003 ASI report:
Period 1000BC to 300BC:The findings suggest that a Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) culture existed at the mosque site between 1000 BC and 300 BC. A round signet with a legend in Asokan Brahmi , terracotta figurines of female deities with archaic features, beads of terracotta and glass, wheels and fragments of votive tanks have been found.

Sunga Period. 200 BC:Typical terracotta mother goddess, human and animal figurines, beads, hairpin, pottery (includes black slipped, red and grey wares), and stone and brick structures of the Sunga period have been found.

Kushan period. 100-300 AD:Terracotta human and animal figurines, fragments of votive tanks, beads, bangle fragments, ceramics with red ware and large-sized structures running into twenty-two courses have been found from this level.

Gupta era (400-600 AD) and post-Gupta era:Typical terracotta figurines, a copper coin with the legend Sri Chandra (Gupta), and illustrative potsherds of the Gupta period have been found. A circular brick shrine with an entrance from the east and a provision for a water-chute on the northern wall have also been found.

11th to 12th century:A huge structure of almost fifty metres in north-south orientation have been found on this level. Only four of the fifty pillar bases belong to this level. Above this lied a structure with at least three structural phases which had a huge pillared hall.

Radar searchIn the January 2003, Candadian geophysiscist Claude Robillard performed a search with a ground-penetrating radar. The survey concluded the following:

"There is some structure under the mosque. The structures were ranging from 0.5 to 5.5 meters in depth that could be associated with ancient and contemporaneous structures such as pillars, foundation walls, slab flooring, extending over a large portion of the site".

Claude Robillard, the chief geophysicist stated the following:
"There are some anomalies found underneath the site relating to some archaeological features. You might associate them (the anomalies) with pillars, or floors, or concrete floors, wall foundation or something. These anomalies could be associated with archaeological features but until we dig, I can't say for sure what the construction is under the mosque."

Hari-Vishnu inscription:During the demolition of the Babri mosque in December 1992, three inscriptions on stone were found. The most important one is the Hari-Vishnu inscription inscribed on a 1.10 x .56 metre slab with 20 lines that was provisionally dated to ca. 1140. The inscription mentioned that the temple was dedicated to "Vishnu, slayer of Bali and of the ten-headed one" [Rama is an incarnation of Vishnu who is said to have defeated Bali and Ravana]. The inscription is written in the Nagari Lipi script, a Sanskrit script of the 11th and 12th century. It was examined by world class Epigraphists and Sanskrit scholars (among them Prof. A.M. Shastri).

PillarsPillar bases were first discovered by the ASI's former director-general BB Lall in 1975. In the Babri Mosque were at least fourteen stone pillars that have been dated to the early 11th century and more pillars were found during excavations buried in the ground near the mosque.

Two similar pillars were also found placed upside down by the side of the grave of Fazle Abbas alias Musa Ashikhan. This Muslim saint was the person that incited Mir Baqi to destroy the Janmasthan temple and build a mosque on it.